Tuesday 18 July 2017

#WEPFF WRITE…EDIT…PUBLISH… BRIDGES WINNER DEBORAH DRUCKER ON BECOMING A WRITER

We are thrilled to have Deborah Drucker, the winner of the WEP June Challenge - BRIDGES
here to discuss her writing journey. Her winning piece is titled

Congratulations, Deborah!




Have I become a writer?

I definitely did not always aspire to be or think of myself as a writer. I have spent most of my life being other things.

Going through a recent life transition, I started to read what others were writing about. I felt like I was crossing over into unknown territory and needed some guides. One of the websites I found was open to submissions to post on their site. I submitted a post and was published. Another well known writer accepted a guest post from me.

Jeune femme lisant dans un jardin by Henri Lebasque via Wikimedia

This was very exciting.

Would this be the new direction?

I started my own blog. Visions of being an overnight success swirled through my head. You would think it would be nothing but up from then on. It has taken longer than I expected. I do have a following but haven't gone viral yet. :D  I decided to blog about what interests me and feel strongly about.  Gathering a blog following is very time consuming and takes away from other interests. I need a lot of open space to reflect and down time to write.

I discovered I could write Flash Fiction and was encouraged when some of the pieces were well received by other writers. It was a challenge to write a story in 100 words or so. I learned that it is possible and it has shown me how you can trim your writing down to the bone. Some of my stories are completely imaginary while others have some basis in issues I care about.

I went through several of my flash fiction stories with a 100-word limit and picked this one which is kind of fun. I wrote this for the Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rachel Wisoff-Fields.

This image provided by Connie Gayer was the prompt. My story was inspired by a piece in the LA Times about the mudslides after the rain:

Copyright Connie Gayer


Disturb At Your Own Risk

The wild fires had prepared the site, El Nino rains brought the mudslides, and the hillsides gave up some of their secrets. Two skulls and a femur were found by some mountain hikers. The police said they would open their missing persons' files.

The call came in to the Sheriff’s Station on a quiet Sunday morning.

Another hiker had spotted something. The deputy dispatched to the scene called it in, I think this is a job for Animal Control. Yeah, it looks like a tentacle. Wait a minute, it’s moving!  The dispatcher heard a muffled scream and then nothing.

***

 I feel that now I am moving into another phase of my development as a writer and wanting to progress into longer pieces. I need more of a challenge than writing short Flash Fiction and blogging. Who knows if this will lead to anything, but I would like to find out.

I want to be brave, and I want to enjoy writing. I have come to realize that you can write about anything, even small everyday things. The secret for me is that the topic has to inspire me.

***
Thank you, Deborah, loved the post.
What about you, readers and writers, 
does the topic have to inspire you?
***


We'd love if you'd Tweet one/all of these:
The #WEPFF BRIDGES Challenge Winner Guest Post with Deborah Drucker! @DeniseCCovey & @YolandaRenee https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2017/07/wepff-writeeditpublish-bridges-winner.html

Celebrate with Deborah 1st place winner #WEPFF BRIDGES June Flash Fiction challenge #amwriting https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2017/07/wepff-writeeditpublish-bridges-winner.html


#WEPFF June Challenge winner discusses her writing journey @DeniseCCovey & @YolandaRenee https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2017/07/wepff-writeeditpublish-bridges-winner.html  #amwriting #flashfiction


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And don't forget AUGUST is the
REUNIONS CHALLENGE



To help you with some ideas:


Families separated by a multitude of reasons-- ill feelings, separation at birth, kidnapping -- many reasons for such, or a holiday reunion lends itself to a fantasy reunion that can be heartbreaking for its reality.

Happy Writing!



YOUR WEP TEAM!

21 comments:

  1. Deborah, congratulations on the progress of your writing journey. And congratulations on winning WEP's last challenge. I wish you the best as you go forward and accept the challenges that come your way. :-)

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    1. Thank you very much,Denise. I am doubly honored to win the WEP June Challenge and have a guest post on the WEP bloghop. Thank you for your good wishes. :)

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  2. I loved your winning entry and this post Deborah. And the supportive community here at WEP. I still consider myself a reader rather than a writer, and am so very grateful for the riches I find here.

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    1. Thank you so much. I am very happy to have found this community of writers as well. :)

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  4. Deborah, this was a great piece and it speaks to a lot of us who have questions about where to start. Just start, find your groove (I know archaic word) but really it's all about participation. Denise, Nila, Olga, and I hope that's what the WEP provides. I love this semi-monthly challenge and still look forward to putting my muse to work on the prompt, and then reading all the amazing stories that come from it. Always inspiring!
    Congratulations on your win! Thanks for being our guest!

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    1. Thanks, also, for being a friend!

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    2. Thank you very much,Renee. Your words mean so much. I do plan to continue participating and love WEP for welcoming me. I am grateful for your friendship and glad to be your friend. <3

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  5. Great job, Deborah! Congratulations.

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  6. Hi Deborah ... your Final Transition entry was excellent and thought provoking as to age and expectations as we all enter our third age or beyond. So congratulations on your win.

    It's excellent you'll be around with the WEP ... congratulations and cheers Hilary

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    1. Thank you very much,Hilary. Looking forward to being on WEP. :)

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  7. One can sure write about anything indeed. The journey sure changes along the way. And yep, amassing a blog following takes a lot of time and work indeed.

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  8. Hi Deborah,
    As you leave the harbour to branch out in your writing and write longer pieces, I wish you the curiosity and the determination to keep at it until you find the shoes that fit you as a writer.
    All the best.
    Shalom aleichem

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    1. Thank you very much,Pat,for your support and good wishes. :)

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  9. It's always inspiring to read each story - the same prompt/image produces such an array of mind-bogglingly different treatment -superbly amazing what each writer does. Congratulations Deborah! for winning the first place, and thanks for sharing your journey. Wishing you more milestones, more successes, more fun.

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    1. I am impressed by all the creativity of all the writers on WEP. Thank you very much, Nilanjana. :)

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  10. Great post, Deborah. Mastering the short form is hard, some say much harder than the long sprawling pieces. You do it beautifully. Good luck at spreading your wings as a writer of longer fiction.

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    1. Thank you so much,Olga, for your kind words and good wishes. :)

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