Inspiration From Across the Road....

Dianne Riley

When you are a writer,
there are story skeletons no matter where you go.

The framework, the back bone, the idea
can pop up in places you would never know.

Over that basic framework
the characters and situations become dressed,

with editing and rewriting the piece will be polished to be its best.

......OK so I'm not really a poet!
But I do love to write.

Monnie, the old lady from across the road, passed away and her home was bought by a family who fancied themselves as renovators.  The old house stood so bare, all the life lived there with Monnie's family, her husband and their three sons, had finished, ended and a new chapter was unfolding. The creative me had to get a photo.  The  old house was begging to be written about.

I have been watching our would-be-renovators for some months now.  I want to share with you the lessons I have learnt from my observations.

HAVE A GO....
There is nothing to be gained from wondering if you can do it.  Whatever your 'it' in writing is.  Do you have the framework for a novel, a play or a poem swirling around in your mind or on a scrap of paper?  Look for an opportunity to edit and polish, to put your writing somewhere someone can read it.

(maybe you might take the opportunity to write a sentence or two in the comments - "My first idea for writing was.....")

Not sure what the neighbour's day jobs are, but they certainly don't involve building!  Yet there they are renovating and rebuilding Monnie's home!  Good for them for having a go.

GET SOME HELP....
Don't be afraid to sign up for a course or a conference.  My first CWD conference introduced me to some lovely people, some 'real' authors!
I have also done an online course, it helped me no end.

Our renovators need some help - but who is going to tell these new neighbours?  Clearly they ran out of paint before getting to the front of the house, it isn't looking like a chic painting technique.  It looks like they ran out of their paint colour.  And the roof line has more dips than a '70's party!

DON'T GIVE UP....
Susan's post from Monday says it all.  Who is your audience?  Perhaps your writing is for an audience of one.  Maybe you aren't destined for the New York Best Sellers list, perhaps God's calling you to write for an audience you don't even know.
So keep writing!

Our renovators across the road haven't given up.  They have kept going, living between two homes as they laboriously make ready their new home.  The work isn't to my liking, but my opinion doesn't matter, it's not for me.

My husband is a great at encouraging me to write.  He sent me a link today about famous authors and how many words they try to write each day.  (2000 words - really? Who does that author's washing and ironing?)  Some only 500 words a day, seems obtainable!

I am hoping my poem, or the house across the road is an encouragement for you dear reader to have a go, get some help and to seriously not give up!

www.dianneriley.com.au 
You can find me at my day job through the week. In Customer Service there are plenty of opportunities to find the hero and heroine for the next story.