Writing is a Novelty

Stepping out of your comfort zone can be quite uncomfortable and down right scary at times. However, taking a chance can often leave one with a sense of achievement and accomplishment.

Writing short stories was something I was never comfortable with. I always seemed to have difficulty writing them.  My plots were too complicated. The word limitations I was given never seemed enough space to bring my characters to life. I envied those who could not only capture a reader’s interest right from the very first sentence but also write a great story in twelve hundred words or less.  It was something I thought I would never be able to do.

When I was asked to write a short story for the Cataraqui Archaeological Research Foundation’s Subsoil Newsletter I was nervous and leery at first. Not only was my story going to be published,  but many professionals from various educational backgrounds were going to be reading it. The thought paralyzed me.  It was a tremendous opportunity for an unpublished author–one I couldn’t refuse. So despite my apprehension and misgivings I agreed.

I took a few deep breaths and said to myself, “I can do this.” I then rolled up my sleeves and decided to get right to it—there was only one problem. What do I write about?  Do I center the story on local archaeology and the artifacts found, or a historical event that happened in the past? What time period do I choose?  Where would it take place?  The more questions I asked myself the more blocked I became. I didn’t know if I could do this.

I decided to start by scanning the Cataraqui Archaeological Research Foundation library. They have a treasure trove of books that cover topics that span from local history, archaeology, artifact identification etc… I flipped through book after book, but nothing seemed to jump out at me. Until finally the title “Death at Snake Hill” caught my eye.

It’s a book written by Paul Litt, Ronald F. Williamson & Joseph Whitethorne (Dundurn Press, 1993). The book documents the 1987 excavation of a United States military burial graveyard from the war of 1812 at Fort Erie.

The book fascinated me. The information that could be obtained from studying two hundred year old bones was truly extraordinary. Each discovery that was unearthed brought to light the individualism of each skeleton and the pain and suffering each had endured. The injuries that the soldiers had sustained were horrific—a true reminder of the ugliness of war.

The documentation of a skeleton buried in “burial number 5” intrigued me. It wasn’t just the description of the soldier’s violent and traumatic death that drew me, but the additional forearm and hand that was buried beside him. The arm was believed to have belonged to a very young teenager. I wondered; where did that arm come from?

I remebered from previous research that in the 18th and 19th centuries many young boys signed up to be drummer boys.…like magic a story formulated in my mind and, “The Drummer’s Consequence Part I of the ‘Snake Hill Chronicles’ ” suddenly came to life.

It was amazing how easily the story came to me. Even more extraodinary, I wrote it using only eleven hundered words. The extended version posted on CARF’s website is a little longer–it’s approximately fifteen hundred words. It was exhilierating.

What’s the moral to all of this….never under estimate what one can achieve. As long as you believe in yourself anything is possible. If you would like to read The Drummer’s Consequence by Catherine Raby (which I also write as) please go to www.carf.info to check it out.

Every February 14th, millions of people worldwide celebrate Saint Valentine’s Day.Where did this day of “love” all begin? Many myths and legends exist from several different origins. However, the most common legend is that of the story of a martyred priest, St. Valentine, who was executed on February 14th.  St. Valentine performed secret marriage ceremonies in opposition to Claudius II decree that soldiers were not to marry.   Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD wanted to honor St. Valentine, and so declared February 14th St. Valentine’s day—a Christian feast day.
Today it is a commercialized “cash cow” that in 2009 was said to have generated an estimated 14.7 Billion in sales in the U.S. That’s a lot of cards, chocolate, and flowers!
For me, Valentine’s Day is a day to reflect on my life, count my blessings, and most of all spend time with my husband of 15 years. Receiving gifts is always nice. Who doesn’t like presents? However, sometimes showing ones love in a more tangible way can be just as special.
In 2003 my husband gave me the ultimate gift of love—one of his kidneys.

If you would like to learn more about organ donation you can visit Trillium Gift of Life Network at www.giftoflife.on.ca  or www.kidney.ca

Writing is such an enjoyment to me—a novelty. Writing allows me to be able to have time to myself, to use my imagination to create memorable characters and places. Finding the time, however, to get my thoughts down, to write the stories always running in my head, is challenging to say the least. In fact it’s one of the most frustrating things for me.

Having a full time job, a family life, cooking, dishes, laundry, errands, means I’m hard pressed to find enough free time to write. What about the evenings? That is an option, however, by the time eight o’clock rolls around I’m exhausted. I don’t know about other authors, but when I’m tired, my creativity is next to nil.

So what about the weekends? That’s another potential solution, and a time that I do get some writing done. Usually, that time is first thing in the morning, before everyone else is up. Once my son and husband are up, however, then the challenge begins.

I always fight with my conscience. Do I continue doing what I enjoy most in the world? After all, it is my day off! Should I tell everyone to get lost, and continue on with my writing? Or, do I set it aside, which usually is the case, and spend time with the two people who mean the most to me? It’s a hard decision—one that usually leads to my family winning, and to me feeling guilty for not staying true to myself by following my dream.

Don’t get me wrong, family should always come first; but can’t there be room for dreams too?

What’s the answer? Compromise. Find a time when I can write, undisturbed, yet still have time for my family and, naturally, all the endless chores and tasks waiting to be done.

When is this magical time? I discovered, the best time to write is first thing in the morning, both during the week and on weekends. It’s the best time for me—I’m fresh, and at my most creative. Also it’s QUIET. It’s the perfect compromise. Now, the key will be to get motivated to stick to that schedule—no matter what!

That’s a different hurdle to jump, and a blog for another day—as the trials and tribulations of an aspiring writer continues…

Catherine

As long as I can remember, I have had a long fascination with history. In elementary and secondary school, I always had my nose stuck in some historical book or another, reading everything from the north and south sagas by John Jakes to non-fiction books such as “Bury my heart at Wounded Knee”. In grade eight I read my first historical romance, a young adult novel that took place during the American Civil War. I fell in love immediately with the historical romance genre and have been reading it ever since.

Being some what of a pack rat when it comes to old assignments and writing projects, I was going through some old files not too long ago and came across an old folder containing the beginning of a novel I started when I was fifteen. Though terribly written and filled with cliché’s and stereotypes, it was a vivid reminder of my early desire to write. It was a dream I had deemed foolish and unattainable at that time, so I packed it away along with my desire and confidence to write.

It wasn’t until twelve years later the hankering to write would revisit me. It all started after reading several novels by two of my favourite authors: Lorraine Heath and Penelope Williamson. Their books moved me in a way few authors had, pulling and tugging at my emotions to the point I would be laughing and crying all in the same chapter. Masters in characterization, plot, and setting, I was pulled instantly into the world they created and I didn’t want to come home. After reading Penelope Williamson’s gut wrenching Heart of the West, followed by Lorraine Heath’s riveting “Texas Destiny” I said to myself: “I want to be able to do that! I want to reach readers the same way they reach me, by pulling on people’s heart strings and giving happily–ever–after endings.”

I decided to give writing another try. I started attending writing workshops and took a writing course. I played around with several plots and began to map out a story. Within a year of making that decision however, I found out the single kidney I was born with, was failing. This was a big “wake up call,” now that I was facing an unknown future. It made me realize life is too short not to follow my dreams. With the support of my family, I made the decision to complete my first novel–no matter how long it took. So began my quest to become an accomplished author.

Although I was lucky to go through only three years of dialysis (due to a successful kidney transplant, donated by my very loving and giving husband), it took me eight years to accomplish my goal. With one manuscript now under my belt, a second in the works, I will continue to improve my craft and work towards my next goal, to get published.

Stay tuned…
Catherine