Tag Archives: writing

Romance Novels, Truth and Why I’m Pro-Choice

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I was raised Catholic and taught from an early age and in the wake of Roe v. Wade, that life begins at conception. Naturally this meant that abortion was murder so of course it should be illegal. This belief influenced how I voted for the first time at 18 and later in my early 20s. I once attended a NOW meeting for a college class and found the experience extremely distasteful as the entire 2 hours was focused on pro-choice issues. To me “pro-choice” was just a euphemism for “pro-abortion” and an excuse for women to be selfish.

When I was 27 I read Heartbeat by Danielle Steel. The heroine, Adrian, is married to Steven. They are a successful couple, each with a fulfilling career, a beautiful home and a happy life. Despite the fact that they have decided to not have children, Adrian finds herself unexpectedly pregnant one day. She tells Steven and he insists that she terminate the pregnancy. She refuses so Steven leaves her. Adrian then meets Bill, the hero of the story, and the romance proceeds much in the way you would expect.

Many reading this book might see it has having a pro-life message, and a pretty common troupe for a romance novel. Danielle Steel describes her writing process as being highly focused. She spends hours each day, doing little else, and becomes hyper focused on each book she writes. I like to think this is because she pours her truth into each book. Sharing your truth with the world in a truly authentic way helps others see their own truth. However, each person’s truth looks different on the outside. The key, and this is the struggle the world faces, is learning to live with the various different faces of truth.

Danielle Steel poured her truth into Heartbeat and by doing so she helped me see mine. Instead of seeing Adrian’s husband Steven as an evil monster who wants to kill babies, I saw him as the pentacle of choice. He insisted that Adrian do what he wanted while Adrian realized she had a choice. Adrian was the one who was pregnant. Adrian was the one who felt life in her body. Adrian was the one in charge and Adrian chose to have her baby, husband or not. It was this book, Heartbeat, this book that contained Danielle Steel’s truth which on its face was saying “abortion is wrong,” this book helped me understand that being pro-choice means exactly that: choice.

I felt like I had a burden lifted when I came to this realization. It was one of the first times I can remember seeing things click together in my mind and having clarity. Helping others clear things up in their own minds is why I need to continue to write. I need to write my truth because truth makes the world a better place.

More Pen to Paper

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I’m still hand writing first drafts. It’s working out well. I like the organic, Zen-like flow of words from pen to paper. I’m not sure what that means actually but it sounds good.

For thousands of years the only way people could write was by hand. Pen, stylus or pointy rock to paper, animal-hide or cave wall. It’s the mind moving the hand to form words. Only in the past, 100 years or so, have people had regular access to keyboards to compose thought.

When I replied back to Neal on my last post it got me thinking more about my own progression to writing on a computer. I did not get a computer until my last year in college, which was the late 80s. Even then, I still handwrote the first drafts of my papersrecorder and then typed them in, editing as I went. After that when I started working full time it was several years before I had a computer at my desk and even used a computer all day.

In the first law firm I worked at only secretaries and word processors had computers at their desk. Also one of the paralegals who doubled as the firm’s IT guy. The rest of us had to dictate our work like the attorneys. I used to index documents and summarize depositions by speaking into a Dictaphone. It was strange and intimidating for me especially when I had to hand the finished tape to surely a word processor to be transcribed.

I didn’t get a computer at my desk until 1995 when I started working at a different firm. During that point of the interview when the managing attorney said, “Do you have any questions?” I asked if the paralegals were allowed to have computers at their desk and I’m pretty sure that’s what got me the job. Thus my business writing directly to a computer began.

I still did personal writing by hand. It wasn’t until 2002 did I ever consider keeping my journal on a computer or typing first drafts directly. What changed in 2002? Why this is when I met Jerry and he got me my first laptop!

I didn’t even think about it at first. I just started typing. I liked the tap-tapping noise my typing made on the keyboard; it sounded like words. At lunch I used to sit in my car with that laptop and work on short stories just because I could.

Eventually the newness of it all wore off and distractions crept in. The big one? The Internet! And therein lies my reason to continue to hand writing first drafts. No internet! Sitting at my desk with just a pen and a piece of paper and no Facebook to update or Twitter feeds to check or blogs to read keeps my thoughts focused and hand moving.

No distractions…except Jerry telling me, “Hey, as long as you’re up why don’t we get into work early?” Because the computer is not turned on, so I can’t be doing anything important, right?

 

*Photo ©2010 Cargoplex

Pen to Paper

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pen to paper

Photo ©Phyl Gyfordcreative commons license

I’ve been having a helluva time writing lately. Even composing emails at work is painful.

I finally decided it was the computer’s fault. I wrote the draft of this post sitting at the table putting words on paper. Words came out through my hands, moving the pen instead of on the computer screen and ah-ha! Something finally started happening.

As I’ve suspected for a long time now. I’m one of those people who needs to practice pen to paper writing from time to time. Hopefully it’s not a permanent thing because I do love that tap-tapping sound writing on the keyboard makes. Not only that but good god, if Jerry knew that a simple piece of paper and a crappy pen from the dollar store proved a better source of creative inspiration than the multitude of electronic gadgets he’s bought me over the years I’m dead.

Any writers reading this right now? Do you like to sit down with old fashioned pen and paper or can you write exclusively on a keyboard?

A Valentine Tale

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Every few months my favorite author Meg Cabot has a short story contest on her fan forums. Every time she announces a new contest I check it out and think, that sounds like fun, I should participate. And then I never do because I talk myself out of it using excuses like, I won’t be able to come up with a good idea or this is supposed to be for teens, I’m too old, dumb, busy etc.

