Friday, April 4, 2014

D is for Difficult!

D is difficult for me. I've thought of several words--Distractions, Death, Details, Determination, Dreams, Destination. The trouble is that I can't think of much to write about any of those words. Maybe a little about all of them?

Daily - Do you write every day? I'd like to write a couple of hours daily or maybe four hours two or three days a week. When I start writing and it goes well, I can stay with it for several hours.

Distractions - Yes, I'm easily distracted. If I'm at the library, I can start watching people if I'm not careful. I can also be distracted by book titles if I'm sitting near the stacks. At home, in my cluttered office, I can be distracted by anything and everything: husband, TV, books on my shelves, the smell of food or a growling stomach.

Death - Don't you think that losing sight of a goal or a dream is a little like death?

Details - I find it amazing that sometimes I'm a detail person. Usually that's when I'm doing something for someone else, like on assignment, helping with a conference or designing a Save the Date card for daughter. I'm extremely detail oriented--sometimes. Unfortunately, my fiction is lacking. I tend to avoid that extra layering of detail that makes my story flesh and bones, gives my writing something special, a fullness or sophistication. Details make characters real.

Determination - All writers need determination. If we don't have it, we're whooped before we really get started.

Dreams - I know some of you turn your dreams into fiction. My dreams are usually hilarious or creepy. Sometimes my husband will wake me up because I'm laughing like a crazy woman. I've never gotten a story idea from my dreams.

Destination - I like the way that word rolls off my tongue. De-sti-na-tion. If you could choose one or the other, would you walk into the future or into the past?

So much for my D-words. Today, I'm sorely lacking.


I am blogging my way through the alphabet with others who are doing the same..
Please support the bloggers of the #AtoZchallenge by visiting, sharing or commenting.  It's fun!

12 comments:

Michelle Wallace said...

Bravo to you for writing off the cuff.
I love stream-of-consciousness writing...

Doreen mcGettigan said...

I loved your "D" words. I am going to use Determination today because I have a long list of to do's and all I want to do is sit and write.
I will get there!
Good luck with the rest of the challenge.

Crystal Collier said...

Hey, I liked those words, and how you tied them all together. I'm totally with you on the detail thing and writing every day. I get cranky without my daily writing and then my husband sends me in to the computer with the mandate that I better get something done. He's so awesome.

Charles Gramlich said...

despair is another good D word.

SK Anthony said...

Ooh this was awesome, love the way you're using them for our writing. I have to especially stop being distracted and keep the determination alive. Great post ;)

The Daily Bern said...

Great choices for D. A lot of the best writing comes off the cuff.
Shawn from Laughing at Life 2

J.L. Campbell said...

Boy, do I know about being distracted. I get that way all the time. Just music puts me off whatever it is I'm supposed to be doing.

Carolyn Paul Branch said...

I can identify with your "D" words - Daily writing is so important and so hard to manage when you are forced to be self-motivated. Thus the A-Z challenge and next month I'll do the Storyaday challenge. Details - sometimes I get so hung up on my lovely details, I forget what the story is about! Determination - all I can say is "more, please."

Love your writing, I will be back.

Paige Hamilton said...

What a wonderful blog! So thrilled to find an author so close to home, as well. I'm from Lafayette. I came across your blog through the A to Z Challenge. Lots of great D words. Daily is the one I need to focus on most. As mother to five kids (ages 10-15), I rarely write two consecutive days. I'm hoping the A to Z Challenge will help me get into a more regular writing habit. :)

Jessica Ferguson said...

Thanks everyone for vising and commenting. Sorry I'm just getting back to you. I had an emergency in the family and was traveling. My E-word will explain it all.

I hope to visit your blogs as soon as I can.

CA Clark said...

I try to write every day but it is far too easy to be Distracted by the daily dilemmas of family and life. I aim for a minimum of 500 words per day. So far this year I am meeting my goals in spite of disturbances and distractions.

Unknown said...

I like D for Dreams. And yes, I turn some of my dreams into fiction, too.

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