WRITING
Okay,okay, so Walter Mosley is on to something with this writing everyday thing so that the "continent of thought below your conscious mind" can work on the story. The book was available earlier than the date I saw on amazon. I ended up buying it a week and half ago and pretty much finished it in one sitting. It is a slim volume but full of sage advice from a writer who works at his craft. I found the third person narrative section especially helpful since that is an element I am curently struggling with. He states that "...we are viewing the world through the prism of the intelligent eye perched on Brent's shoulder, an intelligence without emotional response." That pretty much echoes what my writing group came up with when I read a passage from a short story that swings from a ten-year old girl's thoughts to an objective narrative voice within the same paragraph. They suggested that for it to work in my particular story that when the narrative voice is on, it can't include any of my usual metaphorical language. It's hard for me to do but it makes complete sense. I've been working on my story, even when I don't feel like it and finally it has fallen into some shape that feels right. And once that happened things from the first story fell into place. I'd wake up and think,"Oh, it's Barbie dolls in that scene, not baby dolls. And this scene needs to be moved from the second story to the first." And so on. So I am waking up like he said, further along in my story than when I left it the day before.
He also suggests that there is no vacation from writing. Literally. That you should write on the beach or wherever you happen to be. If you get a tooth pulled then put your character in a dentist's chair. Well... I leave for vacation tomorrow and I can pretty much guarantee you that I will not be writing everyday. Or maybe any day. I'll bring my notebooks and if I write anything that's something since I am giving myself permission to just not write for the next week. Does that make sense? With the pressue off, I am certain I will probably write at some point. Whereas if I demanded that I write everyday, well, that just wouldn't happen and I'd have the guilt on top of it.
READING
I am stunned that Oprah chose "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. Thrilled but stunned. It is not her usual woman truimphs in the end sort of novel. Not by a long shot. I read this the day it came out practically and pretty much in one sitting. Could not put it down. I even underlined sentences as I read... they are that breathtkaing. Anyway, now that it's out in paperback, everyone should read it. Really, go buy. Read it. It's amazing.
Another book I couldn't put down was "Awake in the Dark" by Shira Nayman. These are short stories and a novella that explore the deeply held secret life of holocaust survivors, what they endured, what they had to do to survive and the toll it took on them and their children as the secrets eventually surface. Highly recommended.
I am currently reading "Moral Disorder" by Margaret Atwood. Will write on it when I finish. So so good...as usual.
NEWS
My piece is now on http://estellabooks.blogspot.com/2007/04/three-hundred-and-ninety-three-and.html. There are also interviews with a some great writers- Billy Collins, Sara Gruen.
The Altercations conference in Ann Arbor is open for registration today. I went last year and ended up creating two beautiful collages that are now hanging in my house. This year I am interested in two classes. One in image transfer and the other in painting and mixing colors to get vibrant lush backgrounds.
Just finished a logo and sign for a church out in Arizona. And my sister and I also designed some logo ideas for our other sister in Florida. That was fun.
We are off to Connecticut and Philadelphia tomorrow for spring break. It's not a warm beach but it is family and our daughters seem to prefer that. So, no more posts until the week of April 15. Now I get to go pick my books for the trip. I love that part of packing.
QUOTE
"The reader is always looking for two things in the novel: themsleves and transcendence."
- Walter Mosley
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
An All Around Excellent Day
It's been an excellent writing day. Finally, finally, finally this second story in my collection fell into place. All the scenes fell into a new order that makes so much more sense and it feels inevitable. That has to be good, right? I just need to smooth out a few scenes, fill in a few gaps and send it off to my writing group for our next meeting. I'm sure they'll be grateful to see a new story. Same character but new story.
It's been an excellent library day. I checked out "Awake in the Dark" by Shira Nayman. It's a story collection that I've been eyeing at the bookstore for a while. And "Blind Submission" by Debra Ginsberg which is a novel set in the bookstore/publishing business.
And it's been an excellent bookstore day. I got the new CD by Amy Winehouse. It's playing now. She has this great phrase in the third song "What kind of f**kery is this?" I think it could catch on... Plus a book called "Writer Mama" by Christina Katz which I think is probably aimed at moms with kids younger than mine but it looks like she has some great tips for breaking into magazine writing which is something I want to do. I also bought the latest issue of a magazine out of the UK called "Psychologies." It's one of the few magazines where I read practically every aricle.
And I cleaned up our art studio in the basement. Now that it's a bit more organized maybe that will entice to go make some art.
So, yes, all in all an excellent day so far... Bring on the evening of homework, dinner and negotiating the inevitable sibling rivalry...
It's been an excellent library day. I checked out "Awake in the Dark" by Shira Nayman. It's a story collection that I've been eyeing at the bookstore for a while. And "Blind Submission" by Debra Ginsberg which is a novel set in the bookstore/publishing business.
And it's been an excellent bookstore day. I got the new CD by Amy Winehouse. It's playing now. She has this great phrase in the third song "What kind of f**kery is this?" I think it could catch on... Plus a book called "Writer Mama" by Christina Katz which I think is probably aimed at moms with kids younger than mine but it looks like she has some great tips for breaking into magazine writing which is something I want to do. I also bought the latest issue of a magazine out of the UK called "Psychologies." It's one of the few magazines where I read practically every aricle.
And I cleaned up our art studio in the basement. Now that it's a bit more organized maybe that will entice to go make some art.
So, yes, all in all an excellent day so far... Bring on the evening of homework, dinner and negotiating the inevitable sibling rivalry...
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Update
Not only was it a productive morning but I already heard back from the editor of the blog where I submitted my piece and they loved it. It will appear at http://www.estellasrevenge.com in April. Very cool... I am becoming more of a believer in just showing up and writing regardless of my current frame of mind- or lack thereof.
Well, that was productive
It is now 9:08. I wrote my morning pages which actually helped shed some light on why I haven't been writing like I want to. I finished the mysteries piece and submitted it to the blog editor. And I've been working on the second story in my novel-in-stories. I just scratched out a rough outline of a new sequence of scenes and it looks like I might end up combining the first two stories into one. I tried doing that before but something always prevented it. It still might but it feels good to be working on it. And the voice seems to be coming through this time. We'll see... it's way to soon to tell at this point.
Anyway... all in all quite a productive morning so far.
Anyway... all in all quite a productive morning so far.
Something New Today
I read on a blog, which is now on hiatus, about this writing accountability group. They all signed on at say 7 pm after posting their goal for that writing period earlier in the day. They all then proceeded to write for the allotted time, maybe 2 hours then checked back in with their results. It looked quite successful. So I am trying that this morning. It is 7:24 and I am committing to writing for at least the next hour. Longer if my daughter sleeps in. The only reason I can do this now is because she is home sick again. She's missed the whole week of school. My goal is to write my 3 morning pages and revise my "It's a Mystery" piece. I'll post again when I am done.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
This Thing They Call Process
I've been a bit obsessed about this thing referred to as the creative process.( Just ask my writing group.) It probably stems from the fact that I haven't been truly engaged in it in a while. I came to that conclusion because the days seem to slip though my fingers without me ever picking up a pen or tapping these keys. But I mull it over, this whole process thing. A lot. So my look on the bright side, the glass is half full new conclusion is that these black holes of non-productivity are actually part of my process. Not a part I necessarily enjoy but a part nonetheless. And this blog which is here to reflect on the creative process- well the black holes between entries tell a story in themselves, don't they? You could assume that I am furiously writing my way through my novel-in-stories when, in fact, I am totally stumped by the first story. And I do mean stumped. (Again, just ask my writing group.) I am trying to write in a third person voice of an eight-year-old girl but also have this objective narrator available for those things that she just isn't able to tell in her own voice. If anyone has any reading suggestions for that I am totally open. The only story I've come across so far is "Bocci" by Renee Manfredi and I am dissecting it line by line.
