tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57548264347011834072024-02-02T01:56:20.702-08:00Unrepentant ScribblerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-20980991416617309852019-01-31T11:10:00.001-08:002019-01-31T11:10:36.916-08:00Am I allowed to write this?Recently I told another writer not to self-reject. Most of us have been there, I suspect. We look at a market's guidelines or its table of contents and think, <i>I am so underqualified to send work there. I don't want to waste their time and mine.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Sometimes it's a long shot, but a shot worth taking. I made a poetry sale last week that, if I'd listened to that voice of doubt, never would have happened. I asked myself, "But what if it's too long?" about twenty times before I finally hit send.<br />
<br />
I'm glad I did, though. Boy, howdy!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQXxUrCaprZQ0CKJae13CdO4cA0_WOgQJ6yHbrUU6byDiUOBlciIolqm_M4_2acSF48PK2ox-9_NJfgjQGoIy9Oze874K8e-z-NY9oaTNlnqQYLPYEZBA6G538xTsDkyIqbZ4jtvXwL-i/s1600/baby+blanket.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="503" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQXxUrCaprZQ0CKJae13CdO4cA0_WOgQJ6yHbrUU6byDiUOBlciIolqm_M4_2acSF48PK2ox-9_NJfgjQGoIy9Oze874K8e-z-NY9oaTNlnqQYLPYEZBA6G538xTsDkyIqbZ4jtvXwL-i/s320/baby+blanket.jpe" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>I used to think I couldn't crochet either, yet here we are.</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I had a point somewhere here. Oh, yeah: that whole self-rejecting thing also applies to writing the rough draft. I was working on a poem today and it went to a darker place than I was expecting. Like, <i>really</i> dark. I sat with my fingers on the keyboard for a while and argued with myself. Should I write it? Taking it in a different direction felt like it wasn't true to the poem. But if I wrote it, and sold it, people might jump to conclusions about me. Wrong conclusions. Yeesh.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In the end, I'm not sure I'll send it out. That's an argument for a different day, when I've had time to revise and think about it. For now, I'm just sitting with the half-triumphant, half-sick feeling of doing something difficult. That's a powerful sensation.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So, don't self-reject. Don't even do it when you're drafting. If it scares you, you're probably onto something good.</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-21738070685323342062019-01-28T17:53:00.000-08:002019-01-28T17:53:35.708-08:00Essays on the quality of "Enough"Over the past few days, I've been reading the new collection of Heather Havrilesky's essays, <i>What If This Were Enough?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
It's a subject I've talked about before here, the tension between sufficiency and lack. With the rise of Marie Kondo's tidying-up empire, it seems like everything is about asking whether the things in your life spark joy, and to unload them if they don't. Not a bad thing entirely, in our consumption-driven world. After all, if you've read as much 19th century literature as I have, you know that consumption is deadly in all its forms.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIynZ6mmZ3bHZZjBsGrLRYOses7ObCNbEKKa4yhUKU9TswRJb1hNxndRMrOTtrf_OqCkYmKOhQHfMOkpHxy4rth-l5zt-rwezyiH71s60QPLlwepEIopwWCCj5ahs7tZ9H45aZN60Mrqll/s1600/bandon+beach+2.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="503" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIynZ6mmZ3bHZZjBsGrLRYOses7ObCNbEKKa4yhUKU9TswRJb1hNxndRMrOTtrf_OqCkYmKOhQHfMOkpHxy4rth-l5zt-rwezyiH71s60QPLlwepEIopwWCCj5ahs7tZ9H45aZN60Mrqll/s320/bandon+beach+2.jpe" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>This is Bandon Beach in Oregon. It sparks joy for me. Not that I have a trash can big enough to throw it out.</i></div>
<br />
<br />
Havrilesky's book could have a slightly different title, though. In many of her essays it seems as though she's asking, <i>What if </i>you<i> were enough?</i> In a world driven by clicks and likes, where it's easy to feel isolated and ignored because everything moves so darn <b>fast</b>, sometimes the vortex pulls you down. It's especially true for creative types. At our best, we're laying open our wounds to the world or trying to spin beauty out of our daydreams or our day to day existence. When the universe yawns and moves on to the Next Big Thing with nary a glance . . . well, that raises some questions about meaning. About life choices, and whether we maybe should have gotten a 'useful' degree and some of those sweet, sweet corporate dollars.<br />
<br />
There are essays in <i>What If This Were Enough?</i> that remind me of Anne Lamott's wry spirituality, and others that take a more polemical tone. But the quiet musings about little things--her marriage, her childhood home, the importance of having a sense of adequacy--really struck home for me. She writes:<br />
<br />
<i>We are called to savor the process of our own slow, patient development, instead of suffering in an enervated, anxious state over our value and our popularity. We are called to view our actions as important, with or without consecration by forces beyond our control. . . Here is how you will start: You will recognize that you are not headed for some imaginary finish line . . . You will see that you are as much of a miracle as Mozart was. </i>(p. 217)<br />
<br />
Today, I set out to write a sestina. It's a particular poetic form that I've found both enjoyable and challenging to write in the past. So I asked if anyone could suggest a few words for me to use as a basis. Two friends sent me lists of words, and I culled out the ones that spoke to me. When I finished, I sent them a draft of the poem because I was pleased with how it had turned out. Reading the concluding essay of Havrilesky's collection reminded me how fortunate I am to have friends who participate joyfully in the work with me. I am so fortunate to have met people who encourage me and celebrate the things I create. What a gift it is, when friends treat you as if you are indeed enough, a blessing to them in spite of your flaws and shortcomings.<br />
<br />
This is what <i>enough</i> means.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-88134217558410239832019-01-07T12:09:00.000-08:002019-01-07T12:09:05.813-08:00New Publication! Honey and Venom at Wizards in SpaceIt's been way too long since I've posted, but I spent a big chunk of last year writing a novel draft (yay!) and dealing with some personal stuff (not so yay). But here's a poem that's up online and free to read.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wizardsinspacemag.com/read/2019/1/7/honey-and-venom">Honey and Venom</a><br />
<br />
More to come soonish!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-57458923448073490642018-02-04T09:53:00.001-08:002018-02-04T09:53:10.533-08:00Comfort food--AnafreIt's Super Bowl Sunday (or Superb Owl Sunday, for those non-sports fans) and I've got the traditional football-watching dinner cooking in the crockpot. We were introduced to anafre at our favorite local Mexican restaurant when the Spousal Unit ordered it out of curiosity. It was <i>delicious</i>, and we spent the rest of the meal trying to figure out what was in it so I could make it at home.<br />
<br />
Anafre is Honduran bean dip. Traditionally it's cooked in stoneware pots, but I've found the crockpot works well, too. My version, like La Tolteca's, contains pork, but the great thing about this recipe is that it would be easy to make a vegetarian or vegan version.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7aH3wyEiwmAqObAz5NAwPYUdU9FH6X0haoOadkqIB7UbyjC2x_xTc2R0BtP3bkftM4GL2dRVEKD25cGAlnXU91-IULvjN5KVRrFw24HBr1rwWzZ09T7K5pq_RH00JBp3DKxOgoZCp5_p/s1600/anafre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7aH3wyEiwmAqObAz5NAwPYUdU9FH6X0haoOadkqIB7UbyjC2x_xTc2R0BtP3bkftM4GL2dRVEKD25cGAlnXU91-IULvjN5KVRrFw24HBr1rwWzZ09T7K5pq_RH00JBp3DKxOgoZCp5_p/s320/anafre.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Just added the avocados this morning. Yum!</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I have a giant crockpot, obviously, so this will last us most of the week. I'll give you a version about 2/3 this size, and if you have a tiny pot, you'll want to cut it down further.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Anafre</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 1/2 pounds of pork, cut into bite-sized pieces</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 large onion, diced (I use yellow or white onion)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3 cloves garlic, minced</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 jalapenos, de-seeded and minced</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 large cans black beans (1 lb. 13 oz.)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 avocados, diced</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 cup Mexican blend cheese, shredded (or your cheese of choice)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If you're going vegetarian, leave out the pork and increase the beans and avocados. And if anyone's got good vegan cheese recommendations, feel free to add them in the comments.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Throw the first five ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low heat. (My crockpot is super-slow, so I've had it on medium heat overnight. For a smaller pot, an eight-hour cook time should suffice.) Add the avocados when you've got 2-3 hours to go. When you're down to the last half hour, throw in the cheese. Serve with scoop tortilla chips.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Happy Sunday!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-63874270818534247642017-06-17T09:24:00.002-07:002017-06-17T09:24:48.850-07:00Put on your bifocals<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">A few
years ago, I got a sinus infection so bad that it apparently pushed one of my
eyeballs out of shape. Before the infection, I had 20/20 vision. After, things
remained out of focus, and I found myself in need of some visual assistance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Of course,
at a certain point my eyes were going to need a little extra help anyway, so my
second pair of glasses turned out to be the dreaded <i>bifocals</i>. (And let me just tell you, the first time wearing those
was a trip. Literally, because I couldn’t figure out (a) where the floor was,
and (b) what my feet were doing relative to the floor.) Even after a year and a
half, I’m not used to tipping my head up or down depending on what I’m trying
to look at. For instance, when I go to a hockey game at the arena, it usually
takes me until halfway through the first period to remember that I’m not watching
on TV, and therefore need to angle my head accordingly even though the apparent
size of the little skating people is the same.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">All the
same, having gone through a few weeks where I wasn’t entirely sure that my
vision would recover even partially, I’m grateful to be able to cheat Nature a
bit and keep reading. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">I was
thinking this week about the power of bifocals—being able to focus on things
both near and far despite the weaknesses of aging eyes, without switching
glasses every few minutes—and how that relates to telling stories and writing
poems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Writers
need to be able to view their work through a number of lenses, and switch
between those lenses with a certain degree of ease. We wear one pair for rough
draft work and another for editing. We filter our work depending on the setting
or the perspective of the narrator, the market at which we’re aiming or the images
we want to linger in our readers’ minds. Recently I drafted a story, one that
has some resonance with my life out here in the real world, and I have an emotional
