Emma Lauren - Writer

Origins Blogfest

2012-02-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the Origins Blogfest, hosted by three of the shnazziest fellas in the writing community: DL Hammons, Alex J. Cavanaugh, and Matthew MacNish. Click the links to their respective blogs, follow, and have some fun reading how others in the community came to realize their passions for writing.

My own writing origin began at birth, or so the legend goes. My mother claims I was born with a pen and paper in my hand. I can't imagine that was a very pleasant birthing experience but there you have it. Before she taught me how to write, I would scribble on pieces of Lisa Frank stationery, then request she read my story. This made for many exasperated statements (i.e. "That's not what it says, Mommy.") and imaginative storytellings.

In elementary school, we often composed short stories as assignments to help improve our penmanship. My first grade teacher always returned my pieces with comments in the corner, encouraging me to continue writing. So I did. (Not too good at thinking for myself back then.) In second grade, the school required we enter a short story contest. I placed first at the district level and second at the regional level with a story about a young Native American girl who rescued a very westernized marketplace from a rogue buffalo by throwing said buffalo into a nearby lake. (I assume it drowned. I didn't give much closure on that point.) By third grade, I'd solidified myself as a storyteller with aspirations for publication. It was also about that time when I discovered the escape writing offered: From bullies, daily taunting sessions, and the sadness that tainted my normally cheery demeanor as I realized the darkness that lives in the world.

I did fall out of love with writing as a teenager. I got involved in various performances and found myself enamored with the stage. I debated between four possible majors before settling on English in college. Some days I wish I'd taken a different path, just to see what my life would be like now. One thing I'm sure of: I doubt I'd ever have met the wonderful blogging buddies I have in the past two years if I'd done anything other than writing.

Writing's always been part of my life. It's always existed in the shadows. The pull tightened and slackened, sometimes demanding my attention, sometimes simply wishing to be remembered. It waited patiently for me to recall the passion I had as a single-digit teacher's pet, when I first learned that words don't just create conversation: They sometimes create life itself.

When did your writing dream begin?

Supporting Stars

2012-02-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

As a teen, my goal in life was to be on Broadway. Naturally, I wanted to take starring roles: Sandy in Grease, Mimi in RENT, Aida in Aida, you get the picture. Regardless of the fact that I am neither blonde, nor Hispanic, nor African-American, I felt best suited to play those roles. I loved the spotlight.

Okay, I still love the spotlight. I love being on stage and few things make me as happy as knowing I've touched someone through a performance. However, it isn't the only thing in my life. Since adolescence (actual adolescence, not the adolescence my heart vacations in), I've learned to look beyond the starring roles to the supporting players, without whom a performance is only a little more than nothing.

I tend to write strong supporting characters. Their voices are clearer and their personalities more defined than my MCs, especially in the first draft. Sometimes I find that my SCs are outshining their primary counterparts! It's something that I work on as I progress because the main characters are such for a reason.

However, that does not diminish the importance of the supporting cast. Every character who contributes to your story has to be as fleshed out and multidimensional as possible because even if it's just an old man who comments on the bizarre behavior of youth, if he is not as crisp as possible, you may lose your reader. You don't want that now, do you?

As for my penchant for performance, I actually found that I'm better suited to play Maureen in RENT and Amnersis in Aida. And I'm pretty sure I could rock the crap out of Rizzo's role in Grease. Eat your heart out, Zuko.

How much attention do you pay to your supporting cast? Who are some of your favorite supporting characters from books? film? TV? music videos?

All's Fair in Love and Word Wars

2012-02-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

First, I want to say a huge THANK YOU and HELLO to my new followers! *Waves and jumps up and down* *Offers plate of chocolate chip pancakes* I'm so happy that you're here. I hope you stop back again soon. I follow all my followers in return so if I haven't shown up in the little collection of faces on your blog, it's because I don't have a link to do so. Let me know how I can get to your site so that we can be blogging buddies.

Speaking of blogging buddies, I had a fun little word war with longtime BB Kristin Rae Friday night. While making my weekly appearance on Twitter, I saw that she was spending her evening writing. I casually said I was considering doing the same. She then suggested a word war to motivate me. We set aside thirty minutes and then jumped into our respective novels. The final tally was 505 words for Kristin and 589 for yours truly.