Another thing that leads to this not writing business is that I do not have to work outside the home. I have been beyond blessed in that regard. I do some freelance graphic design work but for the most part my days are wide open, except for days like this week when my daughter is home sick. I have put this pressure on myself that a real writer with a day wide open like mine will slide effortlessly toward her computer and sit there for a good 5-6 hours writing her novel. I don't know where I got this idea. I have met one writer who claims to do that. I won't mention her by name because I do enjoy her books but still, I think we are allowed to hate her just a bit. But all the other writers I know and have read interviews with, well, that's just not reality. All the blogs I find, they discuss this dark side of writing and I realize that if I am to keep an honest account of my creative life, then I need to disclose this side too. And accept that it is just part of living a creative life.
NEWS
Received form email rejection from "The Missouri Review" for "Being Franny's Sister"- Kind of disappointing since I have gotten some very encouraging handwritten notes from them in the past and this is my best story to date.
Walter Mosley has a new book coming out on April 3 called "This Year you Write Your Novel"- It looks amazing. There's an excerpt in the current issue of "Poets & Writers." I plan on reading it on our 12 hour road trip to CT over Easter.
Anne Lamott has a new book that came out yesterday. More spiritual essays. Can't wait to read it.
GOALS
• Send out "Being Franny's Sister" and "Small Gestures of Violence" to five journals each before my writing group meets again on April 22.
• Revise the second story in my collection "Japanese for Butterfly" for April 22.
• Revise and submit piece on mystery for http://www.estellabooks.blogspot.com/ by March 25.
QUOTE
"The first and most important thing you have to know about writing is that it is something you must do everyday...Some days you may be rewriting, rereading, or just sitting there scrolling back and forth through the text. This is enough to bring you back into the dream of your story. What, you ask, is the dream of a story? This is a mood and a continent of thought below your conscious mind; a place that you get closer to with each foray into the words and worlds of your novel. You may have only spent an hour and a half working on the book, but the rest of the day will be rife with motive moments in your unconsciousness; moments in your mind, which is mulling over the places your words have touched. While you sleep, mountains are moving deep within your psyche. When you wake up and return to the book, you are amazed by the realization that you are farther along than when you left off yesterday. If you skip a day or more between your writing sessions, your mind will drift away from these deep moments of your story. You will find that you'll have to slog back to a place that would have been easily attained if only you wrote everyday."
From Walter Mosely's new book. I printed it out and taped it over my desk.
Another thing that leads to this not writing business is that I do not have to work outside the home. I have been beyond blessed in that regard. I do some freelance graphic design work but for the most part my days are wide open, except for days like this week when my daughter is home sick. I have put this pressure on myself that a real writer with a day wide open like mine will slide effortlessly toward her computer and sit there for a good 5-6 hours writing her novel. I don't know where I got this idea. I have met one writer who claims to do that. I won't mention her by name because I do enjoy her books but still, I think we are allowed to hate her just a bit. But all the other writers I know and have read interviews with, well, that's just not reality. All the blogs I find, they discuss this dark side of writing and I realize that if I am to keep an honest account of my creative life, then I need to disclose this side too. And accept that it is just part of living a creative life.
NEWS
Received form email rejection from "The Missouri Review" for "Being Franny's Sister"- Kind of disappointing since I have gotten some very encouraging handwritten notes from them in the past and this is my best story to date.
Walter Mosley has a new book coming out on April 3 called "This Year you Write Your Novel"- It looks amazing. There's an excerpt in the current issue of "Poets & Writers." I plan on reading it on our 12 hour road trip to CT over Easter.
Anne Lamott has a new book that came out yesterday. More spiritual essays. Can't wait to read it.
GOALS
• Send out "Being Franny's Sister" and "Small Gestures of Violence" to five journals each before my writing group meets again on April 22.
• Revise the second story in my collection "Japanese for Butterfly" for April 22.
• Revise and submit piece on mystery for http://www.estellabooks.blogspot.com/ by March 25.
QUOTE
"The first and most important thing you have to know about writing is that it is something you must do everyday...Some days you may be rewriting, rereading, or just sitting there scrolling back and forth through the text. This is enough to bring you back into the dream of your story. What, you ask, is the dream of a story? This is a mood and a continent of thought below your conscious mind; a place that you get closer to with each foray into the words and worlds of your novel. You may have only spent an hour and a half working on the book, but the rest of the day will be rife with motive moments in your unconsciousness; moments in your mind, which is mulling over the places your words have touched. While you sleep, mountains are moving deep within your psyche. When you wake up and return to the book, you are amazed by the realization that you are farther along than when you left off yesterday. If you skip a day or more between your writing sessions, your mind will drift away from these deep moments of your story. You will find that you'll have to slog back to a place that would have been easily attained if only you wrote everyday."
From Walter Mosely's new book. I printed it out and taped it over my desk.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
The Process of Dead Ends
WRITING PROCESS
Much more reading than writing lately. Although I have been writing. Working on the same first story of my novel-in-stories. After doing about eleven revisions where I was sure that the first two stories needed to be together I finally realized that, in fact, they did not belong together. At all. not even close. A huge lesson in dead ends and process. It really has to be about enjoying the process of dreaming up these characters and becoming completely fascinated by what they will do next even if they lead me on ten wild goose chses so that I end up almost exactly where I started. At one point I had index cards with scenes from both stories spread out all over the floor of my office trying all different sequences. It was then that I ralized tha everytime I hit a wall it was when I tried merging the stories. So I sent them off to their separate corners and feel like i am back on track. Good thing too since I need to submit something to my group this week.
We had a snow day last week and my new "Poets & Writers" showed up. Perfect timing. There is an article in there by Wlater Mosely on the importance of writing every day. All writers have their opinion on this. Some are on board, others scoff and others are militant in their committment. I believe in the theory but do not necessarily practice it. But I do believe it is a huge help. This is why: it keeps you connected to your story. To your characters. To your voice. I know that when I go days without writing my voice feels rusted, stiff, and oh so tentative. And I spend much of my writing time berating myself for falling off the wagon in the first place. Also, it's a matter of effort. Think of how much energy it takes to launch a rocket versus just letting it do its thing out in space. If I keep writing, every day, I don't have to re-launch my voice or story every single time I sit down to write. The other little perk is that once you work on your story that day, and this means actually writing down words, sentences, even paragraphs, then your mind is open to the story even when you aren't at your desk. I find this happens all the time. Once I am in that writing groove then the characters are with me constantly, as I work out, run errands, do the laundry or dishes and most importantly in those in twilight zones between sleep and wakefulness.
READING
Yes. Lots and lots of reading lately. Not only did we have a snow day but we had a four day weekend for President's Day. "The Long Haul" was amazing. I read it in less than a day. We have the girlfriend telling the story of her realtionship with her boyfriend only referred to as "The Alcoholic." They are both lost and broken and try so hard to be together until it becomes impossible.
My youngest daughter is reading historical fiction for a book report so I read that in a day just so I could help her if needed. It was "Lily's Crossing" set in WWII.
I read all three memoirs by Jennifer Lauck. The first two, "Blackbird" and "Still Waters" tell the story of her childhood and the devestating losses she endured. She tells it in the first person, present tense. The last one, "Show Me the Way" is about motherhood and she weaves together her experiences as a mother with her childhood memories. If you want a book about motherhood that tells the truth, then this it. It reminds me of "Operating Instructions' by Anne Lamott.
"Life As We Knew It" is a young adult book about the end of life as we know it. A meteor has hit the moon and knocked it out of orbit causing cataclysmic weather patterns that result in tsunamis that wipe out both coasts, long dormant volcanoes erupt filling the air with a thick gray ash and it goes on from there. Gas is twelve dollars a gallon. School is closed. The story is told in journal entries by 16-year-old Miranda who yearns for normalcy and struggles with her family in this new world wondering if this is a new kind of normal.
"Happiness" (it is trademarked) is a hilarious and astute satire of publishing and the whole self-help industry. The premise began with the question "What if a self-help book finally worked?" Well, in this book, one does and the results are not what you'd expect which leads me to wonder what is the point of all the self-help and self-actualization. What if we do reach whatever vague promise of our best selves is out there, then what? Isn't life all about the process including all the messiness. Especially the messiness? It's ironic that I read this just after reading the latest self-help phenomenon, "The Secret." It's all about the Law of Attractions and how we are all just energy and energy attracts like energy. If you send out good energy you get good stuff back. Bad energy gets you bad stuff. That's a simplistic version but there it is. it's intriguing and the book is filled with examples of people who have literally changed their lives with a new thought pattern, even curing themsleves of disease. The problem I have with that is what about those who don't cure themselves? Does that mean they are weak minded? That they brought it on themselves through their thoughts? Do they really need to blame themselves on top of everything else they are going through? I don't know.... there is something fascinating in the theory but also slightly disturbing.
