Posted by: penpatience | September 30, 2020

DUMP THE BUCKET LIST?

WRITERS WORDS: “Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and died that distinguish one man from another.” – Ernest Hemingway

OCTOBER 2020 MONTHLY MUSING

DUMP THE BUCKET LIST!

 

Times, they-are-a changing. Actually, lives were dramatically and unexpectedly altered in this year- 2020 leaving many folks with different life challenges and predicaments brought about by, of all things, a nasty looking virus that looks like a round multi-legged ball rolling along hitting and missing folks along its path. How dare it affect our lifestyle and future plans!  Vacations and educational goals postponed, the long- awaited cruise to the Caribbean cancelled, future plans and dreams soaring high in the sky are falling down and hitting the ground with a hard THWACK!

Future plans have dissipated like a spilled bucket of hopes and dreams.  Yes, our “bucket lists” are in danger of being unceremoniously dumped. I muse. The term “bucket list” was actually introduced by the movie, “The Bucket List” released in January 2008. Two terminally ill guys portrayed by Morgan Freeman (one of my favorite actors) and Jack Nicholson (another favorite) meet in a hospital and set out to attempt to do everything on their lists before they “kick the bucket” – in other words-die. Well, Morgan and Jack did not have a pandemic viral disease to deal with, but serious health issues took a back seat while they happily and comedically emptied their buckets.

The assumption is a bucket list will include desires you wish to do before your final Swan Song. Buckets may contain vacation trips, personal goals, fun things you’ve never had an opportunity to try. Perhaps you already have a filled list with hopeful time frames scheduled for each dollop inside the bucket.  The question is: “Should bucket lists made before the onslaught of Covid-19 be revisited for change?” Let’s speak to the pros and cons of dumping existing, pre-stuffed pails and refilling them with ……What!   I’m okay with what’s in the bucket!

PRO’s FOR BUCKET Change:

·       I’ve outgrown some items on the list. Maybe it’s time for some deletions and a few new additions.  Maybe a new hobby or study to stimulate old brain cells before it’s too late😊

·       Climbing state mountain peaks are now too difficult with an aching back. I’ll hike in my state’s beautiful Adirondack Mountains and Northeast parks instead.

CON’S FOR BUCKET CHANGE:

·       Travel plans are not safely feasible in the immediate future, but I can wait until the Virus is conquered and go later. Not to worry…

·       I refuse to dump or reload the Bucket. I’m feeling positive about the future and this too shall pass.

My bucket list is half-empty. I’ve been fortunate in past years to scratch some items from the list.  My decision: I’ve decided to dump the remaining bucket and refill it after the Pandemic is tamed with a vaccine. However, one item is stuck and refuses to dump. It’s a long overdue visit to the Grand Olde Opry and Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. I’m an avid fan of classic, “old-time” country music.  Missing from current country music fare is the loving and the dying, the crooning and the crying, good old banjo and guitar pickin’ that many learned to play from scratch in the boonies, countryside and fields. That said, I enjoy all music genres, but The Grand Ole Opry is a historical site that will remain glued to the bottom.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Readers:  What’s in your bucket list? I hope safety and wellness will be stuck to your bucket bottom…

Gaye Buzzo Dunn

 

 

 

 

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Posted by: penpatience | September 1, 2020

THE THREE BIG P’S: PEN, PAPER & POWER

WRITERS WORDS: “The spoken word is ephemeral. The written word, eternal. A symphony, timeless.” – A.E. Samaan

SEPTEMBER 2020 MONTHLY MUSING

 

THE THREE BIG P’S:  PEN, PAPER & POWER

     Words, Words, and more Words – the method we all, in one way or another, express and communicate with others. I believe it’s safe to say almost every household has writing materials. Notes tacked on the fridge, grocery lists, pads and pencils scattered everywhere, collecting in junk drawers and mislaid when you need them.

Today, despite technology, texting, typing, many folks continue to write the old-fashioned way—with pen or pencil in hand. I’ve lamented in a few earlier Musings about the value of legible penmanship, moaning and groaning how cursive writing has almost become an extinct dinosaur. BUT…why write when you can whip off an abbreviated text message with cutesy emojis, or type an E-mail, hunt and peck style (I learned to type on an IBM electric typewriter with unlettered keys😊) hoping the grammatical and red spelling error lines won’t appear within your message? Every communication technique has its purpose and hand writing a note of bereavement to friend or relation, or journal/diary entries allowing words to flow unchecked on a dated page indicates, to me, a noteworthy effort.