attachment to those resonances. That was the story I needed to tell myself,
about sisterhood and sacrifices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZVZ2Vuy3fClxADPWFb58vSWzbpLEt3QOy9by3v7piVBeIWGHBWl75BDYYYN6MMxzeJSUyYjbBXo9eM03fev0sY4o41S0O2W17NmMheSN9RrmA3us6bVK0_0OtvEPOI5hnf-RKjtTVi5a/s1600/may+selfie.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="410" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZVZ2Vuy3fClxADPWFb58vSWzbpLEt3QOy9by3v7piVBeIWGHBWl75BDYYYN6MMxzeJSUyYjbBXo9eM03fev0sY4o41S0O2W17NmMheSN9RrmA3us6bVK0_0OtvEPOI5hnf-RKjtTVi5a/s320/may+selfie.jpe" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Do these glasses make me look more intellectual? That's my 'I wish I was watching hockey instead of writing' face.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">When I had
saved the completed draft of that story, I took a moment to enjoy the fact that I'd finished something I didn't hate. Inevitably, though, I also thought about the
ways in which the story <i>didn’t </i>work. I could
see where trying to force the story into a familiar folkloric pattern, I’d
weakened it. Looking at it through another lens, I began to see the loose
threads and ways I could weave them back into the story. I spotted some places
where I had sacrificed the emotional heart of the story for the sake of
generating action for the plot. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">As I read other
people’s fiction more thoughtfully, it grinds the lenses through which I see my
own work. If I can learn more ways to see the patterns of stories—bifocals,
trifocals, or more—the world deepens, the layers grow sharper for a reader. I
don’t feel a need to outwit readers, and believe that anything I write should
be a like a table set for anyone who happens to wander in. Not everyone’s going
to like what I’m serving, but I can at least offer a welcome rather than a
slammed door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Yet at the
same time, I believe writing and revising while switching between lenses can
create worlds that feel more real—more truly resonant—for anyone who takes the
time to visit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-1011052916291470882017-02-14T15:00:00.000-08:002017-02-14T15:00:21.631-08:00Emptiness vs. LackLately my spiritual reading has been divided between a book by Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn and poetry by the Sufi mystic Rumi. One thing in particular that fascinates me is the way in which two such different spiritual paths can converge on similar ideas. Lately I've noticed how both Thich Nhat Hahn and Rumi talk about emptiness as a key element of spirituality.<br />
<br />
At first I found myself a little resistant. In our culture, emptiness implies an absence, an unfilled need. Emptiness, in other words, is <i>bad</i>. But then my poet tendencies kicked in, and I started to think about emptiness in other ways. In the Christian tradition, the principle of sacrifice turns up again and again--both the great sacrifice of Christ, but also the smaller ways in which his followers can abandon their sins and weaknesses, give up our wants in the moment for something better in the future.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgYeRf0Wg4a5NhiteZNyhDU4jCUYVkUbuXzfqdxNWp5A1KuPDzr_11Ul-L8IOXuUjUmzbRPGXh0ejBWnL2VCva4Y008rV3pJaFtchl5qse90xLYZFt8UlyDkHN1iFpTJ1gUsCBVABqDn6/s1600/custer+montana+1.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgYeRf0Wg4a5NhiteZNyhDU4jCUYVkUbuXzfqdxNWp5A1KuPDzr_11Ul-L8IOXuUjUmzbRPGXh0ejBWnL2VCva4Y008rV3pJaFtchl5qse90xLYZFt8UlyDkHN1iFpTJ1gUsCBVABqDn6/s320/custer+montana+1.jpe" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It occurred to me that the common denominator in all these faith ways is the idea of emptiness as potentiality: creating space for something better and higher, rather than merely going without. Emptiness is a state of readiness, where the person who seeks greater insight prepares a place for that insight. It's like leaving a field fallow one year so it's ready for seeds and summer's growth the next.<br />
<br />
Maybe it's a symptom of the core problem in our society that we see emptiness not as potential, but lack. A friend and I were discussing what we call 'the famine mentality' recently. It's at the root of our unhealthy relationship with food and my tendency to buy more books than I can read. I know there's a hole, and I grasp at ways to fill it.<br />
<br />
It manifests in broader ways, too: the sense that immigrants will steal jobs or pose a threat to safety. The worship of financial ruthlessness over generosity. The zero-sum approach to relationships of all kinds, from romance and marriage to parenting and friendship. If I can only see my own loss in someone else's gain or success, there's only lack, not emptiness. Consumed by the need for more to fill the hole, I've left no room for the possibility of joy and peace.<br />
<br />
There's a great deal of anger and blame going around, over what's gone wrong in our world. And there's much to fear. But I think we won't get better until we stop seeing only what we lack, and start cultivating an empty place--an open place--for hope and kindness.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuMP6Bmsji8rBmLO7GVdCvBIHKM56TLvwn0NDeg8k1Dhnf5pNGN4eeaQwj45TbHLxPKQB-NBy_-EuE7b0uwKTOmFuAzGF-4RtJ2O-xqQrQSpfMGYNESCBk8Rh6o_hGHbZPewrZZgYLyMm/s1600/bandon+keyhole.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuMP6Bmsji8rBmLO7GVdCvBIHKM56TLvwn0NDeg8k1Dhnf5pNGN4eeaQwj45TbHLxPKQB-NBy_-EuE7b0uwKTOmFuAzGF-4RtJ2O-xqQrQSpfMGYNESCBk8Rh6o_hGHbZPewrZZgYLyMm/s320/bandon+keyhole.jpe" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-21032576500237302402017-01-28T09:41:00.000-08:002017-01-28T09:41:08.256-08:00Haunted Ground<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6q42ubKQy7uERNW_w64eZTWxDEDaTaf4oaws6yI9zho3TdxDk2cPgio30G0ZajQTqPn-Oz_IjQasX3YaG2L6S5s8-thrZXsc4ar9tfcy3VNReZlvcgMEPqNC-fyXn9rLcoxEIQU2Fhhu/s1600/1-359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6q42ubKQy7uERNW_w64eZTWxDEDaTaf4oaws6yI9zho3TdxDk2cPgio30G0ZajQTqPn-Oz_IjQasX3YaG2L6S5s8-thrZXsc4ar9tfcy3VNReZlvcgMEPqNC-fyXn9rLcoxEIQU2Fhhu/s320/1-359.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>At the entrance to the Salaspils transit camp near Riga</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In 1987, I spent three weeks in what was then the Soviet Union as a student ambassador. We stopped in Moscow and St. Petersburg (which was still Leningrad back then), in Sochi and Azerbaijan, in the Baltic capitals of Tallinn and Riga. We saw some amazing, beautiful things while we were there, and met kind and thoughtful people. And maybe one day I'll tell you about that, but today I'm going to talk about the place that made the deepest impression of all.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
When the Nazis invaded the USSR, they expanded their extermination program, collecting Jewish people and anyone else they deemed undesirable and transporting them to concentration camps to the west. They built places like Salaspils, outside Riga, collection points from which they'd ship their victims. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6-YAiRDL7FblnhGpBRqUBes3N-KF4JlMM5YLOiv9dSv4lUDlxR08Hobga9hE2p7-hOJSYgo4bZeE3EfYKYMw3WDmwtrYxkRcZNgikci3b7eGPj4SFVFWQKzH6kq3FWqLW2maUh9MDBsJ/s1600/1-357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6-YAiRDL7FblnhGpBRqUBes3N-KF4JlMM5YLOiv9dSv4lUDlxR08Hobga9hE2p7-hOJSYgo4bZeE3EfYKYMw3WDmwtrYxkRcZNgikci3b7eGPj4SFVFWQKzH6kq3FWqLW2maUh9MDBsJ/s320/1-357.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>A memorial statue at Salaspils</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Nazis committed horrible crimes at the transit camps, too. Maybe not on the scale of a place like Auschwitz or Bergen-Belsen, but still sickening, in the inhumane treatment of innocent human beings, the cruelty, the callous disregard for life and families and the most basic principles of morality.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Until that day, the Holocaust was something of which I was aware, but only on a superficial level (yes, genocide=bad). It was a terrible thing that had happened far in the past, but it seemed to intersect little, if at all, with my fortunate life. But walking through the remnants of the camp, seeing the pictures, hearing the stories of families torn asunder . . . It made me think, on a level I hadn't before, about what it all meant, the big picture, but also the individual lives. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUpKfk9o-QoYC67NmYj0M2yf1voIyWXDgtp-anABDlc0KUgnIMNBVXI7dbmk9kYLzuEFqZE9hEnZEbncIgGeYKYB2fnExDL1aJBe7qzSgzzeIkOla8_p1KQ60beauxle1-ezEAOt9WE0C/s1600/1-333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUpKfk9o-QoYC67NmYj0M2yf1voIyWXDgtp-anABDlc0KUgnIMNBVXI7dbmk9kYLzuEFqZE9hEnZEbncIgGeYKYB2fnExDL1aJBe7qzSgzzeIkOla8_p1KQ60beauxle1-ezEAOt9WE0C/s320/1-333.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Another of the memorial statues</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've tried three or four times to write a stunning conclusion to this, and I can't believe the things I feel I ought to say. Like, "Torturing people is a bad idea for a lot of reasons." Or, "It's a bad precedent to turn legal residents away at the border and keep them from their families and jobs." Or, God help us, "When I was a kid, 'alternative facts' were known as lying and no one approved."</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Here's the thing about power based on fear: The people who hold it always have to generate more fear to keep that power. They always have to have someone, something, to destroy. The rest of us are just a means to an end for those who think that way, and being a true believe will not save you once you cease to be useful.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The ghosts of the past are calling out from their haunted ground. Will we listen to their warning?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-58557856254199882372017-01-24T17:43:00.000-08:002017-01-24T17:43:06.172-08:00First Publication of the New Year, and thoughts on the perfect detailI don't think I mentioned I have a poem up in the latest issue of <a href="http://www.abyssapexzine.com/">Abyss and Apex</a>. The poem is one I wrote for my younger son, who always has good (and tough) science questions for me.<br />
<br />
So, please enjoy "The Volume of the Universe."<br />
<br />
On a writing craft note, I've been thinking about one of the book's I'm currently reading, Tana French's <i>The Secret Place</i>. I'm a recent convert to her Dublin Murder Squad stories, and one of the things I like best about them is her keen eye for detail. See, as writers we hear a lot that we need to 'show, don't tell.' And that's good advice, as far as it goes, but there's also the matter of making sure the right--the <i>best</i>--detail is there to bring the scene to life.<br />
<br />
So, in the beginning of <i>The Secret Place</i>, French introduces a character, a teenage boy. She brings him to life, rowdy and secretive, close to his friends and ambivalent about his boarding school. And this is how she ends the scene:<br />
<br />
<i>Chris Harper is all ready for this year, he can't wait; he's got plans.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>He has eight months and two weeks left to live.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