I loved this experience. It felt like freewriting back in college, when I just wrote down whatever popped into my head without stopping. When I reread what I'd written, I saw that a new event was brewing to get me from the end of Chapter One into the next pivotal scene. I was thrilled! In all the false starts I've had, that connection was something I struggled with.

I'm not the type of writer who blocks out her schedule to simply write. I write when I have the time and the fewest distractions. Sometimes that produces 10 words, sometimes 1,010. I'm proud of any progress I make, especially after so many months of standing still. But I am especially grateful to Kristin for giving me a little push. It wasn't how I usually spend my Friday evenings but at least I've moved ahead in what is proving to be the most difficult piece I've ever tortured myself into writing.

Today's post is my 200th contribution to the blogosphere! *Confetti explosion* My two-year blogiversary is on the immediate horizon as well. Should I do something to celebrate?

Have you ever participated in a word war? How'd you do?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: February

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is my first contribution to the Insecure Writer's Support Group hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Click the link to find out more about it and possibly join.

I've always harbored an internal editor. She's a vicious piece of work that manages to downplay every literary accomplishment I set out to achieve. During the first draft process, I eventually get to a point where I can tune her out and focus on getting the words down, regardless of their quality. I haven't reached that point yet with my current WiP.

Internal editors serve a great purpose. If nothing else, they remind us that we actually do know what we're doing, even if we choose to ignore right versus wrong in favor of getting the ideas out of our brains and into something coherent on paper. Unfortunately, they can also discourage us, sometimes to the point of ceasing work on our projects.

I have learned not to silence my internal editor. I let her rant and rave and keep me from moving past two hundred words in four days. When she gets it out of her system, then I can crank up the volume on what I do: Writing like there's no tomorrow, even if it results in the traditional s***** first draft. When revisions come around, I'm more than willing to tune back into her debasing criticisms. She's only looking out for me and my writing, after all.

How do you cope with your internal editor?

Ode to the Easily Distracted

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I wonder how I got through college. I had all kinds of roommates: The Social Butterfly, the Isolated, the One Who Was Never Around, and the Best Friend. Somehow I managed to not only get my work done around all these different personalities but I got it done on time and received decent grades. I focused and nothing pulled me away.

Except instant messages like "Union at 5?" or "Alternate chapel at 7?" or "Movie at 8:30?" or "Boyfriend just dumped me. Fatty food ASAP!"

All very reasonable distractions.

After college, I had to move back home like the loser I am. While all of us recognize that we are separate people living separate lives, doing our own things but reuniting as a family for movies and Everybody Loves Raymond reruns, I am quicker to locate shiny objects now than when I was in college.

Vacuum running? Better check on the cat.
Telephone ringing? Probably shouldn't make anyone else get that.
Parent singing while making dinner? I should go help.
TV rumbling in bedroom next door? I wonder what's on....
Kitty meowing? Play time!

You see the predicament I'm in.

I love my family. They've always been very supportive of my endeavors as a writer. For the most part, if the door is shut, they don't bother me. But sometimes they can't help themselves and sometimes I get curious about what's going on in the rest of the house. An open door invites a lot of distraction.

Which is why my weekly quota of 5000 words has yet to be met in the month of January. No matter how hard I try to focus, I can't help looking up at a face being pulled, or listening to a story being told, or accepting open arms ready to comfort after a really horrific day.

Besides, it's not really their fault I can hear like a bat. Or that my sense of smell is so sensitive an extinguished candle can give me a headache.

Although, who else can I blame for my being easily distracted? It's genetic, right?

How do you block out the distractions of everyday life?

OT: As You Are

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week I received something very special from a group of very special people. I had no idea it was coming and I certainly didn't anticipate the feelings that would arise in me as a result. It was really a celebration of uniqueness, not just of my own but of those who contributed.

I'm the first to admit I have little to no self-esteem. A variety of experiences have led me down a path that often has me questioning who I am and what I'm worth. It's not an easy path to travel and fun is limited. What's worse is that it's difficult to talk about with other people. I don't want to seem like I'm fishing for compliments or indulging in moments of self-pity. And I really don't want to seem weak.

But here's the thing: Not accepting who we are makes us weak. We have the power to believe the negative words others say about us. We also have the power to know better. Deep down, we do know better but our senses of self are so disillusioned we don't realize it.