I recall, a former friend and business associate who every Christmas holiday mailed me a holiday greeting penned in Calligraphy.  Everything from the envelope address to the inside message was so beautifully written I couldn’t wait to open it.  A brief Calligraphy description: “Calligraphy (from Greek) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a broad-tipped instrument, brush or other writing instrument. A contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as “the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious, and skillful manner.” – Wikipedia-8-14-20 Today, Calligraphy flourishes in the forms of wedding invitations, hand-lettered logo design, art announcements, graphic design and commissioned calligraphic art and many other written works.  A quote by Sarah Miller: “Technology may be steadily growing, making the art of calligraphy a bit less common, but in the end, nothing beats the simplicity of the handwritten word.”

I believe the well-known adage, “the pen is mightier than the sword,” is true. We travel to assigned polling places to elect our U.S. President every four years and state officials as scheduled. Most important, we sign our names and cast our ballots. We write letters to local newspapers hoping they’ll post our reputable views on the Opinion Editor (Op-Ed Columns) pages. We sign petitions to keep perceived atrocities away from our towns and counties (Do we really need a Gentlemen’s Club or another Casino in town😊) There will always be occasions and requirements for people to physically sign important documents. It’s still a wonderful occurrence when you receive an unexpected check and have the pleasure to endorse it on the reverse side at your favorite bank.  Unfortunately, countries will continue to raise swords in defense of beliefs, etc., but deployed military personnel will always appreciate handwritten cards and letters from-friends, family and thoughtful strangers.

I muse. This writer and many others begin writing stories, columns, book drafts, etc. with pencil and pad letting the words flow knowing what was handwritten is often an early draft soon to be transformed and edited when typed on computer. Pens, pads, paper proliferate in my home, car and handbag. There are times when I wrestle to find the right, the best, the most appropriate word and it evades me. Whenever it finally comes to mind, I write it down wherever I am before it eludes me a second time.  Emerging, well-known and successful writers acknowledge the beauty and power of chosen and well-written words is an art form that enlightens, entertains, educates and informs readers.  And many begin with a pen and pad of paper!

HAPPY WRITING!

GAYE BUZZO DUNN

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Posted by: penpatience | July 31, 2020

CAN A LEOPARD CHANGE ITS SPOTS?

 

 

 

 

 

WRITERS WORDS: “Oh a leopard can’t change his spots/and oil and water can’t mix/ but I recently heard an old dog learned new tricks.” – John Rox

 

AUGUST 2020 MONTHLY MUSING

 

CAN A LEOPARD CHANGE ITS SPOTS?

     I’ve heard many times an old adage, “a leopard can’t change its spots.”  It’s true for a leopard, but for people making lifestyle or other changes in life for better and, hopefully, not for worse, it may not be easy. I muse, it’s a Yes or No answer for changing human spots.

NO– I can’t change. Why should I? I’m fine. Besides change costs too much, I tried to change before. I’m too busy right now. I’ll sleep on it. It’s too much trouble.  It’s a good thought, but impractical. If I think of anything, I’ll consider it…Yadda, Yadda, Yadda.

YES– Let’s do it! Okay with me. We all need to freshen our “psyche” once in a while. I’m all for change. I really can’t think of anything, but I’m open to listening…. Yadda, Yadda, Yadda.

            Can a con-artist, imposter, liar and thief change his spots?

     I was fortunate in May 1988 to attend a former employer’s Annual Meeting in Chicago where the company’s Keynote Speaker was Frank Abagnale, Jr.—- a con-artist, imposter, liar, with numerous other “spots” on his deceitful carcass.  I quote from the book, “Catch Me If You Can” written by Frank with Stan Redding, “Frank is the outrageously daring imposter who practiced law without a license, performed surgery with no medical training, flew a Pan Am jet, taught at college, passed himself off as an FBI agent, and became a millionaire before he was twenty one.”

