Happy Saturday! I just posted invitations on Goodreads to Fantasy and Young Adult readers to check out all that is Heaven’s Wait. Are you a member of Goodreads? If so, please visit my Author Page. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6871731.Barbara_McLaughlin
Do you know any Fantasy or Young Adult readers? They might like to learn about Heaven’s Wait too.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Wow, Did my Brain Work Overtime Last Night!
The past couple of weeks, I've been heavily researching the ins and outs of various social media options. And I've been working on growing my author platform for my evolving book series. Well, yesterday I landed on a concept that just might help me grow my platform.
So during the night, my right brain awoke with a start and spewed out idea after idea for implementing the concept. Then my left brain kicked in to logically manage those ideas. The back-and-forth was fascinating, but how was I supposed to sleep with all that going on?
I know better than to let my head become that active at that time of the night. I should have gotten up and captured the ideas on paper. Instead, I took a step back and chose to become the observer of the interaction. I appreciated the fact that my head was still able to come up with such concepts and know what to do with them. I allowed the thoughts to run their course and then faded back to sleep.
Now, let's see what actually comes of my brain's nocturnal antics.
Monday, March 18, 2013
My Books Are So Like My Children
What is this emptiness I’m feeling inside today?
I poured my imagination, my heart, and my time into writing the newest segment of my developing series about the world of Heaven's Wait. I conceived the idea for the work. I gave birth to its opening words. I coddled it, nurtured it, massaged it, and molded it as it gradually grew and flowered. When it gave me trouble, I allowed it breathing room. When it brought me inspiration, I bathed in its gift. When it was clear it had reached maturity, I presented it with its final sentence. Then I scrutinized the work again and again, hoping to send it on its way in its best possible form.
Now I’ve sent it out for further scrutiny by a professional story consultant. I look forward to his critique and ideas for improvement. I expect it to return with scrapes and bruises, perhaps in need of a few transplants as well. But I know its wounds will have been inflicted for the good of the story, and I’m excited to see how much better and stronger it can become as a result of its journey.
I realize that the emptiness I feel is the same emotion I felt when my sons went off to kindergarten and then as teenagers went off to college. I was proud at those moments but at the same time sad that our exclusive relationships had come to an end. No longer did I have them to myself. No longer was I the main influence in their lives. They became better individuals because of their broadened exposure. And our relationships did not come to an end by any means. They simply became different. We now enjoy stronger, more mature bonds, and they enjoy a richer life experience because I let them go.
My story will travel the same route. I will no longer have the exclusive relationship with it I once had. It will be influenced by the critique of others, whether I heed the advice I receive or not. I will still have a strong relationship with the story, but it will be of a different nature. And, in the end, the story will be better because I let it go.
I poured my imagination, my heart, and my time into writing the newest segment of my developing series about the world of Heaven's Wait. I conceived the idea for the work. I gave birth to its opening words. I coddled it, nurtured it, massaged it, and molded it as it gradually grew and flowered. When it gave me trouble, I allowed it breathing room. When it brought me inspiration, I bathed in its gift. When it was clear it had reached maturity, I presented it with its final sentence. Then I scrutinized the work again and again, hoping to send it on its way in its best possible form.
Now I’ve sent it out for further scrutiny by a professional story consultant. I look forward to his critique and ideas for improvement. I expect it to return with scrapes and bruises, perhaps in need of a few transplants as well. But I know its wounds will have been inflicted for the good of the story, and I’m excited to see how much better and stronger it can become as a result of its journey.
I realize that the emptiness I feel is the same emotion I felt when my sons went off to kindergarten and then as teenagers went off to college. I was proud at those moments but at the same time sad that our exclusive relationships had come to an end. No longer did I have them to myself. No longer was I the main influence in their lives. They became better individuals because of their broadened exposure. And our relationships did not come to an end by any means. They simply became different. We now enjoy stronger, more mature bonds, and they enjoy a richer life experience because I let them go.
My story will travel the same route. I will no longer have the exclusive relationship with it I once had. It will be influenced by the critique of others, whether I heed the advice I receive or not. I will still have a strong relationship with the story, but it will be of a different nature. And, in the end, the story will be better because I let it go.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Happy New Year!!
