After years of wearing glasses and contacts, this past week I made the decision to have Lasik surgery for my eyes. At my age, which I don't really keep track of, my eyes now have the challenge of seeing both distance and close up. Such a struggle. Years ago, with contacts, I was introduced to what is called Mono vision. Mono vision is where one eye is adjusted to see distance and the other to see up close.
For some people this can create challenges, for me it is heaven. So when the time came for my Lasik procedure, it was exactly what I wanted.
In writing too, I have the same desire. That of seeing up close and distant at the same time. Up close means writing from the beginning taking all the room necessary to give the nuances and details time to develop. Yet, for me, I must also have the vision of the end. Not all the details of what will happen, but a final scene. A picture in my head that I write toward.
One of my favorite quotes is: "If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there." -Lewis Carroll.
Many times when I finally get to the end of a piece, when I am on that road, so to speak, I change course at the last minute. That is also fine, because I know I'm still in the right vicinity.
Whether writing non fiction or an article, knowing where you are headed will help you to draw your readers to the right conclusions. And try writing a novel with just that one end scene in mind. See if knowing where you're headed will also help you find direction.
See you all on the road.
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D. Jean Quarles is a writer of Women's Fiction and Young Adult Science Fiction. Her latest book, Flight from the Water Planet, Book 1 of The Exodus Series was written with her coauthor, Austine Etcheverry.
D. Jean loves to tell stories of personal growth – where success has nothing to do with money or fame, but of living life to the fullest. She is also the author of the novels: Rocky's Mountains, Fire in the Hole and, Perception. The Mermaid, an award winning short story was published in the anthology, Tales from a Sweltering City.
She is a wife, mother, grandmother and business coach. In her free time . . . ha! ha! ha! Anyway, you can find more about D. Jean Quarles, her writing and her books at her website at www.djeanquarles.com
Her novels are available in electronic format here, or print format here. You can also follower her at www.djeanquarles.blogspot.com or on Facebook
There's a poem for every occasion, and the occasion at hand is Father's Day. Though the 3rd Sunday in June is the most common day for Father's Day, it's not the only one. In Australia, for example, Father's Day is the first Sunday in September. In Russia, it's February. My own Father lives in the US, and so I get to celebrate the June date, usually (almost always) by sending books for gifts. My dad likes to read sci-fi, so this year he got Mieville's Railsea and Murakami's 1Q84. Last year I wrote him a poem, as I often do, though the following one is a poem I wrote for another father figure in my life, my grandfather, who ran a boat yard for many years during my childhood. The now defunct boatyard is also pictured on the cover - the image that inspired the poem, taken by my uncle during a nostalgic visit back. The poem provides the title for (and is featured in) the poetry book 