     Frank, Jr.’s first-victim was his father, Frank, Sr. A sixteen-year-old just discovering girls, Frank’s dad gave him a truck with Frank finagling a credit card from him to fund his exploits with the opposite sex. Frank’s debt was discovered by his father only after a debt collector contacted him in person. His father was more concerned about Frank’s response than the accumulated debt when Frank, Jr. replied, “It’s the girls dad, they do funny things to me. I can’t explain it. This libido and greed-tainted response set the tone of his life until his imprisonment.” (Wikipedia-07/15/20) I won’t discuss Abagnale’s troubled childhood or the many fraudulent escapades as the information is available online, in his book, and of course the December 2002 movie, “Catch Me if You can,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, and Christopher Walken.

     Bad guys, eventually, are caught and Frank, Jr. was no exception. He spent 12 months incarcerated in a French prison, 6 months in a Swedish prison and sentenced to 12 years in a U.S. federal prison for multiple counts of forgery. After approximately five years in the American prison he was paroled on the condition he’d help federal authorities, without pay, against crimes committed by fraud and scam artists.

     After parole, while working a host of ex-con menial jobs in between, Frank began a legitimate life as a banking security consultant. Later, he founded Abagnale & Associates advising the business world on fraud and payed back everyone he scammed throughout his criminal career. I muse: a criminal who evaded capture posing as an FBI Agent earned a thirty- year relationship teaching at the FBI Academy and lecturing at FBI field offices throughout the country. It appears Frank Abagnale, Jr. a naughty leopard, changed a few spots while transitioning from the bad to the good side of the law.

     Food for thought: Perhaps we can emulate “the dog that learned new tricks and alter a spot or two on our human hides—for the better of course!

 

Dear Readers & Writers: Be Well! Stay Safe! Wear Your Mask!

 

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Posted by: penpatience | July 1, 2020

THIS SUMMER 2020 – IT’S OKAY TO WHINE & WINE

WRITERS WORDS: “I love cooking with Wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.” – W.C. Fields

JULY 2020 MONTHLY MUSING

THIS SUMMER 2020- IT’S OKAY TO WHINE & WINE

Human beings may never forget this summer of 2020. Never in our most horrific dreams did we foresee our generation would experience a horrific pandemic – a viral scourge with no remedy and spread like a wildfire that could not be contained. Everyday lives have been turned upside down. Folks hunker down inside abodes hoping and praying the Covid-19 blight will pass them by.  We’ve learned and employed new safety practices. We travel around with masks on our faces, wash our hands incessantly, spraying hand sanitizer whenever we touch anything and everything. However, we must persevere through this pandemic and yes, while entrenched at home attempting to adjust to altered routines, it’s okay to Whine and Wine.

It’s difficult not to whine to immediate friends and family via cell phone, texts, Zoom and other online technologies…and aren’t we lucky to have these opportunities this time around? Historically, and way before our time, worldwide in the years 1346-1353 there was the Black Death in Europe – the Bubonic plague. The Plague was the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history where it was estimated 75-200 million people died. Wikipedia states, “The plague created religious, social, and economic upheavals with profound effects on the course of European history.”  I also recall the Ebola and HIV contagions that again affected and killed individuals until vaccines, thankfully, were eventually developed. And, yet, the past cannot offer solace to countless people today who’ve lost loved ones, livelihoods, and customary freedoms to pursue events and hobbies as before.  What we do have are advanced scientific developments. Systems and professionals are filling necessary roles not available in previous generations combating this invisible disease assuring that vaccines will soon become available. However, sitting here waiting for solutions and writing this musing, I realize it’s five o’clock somewhere. It’s time to have a little fun with Wine.

I muse. Wine is a great beverage we may enjoy at home during preferred Happy Hours, dinner or sitting on the deck in late evening enjoying the moonlight and stars unaffected by the virus😊.Wine pronunciations sometimes can be intimidating to pronounce when ordering at restaurants and purchasing at retail outlets.  Listed below is a short, but fun pronunciation guide for some favorite wine types:

Johannisberg Reisling – Joe-hahn-iss-berg Reezling

Cabernet Sauvignon – Cab-er-nay Saw-vin-yawn

Chenin Blanc – Shen-in Blahnk

Pinot Noir – Pea-no Nwahr

Chablis – Chuh-blee

Merlot – Mer-low

Zinfandel – Zin-fun-dell

Chardonnay – Shar-duh-nay

Petite Sirah – Puh-teet Ser-ah

Fume Blanc – Foo-may Blahnk

Enjoying wine or other favorite beverage at home has advantages:

  • You’re not driving the car-Never drink and drive!
  • Time for indulgences in wine, cheese and other appetizers before dinner
  • Cost effective – Pre-tasting new wines at home versus ordering an untried bottle at a restaurant is less expensive
  • You get to do something that gives you camaraderie, relaxation and joy

Worldwide, we earthlings have a long way to go before life returns to what will be a new normal. Historically, we’ve experienced many advances over many generations. We’ve gone from the horse and buggy to the Moon and space with future technologies will be mindboggling for our children, grandchildren and future generations. My motto, “something good always comes from something bad.”

