Tag Archive: Writing


My Patient Manuscript – a progress report

Filed under: For the Love of the Novel — 1 Comment
February 9, 2013
Saturday

Saturday (Photo credit: Brother O’Mara)

I can now consider myself a Weekend Novelist. There’s a book by that name (yes, it’s on my shelf).  This first draft of this manuscript was completed during NaNoWriMo 2010. I did cross the finish line with 50,000 words, but that’s as far as it went –  until last month.

One of my 2013 goals is to work regularly on “perfecting” my novel. The best solution for me now that I no longer teach on Saturdays, is to do something to move my novel along. I will never learn the craft by hoping, will I?

I’ve been digging into, studying, absorbing, making notes on a book recommended by The Writer Magazine recently, How To Write a Damn Good Thriller. I mentioned it here before.

Lest you think all I’m doing is reading about how to write instead of actually writing, I need the advice, for I truly don’t know what I’m doing. I know you need a first draft to work from, and I have done that at least.

At about 3/4 through the book; this weekend’s intention is to do more – um – reading.

And that’s the status of  my two-doughnut manuscript.

Till next week……

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment

“The Journal Keeper” by Phyllis Theroux

Filed under: Books, What I'm Reading — 4 Comments
August 13, 2012

 My friend and neighbor Joyce loaned The Journal Keeper to me for something to read by the lake last week. She couldn’t have known how it would resonate with me on many levels:

It is a non-fiction book about journal-writing. Not necessarily a how-to book, although it is that. Ms. Theroux plucked out a few consecutive years from her journal as an example of the “nuts and bolts” of journal-keeping.

I am an avid journal-keeper. In ten years, I have filled 44 journals. Doing so allows me to celebrate the highs of life even when no one else gives a rat’s behind, and therapeutically eases me through the worst parts.

Besides these obvious facets, Ms. Theroux writes about caring for her elderly mother, although her difficulties were not dementia, which my parent has. Still, many similarities.

She longed for a place to write, to think. She built a writer’s cottage (ahhh….!).

She wrote sage observations, including:

Why do we live in square structures, while everything in nature lives roundly?

Throw a birthday party for yourself where everyone brings something that inspires them

At her age, her entire life revolves around maintenence.I want to add, live a simple life that is easy to maintain. Everything you own needs to be maintained.

Keeping a journal is a way of subduing your thoughts and fears, like pinning butterflies[not that I would do that] so you can examine them more closely.

When the desire is strong enough, talent shows up like a day laborer, to help you achieve your goal.

If I am doing my part to use my talents and lead a meaningful life the universe will play ball with me, and if it doesn’t it’s not my fault.

Mark Twain had disastrous business sense. He chased after wealth, which wrecked him and his family. Had he simply stayed at home and written, he would have been solvent throughout his life.

Only people with time on their hands see clearly.

What I need is some poetry to let me rub the moments between my fingers and release the scent.

Now my life no longer revolves around things I cannot control.

I am fed by the companionable quiet of the early morning. Work, it says. Draw closer. The way is prepared for you.

 

Diary

Tags: , , , ,
Comment

Writing Begins with the Breath – Laraine Herring

Filed under: Books, What I'm Reading — Leave a comment
July 25, 2012
Cover of "Writing Begins with the Breath:...

Cover via Amazon

I am in the middle of Writing Begins with the Breath. Now, I have a pretty large collection of how – to business and craft books on writing and its various manifestations (research, copyediting, copywriting, reporting, to name a few). I think I’m pretty set on bookish resources.

However full one’s library is, there’s always room for one more. I am very glad I decided on this book.

Laraine Herring is brilliant and insightful in her advice to writers. It is not a book on financial success from your writing career. Quite the opposite; writers write because we must. There is no other way of being. Writing is an art form. Where it takes you in life is largely a result of your relationship with it. Hard work is necessary, but secondary.

This book is quite unique in its perspective, and I have read a lot of books about writing.

Some key points covered in Part One:

Open up your body to receive and process creative energy

Be prepared to enter difficult areas within yourself that must be faced in order for your writing to be authentic

Have fun with your writing, but remember to be tough to shape it up as well

Write to discover what’s inside you, excavate the things that haunt you. This will reflect in your characters, make them real.

