Waiting impatiently for the call,
Nothing delays it from arriving.
The phone rings,
The heart beats,
The soul softens,
The voice echoes,
The eyes imagine,
The phone clicks.
Sliding softly in the silky chair,
Imagination is only left stirring.
Many times, it can be hard to focus my energy on writing. With all the distractions in any given day, how can it be possible to sit at a desk and type? It can become restrictive at times and, undeniably, unproductive. I found that writing poetry has been my greatest tool to keep me focused. It helps me feel my story and my characters. It is my muse as I describe in my poem below.
Poetry, My Muse
By Talin Mari
If poetry is my muse,
My pen is my guide,
My heart is the story,
My pain is the plot.
If poetry is my muse,
Characters live in dreams,
Mystical worlds appear,
Creativity meets reality.
If poetry is my muse,
Love stories are imagined,
Abuse is violently dreaded,
Kindness is only rewarded.
If poetry is my muse,
My words become stories,
My thoughts become real,
My feelings become people.
Eyes
By Talin Mari
When you look through the eyes of love,
The passionate lids unwillingly fall down.
When you look through the eyes of hurt,
The inflamed lids painfully close its door.
We all go through a phase when life takes over. The unexpected takes priority and it becomes a feat to make us move out of the ditch that we have found ourselves, immobile and helpless. Maybe that happens to be a little too dramatic, but it sure feels like a ditch full of cement that has immobilized us from moving forward. These moments offer us a time of reflection. A time to decide whether the choices we have made are correct. When everything seems to be perfect is when this unexpected creeps in and all we can say is, “why now”?
I read an article where the author said that a true writer should be able to write 5,000 words per day. In an idealistic world, full of butterflies, serene landscapes, and creeks, I suppose that would be true. Unfortunately, we live in a world of ever changing ideas and situations. We learn to adapt to these changes, but our love of writing is put on hold when other priorities knock it into the ditch.
Writing evolves. It not only evolves while we edit, as many may infer, but it also evolves as we grow older and we learn through our experiences. It is most important that we do not decide that there really is cement in the ditch. It is important to realize that the event that put our writing on hold may really be the inspiration to our next creation… our next work of art. After all, writing is like art because it is an expression of the moment and all the experiences that create that moment.
Do not let anyone stop you from writing. The ditch that you may have fallen in is only temporary. Believe in yourself and in your love of writing so that you can break free from the cement that is holding you in place….
When I first started blogging, I attended a conference on how to be successful as a self-published author. “Wow!” I thought. Imagine being discovered and having my book become a best seller. Even better, imagine writing a novel that turns into a movie… Divergent? Hunger Games? The Diamond Guardians? They all sound good to me…. However, I think the conference was a best seller for the author hosting the event because everyone’s experience is completely different.
The most important thing I have discovered is that you have to want to be in the writing industry because you undeniably love to write. If you choose to write because you think your book is more special than any other person’s book, then you need to be prepared to face disappointment (unless you get lucky).
You have to write because it’s a passion. Never set your limits low. Always aim towards your best seller because it will happen one day. When it happens, it will not be because all of your friends and family have bought your book, but because there was a spark in the book that lit your readers’ passionate hearts on fire.
I love reading books that captivate me from the moment I read the first line. In fact, the first line of my book, The Diamond Guardians, is “I was no longer a girl who lived in the mountains of Topanga”. My character, Katrina, has already had changes to her in the first sentence that will ironically be something that she has to combat throughout the young adult novel. The first line is the beginning. It is the moment that you have the undivided attention of the reader. It determines whether the reader will yearn to read more of your story or if they will move to the next book.
It is also very important to make your characters come to life. I know it’s hard to do that when you write fantasy fiction or science fiction like myself, but it is possible. The world you create may not be real, but the characters are the core part of your world. They are the ones that make the unreal world become a possibility in the minds of the readers. I think it is very important to build the people in your world as much as it is in creating the world itself.
As long as you love to write, keep writing. You are able to share a priceless gift to others through your stories and ideas that will captivate some and infuriate others… a writer’s life.
With my release date for “The Diamond Guardians” just around the corner, I feel a mix of anxiety and excitement. It reminds me of the first time I started blogging.
My first blog changed so many times. I wrote several blogs, but none of them seemed to be the right one. Finally, I wrote the blog that I thought would be worthy of posting, but, then, the anticipation set in. My heart beat quickly while I constantly checked my smartphone for new followers, Twitter retweets and favorites, and Facebook likes. A Facebook share would have been a bonus as my eyes did not seem to leave my social media venues.
Similarly, Thursday is the release of my first young adult fantasy fiction book and I am torn inside from excitement and anxiety. All I can think of is whether I am on the right path. Is my print book ready for Amazon? Yes, check! Is my Kindle version uploaded? Yes, check! Do I have it in Smashwords? Almost there, check. Do I need to put it in Nook? Wait… I thought Smashwords took care of that…. It’s time to double check on the Nook. What about marketing? What will happen on Thursday? Thursday will definitely be a busy day for me.
Someone gave me a bit of great advice. “Be patient. Everything will happen in time.” I suppose patience is all that I am forced to have now. Patience mixed with a lot of nerves.
“Screaming Thoughts”
by Talin Mari
Sitting in my room, without a sound to be heard,
Waiting for my thoughts to loudly fill the room,
My blank computer screen yearns for any typing.
Why do my thoughts want to stay silent today?
While I drive, they scream and pout without shame,
Mile after mile, yelling randomly during the drive,
My occupied hands restrain me from writing them.
Why, oh why, must you tell me your ideas now?
Eating with friends, my time for companionship,
Laughing, my thoughts cry louder than my friends,
My only hope is that no one can hear the giggles.
Why do my thoughts laugh out these ideas now?
While I wait in my room, I turn off my computer,
“File them away!” I say, stomping out of the room,
My hope has been shattered by their long silence.
Why is it that they suddenly begin to shout again?
Stop!
I must return.
The beautiful screams!
I hear them louder than ever before.
The temptress in my thoughts begins to roar!
“Write! Write! Write!” they yell and I obediently listen.
The End
