Don’t Know Where I’m Going, But I’ll Know When I Get There…

…or writer with a cup of tea and random quotes.

I had occasion last week to pick up Dwight V. Swain’s book, Techniques of the Selling Writer. (click here to read my post about writing instruction books at the RWA-Women’s Fiction blog) Mr. Swain gave this definition of fiction: “A story is experience translated into literary process.”

The title of this post comes from my heroine, Rainey, in Lost Highways, the first book of the Valentine series. She expresses her confused determination with the statement, “I don’t know where I’m goin’, but I’ll know when I get there.” The quote surfaced from memory while writing the scene. I have never been in any of Rainey’s circumstances, but I certainly have felt the way she did a great deal of my life.

“The best thing about writing is to repeat the ordinary experience, and by putting that experience into language, it makes it available to the person who reads it in a way that it hasn’t been available before.”~ Walker Percy, interview, Parting the Curtains.

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Writing, the creative effort, the use of the imagination, should come first–at least for some part of every day of your life. It is a wonderful blessing if you will use it. ~ Brenda Ueland, writer and teacher.

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One accepts one’s limitations and works within them at the same time one studies and practices to improve. ~ Jack M. Bickham, best selling author and teacher.

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Trust in what you love, continue to do it, and it will take you where you need to go. ~ Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones.

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I had forgotten, but just like always, the writing itself reminds me. Writing is what helps me find me. ~C.A.M.

The Secret to a Happy Life

I have been giving some thought to the word happiness. I started off thinking of it because I had one of those days of being quite a Grumpy Girl. You know, one of those days when just every small thing goes wrong, or at least gets on one’s last nerve. I imagine you have experienced those days. If you have not, you are a saint and have no need to read my thoughts on happiness.

Anyway, it  was at one point on this day of grumpy thoughts that I heard quite clearly the question: “Do you really want to be happy?”

Well. There’s a question.

A few more came after it: Why is it that so often I am doing the exact opposite of what will bring me happiness? What am I actually willing to do for the state of a happy frame of mind? And what, to me in particular, does this happy life look like?

Those are questions that have occupied me, and I offer them to you.

I am not speaking of continual bliss. When you think of it, continual bliss would certainly be abnormal and wearing. I’m speaking of a happy frame of mind that weathers the continual wear and tear of day to day living.

I had been driving and shopping when these questions came to me. When I came home, I spied the potted amaryllis we’ve all been watching grow like a monster. I shoved the grocery bags on the already messy kitchen counters and proceeded to photograph the bloom in progress.

Then today, I was washing a glass in the sink, and I suddenly realized that I liked the feel of the new dishcloth I had bought. Silly, I know, but pleases me. My particular form of happiness. I became aware of the delicious feel of the warm water, and how lovely the view out my kitchen window.

Something the creativity teacher Julia Cameron said floated up in memory: “The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention.”

I had begun paying attention.

Now that I have seen this, I have decided to make a point of paying attention all through the month of February and to record what I find that brings me happiness. I invite you to join me. If you feel you can leave a comment about what you discover of your own happiness, please do. It should be great fun to find what brings happiness to others.

Blessings,

CurtissAnn

Or How One Little Red-Neck Girl became So Fond of Drinking Fine Hot Tea

My novel Cold Tea on a Hot Day was written under a different working title, one that has long since been lost to memory. My publisher rarely has liked a title I’ve chosen. Generally an editor from very high up will call my agent and say: “Marketing doesn’t like the title. We have to have a new one, yesterday.”

This happened one hot summer, July day. A new title was a Must. “Something that sounds bestselling,” of course. In two days.

After wracking my brain, making a list of titles that no one liked, I went to the kitchen and meandered around. My dear husband had been outside in the Oklahoma sun, poked his head in and asked for a glass of sweet ice tea. I decided to brew up a pitcher. Using a long-handled wooden spoon, I stirred the ice cubes around, listening to the clink. And I thought: “There’s nothin’ like cold tea on a hot day.”

Bingo! One of my most favorite of all titles, and the book that finally made onto the USA Today best seller list.

If you’d like to read my story of becoming a true tea-lover, if you are a devotee to good tea, pop over to The English Tea Blog, to read my post Confessions of a Tea-Drinking Southern Belle.

Blessings,

CurtissAnn, who just finished a cup of Ceylon tea, laced gently with a bit of lemon and agava syrup.

Random Report: of Journals, Notebooks, Christmas Cactus

Jane from the delightful blog, Blondie’s Journal, asked where online did I recently buy a journal. I found a couple that suited me at C. R. Gibson Company. One is a simple black journal, the other a spiral notebook style, imprinted with roses and butterflies, it says: “Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the Ribbons.”

Years ago I formed the habit of carrying around a notebook in which to capture ideas for current writing projects, as well as pithy quotes, Bible verses, song titles, and even doctor appointments. My life is on the lined pages of these notebooks.

I like the hard cardboard-covered ones, with a wide spiral that provides a perfect place for keeping a pen. And it must in some fashion be inspiring to me. After all, I am living with this notebook for a year or more.

It really does not cost much to water our own gardens, so to speak, to uplift and inspire ourselves. Frankly, very often we are the only ones around to encourage ourselves, and it is our duty to do so.

Back during our unusual cold spell, I forgot and left my Christmas cactus pots outside! Thankfully the original which was given to me thirty-two years ago by my husband’s granny–I call it ‘Big Mama’–was on the porch and survived. So did a smaller one that I had rooted and grown last year.

Unfortunately, the largest one that I had had for some fifteen years, was in the yard, and, well, turned to mush. I have trimmed all the petals away, and now I have these stalks. I’m not giving up hope yet!

Heirloom Garden Experts has an informative post on growing the old Christmas Cactus. I never thought of growing it in a hanging pot! I’m going to give that a try.

From reading the information about growing Christmas Cactus, I see that I’ve done just about everything wrong. Guess what? The original plant still lives, and is thriving.

I have found that good things happen when I don’t give up too soon. Maybe things don’t turn out exactly how I wish, but something good always happens eventually.

Blessings,

CurtissAnn