CREATIVITY
Katie and I went to Scrap Tales yesterday. I wasn't going to buy anthing but that's like me going into a bookstore and not buying a book. It's happened but not very often. I don't scrapbook but I find lots of supplies for my collages. They had some special paper and gel for doing transfers which I've been trying to do for a year now. Hopefully this technique works. Once I decided to buy that I began looking for more cool stuff and I found it. Lots of beautiful papers and stamps and rub on transfers. So instead of watching TV last night, the girls and I went down to our art studio in the basement and made some art. I pulled out my artist journal and was saddened to see that the last page I did was in October. What I love about it is that I do enjoy the process. Usually, I am not creating these collages for anyone but me. It's interesting to start with nothing and just let my intuition guide me. What I don't like about it is trying to keep track of all my supplies and finding what I need when I need it.
Made a big pot of vegetable soup with Katie. She decided we should add some chicken to it so she sauteed some in olive oil with garlic and seasoned it with smoked paprika, rosemary and just a pinch of cinnamon she said. So cute. And so helpful to have a daughter who likes to cook.
NEWS
I got into the Kenyon Review Workshop in advanced fiction with Ron Carlson. I am so so excited. He is an amazing writer and teacher. It is for seven days in June.
My story, "You Are Here' is now in the archives at literarymama.com.
Received a rejection from MAR for "Small Gestures of Violence." That is the story that got me into the Carlson workshop. Not sure if I will just send it out again or maybe wait for his comments.
I need to check on the status of a submission at "The Missouri Review."
I leave for Phoenix in eight days. Just me, staying at my best friend's house out there in the sunshine and warmth for about six days. Can't wait!!
My sister is selling beautiful hand made jewelry at etsy.com. Look for her at hiptomylu! I'll have to post a photo of the bracelet she made just for me at Christmas. I told her that if I had seen a thousand bracelets that would have been the one I selected myself.
QUOTE
"I find that I have to write in order to discover my ideas. I think you could allow yourself to never get started if you tried to guess in advance what was going to inspire you." - Jay McInerney
Much more reading than writing lately. Although I have been writing. Working on the same first story of my novel-in-stories. After doing about eleven revisions where I was sure that the first two stories needed to be together I finally realized that, in fact, they did not belong together. At all. not even close. A huge lesson in dead ends and process. It really has to be about enjoying the process of dreaming up these characters and becoming completely fascinated by what they will do next even if they lead me on ten wild goose chses so that I end up almost exactly where I started. At one point I had index cards with scenes from both stories spread out all over the floor of my office trying all different sequences. It was then that I ralized tha everytime I hit a wall it was when I tried merging the stories. So I sent them off to their separate corners and feel like i am back on track. Good thing too since I need to submit something to my group this week.
We had a snow day last week and my new "Poets & Writers" showed up. Perfect timing. There is an article in there by Wlater Mosely on the importance of writing every day. All writers have their opinion on this. Some are on board, others scoff and others are militant in their committment. I believe in the theory but do not necessarily practice it. But I do believe it is a huge help. This is why: it keeps you connected to your story. To your characters. To your voice. I know that when I go days without writing my voice feels rusted, stiff, and oh so tentative. And I spend much of my writing time berating myself for falling off the wagon in the first place. Also, it's a matter of effort. Think of how much energy it takes to launch a rocket versus just letting it do its thing out in space. If I keep writing, every day, I don't have to re-launch my voice or story every single time I sit down to write. The other little perk is that once you work on your story that day, and this means actually writing down words, sentences, even paragraphs, then your mind is open to the story even when you aren't at your desk. I find this happens all the time. Once I am in that writing groove then the characters are with me constantly, as I work out, run errands, do the laundry or dishes and most importantly in those in twilight zones between sleep and wakefulness.
READING
Yes. Lots and lots of reading lately. Not only did we have a snow day but we had a four day weekend for President's Day. "The Long Haul" was amazing. I read it in less than a day. We have the girlfriend telling the story of her realtionship with her boyfriend only referred to as "The Alcoholic." They are both lost and broken and try so hard to be together until it becomes impossible.
My youngest daughter is reading historical fiction for a book report so I read that in a day just so I could help her if needed. It was "Lily's Crossing" set in WWII.
I read all three memoirs by Jennifer Lauck. The first two, "Blackbird" and "Still Waters" tell the story of her childhood and the devestating losses she endured. She tells it in the first person, present tense. The last one, "Show Me the Way" is about motherhood and she weaves together her experiences as a mother with her childhood memories. If you want a book about motherhood that tells the truth, then this it. It reminds me of "Operating Instructions' by Anne Lamott.
"Life As We Knew It" is a young adult book about the end of life as we know it. A meteor has hit the moon and knocked it out of orbit causing cataclysmic weather patterns that result in tsunamis that wipe out both coasts, long dormant volcanoes erupt filling the air with a thick gray ash and it goes on from there. Gas is twelve dollars a gallon. School is closed. The story is told in journal entries by 16-year-old Miranda who yearns for normalcy and struggles with her family in this new world wondering if this is a new kind of normal.
"Happiness" (it is trademarked) is a hilarious and astute satire of publishing and the whole self-help industry. The premise began with the question "What if a self-help book finally worked?" Well, in this book, one does and the results are not what you'd expect which leads me to wonder what is the point of all the self-help and self-actualization. What if we do reach whatever vague promise of our best selves is out there, then what? Isn't life all about the process including all the messiness. Especially the messiness? It's ironic that I read this just after reading the latest self-help phenomenon, "The Secret." It's all about the Law of Attractions and how we are all just energy and energy attracts like energy. If you send out good energy you get good stuff back. Bad energy gets you bad stuff. That's a simplistic version but there it is. it's intriguing and the book is filled with examples of people who have literally changed their lives with a new thought pattern, even curing themsleves of disease. The problem I have with that is what about those who don't cure themselves? Does that mean they are weak minded? That they brought it on themselves through their thoughts? Do they really need to blame themselves on top of everything else they are going through? I don't know.... there is something fascinating in the theory but also slightly disturbing.
CREATIVITY
Katie and I went to Scrap Tales yesterday. I wasn't going to buy anthing but that's like me going into a bookstore and not buying a book. It's happened but not very often. I don't scrapbook but I find lots of supplies for my collages. They had some special paper and gel for doing transfers which I've been trying to do for a year now. Hopefully this technique works. Once I decided to buy that I began looking for more cool stuff and I found it. Lots of beautiful papers and stamps and rub on transfers. So instead of watching TV last night, the girls and I went down to our art studio in the basement and made some art. I pulled out my artist journal and was saddened to see that the last page I did was in October. What I love about it is that I do enjoy the process. Usually, I am not creating these collages for anyone but me. It's interesting to start with nothing and just let my intuition guide me. What I don't like about it is trying to keep track of all my supplies and finding what I need when I need it.
Made a big pot of vegetable soup with Katie. She decided we should add some chicken to it so she sauteed some in olive oil with garlic and seasoned it with smoked paprika, rosemary and just a pinch of cinnamon she said. So cute. And so helpful to have a daughter who likes to cook.
NEWS
I got into the Kenyon Review Workshop in advanced fiction with Ron Carlson. I am so so excited. He is an amazing writer and teacher. It is for seven days in June.
My story, "You Are Here' is now in the archives at literarymama.com.
Received a rejection from MAR for "Small Gestures of Violence." That is the story that got me into the Carlson workshop. Not sure if I will just send it out again or maybe wait for his comments.
I need to check on the status of a submission at "The Missouri Review."
I leave for Phoenix in eight days. Just me, staying at my best friend's house out there in the sunshine and warmth for about six days. Can't wait!!
My sister is selling beautiful hand made jewelry at etsy.com. Look for her at hiptomylu! I'll have to post a photo of the bracelet she made just for me at Christmas. I told her that if I had seen a thousand bracelets that would have been the one I selected myself.
