WRITING ABOUT WRITING #AmWriting

27 CommentsAuthors, Blogfests, Books, Writing/Blogging

writing womanI’m accepting this invitation from MICHELE TRUHLIK to participate in a Blog Tagging Event about writing. To become a writer was my childhood dream and I tried to make it happen for several years in the 1970s. Discouraged by constant rejection, the need for a steady pay cheque and the challenges of life in general, my muse got buried, deeper and deeper as time wore on and I turned into a corporate workaholic instead. Now, thanks to the internet and the blogging world, the muse has returned.

Michele and I first met during last April’s A to Z BLOGGING CHALLENGE. We have much in common, including our love of dogs, classic rock, writing and the night.  We’re even in the same business! She’s also an animal advocate and will be ordained as an Animal Chaplain/Pet Shaman in 2015. ANGELS BARK is the name of Michele’s fabulous blog and you can read her “Writing about Writing” entry HERE.

Thank you, Michele!

What exactly is a “Blog Tagging Event”? The tagged person has a week (flexible), to write a post answering the same 4 questions as shown in red, below, linking back to the one who chose them.  In this post, they will then tag 2 or 3 (or more) people to carry on the following week. And so on…

Here we go:

1) What are you currently working on?

My WIP (work in progress) is called “Adventures in Dogsitting” and it’s a memoir of the dogs I have known over 20 years as a pet sitter. There are eight chapters so far and you can read them HERE. (Three chapters were published in the “READ FOR ANIMALS” anthology, 1st edition, a fundraising initiative for homeless pets, organized by author ERIKA M. SZABO.)  I stopped working on this for a long time, because many of the stories have sad endings, which were difficult to re-visit, but plan to pick it up again, soon

#AtoZChallenge: TAILS AND TALES
[Amazon author link]

Additionally, I am (eventually) going to self-publish a short memoir (approx. 4600 words), about my crazy year in a Swiss boarding school.  It even comes with a soundtrack, (as does the rest of my life). ♫♫

This website is my creative outlet and besides memoirs, I also write song parodies, occasional poetry and other bits, informational and travel articles plus share lots of music and photos. Please have a browse at your leisure.

2) How does your work differ from others in the same genre?

Memoirs are profoundly intimate. Every author’s style is unique and a reflection of his or her personality. Writing can be cathartic, but some memories are particularly painful and I’ve been known to disguise these as fiction, using third person narrative.

writing not talking
[image credit]

3) Why do you write what you write?

As far as the memoirs and travel articles go, this is probably age-related.  The older one gets, the more nostalgic one becomes. I’ve had an unusual, globe-trotting life (so far), and enjoy sharing these stories. It wasn’t all roses though and writing some of the darker chapters has been healing for me.

Features covering health, ageing and blogging issues, etc. are for informational purposes; sharing knowledge to benefit others.

The song parodies are for my readers’ (and my own) amusement. A female  Weird Al” Yankovic in the making? [Facetious comment – I have no illusions.]

Every once in a (great) while, I feel the urge to write a poem or some short fiction.  I just follow my muse.  Her name is Rita.

my muse controls the writing
[image credit]

4) Describe your writing process.

This one gave me pause. Writing process, you say? Um, er, well…

One thing is for sure. According to conventional wisdom, I’m doing it all wrong!  You’re supposed to let the words flow without stopping and worry about corrections later.  There’s absolutely no way my OCD perfectionist self can handle this.  I agonize over every word, edit, re-edit and read aloud as I plod along. Consequently, it takes me forever to get anything finished and I don’t embrace the “you must write every day” mantra.  Too draining!

hate writing quote

As a perpetual night owl/insomniac, the wee hours are my creative peak. Sometimes I’ll jot down ideas, but mostly they percolate in my head and are halfway formed there before I start typing.

Now for the “Tagging” portion of this post.  I am passing the baton to two remarkable people, whom I also met during the A to Z Challenge.  A big THANK YOU to both, for agreeing to participate!

