A Long Wait

Written by Edna Pellen

Oh how I wish I could write through the night Dipping my quill in ink by candlelight With a cup of tea to accompany me Into the worlds of fantasy
But alas! The moon has risen, standing o'er my head And my tower of wax is melting away leaving me a feeling of dread
So I'll blow out the flame and rest my hand Until it is time for morning and I can write again.

A New Year's Resolution

Dear reader,

I like to think of a year as being like a drawstring bag. As it goes by, you fill it with memories, changes, and even completed resolutions. The mouth of the bag slowly closes as the hands of Time slowly pull the strings.

As the wind grows colder around me and frost laces my window, I am reminded that my bag is nearly closed, and I'm afraid that it doesn't have any completed resolutions.

I tend to make my resolutions great and many, which complicates going through with them, so for this year I am going to try to do only one and make it simple.

... Relatively.

This year, my New Year's resolution is to read a book a month.

Though I haven't made any trust worthy plans, I intend on writing a review at the end of each book and posting it here on the last of their respective months.

Most of the books will probably be fiction, but I may include a few on the topic of writing.
I think that this will be very beneficial to my writing and reading habits, and I encourage you to join me on this adventure. Even if we do not read the same books, it'd be a fine thing to know that others were tackling the same challenge as you.
At current, the list of books I have to read is not complete. 

It includes...

Becoming Jane Eyre

Twain and Stanley Enter Paradise

A Christmas Carol (to be read in December)

Frankenstein

Oliver Twist

And, possibly, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Alice Through the Looking Glass.

(I also have a collection of Charles Dickens Christmas stories that I may read throughout December, seeing as A Christmas Carol is very short.)

I'm sure you'll notice that a good deal of these are classics. That has been done quite unintentionally, these books just happen to be the ones I've yet to read but still own. But I think that it'll be very beneficial if I read all of them.

Should you know of any good books (at the moment, I'm in the market for fantasy novels), I would greatly appreciate you writing to me below. Please list the genre, author, and title.

And, tell me if you'll be participating in this challenge of mine.

In the mean time, I do believe a trip to the bookstore is in order.

Wishing you the happiest of Happy New Years,

                              Edna Pellen

My dear friends, 

A Merry Christmas to you!
Yes, it is indeed that wonderful time of the year once more.
In consideration of the holiday, I've decided to share with you a poem by Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.

It is this: 

Christmas Greetings

From a Fairy to a Child

Lady dear, if fairies may

For a moment lay aside

Cunning tricks and elfish play,

'Tis at happy Christmas Tide.

We have heard the children say-

Gentle children, whom we love-

Long ago, on Christmas Day,

Came a message from above.

Still, as Christmas-tide comes round,

They remember it again-

Echo still the joyful sound,

'Peace on earth, good-will to men.'

Yet the hearts must child-like be

Where such heavenly guests abide.

Unto children, in their glee,

All the Christmas-tide

Thus, forgetting tricks and play

For a moment, Lady dear,

We would wish you, if we may,

Merry Christmas, glad New Year.

Lewis Carroll, Christmas, 1887

Remember why it is we have this precious holiday, it is not for gifts nor even family; it's for the Lord our Savior, coming down to us as a baby.
Have a good time with your friends and family, gifting gifts and making memories.

I wish you good writings, and I wish for you the fairy's wish to the child (if I may), "Merry Christmas, glad New Year".

      Yours,

     

                    Edna Pellen

                 

A Writer's Mental Health

My dear friends,


Writing is a beautiful thing. Through it we can create beautiful things, amazing things, wonderful things. We can weave worlds that no one has seen, create new creatures, enter the past or explore the future, we can reach someone's closed off emotions. But like all magic, writing can be used in a harmful way. We can lift hearts, but we can also crush them.
Yes, we can do this to our readers' hearts. I've read many a book or poem that bruised me. But I am referring more to you, the creator of these works.

You have a responsibility to your emotions. As a writer, it makes perfect sense that you would express these emotions by writing. I know I do.
When my heart is heavy and thoughts are dark, I go to my writing. I get a fresh piece of paper and pen, and I vent out the sadness and anger. Likewise, I also write when I am happy. I love writing poems when I have a happy heart and sweet feelings, they always come out to be lightening and upbeat.
But more often then not, I find myself venting these dark emotions. Angry, sad, bitter emotions. And yes, it is very good to get them out rather then letting them eat away at your soul, but I've found that I need to take care and make sure that I am not indulging in these thoughts.
How far can you take expressing your pain before it is feeding it?
It's a lot easier to be sad and dark then it is to be a ray of sunshine. Sadness flows into my writing like leaves caught up in the wind. It almost can't be helped. Almost.

