Sept IWSG: Celebrating Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen's songs
are poems distilled in music, 

meditations shaped by quiet
that simplifies meaning
down to the edge of understanding.
His dark, slow voice,
relentless, asks us to 

accept some unspoken truth 

that we already know and acknowledge
in the rasp at the back of our throats,
at the tears forming in our eyes:
Unrelenting, universal understanding
of all that makes us human,
vulnerable and yet, worthy.

This month's Insecure Writer's Support Group question asks us to consider: What are your thoughts on using AI, such as GPChat, Raptor, and others with your writing? Would you use it for research, storybible, or creating outlines\beats?

My answer comes from the poem I wrote above, about Leonard Cohen, a much revered singer, poet, and song writer, whose work (at least for me) is about human creativity.

Photo by Takahiro Kyono (2013)

AI may be a useful tool. It certainly is changing and will continue to transform our lives dramatically. Even as we applaud AI's ability to carry out complex tasks efficiently, some recognize the inherent danger in a technology that has the ability to self-teach itself new skills -- and that may outpace human control.

Yes, I have used AI indirectly. As a frugal indie writer, I like to use Pixel to create my book covers. And that's where I found my working cover for Honeymoon in Egypt, an art crimes mystery, currently slated to be finished this December. To my surprise, the image was generated by AI.

I have always been drawn to technology, fascinated by its potential and emerging applications. But I want to write my own words. Tell my own stories. No shortcuts here, in this, my own creative space. When I research, I discover surprising links, new ideas and understandings of what I'm writing. Would or could AI help this process? Well, I think I'm just too old to play around with my own writing process that begins each day. If I were 30 instead of 80, I might want to reconsider. 

So, let's go see what others think! The awesome co-hosts for the September 3 posting of the IWSG are Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, Nancy Gideon, and Diedre Knight! Why not visit a few (or 10) of these wonderful writers to find out what they think? Here's the LINK.

What do YOU think about AI, writing, and the wonderful creative world we make for ourselves!

The purpose of the INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP (IWSG) 

is to share and encourage writers at every level. 

Any writer can participate by posting on their blog 

on the first Wednesday of each month. 

August IWSG: Unethical? How about a plot twist . . .

 

Sunday began like any other day of the week. Quiet. Uneventful. Until we ended up in the Emergency Room at midnight. We waited for two hours to learn another two hours would pass before seeing a doctor. So we went home, and in the morning, Allen was better. We just celebrated our 50th anniversary on Friday, but this ER visit seems like a harbinger of things to come, despite doctor reassurances and his advice to wait and see what happens next.

So, I've misssed a few days of writing, and I don't care. Missed a few days of exercise also. Still cooked his favorite meal tonight, and we're looking forward to the rest of the week with NO doctor visits! 

This month's IWSG question is simply: What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?

I don't have a clue. Maybe I'll learn from reading other IWSG writers' posts and those intrepid souls who've volunteered to host this month. Why not visit the August co-hosts and find out?  Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Natalie Aguirre, Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen, and Olga Godim!  Or stop by to check out the nearly 100 participating writers on IWSG's home page.

Thank you for reading . . . I hope the rest of August brings us all some quiet days to cherish and enjoy!

IWSG: Something new???

 

Summer has truly begun with a blast of hot days up past 90F. We stay cool in our cozy apartment with a high of 70F, first floor, and haven't turned on the air conditioning (yet). This morning, I'll be visiting a dear friend, bringing her a collection of quilting projects to share. 

Over the years, I've enjoyed taking classes and learning new skills (sashiko, hand-turned applique).  The end result was a small pile of tabletoppers without backing, settling in the corner with no home. With a commitment to 'get 'er done,' I've begun adding batting, backs, and binding. My first pile of 5 finished tabletoppers went to a fundraiser for a local community center. Only 2 left. And maybe that scrappy blue quilt top will go next. 

There's something truly relaxing about putting random pieces together just to see what happens next -- something like writing. Although, I will admit both writing and quilting require discipline as well.

This month's challenge question from IWSG (Insecure Writers Support Group) asks us: Is there a genre you haven't tried writing in yet that you really want to try? If so, do you plan on trying it?

This month's question made me laugh. Nearly out loud. Mostly because I've written in nearly every genre I can think of, from historical fiction, to art crime mystery, to science fiction, to simple fantasy. One genre immediately popped in my head. I haven't written erotica. Blush! Some 'things' just belong behind closed doors. Private. I'm not being Victorian. Dark edges appeal to me. Just not erotica. 

I'd rather write about how we commit ourselves to a better world and how we find our way there. Especially these days.

And then someone asked me if I'd ever written time-slip stories. Hmm. Never have followed Alice down the rabbit hole to a different time and place. So, maybe that's my next challenge.

Update on the writing. I'm taking a break, even with 50K words calling out to me from that art crime mystery in progress, Honeymoon in Egypt. Family issues have been emotionally draining. Maybe next month, I'll have better news for you. 

For now, I wish you a summer filled with warm (not hot) days, and good times with family and friends. And maybe, some quiet mornings for writing!

About IWSG: The first Wednesday of the month, nearly 100 writers take to their blogs to post their thoughts on writing or in response to this month's questions. Consider visiting this month's generous hosts Rebecca Douglass, Natalie Aguirre, Cathrina Constantine, and Louise Barbour -- and participants HERE to read and perhaps leave a comment!  You just might be inspired . . . to write!

Sounds of the Past . . .

 You know how it is when an old photograph pops up, and suddenly, you're remembering something from decades ago. That happened this week when I spotted a picture of Fats Domino.