Carol Graham

Author, Motivational Speaker, Health Coach, Survivor

Carol is a resilient woman who endured traumatic events that would cause most others to roll over and quit. The challenges of cancer, rape, marital abuse, jail, attempted suicide, loss of a child and financial ruin, coupled with a determination to succeed, compels the readers of her memoir, BATTERED HOPE, to root for her to triumph. Many of you will identify with her on emotional terrains of love, loss, suffering, pain, heartbreak and ultimately, renewal. She has a BLOG of the same name which covers a myriad of topics, including self-help, inspirational and slice of life.  Loved her A TO Z DOG TALES!

G.B. Miller

Author, Family Man, State Employee

In 2006, while working as a Payroll Clerk in state government (and with a little encouragement from friends and co-workers), G. B. decided to take up writing to make better use of his free time. Becoming fully immersed in his nascent 2nd career, some eight years later, he can proudly say that he is a published somebody, with two short stories and his commercial debut under his belt.  (The latter is now being primed for an indie release next month under a new title.)  Currently, he divides his time between working in state government, spending time with his family and creating written mayhem in both the real world and the cyber world.  G.B. is a witty, prolific blogger at FATHER NATURE’S CORNER and I’m so glad we met.  Details about his published works can be found at BOOKS BY G.B. MILLER.

Fellow writers:  What are you working on?  How would you answer these questions?

Loyal readers: What do you think of my scribblings?  Would you buy my [future] book(s)?

Looking forward to your comments!

Debbie

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27 thoughts on “WRITING ABOUT WRITING #AmWriting

  1. Hi Debbie,

    I always wonder as how the people who devote their life to become a writer is possible.

    But when I read such type of articles then I came to know that it’s about passion and the inner built strength to fulfill our dream. Every writer has his/her own way of writing. It’s hard to understand the way they write until they let us know about their skills.

    Love for any particular stuff is always great and as you have mentioned above being a dog lover. I really love pets and would like to know more and more about them.

    Thanks a lot for brighten this topic.

    Hope you are having a successful week.:)

    ~Ravi

    1. Welcome to The Den, Ravi. I’m glad you enjoyed this post and yes, it is about having passion for certain things. Thanks for your comments.

  2. Pingback: Reasons I’m Happy I’m Not Going to FinCon - debt debs
  3. I’m going to come back and read your adventures in dog sitting. Writing is cathartic, and definitely a way to deal with some losses a long the way. I would love to write a book some day, but don’t currently have the confidence to even remotely consider it as a possibility. Certainly not enough hours in the day at the moment, but once I’m retired it logistically could be considered. 😉

    1. Hi Debs; Thanks for dropping by and taking an interest in my boarding school memoir. The way to gain confidence with your writing is to share it with others and get feedback. It may not be all positive, but hopefully it will be constructive. Bet you’ll write something great when the time comes. 😀 Have a good rest of the week.

  4. Hi Debbie!

    As a reader I would definitely buy your books, especially the one about your time in a Swiss boarding school! From the excerpts I’v e read it sounds like your adventures came straight out of a movie!

    I don’t think I’ve reached writer status quite yet but I’m working on it :). I just published my first eBook and currently working on marketing strategies which is hared when there is hardly a budget, LOL. I think my work is different in that I’m sharing personal experiences and solutions that has and hasn’t worked for me.

    My writing process is a couple days of writing and editing before the final product is published. I like to have a scented candle burning to help me relax and music to help me think…weird right?

    Enjoyed reading your post Debbie! Have a great day and here’s to a great month!

    1. Hi Corina; I’m glad you enjoyed the boarding school stories. Am learning how to self-publish and it’s a bit daunting! LOL Got any advice about that? Congratulations on getting your first book out there! I added it to my Amazon store, but sadly, nobody seems to buy anything there – they just look. 😛 Well, maybe they’ll see it and buy it from Amazon directly.
      Aromatherapy is a great way to relax and as for the music….I couldn’t function without it! 😀 Thanks for visiting.

