Guest Blogger: Marilyn Baron
Marilyn Baron’s humorous supernatural eBook short story, A Choir of Angels, is a heartwarming tale of a family’s tragedy and a wedding promise unfulfilled. How far will a mother go to sing at her daughter’s wedding? Nothing, not even a little thing like death, is going to cheat Rhonda Paver out of celebrating the happiest day of her daughter’s life. Even if she has to cross over to the other side to do it.
A Choir of Angels is now available from:
TWB Press at www.twbpress.com/achoirofangels.html in PDF eBook format or find a Kindle, Nook or OmniLit link at the TWB Press site. You can also search Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, or Omnilit.com by author name and title.
Or find it on Smashwords at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/51916.
A Choir of Angels is now available from:
TWB Press at www.twbpress.com/achoirofangels.html in PDF eBook format or find a Kindle, Nook or OmniLit link at the TWB Press site. You can also search Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, or Omnilit.com by author name and title.
Or find it on Smashwords at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/51916.
Bio: | Marilyn is a public relations consultant in Atlanta. She's a member of Romance Writers of America and serves on the board of Georgia Romance Writers (GRW) as editor of The Galley, GRW’s online newsletter. She writes humorous women’s fiction and romantic suspense, including “The Colonoscopy Club,” which finaled in the GRW Unpublished Maggie Awards for Excellence in 2005 in the Single Title category and “The Edger,” which won first place in the Suspense Romance Category of the 2010 Ignite the Flame Contest, sponsored by Central Ohio Fiction Writers RWA Chapter. What’s unique about my writing? “I like to laugh so I try to inject humor into everything I write. I tend to feature older heroines, because let’s face it, we’re not getting any younger.” Marilyn blogs at Petit Fours and Hot Tamales www.petitfoursandhottamales.com and The Roswell Patch http://roswell.patch.com/search?keywords=marilyn+baron |
Get Distracted: Make a Wish on a Dolphin
By Marilyn Baron
Watching the sunrise over the ocean and staring mindlessly at the swooping seagulls and stately cranes stepping out along the shoreline is the closest thing to heaven for me. Suddenly, my attention is diverted by a school of dolphins frolicking in the waves. I could watch them forever. I believe spotting a dolphin is a sign of good luck, so I always make a wish when I see one.
Do I find the nature around me distracting? Yes, but distractions can be a good thing for a writer. They free your mind and lift your spirit, so ideas can flow from your subconscious. I get some of my best ideas daydreaming or relaxing on my balcony looking out at the ocean. In fact, I came up with a fantastic idea for a new supernatural short story when I was watching the sunrise on my last visit.
So while the conventional wisdom for writers is “butt in chair,” “nose to the grindstone,” and “stay focused,” I temper that with this advice: “Let your mind wander.” After all, it’s summer!
Sunrise from my balcony.
Comments
You are so right. The other day I was trying to come up with a story title and I had been up late working on revisions and when I woke up, I had it.
Good advice, beautiful scenery and I can't wait to read your book about the psychic!
Great post, Carol and Marilyn!
Exactly. You don't have to be closed up in a windowless room to be creative. In fact, how can you be creative in a windowless room? Put your "butt" in a lounge chair! I appreciate you coming over to comment.
It doesn't have to be a dolphin. A star, the moon, anything beautiful in nature that speaks to you.
Good advice. I'm the one who has to remember to get up from time to time and walk outside to feel the sun on my face. I've been working harder at allowing myself to take an easier pace sometimes and enjoy a break. Your mind is like every other part of your body - it's gets tired when overworked and needs a chance to refuel.
BTW - I'm gifting my MIL a copy of your ebook. It's a fun treat to get a book for her ereader. :)
Keep daydreaming and writing!
Thanks for stopping by. I agree. Distractions are not time wasters. I think they free up your mind and allow ideas to germinate.
Thank you so much for dropping by. You're so right about giving ourselves permission to relax and working hard to take it easy. Sometimes we just need to get off the treadmill or our ideas won't be worth anything. More and more I'm finding that relaxing is a critical part of the creative process. And thank you so much for sending out a copy of "A Choir of Angels" to your Mother-In-Law. I hope she enjoys it.
Thank you for your kind wishes and comments. Sometimes when I look at that view I tend to fall asleep but then when I wake up I'm brimming with ideas. When I go there I absolutely relax and daydreaming and writing go hand in hand.
Thanks for commenting. Sometimes discipline has to go out the window in order to let the light in.
Thank you so much for letting your mind wander over here. I hope you like the story and I appreciate you wanting to check it out. This blog is a lot of fun.
What a treat that you stopped by! I love the ocean, and it is truly a dream come true to visit. I don't get there as often as I'd like. LIke you said, there is never time for vacations, so ours have to be short. But luckily, I have friends and family nearby that I can visit at the same time. Just looking at the ocean is calming and seems to spark creativity in me. You have to go to the beach!
Thanks for your comment. I appreciate it.
I'm guilty of overdoing most of the time but as I get older, I see the value of pacing myself.
The view from your balcony is lovely, thanks for the post.
Great advice here. Thanks!
-Miss GOP
www.thewritingapprentice.com
Thanks so much for having me. You have wonderful followers on this blog.
Alex, yes I love movies too. They are a great way to relax. I typically fall asleep at night in front of the TV and get some of my best sleep that way.
I just said the same thing you did before I read your comment. Vegging out, relaxing, not thinking without a care in the world, that's the way to spark creativity.
I'm happy to be the one to give you permission to let your mind wander. Sometimes you have to focus to meet deadlines, but if you do that all the time you'll just burn out. Thanks for visiting the blog.
Well, like the ocean, the shower has water, so..I think that's a great place for ideas to germinate. I think of ideas in the shower too and then I have to get out and right them down. I'm glad you liked the post.
What a beautiful story about your mother leaving you a letter. Thank you for sharing such a meaningful part of your life. I lost my father last year before this book was published and my mother printed it out and left it on his favorite chair so he could "read" it. I think for a moment she had forgotten he was gone. I'm so glad you came on to comment.
Yes, you've described the beach exactly. I love your words. That's the way I feel when I'm out there. It does put you in a hypnotic state.
And "Sixth Sense" sounds like a terrific read. I can't wait till it's out. :)
Yes when the kids are there you have to watch them. You can't let your mind wander.
Also in the shower, but I need something to write on it there ..lol
I agree that we need to relax, or stimulate or mind at times to stay creative.
Love the photo !
Thanks for stopping by! Yes, I get my best ideas by the water.
AJ Kirby
Thanks for a great post!
Thanks for taking the time to visit the blog and for your comments.
I'm glad you liked the post.
Tara - I've BEEN to Boca Raton. Does that count - LOL.
Can't wait for the new one to come out!!!
Thanks for sharing this, Marilyn.
Tami
Also thanks to Marilyn Baron for being such a gracious guest blogger here at Under the Tiki Hut.
Thanks for visiting. I seem to come up with the best ideas when I let my mind wander. So I'm going to keep doing it.
That's a beautiful place to grow up. And it definitely counts. I love your photo icon. It's a really great scene.
I want to thank you and your readers and everyone who commented. I loved guest blogging for you and hope I can come back again. I enjoyed "meeting" all of you. It was a wonderful experience. And Carol, that's a new one. Getting an idea while chopping onions. I love that. I'll bet the book will be a tear-jerker.
It's not planned as a tear-jerker, but you never know.
Thanks again for blogging with us.