I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of 7-8th graders at Maize South Middle School this week about the writing process, idea generation, and use of the senses.  What a great bunch of kids!  They were very attentive and asked good questions.  We did a short writing exercise to music and I joined in.  Then we split up in groups of 4-6 and read what we wrote.  I could tell some of the kids were trying to incorporate some of the things we talked about in their writing.  Some of them were funny and very talented writers.  I am honored that they asked me and hope that I inspired some to write more.  They certainly inspired me!

I plan on going back in March and talk about the dreaded "editing" process.  There was a collective moan all over the room when I mentioned it, and no doubt writers everywhere are moaning as I write it. A necessary evil, to be sure. But like I told them, the editing process is the opportunity to make good writing great.  At least, I think I said that - I meant to. 

Enjoy the journey my friends,
BD

Using all five senses help to create a real experience for the reader from your story.  It’s vital to use sight, smell, touch, sound, taste and even emotionally feeling.  What does the scene smell like, how does it look and what do they touch or taste?  

It’s much more than just a soft kiss.  Do his lips taste like mint or feel like silk?  Does he smell like English Leather and soap?  OR, are his lips cold and hard as steel?  Does he smell like blood and sweat?  Each description creates a much different response in the reader about the person being kissed.  

In describing the scene, put the reader in it by letting them feel the course sand between their toes and the cold water of the Pacific.  Maybe their bare feet are raw from the jagged shards of volcanic rock?  Is the rain a soft mist that coats the hair like stars, or icy sheets that drench and chill in a matter of seconds?  Again you can feel the difference.  

There are so many good ways to share the world your story is set in, not the least of which is food.  Is it so spicy that sweat beads appear on your lip?  Is it cold enough to freeze your throat and cause an immediate ache in your sinus?  Is the coffee bitter and filled with grounds?  Are the vegetables old and shriveled, tasting more like dirt than the unique flavor of spring?  Make it vivid.

All of these types of examples can help to pull the reader into the story and make it real for them.  So, sharpen your senses and use them on the page.

Enjoy the journey.
BD

I opened up a luscious Dove Dark Chocolate disk and found the Promises message to be:  Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can.
Very interesting, eh? 

Since 2009 started I've been doing just the opposite, I've not been hammering away at the to do list, instead when my day job is done I've been reading, watching movies, and NCIS (which currently has me hooked). 

Don't get me wrong, I still do the laundry and vacuum up the chunks from the carpet.  But, dusting - not so much.  Windows - nope.  Ironing - God forbid.  Writing - some.  Balancing the old checkbook - not yet, but I'm working myself up to it.  Lately I've been saving things for the weekend, then finding much more fun things to do like watching basketball with my significant other and having lunch or shopping with friends.

Maybe this chocolaty message was a "sign" that I need to get myself in gear and whack away at least one item from the to do list each evening.  Care to join me?

Enjoy the journey.
BD

There are schools of thought that dreams are a random set of images from our subconscious, with no clear purpose or intent.  The dictionary tells us that a dream is a series of mental images, thoughts, and emotions occurring in certain stages of sleep.  It also goes on to say that a dream can be a state of abstraction: trance; a hope or aspiration.  
    The study of dreams and the symbols they contain is fascinating to me, but I’ve never taken the time to delve into it.  I do believe that I have had dreams that gave me the answers to questions, inspired a story or character to write about, or just stuck with me over the years for one reason or another.
    One such dream I had when I was in my late teens.  I found myself in a totally unfamiliar locale, with no idea where to go to find home.  The fear was overwhelming me so I located a phone booth and called my significant other.  I described the landscape, the buildings, the street signs, but none of it was familiar to him either.  In frustration he finally said, “How can I find you if you don’t know where you are?”
    And that, my dear writing friends, is a very good question.  We have this dream of being successful writers, and try to follow the advice of books written by authors we deem successful.  We study the craft of writing and try our hand at it time and time again, only to have rejection after rejection pile up amidst the occasional publication.  
What does this mean?  Are we on the wrong path?  Do we need to dream another dream?  Can someone help us find our way home?  It’s true that some of us will go on to other dreams, but not all.  Those of us that keep on the writing path will find our way to publication and success.  To what level is yet to be seen.  
In order to be the next John Grisham or Nora Roberts we’ve got our work cut out for us.  They, too, had their share of rejections when they first started out.  I read somewhere that Chicken Soup for the Soul was rejected more than a hundred times before the author found a publisher willing to take a chance, and look how that turned out. 
In his book “On Writing,” Stephen King wallpapered his attic with rejection slips.  The author of the “First Wives Club” didn’t find publishing success until there was film interest.  So, we never know what direction our dreams may take us.
Dreams are something very difficult if not impossible to control, but by keeping positive pictures in your mind, striving to improve your craft, as well as networking in the book industry – these steps can only help your dreams come true.  One of my favorite “positive pictures” or “dreams” is of me sitting behind a table in a crowded bookstore with a line of fans weaving through the store while they wait to have me sign my book.  I’m sure this dream is shared by many of you, if not all, and I don’t mind sharing.  

Langston Hughes once said, “Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.”  Let’s soar, fellow writers, we have only to work toward that dream to achieve it.