These are links to my creative writing blog which can end up with all sorts of poems or stories in a variety of writing styles. I do try to relate to the characters or situation so that I can better describe them.
I thought back to the different subjects that I have written about on this blog and thought I would share a bit about their inspirations. I wrote as the Medicine Man in A’â’tam (the People) and am very proud of that story. I researched it by reading the journal of an explorer named deVaca and created a history based on what I found there – I’ve included a link at the end of the story so you can read his journal yourself.
Little Bug includes some scenery that I witnessed after a wildfire and the character of Little Bug is loosely based on a dear friend.
Significance and Stolen Tomorrows both deal with caregiving. Once you have gone through that experience it changes you, but I found the changes to be ones that have broadened my perspective and made me grow (and exhausted me, and made me realize how much we need each other in this life.)
Tears are a Part of Life is a fun lesson in encouraging those around us. I am sure we all had a grandpa or uncle or dad that would tell the very tall tale that had just enough truth to it that we had to believe it even if we wondered about the rest and that gave us the will to try something new.
Thank You Vietnam Veterans was a very difficult story to approach because I knew it meant a lot to me to get it right. I read several books recommended to me and tried very hard to hear what those who were there were saying and feeling. I knew I would never be able to fully understand what had been experienced by those involved with the war and that I could not relate it to anything I had experienced myself. I almost didn’t publish this. My friend who recommended I write the story (himself a Vietnam Vet) insisted it was good and should be heard. The part of me that is in that story is the respect I have for those who fought to uphold the freedom and values our country stands for and those who still fight today.
The History of the Dead Mule School Part 1 was the first story I ever had published online. I found a website called the Dead Mule School which collected stories and poems about the South and I decided that there should actually have been a brick and mortar school with that name. I really should go back and write part 2 someday! My time spent growing up in the South was invaluable for the descriptions and feelings I wanted to portray in that story.
Those Before was another story that a friend recommended the storyline for. I love having a challenge to write something based on an inspiration and this one just flowed. I have spent time in the Southwest as well and that helped with the descriptions found in that story.
Wordplay was a new form of writing for me. You could call it free verse, rap, whatever, but it was exciting to see it develop. It also gave me a way to share the Mom experience I have had. It’s hard finding that line between encourager and enforcer when raising kids sometimes. This could also apply to any interaction with someone else – think about how you are being heard so that you know your message is being effective. Put yourself in the other persons shoes, because at one time you have been or will be there.