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Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Why I Write Senior Fiction



 

For the past nine years, I have been a freelance writer.  The Internet has made it easier for writers like me to pick and choose projects that match skills and expertise.  At the beginning, I had to find my niche and clients by trying new things and proving my value in my research and writing skills.  My education background was a solid match for many articles or children's topics.  Recently I saw a project that piqued my interest.

There was a request for writers to collaborate on a book series targeted for those with Alzheimer's, stroke, dementia, or just wanted to read a simpler book at an adult level.  I knew I could do this well and with passion based on my high-interest, low-vocabulary projects in the past, but also channeling what my grandparents would want.  Two of my grandparents lived into their nineties.  I would take the time to visit them every time I was home from college or visiting with family.  While they were never diagnosed with dementia, they required some of the patience that dementia caregivers need

My grandmother was a stubborn woman of the south.  She taught me how to be gracious and kind, but I never quite mastered her charm when it came to getting what she wanted.  As she grew older, I made certain to call her every day on my commute because I knew her days got monotonous.  She dominated the call with questions about her great-grandkids and family gossip, but she also dictated when the call ended (even if I was not done talking).  She had enough focus to read the newspaper every morning, but preferred to have conversations with others.  It was her stubbornness that kept her alive longer than doctors estimated.

My grandfather had his own challenges with old age.  He had hearing aids for as long as I could remember, but when his eyesight faded, he could not be as independent as his spirit wanted to be.  His blessings came with his numerous grandchildren who could drive him to lunch or take care of his shopping.  No sooner than I got my driver's license did I get a call from Grandpa to take him to church that Sunday and every Sunday after that.  Every visit ended with some reading.  I knew he got recorded books in the mail on a regular basis, but he wanted to hear the stories that were not available in audio format.  Two of his favorites were the Catholic diocese history and one of his son's bound book of student essays.  For that one, I always read the dedication page to his parents and the story of life growing up in the family home.  I never did get past those first pages.

I know there are coloring books and sudoku for mind activity, but there are some people who just love a good book. They still want to open up the pages, feel the resistance of the binding, hold the pages, and take their mind somewhere else.  Novels can be too long or complex while young adult books don't always hold a senior's interest. So when I saw this project, I wanted to create something that my grandmother would have the patience to read and that my grandfather would want to have read over and over again.  I am proud to be a part of this collaborative effort.


June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month.  As you care for your family members whether they have early onset or on the road to recovery, consider books like "Trip to the Lake" or the newly released "A Visit to the Library" for those loved ones who always had a love for reading.  And maybe you will enjoy reading it with them. 

This is my treasure to you-
and because of you I evolve;
The stories I tell from the heart
with memories of those I love.

Thursday, May 3, 2018

My Secret Life

Just like I loved a good mystery, my life has been like one big secret.  It's not like I am always hiding something (no, no bodies have been buried on my watch).  I just tend to keep things private until I share it in the medium of my choice.

For example, I used to write erotic flash fiction.  Seriously.

Actually it was my alter ego, Reyna Jackson.  That is one of my favorite pen names, actually.  It is a blend of one of my online character screen names and a part of a place where I lived for four years. 

As Reyna Jackson, I wrote based on emotions and perceptions of relationships.  The challenge was creating a complete story in 100 words or less.  Conflict, climax, ending...it was more like capturing a snapshot in a pivotal moment in a person's life.  Just like my pen name, it was something I kept secret from those who knew me in real life.  My creativity was shared with a completely different audience. 

Did I get published?  Yup.  Is it still available?  Nope.  That is the problem with publishing on websites.  If it goes under for any reason, all of those published works goes with it.  I do keep paper copies from that period of my writing life.  That was the time in my life that I discovered the importance of tracking submitted works and their publications.  Today it's all about spreadsheets and documents.

That was a fun writing exercise that I may try again someday.  The flash fiction, not the erotica.  My writing focus has since shifted.  As I mentioned before, I can be a private person.  Actually, it is more like I did not toot my own horn or boast about the things I did while I was doing them.  That is something that makes this blog different for me.  I am out in the open for acquaintances and strangers to see, promoting my process and the work as it is published.  Not much to hide then, right?

Until I get inspired by flash fiction again, I'll always have these poetic endings.


An author has a secret-
a life in the shadows;
hiding behind a pseudonym
not even her mothers knows.