September 2022 Blog
Be Prepared: A Haiku
Words
not written can
Oft’
not be remembered, thus
I keep
pen at hand.
by Ann Wilmer-Lasky
(8/31/22)
I always try to keep pen
and paper handy. Sometimes I fail and the words are lost. In my mind, those
lost words were really brilliant, and their loss a loss for all of posterity.
Okay, maybe that last part
is pretty far-fetched, but you get the idea. As most writers usually do, I get
ideas at the oddest moments – not just when I’m sitting down to write. I try to
be prepared at all times.
I have a steno pad turned
to a clean page with a pen insered in the spiral witin arm’[s reach of the bed.
I used to joy down my notes in the dark of night, but I’ve recently added a
tiny flashlight so I can read wheat I’ve written the next morning. Otherwise,
it’s jibberish.
I also keep a small spiral
notebook the my pocket along with a pen. They really come in handy at those odd
moments I’m out and about and an idea strikes. I’ve even gone so far as to jot
down an inspiration while sitting on the commode.
When I drove a lot, I used
to have a cassette recorder handy to record those fleeting moments of
brilliance. Now I don’t drive much or far and cassette recorders are fairly
passé.
But the idea stands: Think
it, Write it, or lose it. It is also important for those of us who write
poetry. One may think of the perfect phraseology for a piece of brilliant
poetry, but it can slip away before the ink can strike the page.
Although the main idea may
persist, the perfect way to put it may be lost.
It also helps to jot down
story ideas, plot points and even a tidbit one of your characters may share
with you in those odd moments you are mulling over your story in your head.
I once had one of my main
female protagonists tell me she had a younger sister and her name was Petra.
The novel tool a whole new turn and richness. Thank goodness I captured that
thought (though having a sister is kind of hard to forget).
It’s taken a while, but I
guess I’m falling in love with the art of writing all over again (after a long
dry spell). I’, beginning to picture scenes and people to populate the worlds
my mind dreams up once more. My mind is filling with scenarios involving those
people and places – beautiful. Stunning scenarios and (because I’m a horror
writer) glorious blood and gore and...
Okay, I’m on a roo. Time to
gather my notes and start writing again.
First come the ideas, then
the words, then the sentences, the paragraphs, the chapters, the novels, and
the series.
Smiling now!
So the take away from this
month’s ramblings should be this: keep something to write with and something to
write on handy. You will thank yourself (and maybe me) when that gem comes to
you, and you capture it. Then you can polish it and share it for posterity.
If you care to see what I
am sharing with posterity, feel free to check out my eclectic selection of
books on Amazon. There may be something to inspire you.
https://www.amazon.com/author/annwilmerlasky
Until next month, read and
write to your heart’s content and jot down those random thought. You never
where they may land you.
As always, I welcome your
reactions and responses to any of my blogs. I love to hear from my readers.
Also, here are links to my Twitter and Facebook accounts, if you care to share
your thoughts with me there or look for my publication announcements:
https://www.facebook.com/ann.wilmerlasky
You may also find some
inspiration in my Haiku Collection Celebrating the #WritingCommunity: “Life’s
Lemons and Lemonade: A Collection of Haiku, Volume Two: The Write Life”,
available, of course, from Amazon at:
It’s now September and the
world is thoroughly heated up. The A/C is still working way too hard. A little
more rain recently brought us some relief from the drought. Still a good time
to check out: “Global Warning: Climate in Crisis” available from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KWQ6SHK/
