What is Your Central Theme?

I just spent a LOVELY afternoon with people that I have known my entire life; whom I consider family. Which got me to thinking about how the family structure can be such a peculiar dynamic. My grandparents would consider family to be those that we share a DNA bond. Nowadays family has such a different meaning. For me, I consider family to be those that I love and trust; people who have been significant in my life regardless of the fact that we don’t have any relation or share a genetic code. I also I find myself spending a lot of time working with the topic of family within my writing.

I’m currently working on revising a short story that I have been working on for quite sometime. I really need to move forward and send the thing out to a few literary journals for publication – but that would take another blog post to discuss the issue about publication. At any rate, the main focus of the piece involves a woman who is trying to work through her own purpose and identity. The narrator of the story is a seven year old girl. I’m not sure why I went with having the story told from this perspective but I like having the naïve narrator demonstrate a silent strength that we – as adults forget we possess.

I’ve also used vernacular as a central component of the character. It’s taken me a while to begin to understand my central theme as a writer and I think I’ve found it; family, vernacular, and identity. This is really starting to sound much like my own personal life. But I guess as a writer – we all write from our personal experiences one time or another.

How have you worked to find your voice as a writer? What is your central theme as a writer?

It’s My Special Day !!

Today is a day for celebration.  It’s my day to shine. I just completed my first semester at Mount Mary College!

I transferred from Spalding University’s Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing program to the Masters in English program at Mount Mary College .

It was an adjustment but I’m happy I made the change. 

The learning opportunity at Spalding was wonderful.  However, family obligations made it difficult to participate in the 10-day extensive workshop.  Transferring to continue my studies in the Master of Arts in English program at Mount Mary was ideal. The program gives me a chance to study and develop my craft as a writer, obtain a master’s degree, and manage my family obligations.

As a young girl, I always wanted to be a writer.  Now as an adult, I’m finally fulfilling my dream.

Writing is a journey of personal exploration that is different for every writer. And despite a few obstacles, I’ve been persistent about furthering my capacity as a writer.  

I plan to take time off from school this summer to focus on blogging, guest blogging opportunities and writing. 

In the fall, I will be refreshed and eager to analyze narrative techniques, character development, literary themes and complete my manuscript. 

Since I’m always looking for ways to network with other writers, anyone want to join me in developing a small writing group/workshop for the summer? 

Online?  Sure, why not.  We are bloggers after all.