That last line: Nine words, one syllable each. It's specific. It's just the right amount of specificity, in fact. If she'd said 'about nine months,' it would have made me think of pregnancy, not murder. If she'd strung out months, weeks, days, hours, it would have taken on a ridiculous quality, like a lovelorn comic character mourning a busted relationship. Instead, it's a finite boundary, beyond which Chris Harper will cease to exist. The clock begins to tick. Reading that line gave me goosebumps, and it made me want to read more.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-16978481558651046082017-01-06T16:18:00.003-08:002017-01-06T16:18:40.583-08:00Stringing words togetherI can make myself write fiction even when nothing particular is sparking, and sometimes things start to flow just because I've taken the time to show up and accept the words in their imperfection. The same isn't true of poetry. When I try to force the issue, I'm invariably unhappy with the result. It's a good idea to hang onto those poems anyway; sometimes a line is worth keeping, or the title gets used for something better. But for me, poems need to grow organically, in a way fiction drafts don't.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhgxvALrDI5sUtleCNzWfd3q3MYTIhxQ4QFVJGLEeG-8-GVXeGMPri5ffIDJpqtn2nULmJ4Z6UEIv6mFh4aQXiRb_SPHxFeqa3mkcmtna4xX-utJ6Ro55P57sB419Mb7GVQOQ_lEAhsxk/s1600/driveway+bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhgxvALrDI5sUtleCNzWfd3q3MYTIhxQ4QFVJGLEeG-8-GVXeGMPri5ffIDJpqtn2nULmJ4Z6UEIv6mFh4aQXiRb_SPHxFeqa3mkcmtna4xX-utJ6Ro55P57sB419Mb7GVQOQ_lEAhsxk/s320/driveway+bridge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I was thinking about that today because the title of a poem leaped into my mind. (Usually I get either the title, or the first line. Sometimes, rarely, both at once.) The title that showed up was "Blood and Chocolate." Not sure yet what it will become. It may take a day or two, or a year, for the rest to make itself known. I'm learning to be okay with that.<br />
<br />
But as I gathered up clothes for a load of laundry, I found myself wondering why it was so clearly "Blood and Chocolate," and not "Chocolate and Blood." For the record, I think either would make a good poem, but the latter is not <i>my</i> poem title. I'm not sure why.<br />
<br />
That's one of the things I find interesting about writing in general, and poetry in particular. Some things, some sentences or rhythms or combinations of words are just <i>right</i>. And some are just <i>wrong</i>, even if they're grammatically correct. It's a leap of faith, getting from <i>correct</i> to <i>right.</i><br />
<br />
Maybe this is why some people tend to sneer at 'workmanlike' prose or verse. It gets the job done, but avoids taking risks. It conveys the message, but doesn't reach beyond the surface elements of the poem or story.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhX1OkrNggLmI1xAcchVbMnzyY1etz9ihZ3-Kl_j7blQDD-hD_r6PPQez9XJ_sw8x4-TQHG-B5s5xvuu_LXZqW5v9sbvygwjECr4tKeaFy21GS4aJGPHJk0-VdS29HNJ_n6zAz2GuTDA1I/s1600/custer+montana+1.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhX1OkrNggLmI1xAcchVbMnzyY1etz9ihZ3-Kl_j7blQDD-hD_r6PPQez9XJ_sw8x4-TQHG-B5s5xvuu_LXZqW5v9sbvygwjECr4tKeaFy21GS4aJGPHJk0-VdS29HNJ_n6zAz2GuTDA1I/s320/custer+montana+1.jpe" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
At least with poetry, there's a tradition of making odd juxtapositions of images, which is a lot of the fun of writing poems. Sometimes I don't take enough risks, because I don't want to create poetry that excludes readers. One of my goals, usually, is to make something that any person can pick up and enjoy at some level, even if some of what I'm doing eludes them. I don't see much value in artistic snobbery; there is beauty in a tumble of stones even before you realize it's the wall of an ancient ruin, decaying in the sun.<br />
<br />
Maybe there's no real mystery here. Maybe "Blood and Chocolate" is inevitable, a tidal wash of words beginning on one beach and running to a different stretch of sand. But I can't explain it, not entirely, and I'm not sure it would be wise to try.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-60999062353353883142017-01-01T17:58:00.000-08:002017-01-01T17:58:24.384-08:00Current reading, and 2016 favoritesI just started reading Hannah Arendt's <i>The Origins of Totalitarianism</i>. One of my goals for the future is to read more deeply in politics and philosophy, and her book was recommended by several people. Written shortly after the end of World War II, it focuses on twentieth century totalitarian regimes, particularly Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.<br />
<br />
In the introduction, Arendt writes, <i>No doubt, the fact that totalitarian government, its open criminality notwithstanding, rests on mass support is very disquieting. It is therefore hardly surprising that scholars as well as statesmen often refuse to recognize it, the former by believing in the magic of propaganda and brainwashing, the latter by simply denying it . . .</i> She goes on to add, <i>However, the point of the matter is that this </i>[knowledge of massacres and abuses] <i>did not in the least weaken the general support of the Hitler regime. It is quite obvious that mass support for totalitarianism comes neither from ignorance nor from brainwashing. (</i>Arendt, vii)<br />
<br />
One of the history books I read last year, Martin Kitchener's <i>Speer</i>, challenges Albert Speer's whitewashed account of his years as Hitler's architect and accomplice. Kitchener skewers the apologetics of other historians, and their willingness to accept the way Speer glossed over his role in the Nazi regime. In an age where fake news and post-truth politics seem to be the order of the day, Kitchener's book was a powerful reminder to me of the need to dig deeper and not take any public figure's story at face value.<br />
<br />
I'm off to read some more, but I also wanted to mention some of my favorite books of 2016, which I've broken down between fiction and nonfiction. I was . . . not very diligent about posting reviews on Goodreads this past year, but I'm hoping to do a better job going forward.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nonfiction<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ivory
Vikings</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, Nancy Marie Brown<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Essential Rumi</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, Coleman Barks, trs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Scream:
Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, Margee Kerr<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Witches: Salem 1692, </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Stacy Schiff<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Maximum
City</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
Suketu Mehta<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Where
Nobody Knows Your Name</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, John Feinstein<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Confidence Game</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, Maria Konnikova<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fail,
Fail Again, Fail Better</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, Pema Chodron<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Stamped
from the Beginning</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, Ibrim X. Kendi<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
Ended Badly: 13 of the Worst Breakups in History</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
Jennifer Wright<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Grit</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
Angela Duckworth<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fiction</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Emissary</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
Melissa McShane<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Fifth Season</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> and <i>The
Obelisk Gate</i>, N. K. Jemisin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Broken
Harbor</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, Tana French<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nevernight</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
Jay Kristoff<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Peripheral</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, William Gibson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Raven Boys</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> and subsequent volumes, Maggie Stiefvater<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Tyrant’s Law</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, Daniel Abraham<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Worlds
of Ink and Shadow, </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lena Coakley<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
Is Not Yours, Is Not Yours</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, Helen Oyeyemi<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A
Darker Shade of Magic</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, V. E. Schwab<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Paper Menagerie</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, Ken Liu<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Fantasy Writer’s Assistant</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, Jeffery Ford<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Etched
in Bone</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, Anne Bishop<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A
Green and Ancient Light</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, Frederic Durbin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-74176124201748820562016-12-29T05:31:00.000-08:002016-12-29T05:34:34.362-08:00End of year wrap-up, Part deuxI know I already posted my publications for 2016, but then three more came out in the past week, SO . . .<br />
<br />
"Last Call at the Hypothetical Tavern" in <a href="http://www.liminalitypoetry.com/">Liminality #10</a><br />
<br />
and<br />
<br />
"Fimbulheart" in <a href="http://heliosquarterly.com/index.php/2016/12/22/helios-quarterly-volume-1-issue-2-now-available/">Helios Quarterly, Volume 1 Issue 2</a><br />
<br />
and<br />
<br />
"Across a Storm-Dark Sky" in <a href="http://www.thepedestalmagazine.com/issues-issue-79/">The Pedestal #79</a>.<br />
<br />
Ta-daaaa!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-8066045475698994962016-12-21T04:55:00.004-08:002016-12-21T04:55:42.345-08:002016 Publications<div class="MsoNormal">
“Between Dog and Wolf” (poem) in <i>Star*Line</i> 39.1, Winter 2016</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Fox Children” (poem) in <i>Dreams
& Nightmares</i> #104, September 2016</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“God’s Bones” (short story) in <i>Not One of Us</i> #56</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“<a href="http://eyetothetelescope.org/archives/020issue.html">Apocalypse Reunion</a>” (poem) in <i>Eye to the Telescope</i> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“<a href="http://www.topologymagazine.org/poetry/death-taxes/">Death and Taxes</a>” (poem) in <i>Topology</i> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“<a href="http://mythicdelirium.com/mythic-delirium-2-3-jan-march-2016">Love, and the Merciless Sea</a>” (poem) in <i>Mythic Delirium</i> 2.3 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“ <a href="http://throughthegate.net/21/">Saint Nothing</a>” (poem) in <i>Through the Gate</i> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“<a href="http://liquidimagination.silverpen.org/article/automaton-jennifer-crow/">Automaton</a>” (poem) in <i>Liquid
Imagination</i> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“<a href="http://uncannymagazine.com/article/the-book-of-forgetting/">The Book of Forgetting</a>” (poem) in <i>Uncanny</i> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“ <a href="http://mithilareview.com/crow_08_16/">Fallen to Witches</a>” (poem) in <i>Mithila Review </i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-44286583955483977292016-12-11T07:16:00.001-08:002016-12-11T07:20:49.546-08:00Guest Blog: A Nontraditional Foodie Christmas<br />
