Authors live in more than one world. They live in the everyday world of highway traffic, household chores, caring for children, employment, and more. Authors also live in another world of imagination, creativity, castles in the air, fantasy characters, mysteries to be solved.
When you read what I write in this blog, you will discover a few of those worlds where I live. These worlds come to me whether I am sitting at the computer or in that hypnogogic state as I fall asleep at night, as I drive to my errands throughout the day, or as I tend to my garden at home.
Everyone has these worlds, and yet, not everyone will let these worlds go beyond their thoughts. I urge you to put them down with pen/pencil on paper or in a separate file in your computer. Someday these worlds could come together to form a book that others will read. If not, you still will have developed a rich world where you can play.
Tip: Start now by jotting down the first few words that come to mind when you think of “fantasy.” Let that be the first entry in your “fantasy journal.”
On March 17, everyone is Irish – or pretends to be! Since I have a bit o’ the Irish in me, as well as the Scottish, I take pride in the wearin’ o’ the green. I certainly don’t want to get pinched!’
The Irish world is full of fantasy and Wee Folk. We have our mischief maker, the Leprechaun; our harbinger of death, the Banshee; and the beloved faierie spirits and sprites. We have dwarfs and gnomes, pixies and elves – anything your fantasy desires.
When you are writing fantasy, these Celtic fantasy folk make wonderful characters. Each has a specific personality and behavioral trait. I’m not sure which of them is my favorite, but I know I’ll find a place for each of them in future stories.
Think “IRISH” all week! Until later, I leave you with this Irish blessing:
May the love and protection Saint Patrick can give
Be yours in abundance as long as you live.
TIP: Read all you can about the traditions and legends that surround these creatures as you begin your journey into fantasy-land.
I started this blog in 2009 when my head and my life were in a different place. At the time, I wanted to give readers an idea of what it was like to live on an acre of lava on the south end of the Big Island of Hawai`i. Over the years, I included a variety of other topics – gardening, travel, recipes, stories, and much more.
I’m in a different time, place, and head space now, and I want my blog to reflect that. So, lately, I’ve been pondering other areas for my blog. I still may update some of those old posts and use them for variety from time to time. For now, as my topics seem to dance around, I want to write more about writing.
I was looking through some of my old journals and discovered that I have been wanting time to stay home and write for several decades. Even my dreams were about writing. Now that I’ve retired from all my other careers, I finally have time to write. So here I am, writing full-time at last!
Mystery writing has filled my mind lately, and if you want to find out more about that, check out my homepage for this blog (lavalily.com). I have one mystery published (Shadowy Tales) and you can find it (pre-sale) as a regular book or an e-book on either Amazon or Barnes & Noble. The sequel is on the way and may be out before the end of 2022 (Washboard Tales).
Fantasy writing also appeals to me, and other genres, as well. Whatever I write is fantasy in the sense that it is something that hasn’t happened – yet. The characters I write about are all fantasies in my mind. They live ordinary lives, yet often they become involved in extraordinary mysterious events.
In case you think you might like to start a writing career, too, I will add a tip occasionally to help get you started. Grab a notebook and just start writing. Everyone has a story inside that needs to come out so others can enjoy it.
TIP: Look around you at the everyday people in your life. Fantasize about them becoming involved in solving a small mystery. Choose someone or something and write a scene.
“Shadowy Tales is a heart pounding thriller that emphasizes the danger of cultural division and social intolerance through a truly compelling mystery. This is the story of a protestant minister, Frances Anna Keeton, newly appointed by her bishop to a church in the conservative south. Arriving from a liberal environment in California, she faces immense turmoil. Frances realized she was entering into a difficult situation. But she never would imagine the danger, harm, and secrets that lie ahead.” (from the sales blurb)
“Heart pounding” is what the publisher wrote, not me! Maybe it is but sometimes it’s difficult to see that in something you write, especially when you have edited and edited and edited!
To my family, friends, and others who follow this blog, please spread the word. The sequel (Washboard Tales) will be out within the next six months, and I believe it will prove to be even better than this one.
If you want a taste of my non-fiction, check out Feral Fables, a self-help book. It is currently an e-book on Amazon, and it will be out in paperback within the next few weeks.
How many of my readers lived in a state that required a poll tax? If you did, do you remember the occasion? I remember mine quite clearly. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, poll tax means “a tax of a fixed amount per person levied on adults and often linked to the right to vote.”
Seven years ago, I wrote another post about poll tax, and at the time, I had not found this little piece of paper. If you are interested, you might check it out for more information, as well as a photo of me at age 21.
How this tattered remnant of my “exemption” receipt managed to remain in my treasures for the past 67 years is a miracle. I now keep it in a sealed plastic baggy for protection.
My new husband and I had recently turned 21, the age of “maturity” where we lived in Jackson, Mississippi. We went to the appropriate office to register to vote.
In order to avoid paying the $5 poll tax, we were told to correctly answer a question about the U.S. government. My question was “Who was the first president of the United States?” There was a young black man standing at the counter next to us and his question was “What were the Federalist Papers and what did Patrick Henry have to do with them?” I don’t remember if he answered or not, but I never forgot his question.
What more needs to be said about that day? The implication was clear enough and something for reflection on this weekend of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.
I finally retired from teaching as of September 1 of 2021, and I’m not quite sure I like it yet. Three of my adult children have retired and they keep telling me how much I’m going to love it! Other friends who have retired say that it took up to two years before they felt comfortable being retired. Anyone who knows me well can tell you that I love being active, having a purpose, not sitting still and that I don’t go looking for “fun things to do.”
