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Posts from the ‘Writing Life’ Category

May 2

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Rituals of famous writers revealed

Whether you’re driven to writing with ideas exploding inside of you like Ray Bradbury or you take an hour later in the day to go over your morning pages like Joan Didion or you write in the middle of the living room with all kinds of white noise around you like E.B. White, you most likely have a writing routine or writing rituals you practice to make sure you get your words on paper.

Or, maybe, like Benjamin Franklin, you start each morning by asking yourself a question, “What good shall I do this day?” And you end each evening with another question, “What good have I done today?” Read more

May 1

What would you change if today was your last day?

What if you knew today was your last day on Earth? What would you wish?

The older I get, the more urgency I have to push forward with my writing goals. The idea of remembering you are going to die is one of the best ways to let go of fears and resistance. As a reminder, I’ve posted near my desk this quote by Apple founder Steve Jobs:

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

In January 2009, businessman Ric Elias had a front-row seat on Flight 1549, the plane that crash-landed in the Hudson River in New York. In this 5-minute TedTalk, you’ll hear what went through his mind in the moments before impact. See how surviving the crash led Elias to rethink how he lives his life.

Apr 25

How one author acts out her writing

As a child, author Randall Platt wanted to be an actress. She wrote screenplays for her favorite western television shows, complete with roles for herself. As an adult, she pursued acting but eventually found that what she really wanted to do is write.

In a workshop at the Las Vegas Writer’s Conference, Platt, award-winning writer of Hellie Jondoeand other YA and adult fiction, shared how her experience as an actor carries over to writing.

Her lessons and tips:

Know your character’s motivation. Every character we create must have reasons for why they do what they do. To understand your characters’ motivation, you need to know their backstory. It shows how they’ll act and react. With each book she writes, Platt creates character sketches that include information about her characters’ religion, family, what they do for a living, their parents, and more. Some writers spend a “day in the life” of their character examining everything the character does. Other authors like to write letters to their characters to understand them. Read more

Apr 18

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Carry a poem in your pocket today!

Poetry can make us laugh or cry, it can give us sustenance when we need it most, it can make us fall in love with words. Poetry can grab you by the shirt collar and drag you into a golden field full of mountain lupine or toss you high on a wave. Poetry can drown you in dandelion fluff.

As part of National Poetry Month, today is, “Poem in Your Pocket Day.”

“Select a poem, carry it with you, and share it with others throughout the day. You can also share your poem selection on Twitter by using the hashtag #pocketpoem.”

Poets.org also has pocket-sized poem PDFs for you to download and carry with you.

The poem I’m carrying with me today is one my blog partner Carly shared with me earlier this year when I was going through a difficult time: “Self Portrait” by poet David Whyte.

What poem will you carry? Please share!

Apr 17

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Is your favorite book on this 2012 top 10 list of challenged books?

As long as books have been published, they’ve also been banned for one reason or another. This week, the American Library Association (ALA) released its annual State of America’s Libraries Report, which included a Top Ten List of Frequently Challenged Books in 2012. You might be surprised to find that of all books, the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey, was on the list. All I can figure is that Dr. Diaper and Professor Poopypants crossed some kind of line.

Thankfully, the ALA continues to promote the benefits of free and open access to information by highlighting censorship and actual or attempted banning of books across the United States.

Here is the Top Ten List of Frequently Challenged Books in 2012:

  1. Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
  2. “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” by Sherman Alexie Read more

Apr 16

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Happiness projects for your writing life

My massage therapist, who is also an artist, told me recently about one of his new projects—he’s been “doodling” with magic markers on watercolor paper and making some pretty incredible art. He started this project as a commitment to his “happiness project.”

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin is a chronicle of the author’s year of testing various methods to obtain happiness. On her website, Rubin has a getting started guide, including downloadable charts to help you track your progress.

My massage therapist said his goal is to create one new doodle-art a day for the next 30 days. Next month, he’ll choose another project that will feed his spirit. Plus, he committed to “smiling at one new person a day.”

What feeds your soul? What makes you happy? Read more

Apr 15

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Do you suffer from data deluge? Three tips for restoring focus and creativity

Do you feel more distracted these days? Are you overwhelmed with the amount of information that bombards your inbox?

Nicholas Carr, author of  “The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing To Our Brains,” says that the human brain is shaped by “tools of the mind” — technologies we use to find, store, and share information. These “tools” can change the neural pathways of our brain and inhibit our ability to concentrate and be reflective, focused, and creative. Carr calls these the “personal consequences of the data deluge.”

For writers, this is not good news. Read more

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