QUOTE
"I find that I have to write in order to discover my ideas. I think you could allow yourself to never get started if you tried to guess in advance what was going to inspire you." - Jay McInerney
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Once there was a plan....
I had a plan. A plan that had me reading from my stacks at quite a steady pace. The momentum came from the fact that I was reading books that although I enjoyed them, they didn't have a place in my permanent library. So my husband was going to take them out to Arizona with him in his truck and trade them in at my most favorite independent bookstore in the country- Changing Hands in Tempe. Since I am going out there at the end of February I could then use my store credit to- yes- buy more books. Which I know kind of defeats the whole purpose of reading from my stacks. Alas, the plan was not to be. Due to the freaky winter weather that has zapped much of the country, my husband did not drive out to Arizona but instead he flew out which did nothing to further my whole book scheme. But I am still reading from my stacks. An update:
"Red Plaid Shirt" by Diane Schoemperlen- I loved the unique structure of these short stories. The title story is written in parts, each starting with an item of clothing and going into memories surrounding it, in a second person voice. Each one ends with a kind of stream of consciousness medition on the color. Every story has its own structure that holds it together. It gave me many ideas to try in my own writing.
"Sugar Cage" by Connie May Fowler- I remember buying this shortly after her other novel had been chosen for the Oprah Book Club but I never got around to reading it. I thought it would be end up being a typical Oprah book but it was not. The story hums with magic and a certain lushness that places you in Florida during turbulent political times when Matin Luther King rises and falls. Each chapter is told through a different voice and through each story you come to see how they are connected. I love the empathy she shows for each character whether it's a reluctant seer of tragedies or a man who cheats and abuses his wife.
"The Novelist" by Angela Hunt- I know some writers who dismiss books about writers out of hand. Not me. I am drawn to them. So obviously a book titled "The Novelist" would catch my attention. I didn't realize at the time that she is a Christian novelist. I know some would also dismiss such a book on that basis alone but I chose to stick with it and read it. I am trying to stretch my reading this year beyond my usual comfort zone. It ended up being a story within a story. Or rather a parable within a story. I can appreciate that structure. The novel led me to think about how we conceive of our characters or stories. I tend to start with characters and I discover what their stories are. This book felt like she had a theme she wanted to explore so she invented characters that could do that for her. Not necessarily my way of writing but hey, she has 17 books under her belt. Gotta respect that. One thing I took away was the idea of using a JC Penny or Sears catlog to get a visual of your character. Sometimes I picture actors as my characters. Having a concrete image of your character can only help the story.
I am also reading "The Best Short Stories of the Century." A few each week.
And I am reading "The Sincerest Form, Writing Fiction by Imitation" by Nicholas Delbanco. I think this could possibly be the best book on writing I've come across- and I've come across hundreds.
"Red Plaid Shirt" by Diane Schoemperlen- I loved the unique structure of these short stories. The title story is written in parts, each starting with an item of clothing and going into memories surrounding it, in a second person voice. Each one ends with a kind of stream of consciousness medition on the color. Every story has its own structure that holds it together. It gave me many ideas to try in my own writing.
"Sugar Cage" by Connie May Fowler- I remember buying this shortly after her other novel had been chosen for the Oprah Book Club but I never got around to reading it. I thought it would be end up being a typical Oprah book but it was not. The story hums with magic and a certain lushness that places you in Florida during turbulent political times when Matin Luther King rises and falls. Each chapter is told through a different voice and through each story you come to see how they are connected. I love the empathy she shows for each character whether it's a reluctant seer of tragedies or a man who cheats and abuses his wife.
"The Novelist" by Angela Hunt- I know some writers who dismiss books about writers out of hand. Not me. I am drawn to them. So obviously a book titled "The Novelist" would catch my attention. I didn't realize at the time that she is a Christian novelist. I know some would also dismiss such a book on that basis alone but I chose to stick with it and read it. I am trying to stretch my reading this year beyond my usual comfort zone. It ended up being a story within a story. Or rather a parable within a story. I can appreciate that structure. The novel led me to think about how we conceive of our characters or stories. I tend to start with characters and I discover what their stories are. This book felt like she had a theme she wanted to explore so she invented characters that could do that for her. Not necessarily my way of writing but hey, she has 17 books under her belt. Gotta respect that. One thing I took away was the idea of using a JC Penny or Sears catlog to get a visual of your character. Sometimes I picture actors as my characters. Having a concrete image of your character can only help the story.
I am also reading "The Best Short Stories of the Century." A few each week.
And I am reading "The Sincerest Form, Writing Fiction by Imitation" by Nicholas Delbanco. I think this could possibly be the best book on writing I've come across- and I've come across hundreds.
Monday, January 15, 2007
A slightly dysfunctional relationship
I am in a slightly dysfunctional relationship. It's not with my husband, kids, family or friends- well, most of the time it's not. No, it's with publishing my writing. I work so hard at my craft and spend so much time researching journals to submit my work to so I obviously want this, right? And the few acceptances I've gotten- well, my family has come running into my office to see what all the commotion was about.
So I had this story posted on www.iterarymama.com last week. I spent all day checking to see if it was up yet although I knew it wouldn't be until much later in the evening so obviously there's some excitement going on. Then, finally it's there. There's my name with a link to my story. I click on it and there it is on the freakin' world wide web, for the whole freakin' world to see. What was I thinking? I felt like I was caught outside naked or worse, in high school naked. It's this odd other side of writing. As a writer I am a fairly private person. I mean I sit in a room basically daydreaming all day and trying to get those daydreams down onto paper or the screen. But when a piece is published suddenly all those private thoughts are plastered out there for anyone to see and interpret as they see fit. It's a little disconcerting. A tad unsettling. Especially when people read things into it that I hadn't intended or I apparently reveal things I hadn't intended. I'm not whining or complaining, really. I am beyond grateful to those editors who saw something in my stories that made them want to publish them. I guess I am still struggling to navigate this tricky balance between public and private.
So I had this story posted on www.iterarymama.com last week. I spent all day checking to see if it was up yet although I knew it wouldn't be until much later in the evening so obviously there's some excitement going on. Then, finally it's there. There's my name with a link to my story. I click on it and there it is on the freakin' world wide web, for the whole freakin' world to see. What was I thinking? I felt like I was caught outside naked or worse, in high school naked. It's this odd other side of writing. As a writer I am a fairly private person. I mean I sit in a room basically daydreaming all day and trying to get those daydreams down onto paper or the screen. But when a piece is published suddenly all those private thoughts are plastered out there for anyone to see and interpret as they see fit. It's a little disconcerting. A tad unsettling. Especially when people read things into it that I hadn't intended or I apparently reveal things I hadn't intended. I'm not whining or complaining, really. I am beyond grateful to those editors who saw something in my stories that made them want to publish them. I guess I am still struggling to navigate this tricky balance between public and private.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
An Infinitesimal Dent
That's what I've made in my stacks and stacks of books. Here's a quick recap of the books I've read lately which I guess means since my last post, which was, yes, almost a month ago:
"Blue Water" by A. Manette Ansay
"Reasons to Live" by Amy Hempel (reminds me of Raymond Carver)
"The Winter Without Milk" by Jane Avrich (lush, dark and magical)
"Grayson" by Lynne Cox
"Grass Roof, Tin Roof" by Dao Strom (beautifully structured)
"The Breakdown Lane" by Jacquelyn Mitchard
"Me & Emma" by Elizabeth Flock
"As Simple as Snow" by Gregory Galloway (good story)
"The Big Book of Bright Ideas" by Sandra Kring (a little too predicatble for me)
"Parasites Like Us" by Adam Johnson (oddly creepy especially in this age of bird flu)
"What to Wear to See the Pope" by Christine Lehner
That's actually a lot of reading when you throw in the holidays and, you know, life and stuff.
My writing group decided to lay out some writing/publishing goals for the year so that we can encourage/support/nag each other into accomplishing them. It ended up being a great exercise for me. I have tons of stories that have been workshopped over the last few years but need that final revision before sending them out into the world. The biggest project is this novel-in-stories. So I mapped out a month-by-month plan to revise, workshop, revise again and send out the stories one by one. It takes me all the way to November at which point I plan on looking for an agent.
