Artania Chronicles: Inspiring Children

Why write about a world made of art? That’s different.

And unique, yes. Just like every child I’ve ever had the joy to meet.

In Artania, every time one presses crayon to paper, it births a wondrous being. Magical. Born of imagination and creativity.

What all children need.

Every child has such beauty inside but sadly so few see it. Their homes are fraught with neglect and abuse. Too many never celebrate their wonder.

Yet they should.

I’ve tried telling my students, “No one can draw, write, paint, sing, or dance just like you. You can create magic. If only you believe.”

Not enough.

So I wrote about an art-created world that needs them. That is in danger. And only the true art that comes from deep inside will save it.

“Like this Ms. Woodward?” One boy asks holding up a sketch.

And I nod hoping they will be inspired to create more.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078RTXXDL?ref_=dbs_p_mng_rwt_ser_shvlr&storeType=ebooks

About Laurie: The author of Forests Secrets and Finding Joy as well as The Pharaoh’s Cry, Portal Rift, Persistence of Memory, Kidnapped Smile, and Dragon Sky of the fantasy series The Artania Chronicles, Laurie Woodward is also a screenwriter who co-authored Dean and JoJo: The Dolphin Legacy. Her poetry has been published in multiple journals and anthologies and she was a collaborator on the popular anti-bullying DVD Resolutions. Bullied as a child, Laurie is now an award-winning peace consultant, poet, and blogger who helps teach children how to avoid arguments, stop bullying, and maintain healthy friendships. She writes on the Central Coast of California. More about her work can be found at Author Laurie Woodward — Next Chapter ia.net

Info Diving

Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m an info nerd. I love donning a couple of oxygen tanks, slipping into a wetsuit, and diving into a salty research. It’s my process for every short story, novel, and screenplay I’ve ever begun.

And it’s glorious!

All is silence as I swim through glide over brilliant coral reefs and through wavy kelp forest facts. The stresses of life might call but they are distant whispers at the surface of my joyful sea.

Artania has taken me from Egyptian pyramids to Gothic castles to surreal structures where I’ve been able to meet gods, goddesses, Mona Lisa, Dali, Monet, Gaudi, and so many more characters from art history.

Breathing in their stories and exhaling a few of my own.

Research. Friggin’ fun!

The Four Agreements Review

One book that improves self-esteem, increases productivity, betters relationships, and brings you peace? Are you kidding?

Nope. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz can do all the above and more. How? Ruiz outlines four simple agreements to live by. 1) Be impeccable with your word. 2) Don’t take anything personally. 3) Don’t make assumptions. 4) Always do your best.

The first agreement has helped to keep my writing on track. To be impeccable with one’s word is to follow through with whatever we say. For example, years ago I told myself I would write seven Artania novels and I’ve kept that promise to myself and thus far have finished five. The same goes for any other project. If I tell a friend I’m going to complete a screenplay, I do it.

The second agreement helps my relationships. When I realize that most actions by others have absolutely nothing to do with me, it doesn’t matter if someone calls or not. I accept that they live are just living heir lives. Even if someone gets angry, it often is because of past pain, current stress, or physical ailments. And I remember this agreement so I don’t take it personally. Anyhow, I am busy living my own life and don’t have time to focus on theirs.

The book also taught me that many misunderstandings stem from assumptions. And this is an area I still need to work on. I’ll admit that I still assume that people in certain roles “should act” certain ways. Many of these assumptions come from cultural indoctrination of gender roles. For instance, I expected my ex-husband to mow the lawn because that’s “what husbands do.” These assumptions have only hurt my relationships. I am continuing to try and accept people for who they are.

Number four isn’t always easy. Especially lately since I’ve become my mother’s caretaker. I want to do my best as a mom, teacher, writer, gym rat, and friend. However the days have been wearing me out. Dementia takes constant vigilance and I’m often tired, stressed, and burned out. Then I look at pictures of my children or my students’ faces and know they deserve my best. I see Mom’s confusion as she wanders back and forth lost in the house and dig deeper for strength. If I read over a page I’ve written and it isn’t right, I revise it.

At the end of the I want to respect myself. So I try my best.

The Four Agreements. Making life better.

Mom, Where Are You?

When Mom first got her eviction notice sent in January, our family scrambled to find low income housing. But this is California and only a small percentage of seniors seeking affordable housing find it in the first year. Everywhere we called said no vacancy. At the same time Mom said she hadn’t been feeling well and we noticed that she was getting forgetful, mixing up dates and forgetting to pay bills. Otherwise she seemed fairly normal.

We had no idea.

