08/17/2011 Excerpts . . .

                                                                                  

"Place is one of the lesser angels that watch over the racing hand of fiction, perhaps the one that gazes benignly enough from off to one side, while others, like character, plot, symbolic meaning, and so on, are doing a good deal of wing-beating about her chair, and feeling, who in my eyes carries the crown, soars highest of them all and rightly relegates place into the shade.  Nevertheless, it is this lowlier angel that concerns us here.  There have been signs that she has been rather neglected of late; maybe she could do with a little petitioning."  from "On Writing," by Eudora Welty 

"Let's get one thing clear right now, shall we? There is no Idea Dump, no Story Central, no Island of the Buried Bestsellers; good story ideas seem to come quite literally from nowhere, sailing at you right out of the empty sky; two previously unrelated ideas come together and make something new under the sun.  Your job isn't to find these ideas but to recognize them when they show up."  from "On Writing ... A Memoir of the Craft," by Stephen King   

 


       

8/17/11 Pen Musings Orientation 101

PenMusings Orientation 101:  

We hope you like our new look! As  you know,"Penmusings" was launched in mid-May earlier this year. Its byline of “ … a directory of information, flavorings and insights on writing !” is definitely not an exaggeration! Over the summer, several considerations have been entertained toward design and content of the site.  The one constant has been to continue to offer writers, readers, authors and illustrators of all genres as much useful information as possible – all right at their fingertips and within Penmusings.com. So far, it’s worked!

With  features of Insights, Inspirations, Write-Stuff/Read-Stuff  and access to standard online writing tools such as dictionary.com and thesaurus.com, penning your newest and continued work has never been easier. 

The Inspirations and Insights column will feature new personalities each month.

Our Publishing Processes page has everything you'll need to assist you in becoming a better writer. Novel Concepts features tools for honing your writing crafts. Also look for links to small, large and independent publishing houses. Secret(?) Agent News, will give you links to literary agents representing all genres – including strategies for query letters and proposals.

    

Opportunities for grants, scholarships and freelance writing gigs are in residence on the Pen Opps & Props page - see Pen Money Opportunities.  On that same page there are  brief Excerpts from instructional and motivational books on what else? Writing, of course!  Author websites may be found on the People Will Talk page which also includes information on writer’s conferences and professional writers’ affiliations.  Current promotions may be found on the WordWorks page. Retired articles and columns appearing on Penmusings may be accessed through the Archive navigational button.

      

Social media access to Twitter, Facebook, Poppt and Google+ is on every page of the site. Penmusings has a presence in each of these  venues - feel free to "follow" or "friend" at any time! Search engines such as Google and StumbledUpon are also provided to assist you in your research tasks.  Enjoy the site!

8/17/11 Insights . . . on Mark David Gerson

Insights:  

... on Mark David Gerson

Enhancing the skills of readers , writers and authors everywhere Mark David Gerson has been teaching them all how to allow their natural muses to do what they do best.  Inspire.  Every writer knows that their muse can show up at any time and in any setting, and usually stays just long enough to plant their ideas – disappearing just as quickly as it appeared.   Mark David Gerson is an expert in getting them to stay a little longer. 

Understanding what the true meaning of writer’s block coupled with distractions and frustrations, Mr. Gerson recognized the effect of all of this and with a sword of humility cut these writers’ nemeses down to size.  His creative philosophy applies to artists of every medium one that should not be forgotten.  In his own words, it goes like this:   

“Writers often balk when I suggest that their stories are smarter, wiser, cannier and craftier than they could ever hope to be. Writers, like all human beings, would prefer to believe that they can be in control and still create from a place of infinite possibility.

Not even the God of Genesis is that arrogant. God doesn't "make" creation happen. God allows creation to occur. "Let there be light," He says. And light appears. Not because God forces His will on it. But because he allows light its natural form, shape and substance. And when each day's creation is done? He doesn't sit in judgment over it, calling it worthy or unworthy. He recognizes that all creation has innate merit and declares it to be "good."

