Saturday, March 23, 2013

Making the Most of Adversity


by Kaye George

When bad things happen to writers, it’s not always a bad thing.



I’m a big fan of taking notes. If you can force yourself to do it--or if you think of it--this can serve you well to write down your feelings and reactions to adverse events. Conversely, taking notes when good things are going on can work for you, too.


I’ve been going over my galley proofs for my book coming out next month, and I’m on my second pass. What’s going through my mind is that I’m glad I remembered some of this stuff. Much of my descriptive and reactive passages are based on things I’ve experienced, much of it from years ago. Some of the characters quirks are based on those of people I’ve known, some of them long ago. The only way I can put them into my stories with such detail is that I wrote them down. I would never be without a pad of paper and a writing implement. I like to carry a pencil in case I get a chance to scribble a Sudoku puzzle or a crossword. (Do I really have to capitalize Sudoku? Word thinks I do.)

Photo: http://www.dreamstime.com/road-to-the-peak-stock-photos-imagefree71073
notepad: http://www.wpclipart.com/education/supplies/notebook/notepad_pencil.png.html

2 comments:

Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredith said...

I'm a big note taker too. I've used notes I've taken at Sisters in Crime meetings and things I've seen and experienced in my books. And oh, yes, definitely people I know have appeared in my books though they never recognize themselves.

Kathleen Kaska said...

I keep a posted-note pad on my nightstand. If something comes to me in the middle of the night, I write it down. I usually only manage one or two words, but it's enough to bring the idea back in the morning.