The other part of my goals involved daily, weekly and monthly quotas. Three morning pages a day. A new story or draft every two weeks. Filling a notebook a month with writing practice. So far, so good. I was able to cross the first thing off my list which was finally finishing "Being Franny's Sister" and sending it out. I did that on Monday. Now I'm working on the first story in my collection. It's turning out to be a major revision.
My story "You Are Here" should be posted to www.literarymama.com sometime today. Check it out- the story and the whole site.
"Blue Water" by A. Manette Ansay
"Reasons to Live" by Amy Hempel (reminds me of Raymond Carver)
"The Winter Without Milk" by Jane Avrich (lush, dark and magical)
"Grayson" by Lynne Cox
"Grass Roof, Tin Roof" by Dao Strom (beautifully structured)
"The Breakdown Lane" by Jacquelyn Mitchard
"Me & Emma" by Elizabeth Flock
"As Simple as Snow" by Gregory Galloway (good story)
"The Big Book of Bright Ideas" by Sandra Kring (a little too predicatble for me)
"Parasites Like Us" by Adam Johnson (oddly creepy especially in this age of bird flu)
"What to Wear to See the Pope" by Christine Lehner
That's actually a lot of reading when you throw in the holidays and, you know, life and stuff.
My writing group decided to lay out some writing/publishing goals for the year so that we can encourage/support/nag each other into accomplishing them. It ended up being a great exercise for me. I have tons of stories that have been workshopped over the last few years but need that final revision before sending them out into the world. The biggest project is this novel-in-stories. So I mapped out a month-by-month plan to revise, workshop, revise again and send out the stories one by one. It takes me all the way to November at which point I plan on looking for an agent.
The other part of my goals involved daily, weekly and monthly quotas. Three morning pages a day. A new story or draft every two weeks. Filling a notebook a month with writing practice. So far, so good. I was able to cross the first thing off my list which was finally finishing "Being Franny's Sister" and sending it out. I did that on Monday. Now I'm working on the first story in my collection. It's turning out to be a major revision.
My story "You Are Here" should be posted to www.literarymama.com sometime today. Check it out- the story and the whole site.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Ice skating, Piano and Writing
I watched some kind of ice skating competition a couple of weeks ago. Whenever I watch these amazing athletes, especially when its the Olympics I am just in awe of their dedication. They get up in darkness to go practice before school or work. They practice after school. They practice for hours and hours and hours. When faced with this kind of passion I ask myself a question: Do I have the same passion and dedication for my writing? If I did wouldn't it be easier to sit down and write for hours every day? If I did wouldn't I want to write more than anything like the 12-year old artist who paints after school and all night long instead of hanging out at the mall with her friends because it is what she loves to do. Or pianists who play for hours everyday. Do I not love to write? Do I love it enough? I begin to wonder what if I put in eight hours a day of writing, how would that improve it? But then I remember, that while I have the luxury of staying home for my family and working a very flexible freelance life, I don't have the luxury of eight hours a day. While I don't have the responsibility of needing to contribute to our financial stabilty I do have the responsibilty of creating a life that nurtures my family. But this is off the track of where I want to be. I am talking about dedication and putting in those hours and I am talking about it because I haven't been putting in those hourse. Not lately. I've put in some. I am still rewriting a story and everytime I finish a revision I say, "Finally, it's done." But then it's not. And I dread looking at it again for fear that it still isn't done after at least twenty major revisions. Then I think, that's dedication, isn't it? Of course it is. I have been filling pages and notebooks for the last fifteen years. That's dedication. I have to remember that these lulls are part of the process. Part of the creative cycle.
And while I've not been writing as much as I expect myself to I have been doing other things:
- finished Christmas shopping and wrapped them all- even the stocking stuff
- made a birthday card
- made a gift for a friend
- handmade over 40 Christmas cards and got them all sent out, many with handwritten notes
- did a family photo to put in the cards
- decorated the house for the holidays
- planned a holiday party and hand made the invitations
- cut 150 words off a story and sent it to Mid-American Review
Apparently my writing lulls can be quite prodcutive. And while I'm not writing a lot I am still writing and when I'm not, I'm mulling over stories and characters, trying to find that door back in. I think that is what the lulls are for. Just a gentle meandering in my mind of my stories, getting a little distance, keeping my eyes and ears open for that one thing that I see or overhears that breaks the story wide open for me again.
And while I've not been writing as much as I expect myself to I have been doing other things:
- finished Christmas shopping and wrapped them all- even the stocking stuff
- made a birthday card
- made a gift for a friend
- handmade over 40 Christmas cards and got them all sent out, many with handwritten notes
- did a family photo to put in the cards
- decorated the house for the holidays
- planned a holiday party and hand made the invitations
- cut 150 words off a story and sent it to Mid-American Review
Apparently my writing lulls can be quite prodcutive. And while I'm not writing a lot I am still writing and when I'm not, I'm mulling over stories and characters, trying to find that door back in. I think that is what the lulls are for. Just a gentle meandering in my mind of my stories, getting a little distance, keeping my eyes and ears open for that one thing that I see or overhears that breaks the story wide open for me again.
Monday, November 27, 2006
This is a little embarrassing
So I finished my inventory of books I own but have not yet read. Let me just say that the results are a little embarrasing not to mention a bit disturbing. But keep in mind that it has taken me a good eighteen years of hard core bookstore browsing to acquire such a collection.
The tally is as follows:
Novels: 174
Short Story collections: 119
Classics: 18 (plus the one I just bought, making it 19...yes, I actually wandered into a bookstore even after completing my inventory. I willingly and totally admit I have a problem. Is there such a thing as Bibliophiles Anonmyous?)
Memoir: 38
Non-fiction: 17
Making a grand total of 367.
That's easily a year's worth of reading and that is at a good clip. After reading a friend's blog I realize that this challenge I have entered into has a name: From the Stacks. Quite appropriate.
The thing is- I love love love to read. People often ask me how I find time to read so much. Some have even said that they don't read. Ever. Period. I look at them with a look of confusion as if they are speaking a foreign language. Not reading is like not breathing to me. I have always loved to read. My favorite in elementary school was a series based on triplets named Flicka, Ricka and Dicka. Lots of Norwegain phrases peppered throughout. My mom says I brought those same books home week after week after week. My cousin turned me onto my first adult books- Agatha Christie. Of course, I read all the Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden. Imagine how thrilled I was when my fourth grader chose to read Trixie Belden for her mystery book report.
I remember the first time I bought mulitple books at once. My husband I were at the mall at a Waldenbooks (this was before I discovered my soft spot for Indie bookstores) and I had five books in my hand and couldn't decide which to get so I bought all of them. Five books at once although I knew I could only read one at a time. It felt so indulgent. Reckless somehow. If I had only known where it would lead.
As much as I enjoy reading, I also realize that I use books the way some people use food. To fill a hole of some kind. Usually it is the hole in my own writing. When I am writing and really in the groove I hardly read at all. When I am not writing, I gorge myself on other people's words and end up feeling just as bloated and empty as if I had inhaled a gallon of ice cream.
Now that my books are listed, I feel ready to tackle my own From the Stacks challenge. I really do love crossing items off a list.
The tally is as follows:
Novels: 174
Short Story collections: 119
Classics: 18 (plus the one I just bought, making it 19...yes, I actually wandered into a bookstore even after completing my inventory. I willingly and totally admit I have a problem. Is there such a thing as Bibliophiles Anonmyous?)
Memoir: 38
Non-fiction: 17
Making a grand total of 367.
That's easily a year's worth of reading and that is at a good clip. After reading a friend's blog I realize that this challenge I have entered into has a name: From the Stacks. Quite appropriate.
The thing is- I love love love to read. People often ask me how I find time to read so much. Some have even said that they don't read. Ever. Period. I look at them with a look of confusion as if they are speaking a foreign language. Not reading is like not breathing to me. I have always loved to read. My favorite in elementary school was a series based on triplets named Flicka, Ricka and Dicka. Lots of Norwegain phrases peppered throughout. My mom says I brought those same books home week after week after week. My cousin turned me onto my first adult books- Agatha Christie. Of course, I read all the Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden. Imagine how thrilled I was when my fourth grader chose to read Trixie Belden for her mystery book report.
