The Process is the Art… 

By Diane Wheaton  

Writing is art. And to start my process, I make coffee, drip of course, and black. I then enter my sage green study, lined with bookcases, as I’m an avid reader and it seems, a book collector as well. I settle into a comfortable position in my high-back chair at my beloved, knotty pine desk that seems more like a friend than furniture. The window next to my desk gives views of a winding bike path, mountains, and evening sunsets. I place my coffee cup on the heated cup  holder my husband gave me last Christmas. Ever thoughtful, he knows I like my coffee hot.   I ask Alexa to play music by cellist David Darling, or soundtracks from films. The music has to be instrumental, ethereal. No words, as they conflict with words in my head. I light a scented candle, and the scene has now been set.  

Opening my laptop, I find my place in my writing, and slowly, silently, the process of transitioning to another world begins as I leave the present behind, entering another place and time. Soon, I’m in my zen-zone or in the flow —where time seems to stop. Words begin to appear on their path, covering the starkness of a blank page. But, before I  begin writing, there have been weeks, months of preparation thinking about my story, and about the characters who will tell it. 

As the story reveals itself and the characters evolve, I put notes into a three-inch binder for safekeeping. When I have enough of the story, I begin to structure it, beginning with an outline for each chapter. If I don’t yet have the full story, that’s okay, I trust it will unfold over time in subsequent drafts.  

I’ve heard it said that it’s good to write what you know, so maybe start there, or with family history, or embellishing a story from your own life? Give your book a working title. It may change later, but it gives your work the seriousness it deserves, a grounding of sorts. Once in the process of writing chapters, I keep hard copies in my binder—I don’t want to risk losing my work. Your story will change through your drafts, as it’s never exactly the same story you envisioned when you started.  

Writing either a memoir or a novel is a personal journey. You’re going on an adventure of self-discovery, and what a journey it will be. Take as long as you want or need to write. Or, make writing a priority with a daily or weekly plan according to what is doable in your life. Write what works best in your life—two hundred words a day, five hundred words, or maybe one thousand?  Whatever works. It’s as individual as you are.  

The key is to get something on the page and continue to muster up the courage to keep going. Several years ago, I took a writing class from author Joyce Maynard, who gave me my mantra to write—have courage. Courage as defined by Brene’ Brown, an American academic and author, says, “courage is the ability to act in the face of fear and uncertainty, and to show up and be  seen.” Don’t let fear rule you! I’ve also heard it’s good to give a name to your inner critic so that you can speak power, asking it to leave—which you must do. You cannot write with a critical voice calling out to you, hindering your creativity. 

Author Dani Shapiro, in her book Still Writing, exclaims, “know that every rule you’ll hear in a writing workshop is meant to be broken. You can do absolutely anything—tell, not show,  make excellent use of an adverb—as long as you can pull it off.”  

I love to write. I have fallen in love with the craft of the written word. In order to write better,  write more. Read good books. Do copy work—the practice of copying another writer’s words.  It’s a wonderful way to improve your writing. Take classes, workshops, listen to podcasts, join a local writers group – all helpful to keep you motivated and focused. When writing, I can sometimes write for hours, but I think I’m best at two to three hours at a time.   Once you’ve finished your first draft, the art of fine-tuning begins by revising and editing,  making your story come to life. When I’m in the middle of revising and editing, I like to print my work out and read it out loud. I’ve found that by reading my words out loud, I can hear the flow and pace of my writing better and learn where I need to make changes. After revising and editing my first draft, I rewrite a second, then a third draft, as many needed to make it as good as it can be before sending on to an editor. You’re fortunate if you have a writing critique group or a writing partner you trust. Working with an editor helps to have another pair of eyes read your work for structure and flow.  

At this juncture on the road, don’t quit now, you’ve come so far on your journey. Your writing, your book, is a reflection of who you are in this moment. Remember writing takes courage, so be brave and keep writing—for the process is the art.  

About the Author  

DIANE WHEATON, author of the newly released book: Finding Loretta: An Adopted  Daughter’s Search to Define Family, is a reunited adoptee, wife, mother, and grandmother. When  she’s not writing, Diane enjoys spending time with her family and friends, as well as reading,  painting, gardening, and swimming. She is a member of the National Association of Memoir  Writers, and was a contributing author to the AN-YA Project’s adult adoptee anthology, Flip the  Script. A native Californian, Diane lives with her husband and their Alaskan malamute in  Southern California.  

Finding Loretta: An Adopted Daughter’s Search to Define Family

For fans of Dani Shapiro’s Inheritance and Nicole Chung’s All You Can Ever Know, a debut memoir from a mid-life adoptee who, just as she’s meeting biological family for the first time, unearths a secret kept from her for years by her adoptive parents.

Adopted as an infant by a naval officer and his wife during the Baby Scoop Era, Diane Wheaton has always heard conflicting versions of the truth of her origins—but it’s not until she is forty-seven years old that she begins to search for her biological family in earnest. Amid search and reunion, however, Diane’s adoptive parents become ill—and while overseeing their care, she is told about a secret they have kept from her for over fifteen years. This shocking disclosure complicates her already complicated feelings for them, and she finds herself faced with an important decision—one that feels almost impossible to make, but which results in a level of healing she never could have anticipated.

A touching memoir of self-discovery, Finding Loretta is Diane’s tale of searching for history, roots, and family. Ultimately, she comes to accept the two distinct dynamics of the families who have helped make her who she is today, and in doing so she learns to embrace herself and feel grateful for everything she has experienced—even loss.

BUY HERE

  

  

 

Tags: featured, women wtriters

Category: Contemporary Women Writers