 For Authors: December 28, 2010 Issue [#4157] |
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This week: Becoming Janus Edited by: Fyn  
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"Now, by two-headed Janus,
Nature hath framed strange fellows in her time." ~~ William Shakespeare
"To read a poem in January is as lovely as to go for a walk in June" ~~ Jean-Paul Sartre
"January is here, with eyes that keenly glow,
A frost-mailed warrior
striding a shadowy steed of snow." ~~ Edgar Fawcett
"Bare branches of each tree
on this chilly January morn
look so cold so forlorn.
Gray skies dip ever so low
left from yesterday's dusting of snow.
Yet in the heart of each tree
waiting for each who wait to see
new life as warm sun and breeze will blow,
like magic, unlock springs sap to flow,
buds, new leaves, then blooms will grow." ~~ Nelda Hartmann, January Morn
"Time has no divisions to mark its passage, there is never a thunder-storm or blare of trumpets to announce
the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who
ring bells and fire off pistols." ~~ Thomas Mann, The Magic Mountain
"I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference." ~~ Robert Frost
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Janus, the Roman god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings, endings and time, is more familiar to us today as January. Represented as a two-headed figure looking both forward and back, he reminds us that it is our past, that which has already happened, that can both guide our steps forward and have an influence on just how we proceed.
We are not existing in a simple 'now' but are the culmination of what was, and at this time of year, can be the turning point towards what may be.
Personally, I have never been a fan of the 'New Year's Resolution,' but that is mostly because if I want to change something or do something differently, I do it, regardless of the time of year. However, most people are, and do, or at least try picking a 'new year' to make sweeping changes in their lives, their 'New Year's Resolutions.
Me, I oft will 'think' about new goals, but it is fleeting, because my game plan encompasses multiple years.
Janus. Looking both forwards and back. This is where my thoughts range. I take this year beginning/ending to look in both directions. You see, it is the places my footsteps have trod in the past that put me precisely where I am today. It colors my thinking, my actions, my reactions and my way of looking forward.
Over the past few days, I have heard variations of the comment, "If I could have it all to do again . . ." The problem with that sort of thinking is that if that were possible, then we might be be where we are today. In the blink of an eye, children, spouses, and homes would vanish. Who knows if we might be happier in that altered 'life,' or miserable or, perhaps, dead.
I've made some chaotic choices in the past, disastrous decisions, and walked down perilous paths. Yet they lead me to where I am today. Hopefully wiser, and better able to appreciate the 'what I have,' due to all those missteps or as what some folks might say, stumbling blocks I've encountered.
I don't think they are stumbling blocks, but stepping stones, and it is in that perspective that I look at all the potholes, pitfalls and lass savory aspects of my life. I muddle on through, crawl out of the quagmire, dust myself off (or in some cases, hose myself off) and keep going because it sure beats the alternative.
So take a few moments when you are building those resolutional structures and keep in mind that those new hopes will only be as strong as the foundations upon which they are built. Understanding your current foundation (the pilings in place that make you the you you are today, is integral to any changes you make want to make and to the goals you plan to build.
In other words, be a Janus this January and look in both directions before picking the path you chose to take. Then step forward clear in the knowing that you can do whatever it is you need to do.
~~~~~***~~~~~
Now, what has this to do with writing? Your characters are not momentary creations penned to paper, but entities with histories and pasts and decisions made (right, wrong, or indifferent) that have them 'be' the creature they are at the point your story takes place. They have goals and regrets, To be fully dimensional, they need to 'be,' and their choices need to be based upon the 'who' they are which is based upon the who they've 'been.' Too often a story picks up when, for example, a character is thirty or so, and yet it is if then were born the day the author starts writing, with the details filled in off the cuff or, in other words, without any concentrated forethought. Without this consideration, the character is flat, lacks any depth (or history) and the reasoning behind any choices they make or for 'what happens' loses an intensity or meat that propels them in what ever direction they step forth. Just as we tend to (at varying points in our lives) re-evaluate our goals and priorities, so too must our characters, at least in retrospect, to give them something with more depth than the level of printer ink upon the page. Even if this information isn't 'in' the story, it must be present within the writer's mind and then it 'will' be represented within the character's makeup.
~~~~~***~~~~~
Happy New Year to all at writing.com. May it be full of your dreams realized or one in which you make purpose-filled steps towards those goals. Look back at what made you who you are now, and use that information to make realistic goals that you can have a hope of accomplishing. And should you stumble along the way, always remember, that they are far more useful to you, if you consider them stepping stones to get you where you are going as a stronger individual, and not a theoretical 'Do Not Cross' tape stretched across your path to stop you in your tracks. Detours are necessary in life, and while the route may take a bit longer, you will see things you've never seen before along your way. Then your way seems blocked, make this your new mantra, that it is 'but a stepping stone' to get you higher and up to where you want to be.
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These are all about some sort of change . . .
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Two girls, different times, similar stories. 1 word that changes their lives.
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| | BLAVATSKY'S BUS (E)
Inspired by Carl Sagan, a personal journey that had stimulated the core of my psyche
#1676003 by DRSmith  |
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tjpc says: Hi Fyn! What a beautifully written newsletter!  You made the tree-decorating into an adventure and I could 'see' the lovely bow (and the 'whatchamacallits'  ) atop the tree. Thanks for a lovely visit to your house for Christmas! -- Laura
Feel free to drop by any time! *smile*
monty31802 wrote: Thank you for featuring one of my poems. Read(ing) all poetry aloud would cause some to realize they don't really have rhyme but what we used to call eye candy. great newsletter as always.
I always suggest the reading of a poem out loud! If the author stumbles over the words, they know they have places they need to fix! Great for anything, really, as it shows the places where a reader will stumble as well.
Fiona Hassan adds:I love Christmas!! I was already in the mood, but reading your newsletter pushed me past the point of no return - even during my exams I'll still be in a Christmas mood :P I love decorating the tree and remembering all the little stories behind each ornament, as you described. And we've had the Christmas tree star crisis, too ;) Fortunately, we have and angel that we used to use before we got our star. But my favorite part of Christmas is the fact that it's also my birthday! :) -Fiona
Happy Birthday a few days late!
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