See, something that is important to remember is that we are writers for a reason.
We, like all artists, feel things deeply. And that is why we are able to write successfully, because we can put those emotions that others don't know what to do with into action and create something for others to relate to. We find a place for the chaotic presence of feelings.
But those deep feelings don't end at despair and pain.

If we only write about the shadows in the world, we'll forget about the light that they're hiding from. And there we'll sit, in the shadows, not looking up or around to see the beauty of daylight. And we ourselves will become depressed and left to wallow in the darkness that we've stuck ourselves in.

It is very important to keep your mind healthy and balance all emotions, so here are my suggestions for this;


#1. Spend time outside

At night or day, though considering the theme of light and darkness that I chose to use here morning may be more appropriate.
In any case, admire it. Look at the sky, the grass, the animals, trees... take time to notice the beauty of the smallest things. Take a long walk. Sit by a stream.
I say this one in particular because nature is where I get most of my inspiration. But if you don't live near a lot nature, instead notice the people and how amazing it is that all the buildings around you exist. People made that. Doesn't that make you excited? If people are capable of building the tallest buildings, just imagine what you can do!


#2. Spend time with people who love you

And people who are good influences.
It's important for everyone's mental, and sometimes physical, health to watch who you spend your time with. It can't always be helped, but when it can, make sure that you surround yourself with good influences and loving people who you can be yourself around. That way you have positivity surrounding you and, hopefully, you'll catch it like a cold.

In addition to spending time with people...


#3. Make sure you're getting the right amount of alone time

Everyone needs at least some time to themselves, including writers. It's important to make sure your emotional walls aren't being bombarded with people, or else you may lose your mind.
This isn't to say that you shouldn't spend time with people (as I said in number two, I think this is a important thing), just that you do need some time to yourself and it is okay to be alone every now and then.


#4. Read and listen to happy things

Intentionally listening to happy music has been a great help to me. Even if that isn't your cup of tea, I suggest you at least give it a fair try. I know of people who only listen to sad or metal music because that is the only thing they enjoy. And while things we 'enjoy' have a place, I'm referring to things that make us happy. And I do believe there is a difference.
I quite enjoy reading about world wars, but certainly don't wish for another one. Do you see what I mean?


#5. Write happy things

Force yourself to write happy things. Pick a bright subject and write a poem about it. Or a short story, or a moment in your book, or maybe just a sentence or quote.
I've found describing sunsets our outside scenes to always lift my spirits. Find what works for you, and be sure to do it often enough that you don't fall into the rut of depression.


And of course, there are many other things you can do.
I do very much so encourage you to find something that lights up your shadows. It is very important. But also, reading nothing but depressing things can get old. I've read stories where there seemed to be nothing in the world but pain and sadness. It made me sad at first, but then it just got boring.
So if not for you (though I do hope it is for you), do it for the sake of your writing.
 
    Yours,

                     Edna Pellen

Reading Suggestions

My fellow writers and lovers of words,

I write to you today to follow up on my last post.
Yes, reading is very very important for every writer. It doesn't matter what the book is, seeing as they all have something to teach you (even the ones you most despise).
But that does make it hard to choose where to begin, doesn't it?

That in mind, I have prepared a list of books for your convenience. These aren't all of my favorites, these are just the books that I find inspiring and that have helped me to better my writing.

If you don't already have a stack of books eagerly waiting to be read, consider picking up one of the following.

* The Last Dragon by Silvana De Mari

Or, 'The Last Elf', in the United Kingdoms.
The Last Dragon is a simply splendid book, translated from Italian.
The author's style of writing was matched perfectly for the story (though credit for some of that should go to the translator, Shaun Whiteside). This is not a flawless book, it has a misspelled word or two and a few parts felt like they could've been given a little more time, but it is good and exactly as it should be. One may call it 'perfect for what it is'. It is one of my personal favorites and the style is one that I have often pursued. I hold it very closely to my heart.

* Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

This is a brilliant classic of which you've most likely heard.
I adore the way Dickens foreshadows and shows character growth in this story. And then the narrative is wonderful, of course.
Without a doubt, it is a harder read. It's full of big words, long descriptions, long sentences and paragraphs, and dry moments.

But if you will stick with it, I am certain you will find your own writing taking on the classical flair of Charles Dickens' work.
And if you enjoy writing period pieces, reading this will give you a decent idea of what words, fashions, literature, and general culture, were like in the eighteen hundreds.