Going forward, I vote for Wine versus Whine.  To your good health, happiness and safety.

Cheers!   

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Posted by: penpatience | June 1, 2020

WRITERS! “Everybody is a Salesbody”

WRITERS WORDS:” Spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation.” – Zig Ziglar

JUNE 2020 MONTHLY MUSING

WRITERS!  “EVERYBODY IS A SALESBODY”

Many businesses, organizations employ salespeople, individuals who promote products and services to contractual or potential buyers.  Salesmanship is an occupation practiced by many, a learned craft often requiring different backgrounds, education and technical skills to meet client and customer requirements. It can be a demanding career where precise sales criteria must be met to be considered a successful “Salesbody.”  However, individuals don’t necessarily have to wear a salesmanship hat to sell and I believe Everybody IS a “Salesbody” — and so does Zig Ziglar!

One of my treasured self-help books published in the 1980’s, but remains current to this day is Zig Ziglar’s, “America’s #1 Bible of Persuasion, Secrets of Closing the Sale.”  I quote from the inside cover, “Not only is Zig Ziglar the world’s great motivational speaker, he’s a talented writer who sells the good old American principles of honesty, integrity, dependability and supreme effort to learn professional skills.”  A successful salesperson usually is career oriented, adaptable, looks and acts professional, should be a person of principle, a hard worker and, most important, keeps abreast of new policies, procedures and techniques.

Consider the “Everybody” — Coaches, dentists, builders, interior designers, ministers, retailers, doctors, lawyers, waiters/waitresses, insurance folks, bankers, writers and the list goes on and on…… Yes, writers are “Salesbodys.”

Perhaps emerging and experienced writers might be skeptical or unaware of this theory, but it is no longer enough to write the novel, book, memoir expecting readers will rush to the bookstore or e-site to purchase the manuscript that consumed two years of your time, sweat and tears to complete.

Years ago, I was fortunate to learn over many sales training courses a salesperson sells him/herself first. Preparation, call it grunt work, has to be done. A writer must methodically research Editors, Agents, Small and large presses including the Big Five. (who knows, you may get lucky) There are multiple self-helps books, writer magazines and online sites to assist you. One of my favorite books is, “Your Novel Proposal from Creation to Contract” written by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook. It’s a complete guide to writing Query letters, Synopses and Proposals for Agents and Editors. I equate this research and additional work to asking an Agent/Editor to dance knowing it’s not the time to step on a pending partner’s foot.  And you’re not through yet.

Rejection, a salesperson’s dreaded response. The customers are not buying.  Thank you, but no thank you. After all that work the rejections come rolling in and sometimes, no response at all.  You’re in a blue funk thinking you may as well put the story on Amazon for $.99. Maybe someone will read it. Writers often get discouraged, but usually they regroup, redo, reread, rewrite and try again.  It only takes one YES. Then, there’s the “what if.”  What if the YES doesn’t happen? Well, I muse about the late country singer, Kenny Rogers and his famous gambler tune, “you have to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em.”  It’s a decision that should be made, perhaps temporarily, to put that particular project aside and work on something new and return to it at a later date with a refreshed approach.

Listed below are a few suggestions to add to your Salesmanship to-do list:

Communicate. Tell and sell on your preferred social platform: Facebook, Blog, Website, Newsletter, etc.

Follow informational and successful Author websites. One of my long-time favorites is Hope Clark’s Funds for Writers.  www.fundsforwriters.com

Enroll in continuing educational writing courses covering your specific genre interests. Re-polish your writing skills.

Learn how to accept rejection with a smile instead of a snarl. Sell yourself everyday to someone, somehow, somewhere, preferably on your chosen, professional platform.

Practice good salesmanship.

Write On!  Read on!  Stay well!  Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads!

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Posted by: penpatience | May 1, 2020

THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE…..

 

 

WRITERS WORDS: “I am sure that if the Mothers

 of various nations could meet, there would be no more wars.”  -E.M. Forster

 

MAY 2020 MONTHLY MUSING

THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE…….

