“Experience is an author’s most valuable asset; experience is the thing that puts the muscle and the breath and the warm blood into the book he writes.” - Mark Twain

Write what you know. Even Mark Twain is recommending this. Experience is what can bring words to a page. If you do not know or understand what you are writing about, the challenge is to place the words.

Find the experience, make the experience, and your words will flow freely.

Trust in your own ability to write on a topic that is something you have experienced.

Post pulled from the other blog, so future blog posts make sense  

Do you have someone in your life, that is apparently so miserable, that they want everyone else to be?

Yeah, me too. He’s my ex husband.

He’s spent the past couple of years since I left him and we got divorced, trying to sabotage the heck out of everything I do. I am not sure why.

My boss recently called me to tell me that he emailed her (and then she requested a phone call with him), saying that I was plagiarizing. Pretty talk accusation, don’t you think?

Jealous much?

I don’t know what the purpose of that is, because he had absolutely  NO proof to back it up, and in addition, he knows I can write. Though he never really took the time to read any of it. But still.

Anyway, so that was fun. Thankfully, my boss and I are close, and she knew he was just “blowing smoke” to quote her. We laughed about it, actually. She is a former cop, so she’s seen it all. She knew it was just a “disgruntled ex, trying to cause trouble.” Thank goodness she knows me!

Anyway, it’s always fun when you have these things go on. My boss (ex cop) said I should file a deflamation of character law suit, but I don’t really feel like it. LOL I really don’t. I could care less what he does, and how he lives his life.

Does he have nothing better to do than mess with mine? Because my kids know what he did, they were there when I got the phone call. A little hard to hide at that point. Does he think that is winning him brownie points?

I think not.

Anyway, I think he should just focus on his new wife, her pregnancy and their little boy, and stop worrying about me all the time. It would probably cause a lot less stress in his life. LOL

So what do you all think?

“It is wiser to find out than suppose.” - Mark Twain

Again I provide a very wise Mark Twain quote.

It is wiser to find out.

Research is an imperative duty in your writing. Finding out the answers, the reality of what you are writing.

Supposing is wrong.

I suppose it could be good. Do I know it could be good? No, I do not. The only way for me to learn if supposing is wrong or good, is to do it, or read about it or research it.

After looking around at other’s writings, what I find is that supposing is not good. Finding out the information you need, rather than taking a stab at it or guessing, is simply a more proper tool for a writer.

It is wiser to find out than to suppose.

Follow this when writing and your research will begin to come more easily.

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become.” - Buddha

Wow. Another really powerful quote. Think about that.

What we think, we become.

It really speaks loudly about your thoughts as a writer.

Become your characters. Become the girl that is in the restuarant watching your two main characters have lunch together. See through her eyes, adn then see again through their eyes.

What we think, we become.

You can do this anytime, anywhere.

The mind is everything. Without the mind, we would have nothing.

Great powerful words. Buddha just might be my hero. Not really, but I really, really like the quote!

“The faster I write the better my output. If I’m going slow, I’m in trouble. It means I’m pushing the words instead of being pulled by them.” - Raymond Chandler

Another completely meaningful quote. Realize this when you write. If your thoughts are flowing freely onto your paper or computer screen, what you are writing is probably  more poignant, more intelligent, than what you are writing when only a sentence seems to come at a time.

I figured something out awhile ago. I figured out that if I am struggling to write, if the thoughts are not coming out at that time, then the quality of my work will suffer greatly. I will never find that to be a good piece of writing, no matter what I do to it.

My advice? If you are “pushing the words”, stop. Re-evaluate the direction you are taking with your writing, whether it is a magazine article, content piece, poem or novel. You will not make sense, you will not flow freely, until you are “pulled” by your words. Allow yourself to become immersed in what you are writing. Free your mind and think only of what you are putting onto this paper. If you have spelling errors and ommited words from typing or writing to fast, you are on a roll. You are being “pulled” so to speak. Why? Because your brain is working fast than you can output and this generally shows you are free-flowing. This is typically the best writing.

Find yourself “pushing the words”?

Take a break and come back later.

Just a quick shout out and a well wish to everyone for summer!I cannot believe it’s finally here! Pools, sprinklers, sunshine and lots and lots of popsicles - that’s what my summer should wind up consisting of.

With five kids (ranging in age from 6-11) off for the summer, and only one currently who wants to do a summer camp, I am on the hunt for some activities to keep them all busy. I have a feeling the pool will win over in the end. Thank goodness we have one!

It’s always fun to analyze your kids and figure out how you best see their summer vacation spent. Our two youngest (age 6 and 8) would probably love swimming classes or dance classes. Our middle girl is 9 and she is the one who already is enrolled in a summer long camp. Then there is the two 11 year olds. Both artists, both love to draw, color and really just about anything relating to art. So I’m thinking that’s what we’re going to have to do with them.

I’m glad school’s out as I look forward to sharing the summer months with the kids and my boyfriend and creating tons of memories and photo opportunities so I can scrapbook in the fall when they return to school. Lots of pool pictures, time at the lake, exploring the creek and just generally being a kid! (yes even myself and Mike!)

I am genuinely happy at this time of year. A little hot, but happy!

Happy Scrapbooking!