I remember the first time I bought mulitple books at once. My husband I were at the mall at a Waldenbooks (this was before I discovered my soft spot for Indie bookstores) and I had five books in my hand and couldn't decide which to get so I bought all of them. Five books at once although I knew I could only read one at a time. It felt so indulgent. Reckless somehow. If I had only known where it would lead.
As much as I enjoy reading, I also realize that I use books the way some people use food. To fill a hole of some kind. Usually it is the hole in my own writing. When I am writing and really in the groove I hardly read at all. When I am not writing, I gorge myself on other people's words and end up feeling just as bloated and empty as if I had inhaled a gallon of ice cream.
Now that my books are listed, I feel ready to tackle my own From the Stacks challenge. I really do love crossing items off a list.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
But I Don't Want to be One of Those Bloggers
Okay, I've become one of those bloggers that totally frustrate me. The ones that let days, weeks go by without a new post. Not that I'm kidding myself that I have a huge audience waiting with bated breath for a glimpse into my cluttered mind. But still. I started this blog as an incentive to keep myself accountable to my writing. I guess it would help if I actually held myself accountable to writing here too. So here I am. With good news. literarymama.com accepted my story. It should be posted on their website the second Wednesday in January. When I saw the email from them my heart kind of sank a little since it was supposed to take three months for a response. I figured an early response meant rejection. But I was happily surprised. And even more taken aback by the praise. Congratulating me on a wonderful story. After racking up close to 100 rejections, throughout this whole process of trying to get a story published I guess it escaped me that they would have to really love the piece to accept it. That they aren't just humoring me by accepting it. So look for my story "You Are Here" in January. It started as a writing prompt at Farfield, a writing conference at Oakland University. It was a black and white photo of a indoor kitchen type chair sitting outside a house.
I've had several good library weeks in a row. For months it seemed nothing worth checking out was on the shelves. But then there was. First I read: "This Book Could Save Your Life" by A.M. Homes. When I returned that one (plus three others which for the life of me I can't remember) I checked out: "Lost and Found" by Carolyn Parkhurst. I loved her first one in spite of the fact that the Today show picked it for their book club. But didn't love her second one so much. It was incredibly predictable just like the reality show she based the novel around called "Lost and Found". I didn't care about the characters. And what I expected to happen, did. No surprises except at how disappointed I was. Next in line is "After This" by Alice McDermott. Only a few pages in but no disappointment so far. Then it's on to a new collection of stories by Dennis Lehane. There's just something so satisfying about a good library day. I walk in expecting nothing and come out with an armful of (hopefully) great books- for free. It makes me feel like my stars are all in alignment and anything is possible.
Oh, and here's my latest project. It's crazy but I'm doing it anyway. I am making lists, according to genre of all the books I own but have not read yet. You writers and bibliophiles out there know what I mean. That urge to scour bookstores, scoring used and new books that end up in piles stacked next to the bed, the couch, end table, coffee tables- it's well, is addictive too strong a word? I do feel a certain thrill when I leave a store, a bagful of new books to read. Unfortunately my input far exceeds my output and we have crammed as many bookshelves as we can into this house of ours so I am on a mission to read the books I already own. Radical, I know. I do have some books on my Christmas list so if I receive them as gifts I have to accept them, right? I had my last binge at a book warehouse that is going out of business so the already low prices were marked down forty percent. I ended up getting 2 bags of books for fifty bucks. That felt good. But there are times when I wander into a bookstore and it doesn't feel good because i know I have no business buying any more books. Then the guilt creeps in when I succumb and they end up in a pile in the corner of the house, unread and who wants guilt with their reading?
So I am making lists of novels, short story collections, classics, memoirs and non-fiction and it will bring immense satisfaction to start crossing off titles one by one as I finish them.
I've had several good library weeks in a row. For months it seemed nothing worth checking out was on the shelves. But then there was. First I read: "This Book Could Save Your Life" by A.M. Homes. When I returned that one (plus three others which for the life of me I can't remember) I checked out: "Lost and Found" by Carolyn Parkhurst. I loved her first one in spite of the fact that the Today show picked it for their book club. But didn't love her second one so much. It was incredibly predictable just like the reality show she based the novel around called "Lost and Found". I didn't care about the characters. And what I expected to happen, did. No surprises except at how disappointed I was. Next in line is "After This" by Alice McDermott. Only a few pages in but no disappointment so far. Then it's on to a new collection of stories by Dennis Lehane. There's just something so satisfying about a good library day. I walk in expecting nothing and come out with an armful of (hopefully) great books- for free. It makes me feel like my stars are all in alignment and anything is possible.
Oh, and here's my latest project. It's crazy but I'm doing it anyway. I am making lists, according to genre of all the books I own but have not read yet. You writers and bibliophiles out there know what I mean. That urge to scour bookstores, scoring used and new books that end up in piles stacked next to the bed, the couch, end table, coffee tables- it's well, is addictive too strong a word? I do feel a certain thrill when I leave a store, a bagful of new books to read. Unfortunately my input far exceeds my output and we have crammed as many bookshelves as we can into this house of ours so I am on a mission to read the books I already own. Radical, I know. I do have some books on my Christmas list so if I receive them as gifts I have to accept them, right? I had my last binge at a book warehouse that is going out of business so the already low prices were marked down forty percent. I ended up getting 2 bags of books for fifty bucks. That felt good. But there are times when I wander into a bookstore and it doesn't feel good because i know I have no business buying any more books. Then the guilt creeps in when I succumb and they end up in a pile in the corner of the house, unread and who wants guilt with their reading?
So I am making lists of novels, short story collections, classics, memoirs and non-fiction and it will bring immense satisfaction to start crossing off titles one by one as I finish them.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
In Praise of Lists
I like lists. I like making lists of things to do for the day, the week, the month, the year. Lists of stories I have in various stages of progress. Christmas lists. Lists of meals for the week. Grocery lists. I get so much satisfaction out of crossing completed items off my list that I will write something down that I have already done just so I can cross it off. It's an illness, I know.
So, in the spirit of lists, here are some of the creative endeavors I've been involved in since my last post. Photos to follow at a later date since one of the things on my new list of things to learn is how to download and print photos off our new camera. I believe my 12-year old knows how. . .
1. Revised and sent a story off to www.literarymama.com. Great on-line journal so check it out. Should hear back within 3 months.
2. Learned to solder. Created two pendants that I then turned into necklaces. I designed two collages for each and sandwiched them between glass slides, taped them, then soldered the edges, making a frame, soldered jump rings on and ta-da- a necklace. Now I just need to get my own supplies so I can do it at home.
3. Did a major revision on an old story, workshopped it today. Attempted to start the rewrite when I got home earlier but decided I just need a little bit of breathing space on this one for now. Trying to sort out the conflicting comments which were all valid and thoughtful.
4. Spent 7 hours yesterday teaching some friends to collage while creating my own assemblage. It is now hanging up in our living room but after looking at it I decided to "revise" it. I am going to take the wings off and create new ones, bigger and separate from the main piece. Each one will stand on its own but all hang together on the wall creating one piece of art.
5. Morning pages most mornings.
6. Yoga most mornings.
7. Worked out all but 2 days.
8. Did the first draft of a monthly 12-page newsletter.
9. Read 5-10 pages of Proust most weekday mornings. ("Swann's Way")
10. Read every single story in the "The Best American Short Stories 2006."
So, in the spirit of lists, here are some of the creative endeavors I've been involved in since my last post. Photos to follow at a later date since one of the things on my new list of things to learn is how to download and print photos off our new camera. I believe my 12-year old knows how. . .
1. Revised and sent a story off to www.literarymama.com. Great on-line journal so check it out. Should hear back within 3 months.
2. Learned to solder. Created two pendants that I then turned into necklaces. I designed two collages for each and sandwiched them between glass slides, taped them, then soldered the edges, making a frame, soldered jump rings on and ta-da- a necklace. Now I just need to get my own supplies so I can do it at home.
3. Did a major revision on an old story, workshopped it today. Attempted to start the rewrite when I got home earlier but decided I just need a little bit of breathing space on this one for now. Trying to sort out the conflicting comments which were all valid and thoughtful.
