Resources for Writers, Part 1

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Whenever I talk with someone who’s venturing into the weird and wonderful world of writing, I inevitably get this question: “Do you know of any books that would be good for me?” As a matter of fact, I do. The bookcase in my front hall houses dozens of such volumes. Some are essays about writing and creativity; some are about the writing life (such as Annie Dillard’s The Writing Life); some focus on craft; some are resources on specific topics I’ve written about or intend to (Deborah Blum’s The Poisoner’s Handbook is a gem for those writing about murder); some contain writing prompts or odd facts designed to stir up the muse (The Book of Useless Information, by Noel Botham and The Useless Information Society). Continue reading →

A Few Thoughts About Labor Day

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In the U.S., today is Labor Day, the day we honor the American worker. It’s also the last day of my six-day vacation (three weekdays and a three-day weekend), and much of it will be spent organizing and preparing for the next several weeks in which I have at least four major deadlines. Since my vacation’s finale falls on a day celebrating those who work, and since I plan to spend much of it preparing for work, I’ve found myself thinking what work means.

Much has been written on the subject of work, such as Studs Terkel’s famous book, Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do. Most of us will have paid employment at some point in our lives; many others will perform unpaid labor, whether for our families or as volunteers. Some will have the privilege of choosing our jobs; others will end up in a position out of need or lethargy. Continue reading →

Perspective

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To say this morning did not start well is an understatement. Two days after the promised response time on a submission, I received an email informing me the story had been rejected.

But this wasn’t just any rejection. First, it was a group email, with everyone’s addresses showing. (Don’t even get me started about that. Words like tacky and insensitive come to mind.) Second, this rejection came from the same people who published my award-winning story last year. It seemed like a guaranteed acceptance. Instead, this was the literary equivalent of a high school senior not getting into her safety school. Continue reading →

Writing to Cope

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Back then, when it was all happening, I didn’t know about Barbara Abercrombie’s book, Writing Out the Storm. But somehow, that’s what I did. It was the summer of 2007, the storm was cancer, and I wrote through it.

Rewind to May, 2006. A dear friend—we’ll call her Sarah—called me at 10:00 on a Saturday morning and upended my world with the news that had already upended hers: she had ovarian cancer. Stage 3. Metastatic. She’d found out the day before. She knew ten o’clock was early for me, but she didn’t want me hearing it from anyone else.

Continue reading →

Critical Condition

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Maybe it’s my imagination, but it seems as though the acknowledgements section of practically every book I pick up includes a shout-out to the writer’s critique group. My primary reaction is nearly always envy: how did the writer find a group of people who were willing and able to provide useful criticism of her manuscript?

My experience with critique groups is mixed. In college, I was required to take Writers Workshop. The experience was so harrowing that I stopped writing for twenty-five years. Continue reading →

The Magic of the Hour

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“I don’t have time to write!”

If I were to conduct a scientific survey of the reasons people who say they want to be writers don’t write, I’ll bet that this would be #1. There are plenty of others—family and work would likely rank as #2 and 3–but as often as not, I imagine those would be tied into #1.

It doesn’t help that books and articles routinely bombard the poor time-deprived writer with advice that seems impossible to follow. In predictable, frustrating, and often sanctimonious fashion, nearly all of them proclaim the same thing: Writers write. If you want to be a writer, you must find or make the time to write. Continue reading →

Staying Awake

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“Being centered to write is accepting the mess, loving the mess, celebrating the mess, and writing about the mess.”

~~Dacia R. Ball

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A few weeks ago, I posted about solitude. As one who lives alone, my perspective was obviously limited. Today, poet Dacia R. Ball offers insights about balancing the call of the creative life with the demands of motherhood. Welcome, Dacia!

Dacia Miller Ball

STAYING AWAKE

by Dacia R. Ball

I was a floundering mother with fears and self-doubt who carried within me an ardent need to understand life in all its intricacies. This was a blessing and a curse. I saw the other side, the transcendent parts of living not visible to plain sight, but I was contained within the physical demands of feedings, dirty linens, and a body fighting postpartum depression.

Through the encouragement of a community of fellow writers, I was able to return to a craft I began in my twenties and had set aside while becoming a mother in my thirties. Poetry and essays became an outlet for my musings. My sporadic blog posts ranged from theological rants to accounts of spontaneous road trips. Continue reading →

Creativity on display

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For everyone (like me) who’s ever wondered how composers create pieces with all those different parts, here’s your chance to watch it happen. In this video, the Artistic Advisor for the National Symphony Orchestra, Ben Folds, composes a song – including orchestration – before a live audience in ten minutes. Enjoy and marvel!

Credit: Kennedy Center (Facebook page)

Lessons from Judging a Writing Contest

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Judging others is tricky business. Being viewed as judgmental is nearly always negative. Criticizing someone’s art or craft—even when that’s what you’re paid to do—can lead to some spicy battles. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns us, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matt. 7:1-2 NIV)

Which are some of the reasons I was a bit nervous when I agreed to serve as a judge in a short story contest (which we’ll call “The Contest”).

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I’ve been submitting stories to contests and publications for nearly four years. While I have had some small successes, the rejections far outnumber the acceptances. Continue reading →

Simple Observations on a Sunday Afternoon

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As I came to this post, so many ideas swirled in my brain. The opposite of the standard writer dilemma—not what to write about, but which. Yesterday’s March for Truth through the historic district in my little town. The latest tragedy, this time in London. The simplicity of planting flowers and vegetables and herbs. The passing of a friend’s beloved cat and the reality of grief. The serendipity of finding just the right table (free!) to solve a cluster of storage/decorating challenges. My twentieth anniversary as a full-time independent contractor. The stress of facing bill-paying with more receivables than received.

In the end, I went with the simplest notion of all, one that can never steer a writer wrong: pay attention. The Zen folks speak of the importance of consciousness, of being present. Zen or not, writer or not, noticing what’s around us is important. It can ground Continue reading →