New Blog Site

I have started a new Blog site because I think it offers a better range of features more to my liking.

The New site is <http://norm301.shawwebspace.ca/>

Some of the items on this Blog site have been moved over there.

Adding Picture and Emotion to writing - Assignment # 13 Winghill Writing School -

Last week, I sent in Assignment #13 to Winghill Writing School

This week I received the marked assignment. I am making progress as a writer. I need to work on painting a verbal picture of the characters, their actions, how they look and speak, as well as the story.

It's more than "Just the facts, Mam." (Sergeant Joe Friday, Dragnet TV Series)

This is a challenge for me. All my life I have had to keep my emotions under control and hidden. I worked with the public; I had to be professional.

Now, in writing, I am to spill my emotions out on paper to add feeling and life to my writings.

It is hard for me to show emotion and to give love and affection. I don't like being touched and I don't like touching. The pains of childhood still haunt me. In a way, I am kind of like Sally.

How my wife,Denise, can remain married to me, I do not know? I would have walked out long ago! In a way, she is kind of like Frank.

In 'The Motel Keys", I did things to my main characters that left me drained afterwards. I never realized that to a writer the characters are real people and when they get hurt the writer gets hurt and when they die the writer mourns.

I created a character called "Beezer". I had to make him loveable and right away plotted something horrible to happen to him, then to bring something inspiring out of that.

"Sally", the female lead character, has really bad things happen to her that close her up to love. She can't allow herself to love. She is hurt. She has responsibilities before her time. She is trapped trying to live.

"Frank", the lead male character, wants to reach Sally but he is rebuffed at every encounter, but he senses something in her. She is reaching out to him in small ways, through the bars of her life. What will it take to reach her and capture her wizzled heart? Can he do it?

I was totally unprepared for the emotions I suffered and their effect on me as I wrote the last few chapters and the end of the story.


"The Motel Keys", by Norm MacDonald. My first fiction story.

Some chapters are posted on this blog.

How did I have time to work?

I left work in March 2009, 10 months ago.

I run out of time every day. I usually get up around 6am, give or take an hour, and settle in bed around 11pm, give or take an hour.

I have so many things I want to do and so many things I am doing.

I am project oriented and love the challenges of projects that are short-term, medium-term and long-term.

Hey, it keeps me busy and definitely not bored.

I have to weave these around my family relationships and enjoyment of life.

How did I ever have time to work? I wonder at that.

Of course, I had to work just like you do.

How else can we make a life for ourselves and family?

Retirement should be the dawn of a new life, not the sunset of a life lived.

Volunteer Work

I am the training officer for the Valley Squadron of Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons.

We teach safe boating.

This week we start a slate of weekly courses. Tuesday Seamanship, Wednesday The Boating Course in Abbotsford and Harrison Hot Springs, Thursday The Boating Course in Chilliwack.

My job is to set these up and get them going, doing registrations, handing out course supplies.

I am taking an active part in the Seamanship Course in planning and preparing sessions. Tonight is the first night and I will be alone in front of a group of expectant boaters.

I never instructed a class before. It is amazing how much prep work one has to do for two hours.

I do have some experience in one-on-one teaching. Actually, I prefer to call it facilitating.

The most important thing is to come back safe and alive.
Anybody can leave the dock.

Copyright Protection

Literary works are automatically protected for the author by national and international copyright laws

All rights are reserved by the author, Norman D. W. MacDonald, for any literary works posted on this Blog site.

Norm's ebooks are published by Echo Dawn Media.

Copyright infringement is taken very seriously by the courts and can result in stiff penalties.


A recent case of copyright infringement December 17, 2009

"A Chinese female writer accusing Google China of copyright infringement has filed a lawsuit against the company in a Beijing court.

Mian Mian, a well-known Shanghai-based novelist, said the Haidian District People's Court is scheduled to hold a hearing on the case on Dec 29.

"Google earlier argued that they didn't violate copyright law as they only displayed a small amount of text of my book, but I think their move has seriously hurt Chinese writers' rights," Mian Mian told China Daily yesterday.

Mian said Google scanned her entire novel, titled Acid Lover, published by the Shanghai Joint Publishing Company, without notifying her or paying her for copyright permission.

Google China deleted Mian's Acid Lover from their website on Nov 15."

(Source: China Daily December 16)

The Barkerville Bank Robbery

I have just finished entering my hand-written notes into the computer.

This fiction short story is done except for the editing and rewrites.

I like the way it turned out and hope you will too.

I will post Chapter 3 after I go over it.

Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 were posted earlier, please see the Blog Archive list on the right.

Writing is new to me

I am retired from a long career in nursing.

Writing is a significant stretch for me. I got 29% in English in Grade 12 and failed to graduate. I later took night classes to upgrade my schooling for entering nursing school.

I had great difficulty stringing even a few words together. Essays and paragraphs were foreign to me. Poetry a total loss, though I did write one good poem, which I have subsequently lost.

I had to write nursing notes on patient charts, but they are not even close to literary writing.

So here I am determined to forge a writing career. If I never become famous, I tried, at least.

At the very least, it keeps me busy. The works I have planned will take a few years to complete.

Will I succeed? Who knows?

Someone once said that "All journeys start with the first step".

You can follow my steps on this blog.