Writer's Island: Prompt - changed

Writers Island

This week’s Writer’s Island prompt is: “Changed”. Just contemplate the word “Changed”, and let your muse take you from there. Surprise, shock, mystify us!

Whatever moves your soul this week is what we all want to read. So, create your poem, prose, short story, essay, commentary, or whatever — and post it on your blog. Feel free to include recordings of you reading your work — and any photo, artwork, or graphic representation you feel is relevant.

I decided to give Writer’s Island a try in order to spark my creativity with writing. Great prompt isn’t it. Changed. What does the word changed bring to mind. Right now, the big change for me is writing. Once I decided to join in nanowrimo and write a novel, life changed. I started getting up at 6:30 and writing (or typing as the case may be). Luna helped. She would jump on the bed around 6:00, pounce on my feet, use the bed for a scratching post or just mew her head off until I got up. And I would write until James got up.

Sometimes it is easier to write things down in longhand rather than the computer because the thoughts won’t flow from my fingers to the keyboard. I did pretty well. I actually wrote a story that had a beginning and an end. The middle left something to be desired, but I had the premise for a story. I accomplished the nano goal of writing more than 50,000 words. So how did that change me?

I wanted to finish the story. Truly finish the story and have a book I could present to folks and say I wrote this. Whether it ever got published or not was another story. Father wants me to finish and try to get it published and even if I get reject letters, I would have written a book.

Changed. Luna now sleeps with James and doesn’t wake me up anymore. James does around 7:30. James loves to get on the internet after breakfast and finds the most annoying websites, whether on purpose or not, I don’t know. Godzilla clips of monsters screeching and roaring, the bleating of shaun the sheep and other amazing silly shows. My quiet time in the morning disappeared. I have a huge stack of books by my bedside and Nora Roberts and Terri Blackstock are calling my name. Instead of writing, I read and read and read. Suddenly, my morning is gone, Father is up and off for work, it’s time to do lessons, clean the house, do laundry, work on my homework and…..

They say the more you read the better you write. I discovered the more I read, the less I write. During nano, I hardly read at all and I wrote 2000 words a day. Life after nano, I am barely writing 100 words a day. There are days I manage to edit and rewrite scenes and then days I accomplish nothing. Father made the comment last night (and I had not discussed this with him) that the more I read the less I write. I have to admit, he is right. Add the distraction of James and poof. It’s gone.

Changed. I’ve discovered something new and I want to pursue it. It was quiet yesterday afternoon at the shop (my turn to work). My technician engrossed in repairs, no customers coming in and the phones were quiet for a change. I grabbed some paper and began to write down ideas for a new beginning for my story. I also decided James won’t be getting on the internet until a certain time, so I have the quiet time I need in the morning to write.

Changed: For lent, decided to start getting up at 6:30 again. I wake up at 6:30, look at the clock and think ‘I’ll get up in a minute.’ The next glance at the clock shows that minute turned into 45 minutes and James is walking in the door saying ‘good morning.’ Arrg. Tomorrow is another day and I will try again.

Changed: Me, Father, James. Life is all about changes and wanting change, looking for change. Good change. Change is watching your son learn something new and the light in his eyes gets brighter. He is changed. Change is listening to Father describe a new design he has come up with and actually implementing it. He is changed.

Change is Life. Life is changed. We are transformed.

15 comments:

  1. i, too, find that when i write, i read less. i cannot seem to do both with the same fervor at the same time. my focus tends to be on one or the other.

    and, congratulations on actually writing a book! i admire anyone who can do that. i wish i knew how this is done. i would not be able to write 2000 words a day...where in the world would i get some much daily inspiration from! i'm sure this was a good challenge for you and you learned much from it.

    looking forward to reading more of your posts,

    rebecca

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  2. 'Change is life.'

    Absolutely so. Without change a life isn't lived. It is squandered.
    Excellent post.

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  3. nice post!
    life is all about changes ...very true!
    like they say the only thing constant in life is change :)

    cheers!1

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  4. I stopped writing for NaNoWriMo after 6700+ words. I just couldn't go beyond it.

    I do read a lot though. Whemn my muse does not work, I write book reviews on my other blog.

    Great post!

    endless
    possibilities

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  5. Such an interesting article. I would not be sufficiently self disciplined to even attempt one! Great take on prompt and I'm really glad I dropped in.

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  6. I admire that you got through NaNo and finished your goal. I started and felt like I only got out of the gate. And, you got a book out of it too. Good for you! It seems our lives are more and more complicated and there's barely time for either the love of reading or writing....You have so much to contribute; I hope that you stay with writing. Welcome to WI!

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  7. Just dropping by today to send along my heartfelt thanks for such a lovely happy birthday wish! Y'all made my day so special yesterday, and I cherished every single wish left in my comments. You're a treasure!!! Thank you kindly!!!

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  8. Very candid piece, 2,000 words a day - that's some going. Congrats on writing a book! Well done..

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  9. I'm not sure I could spell even my own name correctly at 6:30am, let alone write a novel.

    Nice piece. Welcome to Writers Island from another Robin.

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  10. Life is change...yes.

    Writing and reading I have found don't go hand in hand do they? Writing is a thought churning, internal energy bursting process whereas reading requires stillness. My reading has dropped of considerably since the writing muse has taken over my body and soul. Sometimes I yearn for the stillness.........but I am LOVING the writing process at the moment.

    Enjoyed your post.

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  11. don't feel bad,, i wrote over 95,000 words for my nano and i cannot stomach to look at it right now.. it is there tho,, and i will ... when i feel like it... change is good,, but being comfortable in your own skin is the most important part...

    try poetry,, it is smaller, more concise a feeling of more instant gratification,, and a huge ego buster......

    good to see you on the island......

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  12. The more read the less I do of EVERYTHING else! LOL. My mom who is 59 says she can never just sit down to read because she always feels like it is unproductive and she thinks of something else to do. When I am reading a good book. I can easily think of nothing else for hours! Nice post!

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  13. I find that I do less of everything when I read. LOL. And that is just fine by me. I tend to go in spurts when I read a lot and then when I am either writing and on the computer a lot or tied up with other things in life. Experiences and reading to lend themselved to good writing - more ideas - but the balance you find has to be your own.

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  14. This is a great piece thanks for sharing your many changes. Life is changes.

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  15. Robin,

    I liked how you shared your personal journey with writing here and you made me feel not alone with the struggles and that need to write, to change for the better and to accomplish something in writing. Good for you that you have a good output already and its on the finishing touches now. That is a great achievement and an accomplishment.

    I still believe that we need to read. I think there would be days when we need to write completely - but there are days when we need to put back to harmony our flow and that is when reading and walking and visiting places and relaxation help and needed. These things along with reading replenish us, so when we're back to writing we have something to draw from inside us.

    Please check out my series poem: Changes.

    Happy Valentines!

    I wish you well.

    ~ Jeques

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