4. Spent 7 hours yesterday teaching some friends to collage while creating my own assemblage. It is now hanging up in our living room but after looking at it I decided to "revise" it. I am going to take the wings off and create new ones, bigger and separate from the main piece. Each one will stand on its own but all hang together on the wall creating one piece of art.
5. Morning pages most mornings.
6. Yoga most mornings.
7. Worked out all but 2 days.
8. Did the first draft of a monthly 12-page newsletter.
9. Read 5-10 pages of Proust most weekday mornings. ("Swann's Way")
10. Read every single story in the "The Best American Short Stories 2006."
Sunday, October 08, 2006
The Key to Writing
All I can say is thank God for my writer's group and their objective eyes reading my stories. I spent all week immersed in a major rewrite that I thought I had pretty much nailed. Uh, not so much. It turns out there was too much residue left in from the old version and it marred this draft, resulting in murky motives and shakey dispositions in characters that I didn't intend. So I am mulling new possibilites, churning what-ifs to see what happens. Which leads me to this: I have discovered the key to writing. Let me clue you in.
There are two actually. The first is one you hear over and over but ignore in hopes that they are all wrong and that you really can learn to write through some sort of osmosis. Well, you can't. So the first secret is to write. To show up on a regular basis. Every day if possible which I have since September 1 when my great novel writing challenge began. It's cliché but true: writing begets writing.
Secret number two: walking. There is just something about the rhythm of walking that allows all those characters and scenes you've been pouring onto the page because you've been showing up everyday, to settle and shift into new patterns, unlocking places in the story that were previously stagnant. The movement of walking allows your story to move. Again, this is something that you cannot just take my word on. You need to experience it yourself. This week during one of my walk so many of the scenes that had been flashbacks suddenly became part of the current story. Then today, after my workshop, I went for a 45 minute walk around Kensington lake where blue water shimmered against the backdrop of fiery leaves and white sailboats. I got back to my car, grabbed a notebook and sat at a picnic table and scribbled two pages worth of what-if questions. Now I may not use all of them but they are enough to get my story moving again and to get me back into the story.
Go ahead. Show up to that blank page every day this week, even if you don't know what happens next. Especially if you don't know what happens next. Then walk. Carry the story with you and walk in silence. No tunes. No books on tape. Just you and the story. See what happens.
QUOTE
Every moment is enormous, and it is all we have.
- from "Long Quiet highway"
There are two actually. The first is one you hear over and over but ignore in hopes that they are all wrong and that you really can learn to write through some sort of osmosis. Well, you can't. So the first secret is to write. To show up on a regular basis. Every day if possible which I have since September 1 when my great novel writing challenge began. It's cliché but true: writing begets writing.
Secret number two: walking. There is just something about the rhythm of walking that allows all those characters and scenes you've been pouring onto the page because you've been showing up everyday, to settle and shift into new patterns, unlocking places in the story that were previously stagnant. The movement of walking allows your story to move. Again, this is something that you cannot just take my word on. You need to experience it yourself. This week during one of my walk so many of the scenes that had been flashbacks suddenly became part of the current story. Then today, after my workshop, I went for a 45 minute walk around Kensington lake where blue water shimmered against the backdrop of fiery leaves and white sailboats. I got back to my car, grabbed a notebook and sat at a picnic table and scribbled two pages worth of what-if questions. Now I may not use all of them but they are enough to get my story moving again and to get me back into the story.
Go ahead. Show up to that blank page every day this week, even if you don't know what happens next. Especially if you don't know what happens next. Then walk. Carry the story with you and walk in silence. No tunes. No books on tape. Just you and the story. See what happens.
QUOTE
Every moment is enormous, and it is all we have.
- from "Long Quiet highway"
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Still Filling Pages
WRITING ACCOUNTABILITY
The new structure appears to be working. I went to Starbucks on Sunday with my daughter. She did her homework while I did several timed writes, filling at least ten pages in my notebook which is the only point- to just fill up pages.
A few of my favorite books for pulling writing prompts from:
"The Writer's Book of Days' by Judy Reeves
"The Pocket Muse" by Monica Wood
"Five Minute Fiction" by Roberta Allen
"The Writer's Book of Matches- 1,001 Prompts to Ignite your Fiction"- by the staff of "fresh boiled peanuts"
This week I've been working on a major revision of an old story. I just finished a draft about five minutes ago. It's about 6400 words. I'll take a fresh look at it tomorrow and fix any glaring inconsistencies before sending it out to my writer's group for our meeting on Sunday. Today I put in about four hours. Yesterday two and a half. Monday about one and a half, and much of that time was spent culling through old files, trying to find a story I felt a spark with and could revise in less than five days. Of course I did all this while doing laundry, fixing meals, running to Jump Rope practice, gymnastics, vlounteering at school during lunch recess for mileage club, helping with homework, signing school papers and caring for the new kitty that showed up on our back deck. Will have to post a photo of her. Too too adorable. Named her Tallulah. Lulu for short. And although cat number one, Zoey, hates her living guts, Lulu still tries to play with her.
READING NEWS
Just finished the new one by Cormac McCarthy called"The Road". It's the first time I've read him and I was blown away. It tells a horrifying but oddly beautiful story of a postapocolyptic America. I especially loved how the prose echoed the physical and emotional landscape of the story- bleak, sparse but hopeful. I literally held a pencil as I read so I could underline certain sentences that took my breath away.
"He thought each memory recalled must do some violence to its origins."
"Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more gray each one than what had gone before. Like the onset of some cold glaucoma dimming away the world."
The whole novel is filled with jewels like these.
The other book I picked up after "The Road" is "Running with Scissors" by Augusten Burroughs. Talk about two books that mess with your mind! It's been on my bookshelf for a long time but now that the movie is coming out I need to read it. I overheard a woman comment at a bookstore last week that she read the first nineteen pages before throwing it across the room in disgust. Hearing that made me even more curious. I am well past page nineteen and if she was disgusted by those few pages then it's a good thing she put it down. I don't find it disgusting but it is extremely disconcerting especially knowing that it is a memoir. And in spite of the bad rap of that genre lately, I am inclined to give the writer the benefit of the doubt until shown otherwise.
RANDOM NEWS
I believe that registration is now open for anyone wishing to participate in the official Novel Writing Month that starts on November 1. Check out their website at www.nanowrimo.org
QUOTE
A writer's path includes concentration, slowing down, commitment, awareness, lonliness, faith, a breakdown of ordinary perceptions.
- from "Thunder and Lightning"
The new structure appears to be working. I went to Starbucks on Sunday with my daughter. She did her homework while I did several timed writes, filling at least ten pages in my notebook which is the only point- to just fill up pages.
A few of my favorite books for pulling writing prompts from:
"The Writer's Book of Days' by Judy Reeves
"The Pocket Muse" by Monica Wood
"Five Minute Fiction" by Roberta Allen
"The Writer's Book of Matches- 1,001 Prompts to Ignite your Fiction"- by the staff of "fresh boiled peanuts"
This week I've been working on a major revision of an old story. I just finished a draft about five minutes ago. It's about 6400 words. I'll take a fresh look at it tomorrow and fix any glaring inconsistencies before sending it out to my writer's group for our meeting on Sunday. Today I put in about four hours. Yesterday two and a half. Monday about one and a half, and much of that time was spent culling through old files, trying to find a story I felt a spark with and could revise in less than five days. Of course I did all this while doing laundry, fixing meals, running to Jump Rope practice, gymnastics, vlounteering at school during lunch recess for mileage club, helping with homework, signing school papers and caring for the new kitty that showed up on our back deck. Will have to post a photo of her. Too too adorable. Named her Tallulah. Lulu for short. And although cat number one, Zoey, hates her living guts, Lulu still tries to play with her.
READING NEWS
Just finished the new one by Cormac McCarthy called"The Road". It's the first time I've read him and I was blown away. It tells a horrifying but oddly beautiful story of a postapocolyptic America. I especially loved how the prose echoed the physical and emotional landscape of the story- bleak, sparse but hopeful. I literally held a pencil as I read so I could underline certain sentences that took my breath away.
"He thought each memory recalled must do some violence to its origins."
"Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more gray each one than what had gone before. Like the onset of some cold glaucoma dimming away the world."
The whole novel is filled with jewels like these.
The other book I picked up after "The Road" is "Running with Scissors" by Augusten Burroughs. Talk about two books that mess with your mind! It's been on my bookshelf for a long time but now that the movie is coming out I need to read it. I overheard a woman comment at a bookstore last week that she read the first nineteen pages before throwing it across the room in disgust. Hearing that made me even more curious. I am well past page nineteen and if she was disgusted by those few pages then it's a good thing she put it down. I don't find it disgusting but it is extremely disconcerting especially knowing that it is a memoir. And in spite of the bad rap of that genre lately, I am inclined to give the writer the benefit of the doubt until shown otherwise.
RANDOM NEWS
I believe that registration is now open for anyone wishing to participate in the official Novel Writing Month that starts on November 1. Check out their website at www.nanowrimo.org
QUOTE
A writer's path includes concentration, slowing down, commitment, awareness, lonliness, faith, a breakdown of ordinary perceptions.
- from "Thunder and Lightning"
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Needed: a new structure
I have deemed this draft of the novel done. I need to let it sit now for a week or two before looking at it with fresh eyes and seeing what the hell I have actually written.
Which leaves me without the structure that was so vital for this last month of prolific writing productivity. So I need a new structure. A new plan. And this is it: on the weekends I am going to take a break from writing on any specific piece. Not from writing itself. The weekend is for playing. For freewriting and just filling up pages. I did 2 twenty-minute writes today. The topics were:
1. The Woman I Kept to Myself (from the title of a book of poetry by Julia Alvarez)
2. What was it that I wanted? (from a line in one of her poems)
I have 9 hand-written pages and it was so much fun to just let my mind wander and roam without a specific goal in sight, only to keep my hand moving for 20 full minutes.
My goal this week is to get a story ready for my workshop on Sunday. 2 hours (at least) of revision daily. It won't feel as productive as the 2000 words a day was. That was a straight ahead no matter what goal. Revision is less linear. More of a spiral process so I think the time quota instead of pages or words will work. We'll see.
Now I am going down to our art space in the basment for more creativity with k. She is finally feeling better. The fever broke and she can eat real food again.
Quote:
If you want to see your own face, if you want to drop off the old yellow coat of yourself, pick up the pen.
- from a symposium on writing and zen.
I love the line "the old yellow coat of yourself." That could be a writing topic for tomorrow.
And for more inspiration, check out this link:
http://www.laserrania.com/odysseys/houston_why_i_write.html
It's an essay by Pam Houston.
Which leaves me without the structure that was so vital for this last month of prolific writing productivity. So I need a new structure. A new plan. And this is it: on the weekends I am going to take a break from writing on any specific piece. Not from writing itself. The weekend is for playing. For freewriting and just filling up pages. I did 2 twenty-minute writes today. The topics were:
1. The Woman I Kept to Myself (from the title of a book of poetry by Julia Alvarez)
2. What was it that I wanted? (from a line in one of her poems)
I have 9 hand-written pages and it was so much fun to just let my mind wander and roam without a specific goal in sight, only to keep my hand moving for 20 full minutes.
My goal this week is to get a story ready for my workshop on Sunday. 2 hours (at least) of revision daily. It won't feel as productive as the 2000 words a day was. That was a straight ahead no matter what goal. Revision is less linear. More of a spiral process so I think the time quota instead of pages or words will work. We'll see.
Now I am going down to our art space in the basment for more creativity with k. She is finally feeling better. The fever broke and she can eat real food again.
Quote:
If you want to see your own face, if you want to drop off the old yellow coat of yourself, pick up the pen.
- from a symposium on writing and zen.
I love the line "the old yellow coat of yourself." That could be a writing topic for tomorrow.
And for more inspiration, check out this link:
http://www.laserrania.com/odysseys/houston_why_i_write.html
It's an essay by Pam Houston.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Day twenty-eight
Word count: 52,327
Quote:
Write what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about. Be willing to be split open.
- from "Wild Mind"
Not much of a difference in word count between today and yesterday. A little less than 200 words but I'm amazed I got that much in considering I had to go pick up k. at school because she was sick. I squeezed in another Dr. appointment I already had for e. to check out her ankle that has been hurting for a month. After an hour and a half at the dr. they sent us to the urgent care for x-rays of the ankle and to the pharmacy to help soothe the wicked viral infection for k. She just had some broth and a pill and now needs to gargle with benadryl and maalox- yummy... Obviously she will not be going to school tomorrow and the dr. said to plan for a rough weekend. Perfect...
Oh, and I've always loved the above quote from N.G. My writing has all kinds of energy when I remember to do that.
Quote:
Write what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about. Be willing to be split open.
- from "Wild Mind"
Not much of a difference in word count between today and yesterday. A little less than 200 words but I'm amazed I got that much in considering I had to go pick up k. at school because she was sick. I squeezed in another Dr. appointment I already had for e. to check out her ankle that has been hurting for a month. After an hour and a half at the dr. they sent us to the urgent care for x-rays of the ankle and to the pharmacy to help soothe the wicked viral infection for k. She just had some broth and a pill and now needs to gargle with benadryl and maalox- yummy... Obviously she will not be going to school tomorrow and the dr. said to plan for a rough weekend. Perfect...
Oh, and I've always loved the above quote from N.G. My writing has all kinds of energy when I remember to do that.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Day twenty-seven
Word count: 52,138
Quote: Follow what you love and it will take you where you need to go.
- from a symposium on writing an Zen
I think that maybe I have completed this first draft. It's far from done and there is so much to flesh out in the middle but a first line - perhap "the" first line" came to me as I was writing today so I feel it is time to swing back around to the beginning of the story. I thought I might want a break from it before tackling the rewrite but maybe not.
Quote: Follow what you love and it will take you where you need to go.
- from a symposium on writing an Zen
I think that maybe I have completed this first draft. It's far from done and there is so much to flesh out in the middle but a first line - perhap "the" first line" came to me as I was writing today so I feel it is time to swing back around to the beginning of the story. I thought I might want a break from it before tackling the rewrite but maybe not.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Day Twenty-Six
Word count: 50,142
Writing is a way to connect with our own minds, to discover what we really think, see, and feel, rather than what we think we should think, see, and feel.
-from "Long Quiet Highway"
Yes- that is not a typo up there- I did pass the 50,00 word mark today. Three days early. But it still isn't quite wrapped up. I don't expect it to be a completely finished, polished story but I do want the dangling threads to begin to come to some kind of closure. Most of my stories do not have neat and tidy endings so that's not what I'm going for but maybe by tomorrow I will reach a point where I feel that this particular draft is done. It reminds me of a class I took where we had to write a complete short story in three to five pages and I always struggled with that. It can take me that many pages to begin to learn what the story is about. So it's like that but on a larger scale, trying to show a complete story arc within 50,000 words. I can see the benefit which is why I am scrambling to get it to a kind of closure. I want to be able to look back at the story with a fresh eye and see a story that then needs to be fleshed out. And who knows- maybe the fleshing out will take the story in a completely different direction which will then lead me to a totally new ending.
Writing is a way to connect with our own minds, to discover what we really think, see, and feel, rather than what we think we should think, see, and feel.
-from "Long Quiet Highway"
Yes- that is not a typo up there- I did pass the 50,00 word mark today. Three days early. But it still isn't quite wrapped up. I don't expect it to be a completely finished, polished story but I do want the dangling threads to begin to come to some kind of closure. Most of my stories do not have neat and tidy endings so that's not what I'm going for but maybe by tomorrow I will reach a point where I feel that this particular draft is done. It reminds me of a class I took where we had to write a complete short story in three to five pages and I always struggled with that. It can take me that many pages to begin to learn what the story is about. So it's like that but on a larger scale, trying to show a complete story arc within 50,000 words. I can see the benefit which is why I am scrambling to get it to a kind of closure. I want to be able to look back at the story with a fresh eye and see a story that then needs to be fleshed out. And who knows- maybe the fleshing out will take the story in a completely different direction which will then lead me to a totally new ending.
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