Writers Village University offers a free online creative writing course, among other things. (To check it out or take advantage of this wonderful program click here )
I just started this 6 week course and our first exercise is optional since this is orientation week, but I am posting it here anyway.
Why I write...
I write for three reasons. First, Nora Roberts. Mrs. Roberts built a career sharing countless stories with the world, some of which transferred to the screen and received several literary awards and achievements. I can not name half her accomplishments, but I can say what she has done for me! Through her words, Nora Roberts opened a flood gate in my mind behind which stagnantly sat an ocean of ideas, words, scenes, feelings and dreams. When I read I get to know so many people and their worlds. I sympathize with their struggles and rejoice in their triumphs. Like an empath, I feel what these characters feel. I cry for them and laugh with them. In return this wide variety of people provide a temporary escape for me. I leave reality behind and enter a character's world where I focus on them and their journey with all it's challenging obstacles and beautiful moments and forget my own journey for a time. Books are like coupons. One hour free of stress. Relax, enjoy and redeem at the first available opportunity. This is a freedom I yearn to give others. Writing is a win-win situation, allowing my creativity free rein while helping and entertain others (hopefully). Without Nora Roberts I would never have considered trying my hand at writing.
Secondly, writing is my pressure valve. I have lived only twenty-three years, but they have been full of the wonderful and the horrific. By transferring my experiences on to paper I share my joy, release my pain and, maybe, one day, produce an awesome autobiography.
The last reason I write is the most important, the simplest ad the most complex. Writing makes me happy; the lighten-your-heart, ease-your-mind, make-your-day-better-no-matter-what kind of happy.
Lesson 1- A chracter's introduction 9/7/11
Lesson 1 9/7/11
“H…Hi. Um, I’m Sarafina. I…I’m a little nervous ‘cuz, well, talkin’ in fronta people’s kinda scary, but marine_mama says I can do it, so...uh, here goes.
I’m the very first character marine_mama ever created. I mean, the very first, way before she ever wanted to be a writer. She just wrote so we could talk ’cuz no one ever really listened to us. Marine_mama never told me how old I am, but I guess I’m eight ’cuz that’s how old she was when she created me. She always called me her paper twin ‘cuz she made me just like her, with her feelings and thoughts and stuff. We even have the same sister!
I love my twin, but when she was bored she’d always go writing about ghosts and scary stuff then droppin’ me right in front of them! She told me she wanted to be a writer a few months ago when she signed up for this class. She said, ‘I think I always wanted to be a writer and just didn’t realize it.’ I told her, ‘Uh-uh. We wanted to be Cinderella!’ She laughed and said, ‘ Yeah, that too.’
We don’t talk much anymore ‘cuz she found her prince charming. They got married and they even kissed! She got to wear a pretty white dress and had flowers and it was summer and so hot and her hair was long like mine and…oh, sorry. I am supposed to be talking more about her, not her wedding.
So, anyway, we shared lots of hard times. We got picked on a lot growing up because we just couldn’t fit in, but marine_mama had it worse than me ‘cuz her middle name is Bunny and…Oh! Please don’t tell anyone that. I swore I would never tell. I don’t think she minds it any more, but I swore! Anyway, that’s why she named me Sarafina. She wanted that to be her name.
What else can I tell you? Uhhhh… We always had a hard time sitting still and remembering stuff and… and…oh, shoot! I forgot what I wanted to say. Anyway, her forgettin’ makes it hard to write sometimes. That worries her, but she worries a lot. Always has. She worries ‘bout getting’ lost, bout’ her husband, her kids and lots of other stuff. She worries she can’t write well ‘nough to be an author, too. I try to make her feel better, but I dunno what to say.
We mostly talked when our parent’s were fightin’ or when she was feeling bad. We still think about each other now and then, but there’s no more fighting and she is pretty happy now. Sometimes I roll my eyes ’cuz she gets so happy and otim…optimistic. She uses a journal now, but sometimes I peek when she is writing in it! Shhhh. She’s thinking’ ‘bout using me in a dream in one of her stories and I am very excited about it; so, I’m gonna go get ready for my role. Bye!”
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