<div class="hq gt a10" id=":po" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 15px 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6rrLLHNJ5_x-AZxtOITX07LexLED8fLe4nPO8BBuCKch_8ZB77nIHXbj1pBZ1oGoI_91bY4HLx5m4yRHZ71YEk68yKv3uNFsbxOW_X8FnbCjHl6v8ZzhwQScc8JFNA0knIzGQUK0uWXL/s1600/giftmas+blog+2016.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6rrLLHNJ5_x-AZxtOITX07LexLED8fLe4nPO8BBuCKch_8ZB77nIHXbj1pBZ1oGoI_91bY4HLx5m4yRHZ71YEk68yKv3uNFsbxOW_X8FnbCjHl6v8ZzhwQScc8JFNA0knIzGQUK0uWXL/s320/giftmas+blog+2016.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="ii gt adP adO" id=":oy" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 5px 15px 0px 0px; orphans: 2; padding-bottom: 5px; position: relative; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div class="a3s aXjCH m158c3e7f768b143a" id=":ox" style="overflow: hidden;">
<div style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif;">
<div dir="ltr" id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6361" style="font-size: 16px;">
<i>Please welcome Diamante Lavendar, my guest blogger for the Giftmas Blog Tour!</i></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6361" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6361" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
Food during the holidays. Hmmm. What do I write about?</div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6516" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6517" /></div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6518" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Well, the holidays have been sort of a rough time for me for a while. And this year, they got rougher. I lost two children before Thanksgiving: one in 1990 and one this year. Food? Well, I can't help to think about the meal we ate after each funeral.</div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6519" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6520" /></div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6521" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Food has a way of lending some comfort to pain. In 1990 my food choices were different. Now, I think the most comforting thing I've eaten since my daughter passed was a hash brown casserole. Comfort food. You know, the warm kind the settles in your belly and whispers to your blood, “You can calm down. Everything's okay for the moment.” I realize this may seem macabre, but honestly, the holidays aren't all glitter and glamour for some of us. So….if you're one of the many who is hurting this holiday season, try this casserole on for size:</div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6522" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6523" /></div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6524" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 pkg. Hash browns</div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6525" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 green pepper</div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6526" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
½ c. mushrooms</div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6527" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 onion</div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6528" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese</div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6529" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
6 eggs, scrambled ( I leave these out because I'm a vegetarian)</div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6530" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
3 T. olive oil</div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6531" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
salt and pepper to taste</div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6532" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6533" /></div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6534" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Chop the green pepper, onion and mushrooms. Fry with the hashbrowns in 3 T. olive oil. (You may add more if you need to, to prevent veggies from sticking to your pan). In a separate pan, scramble your eggs. When the veggies are cooked and browned, put the eggs on top and cover with the shredded cheddar cheese. Allow the cheese to melt completely. Salt and pepper to taste.</div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6535" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6536" /></div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6537" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This recipe is easy and quick. It's perfect comfort food that is still healthy. And it helps to ease the pain of the holidays for those of us who are suffering. I know it's not traditional Christmas fare, but when it comes to tough situations, that really doesn't matter. What matters is it tastes good and takes little to no time to make.</div>
<div id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6538" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6539" /></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6361" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6540" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In remembrance of those who are needful this season, please consider contributing to the food bank below. Giving to others always makes the world a better place. Merry Christmas. Please make it a good one.</div>
<div dir="ltr" id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6540" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOLAHklfvPJs_0dqVxUAPoiOCBq52fXknzD0YCkX5xzG_CDX9iiEpxaebkUAYDp7DvX_zULC1b1gDZ2ZJG17cvPtE_bRZCX8TyXMFZoML8v3cSLsSaokTB7qFCDeBGViyPmNFiAiy2bBd/s1600/diamante.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOLAHklfvPJs_0dqVxUAPoiOCBq52fXknzD0YCkX5xzG_CDX9iiEpxaebkUAYDp7DvX_zULC1b1gDZ2ZJG17cvPtE_bRZCX8TyXMFZoML8v3cSLsSaokTB7qFCDeBGViyPmNFiAiy2bBd/s320/diamante.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">
To help out the Edmonton Food Bank, follow this <a href="https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/giftmas-blog-tour-supports-the-edmonton-food-bank/">link</a>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div id="m_-5327931239324975669yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480918463152_9930" style="border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.71429; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Diamante Lavendar has been in love with reading since she was a child. She spent many hours listening to her mother read to her when she was young. As she grew older, she enjoyed reading novels of all genres: horror, fantasy and some romance to name a few.</span></i></div>
<div id="m_-5327931239324975669yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480918463152_9931" style="border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.71429; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">She began writing in college and published some poetry in anthologies over the years. After her kids were older, she wrote as a form of self expression and decided she wanted to share her stories with others.</span></i></div>
<div id="m_-5327931239324975669yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480918463152_9932" style="border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.71429; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Most of her writing is very personal and stems from her own experiences and those of her family and friends. She writes to encourage hope and possibility to those who read her stories.</span></i></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="m_-5327931239324975669yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480918463152_9933" style="border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.71429; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Diamante believes that everyone should try to leave their own positive mark in the world, to make it a better place for all. Writing is the way that she is attempting to leave her mark—one story at a time.</span></i></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="m_-5327931239324975669yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480918463152_9933" style="border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.71429; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">You can find Diamante's <a href="http://diamantelavendar.com/blog/">blog here</a>.</span></i></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="m_-5327931239324975669yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480918463152_9933" style="border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.71429; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Her book </i>Breaking the Silence <i>can be found at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Silence-Diamante-Lavendar-ebook/dp/B00Q0CJAYO/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1480918767&sr=8-12&keywords=breaking+the+silence">Amazon</a>. Her chapbook </i>Poetry and Ponderings <i>will be published soon. There's more information <a href="http://writtendreams.com/wd-publishing/poetry-ponderings-journey-abuse-healing-poetry/">here</a>.</i></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="m_4519614518131027239yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1480753769169_6540" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="yj6qo" style="font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal;">
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-34321033421867106562016-12-07T13:13:00.002-08:002016-12-07T13:13:31.871-08:00Blog tour--I'm away today!Over at Beth Cato's blog, I've told about one of my favorite memories of Christmases past. You can read all about it <a href="http://www.bethcato.com/snowed-in-a-giftmas-guest-blog-from-jennifer-crow/">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJQkyo_XhvgXQMaSFiPbQjRx7zKNEOfr450Im5S_nmV1h9qPfCI3c1_A2bRBAxUD71N5a1WQFhxlF_NVy3tYh7eiOSJCNX6axVEZKDt883lo42ItQF_zgP8bpI_vuvE3aFHC7cSpkWD_i/s1600/blog+tour+schedule.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJQkyo_XhvgXQMaSFiPbQjRx7zKNEOfr450Im5S_nmV1h9qPfCI3c1_A2bRBAxUD71N5a1WQFhxlF_NVy3tYh7eiOSJCNX6axVEZKDt883lo42ItQF_zgP8bpI_vuvE3aFHC7cSpkWD_i/s320/blog+tour+schedule.png" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-62363222306455081222016-12-05T03:28:00.000-08:002016-12-05T03:28:03.994-08:00Attention everyone!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk3RqBanPVbQDDrCKXXJBhGB429Abmup9tHxIad00WcccgwePg5V7Uko6Vkjb9hicfYlLrefUBS7-yczJhY-Unf-KpR7OstCHbtzgACGmlc2FAO_384MVQ5A8ZSMTjlP9G6EOTuCklLSO/s1600/blog+tour+schedule.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk3RqBanPVbQDDrCKXXJBhGB429Abmup9tHxIad00WcccgwePg5V7Uko6Vkjb9hicfYlLrefUBS7-yczJhY-Unf-KpR7OstCHbtzgACGmlc2FAO_384MVQ5A8ZSMTjlP9G6EOTuCklLSO/s640/blog+tour+schedule.png" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Join us for the 2016 Giftmas Blog Tour! We're raising money for the <a href="https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/giftmas-blog-tour-supports-the-edmonton-food-bank/">Edmonton Food Bank</a>, and there's a chance for you to win a prize, too.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-8125291088005679752016-10-27T11:00:00.000-07:002016-10-27T11:00:18.312-07:00Everything (important) I've learned about publishing (so far)<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Today a friend asked me to tell her everything I know about the publishing industry. This is a tall order. But I distilled the key elements down to what has been most helpful to me, and she gave permission for me to share it with you, too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The <i>entire</i> publishing industry is a big territory, and a lot of what I've learned
(focusing on poetry and SF/fantasy/horror) may not transfer to other genres or
sectors of the industry. But there are some general ideas to keep in mind.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjBZpcnm8EBdw8JAwiSqMJ4jxdbGqxbCKON5vBYju-UJcV76izZUevgh5weS9Gsg9nhlc3RMw1wHdkwTE-R9K36hVXd9N0Ja9oxqj_wuVooCOeL7kXDqSXr0vqFp_isKUzFUUhyphenhyphenZ4srlw/s1600/computer+side+eye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjBZpcnm8EBdw8JAwiSqMJ4jxdbGqxbCKON5vBYju-UJcV76izZUevgh5weS9Gsg9nhlc3RMw1wHdkwTE-R9K36hVXd9N0Ja9oxqj_wuVooCOeL7kXDqSXr0vqFp_isKUzFUUhyphenhyphenZ4srlw/s1600/computer+side+eye.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Everything here should be taken with a grain of salt. Or a bucket of salt.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1. There are a lot of
scammers out there. If you are submitting to editors/agents, a good rule of
thumb is that MONEY SHOULD FLOW TO THE WRITER. That means, reputable places do
not charge reading fees, or fees to publish your book or get it on store or
library shelves. If someone asks for an upfront fee, or tells you that they'll
publish you IF you pay their associated editing group to spruce up your
manuscript, they're not legitimate.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2. If you're
self-publishing, or looking for an editor and agent, and want someone to proof
your manuscript or offer ideas for improvement, there are reputable people who
can help with that for a fee, or with ebook design or cover art. (If I ever
decide to self-publish, I will definitely get outside help with stuff like
that. A good book designer or copy editor can make a huge difference in how
professional the end result looks.) Approach it as you would hiring someone to
put a new roof on your house, or fix your bathroom plumbing: get
recommendations from people they've worked with, check out finished products,
etc. Not everyone in the industry is equally skilled or experienced.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3. For that matter, do
your research for editors and agents, too. Spend some time in the bookstore,
and check the acknowledgments page of books you like in your genre. Many
authors will mention their editors and agents, because they know good ones are
worth their weight in gold. Make a list of agents/agencies who seem to have a
liking for your style of story. Check out their websites and see if they're
taking new clients.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Is an agent worth
it? I have some friends who have gone without because they stick with smaller,
more specialized publishers, and that works for them. My closest writer friend
has hit the NY Times and USA Today bestseller lists, is going on a book tour
paid for by her publisher, and has work translated and published in a dozen or
more countries--and she swears by her agent. It's a complex issue, but I think
having a GOOD agent can open a lot of doors. Having a sucky agent can be career-destroying. I've watched that happen to friends, too.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">5. Another writer
friend taught me that, when making book submissions, you should be careful to
understand what that particular editor or agent is looking for, and you should
not spam EVERY agent at an agency or every editor at a publisher. Many of them
take the stance that, if you've submitted to one person at the establishment,
you've submitted to all of them, so choose your first contact wisely.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">6. ALWAYS READ THE
GUIDELINES. All the guidelines. And follow them. It's pretty easy to find sites
that will give you standard manuscript format (<a href="http://www.shunn.net/format/">William Shunn</a>'s is the one I've
most often seen mentioned), but
many places will have their own tweaks or requirements. If you have an
absolutely killer story, it won't necessarily be the kiss of death to make
obvious mistakes . . . but lots of people write killer stories, so why give
them any advantage? And there are always editors and agents who will reject you
based on nit-picky issues because it's a sign that you might be difficult to
work with. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">7. Revise and
proofread. Do it one more time than you think is necessary. Read your work out
loud--it will help you catch errors that your brain glosses over.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">8. If you have a genre
in mind, think about joining the professional organization as an associate
member, or a full member when you have the requisite sales to qualify. In my
field, that's the SFWA for science fiction and fantasy, HWA for horror writers,
SFPA for speculative poetry. There's also the RWA for romance writers, the SCBWI
for the writers of children's books, or the MWA for writers of mysteries and thrillers. They have benefits even for beginners--RWA
sponsors a lot of conventions with classes and learning opportunities, for
example. Regardless of whether you write SF, you should check out SFWA's <a href="http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/">Writer Beware</a> site--I think Victoria Strauss is still in charge of it, and it's a
great clearinghouse that warns of many scammers, sketchy dealers, and
collapsing presses. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">9. Writers' groups,
conventions, and workshops can be a great opportunity to network and learn, or
a massive time- and money-sink. It's important to do your research, but also to
consider what YOU need. Don't leap into something just because someone tells
you that's the best way to become a success, even if they seem pretty
successful to you. What works for them might be a disaster for you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">10. For that matter,
be wary of anyone who tells you they have the One True Way to be a successful
writer, whether that's writing every day, publishing their own work, or
standing on their head while typing with only their big toe. Every writing
career is unique, in both its successes and its hurdles. You're going to have
to find your own path, to a certain extent.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">11. Understand that this is a difficult field in a lot of ways. You have
to have enough confidence to sustain you through the struggles, and enough
humility to learn and grow from those struggles. Prepare to learn patience in a
way you could not have imagined. And try to have a metric for success that does
not revolve around number of book sales or autographs given. Otherwise, no
matter how good you are, you will have too many days that leave you feeling
like an impostor or a failure.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">12. I tell people
there are really only two rules: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1) Do what works for
you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2) Try not to be
boring on the final draft.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4qURiR9Z92IaxrMnIZhpa88VB9IzwOmQ4StRjzKGQLwr5Udn7IabbNGGfLOeO7PTENhIH7mN2Xn4Kz-bv7oJbQ8MHo5zHjsYF_ORJXIVhpKYX2AN-KtaO8tkQCRT_DOFNI19mk2fardA/s1600/thumbs+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4qURiR9Z92IaxrMnIZhpa88VB9IzwOmQ4StRjzKGQLwr5Udn7IabbNGGfLOeO7PTENhIH7mN2Xn4Kz-bv7oJbQ8MHo5zHjsYF_ORJXIVhpKYX2AN-KtaO8tkQCRT_DOFNI19mk2fardA/s1600/thumbs+up.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Good luck!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-76304392738941239602016-09-10T10:07:00.001-07:002016-09-10T10:07:38.339-07:00Overcoming the inertia of disappointmentI got a rejection every day for the first four days of the month. And then resounding silence for a few days. I'll admit, it shook my confidence. As much as I love to write, the business of writing can be a soul-sucking endeavor. Yesterday I struggled to do the work. I took myself out of the house to do a revision sweep on a story a friend was kind enough to beta-read, got home and wasted time online for a couple hours before finally getting to the rough draft work I'd committed to doing every day.<br />
<br />
The whole time I kept thinking, <i>This is one of the hard days, but if I keep working good things will happen. Maybe the universe will see how hard I'm trying and how much my heart hurts and I'll be rewarded!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3x0L1qCSN2_Xdl1a_dCqvnQLfwEI0_91NIpYsEM8vjnzJbitAPuvrtfqAZ6ypRDZTLWnZrsYhtixaKqO__Kt4Opz7XsoD8TnMJg_JutFGaDd-jbtezTPe4qMxqKYlmrdb8n3rk0UJoYb/s1600/bemused+chipmunk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3x0L1qCSN2_Xdl1a_dCqvnQLfwEI0_91NIpYsEM8vjnzJbitAPuvrtfqAZ6ypRDZTLWnZrsYhtixaKqO__Kt4Opz7XsoD8TnMJg_JutFGaDd-jbtezTPe4qMxqKYlmrdb8n3rk0UJoYb/s320/bemused+chipmunk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>So I was all, *Another* rejection? </i></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
Or, you know, maybe once the work's all done, I'll get another rejection. Which is what actually happened, because the universe does not want me to be happy ever again.<br />
<br />
So yesterday evening I wallowed and was bitchy. This morning, I decided that was not an acceptable lifestyle choice in the longer term, so I put together a list of markets I wanted to send poems to, and checked to see which ones were open, and what they might want.<br />
<br />
And I sent out a bunch of stuff. I'm still cranky because honestly, rejections are never awesome. But I've been caught before in the inertia of disappointment, where a few rejection letters lead to months of sitting on all the new material I've written, or not bothering to revise stuff because that's the <i>hard</i> part, and all that effort seems pointless.<br />
<br />
Which is not to say that I'm suddenly immune to the inertia of disappointment. Just that, today, even though the universe doesn't want me to win, I'm not going to sit quietly and take it. Not today.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdIjxmUm8Ad8nVcUkrJD7krfgE1rYLFLR7MfTFOPKFdTpCD-hvIaASdjMjYieu9pXue8gHMivMav43Pi0Ha36i2GuWPx_AcHlTwWdh1h4xyfhbsQ_yjc8-1xa2z6sfCUyuzDNlIwJ4vku/s1600/be+brave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdIjxmUm8Ad8nVcUkrJD7krfgE1rYLFLR7MfTFOPKFdTpCD-hvIaASdjMjYieu9pXue8gHMivMav43Pi0Ha36i2GuWPx_AcHlTwWdh1h4xyfhbsQ_yjc8-1xa2z6sfCUyuzDNlIwJ4vku/s320/be+brave.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-54891409919885405172016-08-16T14:14:00.001-07:002016-08-16T14:14:44.579-07:00New Poems!The tax sonnet is live now at Topology Magazine, <a href="http://www.topologymagazine.org/poetry/death-taxes/">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Enjoy! (Definitely you will enjoy this poem more than you enjoy paying taxes. Seriously.)<br />
<br />
And there's "Fallen to Witches" at Mithila Review, <a href="http://mithilareview.com/crow_08_16/">here</a>.<br />
<br />
I've been writing witch poems this year, after learning that both of my parents have ancestors who were jailed during the Salem Witch Trials.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-58410544199897682282016-07-31T17:54:00.000-07:002016-07-31T17:54:02.036-07:00Grit and the Art of Deliberate Practice<div class="MsoNormal">
Today I’ve been reading <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Grit-Passion-Perseverance-Angela-Duckworth/dp/1501111108/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470012490&sr=8-1&keywords=angela+duckworth+grit+the+power+of+passion+and+perseverance">Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance</a> by Angela Duckworth. It’s
a terrific book, and one I suspect I’ll hark back to because there are a lot of
good ideas here. She talks about the sociological and psychological research
around overcoming defeat and disappointment, as well as specific real-world
examples of people who show grit in their lives. As a writer who regularly gets
rejected, developing that resilience is something for which I’m striving. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HuO91jRpu7lQhfQb-gJvzJmNojXxLtjJB03fkrR_e_4o4-RCzaL7_nhzkCpFb9pp12ex8XAaANR4yqyo84dBAf7omQwmtS3a0sTZTMsQdAbrhXjCb9-gm6vxoI51N-5pXSLjy-_qwgx3/s1600/being+a+writer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HuO91jRpu7lQhfQb-gJvzJmNojXxLtjJB03fkrR_e_4o4-RCzaL7_nhzkCpFb9pp12ex8XAaANR4yqyo84dBAf7omQwmtS3a0sTZTMsQdAbrhXjCb9-gm6vxoI51N-5pXSLjy-_qwgx3/s320/being+a+writer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One aspect to grit that particularly struck me is the idea
of <i>deliberate practice</i>. We’re all
pretty clear on the way that time spent in an activity leads to better results.
Any writer will tell you that it’s common to run into people who would love to
be writers but can never manage to make the time to sit down and, you know, <i>write</i> something. But in <i>Grit</i>, Angela Duckworth takes the concept
further. She points out that it’s not enough to grind out the hours. Really
successful people, the ones who overcome the inevitable plateaus in life,
engage in what she calls deliberate practice. They seek to improve their
performance by setting goals that will test their limits and stretch their skills, by focusing on
specific areas that need improvement, and (yes) putting in the hard work that
will make meeting those goals possible.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She points out that, while that hard work may not be fun,
those with grit take pleasure in their accomplishments, and find joy in the
process as it helps them improve. So tonight, I’m thinking about deliberate
practice as it applies to the art and craft of writing, and seeking ways to put
those ideas to work in my own stories.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWWc8cFl_3l15Li_v0ocAWQVO1eLG2Ljw9iRc4WAbWip4RJgjbK8tlFbSZ2MCeVvssnRCtoKVGFHIPO_luhvK_hqYsk1AZ_idhU9SEvKnZ3DmxeK0eZEOsJHCefZKqi4FQclvrizv0Hgr/s1600/how+the+writing+is+going.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWWc8cFl_3l15Li_v0ocAWQVO1eLG2Ljw9iRc4WAbWip4RJgjbK8tlFbSZ2MCeVvssnRCtoKVGFHIPO_luhvK_hqYsk1AZ_idhU9SEvKnZ3DmxeK0eZEOsJHCefZKqi4FQclvrizv0Hgr/s320/how+the+writing+is+going.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’re a writer who’s made a conscious effort to practice
deliberately, what techniques did you use? Did you have a mentor, take a class
or join a workshop? Has your study been more self-directed? How did you mesh
this practice with your writing? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In line with this, I’ve been thinking about one specific
thing I’d like to improve in my own stories. (This is not to say that this is
the only shortcoming I have; only that this is the one I think is currently
holding me back the most.) My writing needs to be more emotional, or rather,
there needs to be a stronger emotional thread in the story, and a
stronger emotional connection for the reader. So I’m going to read a couple
books that address that particular issue, and I’m going to read stories and
think about how their authors develop that emotional resonance. Until I can
understand what gives me a strong emotional response as a reader, I won’t be
able to translate that into my own fiction. I shy away from emotion too much,
in life and in art, and that won’t work.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What about you? What’s your deliberate practice? Where are
you going next, and how will you make it happen?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-23881474197851732642016-07-03T07:31:00.000-07:002016-07-03T07:31:13.353-07:00Some thoughts on goal-setting for writers<div class="MsoNormal">
I was putting together my goals for July, and found myself
thinking back to earlier days and the way my goal setting has changed—and stayed
the same—throughout my years as a writer. Everybody works differently, but I
suspect there are few writers who succeed without setting any goals. And I have
a suspicion that setting the wrong kinds of goals can be disastrous as well.
Whether the goal-setter is thinking too big or too small, the way we approach
progress and mileposts can hamper us. Or inspire, on the other hand, if we do
it wisely.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First of all, it’s good to have an idea of what motivates
you and gets your creative juices flowing. The sad fact is, there may be long
stretches of time where you’re not receiving a lot of positive feedback and
outside rewards for your hard work. So figure out if a special meal, a night
out with friends, or a new book might give you some much-needed joy. And then
think about ways to earn that enticing reward.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwK6Qj7w6GZOJlzqRCeUoY9C44BkyEe5T8ubk4Jb5qesmqJ74EUSiGzlcEtSGi52p4WwXdqeKwNqUXv2LRpSDpmzKBvUQHdfOVk0yHqpCiFjyP9s6UOn0LsiK6x1tlsQZQuWkSEAc3Uqt/s1600/dorothy+parker--chec.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwK6Qj7w6GZOJlzqRCeUoY9C44BkyEe5T8ubk4Jb5qesmqJ74EUSiGzlcEtSGi52p4WwXdqeKwNqUXv2LRpSDpmzKBvUQHdfOVk0yHqpCiFjyP9s6UOn0LsiK6x1tlsQZQuWkSEAc3Uqt/s320/dorothy+parker--chec.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Dorothy is absolutely right--but the wait can be excruciating</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Break it down</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The rough draft of your 300,000 word fantasy opus is
probably not going to sell right off. And even if it did, you still have to
write the damn thing first. You’ve got your maps, and the ominous
prophecy-thingy, but now what? Shockingly, opuses don’t get written in one
sitting. And you’re going to struggle.
So maybe your goal list should include something other than <i>1) Write epic fantasy novel. </i>Maybe you
need to figure out how to get there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Figuring out the best approach is a learning process. Maybe
you’ll outline thoroughly and break it down into scenes. Maybe you’ll calculate
how long you’d like it to be and plot the major turning points and where they’ll
need to occur. Maybe you’ll be pantsing the whole way and set a daily or weekly
word goal. Be prepared for the trial and error you’ll need to work out your
best method. Remember: everyone finds themselves stuck from time to time. It’s
not a sign of failure, so much as an indication that you need to rethink the
process.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMMll0a5-8m0ZLJhWqnuM1Rp8zuQ4aVHXWIm6eZtobeFsk4HO2B5_lzC2-7cJtAWUpb5B9bdTgS3b9kcboN189HJLUEV1lvb-9Q3QSx02gqg_pj1Nvn85rIS3JCfm5sHoPf3e2Pl38eAV/s1600/rattlesnakes.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMMll0a5-8m0ZLJhWqnuM1Rp8zuQ4aVHXWIm6eZtobeFsk4HO2B5_lzC2-7cJtAWUpb5B9bdTgS3b9kcboN189HJLUEV1lvb-9Q3QSx02gqg_pj1Nvn85rIS3JCfm5sHoPf3e2Pl38eAV/s320/rattlesnakes.jpe" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Best rest stop ever, or best rest stop OF ALL TIME?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whatever path you take, set smaller goals that mark out the
way. Just like you wouldn’t drive from Boston to San Francisco in one marathon
session, you’ll need figurative hotels and rest stops on the story trail, too.
Treat yourself when you’ve set the hook in the opening chapter, or when you’ve
finally slogged through the flabby middle part of the story and see the end in
sight. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Branch out</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I started, the general advice was to begin with short
fiction and break into the market that way before trying to sell a novel. That
advice wasn’t terribly helpful then, and is even less so now, but there’s a kernel
of value. You may have a natural form that works best for you—I’ve been most successful with poetry
so far, and my stories all want to turn into novels—but it’s not wise to limit
yourself to only one thing, however comfortable that feels. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4TUqK3kgzwnJUTSrA0CCV3s7e_tbOxOtlr3K1W218OpL8fVjfYbqdOZesClAs52xtdgtCY9NQh3dLNmuX5gZ3vWB0Y1lflJj0vS9QWIK3ZZm2QSSrzL4g0368DTvBPh10oBXWvlQ7iqt/s1600/brawl+at+poets+recital.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4TUqK3kgzwnJUTSrA0CCV3s7e_tbOxOtlr3K1W218OpL8fVjfYbqdOZesClAs52xtdgtCY9NQh3dLNmuX5gZ3vWB0Y1lflJj0vS9QWIK3ZZm2QSSrzL4g0368DTvBPh10oBXWvlQ7iqt/s320/brawl+at+poets+recital.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Learning to write better poetry has taught me about rhythm
and pattern in language, about finding images that are vivid and unique, about
compressing the necessary details and deleting what doesn’t move the piece
forward. Working on short fiction has made me think about satisfying beginnings
and endings, and how to convey emotion to the reader in a shorter space. And
longer pieces have their own needs and structural concerns, calling for much
deeper thinking on matters of theme and plot and characterization. All of those
things are valuable parts of a writer’s toolkit. Even if poetry requires a
different mindset than fiction (like thinking in a different language, as one
writer puts it), I can use what I’ve learned in every aspect of writing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s value in trying different genres as well. Too often
we find ourselves locked into one particular type of story, but taking the risk
of writing in a different field can bring new life to all of a writer’s work. Anyone
who reads voraciously can think of favorite authors whose work grew stale over
the years, as they trod the same ground again and again. So don’t be afraid to
experiment. Write in a point of view you’ve never tried before, switch to a
different verb tense, or even give that genre mash-up you’ve been dreaming of a
shot. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In other words, don’t forget to have fun. Otherwise, you
might as well be making widgets in a gloomy factory.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Build it up</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The longer I write, the more clearly I see how much I still
have to learn. There are ideas I have that I can’t work on yet, because I just
don’t have the knowledge and experience to convey what’s in my mind and heart.
(I know some of you are saying that I should try anyway—and you’re right, to a
point. There’s value in taking risks, but there’s also value in gaining an
awareness of the gaps in your skills and exercising patience.) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So one of the things I’m working on consciously (and
semi-conscientiously) right now is to gain a better understanding of what makes
good writing in various areas, to study writers who are good and work on
incorporating those skills into my own toolkit. To accomplish that, I’ve set
goals to read anthologies and collections and think about the stories that seem
particularly effective. I’m critiquing regularly for other people, too. In the
past, I’ve worked as a slush reader, and that was an enlightening experience.
You know how editors will say, “I don’t ever want to see stories with X
[vampires, zombies, sappy love stories]!” There’s a damn good reason for that. And
you will understand, when you’ve read through every possible permutation of
boring, sloppy, unimaginative vampire story that your fellow writers can come
up with.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCu4I6kWo1VHR6Qz0uEdGsfYhsY6R5yuROSYxtB5fjbWZXV0IEwkaQzpd0IXvz7GjhkfCTb-AMirjxiMCLiFcVH10k437MwrJBvr5E-aGS9578QhrCl8MMWhBe0INHg2nCQahoJVQnzPxH/s1600/angry+greek+housewife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCu4I6kWo1VHR6Qz0uEdGsfYhsY6R5yuROSYxtB5fjbWZXV0IEwkaQzpd0IXvz7GjhkfCTb-AMirjxiMCLiFcVH10k437MwrJBvr5E-aGS9578QhrCl8MMWhBe0INHg2nCQahoJVQnzPxH/s320/angry+greek+housewife.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>When I was an editor, it was stories about people losing it and killing their spouses. There's a lot of spousal rage out there. Seriously.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In short, there are a myriad ways in which you can build and
expand your writer’s toolkit. One of the terrifying things about this work is
that there’s so much more to learn. But that’s also the wonderful thing about
it, too. I will never reach a point where I know everything about writing. As
long as I want to, as long as I work at it, there’s always another mountain to
conquer.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-57562551186598662102016-06-29T07:46:00.002-07:002016-06-29T07:46:58.395-07:00Reading fees: Not even once.Posting this makes me feel a little like a cranky Luddite, but this new trend of magazines charging reading fees for submissions is really terrible. I get why contests do it--it's why I don't enter contests, but there has to be some pool from which to draw the prize money. But regular publications? No no NO.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzsRVoUZnEbKIU7qe6nZhw2ml_HyrJHmp8-ZLSk18ELEUsACN9wM7hBlSX58edZUOj5FMTiYdNb8thtQzO8cE_6PoPWzAS4okYybErNejwAL4z4zNSRt7GEPTInUdKxQjmW68U7MdenJQ/s1600/crab+says+no.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzsRVoUZnEbKIU7qe6nZhw2ml_HyrJHmp8-ZLSk18ELEUsACN9wM7hBlSX58edZUOj5FMTiYdNb8thtQzO8cE_6PoPWzAS4okYybErNejwAL4z4zNSRt7GEPTInUdKxQjmW68U7MdenJQ/s320/crab+says+no.jpe" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>This crab with a plastic fork conveys my feelings.</i></div>
<br />
Here's the thing: writers generally write on spec. At least that's the case for beginners, and for a lot of the rest of us who don't have a multi-book contract. We have to put in a whole heck of a lot of work, up front, with no guarantee of payment. That's the burden of risk the creator bears in the market.<br />
<br />
Editors and publishers have to sort through all the not-awesome submissions to find the ones that are both wonderfully written, and fitting for the publication. Slogging through the slush pile is not the most fun part of editing (and I say this as a former slush-pile-slogger) but that's part of the burden of risk the publisher bears in the market.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmIullpDtBaLBOhQPVWGM9cUqA08xu0LRtf7ns76gvBP1bawhJPANp2BcE1v_nk9OMcxyn-E_mhgnd0yJQ2scB0mitbTWyW7D2RwqmCeSAJ_MG4OtLAS23HsrNsPioGPpjd-_6NlsHrkc7/s1600/dorothy+parker--chec.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmIullpDtBaLBOhQPVWGM9cUqA08xu0LRtf7ns76gvBP1bawhJPANp2BcE1v_nk9OMcxyn-E_mhgnd0yJQ2scB0mitbTWyW7D2RwqmCeSAJ_MG4OtLAS23HsrNsPioGPpjd-_6NlsHrkc7/s320/dorothy+parker--chec.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
When a publisher charges a writer to read their work, that's shifting more of the burden of risk onto the writer, who is already bearing enough by working without any upfront pay. It's a crappy thing to do, and unprofessional. STOP IT.<br />
<br />
And writers, do not pay these fees. Revenues should flow to publishers from advertisements, crowdfunding, and subscriptions. Not from the writers. The implication is that somehow you'll get a more fair read by paying for the privilege, but I wouldn't count on it. If you want to sink more money into your craft, take a class. Go to a convention and network. Hire an editor and a cover artist and publish your own work. But don't pay someone to do their job. If they can't make it work without your fees, they're probably not ready for the big leagues anyway.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-48592499834412367972016-06-06T19:27:00.002-07:002016-06-06T19:27:48.060-07:00Dear Short Story:Oh shiny new short story, I'm begging you: Please, please, please do not turn into another novel.<br />
<br />
I can't juggle another novel right now, no matter how adorable your characters are.<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
<br />
The Writer<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6615cjHTBuDOoq4r0BZea-2BNabePQluIHpFb7_bb7WAgUZWbE2Wq_4y22MT-FSbVZb-hFUv3QDUWm0P-k1TsRBlPMnnG9wHh2U2vtQ0LD3WbTTJl_LierC62waWDptr00yiWF83USxW/s1600/crab+says+no.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6615cjHTBuDOoq4r0BZea-2BNabePQluIHpFb7_bb7WAgUZWbE2Wq_4y22MT-FSbVZb-hFUv3QDUWm0P-k1TsRBlPMnnG9wHh2U2vtQ0LD3WbTTJl_LierC62waWDptr00yiWF83USxW/s320/crab+says+no.jpe" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Picture courtesy of my sister Margaret Bibber, who arms crabs in her spare time.</i></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-67359202378805034382016-05-31T13:33:00.000-07:002016-05-31T13:33:14.446-07:00100 Days of WritingI feel sort of like an addict, telling you that today is the 100th straight in which I have written something new. (Maybe I am a laziness addict. Sometimes just sitting down for the time it takes to write a page of . . . something . . . feels like a huge battle.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrreTlw18CPr02R8uhjfX8oanEI8k_YRdxYYseeJygPjFLRyHBgtVmWKKCSYe6nITevakW1-yjs98U7HX7-nC1nWolNTuk1finQsDjN_UfACvCfDR1LkJg6RVHgNwJFLCm9oxksT7E61T/s1600/should+probably+be+writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrreTlw18CPr02R8uhjfX8oanEI8k_YRdxYYseeJygPjFLRyHBgtVmWKKCSYe6nITevakW1-yjs98U7HX7-nC1nWolNTuk1finQsDjN_UfACvCfDR1LkJg6RVHgNwJFLCm9oxksT7E61T/s320/should+probably+be+writing.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Here's the thing, though: while writing every day works for me, it may not work for you. It's important that we have this discussion, because I don't want anyone to feel like they're Doing It Wrong. That's something that gets slung around a lot in the writing world, and I've learned to be wary of people who try to tell me there's One True Way of creating. That, my friends, is a load of crap.<br />
<br />
For me, it's important to write every day--at this point in time--for a couple of reasons. One, which I consider the most important of all, is that when I write, I'm happier. Sometimes the good feeling arises just from sitting at the computer and working on a cool scene or a poem that's been gnawing at my brain. Other times, it's glorious to put in the time and feel victorious over my lower nature. Either way, it's healing. Times when I'm not writing are times when I'm not at my best.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbDBZQN7QjGYe_czk59Rl_N-i2o8KRm1LW-4lIfC7-6i_6U_-0kU7dJ8i629vRfoaeFDrRLi9fc0f4zCGpPsfYfYgm6-R1PunZRInEbck0zzPVzPgxRt1jlRhGp1c4F0ec9nzOCzOO3pxj/s1600/baby+alpacas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbDBZQN7QjGYe_czk59Rl_N-i2o8KRm1LW-4lIfC7-6i_6U_-0kU7dJ8i629vRfoaeFDrRLi9fc0f4zCGpPsfYfYgm6-R1PunZRInEbck0zzPVzPgxRt1jlRhGp1c4F0ec9nzOCzOO3pxj/s1600/baby+alpacas.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>The baby alpacas want you to be happy. Listen to the baby alpacas. Do what they tell you.</i></div>
<br />
<br />
Second, putting the time in to hone my craft is one sure way I know of to get better at it. And my mind is more focused when I make a point of showing up. I have a lot to learn, and the more I work at writing, the clearer my shortcomings appear. There are other elements to learning: reading widely and thoughtfully, doing research, revising, talking about writing with more knowledgeable people. But none of those can substitute for making words of my own.<br />
<br />
I don't work the same project every day, but if I have two or three or four going, of different lengths and styles. A blog post counts as new words. A poem counts as new words. A page of fiction counts, but no more or less than the others. When I lose focus on one project, or run into the Brick Wall of What the Hell Happens Next, the lizard hind brain has already been working on some other thing that needs telling. Or maybe it's worked out what I did wrong the last time I ran into a roadblock.<br />
<br />
That's my process. It's what works for me. Your process may be different. Hell, my process will probably change if I ever have a non-self-imposed deadline. And that's okay. I expect at some point in the future, I'll be sane enough that writing <i>every</i> day will seem less important. But for now, there's a deep personal significance in letting the words out any-which-way and getting comfortable with that.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-H668HnOcAUFfuNZUfaF31Vj_EasU3cwZLlWXsu8-nA4AwKUTfXLWG5ydtp3m-tXkEjTmI72C37LugIIaF_FtqQFpEy_IyvtxCDp5HNzTicFfagwI-TNGsIKHhk4yvFyJyxMR2wNsb7cu/s1600/danger+do+not+touch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-H668HnOcAUFfuNZUfaF31Vj_EasU3cwZLlWXsu8-nA4AwKUTfXLWG5ydtp3m-tXkEjTmI72C37LugIIaF_FtqQFpEy_IyvtxCDp5HNzTicFfagwI-TNGsIKHhk4yvFyJyxMR2wNsb7cu/s320/danger+do+not+touch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Daniel Jose Older wrote <a href="http://sevenscribes.com/writing-begins-with-forgiveness-why-one-of-the-most-common-pieces-of-writing-advice-is-wrong/">this really great post</a> on Seven Scribes, talking about how wrong the 'write every day' advice can be. I love the point he makes right in the title, that in order to write, we have to forgive ourselves, let go of the shame that can hold us back and even destroy us. It's important advice, and you should read it, because Older says it better than I can.<br />
<br />
Whatever form your shame takes, however it tries to take your voice, find the way to let it go. I can't tell you how to do that, but hopefully you'll forgive me for being excited that I'm learning to show shame the door--and write like my life depends on it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-78419257707450261312016-05-17T17:58:00.000-07:002016-05-17T17:58:15.421-07:00A question of strength<div class="MsoNormal">
Today marks the 86<sup>th</sup> straight day in which I’ve
done some rough draft work. Sometimes just a poem, other days I’ve written as
much as 2000 words. The important thing for me right now is the act of showing
up. When I do that, my moods are more even and I tend to be more creative
overall. It’s the kind of streak that won’t last forever, but it reminds me why
taking the time to commit to my work is important.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJowKgN-GO7LIo2piUlCeICNGWQPwFedwa9HGtOJIYXasksjILUooGXhdHMFqQo7ze6ampIQkVDZxcbynz0Rn7SCOKujYO9c8HjKbASVhMB23OK_hyhxR-DxnJxOmpd7vtg9H2WdI7A8LX/s1600/venn+diagram+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJowKgN-GO7LIo2piUlCeICNGWQPwFedwa9HGtOJIYXasksjILUooGXhdHMFqQo7ze6ampIQkVDZxcbynz0Rn7SCOKujYO9c8HjKbASVhMB23OK_hyhxR-DxnJxOmpd7vtg9H2WdI7A8LX/s320/venn+diagram+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>I'm kind of more in the blue circle right now.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That being said, I’m struggling with the work—particularly the
part where I’m supposed to focus on rewriting and making the words sing, and
the part where I need to send stuff out and collect rejections, and the part
where I should probably make a list of agents and polish the novel query like I’ve
been meaning to do for over a year now.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m really reluctant about that part, almost on a molecular
level. Bit by bit the urge is returning, because I do want to share my work
with others. That being said, writing to get published was a huge factor in the
massive depression from which I’m emerging, which makes me leery of the risks
involved. Not just rejection, though that’s never enjoyable, but the sense of futility
and invisibility that have dogged me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzp0fur_oQF1gY0QTxhb30NnlcXZu6zlcBwkz_WJhVl1ymfH_aoaqso5XrXxeXzA6-VTGbztBWT_xqNGjKOD1KbbTzjnZvvP3cnuN9ZzFRh8xwURHCqgrhY4ijOZv_KOqX2TlKWYEtFzBt/s1600/mirren+and+dench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzp0fur_oQF1gY0QTxhb30NnlcXZu6zlcBwkz_WJhVl1ymfH_aoaqso5XrXxeXzA6-VTGbztBWT_xqNGjKOD1KbbTzjnZvvP3cnuN9ZzFRh8xwURHCqgrhY4ijOZv_KOqX2TlKWYEtFzBt/s320/mirren+and+dench.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Let's face it, none of us will ever be as awesome as Helen Mirren and Judi Dench.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So here’s what I’m wondering, my fellow creative types: Do
you know how to distinguish between legitimate self-care and recalcitrant
foot-dragging? How do you tell them apart? Have you found a way to give yourself
the courage to fail, while still making a safe space for the fragile parts of
your soul?</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I could really use your advice.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5754826434701183407.post-74287206448047833742016-04-25T05:49:00.000-07:002016-04-25T05:58:58.381-07:00Do What You Love (Badly)<div class="MsoNormal">
A while ago, the Spousal Unit and I were talking about our
high school days, and about doing sports in particular. (I was a track rat who
specialized in throwing heavy objects because I was <i>even worse</i> at jumping and running; he was a swimmer and water polo
player.) I love to hear tales of his wild days, and the torturous regime of
practices his coach put him through. One of his teammates subsequently tried
out for the U. S. water polo team, and the whole group often went to the
regional championships in California. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I asked him, “Do you miss it?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well,” he said, “I was never very good.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That’s not what I asked. Do you miss playing?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He was quiet for a moment and then said, “Yeah. Yeah, it was
fun, and I miss it.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0HhUeP0hjGKJkhjcnNpiMTcsPihQnVMpuvHk2wvU6xCYnqcuN_-bmEX993Jr_z1WB6eu_IaMOHqfDth8KkdlISLFW7P3CciDRGJmBETiwh56fvfgWqk0SHnUxfK-ttWWVOs4_90BKQrY/s1600/writer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0HhUeP0hjGKJkhjcnNpiMTcsPihQnVMpuvHk2wvU6xCYnqcuN_-bmEX993Jr_z1WB6eu_IaMOHqfDth8KkdlISLFW7P3CciDRGJmBETiwh56fvfgWqk0SHnUxfK-ttWWVOs4_90BKQrY/s320/writer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I once read that, if you ask a group of kindergarteners if
they’re artists or dancers or singers, they will generally agree in a heartbeat
that they are, in fact, totally talented. And they have <i>fun</i> with it. But if you go back to the same group of kids a few
years later, and ask which of them identifies as an artist, very few will raise
their hands.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think that’s sad. (I also have this cockamamie theory that
our warped view of talent and creativity worsens the epidemic of mental health
and substance abuse issues in our society, but that’s probably a post for
another day.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A lot of us, like my spouse, have absorbed the idea that
after a certain point, if you’re not demonstrably <i>good</i> at something, you lose the right to enjoy it. You’re off the
team, as it were. Maybe it’s a self-inflicted judgment, or maybe a host of bad
reviews and snarky comments have worn down hope. And attempting any kind of
creativity as a business proposition is its own special kind of hell. Trying to
balance the need to make things and the need to eat, putting your deepest and
most fragile self on display and hoping no one utterly stomps on it . . . That’s
a tough life. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOPixUT9jRUSbGP02J0YgwA7hQO1YZmQ8Cz8RMLMM_lZ0-XdYLZF7q9u3DUdDu4WUsx8Hqoh3WsDkDmNqy5g4KDKqmuWV_GiuRZyZ7WRdfXIL47L3_hXXHCFHt7nGroEmqgXzSC1diBFh/s1600/how+the+writing+is+going.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOPixUT9jRUSbGP02J0YgwA7hQO1YZmQ8Cz8RMLMM_lZ0-XdYLZF7q9u3DUdDu4WUsx8Hqoh3WsDkDmNqy5g4KDKqmuWV_GiuRZyZ7WRdfXIL47L3_hXXHCFHt7nGroEmqgXzSC1diBFh/s320/how+the+writing+is+going.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Yeah, that.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m small potatoes in the writing world, but I’ve listened
to a lot of other writers—amazing writers, people you admire—and they all
struggle with keeping that love of creating alive. Maybe there’s a point where
someone is so successful and popular and beloved that they never, ever feel bad
about their work. But I haven’t met that writer yet, and I kind of suspect that
if I did, that writer would be, you know, <i>dead</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In some ways, this is a great time to be creative. You can
reach an audience anywhere in the world, make connections and collaborations to
an almost unlimited degree. At the same time, it’s easy to feel lost, with the
relentless sense of competition, calculated cruelty, and looming invisibility,
especially when you factor in the tendency of every artist <i>ever</i> to feel inadequate to the task.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbo1f-eucbr9qrGhf68myzDbV0GjmQVjn_orw98INcZssOiIRnQAXSLURt86A1OEUSd6Cs-luakTwcxZ9ZYfy4MIx42a98R7QcarPKps-nM8CstRhUmwrGYWsR5aFiol_ES1ZY4QNtLBn/s1600/first+crochet+project.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbo1f-eucbr9qrGhf68myzDbV0GjmQVjn_orw98INcZssOiIRnQAXSLURt86A1OEUSd6Cs-luakTwcxZ9ZYfy4MIx42a98R7QcarPKps-nM8CstRhUmwrGYWsR5aFiol_ES1ZY4QNtLBn/s320/first+crochet+project.jpe" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>My first crochet project--sort of oddly shaped</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think I mentioned that I’ve been learning to crochet over
the past few months. Slowly, and badly. The Spousal Unit tells me scallops are ‘in,’
but I think he’s just being kind about the wobbly edges of my projects. But you
know what? I’m having fun crocheting badly. I am sucking <i>magnificently</i>, with some pretty yarn and shiny hooks. It’s good to
have a reminder that being brilliant is not the be-all-and-end-all of existence,
and learning to love new things and take risks should be a big part of life.<br />
<br /></div>
What if we all made the choice to do what we love, regardless of whether or not we met anyone's standards--even our own--of 'good enough'? And what if we reached out to others and encouraged their efforts, not with false praise, but genuine affection and appreciation? If we're all going to suck anyway, what if we did it with joy and enthusiasm?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So while I’ve recommitted to growing and improving as a
writer, I’ve also given myself permission to do it badly and enjoy it. Unlike
ballet—or brain surgery—writers get unlimited revisions to make things better.
The magic happens as much from love and joy as from hard work. I don’t want to
forget that again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNq9pEzVo2ieHTTmazNpJO6gUUqwDM9cSln0llIcDUzCxXRXIk2HzhH_YnXxZpgIAfBawiR8O33yV_0kBm4MP11sXCPw9bSyCrpM7GyilO4BErdTX859Ks_zxZwAbabWbYahcxrcGketp/s1600/poet+philosopher+and+failure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNq9pEzVo2ieHTTmazNpJO6gUUqwDM9cSln0llIcDUzCxXRXIk2HzhH_YnXxZpgIAfBawiR8O33yV_0kBm4MP11sXCPw9bSyCrpM7GyilO4BErdTX859Ks_zxZwAbabWbYahcxrcGketp/s320/poet+philosopher+and+failure.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>I'm learning to be okay with this.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867498826330744425noreply@blogger.com0