Some writers keep every scrap of paper, every note, every short story version they’ve ever written. Others smartly pick and choose which scraps of paper to keep for posterity’s sake.
I was going through a stack of ringed notebooks and books and sketch pads I had stacked on the corner of my dresser for like ever, and decided to go through all and see what I could keep and what I could toss.
What a crazy backwards trip in time!
I found notes on old books I’d written back in 2005. 2005!! Notes on books I never finished; research on faeries and Old English language and life in the 1880s.
I also found a diary from a very lonely girl from 1966 and a bunch of short stories written for writing classes for a college degree I never got back in the 70s.
I was delighted to discover the mind of a middle-aged woman who owned a B&B and the writing prose of someone who had just gotten divorced at 27 years of age. I found some sketches for Mehndi Body Art painting and a shelving unit I don’t remember owning and lots of poetry I forgot I’d ever written.
The best thing I found was a little 5 x 7 notebook that contained notes from when our family took my first grandson to Disneyworld nine years ago when he was four. I recorded each day of our vacation so that we would always have something in writing to bond us.
Love doesn’t need written proof. Just like it doesn’t need flowers and candy and romantic dinners by candlelight. But it will be a wonderful treat to read it to him when all of the participants are around next weekend.
I love to time travel, both alone and with others. After all, who knows where you and your friends and family will wind up?
Advice for the day: don’t throw ALL of your notes away — save the creative heart-felt ones for a rainy/granny/writer day!
Humoring the Goddess 
Good advice. I love reading what I wrote a long time ago.
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Good! Although at times I wonder “Who wrote this??} as I don’t think I have it like I used to!
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We “mature” and get wiser, when we are young we see things totally different.
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I’m looking forward to the days when everything turns simple again…….
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I was going to ask if you published, when I saw your reply to another comment. I’m so curious about your writing though!
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You are most kind! I’ve written two novels about a middle-aged woman who drives through a cornfield and winds up in 1880; two novels about a middle-aged “New Age” kinda woman being taken to another world based on the Etruscan civilization; a novel from four points of view of four winners of a writing contest who are thrown a curve at their vacation reward; and 1 1/2 novels about an older woman who travels to Paris by herself and runs into spirits of Paris past; and half a novel about a woman who is lured by and elven lord into his shadow world where purpose is not what it seems. Whew! I see a pattern here…
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Sounds good to me! A bit of historical fantasy or magical realism with an older female protagonist… there aren’t so many stories like that. So many books have characters in their twenties or early thirties. I’d love a middle-aged perspective! You know, someone who’s actually lived a little and give more nuance. One of my favourite bookvloggers on YouTube is always saying this as well.
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I suppose write what you know … maybe now that my granddaughter’s princess party is over (heh) I can do a little submitting myself. Yet with the thousands of new titles on Amazon every month, I don’t think there’s much of a publishing opening out there. But what the heck!
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What a treasure trove! How fun was that to go through! I don’t have anything written that I haven’t published. I’ve never kept notes. No journals. Nada. Hmmm. You make me wish I had!
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But you have bee PUBLISHED. That ranks higher than I’ve ever gotten. A few short stories eons ago in a New Age magazine, but I haven’t tried to get published in ages. Maybe I should give it another try.
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Absolutely! It’s easy and so satisfying. 🙂 I guess all my blog posts are something to look back on, too.
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Yes! When I look back through my blogs through the years I do see how I’ve changed and — dare I say — mellowed? Ha!
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But I am happy you found your treasure and shared it with us.
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I really hope you have treasure, too! IF not you can start today!
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I lived my life like a gypsy, never staying in one place for too long. It is hard to keep personal treasures when you are constantly on the move. Little things can get lost pretty easily.
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But you have a gypsy’s life worth of memories, which count too. Maybe you can start tomorrow writing the memories down somewhere — turning them into poetry, short stories, or novels. You have a lot to give!
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A great thing to do. I recently went through some notebooks too. On the back of one was a stick figure and in juvenile writing: I LOVE YOU GRANDMA. I’m glad I didn’t throw that one away. He must have written that when he was staying with us almost 20 years ago.
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Yes yes yes! That must be why I have an overflowing letter holder with dozens of mom and grandma cards. Never let go!
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Makes me want to do more journaling😍
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Oh, Do! I used to journal in my 40s — a lot of blah blah blah and all of that — but it was wonderful therapy while it lasted (3 journals worth!) It was after that I took a turn at writing role playing posts, getting lost in being someone else, and when that ended, the writing turned into a two volume novel about my “character” going back in time to meet a lost role playing “partner.” The rest is history. So too will yours be!
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Great advice.
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Only so because I have enjoyed my creative life. I hope you are enjoying yours too!
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