Why I Like to Write
I can’t remember a time when stories weren't a part of me. I
remember writing a story about a farm when my mother asked me to read it to the
people she was visiting with. I was eight years old and wish I had the story.
She told the people that I would grow up to be a writer. A career in writing
was postponed by my work as both a teacher and later a mental health therapist
although I used making up stories as a means of touching attachment disordered
children. I wrote stories in the form of metaphors to help them get better. I
also drew pictures to go with these—a means of utilizing my minor in children’s
art.
Earlier before getting my masters as a counselor, I wrote a
fair amount of poetry. I spent an entire summer down at the Platte River
writing poems about life and nature. I fell in love with the process and had
two of my poems published. This summer I have returned to poetry and have
enough poems for a book which I intend to call Flying High With Poetry. These
are both free verse and rhyming. I have been encouraged and helped by some
great poets.
In addition to poetry, I like short stories and vignettes
about situations in life. I publish with Living Better at Over Fifty Plus a
lovely on-line magazine and also placed third in Nebraska’s Bess Streeter
Aldrich contest. My short stories are based on true life events of interest. I
normally have a twist at the end—O Henry Style. Much of what I write deals with
small town life and people. Having grown up in Brady Nebraska- which had 370 some
people, I know the rural life.
This year my first book, The Rag Princess came out. It is
the story of a Nebraska farm girl who winds up living with an abusive aunt. In
the course of her four years with this aunt, she is emotionally and sexually
abused. Later she reclaims herself when she falls in love with a rancher from
her past. The book is a tough read. I have had praise, but everyone who has
mentioned reading the book had laid it down before finishing it. One of my
goals was to portray abuse as the monster it is and at the same time show that
healing is possible. The book can be bought at Amazon.com.
In conclusion, I write to record the thoughts that come to
me in unique ways and through creative eyes. Writing is a means of recording
and sharing my perspectives on life and the many adventures. As most writers would tell you, “I can’t not
write.”
To sample my poetry go to http://prairiechildhooldnebr.blogspot.com/2014/08/
I was invited to do this blog by Kimberly Carol. Poet,
writer, blogger, and dreamer, revisit her at
http://kimberlycarol.com/ Enjoy her poetry and read about
her book.
I want to introduce you to our next blogger.
Glenda Fralin dedicates her blog wordsprings.blogspot.com
initially to interviews of Nebraska writers. This past year she expanded to the
national and international literary world. She insists the interview may
promote the author, but for her it is a constant learning process. “It’s as if
the people I interview are my instructors.” Glenda is mostly home bound because
of lung disease, but her love of research and memories of her Kansas and
Nebraska roots in the Flint Hills along the Big Blue River feed her imagination
with mental pictures and character driven stories. She is a former nurse and
holds a bachelor’s degree in business with certification in writing for
publication. Glenda, who writes as G. K. Fralin, is currently writing a series
of novellas set in the early twentieth century.
Author Glenda Fralin The SEARCH print edition
http://www.amazon.com/Search-1-G-K-Fralin/dp/0615689442/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347940292&sr=1-1&keywords=the+search+by+g.+k.+fralin
THE SEARCH kindle books
www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=%28ASIN%3A+B005FCIQKO%29
SIX STRANGE SHORT STORIES
Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Six-Short-Strange-Stories-ebook/dp/B0095BDIAE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1347940537&sr=1-1&keywords=six+strange+short+stories
Smashwords
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/212395
Blogs
http://www.wordsprings.blogspot.com
http://www.gkfralinbooks.blogspot.com