He played just the piano at a small high school dance back in 1961. I was a senior, thrilled to 'bop' to his energetic rock and roll, all of us motivated by his music and his enthusiastic smile. I knew he lived in New Orleans. What I didn't know is that Fats Domino was a little shy. Elvis called him the 'real king of rock and roll.' He passed away in 2017, but I can't listen to his music without smiling and reappreciating his gifts.

Read more about Fats Domino HERE and listen to his greatest hits HERE.

As long as I'm looking back, here's another favorite from Simon and Garfunkel to enjoy:  The Sounds of Silence (1964). Ah, another blast from the past! Enjoy.

IWSG: Books????

First Wednesday of the month means time to post a response to The Insecure Writer’s Support Group’s monthly Blog Hop. Here's the June 4 question: What were some books that impacted you as a child or young adult?

Books were an escape for me. I could fall into a book and ignore all else around me -- even meal time. Libraries were quiet. Each shelf beckoned. Once I could check books out, I started with "A" and kept going. Even today, when life becomes chaotic and I don't want to watch the news, a new story beckons. Maybe this is why I became a writer many decades later, entranced by words and the mystery behind an unfolding story.

I remember reading Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea in my school library and trying to hold back my tears. I was drawn to adventure and now can't remember the book that spawned my dream to travel by ship around the Horn. Other favorites included: Louisa May Alcott's Little Women (somehow I was Jo and Beth at the same time); George Orwell's Animal Farm, Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, Frank Herbert's Dune, and pretty much anything by Ray Bradbury. As a teenager, I used to babysit for one family who kept a box of science fiction in the basement. I read them all. 

Today, i-pads beckon. My grandchildren might start reading. The thirteen year old is carrying around two library books, one Japanese manga, and the other a non-fiction book about police work behind crime scenes. At least, she's reading.

Image by jenikmichal

Changes. . .

Mid-week, and this May morning brings intermittant sun and rain-darkened clouds, switching between sun and shadow, much like me. Since learning Allen has Parkinson's disease, I feel optimistic (maybe he'll remain in the early stages for a long time), and then those darker thoughts come. I try to write and yet end up stepping away from my current project. That goal of writing 300 words a day, 4K a month seems unattainable, and, yes, I feel inadequate, despite having reached 50K already and setting a date to finish the first rough draft by December 2025.

Later today, I'm Zoom meeting with a group of writers to talk about chapbooks. Yes, I have poems, have already published one chapbook, but what will I do with these poems, a few hundred, that remain unread? And when Allen needs me, I don't care about the writing, the morning, I just want to be there for him, steady and strong. Even if I feel like crying.

If I say nothing can be changed, that feeds into inadequacy. The reality is that change comes to us all. So, today, I shall float along with those clouds, feeling the sun, ready to make a commitment: Work to be positive. Take those small steps that create order and peace and harmony in a world that will keep changing.

May the change that comes your way strengthen you.

For now, I'm working on today's menu and grocery shopping. I've given up on that weekly major shopping. Too much gets simply tossed aside. I'd rather do smaller trips, twice a week. Found a recipe for Baked Eggplant Rolls stuffed with ricotta pesto. Nice salad on the side. Probably leftovers for tomorrow.

Cherry tree spotted on a walk near our home

IWSG: If I could . . .

If I could sleep sitting up on the overnight train to Abu Simbel along the Nile River in Egypt, would I? Or climb beneath a pyramid, tons of stone above me? Or sail around the Horn, walk the same path with penguins skirting the sandy rocks, or stand in awe before Van Gogh's self portrait in Paris, tour groups passing at breakneck speed around me?

Yes, I have done these things and more. I have not been afraid. I felt privileged to see the world with my true love beside me. Would I choose such travel over that house in the suburbs? Yes. Journal in hand, I have written my way all through my life. 

You might ask what began your writing life. I can answer quite simply. In high school, so many decades ago, reading books and writing were an escape. I grew up in a family of alcoholics, frequent moves in and out of foster homes, and nightmarish incidents (the night one of my stepfathers took down the front door with an axe being one). I left at seventeen and never looked back. Worked my way through college. Became a writing teacher, and on retiring, Allen said, "It's time for you to write those stories, truly." For the last twenty years, I've written 11 books and hundreds of poems as an indie writer. The shoe fits.

Along the way, I've come to understand that every decade has its own challenge. Now 81, I realize this decade may well try to break me, but I refuse to bend. We learned this week my dear husband of 50 years has Parkinson's. I fear his loss more than anything else. My job now is to be strong, positive, and take care of him, as he has taken care of what matters most to me -- that inner life that sees and seeks beauty in all things. Even cooking.

So this post is my roundabout way of answering this month's question for the Insecure Writers' Study Group. Some common fears writers share are rejection, failure, success, and lack of talent or ability. What are your greatest fears as a writer? How do you manage them? 

My response and hope is that you follow YOUR dreams, honor your own creative spirit, and persevere! For each day is precious, as are you and your gifts.

Spring at Manito Park

Here's a little about the Insecure Writer's Support Group! The first Wednesday of each month is officially IWSG Day. Some 90 writers talk about their progress on their blogs, offer tips, or answer the question of the month. Everyone tries to visit about 10-20 other writers to show our support. And, each month, several writers volunteer to be co-hosts. This month, the generous co-hosts are:  Feather Stone, Janet Alcorn, Rebecca Douglass, Jemima Pett, and Pat Garcia!

Why not consider participating? For spring is truly on its way. May you celebrate each day and find many words for your stories.