A red-tailed hawk visits my house. I often notice him soaring overhead on cloudless afternoons. I admired him as he catches air currents and drifts in slow circles. One day I arrived home to find him resting on my garage roof.  I stepped from my car and we regarded each other for a long time.

He has perched on the gas grill on the patio, in the maple tree outside my window and the white fence post on the property line. Other days he does a fly-by, swooping past my windows to let me know he is watching. He is a serious fellow, but I enjoy our talks. Our discussions are not lengthy, but nothing interrupts them. He occupies my undivided attention.

Writing is like speaking with the hawk. It consumes my thoughts. It demands focus and concentration, the ability to see the adventure as it stretches to the horizon and each word that leads the reader down the chosen path. On bright afternoons the words slip from my mind, flowing through my fingers and onto the page. The story twists, turning in novel directions it sucks me in until it is the only thing that matters. These are my favorite times.

Where do you discover your inspiration?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I am not ready to join Christian and say editing is my favorite part, but I appreciate the results. Words and thoughts flow smoothly from idea to idea. There are no excess words, no bumps jarring the reader’s enjoyment of the piece.

Those jarring bumps are my pet peeves. It is like driving a convertible on the open road, the wind blowing your hair, sun shining on a brilliant blue summer’s day and BLAM you hit a pothole. You’re immediately snapped from your reverie and left wondering if you’ve bent a rim. Editing fills those nasty potholes and any distractions, so you can enjoy the scenery, and live in the moment.

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Leave it to the chattering voices droning in my head. They destroyed a wonderful plan, a plan filled with rest, relaxation and fun. No writing, no lists, no alarm clocks, no worries. Morning coffee, a deep breath, the voices saw an opening and jumped.

“Hello?” they said. “You’ve had your coffee?  Awake? Feeling rested?  You’re always saying you’re busy, you don’t have time. We see you’re not busy right now. Is it a good time? Nothing major. A few words perhaps?”

Can you say “Guilt” with a capital “G”? Well played voices. How can I say no? Yeah, okay, a few words. They are a sneaky bunch, you must watch them, anticipate their subterfuge. A few words, then a few words more, became filled pages. Devious, they are. They artfully derailed my plans, advanced their agendas, and made sure I had a fun day.

Do your voices interrupt your plans?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

My childhood included a steady diet of fairy tales. I remember a thick volume of The Brothers Grimm Complete Fairy Tales Collection, and another of Aesop’s Fables. They fueled my love of reading and introduced me to the mystical power words possess to whisk me to fantastical, far-away lands. Devouring those books, I graduated to The Secret Garden, The Chronicles of Narnia and The Hobbit. In high school, The Iliad and The Odyssey curated my foray into Greek Mythology, while The Once and Future King left me spellbound.

I am under no illusions that Prince Charming is racing to my rescue, and to this day, no magical forest animals have materialized to help clean the house or create a couture ballgown. The darker aspects of “Once upon a time,” is common adult knowledge. Yet, I search for not just one fantasy story, but an entire series. Fantasy offers a refuge from life’s stress, they let me root for the hero and condemn the villain.

At their best, they explore real-life issues and provide a platform for discussions, while they entertain. They offer universal lessons and make us reflect on ways to improve our world.

What stories influence your reading choices?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

This week the weather has developed a taste of fall. Classes are back in session. We devote Thursday and Friday nights to high school football games and the Harvest Moon illuminates the dark sky. Soon we will pick apples, select perfect pumpkins, and navigate through my favorite corn maze. It is the largest in the area and boasts ten miles of trails across twenty-eight acres of towering cornstalks. Later there is a hayride with spiced cider. If we are brave, we can dare the ghosts and goblins to scare us at a late-night haunted house.

While the leaves are still green, and daytime temps remind me of summer, in dawn’s early hours, steam rises from my coffee cup. In a few weeks, frost will greet my morning ritual. The chattering squirrels demand the peanuts they know I have in my pocket. They are greedy beggars, fighting for the best treasure only to debate the merits of eating it now or burying it in their cache. The birds also want my attention, before they allow me to settle in and open my book.

Everyone is happy. I relax, reveling in the warm sunshine, touched by a soft breeze I sip my coffee and let the novel’s words fill my head.

How do you kick off your weekend?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I get it, parents and teachers repeated it ad nauseam. “Share,” they preached. They forced me to practice during “Show and Tell.” Sharing is difficult. I would rather retreat to my dark cave and pursue passions which don’t require interaction with others. I relish spending hours alone reading, writing, and editing.  After I lovingly lock my latest WIP in the safe, its naptime.

My muse nudges me, divulging a secret, “Writers write to have their words read,” she says. I hate when she is right. There are great reasons for releasing our work to the scrutiny of an alpha reader. No matter how much we edit, we are blind to the flaws that will smack an editor between the eyes. We need them to expose the obvious.

