Connie's Corner

Art, birds, rain, and writing....

Yesterday was the opening of our art show (Terri's students) and even though it rained all day, we had a good turnout. Of course, there was lots of food and that is always an enticement . The best part was getting to meet other artists and finding out for the most part they are just like me, struggling.I think that must be one thing all humanity has in common, we are all struggling with something, sometimes lots of things. The thing that really surprised me was that almost all of us seem to be very unsure of our talent. And when I look at all the beautiful art hanging on those white walls, I am amazed that they cannot know how good they are .

It has finally warmed up some this morning and the sun is attempting to make an appearance. As I type, two cardinals are watching me through the window from the porch railing (the one I need to paint). I think they are telling me their birdseed is getting low in the feeder . Or maybe they are just glad it is not raining. I know I am. The wind has been brutal this week making it feel so much colder than it actually was. I have a few small pine limbs down in the back yard and about a million more pine cones to pick up for the trash man on Tuesday. The squirrels hate me.

I read some interesting stuff earlier this week on writing a memoir (which I am trying to do, life history, actually). I have been looking at my "project" as a collection of short stories but the author I was reading seems to think a memoir should be like any other story with a beginning, a middle , and an ending. He suggested dividing the memoir into three acts with act one being an introduction. Here we should set up the story, remember who the main character is (uh huh), and define the story in terms of a conflict to be resolved. Otherwise, readers will not turn the page. There has to be something the author wants but does not have and in the first act, tell what stands in the way. Obstacles are overcome in act two and by the end of this act, we should be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The author faces problems, solves them. then the big one (problem, that is) comes along. This is the climax. In act three, the conflict is resolved, the author finds what he is searching for and is somehow changed along the way. This change entails a desire and a need with the desire being the external conflict (or want) and the need being deeper inside and not realized until the end equaling a good, page-turning book. Okay...now to get going. The biggest problem I see is the ending...but maybe it will come to me .

until next time...c