A Great Teacher

A Great Teacher

I am a member of the Coeur du Bois Chapter of the Romance Writers of America.  It is a wonderful organization.  Once a month, after the chapter meeting a workshop is presented about the fundamentals of writing.  On April 7, 2012 the chapter welcomed Johanna Harness, yes, our very own Johanna.  The class was entitled: Jump Start Your Novel with Timed Writing. 

Now, I’m going to be honest.  I planned to leave early.  My husband had surgery the day before and I needed to get in my classroom to prepare for Monday.

I talked to Johanna ahead of time.  She told me I should act offended and stomp out.  We got a chuckle out of that scenario.

When the time came, I couldn’t leave.  Johanna had my complete attention, well as much as could be expected from someone taking notes as fast as my poor fingers allowed.

If you’ve read my blogs you know several things about me.  I am doing my best to make sense of my writing journey.  When Johanna shared her Plot Arc I went into fits of pleasure.  Please refer to her article Plot Arc.  I’m still looking at it, thinking about how to best incorporate this tool into my arsenal of weapons.   

The Plot Arc would have been great, but there was more.  Imagine me squealing when I said “more.”

Johanna included a page about what you can do with ten minutes.

1. Discover your main character’s weaknesses.
2. Plot a chapter of your novel.
3. Find out what scares a character, and why.
4. Explore what makes characters dislike each other.

The list was more extensive.  Then, Johanna asked use to add to the list.  There was a ringer in the audience, someone working secretly with our wonderful speaker.  She told me I could write 100 words in ten minutes. 

Come close, so I won’t be overheard.  Are you leaning in?  She was right.  100 words in ten minutes is doable.

You know I try to be honest.  I haven’t done the 100 words every night, but I’ve done it.  

Having a good teacher makes a difference.  Have you had a class that helped you focus on a certain aspect of your writing? 

2012 Resolutions, Part 2

My resolutions for 2012.

1. Work on improving my health.
2. Spend more time with my husband.
3. Spend more time with my children.
4. Spend more time with my friends and extended family.
5. Spend more time taking joy from each and every day.

In my previous blog, I wrote about my number one resolution for the brand new year.  This week I want to talk about my second 2012 resolution.

Spend more time with my husband.

Let’s go back in time, way back.  I had graduated from Long Beach Junior College in January.  I was going to attend a California college on the trimester system, and wouldn’t be starting classes until March.  I decided this would be a perfect time to visit my family and friends in Pocatello, Idaho.

Jerome Mapp was attending Idaho State University.  He worked as a DJ at the university radio station.  We had met prior to this visit.  By met, I mean we said hello.  This meeting was different.  We actually had a conversation.  We talked about our lives, our future plans, and about music.  I promised to call the station to make a request.

I made that telephone call.

Have you ever met someone and felt a click?

We went out one Saturday.

The following Wednesday evening we were sitting in my Aunt Tenna’s kitchen.  I remember looking at him and knowing exactly how he felt about me.  I said, “I know you love me.” 

You need to understand my husband in not prone to impulsive acts, unless it’s a shopping deal too good to pass up.  I can only imagine how my words must have unnerved the poor man.  Sure, we had gone out on Saturday, and he came over to visit me each day since that date, but this, this wasn’t what he expected.  He, of course, was taken aback.  I smiled as he offered a denial. 

Less than an hour later he told me he loved me.

“I know.”  I smiled.

On Saturday night we were at a party being hosted at my Aunt Jessie’s house.  That’s where he asked me to marry him.  There were seven days between the first date and the day he popped the question. 

As you can imagine, our speedy engagement sent tongues wagging.  There was the pregnancy speculation.  I wasn’t.  There were the naysayers.  “It will never last.”  The possibility of divorce never goes away, but… we’re still together.

My darling husband and I have been married for more than three decades.  After all that time, it’s easy to start taking him for granted.  This is the man I once thought could walk on the moon without the aid of special equipment.  The years have shown me he is a mere mortal, but he is my mere mortal.  I want to spend more time laughing with him.

My husband and I had the kind of romance authors spin into stories.  After the head-spinning rush of love settles, living with someone takes work and commitment. 

As writers we create characters that can deal with the things life hurls in their path.  

We went through college together, started our careers, raised three sons, and dealt with the heartbreaking death of one of those sons.  Somehow, we’ve managed to stay together.

Recently, one of The Gem State Writers blogged on the issue of true love.  The problem with love is that the shine dulls with age.  It doesn’t sparkle as brightly as it did when you first discovered it.  He is mortal.  So am I.  

My resolution is to enjoy spending time with the man a twenty year old version of me decided to spend her life with, and enjoy those ordinary moments we spend together.

Perspective

Perspective

Perspective is defined as a particular evaluation of a
situation or facts, especially from one person’s point of view.

It’s all in a look.

Recently, I sat next to a German student during my flight to
southern California.  When the plane was approaching
for landing, I pointed out downtown Los Angeles to the young man.  For a moment, I thought I’d made a
mistake.  Maybe the skyscrapers were
downtown Pasadena.  No.  It was downtown L.A.  It wasn’t nearly as awe-inspiring as the New
York skyline.

Perspective.

Los Angeles is the most populous city in California and the
second most populous in the United States, after New York.  The metropolitan area is home to nearly
eighteen million people.  Yes, eighteen
million.  It is surrounded by vast mountain
ranges, deep valleys, forests, desert and the Pacific Ocean.  Let’s say there is something for everyone.

Perspective.

My sister lives in Inglewood, a community of 100,000 people.  109,667 to be exact.   It’s a
much smaller city than Boise.  Boise has
a population of 205,671.

I failed to mention that the city of Inglewood has a total
area of 9.1 square miles, while Boise occupies 64 square miles.  Okay, so there are a lot of people packed
into the space.  Inglewood borders Los
Angeles.  The cities merge together.  As a matter of fact, the people across the
street live in Los Angeles.  That’s how
close she is to L.A.

Perspective.

Prince William and his bride, Lady Katherine, visited the
United States this month.  I watched a
live broadcast as they exited the plane, were greeted by Governor Jerry Brown,
the mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, and other dignitaries.  I saw them step into the Range Rover, sent
from England especially for their use during their California stay.

There had been accidents on two freeways and some intelligent
person decided the best way for them to get to their first event was to travel surface
streets.  It was a spur of the moment
decision.  There were several reporters
in station helicopters following the entourage.
At one point I realized, they were traveling past my oldest nephew’s
apartment.  The best part of the
broadcast was seeing the reaction from the people the royals passed on the
street.  Those people along the streets, of
course, had a different perspective than the television viewers.

When my other nephew returned home, I asked him if he had
caught sight of the royals.  I explained
that they had traveled the surface streets.
His response, “That’s what caused the traffic backup.”

Perspective.

Imagine your character in that plane, landing in Los Angeles.  How might they react to the visual?  Imagine the royals landing.  What things did they take note of.  How would the scene unfold if the passenger
was a returning vet?  What if that vet’s
boyfriend had dumped her?  What if that
vet’s father was seriously ill?  What if
she was returning home to clear her father’s name?  How would those things affect her
perspective?

Have you played with perspective, written a scene from
different points of view to see which one works best?  Think about it.  How would you write that scene?

 

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