* The Silver Donkey by Sonya Hartnett

This book is meant for a younger audience, but it is held very near to my heart and has even inspired one of my shorter stories. It is a sweet story with sparkling characters, beautiful settings, and morals.
I can't point to any direct reason as to why I include it on this list. The closest I can come to singling anything out, is to say that it is inspiring and shows a writer that simplicity can be done and done well.
But those things are just what I remember of it, as it has been some time since I last read it. I am sure there is much more to be gleamed from it, which you will find yourself.

* A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

To quote my lovely sister Liana, Lemony Snicket "breaks the rules of writing with class".
He follows his own path for these stories, combining a amazing narrative with great characters and a strong plot that are all incredibly original.
There are many things I could say about this series and its creator, but alas, that would make this post incredibly long and I would end up spoiling the story.
So I will leave it at this; I highly recommend reading at least the first of this series.


And that is the end of the list. I'd have liked to make it five books, but wouldn't have had time as I waited until today to finish this letter.
Thank you for taking time to read this. I do hope that you find time for reading one of the above as well, they are all very good books and have much to teach even the most seasoned writer.


Write well, my friends.


    Yours,

   
               Edna Pellen

Keeping the Creativity Coming

Dear reader,

It has come to my attention that my well of creativity tends to run dry too often.
This fact has caused me to delay my creative endeavors to find anything to do but writing, thus making the likelihood of finishing by a set date unlikely, as well as making me feel inferior compared to other writers.

And then I find myself spiraling into a depressive state with the mopey thoughts of 'I'm not getting anything done', 'my work isn't even worth finishing', 'it'll never get published anyways, so why bother', and all the other woe-is-me type things.

Which has prompted me to find and make solutions and write this letter to you, in hopes that you can be free from the chains of procrastination and angst.

So let's begin.

It is important for every writer to keep their creativity intact.
This is easier for some then it is for others. It takes work, discipline, time management, and cuts into what little time to yourself you have left in your busy day.
But if you take the magic of writing seriously, I am sure you will find a way to accommodate this.


The truth is, you cannot write without reading.

You must, must, must, read.
The river of words will run dry without rain.

When you read, you are feeding your mind and nourishing your creativity. You water the wilting flower and unlock the caged bird's cage.
It is so important to read. I urge you to find time for it.

You may think "I don't have time for reading" (I myself am guilty of that claim), to which I say you must make time, or "I'm getting along just fine without reading", to which I say, yes, maybe you can get along fine without reading. But are the words coming out how you want them to? When you reread your work, do you find that more often then not you are embarrassed by it?  Furthermore, I ask you this: if you are managing without reading, what will your writing be like with reading?

Before I was a writer, I was a reader. I am sure this is the case for many.
But somewhere down the road, I've seemed to lose time. It's almost as though time moves faster when your grown then when you are young, leaving us all to fumble around as we try to make the most of what is left.
And then there are all the responsibilities we have that further eat away at our precious, precious time. Studies, work, relatives, friends, writing, grocery shopping, trying to find the perfect pen to replace your favorite one that you lost, not to mention the procrastination that goes into each of these things...
Reading just can't be the most important thing on this list, can it?

I am very guilty of losing my desire for already written books.
I would still claim to be a lover of them, despite the fact that I hadn't been reading.
But most recently, I've had the honor of reading some of my friends' books. And reading these got me back into the mindset of being a reader again. And soon, I began reading more.
I again mourned for and with characters, burned with anger at the antagonists, cried, laughed, became captured in the carefully woven words and sentences on the page. I found myself needing to stay awake all hours of the night to complete this chapter, only to find myself saying "One more page..."

Reading is a beautiful thing, just like writing is.
We write so that others can read. Writing comes from reading just as much as reading comes from writing. You cannot have one without the other, and so I, a writer, should not favor writing to the point that I shelf reading.
And since I have began reading frequently again I have been writing more. Ideas once more plague me in the middle of the night, my heart races when I think of the stories I am building, and all together my writing experiences have been better.
Not perfect, mind you. But better.

So I encourage you to put the title 'reader' at level with the title 'writer'.
You may deny these words and experiences I have written of. I wouldn't hold that against you, seeing as I myself have done that to a great deal of suggestions over time.
But if you find yourself staring down at a blank page and wonder why you are lacking imagination, consider the words above.


Mind, I know that there are many other bits of advice. Such as 'push through writers block', which I am very well acquainted with. And while that has its place, I'm not writing to you of getting words on paper. I am writing to you of writing words worth being read, and of keeping your creative mind in good health.
This having been said, I do hope that you will put my suggestion into practice.

In a coming letter, I will give a list of books that I find to help with the creative process.
Until then, fair well my, friends. And may you slay the beast that is Procrastination.


   Yours,


          Edna Pellen