I spent more than half the years I've lived so far with my eyes closed and ears blocked to infinite mind, “my” infinite mind. Although we're all born with a direct link to that source of wisdom and, as young children, act from it, we're often shut down to it by a so-called "grown-up world" that  is in fearful denial of anything that  can't be accessed by the five physical senses. I don't know why or when I was shut down, or by whom.  But, clearly I was. And it wasn't until a creative and spiritual awakening began to move through me in my early to mid-30s that I began to tune in to the infinite possibilities of the invisible 9. 

My life since then has been rocky, on-the-edge and unconventional. It's been scary, disrupted and a distant remove from what most people still cling to as "security." It's also been creative, exhilarating, passion-filled, vibrant, exciting, adventurous and enriching. It has pushed me beyond the boundaries of what I believe and what I believe I want, and it has propelled me beyond the frontiers of the conventionally possible. In every moment, it steers me on a course I could never consciously chart for myself. And in every breath, it reminds me that the story knows best -- the story I'm living as much as the story I'm writing.  I wouldn't have it any other way.”

With titles like “Voice of the Muse” and “The MoonQuest,” Mark David makes the statement that no source or destination should be disregarded when the passion of creativity is begging for your attention.  His expert advice has been guiding readers, writers – and their groups- photographers and authors for nearly 20 years.   More recently his meditation video for writers entitled, “You Are a Writer,” has been incorporated into the routines of scribes everywhere as a necessary step to ready their pens to weave their words on paper.  It appears that Mr. Gerson, realizing his artistic potential, wasn’t afraid to accept the dare of what it took to fulfill his dream of a creative life.  Thank you, Mr. Gerson, for showing others the way as well!

    

08/17/2011 Inspirations

Inspirations:   Lela Davidson

 

With committed parental, professional and civic responsibilities, this newly-published author, Lela Davidson, author of “Blacklisted from the PTA,”has shown her discipline in writing over and over again.  But, the best part is that she does all this with humor.

Author, Hugh Sydney had a famous quote about the mix of humor with life, “A sense of humor... is needed armor. Joy in one's heart and some laughter on one's lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life.”

Lela Davidson’s firm grasp on life is very apparent in her writing and shines brightly in her new book, “Blacklisted from the PTA”

From PTA meetings to POA politics, Lela Davidson exposes the humor in every awkward moment of familial failure and maternal meltdown. She’s not afraid to reveal her screw-ups, along with fleeting delusional moments when she honestly believes she is the best mom/wife/neighbor/friend ever.

Lela is the author of Blacklisted from the PTA (Jupiter Press, imprint of Wyatt-MacKenzie, 2011), and the Managing Editor of Parenting Squad. Her writing is featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: New Moms and in family and parenting magazines throughout the United States and Canada. She is the Associate Editor of Peekaboo magazine, and represents the publication in the Parenting U segment on CBS affiliate KFSM Wake Up With 5News. She also blogs about marriage, motherhood, and keeping the evidence of aging at bay at After the Bubbly.

When I asked her why she wrote, her answer is a true example of the writer’s adage, “Write what you know.” This is what she said:

“I like to write because I like to talk. I started writing when my kids were young as a creative outlet for myself, but also to capture specific memories about their childhoods. Also, I had moved to Texas from the west coast and was experiencing some serious culture shock. I met all these characters I didn't want to forget.

I write to entertain, to learn, and sometimes as therapy. And even if I never made another dollar writing, I'd still do it because it's something that is continuously evolving, and a craft I could never fully master.”

Spoken like a true author! Congratulations, Lela, on the success of your most-recent publishing endeavor, and thank you for your inspiring words! 

   

What Purpose do Book Publishers Serve?

Interesting thoughts from both sides of the fence:

http://bit.ly/tjr9Ib

Enjoy!