Writing by the Seat of the Pants

This subject sounds risqué and/or painful. Actually this is the way I write. I put my behind in the chair, my fingers on the keyboard and type as my characters talk to me. Some nights it’s all quiet on the home front, no words come mind, paragraphs are difficult, and it becomes a discouraging situation.

In this case scenario, I find myself standing in front of the refrigerator, door open, checking out something to give me comfort. Lindt chocolate, ice cream, peanut butter, cheese stick, pecans, etc., anything quick and easy. Unfortunately, none of the above items make the words come any faster or easier.

The other night I couldn’t type fast enough. Words sprung to life as my fingers danced across the keys. The story took on a whole different direction and I was loving it. What a different a day/night can make. I felt like Nora Roberts, Clive Cussler, Ernest Hemingway. The novel was brilliant. But of course I had to come back to reality. Editing was involved.

Words can formulate in my mind at the strangest times. Like two weeks ago. I stood in line at Wally World waiting patiently for a little old lady around 90 to extract the exact change from her small snapable coin purse. She was having trouble getting the change out with her arthritic fingers to finish paying the 98 cents. I wanted to shout, “Give her a dollar”, but I was patient and kept my mouth shut. Then the words began, one after the other spilled forth into my memory banks. Beautiful paragraphs to fill the struggling chapter I had been working on. However, my memory banks have a small hole in them, referred to as senior moments. No pencil. No paper. And, the little old lady was still counting, 68, 69, 70. I wanted to pound my head on the basket handle but that would have hurt.

By the time I arrived home, my mind was a blank, no beautiful words, no characters talking, and I felt exhausted. Such is the life of a writer. Why do we continue to write? Because we have to. We are physically and mentally driven. How do we get our inspiration? One word at a time.

So dear readers, I sit in front of the monitor, fingers on the keyboard and prepare to finish the fourth book in the Anderson Chronicles, which finally has a title — TRAILS OF DESTINY.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Miss Bethany Fisackerly won a free book in my Title Contest. Congratulation, Bethany. I know you will enjoy reading James, Standing Tall and Micah’s story in the fall.

ON WRITING

I read a very interesting article today on "protecting your time" or whatever. At the Plot Monkey, they were discussing that many writers let everyday living get in the way of their writing. How true. We set up our schedules and sometimes writing isn't put first or near the top. As time goes on and a deadline arrives, we're pushed to do the work which upsets the apple cart. Our nerves get shortened and we wonder why. Why do we do this to ourselves? It's called planning, prioritizing our schedules, blocking time. As writers we can make our business and family schedules work together, for family is definitely important and should be considered first. But every day mundane things creep in and suddenly we realize that no words flew across our monitor, our characters and story were left behind again.



I realize that some people work better under pressure, but not to the point of frazzled nerves. I for one plan to schedule a little better, making sure that I get my behind in the chair and setting up a block of time for writing. I guess you'd call this a New Year's Resolution. Nah, they never work for me. It's more like a lifetime challenge. Give it a this year, make it work for you. Good luck

Interview with Heidi M. Thomas, Author

My Guest today is Heidi M. Thomas, author of COWGIRL DREAMS that was just released December 2008. She is of Montana stock and now resides in Washington State. So Heidi, tell us a little about yourself.

I grew up on a ranch in eastern Montana, rode horses and worked cattle (but never rode in rodeos). I’ve always loved reading and writing, went on to receive a degree in journalism from the University of Montana, and wrote for newspapers and magazines for many years before turning to fiction.

How did you come to write Cowgirl Dreams? What was your inspiration?

My grandmother was my inspiration. I grew up knowing that she was just as happy on the back of a horse as behind a dust mop. She died when I was 12, and later, going through photo albums with my dad, I learned that she had ridden steers in local rodeos and that she knew Marie Gibson, a prize-winning Montana rodeo rider. I was impressed! That tidbit of information planted a seed and many years later resulted in Cowgirl Dreams. Fictionalizing her story was a way of filling in the gaps and getting to know her better by imagining how she must have felt or reacted to different situations.


Where did you get your material/information for your book and how long did it take you to write this novel?

My dad told me many stories of growing up with his cowboy and cowgirl dad and mom. Grandma had several photo albums and put together a scrapbook, a vignette of ranch and rodeo life. I also did a lot of reading and research about the cowgirls of the 1920s, a heyday of rodeo for women.

I started writing the novel in 1999. It took me about two years to write it, but it’s gone through a number of revisions during the submission and rejection process before it was published. (My overnight success story!)

Do you have a follow-up to your published book Cowgirl Dreams? If so, what is it about?

I do have a sequel written and in the revision process. The working title is Follow the Dream and it is the “rest of the story” about Nettie, which largely takes place in the “dirty thirties” and again follows my grandparents’ quest for grass for their horses and a better life.


Thank you, Heidi for sharing time with us. We loved having you. Her book can be purchased from Treble Heart Books. Visit Heidi's website and read more about her book.