Life has a way of isolating certain times in our life and giving us back a snapshot in a can- you-have-ever-imagined kind of way. If someone had told me a year ago that I would be heading out alone, in the open road, in a bright sunshine-yellow beetle bug, taking myself to a 10 day novel writing retreat I would have thought they were insane. But here I am, sitting outside at the retreat, one of the most pretty isolated on a hill places I have ever seen, with 10 days of freedom to work on my novel under great mentorship in a workshop of 5 other equally thrilled to be here novelists. When you allow yourself time to dream I do think that dreams do come true, small ones along with big ones with only you as the only judge. I, like most people I know work very hard and we get so self-involved in the frenzy of day to day life that we are all guilty of not taking the time to be alone, be with one ‘self’ and be creative, no matter what your talent or passion. Writers are a typically bad bunch for not getting around to being creative. We let too many things get in our way of physically and mentally sitting down to write. There is always something that takes priority over writing and as writers we also often feed that bad attitude that writing is not really a job anyway. There are many closet writers for that very reason, as they do not want the flaky stigma that often comes with the mystique of a writing lifestyle. I had to work very hard, professionally to juggle being gone from my self-employed life for almost three weeks in the busiest of summer seasons. I also had to work very hard personally to let go of all the things that give me excuses, or reasons as I like to call them, to not be writing as much as I should or not writing what I really want to write. Taking this time to firstly pull together the application and a manuscript in progress worthy of a coveted half dozen spots in a highly respected writing workshop was a feat all in itself. But surprisingly writers will always typically find a way to be not deserving of accolades or accomplishments. Upon gaining entry I constantly second guessed the notification letter to the point of almost not attending. When I got over that personal hurdle I then decided I simply could not justify the expense of the adventure. That too passed. I am a writer by profession and came to that role the long hard way through a career change or two along the way and have had the privilege of covering many a great story in magazines and journals over the years but finally the next ten days will be a long awaited chance to at last be what I have wanted to be my entire life as far back as I can remember – a fiction novelist. Even the word fiction is exciting to me. I have very few childhood memories as mostly they are stashed so deep buried under the rubble of too many hard ones but one I do distinctly recall is the day in second grade when the teacher explained the difference between fiction and non-fiction and even then at only barely seven years old I instantly had a place I knew I belonged in. I knew even back then that young that my brain ran a constant reel of stories and observations that I dared not share with anyone but after that single moment in class that it now had a real place to belong – I knew I was a fiction writer! I copied the word off the blackboard and later that night, secretly under the covers I printed the words over and over and over on a piece of paper adding my name after each line and secretly stared at it for days. One day when I was afraid my brothers would find it and tease me tore it up in tiny little pieces and buried the scraps it in the earth and I remember saying to myself out loud – “there! Now no one can steal that from me – I AM a “fiction novel writer” just like the teacher taught us about. It is afternoon one of ten more to come and I am already feeling a world away from my hectic life and a stone’s throw from my writing life that I have missed so dearly. I am breathing the most amazing fresh air in perfect temperatures and lovely sunshine and the novel characters that have been trapped behind a busy life in my multitasking brain are dancing around with joy and excited to be able to finally come out and play. It seems that it was only days ago not decades ago that I came to realize I am a fiction writer …. at least for the next ten days!

                                ... is NOW available!

 

 "In this poetry chap book author Michelle Greysen
               shares her poetic reflections on falling in love ...  
                           first love, new love, forbidden love and true love."

 

For details and ordering info go to:
http://www.lulu.com/content/7550664

   (if you are in southern Alberta you may reserve your copy for pickup at Inktiques or want to arrange for a signed copy mailed worldwide please contact Michelle for a shipping quote)

COMING SOON ... 
Inklings On Writing by Michelle Greysen
For upcoming titles by Greysen Ink Inc. Publishing - please visit 
http://greysenink.com and select "Book Publishing"

Thank you for all your positive support of my writing and as always I welcome any and all comments.

Warm regards,

Michelle Greysen

michelle@GreysenInk.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

These inklings on writing have circled my desk and consumed my thoughts for a very long time. People often ask me writer-aspiring questions. Why do you write? How do you write? Can you teach me to write? 
I first started putting down my answers and thoughts on writing and sharing them out here as a blog. I quickly realized I have far too much to share to limit myself to a few paragraphs on each thought per blog. These concepts would resonate around in my writing brain all day, often getting in the way of real work until one day when I said, “fine let them pass through, write them down and get on with your writing!”
They quickly became my writing and have now transpired into an upcoming book – aptly titled Inklings On Writing.

I invite you to grow and challenge your own writing and please contact me to receive the early release information for this title due out this summer 2009. Thank you for asking the questions that inspired this affirming book on discovering the writer in you.

michelle@InklingsOnWriting.com

Warm regards,

Michelle Greysen

www.GreysenInk.com

http://twitter.com/GreysenInk

Author, Inklings On Writing
ISBN 978-0-9735549-2-2
forthcoming summer 2009

          Having a talent to write, a desire, a schedule, a plan, some tools, and a place to write is just the prep work to actually sitting down and starting the task at hand of writing. Writing is the thoughts moving from your brain onto the paper in front of you. Not a finished product, not a work of art, and maybe not even fit for sharing, but process that eventually when routine sets in, has a beginning, middle and end. The beginning is the ‘getting the thoughts to come’ part of the job that once underway is in the past and forgotten but in the moment of a blank page can be a very intimidating fleeting career-killing ego-sinking experience. What if the thoughts don’t show up? After all you did your homework, got yourself to this point and are ready to finally write, so how does one make the thoughts appear?

When you are faced with those panic moments of what was I thinking when I took on this story, remember to break it into small parts, sections of ideas from which to jot down related information to grow a future bigger story. Don’t overwhelm yourself with an enormous daunting project but rather enjoy the creative process one paragraph, one idea, on idea at a time. Don’t feel as if you have this great task ahead of you, rather set a goal for the next hour, how many words will you write, or pages, or a paragraph perhaps. Decide where you want your story to be in an hour and just go there, just see where the words take you. Stop at your pre-decided goal break, re-evaluate your goal, set a new one if you are ready, and carry on.

 Write and think and imagine in small scenes and settings and stop to write a snippet of the experience and eventually the parts will come together in the whole. Enjoy the process.

"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs." ... Henry Ford