Journey's End

Is. 40: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

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 Well I did it. I took the six-week free writing course. Yes it was the one I had sworn never to step foot in again but there was a reason I went back. I had to prove to myself that I was as stable as I was last year when all the attacks took place and put me on the outside, looking in.

The assignments were the same: Characterization via your character, conflict, dialogue, senses, POV, and the finale of a short story. Whew, what a seven weeks it was. The first week was getting to know people and the new site, and that was interesting to say the least.

I was locked out of all the classrooms, except one, so the fun and excitement of the course was wiped right off the slate from the get go. I met some new folk and caught up with some old who actually accepted my friend request after last years fiasco. I was feeling welcome until I realized everyone else had the privilege of running the halls and basking in the classrooms, getting to comment on others work while I was like a prisoner, a castoff set aside in the Ripley’s Believe It or Not, to be visited and gawked at.

This was a test of my stability of mind. I could have flown off the handle, damned them all to the pits of hell, but lo-and-behold, I kept my head. I kept my head and acted like a grown woman, and respectfully continued with the lessons. My classroom was active at first with 22 students eager to learn and I could not help but wear the mentoring cap that I had donned for seven or so years prior. I was in the student’s chair and had to remember that. Even as the mentor only appeared once a week, to give tips and answer questions, the intern had his/her own college studies to attend to; the classroom dwindled, while others were as active as week one.

As one week turned into five, I found myself published in the not so famous ezine, which is really a pick of the best lessons put on display. This is where I saw others work yet I yearned to see the other classrooms, my old friends, to be a part of a community, but there I sat, idle in my classroom, twiddling my thumbs, that had three people left (so many to choose from for the ezine, eh?)  By my fifth week I was feeling hurt that no one but newcomers (and one old friend) came and read my lesson, expecting me to do the same to them, but I bit my lip and told maybe two people, I was a caged bird.

I felt on the inside that all the mentors were well aware of my status, seeing that many did not want to return because of all the DRAMA that *I* supposedly caused? One mentor, a MAIN asset, bailed on this session and has told me he may never return, or at least not for a while. Even he was sickened by the treatment I’d received.

The funny part of all this is, I was not the dramatic one last session. If my memory serves me correct, I was attacked, they spit horrible words at me and all wrote the administrator to tell him I had lost it. So he believing them, set me free from the course, but allowed me to return this session as a student, but in a locked cage, protecting himself, the mentors and myself, from BIG BAD ME! Funny isn’t it?

 
Lesson six, the short story I had in my mind from the get go, Rapunzel, was woven and spun. While my lessons were about another short story I’m writing, Rapunzel was being saved for lesson six. I’d like to post it tomorrow, grammatical errors and all. I just wanted my readers to know, this bird may be caged, but on an eagles wings, I soar!

Writing a Story

“The biggest disease this day and age is that of people feeling unloved.” ~Princess Diana

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I’m working on a new story. The idea stemmed from a prompt on a writing site, a few years back, that went something like this: Take a familiar fairytale and rewrite it. I had already rewritten the Cinderella story. Not with the familiar waif falls for prince, slipper type story. No, it was definitely a new age tale, and poor Cindy was a victim of child abuse by her wicked stepmother! Maybe I’ll share it with you sometime. If I can find it among the mess I keep of my stories.

This new tale of mine will be – Rapunzel. I love that name so I’ll keep it. And just as I was looking up the origin of that beautiful name, a slap of inspiration hit me. I’d like to redo another fairytale if not this one, in poetry form. Since poetry seems to have lost its zest in these past years, there needs to be a revival.

Rapunzel is a German fairytale first published by the Brothers Grimm in 1812, as a collection of Children’s and Household tales. The Grimms' adaptation was from Persinette, written in 1698 by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force. Wow, that’s a mouthful for a name. Most recently, Disney took its hand at the spinning of the tale with Tangled. I’ve not seen the movie, but I’m sure my story will be wrought with the angst of a woman relinquished to a prison tower.

The idea stemmed from recent current events, but then again, much of my life IS like a fairytale, I just haven’t had the chance to taste the ‘Happily ever After’ that fairytales keep repeating. But wait, that’s not true. I have repeatedly tasted the happily ever after in many ways, shapes and forms, and as a writer, I wish to give you some of the most delicious tasting lemonade that has ever touched your lips!

I need to be mindful of taking some precautionary steps as I write this story, and my advice is that all writer’s might take these steps too as they begin a story.

1. Don’t edit until the story is complete and down on paper (or screen) This is a writer’s enemy!

2. Use your thesaurus so as not to overuse or repeat words with the same meaning. A thesaurus is a writer’s friend!

3. Write smooth imagery and senses. Let the story flow like a babbling brook.

4. Show, don’t TELL the story. Readers, whether children or adults, seek imagery and you need to use it as fluently as #3- imagery; senses

5. Have dialogue that is believable to the story. Readers will pick up on ragged dialogue. Scarcely use the he said, she said tags. (know how and when to use them)

There you have it. Now I need to go work on my story, alone in my tower. Thank you and I hope you return for the unveiling!