Where Were You When You Wrote...?

Writers: Do you have writing memories?

Meaning, can you remember the approximate time, place, and activity when inspiration struck, or a scene, or a piece of dialogue, or a character, or a plot twist mentally appeared?

I remember Henry Matthews' first bit of dialogue, which was in Bryony.

I was still living in Marycrest, out on my daily power walk (early afternoon when Richard was still home with the kids, before he left for Caterpillar on the afternoon shift). I was coming down Marmion Avenue and turning left onto St. Joseph. That line is older than my two last children, as my fourth was no more than two years old at the time.

I remember when I wrote the last line to a chapter in Before The Blood.

We were living in Channahon, toward the end of our time there, as Ron had already lost his job, but recently, so it must have been late 2019 or early 2011 (guessing the latter), because it was snowing outside. I remember how excited I was to get back to the story. Instead, I went back to work (inside my attic office), never to return fully to that chapter for another seven years.

I remember the first line I wrote in Visage.

I was sharing an attic bedroom with Rebekah. I was lying on my mattress, and she was working at her desktop, so it was night. I had finished Bryony and pitching agents, etc., and the kids had asked me when I would start the sequel.

Well, having written an entire book, a sequel was out of the question, for many years, I had assumed. Then a single, but key, sentence of John's appeared in my head, and my muse took off. I stayed in place, because we had to get up and start out day in a few hours (back in our newspaper-throwing days), but I started the draft Visage not long after that.

I remember the very first sentence I wrote for Before the Blood.

I was sitting at my computer in my attic office when it came to me. Up until that point, I wasn't certain if I wanted to write a prequel to Bryony. I remember opening a file and entering the line. Visage and Staked! weren't written yet, and I had no idea how to begin or construct the prequel, but I had that wonderful line, and it stuck with me for years. It was only a matter of time...

What are some of your memories?

Illustration by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt for "Bryony."

TurnAbout Tour: Topher Gleason

So while I didn't quite hit all my goals, I had a productive weekend.

Book No. 2 of Before the Blood is edited, but I never progressed as far as chapter 17 of the fifth book and doubt I will accomplish anything more until the weekend.

On Wednesday I am speaking to a group of retired teachers about self-publishing and needed to prepare for that this past weekend. On Thursday and Friday I have events related to the retirement of Herald-News sports editor Dick Goss. So it's a tight week.

I also had breakfast with friends on Saturday and then again on Sunday. Bertrand and I (with smoe of the kids) spent a couple hours at Taste of Joliet, the first time I really ever went.,

I created text for the Art of the BryonySeries flyer. I made updates on the website. I sent off eight pen pal letters to grandchildren. And I wrote two work stories and caught up on some other related work.

So as you see, very productive.

I am wrapping up the BryonySeries TurnAbout Tour with postings today and tomorrow. My plans is to archive the entire tour on the website, but that might not happen for a couple weeks.

And now: Topher Gleason.

On his LinkedIn page, Topher describes himself in the following way: "I strive to ensure excellent service for clients with no objection to traveling a majority of the time. Seventeen years sales experience, eight years sales training experience and seven years management experiences, makes me a very well rounded game changer.

"I am an excellent communicator with the ability to do both online and in-person demonstrations to one or five hundred plus.

"I have a fruitful sales track record with ability to bond effectively in all mediums."

His artist biography says: Topher’s art is normally reserved for family and a few close friends, but after the suggestions of those close to Topher, he has decided to share his work. Gleason is currently working on two novels. Topher uses watercolor and ink as his medium. 

He is available for commissions. Contact him at Topher@artworkbytopher.com.

Here are three posts I really liked:

The Importance of the Baseline In Today’s Dealership

Although this post is directed to people in a particular industry, its overall message applies to any project we tackle.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-baseline-todays-dealership-topher-gleason/


Are You Blooming Where You Are Planted?

A post that echoes advice I've given my kids (and myself!): don't turn down an opportunity, even if you think it's something you don't want to do.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/you-blooming-where-planted-topher-gleason/

My Memory is Flawed

A wistful post on childhood places that shaped us and are now gone - with a reminder that all of our life experiences shape us

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-memory-flawed-topher-gleason/

Illustration by Topher Gleason

BryonySeries Throwback Thursday: Where Were You When you Wrote...?

Monday, January 31, 2011

Where Were You When you Wrote...?

Last week, on the twenty-fifth annivesary of The Challenger, I read and responded to several Facebook posts of, "What were doing when the space shuttle exploded?"

Certain memories for us are so vivid we can recall their ancillary details. With The Challenger, I remember hustling three kids under four through the grocery store (Eagle, in Crest Hill), so I could watch the take-off. I remember gaping in horror at what I was really watching and holding Joshua, who was four months old at the time and still dressed in a tan snowsuit my mother had bought him.

I have writing memories like that, too.

When you've pecked at your first novel as long I have, you'd think the particulars would be long buried under more important life moments, but some of them, for whatever reason, are as clear as they day I experienced them. For instance:

* One evening, near dusk, my oldest kids and their friends were modifying the backyard playhouse, so I threw some toys on the floor for my crawler (Timothy, now 20), shut the bedroom door, and wrote a scene where Melissa is alone at home (everyone else had gone to the movies) and searching near Simons Mansion for Snowbell (that scene never made it to the first draft).

* I was taking my daily power walk in Marcrest subdivision in Joliet (where we used to live) when I created a piece of dialogue for Henry that would be my unspoken tag line for many years. I also mentally wrote one of the scenes still featured in Bryony, although I later changed the location in the house. BTW, for anyone familiar with Marycrest, I was walking on St. Joseph, past Marmion and Madonna and around the bend to St. Francis. The sun was shining, too, and it was about 11:00 in the morning.

* The afternoon John Simons' hair lightened and came down, I was driving north on Infantry Lane in Joliet, past a paper carrier acquaintance's house, on my way to pick up a kid nicknamed "Doc." I was listening to Adia by Sarah McLachlan when the image popped into my head. I couldn't wait for a red light to mentally describe my vision of John playing a grand piano inside Simons Mansion, except it wasn't in the music room, but near the grand staircase. At the time, I was a new single parent and my teens had talked me into managing a crew of kids selling newspaper subscriptions. By then, I was writing for the paper and delivering it, too. Hardly the most opportune time in my life to work on a novel, but I always kept paper and pen in my van and jotted notes for Bryony whever I had a chance.

* I was pacing the floor with colicky newborn (Timothy, again) when I created the very ill Frank Marchellis. Three years later, I was pacing the floor with a colickly newborn (Rebekah) when I created two characters for Staked!, the third novel in the BryonySeries, although at the time, it was only one, yet unamed, book.

* The inspiration for a confrontation between Melissa and Henry--actually the character of Henry himself--a favorite with those who have read a Bryony draft (including two of my editors) came from a dream I had regarding an argument with a Henry-like character.

Does anyone else have memories like that?