The answers were as fun to hear as they were enlightening. Some people were easy to guess because their answers were so obvious, but others were more difficult because we've never shared such information before now. When we were done guessing, everyone had to elaborate on their time-of-day selection. The answers were fascinating. My mom, especially, loved learning more about her family and couldn't wait to share her list with her home care giver the next day. My sons had a later conversation about what really qualifies as comfort food to them. And I started an Excel file on the family with a tab for each person. As time goes on, we'll continue the game, asking different questions during each session. It will be an easy way to record their behind-the-scenes stories and enjoy some family fun in the meantime.
Happy New Year to you all!
Friday, December 21, 2012
How Much Do You Know About Your Loved Ones From Their Perspective?
As I rise this morning, my heart still sad over this past week's tragedy, I am haunted by the glaring reminder that all of us are vulnerable to losing our lives in an instant, often without having had the chance to communicate to our loved ones the essence of who we really are from our own perspective. Most likely, eulogies and memories of our lives will someday be drawn from accomplishments seen by or evaluations made through the eyes of our survivors.
My gut tells me our loved ones will treasure memories of us even more one day if we take the time to make our own contributions to those memories while we are still here. What if a mom or a brother or a grandpa had spent time asking one of these dear lost children what she knew about her world and recording her messages: her favorite aroma, song, food; her favorite time of day, the first thing she remembered in her life; something she felt she was good at; what she thought was the best part of being a kid; her definitions of kindness, love, and fun? They would have helped her make a huge contribution to her own legacy. And she could have edited those thoughts as she matured and experienced more of the world.
If I someday lose one of you, I want to remember you from YOUR perspective. I want to remember so much more than your external achievements. I want to remember what made you tick, what was important to you, and how you felt you contributed to the universe as a person while you were here. That's what I see as a true legacy.
So during this Christmas season, I'm going to practice my beliefs. I'll find a fun way to have a conversation with my loved ones about some of the above subjects. Perhaps we will make a game of it around the dinner table, where we write our thoughts about various subjects on slips of paper, and then guess who belongs to each thought. Afterwards, I'll save a file for each person and continue to collect their thoughts as time goes on.
How about you? Can you find a way to collect all that is memorable from your loved ones while they are alive and well and contributing to this precious thing called life? Blessed Holidays to you and those you love!
My gut tells me our loved ones will treasure memories of us even more one day if we take the time to make our own contributions to those memories while we are still here. What if a mom or a brother or a grandpa had spent time asking one of these dear lost children what she knew about her world and recording her messages: her favorite aroma, song, food; her favorite time of day, the first thing she remembered in her life; something she felt she was good at; what she thought was the best part of being a kid; her definitions of kindness, love, and fun? They would have helped her make a huge contribution to her own legacy. And she could have edited those thoughts as she matured and experienced more of the world.
If I someday lose one of you, I want to remember you from YOUR perspective. I want to remember so much more than your external achievements. I want to remember what made you tick, what was important to you, and how you felt you contributed to the universe as a person while you were here. That's what I see as a true legacy.
So during this Christmas season, I'm going to practice my beliefs. I'll find a fun way to have a conversation with my loved ones about some of the above subjects. Perhaps we will make a game of it around the dinner table, where we write our thoughts about various subjects on slips of paper, and then guess who belongs to each thought. Afterwards, I'll save a file for each person and continue to collect their thoughts as time goes on.
How about you? Can you find a way to collect all that is memorable from your loved ones while they are alive and well and contributing to this precious thing called life? Blessed Holidays to you and those you love!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Heaven’s Wait’s New Online Store!
You are cordially invited to travel a brand new path along my Heaven’s Wait journey! After many months of delays and commitments that caused me to move forward with my vision at a pace much slower than I anticipated, I am happy to announce that Heaven’s Wait’s official online store is now open for your enjoyment. My fantasy world has inspired me to write its stories, compose its music, and animate its environment. Now, I will offer something new by bringing to life some of the fantasy elements that thrive within the world of Heaven’s Wait.
I’ve created a small collection of unique items and gifts that reflect the essence of Heaven’s Wait as I know it thus far. The items you find within the HW Shops are handcrafted in small quantities and exclusive to the Heaven’s Wait website. The main HW Shop offers not only two fine hand-knit specialties, inspired by the magical “wistas” that occupy the valley of Vowella under the care of the other-worldly Fig Wig clan, but also two specialty coffee selections, freshly roasted for you from the depths of the mysterious “Jimmy’s Jungle.”