This time I put my excuses on hold and decided to accept Meg Cabot’s challenge to write a short short story (1000 words or less) on the theme of Valentine’s Day. I told myself I was working on a “special project” assigned by Meg Cabot that I HAD to finish. It’s screwed-up weird-ass fan-girl logic but at least it worked.

It’s the story of a girl named Marissa told through online chats she has with her best friend, Brandon and two other boys from her school. It may be dumb, it may fall flat and it is virtually buried by tons of fabulous short shorts written by talented teenagers on the Meg Cabot fan forums, but writing it was the most fun I’ve had in a long time:

 

hi_its_issa

I hate Valentine’s Day.

bran_man

Hi Marissa. Lemme guess. This has something to do with the rose you found in your locker.

hi_its_issa

You know me so well Brandon.

bran_man

Being friends since kindergarten has that affect on me. What’s wrong with the rose anyway? I thought girls went for that stuff.

hi_its_issa

Roses are fine I guess. But it’s one of those roses the cheerleaders were selling for their monthly fundraiser. I hate the idea of supporting those rah-rahs.

bran_man

Aw come on, can’t the rah-rahs have a little fun?

hi_its_issa

OK you’re right, it’s not really that. My problem is the card has some message on it and isn’t signed. I’ve been going crazy all day trying to figure out who sent it.

bran_man

A secret admirer!

hi_its_issa

I was thinking maybe it was Brian. He’d want to buy a rose right? You know, to support the cheerleaders?

bran_man

That jock? Getting a Valentine’s rose for you?

hi_its_issa

Gee thanks.

bran_man

Nothing against you of course. It’s just that…I didn’t think he’d be your type is all.

hi_its_issa

Brandon, he’s HOT! Have you SEEN his butt in those tight football pants?

bran_man

I gotta go.

Red heart

hi_its_issa

Hi Brian, you there?

bribo

Hey Marissa! What’s up?

hi_its_issa

Oh nothing. Just wondering if you saw anyone near my locker this afternoon. You know…with a rose?

bribo

Nope. Hey did you see that running play today at practice where I took the snap and fake trap to the fullback?

hi_it_issa

Um, no can’t say I did.

bribo

Oh. Well I’ve been chatting with Dave about it all afternoon. He was pretty impressed. I can’t wait for our game tomorrow night. You coming?

hi_its_issa

Not sure yet. Probably. Oh hey I hear my mom calling. Gotta go! Talk to you later!

Red heart

hi_its_isssa

Brandon, you there? You’re right. Brian is so not my type.

bran_man

hahahahaha!

hi_its_issa

Maybe it was Dave who left the rose?

bran_man

That guy who hangs out with Brian?

hi_its_issa

Yeah, he’s pretty cute!

bran_man

Again, nothing against you, but I never saw him with you. Or any girl for that matter.

hi_its_issa

Why not? He’s really nice and thoughtful and all the girls love to hang out with him. I feel totally comfortable asking him.

Red heart

hi_its_issa

Hey Dave!

daver

Hi Marissa! OMG, I loved that sweater you wore to school today. Totally cute! Where did you get it?

hi_its_issa

I got it on sale at Forever 21. I don’t think they sell guys clothes there though.

daver

Oh too bad.

hi_its_issa

So how’s your Valentines Day going so far?

daver

Great! You know those roses the cheerleaders were selling?

hi_its-issa

You bet I do!

daver

Well, I bought one for someone and left it in their locker.

hi_its-issa

REALLY??? And who’s locker might that be???

daver

Well….I’m kinda shy about this….but I guess you’ll find out about it eventually.

hi_its_issa

Oh Dave. I already know. You’re SO SWEET!

daver

Aw! Who told you? What did he think?

hi_its_issa

He? Wait…what are you talking about? Didn’t you leave a rose in my locker?

daver

YOUR locker? Um no. Sorry Marissa I think you’re really nice and all but you’re not really my type. I left a rose for Brian. Didn’t you know that we’re both….well…not really into girls?

hi_its_issa

Oh…yes…of course I knew. I think it’s great! I’m sure you and Brian will make a cute couple.

daver

There he is now! Gotta go!

Red heart

hi_its_issa

OK, I totally know it wasn’t Dave now. OR Brian. That’s confirmed.

bran_man

hahahaha! I tried to tell you.

hi_its_issa

I just wish I knew who gave this to me. Did I mention the note attached? It’s red but looks like kind of a blob, not heart shaped at all.

bran_man

Well, around Valentine’s Day it’s easy to remember that the heart is actually shaped like a fist.

hi_its_issa

Hey, that’s what it says on the card! Wait a minute…Brandon was it you???

bran_man

Happy Valentine’s Day Marissa! I know we’ve been friends for a long time but lately I’ve notice that my hands form a fist when you start talking about other guys.

hi_its_issa

Brandon I had no idea! And I’m so glad! The only reason why I talk about other guys is because I thought you didn’t have romantic feelings for me either. Maybe we should get off IM and see what happens between us in person?

bran_man

Sounds like a great idea! See you in a few minutes.

hi_its_issa

[Account signed off. Auto reply from hi_its_issa: Sorry I can’t chat right now. I’m busy celebrating Valentine’s Day!]

bran_man

[Account signed off. Auto reply from bran_man: Do not disturb. MAKE OUT TIME!]