Smell

I thought I would use this time to talk about smell. Kind of strange in a way, but it's something we really don't think about when we are creating stories. Sure, we write about emotions and how we feel, but do we write about how things smell?

I don't know about you, but I'm constantly smelling. As I write this, I can smell my large German Shepherd as he sleeps at my feet. He's stinky and his breath is bad and sometimes he farts. He is 8 years old, so he doesn't have puppy breath anymore. But his smell is so distinct, I miss it when I go away.

Okay, so maybe this is a bit weird for some people. Let's try some other memory. There is a perfume I used to wear back in my mid-twenties. It was a mango smell that The Body Shoppe still sells. Whenever I smell that mango perfume, it takes me back to a time when I was in university and was partying waaayyyyyy too much. I'm transported to that time and place, and those feelings return once again: a mixture of sadness, loss and being lost, but also a moment of finding myself.

Whether you are journaling or establishing characters in your story, smell can dig a little deeper into what is really going on inside. To learn how to dig deeper into your creativity, check out my eBook Unleash Your Writing Muse.

Children and Creativity

Would you agree that children are creative beings? If you watch them play, they aren't letting ego or judgement or any other thought process stand in their way. They let loose their creative side and go with it.

Do you believe we have to lose our creative edge as we get older?

My belief is that if we kept even a slight piece of that creativity we had as a child, then maybe, just maybe we would be able to go through life with a better outlook. Maybe we would be able to create our lives a lot easier than we do right now.

Maybe it's not so bad keeping those rose coloured glasses on for the rest of our lives. Maybe, by looking through the eyes of a child, we will remind ourselves what we used to see.

Real Creative Writing

Back in the 70s, I never knew that writing could be an actual career, let alone a lucrative one. Although I wrote many stories at a young age, I didn't think I could take it any further.
When I was 12 years old, I began my first novel. This was during a time when the movie The Outsiders was out in the theatres and C. Thomas Howell became the hottest new face on Teen Beat Magazine. Yes, I wrote a romance about myself and C. Thomas Howell. No, I no longer have this book lying around.

Some point after high school, the writing thing just tapered off; I had lost my way. I decided that pursuing a career in psychology was the route to take.

One day, the writing bug hit me again. Kind of like a reawakening, really. When that light came on inside of me, I knew that writing was exactly what I wanted to do.

This is what I want to do for others--find their creative spark by instructing them through real creative writing courses. The kind of courses that actually deal with the creative part and not the theory part. A course that actually inspires writers to find their voice.

To find your writing voice, head over to www.thewritersmentor.ca and see what you can discover.

Your Writing Destination

Writers are notorious for keeping to themselves. They are more introverted than social and it's hard for them to get out there to meet the public, do the PR thing and to market themselves.

But, it's necessary if we want a certain outcome--people buying our work, having a full time writing career, etc.

Today, I did a bit of marketing for my eBook Unleash Your Writing Muse. I have to admit, just thinking about the task was daunting. It overwhelmed me and made me a bit nervous. But, once I got into it, I quite enjoyed it. I think I am starting to value my work enough to get it out there. Also, I'm taking pride in my work and I see myself as a professional running a business.

Where do you want to go with your writing? What is your goal? Do you just want to write for the sake of writing or do you want to go a bit further? There's nothing wrong with either of these options. However, if you want to go further, believe in yourself enough to get your work out there for others to enjoy. It truly feels amazing.

Fear

Last weekend, I went on a workshop that got me thinking and changing. I discovered that issues from childhood (that I thought I had dealt with) were suddenly front and centre. I was angry....very angry. Absolutely furious. I never realized how mad I was until this weekend. And, it was a breakthrough!

For many of us, past beliefs hold us back from doing what we want to do because we feel we will be rejected or we aren't good enough or worthy enough. But who is the one that deems us worthy? We do.

Our fears, beliefs, etc can hold us back from doing what we really want to do.During this workshop, we all had to take turns walking into an arrow and breaking it...just with our throats.

Of course the fear was prevalent. Thoughts raced through my head: "What if I'm the only one that can't break the arrow?" "What if I injure myself?" "What if I die?" My brain was taking me out of the game before I had all of the facts. But I did it. I walked through the arrow, breaking it.

I broke through my fear. Now, if I can do that, I can do anything.

It's only fear that holds us back. Nothing else.

Deepen Your Writing Experience

Writing is many things. It's a process. It's words on paper. It's a story, a poem or feelings. It's sensations, senses and expression.

Writing can go much deeper than this. It can be a spiritual experience. It can be a connection with your higher self or a higher energy.

Some days, ideas channel through you and you wonder how they get there. You feel the flow of the words, of the story and you see clearly how it all unfolds. When you are in that state, you are connecting on another level. You are letting go of ego and letting the words flow easily.

My ebook Unleash Your Writing Muse can help you maintain that creativity, letting it flow consistently into your life.

Developing Character

How important is it to develop strong characters in your writing? Very important. Without believable characters, characters that resonate with the reader, you won't have much of a story.

But sometimes it's tough maintaining who the character is and being true to that character. Sometimes you need to let go and let the characters write the story for you.

Have you ever had a heart to heart with one of your characters? Maybe it's time you should.
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