The Drippils Shop offers a fun variety of activity items designed to introduce the young children in your lives to the silly “Drippils”, tiny animated characters that live unknown to Heaven’s Wait’s central characters, the Vowellans, yet hidden right under the common plants that flourish throughout the community of Vowella.
You may find the shops at www.heavenswait.com/ShopHW.html.
I hope you enjoy your visit. Thanks so much for your ongoing support of my creative journey.
With warmest regards,
Barbara McLaughlin
For continuing Heaven’s Wait updates, remember to ‘Like’ HW's Facebook page by visiting https://www.facebook.com/heavenswait and ‘Follow’ my tweets at https://twitter.com/HWwriter .
I’ve created a small collection of unique items and gifts that reflect the essence of Heaven’s Wait as I know it thus far. The items you find within the HW Shops are handcrafted in small quantities and exclusive to the Heaven’s Wait website. The main HW Shop offers not only two fine hand-knit specialties, inspired by the magical “wistas” that occupy the valley of Vowella under the care of the other-worldly Fig Wig clan, but also two specialty coffee selections, freshly roasted for you from the depths of the mysterious “Jimmy’s Jungle.”
You may find the shops at www.heavenswait.com/ShopHW.html.
I hope you enjoy your visit. Thanks so much for your ongoing support of my creative journey.
With warmest regards,
Barbara McLaughlin
For continuing Heaven’s Wait updates, remember to ‘Like’ HW's Facebook page by visiting https://www.facebook.com/heavenswait and ‘Follow’ my tweets at https://twitter.com/HWwriter .
Monday, October 8, 2012
Revisiting the Hero's Journey
Lightbulb moment! I spent some serious time yesterday working on my latest manuscript. Since I was beginning to lead my main character down the path to his major ordeal within the story, I decided to take a break to test how well he is traveling the classic "hero's journey.” I pulled out Christopher Vogler's The Writer's Journey and reviewed the stages he suggests for such a journey, based on the wisdom of Joseph Campbell.
It felt great to refresh myself about the classic formula for story writing that has been in place for centuries, one that has produced most of the greatest stories of all time. I found it fairly easy to attach my current chapters to several of those stages and found that I can now plot out the necessary story elements I’ll need in order for my "hero" to complete his journey. Since my present manuscript is actually a rewrite of a portion of my original story about Heaven’s Wait, I already have a list of chapters that need to be matched to the remaining journey elements.
With the help of my new writing application, Scrivener, I can assign journey stages to my chapters as part of the chapters’ synopses. I’ll actually be tracking two journeys: one for Innocents’ current hero, and one for RJ, hero of my first book, RJ’s Story. RJ continues to play a key though lesser role in Innocents, but the role is still worthy of tracking. I want to make sure both characters do the book justice by traveling paths that are both creative and in line with a winning formula.
Since organization is so much my thing, I am going to enjoy this process!
Learn more about The Writer’s Journey at: http://www.thewritersjourney.com/
And check out the writing app Scrivener at: http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php
It felt great to refresh myself about the classic formula for story writing that has been in place for centuries, one that has produced most of the greatest stories of all time. I found it fairly easy to attach my current chapters to several of those stages and found that I can now plot out the necessary story elements I’ll need in order for my "hero" to complete his journey. Since my present manuscript is actually a rewrite of a portion of my original story about Heaven’s Wait, I already have a list of chapters that need to be matched to the remaining journey elements.
With the help of my new writing application, Scrivener, I can assign journey stages to my chapters as part of the chapters’ synopses. I’ll actually be tracking two journeys: one for Innocents’ current hero, and one for RJ, hero of my first book, RJ’s Story. RJ continues to play a key though lesser role in Innocents, but the role is still worthy of tracking. I want to make sure both characters do the book justice by traveling paths that are both creative and in line with a winning formula.
Since organization is so much my thing, I am going to enjoy this process!
Learn more about The Writer’s Journey at: http://www.thewritersjourney.com/
And check out the writing app Scrivener at: http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php
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