When we fight something within, we give it strength. When we embrace it, it no longer has power over us. Knowing this will free you for expression.

Believe you are making positive contributions to the world.

Hold writing close to your heart. When you feed it, it feeds you.

Think about your writing practice as a relationship. Personify it and make it a character in your life.

Be open to inspiration with humility. We can’t always pre-plan art and force a predetermined outcome.

Your writing contributes to the voice of humanity.

Shouting and judging create distance; speaking with someone, with empathy, creates a connection.

Personify your writing; make it a character in your life. Have a relationship with it.

There is not enough space here to go into more detail covered in the book. It has changed my perspective and relationship with my writing, for the better.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

A Good Felt-Tip Pen

Filed under: Tools, Uncategorized — Leave a comment
July 11, 2012

I found a brand of pen I had never seen until shopping in an art store the other day:

Sakura Pigma Micron

A felt-tip, designed as a drawing pen, but writes wonderfully. For “acid-free environments, ” archival quality. What I love – it comes in a variety of thicknesses, but the best part, it doesn’t bleed through to the back of the paper.

I happen to enjoy the feel of fine-tip writing pens, but never use them because they all bleed through to the back of the sheet. I’ve tested the Sakura Pigma Micron on a variety of papers, from porous to heavy.  No bleed-through!

Yep, they are a little pricey. They’re not your drugstore brand. But worth every cent.

Art stores are a great source for quality, high-end writing tools and papers. I’ll be going back to try other goodies!

 

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment

Writing Outside on a Summer Night

Filed under: Tools — 3 Comments
July 4, 2012
Oil lamp

Oil lamp (Photo credit: ralphunden)

Do you have a favorite time of day to write? For me, creative writing is best in the morning, but I’ve made a habit of journaling daily for the past 10 years. For that, I do it at night.

I have a new patio table I purchased recently. Perfect for writing, especially in the cool night air of summer. Although I have a nice grassy back yard, the table is on the front porch to catch refreshing breezes from the west and provide a place to sit out of the hot sun.

So…what to do for light? The porch ceiling light is too harsh and indirect. Without an electric outlet, I had to come up with something creative.

I tried a hand-crank lantern, but had to stop writing every 10 minutes to crank it up. (According to the box, one minute of cranking gives you 15 minutes of light. Baloney).

I tried a flashlight, but it’s hard to hold it in one hand, write with the other, and I still need a third hand to hold the journal open.

Candles didn’t work – the table top remained in darkness.

Can you tell, the writing environment is so special to me, it has to be perfect? Haha.

I found the perfect light.

An oil lamp.

Now, there happen to be several in the house, belonging to my grand parents, and some of my mother’s. When Hurricane Irene was making her way up the east coast last August, I had prepared them, so they were still clean and full of lamp oil and new wicks.

Choosing one with a shade, I lit it and got down to my writing.

Perfect!

So for a truly nice way to spend a summer night – 9:30-10 pm is my favorite writing time – light up an oil lamp and head outdoors for a beautiful writing experience.

I’d love to hear from you!

PS – The type of oil lamp I recommend looks like a table lamp – not the lantern in the photo.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment

Tea Tumbler

Filed under: Tools — Leave a comment
June 12, 2012

While waiting in line last evening at Starbuck’s, I saw this nifty “tea tumbler.”

I try to not give in to impluse buys,  but don’t we all at some point ? Since I consider tea a writing tool. I bought it in order to review it for my readers. Really…  :)

It’s double-walled, so your hot tea won’t burn your fingers, and keeps your drink hot. The two really unusual things about this – which any tea drinker will appreciate – is the little leaf-shaped tab for wrapping the string so it won’t get dunked, and the lid of the tumbler acts as a strainer. For the photo, I tilted it so you can see the strainer.

This allows you to drink loose tea without all that debris going into your mouth. Or if you use a bag, it won’t slap you in the face.

Or if you feel like iced tea, the cubes won’t attack you, as everything stays behind the strainer/lid.

I give it an A+

(Disclaimer – I have no stake in Starbuck’s at all; just sharing something neat to help your writing).

 

Tags: , , , , ,
Comment
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 41 other followers