     May blooms with spring flowers after April showers and celebrates motherhood in all its definitions.   Mothers’ Day, this year is celebrated on Sunday, May 10th, the annual day for honoring Moms. Mothers, comprised of all races, religions, backgrounds, countries, philosophies and parenting styles, are raising children within their individual perceptions and beliefs.  Generally, they share basic commonalities–mothers love and want what’s best for their offspring.

Moms do not come in one size fits all. They are biological, adoptive, foster, step-mothers, grandmothers, Aunts or other family or non-family females raising motherless children. Motherhood has changed with each generation. My mother, born in the early 20th century, (1902) gave birth to five children. Large families were common in her era and birth control, as we know it today, didn’t exist. Lucky for me. I was third in line😊 Her motherhood tools were breastfeeding, bassinet, baby carriage, crib and family doctor.  Mothers during those years feared childhood polio. Initially, there was no Salk Vaccine and it wasn’t until grade school that I and other children were vaccinated to prevent it. Motherhood in mid-century was a little easier.  I was blessed with three children and was fortunate to spend their childhood years as a stay-at-home Mom. After each birth, I was brought to my car in a wheelchair and, after safely ensconced in the front passenger seat, the nurse handed me my newborn. We drove home with me holding my precious bundle in the front seat. Horrors! The baby car seat was plastic and had metal poles that fit over the back of the seat. Again, the front passenger seat. (more Horrors) I fed the babies formula, washed diapers and hung them on an outdoor clothesline. (remember?) later utilizing a new dryer. I was blessed in the early months with diaper service and, although disposable diapers were available then, they were not the quality available today.

Today’s Moms are blessed with new technologies, safety regulations, advanced medical knowledge/techniques along with improved childhood products and services. However, motherhood continues to be a challenging role in this 21st century and these developments have created new along with past concerns. (i.e. bullying, drug abuse, vaping, school terror attacks) Mama bears fight to protect their cubs. They take actions against prejudices, inequalities, biases, unfairness and any injustices they deem harmful. (Fortunately, my generation did not have the new awareness of climate change, gun controls, terrorism and now, the earth shattering Corona-virus)

Earlier generations of women often lamented, “it’s a man’s world.”  My mother, and I still miss her, believed in women’s strengths and abilities. She’d say, “Never forget, the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.”  Females give birth to mankind. Mothers raise sons. Mothers raise daughters.  I read the following poem in a Poetry Booklet received from my daughter and is now located in my home library: “The Heart of a Mother,” by Janice Lewis Clark.

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

Blessings on the hand of women!

Angels guard its strength and grace,

In the palace, cottage, hovel,

Oh, no matter where the place;

 

Would that never storms assailed it,

Rainbows ever gently curled;

For the hand that rocks the cradle

Is the hand that rules the world.

 

Blessings on the hand of women!

Fathers, sons and daughters cry,

And the sacred song is mingled

With the worship in the sky—

 

Mingles where no tempest darkens

Rainbows evermore hurled;

For the hand that rocks the cradle

Is the hand that rules the world.

—William Ross Wallace, 1819-1881

 

 MOMS ARE PANDEMIC FRONT LINE HEROS! KUDOS TO MOMS DURING

THIS DIFFICULT TIME.  HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!   BE WELL!

 

 

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Posted by: penpatience | April 1, 2020

HOWL LIKE A WOLF

Posted by: penpatience | February 29, 2020

GOLFERS TELL GREAT (TALL) STORIES

 

 

 

 

WRITERS WORDS: “Golf is good for the soul. You get so mad at yourself you forget to hate your enemies.” –Will Rogers

 

MARCH 2020 MONTHLY MUSING

 

GOLFERS TELL GREAT (TALL) STORIES

 

It’s difficult to write about golf in the middle of a Northeast winter. Many avid golfers retreat to indoor practice arenas until grounds thaw and courses are readied for the season. If you are lucky, as I was for many years, to live or Snowbird in warmer climes—no problem. You can golf the winter blues away. However, the last time I wrote a Golf Musing, I noticed reader decline that month.  Hey! Golfers tell great stories and share them most often on the 19th hole!!

