Aloha Wendy--in no way have you forgotten how to write--you've written here so beautifully of the horrid struggles that we're sometimes put through and how as long as we have hope, there IS hope, and we find ways to grasp it and allow it to grow and to overshadow the struggle. Keep up the good work!
Tock...those eyes filled with hope. Yep, we all want a character who despite it all, has hope. I loved the way you described the essence of your Hero's Journey (sounds dreadful) and where you are now. Oh my god, that first photo is total bleakness and I've been "there" and never want to return. Write on. We are all better for it.
I have noticed that my books are certainly telling of where I was mentally at certain points in my life. I think in some ways we definitely infuse parts of ourselves into our manuscripts. Overall, our life is our greatest masterpiece (that certainly needs to be subjected to editing at times.)
haha, I would love to be able to edit some previous parts of my life! But you are absolutely right - our real lives provide a rich source of material for our fiction. Thanks for reading!
I wish you strength in these tough times! What a wonderful essay. Dogs can teach us so much about being persistent and optimistic. They never give up themselves! It's hope-giving to have a doggo like that around your corner. And I agree, while obstacles strengthen the character (or devastate the spirit), we need hope to keep going as well, for things to fall into place sometimes. Life can't be just sadness.
Wendy - it appears so much was 'thrust upon you' ... and you weathered the storm. It's a bit like Kurt Vonnegut's mantra: create really interesting complex 'good people' characters, and then make horrible things happen to them, and write about how they deal with them. It seems you are dealing with them better than most of us might imagine doing. Kudos to you!
So sorry you have gone through all this, Wendy! I love the idea of partly coping by thinking of yourself as the main character in your real-life story. I used to do that as a kid when life got too boring. Hope all is better from here on out!
I love how you compared the treatment of our main character to ourselves. While we constantly throw rocks at our main character to see how they would react we have our own stones in our lives. And I always love hearing about the pooch. Hope all is well with your beloved. 🙏
Oh, those bleak days! How I hate you had them, and probably will again. As will we all. But the shining light from Tock's eyes, that forever hope that dogs have, always, always gives me sustenance. It's good to remember to give our hero's hope, even in their darkest hour... because without hope they'd simply give up. I couldn't love those pictures of Tock more.
Aloha Wendy--in no way have you forgotten how to write--you've written here so beautifully of the horrid struggles that we're sometimes put through and how as long as we have hope, there IS hope, and we find ways to grasp it and allow it to grow and to overshadow the struggle. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much, Dorothy! We are indeed lucky to be able to write out our problems. It always makes me feel better.
Lovely. (Moving is the worst. Hang in there!!)
Thanks, Janet!
Tock...those eyes filled with hope. Yep, we all want a character who despite it all, has hope. I loved the way you described the essence of your Hero's Journey (sounds dreadful) and where you are now. Oh my god, that first photo is total bleakness and I've been "there" and never want to return. Write on. We are all better for it.
I suspect the majority of writers have been there at some point. But we persist!
Yes, we do!
I have noticed that my books are certainly telling of where I was mentally at certain points in my life. I think in some ways we definitely infuse parts of ourselves into our manuscripts. Overall, our life is our greatest masterpiece (that certainly needs to be subjected to editing at times.)
haha, I would love to be able to edit some previous parts of my life! But you are absolutely right - our real lives provide a rich source of material for our fiction. Thanks for reading!
I wish you strength in these tough times! What a wonderful essay. Dogs can teach us so much about being persistent and optimistic. They never give up themselves! It's hope-giving to have a doggo like that around your corner. And I agree, while obstacles strengthen the character (or devastate the spirit), we need hope to keep going as well, for things to fall into place sometimes. Life can't be just sadness.
You are right on all counts, Nadia. Thank you so much for reading!
Hugs!!!
aw, thanks!
An inspiring piece--and with cute dog pictures! What more could anyone ask?
Thanks so much for reading it, Bill!
Wendy - it appears so much was 'thrust upon you' ... and you weathered the storm. It's a bit like Kurt Vonnegut's mantra: create really interesting complex 'good people' characters, and then make horrible things happen to them, and write about how they deal with them. It seems you are dealing with them better than most of us might imagine doing. Kudos to you!
Aw, thanks, Mark!
So sorry you have gone through all this, Wendy! I love the idea of partly coping by thinking of yourself as the main character in your real-life story. I used to do that as a kid when life got too boring. Hope all is better from here on out!
Glad I'm not the only one who's done this! Thanks for reading, Carol.
I love how you compared the treatment of our main character to ourselves. While we constantly throw rocks at our main character to see how they would react we have our own stones in our lives. And I always love hearing about the pooch. Hope all is well with your beloved. 🙏
We are hanging in there. Thanks so much for your well wishes!
Oh, those bleak days! How I hate you had them, and probably will again. As will we all. But the shining light from Tock's eyes, that forever hope that dogs have, always, always gives me sustenance. It's good to remember to give our hero's hope, even in their darkest hour... because without hope they'd simply give up. I couldn't love those pictures of Tock more.
"that forever hope" is the perfect way to put it. Thanks, Suzy!