Feedback is the catalyst for growth. Remember the saying about two heads being better than one? Experts challenge assumptions, question conclusions, and force us to strengthen our logic. With help, we buttress the story’s foundation and fix structural issues, so they support a stronger, more succinct, and robust narrative. It lets our confidence soar. The ultimate reward for facing fear and embracing criticism is you silence your inner critic.

Still, I love that new story smell.

What will you share today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I had an English teacher who taught grammar with song lyrics. She used printed copies and had the class parse the stanzas while the songs played in the classroom. Grammar was never my favorite subject but identifying parts of speech to popular tunes was not unpleasant.

There are many studies which suggest listening to music aids divergent thinking. It is a technique which uses free-flowing thoughts to generate ideas and solutions in a short time. One study reported that replaying a song multiple times blocks mind wandering and increases focus. Other benefits include reducing stress, improving sleep, reducing symptoms of depression, and raising IQ and academic performance in young children.

With that impressive list, I figured it was worth doing a few experiments. So, I queued my playlists and hit repeat as I composed stories. The results surprised me. While not scientific, I noticed words and thoughts seem to flow better, social media is less distracting and my productivity per session has increased. I have even experienced a phenomenon where the lyrics provided the exact word my mind is seeking.

While I’ve not determined if my stress levels are lower, the ability to get more accomplished in my scheduled writing sessions makes me a happy camper.

Do songs inspire your writing?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci represent two outstanding creative minds. Masters, geniuses, prolific renaissance men, they were also famous for abandoning their work, leaving supposed greater masterpieces unfinished. A pair of monumental frescos commissioned for the great hall of Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio are prime examples. Leonardo’s The Battle of Anghiari and Michelangelo’s Battle of Cascina were started in 1504 and abandoned a year later. They never completed the frescos.

Every writer, architect, painter, and entrepreneur experiences failure. Failing teaches us, even if the lesson is how not to create. The title Master implies we finish what we start. Finishing, calling a piece complete, might be more difficult than admitting defeat. Creating masterful art is not for mortals or weaklings. Anything crafted by humans will be flawed. Some critics argue flaws accentuate beauty. Flawless execution, whatever that is, they say leaves the viewer bored.

How do we decide were incomplete ends and masterful imperfection begins? How many drafts do you endure before a story is polished? When do we edit the unique voice and soul from our novel? There is no easy answer and passing time compounds the difficulties. Your best work from years ago, can feel worse than your first draft today.

When is your work done?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Keys fascinate me.  A bolted door piques my curiosity and my imagination creates untold treasures. I don’t understand the logic of hiding them from prying eyes. Shrouded in darkness, sealed tight, the owners ban even themselves from enjoying the beauty of the pieces.

People hold strong feelings and valid reasons for bolting their homes or leaving them unlocked. Ironclad defenses prevent theft some say, while others profess criminals will find an entry, by picking a lock or breaking a window. Locks only deter the honest.

Contrary to popular belief, having wide-open doors is not just a brash phenomenon unique to rural homeowners. One thirty-year New York City resident admitted never locking her apartment. Another individual stated they didn’t have a key. Founded or imagined fear is a great motivator.

I treat security a bit casually. I like when friends stop and let themselves in without knocking or ringing a bell.  It symbolizes home and conveys trust and love. That feeling is more important than the possibility of losing precious possessions. You can replace material items.

I feel the same about concealing talents and passions. It makes me sad when someone says “Oh, I have always wanted to do that, but I can’t.” They have locked away a passion and prevented their authentic, inner gifts from shining. They rob themselves of joy and deny everyone the pleasure of connecting with the charm of their genius.

What dreams have you locked away?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Next item on my schedule is rewriting/editing a piece I hate. I consider it a fail. Surprise, surprise, it has been languishing in my short story draft file. I don’t hate the premise, but the story’s execution is weak. There are words, sentences, ideas I may salvage. It requires me to roll up my shirt sleeves, prepare for construction dust, and do Atlas-style weightlifting.

I considered hitting the delete key, but I can’t bring myself to do it. It is funny. I have burned entire notebooks, filled with handwritten stories, without hesitation. But deleting a file is anathema. From a logic standpoint, the pen, ink, and paper creations should be more difficult to destroy than impersonal electronic I’s and O’s. Perhaps it is the fact those files don’t clutter my desk, occupy real-life space and are easy to move to my “Fix Someday” Folder.

I have several of these files in that folder. A few stories have merit, good ideas, a likable character, conflict, the stuff you want in a story.  But they lack the spit and polish needed to shine, and for me to declare the tale good enough for prime time. While I may like these stories the prospect of dissecting, cutting reworking and rehashing them, is unpleasant. However, I want them finished, which leaves me little choice on what I must do.

Do you rewrite, edit, delete or file for someday?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer