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Posts from the ‘Writing Life’ Category

Apr 12

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You can’t be a writer and live a quiet life: Three writing truths

I once heard a writing teacher advise her students to live a “quiet life.” She said if you want to be a writer, but live too exciting a life, you won’t have any time for your writing.

Hooey.

Yes, if you want to be a writer, you have to make time for the act of writing. But you also need to live a passionate life. If not, your lack of passion will seep into your writing.

This week I discovered Owen Egerton’s blog, “Type So Hard You Bruise the Screen,” where he shares his list of 30 points of prose (ala Jack Kerouac).

A few of my favorites from his list:

* Do not wait for inspiration. Go out and hunt it. Seduce it. Pin it down and dribble spit on its forehead until it cracks your leg bone and renames you. Read more

Apr 9

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Celebrate National Poetry Month with a movie night

This month at One Wild Word, we’re celebrating poetry and its role in American culture. In my previous post, I offered several suggestions for celebrating National Poetry Month. Another way to appreciate poetry is through movies about poetry and poets.

Here are several films you might enjoy.

Janet Jackson, Khandi Alexander, Maya Angelou, Tupac Shakur are among the actors in Poetic Justice, which features the poetry of Maya Angelou.

The Basketball Diaries, stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jim Carroll, a basketball star at a Catholic prep school whose promising future shatters down when he becomes addicted to glue-sniffing and then heroin. He finds healing through journaling and his poems and monologues become his Basketball Diaries.

Dead Poets Society is a classic film about poetry starring Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, and Ethan Hawke. Robin Williams portrays an English teacher who doesn’t fit into the conservative prep school where he teaches, but whose love of poetry inspires several boys to revive a secret society.

For more movies about poetry, visit poets.org, the website of The Academy of American Poets.

Apr 5

See how this author succeeded at age 80 by being himself

This week, author Berwick Coates scored a $130,000 deal and a two-book contract at age 80.

This after he was urged by his son to write a contemporary novel full of sex and violence, since his earlier efforts at writing historical fiction hadn’t panned out.

Ultimately, as Coates story illustrates, you have to write what you’re passionate about and what fits your interests and calling.

The lesson: To be successful as a writer, be more of yourself. Amplify what you’re doing and what makes you unique.

To read the story about Coates’s success, plus other valuable writing lessons, visit The Wicked Writing Blog at Writers’ Village.

Apr 3

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Read and share your favorite poems during National Poetry Month

It’s time to celebrate poetry.

In the U.S., it’s National Poetry Month, and you’ll find plenty of ways to enjoy and share poetry this month. Attend a poetry reading (or organize one yourself), carry a poem in your pocket, or send someone a letter with a poem enclosed.

For more ways to celebrate National Poetry Month in your community, check out this list of 30 ideas.

If you’d like to enrich your life with poetry all year long, sign up to receive a poem a day via e-mail.

To mark this month, many state’s are holding events. Choose your state to find local poets, poems, events, literary journals, writing programs, poetry organizations, and more.

Apr 1

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What are your writing quirks?

As an editor, I’ve found that all writers — including me — have patterns of writing that I have to fix during editing. Over time, you learn some of your own quirks. But when you work on the same piece of writing day in day out, you get too close to your sentences to spot everything.

That’s when other writers who come to your work with a fresh perspective are invaluable.

I met with my writer’s group yesterday and feedback revealed overused and unnecessary words, repeated phrases or sentences left over from when I moved sections around, and passive writing that I missed when I read my manuscript for the umpteenth time.

At a certain point, it’s impossible to effectively edit our own work. Our brains glaze over.

If you start figuring out these patterns (with a little help from your friends), you’ll become a better writer. You’ll be more effective at self-editing because you’ll have a new level of awareness. Read more

Mar 27

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One way to free your subconscious writing mind

I had a writing date with a friend today who is a poet and playwright. As we set up our computers and writing space at the local coffee shop, she shared with me that she sometimes plays mahjong on her computer while working out a problem.

I said, “Huh?” I couldn’t imagine have a game open on my computer while trying to write. But she explained that when she has a problem she needs to work out in her mind, the clicking sounds of the mahjong tiles soothe her. I guess they create a kind of white noise.

So I tried it tonight. I download a free majhong game from http://ivorymahjongg.com and played it while thinking about the next scene in my book. What I discovered, besides the fact that mahjong is totally addicting, is that it did free me up to think about my plot. It felt as if I was keeping my conscious mind busy so my subconscious could get to work.

Sometimes, it’s necessary to take a step back from our writing to see where we want to go next. I often take breaks when I need to think about something—I wash the dishes, brush the cats, go for a walk, or even do some gardening.

Now, I’ve found another way to take a short mental break without leaving my chair.

What tricks do you use to access your subconscious writing mind?

Mar 26

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Do you need to leap out of your creative comfort zone?

One night I got an unexpected call from a former co-worker. We hadn’t talked in months and he caught me at a time when I was struggling with pushing my writing projects forward. I was stuck.

Something he said gave me a jolt of creative energy, although he probably had no idea it was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment. It went something like this:

“Sometimes you get a feeling in your stomach that makes you feel a little nervous, and that’s to let you know that you’re close to the edge of something that’s exciting and challenging and you need to push yourself out of your comfort zone.”

Even when we’re doing the things in life that we know we’re meant to do, it can be scary because the stakes are high. The best way to combat fear and resistance it immerse ourselves in our creative pursuit so that it becomes the focus instead of the fear.

Have you ever been scared of taking a leap but knew you just had to do it?

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