Ideas to return to...or not

There is a time for writing and time for research and I'm in that mode where my research is taking over. First it was cross drift stabilization, then it was liquefaction. Now, I'm researching the origins of the crimson winged flamingo.

Two years ago, I spent a good deal of time studying nasturtiums and spotted jewelweeds and other varieties of flowers that I thought would be useful in my writing. I'm always amazed at where my research takes me but the one thing I can't deny is that my reading is what starts the search.

Cloaca.

Capo.

I said to my fiance yesterday, "I stepped on your capo" and was immediately struck by how random that sentence was and also by the sheer wonder of having that sentence as a part of my speaking life. But for him, I would never have thought of such a thing, even if it may seem to be a small thing.


All of that said, I've added the cloaca and capo to my research list once I finish with the danged ole crimson winged flamingo. What I'll take from all of this research? Who knows. It doesn't matter. I'm just along for the trek.

An Observation on Propensity- The Word "So"

So...I have a propensity to start blog posts with the word "SO"

I just noticed this today after going back and looking over my last several posts, mostly from 2013. Now, instead of analyzing what I'm reading or getting some new words written on my novel, I'm dwelling on this issue that has reared its ugly head as of late. It crept up on me, I swear it but, after researching this online, I discovered much to my amazement that this is a growing trend among the masses.

Ha! Just when I thought I was a total grammar flunkie, this article gave me hope that I can change and that until then, I can embrace this overused word, own it really for at least a few more blogs posts!


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/22/us/22iht-currents.html?_r=0

Writing Days-Where's the Sunshine?

So, I've been writing A LOT lately. Mostly fiction and the occasional poem, but even so, it's only when I get a stretch of words and sentences and paragraphs together without thinking about it that I feel warm inside, like my little light is glowing and it's all I can do to keep it "under a bushel".

I don't share enough of my fiction. I don't get enough honest opinions about the quality. I don't submit enough to even attempt at calling myself a "writer."

That leads me to the question of "who is a writer?" Is it someone who writes for a living, for enjoyment, or maybe on the off chance, for both? As for me, my day job does not make me feel particularly writerly but it does give me a certain amount of fodder for the imagination. Being a personal injury attorney really does give me a vast knowledge of the bizarre that most "writers" would envy. So...why can't I use it, the wealth of information regarding peculiar injuries, methods of injury, strange recoveries and medical procedures that I've gained over the last 10 years in my legal practice?

Is it a fear of violation of privacy that keeps me from doing it? No, it's not. I've thought a lot about this and after my sister urged me to write a novel from the point of view of a female attorney, I finally realized exactly WHY I haven't done it yet.

I DON'T FIND MY JOB ALL THAT EXCITING!! (and for the first time in 10 years, I can't understand why I don't)

So...I'm going to try and write "what I know" and see how that goes. Here is what I've gotten so far. And please, excuse me for my lack of reverence. I've seen it all, argued it all, and made good use of it all in my professional life. Now, it's time for me to see how it works in fiction. Here we go:


"Liability is about what you can prove. Give me a rear end collision or falling merchandise case and I'll show you what a jury can do with damages. Just don't give me a squirrely client who exaggerates his pain in hopes of a payday after slipping in a puddle of oil while walking from his car to the bathroom of the super lube.

Come one come all ye who are hurting with a story to tell. I am the one you can hire to write you into existence to correct the wrongs for everyone to see. Juries have always loved me, my short skirts and southern drawl , and my verdicts have provided proof that sometimes persuasion conquers all. Screw the evidence and open your checkbook. Progressive and Allstate don't have nothing on me."

February Reading Update

Okay, I finished "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed and then went straight into the novella "The Long March" by William Styron. Now, I'm really getting into "Reading Lolita in Tehran" by Azar Nafisi. The concept itself is enough to keep me interested in the memoir even if the writing is "less literary" than I normally read. I have a feeling though that this one will grow on me as I continue. The great thing about this memoir is that it, like "Wild" is making me rethink my year's reading list, both memoirs relying heavily on literature to get these women through tough times.

When I started reading these, I had no idea the common thread would be there but it has allowed me to focus on my reading, to analyze what it does for me, a purpose perhaps beyond enjoyment and enlightenment!

Until next post, I'll be thinking about this...a lot!