The Dreams of a Writer

Throughout my life, on significant occasions I have had vivid meaningful dreams.  They reflected what was going on in my life; the stress or the joy or the loss.  They were pretty easy to understand and explain.

Once I made the decision to change courses with a project....an interesting thing happened. My dreams followed the same path and storyline as the book.  Every single one details a part of a chapter that as yet has not been written.  I keep a pad and pen by my bed to record the dreams and started to notice that the subject matter was identical to the book.

So the question is: the chicken or the egg?  Which came first?  It's interesting to ponder but the truth is it really doesn't matter as long as it works. The brain is so fascinating.  It's inner functions and workings determine how we think, how our body works and our creativity or lack of it.  My reaction to this is simple: just say "thank you" and get to work.

Switching Gears....Happily....Again!

Happiest with my pups!



I have never walked to the same beat as others.  In fact when I was ballroom dancing regularly, my teacher said to me that I heard extra beats in the music.  It upset me at first because sometimes it would mess up my training...but then I just accepted that it was part of who I am.  The beats were not something that did not exist, they just were not necessary to dance and could complicate the learning process.  I had to learn to expel the extra beats and get out of my own way, while keeping true to me....and my vision of the dance.

In ballroom dancing there is a certain way to use your arms.  At first it was challenging because I came from a ballet background.  Having learned belly dancing in the Middle East, I put my own exotic twist to my hand movements.  My teacher came from a classical Russian background and liked a different style.  I tried very hard to follow his instructions but in the end, I just didn't use my arms at all because none of it felt right until I began dancing .....just for fun.  The new instructor asked me why I did not use my arms; I told him the reason and he began re-training me without the pressure of a competition or performance.  And amazingly, the arms had a life of their own and it was my vision of what my arms should be.....it felt  so good when I did it my way but with the guidance of a pro.

This applies to writing.  A learned person in the industry once said to me..."You have to keep your vision and don't let everyone's opinions change it." I listened...that is what I am doing.  There is a book in me that has been knawing at my psyche for years.  I am doing it now.  It feels right and good and makes my heart sing.





Smiling With the Snow

The snow is delicious

This is K.J. named after King Julian from the Madagascar movie. My daughter thought he looked like the monkey in that movie!  He is a handful and her Christmas gift...and as predicted by more than one person...he ended up in my home after neighbors in her NYC apartment building complained about the little annoying barks coming from this bundle of pomeranian/shih tzu joy! He is with me now and enjoying life as part of the pack with Bella, Nico and Juliet.

Smiling for the cameras....

It is a lovely snow day today.  The puppies are enjoying it and I am smiling watching them, but they are a handful.  Lots of things in life are challenging like my new puppy and his interactions with his new pack.  Caring for them is time consuming and difficult but wonderful at the same time. Some of the characters in the book that is taking me to Europe....are difficult and wonderful also.  My protagonists are difficult together because they are merging  cultures while going to a foreign country ravaged by war.  One of these facts is daunting to face.  All of them together is terrifying but as we will see...they are up for the challenge.  Can they overcome the obstacles of the after effects of war?  Can they face their own fears of finishing the job they set out to do?

When someone tells you NO time and time again...how do you react?  Do you back away or find another route of entry?  Think about it....for a minute....for awhile and see what your answer is!  It will surprise you and give you incite into how you handle your life.

My Dance for Spring

So ready for the colors of spring

I know everyone is ready for spring.  We really didn't have much of a winter in terms of snow, but the cold was a constant reminder of what season prevailed. I personally will be welcoming spring with a happy dance....hmmm what shall I chose?  In my head I am dancing a rumba in the sun to Pasion sung by Sarah Brightman and Fernando Lima. I will celebrate spring in Montenegro hand in hand with my protagonists as I live a month in their lives.

 

 

Very soon I will be in the mountains I have come to know in my novel.  I will sleep in the Monastery outside the bones of a saint and where healing is a normal occurance....a place where people of the world travel to to feel peace and health.  I will walk the same steps as my beautiful protagonist and carry the souls of the tortured children in my heart....more intimately than as the writer....but now as the character I have created....I shall place myself in her heart and let her dictate my actions.

 

 

I am blessed to experience this with my heart family from all over the former Yugoslavia. and Moldova. They will travel with me, film with me, feel the pain of the children with me and finally the triumph of the human spirit.  I foresee a celebration of unprecedented proportions....not is the amount of food....or drink or exotic venue....but in the extraordinary people that I have collected around the world...whom I have chosen....or they have chosen me...our wonderful gypsy family.  My heart beats with anticipation of all the miracles we will see together.

Old Friends and A Book

As you all know, this past summer I spent in Cape May writing a novel.  My time there forever changed me.  The warm people that I met at the Ocean Club Hotel; owners,guests and hotel staff were placed strategically in my path with a purpose. With that visit began the seed of what is about to happen. The Beach at Montenegro will come to life for me allowing me to see it through the eyes of my protagonists.

I am planning to visit a very special place...with a very special person....to visit very special friends...to do something very important to me.  I am aware that this is not the best sentence...especially for someone who writes...but I am beyond excited.  This journey is the finishing touch on this novel. I will be privy to history firsthand and enjoy it in the company of people who grew up in the Balkans. Nail, Donita, Durim, and Stefanie....(my little gypsy family from around the world) I cannot wait to see you again...share a bottle of wine, share old memories and make lots of new ones. Natasha I hope you can meet us over there.  It wouldn't be the same without you!

We are doing something unusual and  exciting and I cannot wait to share it when we return. One thing I can tell you is that I plan to end up in Capri where I will put the finishing touches and write the final chapter. The story however, I hope with touch your hearts forever and stay with you through your own journey in life.

This has been awhile coming to fruition and I feel blessed to have met so many wonderful people of the world who have taken me into their hearts and shared their wonderful lives with me.  Through them and with them, I am realizing a dream and feeding my soul. Thank you for being part of my journey.