We were struggling to find a place for Mom to live when I got the phone call. “My kidneys aren’t working right. I need to go to the hospital.” What?! I called my principal to take my class, and rushed to pick her up. Soon, I learned the truth. Stage 4 Kidney Disease. Irreversible. No treatment but hydration. She was put on an IV drip which improved her kidney function slightly. And she seemed lucid most of the time although the nurses noticed that she had some dementia.

When she was released from the hospital she had two weeks to vacate her home. With no other choice, my brother and I decided it was best to move her in with me. (That hellacious weekend packing her and discovering she’d been a hoarder is a story in and of itself.) I bought a dresser and nightstand, cleaned out my office to make room for her computer, and put cozy new sheets on her bed. Hoping a peaceful environment with regular meals would improve her health.

She only got worse.

I put up signs everywhere hoping to help her navigate her way. . Still in the middle of the night she couldn’t find her way back to bed after using the restroom. She’d search every room including mine. So I started locking my bedroom door.

I installed security cameras and got an app called KASA for my phone to watch her while I’m at work. This gave me some peace of mind since I received a notification every time she used the stairs, one of my biggest worries. I put her medicine next to the coffee pot with a note and dosage. She only took her meds half the time. I put bottles of water on every table she might use and made sure there were healthy snacks like cut fruit, nuts, and yogurt she could eat with no prep.

She barely ate. Forgot to drink adequate water.

Three weeks into living with me she had her kidneys tested. Function was down to twenty percent, five percent worse than when she went in the hospital! The doctor ordered her to drink more water.

She said she was. I knew she wasn’t.

I was trying the best I could but I knew I was failing. It was time to get help so I contacted a local company specializing in placing caretakers and hired an angel: Sarah.

And I would advise anyone else dealing with this to do the same. You can’t do it alone.

The mother I once had is gone. But at least this one has a little peace. With help.

Dementia’s Sieve: A Poem

Sieve separating

Moments in memory

And reality from delusion

Rinsing each synapse

Diluting connections

And

Leaving familial particles

Forever separated

By mesh

New Screenplay Done!

I just finished my latest screenplay. Yahoo! Learning this art has been a blast of a challenge and with every new piece of work, I discover more about the craft. I still love writing novels, but variety is giving this gal’s life a little more spice.

Now what? It gets posted on Script Revolution a free script hosting platform that offers screenwriters a place to promote their scripts and filmmakers the tools to search through them. Then I dream…

https://www.scriptrevolution.com/

Forest Secrets: An Homage to Trees

About 20 years ago I was on a family trip in Alaska gazing out at the varied spruce, aspen, willow, and pines thinking how each was so unique. One might remind me of a bent old sheepherder, while another was a pixie about to toss dust over the wildflowers. Some seemed noble but there were several that were melancholy as they lost their home to logging.

And an idea formed in my mind.

What if trees could morph from human to plant and back again? Would that make an interesting story?

Thinking it might, I began to write. And research. And outline. And write some more.

In the end my first novel, Forest Secrets, was born.

When a tree creature is lost with her forest on the verge of destruction, 11-year-old Daisy Castillo sets off on a quest to save her. But time is running out and if she doesn’t act soon, a race of mythical beings will lose their only home.

Resonant Beats: A Poem

Their hearts once beat with mine

And now pulse with a strength

That resonates through

Bone

Sinew

And skin

Filling the air

With rhythms

And expansive

Dance.

Encore: A Poem

Lighting upon a liquid stage

Briefly for an audience of one

Two fallen birch leaves

Pirouette in a whirlpool,

Mirrored mimes in

Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet,

Carmen, and the Firebird.

Those who had once been

Skyriders reflecting and

Filtering light

Fell to Earth

Reluctant parasailers

Only to battle ensuing currents

In a watery waltz

All escape blocked by

Cries of encore.

One ochre lover

Makes his way upstream

While his partner is left

Swirling in the sun

Lost and alone

These former cloud dancers

Surrender to the stream

And are gone.

To where they are destined

Is unknown but I’d like

To imagine

That when the wind

Choreographs them

One final time

They embrace

As they slowly sink

Forever from the sky.

Persistence of Memory Published!

I am thrilled to announce that Artania V: Persistence of Memory was published on January 18th! I am so thankful to my publisher, Next Chapter, and editor Miika Hannila for continuing to support me and my work. With international exposure, translations into four languages, audio books, and now even promotional merchandise, they make me proud to be part of the team.

Since each of my Artania books takes place during a different art period, I thought it’d be fun to research the surrealist movement in Spain for this one. I loved learning about Gaudi’s architecture, Frida Kahlo’s art, and Salvador Dali’s fascinating life. And it gave me lots of cool ideas for characters. For example, when I visited Dali’s home in Cadaques a couple of years back and saw a stuffed polar bear draped in necklaces, I immediately knew he’d have to be in the book. So Polar Bear is Dali’s flamboyant chef who loves nothing more than creating

Fun!