So I’ve been exploring activities I have enjoyed in the past. Perhaps many of us would find it valuable to take time to remember who we were in a “past life,” i.e., in our younger years. Many surprises will arise out of that exercise.
One revealing event for me came in the form of an old email from my brother. He had sent me a link to a beautiful site called “Trawlers and Tugs Blog.” Sadly, she no longer posts on that site, but she covered beautiful art about working boats.
That site and his email triggered something deep inside me. I realize that as much as I used to enjoy painting with watercolors and messing around with colored chalks, I no longer take time to indulge in anything artistic and I told him so.
It was his answer that made me think. He said, “It bothers me that you don’t take time for yourself to make music, paint, sew, act, direct, etc. All my life I associated those kinds of things with you.” I promised him I would start again.
One of my favorite courses to teach regularly was “Psychology and the Expressive Arts.” And yet in teaching it, I always put my own artistic past aside and simply taught others how to draw on their creativity. Sometimes I got a glimpse of that “old Lucy” when teaching other courses, too, but I always shoved it aside in the interest of the students.
I started rummaging around for my art materials, deeply buried in a junk room. When I opened up the first box of pastels, I said “Ohhh!” right out loud. The brilliant colors took my breath away, and tears came into my eyes. I want to put them where I can see them regularly and to remind myself that it’s something I now have time to enjoy in retirement.
Perhaps you are someone who has already re-discovered the “old you” – the authentic you – and are living the life you were meant to live. If so, I congratulate you! My suspicion is that most who will read my post need a reminder to take time this New Year to think about who they are.
I must be authentic if I want to continue to inspire students and friends to be authentic – and creative.
Have you ever been caught in the doldrums while out sailing? It’s a hard place to be, isn’t it? Waiting for the wind to lift your sails and send you on your way can feel like a thankless and endless chore.
Surely, I’m not the only person who found herself with time to write but ended up worrying about COVID instead! For some reason, I just couldn’t find the energy to do much writing. All that time spent washing my hands, social distancing, putting on a mask, and sanitizing seemed to destroy any creative streak that was trying to surface.
I have been vaccinated, and I still wash my hands, social distance myself, wear my mask, and sanitize frequently, I’m venturing out more, and I think I caught my creative muse peeking around the corner, so maybe she didn’t die after all. Resurrection can happen!
There is a fresh breeze blowing offshore, and perhaps we’ll have full sailing ability soon. Yesterday, after all this time of COVID and a blank brain, I came up with four or five new ideas and plots for books I want to write. Maybe it’s because the past eighteen or more months allowed space for a breeze to blow through the windows of my mind, but for whatever reason, I’m writing again!
I’ve heard that whistling can bring the desired wind, so if you are in the COVID doldrums, go “whistle up the wind!” and get back to your computer.
“For centuries, women and men have sought guidance and counsel to help them in processes of change, healing, and transformation.”
That is the first sentence in the introduction to my book, Feral Fables. How many of us have checked the I Ching, or Animal Medicine cards, or the Tarot to see what they have to say to us? Not only is it fun, but it also can be enlightening in some strange and inexplicable way.
We are spoken to through many avenues. Insights may come like lightning bolts or in a still, small voice. A friend says something that strikes us as relevant to a question we’ve pondered. We hear a conversation that brings sudden understanding to a problem. A dream reveals an answer to a situation. We read a story that becomes more significant each time we read it.
Such is the nature of these fables. This is the sort of book you can have on your cell phone or iPad that you can tuck in your purse or briefcase and so it will be handy at all times. At odd moments, you can pick a fable at random to see what meaning it can bring to your life. Whether you are female or male, youth or elder, there will be something of value in each brief fable.
What is a fable anyway? The dictionary describes it as “a fictitious story meant to teach a moral lesson.” I believe it is more than just a moral lesson. I prefer to say that it shows us “Truth” greater than “truth.” I wrote these to use as I worked with psychology clients who were looking for that Truth in their lives. You can do the same for yourself.
I plan to publish it as hard copy before long, but in the meantime, I suggest that you read it as an e-book. You can get your copy of Feral Fables by clicking on this link.
You can read these fables with the intention of finding clarity on some issue in your life, or maybe the serendipity will surprise you when you read them just for fun. In either case, please let me know your reaction to these wild tales.
As older women we have traveled Joseph Campbell’s mythological “Hero’s Journey” many times in various aspects of our lives. Through our first three quadrants of that journey, we accepted challenges, faced “dragons” and at times were pushed to depths of despair. We learned how to manage the trials and temptations of life, and we developed new insights about our lives.
According to Campbell, this fourth quadrant of the journey we have taken is a time of self-realization, of self-actualization. In my dissertation of 1992, I wrote that the “hero of today dares to seek wholeness and fulfillment through finding new pathways to unknown territory.”
That is an excellent description of the Perennial women I interviewed on my physical journey, my road trip to interview older women. I discovered their insights, what they had in common, and what they are doing in the fourth quadrant of their life journey to stay fulfilled.
Now we are ready to rethink what we can or cannot do as we get older, as we engage in this fourth quadrant of life. Now we have emerged, ready to face anything required of us, ready to find or create “new pathways to unknown territory.” Now we are feeling empowered and blessed.
Would you share with us your ideas about exciting and energizing ways we can live this fourth quadrant? What are you doing?
This is an example of a sitewide notice - you can change or remove this text in the Customizer under "Store Notice" Dismiss