  5. You are such a diverse writer, Debbie. I feel privileged to have read a lot of your work from your hilarious song parodies, to touching posts about dogs, your youth and of course your wonderful travelogues. Hope you will keep writing for many years to come.

    What a great idea that blog hop is! Always fun to learn about other bloggers.

    1. I’m thrilled you enjoy my writing, Cathy. 🙂 That’s one good thing about it – as long as the mind still works, one can be a writer no matter how old, yes? Thanks for visiting.

  6. That’s such a cool tag. It makes you think about what you’re writing and makes you get yourself a plan. Loved your plan Debbie. Those boarding school tales sound interesting. Off to check some.

    1. Well, it’s a plan which often gets sidetracked. LOL Thanks for visiting and checking out the boarding school memoirs. Have a great rest of the week. 🙂

  7. This was a fabulous read, Debbie! I particularly relate to your writing process because I too don’t religiously follow the “write everyday”, but I do write “almost everyday” even if it only involves correcting the one little paragraph I wrote the previous day or previous week or month! I like that you have named your muse. I don’t have one, must get one 🙂 Hmmm…I am already thinking what to name her. Or him 🙂 Good luck with all your projects.

    1. Thank you so much, Beloo. 🙂 Rita is actually my middle name, so it’s still me. LOL I’d love to know what you name your muse. Appreciate the comment today. Have a great rest of the week.

  8. I love this blog hop because it allows us to really think about our writing and lets our readers know more about us. I wish you good luck with you WIP, Debbie!
    The song lyrics are fab! 🙂

    1. Thanks Corinne. 🙂 I went back to your blog and found your post about it. You’re right, it does allow others to get to know us better and I enjoyed what you shared there.

  9. I participated in this bloghop, Debbie, and it was so enjoyable! Lovely post – I like the part about Weird Al’ Yankovic- I am a big fan 😀 I am very glad you are writing, or how would we have met? I am looking forward to catching up on your work.

  10. Many thanks again for tagging me to participate in this Writing About Writing meme. I think your blog is one of the coolest blogs that I’ve come across in quite some time and it’s always a pleasure reading your writing.

    1. Thanks very much, G.B. 😀 This blog takes up so much time, I’m glad somebody thinks it’s cool! Of course, to know you enjoy my writing makes my day even more. Glad you accepted the invite and I’m looking forward to your answers.

  11. This is so fascinating, as are you… the line about your life having a soundtrack is brilliant. I know that feeling well, and am on good terms with it. Writing is so personal, and its meanings and matters vary to such degrees from one person to the next. I appreciate those who write under the banner of “how to do it” and God Bless them, but for me, I fare better with someone who boldly states, “This is how I do it… sometimes.” Really glad I saw this new post today, Debbie.

    1. I’m humbled by your high praise, Myke. 😀 Sounds like you’re a kindred spirit in regards to the music and the writing. Yeah; I’ve always just done my own thing, my way and never cared much about convention. If people like it – that’s great. If they don’t, I figure that’s their loss. 😉 Glad you enjoyed the post.

  12. Honored doesn’t cut it. Blown away comes closer. Thank you, first of all, for tagging me and your gracious words. I will spend the next few days checking all your links mentioned here. I appreciated learning even more about you and I hope you are proud of yourself – I sure am proud to call you friend.

    1. Thank you for participating Carol. 🙂 I’m proud to call you a friend as well and admire your attitude and fortitude. Your story of survival and triumph is unparalleled. Looking forward to your answers!

  13. I love how you did yours Debbie!! Love learning more about you. You’re so damn cool, lady! 🙂 Hey, thanks for the nice introduction. And yes, I’d definitely buy your books! <3

    1. Thank you so much, Michele. 🙂 You’re pretty damn cool yourself! This was a fun post to do, and as usual, subject to many re-edits. LOL