Its recorded Golf originated from a game played on the coast of Scotland during the 15th century. Golfers would hit a pebble instead of a ball around the sand dunes using a stick or club. It wasn’t until 1750 that golf evolved into the sport as we recognize it today. The New York Tribune in 1916 wrote a spot-on description of the game of golf, “Golf is, in part a game; but only in part. It is also a religion, a fever, an abscess, a joy, a thrill, a pest, a disease, an uplift, a brooding, a melancholy, a dream of yesterday, and a hope for tomorrow.”  I have to agree with the Tribune. Golf is all those things and I believe a bad day on the course is better than a good day anywhere else.

Writers, who are also golfers, are witness to various personality traits and ethics among their peers. A sport known for its professional manners, there are some players that contradict the game’s traditional behaviors. I share a few experiences encountered over time:

I played in a Ladies League at a Florida golf course. An initial sighting of an alligator located near the first hole sunning himself by a mid-size water trap made several players nervous including me. After numerous tense exchanges and hasty drives off the tee, numerous complaints eventually had the gator removed. (Gators often appear in unexpected waterways in the Sunshine State.)

I’ve witnessed on some occasions golfers who swing the drivers, miss the ball-oops– and forget to count the stroke unless a teammate brings the miscount to their attention. (It’s a dirty job, but somebody has to do it😊

I played with a group once and was advised they didn’t keep score, said they played for the fun of it. I never played with them again.

Sometimes a few golfers may get inebriated with a tad too many beers at the turn resulting in haphazard hits often into the water—Why don’t they wait to have a celebratory drink on the 19th hole?

A true story:  My partner and I were playing when a threesome behind us included (I have to say it) a loudmouth who shouted and complained of slowness to his two teammates and to my partner and I. I looked back a few times at the threesome and surmised correctly the miserable player  did not arrive with the two players and was assigned by the course scheduler.  I was driving the ball onto the green at the 18th hole when a golf ball hit me in my left side. Bruised, but unhurt, my partner and I returned to the clubhouse and lodged a complaint. The two players behind us voiced a similar protest. Writers—here’s a golden opportunity! If you write Mystery, Murder or Thriller tales, this potty-mouthed player could be discovered a month later deeply buried and rotting in a sand trap, “Who-Done-It?”

And, don’t forget to enjoy the camaraderie at the 19th hole. Order your favorite drink and listen to the good chatter (birdies), the bad (cart path bounce) and the ugly (3 missing balls lost forever in the woods).  Oh! And the great (two players scored in the low seventies and another below par😊

Write on…. And Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  “May your blessings outnumber the Shamrocks that grow, and may trouble avoid you wherever you go” – Irish Blessing

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Posted by: penpatience | February 1, 2020

WRITERS WOES

                                                                               

WRITERS WORDS: “I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing his talent he would be wise to develop a thick hide.” – Harper Lee

FEBRUARY 2020 MONTHLY MUSING

WRITERS’ WOES

            Write in haste, cut and paste, what a waste! (A Musing that fell from my lips to paper)  Perhaps, it’s just one of “those” writing days….

Ah, yes, have you ever had a writing day when the right words failed to travel from pen to paper?  However, you blathered on with dialogue and prose filling the prerequisite word flow planned for the day.  I believe, and correct me if I’m wrong, most writers, even great writers have good, great and just plain terrible writing days. Whether you’re a professional writer wrestling with deadlines and publisher expectations or any writer who takes writing as a serious endeavor– rejection, stress, procrastination, time constraints, family commitments and writer fatigue play no favorites.

I muse, individual writers have personal writing methods, habits, preferences and are unique in their project creations completing them in specific time frames. Many writers are up writing before the rooster crows spending limited writing time before heading out to the day jobs, the ones that pays the families’ bills😊 (Note: John Grisham, James Patterson, Stephen King do not have this particular dilemma…)  However, most writers have specific writer woes…

This writer procrastinates when a short story project is not going well.  Reasons are:  everyday chores need to be done, need to catch up with friends and no-excuse avoidance. I stay away from the downstairs office because pen, paper and computer lurk there awaiting pickup or pushing the on button. The not so well written pages are purposely placed on the kitchen table waiting for attention. Yes, one of my “hang-ups:” I must reread the previous days writing and edit out or replace words, check grammar and punctuation, with rewrites scribbled in page margins. Changes are retyped before continuing with the story or if the writing is really horrible, pitched in the shredder. Then I move on hoping improved writing sessions blossom.