Words can hurt. As writers, we recognize their power; we use them to deceive our readers into caring for people who don't exist! But words can also save lives. They can rebuild the torn and bandage the broken. They can demonstrate solidarity. They can inspire and encourage. They can even evoke universal change. But the words that matter the most are the ones we say to ourselves.

You are who you are. No matter how hard you try, no matter how many versions of yourself you may conceive, you will always return to who you truly are. Fact. Someone somewhere loves you for you are. In fact, I bet there are a lot of someones who do. That's what I learned this week, anyway.

What did you learn this week?

Good at What They Do

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

I spent Saturday supporting my 15-year-old cousin at his Indoor Guard Invitational. Because his school was hosting, the squad weren't part of the competition but they did perform an exhibition. I know all but nothing about Indoor Guard but I'm not so blind as to not recognize talent when I see it.

Now, I may be moderately biased as he is my cousin and I love him. But when that handsome young man -- who used to be a little chubster who loved McDonald's -- took to the front of the floor, I was just blown away. He twirled and tossed those rifles and flags like they were mere extensions of his arms. Impressed doesn't even begin to cover it.

And no, he didn't drop a thing, thankyouverymuch.

When I got home, I settled in front of Game Show Network to watch past seasons of Dancing with the Stars. I'm a relatively new follower so many of these dancers and stars were unfamiliar to me. It was like watching a brand new show, everyone so fresh-faced and happy to be there (or so it seemed to me). And because the drama factor was a lot lower than I'm used to, I could really enjoy the dancing itself. The pros are just phenomenal. I don't know that I'll ever be able to understand how they move their bodies like that.

There's something about watching people who are good at what they do. Even if you have no talent in their fields, you get a charge from their abilities. They remind you that while you would smack yourself in the face with that spinning rifle or twist an ankle in the midst of that Cuban Break, there is still something you do that you're good at. When people see you do your thing (or read your thing, as is the case for many of us writers), you are providing them with a charge that reminds them that they, too, are good at something.

That itself is pretty rewarding.

What inspires you to do what you're good at?

Striking a Balance

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

When I decided to return to the blogging world, I made one promise to myself: I would not let blogging interfere with my writing. That lasted for all of the five seconds it took me to make that promise.

Blogging takes a lot of time. That was one of things that led me to taking an hiatus in the first place. I was losing many opportunities to write, exercise, spend time with my family, and even sleep because I felt I needed to keep up with the blogs. If I didn't, I imagined people would think I was not as committed as I said I was and that just did not sit well with me. (When I commit to something, I commit to it. If it fails, it's not because I didn't do my part.)

I missed the blogging world, the connections I've made with people around the globe, and the support that has kept me writing, even when I was thinking of following a new career course. I've only been back in the swing for 19 days and I already feel the pressure building. I don't want to start dreading the time I spend at my computer, making the rounds and getting involved. So I made a new promise to myself: To not let it own me.

We're all busy. We all have goals and dreams and everyday responsibilities that keep us moving -- and that serve as fabulous excuses for not doing one thing or another. The key to making it all work and not losing our minds is balance.

In family.
In love.
In hobbies.
In friends.
Even in writing.

It took me a long time to accept that I can't do everything everyone asks of me all the time, that there are other things in the world for me to enjoy than what I find in my cozy corner. I want to embrace and enjoy my life -- all parts of it, including blogging.

But I want to write, too. ;o)

How do you balance blogging with your writing? Some bloggers are very productive, posting several times a week and still making gains on their works in progress, while others need a little work at it. Which one are you?

Just Breathe

2012-01-12T18:06:00.000-05:00

I got a little irritated the other week. Even though I'd been on a pretty intense exercise schedule since August, I found that I was still feeling wiped out when I finished my workouts. I knew it was normal to feel tired, sore, and very sweaty but this felt more like exhaustion than just post-workout fatigue. Plus, I would have pain, not just soreness. So I examined my posture, form, and support when I exercised. I discovered that at various points throughout my workouts, I actually stopped breathing. This, of course, caused the oxygen levels in my body to plummet, so my muscles weren't getting the push they needed to get through the routines, my blood wasn't circulating properly, and I had nothing to maintain my energy levels.

