Ominous

I should have known better. I should have taken my umbrella with me. But, as I entered Panera Bread, the sun was still shining through that tiny slip between the clouds. “Looking pretty ominous out there,” the waiter pointed out. As he turned to walk away, the clouds burst forth. My phone chirped a reminder for our appointment 10 minutes away. No choice but to dodge the wind blown sideways downfall. Got in the car soaked to the skin, started the engine, the rain ceased as abruptly as it had begun.

What does this have to do with writing? Not much other than if I had been home writing like I was supposed to be doing, I would be further along than 61,075 words. I must give my self some credit today. I signed up for an advanced memoir class beginning in March. Now I’ll be counting my pennies along with my words, a big incentive to keep up the word count.

Scrivener

The best writing software I have discovered is Scrivener. There’s a bit of a learning curve but it’s worth the time to explore. This is the layout that works for me but there are plenty of view options- corkboard, outliner, editor – and it’s easy to switch between them. Want to write with minimal distractions? Hit F11 and you get full screen.

Visit Literature & Latte website for details and see the endless options. Watch a couple tutorials. Download a FREE trial of the full version. Heck, buy it for only $40. It’s a bargain.

There are plenty of cool tools to use also. My favorite is the project target. Setting goals and tracking keeps me accountable. I need to set goals and track my project. Which brings me to my distraction of the day – the name generator. Wondering if I should change my name to one of these that came up when I used my Norwegian and English heritage to search: Diamante Vinje, Blessing Egge, Luvena Nicolaysen, Michaela Christoffersen, Jaclyn Juve, Avlynn Loe, Kacie Mele, Jeanae Nylund, Cherrill Gronlund, Lorenna Langlie.

Note, I do not work for Literature and Latte.

Uff Da.. I’m at 59,262 words, just a little behind.

Truth or Fiction?

Everyone tells me to write the book. I begin this weblog thinking it might be the best cure for procrastinating. It’s easy to find ways to delay the process and one of the biggest struggles I have is whether to write truth or fiction.

My friends want to know my story. Some say it will be a best seller. I think only my friends will read it. Maybe a few curious relatives will buy it to see if they made the book. Therein lies the issue. How does one write a memoir without revealing sensitive truths of the family?

Considering there is a documentary which features my oldest son which will be broadcast on PBS this coming May, his story is already out for public viewing. See Dogtown Redemption. It becomes obvious that my story will have much to do with my view of his story and our mother/son relationship. The producer has encouraged me to write it.

But, there is a more sensitive issue in opting for the memoir genre. It involves other close family members and I am reluctant to publicize something that could affect their reputation or well being. Even though a memoir would be my story, my truth, written by me, for me, and anyone who wants to listen, I’m not convinced it is appropriate.

This suggestion comes from a good friend. “Use your wonderful sense of humor. Write it with an outlandish embellishment of a humorous nature.” It’s a great suggestion but as I look at the snippets of life that I have collected, I worry about my ability to transpose that sense of humor onto the written page.