Response to The Bloodletter's Daughter by Linda Lafferty

Inspired by a real-life murder that threatened to topple the powerful Hapsburg dynasty in the 17th century, The Bloodletter's Daughter imagines how one young woman holds more power than she thought possible. Join From Left to Write on September 25 as we discuss the The Bloodletter's Daughter. As a member of www.fromlefttowrite.com , I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

Linda Lafferty’s first two sentences captured my attention—in the Acknowledgments!

“First and foremost, my profound gratitude to my husband, writer and editor, Andy Stone. For twenty-seven years, he suffered the heartache of publishers’ rejections along with me.”

Twenty-seven years?

Oh, my, this is a good writer and yet she had to continue to write for twenty-seven years before the industry recognized her. AND, the industry has changed and is changing so much that twenty-seven years could be longer in today’s world.

These two sentences tell me two things: My editor and writing mentor is so on target when she keeps pounding it in to my head—keep writing, it’s the process. And, second, I need to be open to the various layers of publishing available today that were not available 27 years ago.

My kudos to Linda Lafferty for persevering when she knew her heart belonged to writing. Congrats!

While I'm off Playing Around in Philly

“You write out of need. You write out of hunger.  It isn’t your brilliance; it’s the flaw in your makeup that drives you.”—from an interview with novelist Theodore Wessner in Novel Ideas: Contemporary Authors Share the Creative Process by Barbara Shoup and Margaret-Love Denman

Check out my friend, Richard Gilbert's blog on writing:

http://richardgilbert.me/2012/03/14/noted-write-from-the-pain/

Off to Bad LauguageVille

Mimi AKA Brenda is being carried off to Bad LanguageVille

Where do you stand on raucous, naughty, semi-bad or down-right gross language? I’m forced to ponder this issue anew because of grandchildren.

When we discovered only half of our Christmas tree made the move from Raleigh and Lexington, grandson Tristan and I set out to buy a new one on a rainy cold Sunday afternoon. What was I thinking? Michael’s, the arts and craft store, was packed and a little boy’s wonderland of distraction.

After we had accomplished our goal and a dear-to-my-heart employee helped us get the tree into the car, I turned to Tristan in the back seat and said, “We did it! Tristan and Mimi bought the new Christmas tree and we got a big ass tree!”

Appalled, he shouted, “Off to Bad Languageville. Population: YOU!”

I like bad language. It expresses my feelings sometimes when nothing else will. I get annoyed with my carrot-up-the-butt friend (who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty) when he chastises every use of a colorful word.

When my children were pre-teens, I explained to them, “Language is neither moral nor immoral. But it is appropriate and inappropriate to particular situations.” Of course, they had to push the limits of my explanation most significantly by dropping the f-bomb to their great aunt, a retired missionary. So much for that parenting technique.

I’m currently reading Stephen King’s book titled, On Writing. He likes bad language more than I do. Does that make him less a writer? Less a person? Less a parent? I ponder these things.

We’ve even reached the point that we have words that are used at Mimi and Pappa’s house but not at school or church. Tristan told me he knew so much about the Noah’s Ark story he even knew the “freakin’ pigeons” built their house on the top of the ark. I reminded him that freakin’ is not a church word. He said, “It’s not a bad word, Mimi.” He’s right, but I still reminded him that it is not a school or church word. Are you drawing arbitrary lines between school, church, profession, writing and personal words?

What do you think? Do you also reside in Bad LanguageVille?  

Writing Memoir - Finishing Memoir

My teacher, Leatha Kendrick's book

As most of my readers know, I can see the finish line on the memoir that I have been writing for over three years now. As with many writers, seeing the finish line causes great angst. We tend to want to go back to the beginning rather than put ourselves “out there” for others to judge.

So I’m currently seeking help in finishing from a course at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington, KY. Great course. Great teacher, Leatha Kendrick.

My intention in this class is to polish. Like a good shoe shine, car wash or make up session, we need to polish our writing off with the sparkling shine. The shine reflects back to all who peer in to it. My hope is that my memoir will reflect back to readers a moment or incident in their own lives that will open up with wisdom, understanding and/or peace after reading of my experiences.

I have benefited immeasurably by writing my memoir. I think others will benefit only if the writing has been buffed to such a sheen that they see something of themselves in the book.

I want to be open to hearing, learning and responding in this “finishing class.” It requires a degree of trust that my classmates will be able to provide the elbow grease which leads to the final shine. I must be willing to muck-up my project a bit with the grease of new thoughts.

What is your writing experience with finishing a major project?

The Act of Writing my Memoir

Potential Cover Art photo by John Lynner Peterson

I have written a memoir that illustrates the life that was given me, the life that happened to me and the life that I have chosen to create. I see it as a message of hope for those who have difficult lives. It is a foundation for my other work as speaker, writer, trainer, coach and minister.

I alternately think my memoir is 95% or 50% done. It is so difficult to know when to stop editing and revising. I see the finished work as good storytelling that will evoke tears and laughter. The theme most prevalent in the book is “Don’t just survive, thrive!” The image woven through the book is that of a pearl---a beautiful entity created through pain to the oyster.

I do feel a certain love for the manuscript at this time. I suspect I need to feel less attached. I try to say to myself each time I pull it out, “Relax. Breathe. It’s okay if you decide to change a few things.”

The manuscript might say back to me, “This is not the beginning, middle and end of your life. It is an interpretation of your life at a point in time.”

Laraine Herring, in her book, Writing Begins with the Breath, says, “Every writer has a unique relationship to his or her writing, and it is in the dynamics of this relationship that the perils, joys and challenges of a writer’s life breathe.”

Breathe. Relax. Finish the book! 

But I still need a title! Suggestions?