Since then, I've made a conscious effort to take deep breaths from warm up to cool down. I still hold my breath at times because I'm focusing so hard on the execution of each move but I do manage to get back on track. Now I just experience everyday soreness instead of workout-a-day-skip-a-day pain. This makes for a happy Emma.

Whenever we become passionate about something, it's easy to forget to breathe. Sometimes our attention is so immersed in our project we ignore everything else around us, including the things that keep us healthy and happy in the real world, like family and friends, faith, and The Middle. So as you are hard at work on your latest writing endeavor, remember that there is a world outside your pages, overflowing with things to enjoy. Doing so will protect you from growing to hate your work, and keep you moving steadily forward.

PS: I won't be posting on Monday, due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. I'll be back on Thursday.

Have you ever become so involved in a project or goal that other things in your life suffered? How did you reorient yourself so that the things that matter most didn't get neglected?

OT: A Week into Hope

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

I can't believe a week has already passed in 2012. While I don't live an exciting life, I can see that I did an awful lot in the past 8 days toward accomplishing the goals I set for myself at the end of 2011. I think it's important to celebrate every achievement, no matter how minor, because doing so may give you the push you need to keep going.

I walked into 2012 with a lot of hope for the future, which is odd as I'm not exactly the most optimistic person. The year is still fresh enough to wonder about all the good things that can come of it without getting bogged down by the bad things that have happened. The slate is still clean -- much cleaner than last year's.

If you fell off your wagon already in this first week of 2012, don't despair and definitely do not give up. Treat each week as though it's the first and reward yourself for every step forward. The future is yet unwritten and you can't write it while looking over your shoulder.

How did you do in keeping your resolutions or working toward your goals this week? Have you already given up (please don't!) or are you still motivated?

Play Date

2012-01-05T17:49:00.000-05:00

Thank you, everyone, for the warm welcome back to the blogging world. Such camaraderie is what made my hiatus lonely. I'm glad to see I haven't fallen out of your good graces ~~yet~~ either.

As a kid, I had three stacks of books: Have Read, To Read, and Am Reading. It was nothing for me to have one book in the living room, one at school, one by my bed, and one at the dinner table. When I finished one, I just replaced it with something else. I miss those days. Now I can only read one book at a time or else details get jumbled in my mind, what with all the other facets of life that have moved in there. Not just minor details, sometimes huge details that the plot is based on, like characters. For instance, Frodo may show up in The DaVinci Code paying off a student loan while Dracula makes a cameo in Matilda en route to the ER for treatment of a kidney infection. (You think I'm kidding, don't you? Don't give me that look.)

Sometimes when I'm reading, I come across a character that I think should totally meet up with one from another book and have a play date. They could exchange life stories, share customs and gossip from their own worlds, and depart with more open minds than when they met. Perhaps they'd even get on so well that they wiggle out of the pages of their books in the middle of the night to visit each other.

Okay. Might be sleeping out in the living room tonight with that thought in mind.

Still, it's interesting to think what my favorite books would be like if they merged....

Which characters do you think should get together and go bowling? What characters would you like your characters to meet?

From a Distance

2012-01-02T17:23:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

As promised, I have returned to the blogging world with the arrival of 2012. I have missed you guys so much and I can't wait to hear what you've all been up to.

I've spent the past couple weeks kitty-sitting for a friend. She and her husband live way out in the boondocks, which is really only 10 miles from my home (what's that say about me?). About a mile from the house, a driver finds herself at the bottom of a hill with a clear view upward to the house. It seems so close but there's still a long stretch of winding road yet to travel before the destination is reached.

I've set many goals for myself this year, as I'm sure many of you have. A rare flame of dedication has been burning in me as I finished off 2011 and welcomed 2012. I set goals, broke them into smaller goals, and even developed a tentative weekly schedule of things to do so each smaller goal is met. It's probably the most organized and serious I've ever been about achieving them.

I know what the road to success looks like: Twisting, with mud puddles and potholes, cattle wandering across it, and the occasional dog trotting next to the car making it impossible to go the speed limit. I also know that there are moments along this road when success is perfectly clear and reachable. Just keep traveling forward. It'll be the first success on the left at the top of the hill.

What goals are you hoping to achieve in 2012? What have you been up to since I disappeared? Did you have a pleasant new year?