DIGGING FOR GOLD

One of my favorite methods when I need inspiration is to revisit the past. I open up old photo albums, read old  journals, meditate on my experiences as a child, a young woman, a mother, a wife, a teacher, a writer. I recall the stories my mother told about her life growing up, my grandparents, the people who made an impact on me, incidents that still haunt me.

The memories stirred up often supply me with chunks of gold to mine for transformation into stories, or even an occasional autobiographical piece. I admit I’m much more comfortable turning real life incidents into fiction, distorting the originals into characters, skewing the plot lines, adding some drama, building on the events, emotions, and themes that blossom from the memories . I write for the pleasure it gives me. I write because something inside impels me to write. If my writing connects with others, so much the better.