Blog Writing or Blogging

I really enjoy writing in a blog, or as some call it, blogging. It's freeing, like keeping a journal, except it's on the computer instead of like the journal that I keep by my bedside. If I want to share it publicly I can, or I can keep it totally private, for my eyes only. I can write anything I want to write about and I like that.
Since I love writing and I'm taking classes on writing through MCC, it can be a real asset even for my blog. I want to keep it interesting when I decide to share it with others. The classes that I'm taking are helping me to learn to write correctly, this will help me to keep it interesting I think. The more I learn through my writing classes, the better all my writings, including my blog will be.
Writing is in my blood, I have to write things down all the time, especially if an idea pops into my head and I don't want to forget it, which usually happens when I'm falling asleep. I've learned many years ago not to trust myself to remember those thoughts because almost every time I forget what it was. That's also why I keep a pad and pen in my purse at all times. If I have a mental image I can write it down, when I see something that I want to remember I grab my note pad and pen and jot it down. Sometimes I hear other peoples conversations, not purposely listening to them, but just accidentally and if I like what I hear, I write it down.
 

"The easiest thing to do on earth is not write." (William Goldman)

I love that William Godman said this, because I find that writing is one of the hardest things for me to do. I love to write, I love to tell stories through the written word. I've found that it does not come easy to be really good at it though. Actually it is hard to take a story, whether fiction or nonfiction and make it so good that the readers are not confused or lost. I read part of a book not long ago and was so lost (and this is by a pretty well known writer) that I ended up trying to restart it and I still felt confused, so I just put the book back on my shelf where it will probably always stay. I love to read, but I like to be hooked right from the beginning.
I love the classes that I'm taking for writing this semester, and I'm learning so much more than I ever thought I would. Everyone is so kind in their critiques, I never feel insulted or embarrassed. I appreciate all the feed back that I get, it's extremely crucial to know if I've left them wanting more, or if I've lost them along the way.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one." (Mark Twain)

This quote by Mark Twain is another favorite quote of mine. Whether for writing or for other things that have nothing to do with writing. If I have any huge task, I've learned by this quote to break it down into small sizes that I can handle, this way I'm not overwhelmed. It works all the time for me.

Writing Nonfiction

Well I have to say since learning both right now, writing nonfiction and fiction, I thought nonfiction would be so much easier for me to write. It's not made up, it's my story, my life and experiences, how easy, it's already a story, now I just have to write it. But it's not easy at all, it's so personal, it's a lot harder than I thought it would be. It's allowing strangers inside of my past, my thoughts, my hidden secrets and my personal scars of life. I think I'm more private than I realized I was.
But maybe it's the subject of the last nonfiction assignment that I chose to write about that is making me feel this way. I chose to write on abuse, I know abuse all too well. I've been abused by my dad, and watched my mom be abused and take it. I grew up in a home that what the man said went, period. I chose husbands that were of the same mentality. Not that I purposely chose them for that sick mentality, but I was use to it, I didn't think it was wrong. I mean the Bible says to the wife, submit to the husband, it was the only thing I knew, even if I didn't like it. I don't think that is what the Bible, or God is saying now of course, not to allow the husband to abuse the wife or the children. Funny though, my dad and I still disagree, he thinks I am living a life of sin because not only am I divorced, I divorced my husbands, one was bad but doing it two times, just sinful.  I thought this assignment would be so easy. I probably should have chosen a different subject, maybe that would have been a little less troublesome to my heart. Remembering can sometimes be painful and it can even make me feel shameful. Even though I didn't do anything to be ashamed of. I saved myself and my children from being abused, well after I took it for too many years. Maybe that's my guilt, I stayed in too long.


http://www.safehorizon.org/page/10-signs-of-child-abuse-58.html

Stories of Reality

I find real stories to be fascinating, I like fiction too, a lot, it can be a way of escape for me. But I prefer to write of my real life, good and bad.  And I love to read other's real life stories. In the movie Pretty Woman, a guy is walking around saying that everyone has a story to tell, what's your story? he asks.  I think we all have a story to tell, and I believe it's beneficial for people to get their stories out there, it could help them in a lot of ways, and it can help others reading it too. It's so relieving to feel and to know that you're not the only one going through what ever you may be going through. Just knowing others are going through the same thing that you are going through helps you feel not so alone.

I was agoraphobic for about three years, I took a self help course at home to get through severe anxiety and panic that lead me eventually to being agoraphobic. The woman that was giving the course had once been agoraphobic as well. She said that she wrote a book, and that it helped her so much and she recommends everyone write a book.
(Agoraphobic, also called a shut in, is nothing more than the fear of having a panic attack in front of others or in public, so you don't go out in public) that's the basics of it, but mentally, it's so painful, no matter how hard I tried, just to step foot out of my home, I'd start shaking very hard. I would try walking to the mail box and start uncontrollably shaking.  I still do have some anxiety and sometimes it leads to panic, but I am not agoraphobic any more.

One of the things that I find fascinating is that someone could be writing or telling of their experiences about the same subject that another is writing about and the two stories can come out so completely different. Each one experiences it differently than the other. My two granddaughter's who are best friends, went to the Butterfly Wonderland. When they came over to my home, they both told me about their experience. Although they did both see huge moths and butterflies and a vast amount of them, they could have been at two very different places. One child talked extensively of the the rain forest and colorful flowers and thousands of beautiful, colorful butterflies, how they would even land on you. The other child talked about the stingray aquarium and the beehive and the ant farm. I had to look it up on the internet when they left because I wanted to see for myself. I hadn't heard that there were anything but butterflies, I had no idea there really is a stingray and fish aquarium and there really is an ant farm and bee hive at the Butterfly Wonderland. I sat there smiling, realizing, that that is probably why when I talk to my ex-husband, we both have two very different views of what happened on one of our vacation's when we were married, we were both there, but my experience was quite different than his.

You're Never Too Old To Accomplish Your Dreams

You're never too old to accomplish your dreams, but don't put it off either. I'm 54 years old, I've wanted to be an author since I was 16 years old. I've been told my whole life that this is just a pipe dream, to get a "real" job, then write on the side as a hobby. I wish I would never have listened to others about this, I may have been a famous author by now. Well I'm not listening to those people that can't be positive any more. I am so excited that I have chosen to go back to school and to learn all that I can on becoming a writer, an author.

One of my favorite quotes is by Henry Ford (paraphrased): Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right. That has spoke to my heart for years, for different situations. Today it speaks to me about my desire to write a book, and Henry Ford is so right on. If I think I can do it, I can, and I will. Being positive, no matter my age, I can accomplish my dreams.