What does work for me? It’s when I know how I want the story to end. I’m rejuvenated and energized once I have the ending inside my head. Characters develop distinct personalities and quirks while I’m in the shower or out for my daily walk. They hang around my neck night and day giving me no peace until I’ve written, “The End.”  BUT there are other “woes” after a project is completed. The end of the story doesn’t mean it’s over. It’s just the beginning. The story has to rest, additional rereads, edits, rechecks on research accuracy, writer group and trusted beta reader critiques need to be accomplished. Yes, “haste makes waste.” and this is a lesson I and many writers learned over time with that awful word, rejection, to prove it.

So–how do writers get rid of the “Woes?”  Realistically, we don’t. Good and mediocre writing days will continue to occur, but we beat the “woes” by utilizing a plethora of writer tools and assistance available for all writer levels. Dig out and reread purchased self-help books and devour writer magazines (i.e. Writer’s Digest, Poets & Writers, The Writer), sign up for another creative writing course regardless of genre, participate in writer critique groups, attend writer workshops in your state or community and READ favorite authors and other successful authors to learn authors’ differing writing styles.

AND…. C’est La Vie!  (That’s life!) The writing craft never promised a rose garden. Occasionally we’ll prick a finger on a thorn —-Ouch!  That hurt!

 

Dear Readers & Writers:

Happy Reading. Happy Writing!    Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

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Posted by: penpatience | December 31, 2019

LOOKING BACK-2019 – GOING FORWARD-2020

 

 

WRITERS WORDS: “Let us make our future now, and let us make our dreams tomorrow’s reality.” – Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Prize Winner

 

JANUARY 2020 MONTHLY MUSING

 

LOOKING BACK -2019!   GOING FORWARD-2020!

It’s a frigid winter day in upstate New York, a good day to look back and reflect on the past year and upcoming New Year with a hot toddy in hand. I muse about the good, bad and ugly happenings that permeated our minds in 2019. Every year has its highs and lows, but, in my view, it seems the year 2019 had more lows than highs. How can anyone not be affected by innocent people losing their lives to unforeseen violence or ignore the use of lands and oceans across the globe as dumping grounds for non-biodegradable waste. Most technological advances in 2019 have been beneficial to society, but it’s a common scene to see cell-phones pasted to passersby’s ears anywhere and everywhere, an addiction I call “telephone-itis.”   Whether it’s for work or play and not necessarily a bad thing, most folks spend too much time looking at computer, I-Pads, video games, Televisions, etc. not knowing if future health ramifications may surface as a result.

However, there have been many medical advances and professionals that have improved and extended lives. A recent issue of National Geographic Magazine hails an accomplishment by Dr. Jim Allison, Cancer Researcher & Nobel Laureate. “Dr Jim Allison’s breakthrough in immunotherapy transformed cancer care…giving more hope to patients and families.” Many creative and entrepreneurial individuals, businesses and organizations have taken it upon themselves to “Make A Difference” in their communities in past years and, hopefully will continue these endeavors in 2020.

 

Going forward, I hope 2020 will be a year of new and renewed potential. I share this quote by the late Stephen Hawking, “we are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very large star. But we can understand the universe. That makes us very special.” Historically, our focus has always been Planet Earth, our human home with Earth considered the big fish in a small pond. I muse in 2020 and beyond, Planet Earth might be perceived as a smaller fish in a much bigger pond – the huge and still unexplored universe.

We’ve been to the Moon and back. Astronauts from many countries share and work in a space station and we’ve sent numerous satellite probes into space. What new explorations and data will scientists discover in this coming year?

Mind boggling, isn’t it!!!!

Back to Earth and the smaller pond…. Will science discover new breakthroughs and treatments for Cancer and Alzheimer’s disease?  Will technology design new “brooms”  to sweep away instead of hide harmful waste under the rug?

Author’s Note:  Pen and Patience, my writer site, had a good year in 2019. Although most Pen and Patience viewers were within the United States, I was excited the site, over the past twelve months, recorded views from thirty-three countries. A few other statistics:  The Home Page/Archives was the most viewed Page with “Writing Likes – Dislikes,” a post from an earlier year, the most viewed Monthly Musing in 2019. My heartfelt thanks to all readers who made this happen😊

To Readers: Comments sent to Pen and Patience are not broadcast but read only by me.  I hope to hear your thoughts in 2020.

Cheers! For a Safe and Healthy New Year!

 

 

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