AWP Offsite Reading with Wayward Writers

I will be reading at this AWP offsite event with a group of other Wayward Writers: Thursday, March 28th at 7:00 - 8:30 pm; with drinks and conversation to follow until 10 pm. Thank you to Jenny Forrester for making this all happen. Thank you, Ariel Gore, for building this community and being our guide and partner in our creative journeys.

Affirmative Assumption, My Writing Retreat Adventure, Part II

One of our walks on the beach.

"Do not ASSUME," the saying goes. "Because when you break it down, it makes an ASS out of U and ME."

You've heard that phrase or something like it, right? If you haven't, well, now you can add it to your list of old fashioned or outdated bits of advice or pack it away in your arsenal of witty retorts.

Assumption has been given a bad rap. I know, I know. It's true that I shouldn't assume that I understand another person's experience if I haven't lived it. I agree, though I may be able to understand some of the feelings or bodily reactions if I have experienced something similar. I know that I can never understand the lived experience of being, for example, a Deaf person in this country (I am hearing), or a person of color (I am white), or a Wheelie ([can I use that term, Bug?]  I am a walkie), and so on.

But it is also true that assumptions can be positive experiences. The writing retreat at Rockaway Beach, which ended one week ago, was proof of positive assumption.

It has been hard to put what I felt into words, in person, when I've tried to explain it to a couple of people. Some success and mostly people "got" what I was trying to say. I'm going to try to put the words down here, as well.

But there was an atmosphere of assumption:
- that each of us are authors;
- that each of us hae a project we were working on or towards;
- that each of our projects are worthy of publication;
- that each of us are or can be published authors;
- that each of us would find our own process about how we needed to take care of ourselves and our writing during the week;
- that each of us would write and process and take breaks, sleep and eat and be involved in group activities as was appropriate.

When the cook was away for a night, we went out for dinner!

That each of us are skilled writers of equal value and importance and writing ties us together was in the air for the entire week. There was no doubt that we were authors and we were writing.

I suspect some people reading this may wonder why that was even a question. Of course. We each went there for a writing retreat. Duh. But it isn't always true when writers or wanna-be-writers come together that there is this total giving over to our author selves as valuable and in a spirit of acceptance that whatever each of us needs to do, she will do it, for herself and her writing. I am grateful to each participant and to Lori Lake. The success of a retreat like this has to have a good facilitator, a good leader, who sets the tone and expectations.

Lori made each of us feel comfortable in our author selves. She made time for each of us individually, before and during and even after the retreat. She led discussions in the evenings, shared resources, was a positive presence throughout the week.

Luca did an amazing job of meeting a myriad of dietary needs and preferences, with delicious and healthy meals. With making sure there was a variety of options for our make-our-own breakfast needs, which happened from the time the first person got up around 6am until the last of us got up around 10am. She also led us in a couple of collage nights, designed specifically for our retreat. Again, Luca was another great leader in the assumption that each of us would participate or not in the collage nights, as we needed to do for our author selves that week.

It was a week of being present. Of writing. Of knowing that I was in the right place and with the right people. Affirmative assumption can be a very good thing.

Rockaway Beach, OR  10.11.14

Be Careful Who You Quote

*
When I get stuck on editing the M-book, I turn to other books. Or to quotes. Or to internet surfing in search of helpful hints about editing. Or maybe I really am looking for that magical moment of ah-ha embedded in someone else's words which will make everything fall into place and I will have The Answer.

Right.

Or maybe I'm procrastinating. Like now.

But I was in a place where I wasn't able to work on the book, other than in 5-10 minutes stretches of time periodically and that was not helping. So I started another online search for a gem to share and to inspire me, somehow.

I found a quote I liked. The author whose page I landed on I had never heard of, but she had some good examples for editing and a short list. It was a familiar list, with one exception. Perhaps the one thing which was not familiar was just worded in a way I didn't recognize. But she opened with a quote I liked and which put a different face on editing. I made a few notes and emailed them to myself for this post. Then I clicked over to that author's webpage and gulped. From the look of her site, this person is not at all like me, at least not her author self as presented on the page. Her writing style is completely different, her approach to writing, her persona appears to be in opposition to a lot of what I believe in.

I decided to drop the reference to her essay or speech. It wasn't clear from her site which it was. Perhaps it was both at different points in time. There were also a couple of her examples and points I disagreed with, or questioned. Like I said, only one thing was new to me and when I read her examples, I realized it was new wording not a new concept which would crack open the editing process.

There was still the opening quote I liked. I decided I should look up the author of the quote and get more information about him before I posted the quote. Especially since I was a little surprised by the other author.

The author's name seemed familiar though I couldn't place him. I entered my search and then I saw why it was familiar. That quote is also now gone from this post. He is not someone I want to be connected to on this page. There was controversy and deception and when I realized who he was, the quote took on another meaning.

So the lesson learned today was to be careful who I quote. To do a little looking around before I post something whose author is not immediately familiar to me. We have free speech and these other two have rights to express their opinions and the "right to folly" or whatever it was. And I need to make sure who I'm holding up as an example or an inspiration.

So, instead of a clever quote, it's a warning. Oh, which also relates to editing: check your (re)sources.
*

Now the Snow is Gone and Burnt Tongue 7

The recent winter weather incident slowed everything down, except my need to work on a script and the arrival of an unexpected yet very welcome house guest for a few days (a friend stranded between destinations due to canceled flights) In the couple of days since the weather warmed and the white ground cover became gray, then brown, then was gone, I've been catching up on what couldn't be done with the weather and cancellations. 

I did write 2400 words of an essay/rant on Tuesday and that felt really good. I wasn't in the mood to work on the radio script nor the M-book nor a short story in the works. So I went with where my energy seemed to be - which was this rant. About writing. And, no, you don't get to read it, yet.


This Saturday there is a reading I'm planning to attend, "Burnt Tongue 7." I have my sign through and feedback midday Saturday (I'm interpreting the play next week) - and one of my incentives to working on this play so hard the last couple of weeks is this event. If it goes well at the sign through, then I won't have to see the play again that night and can go listen to writers read their work. It looks pretty amazing!

Burnt Tongue is a quarterly literary event, created to honor the incredible writing teacher and literary patriarch, Tom Spanbauer, who founded Dangerous Writers. 

Burnt Tongue's goal is to allow space for former and current Dangerous Writers with all levels of public reading experience to come together and share their work with the likes of you! 

Not EVERYONE has to have been a student of Tom's, and we frequently have guest readers.  

We ask for a $5 gift donation at the door, which goes into a scholarship for struggling writers to take classes and workshops. 

The next event takes place Feb 15th, 2014 at 5-8pm at Crush Bar, 1400 SE Morrison in Portland, OR. 

What you can expect:
The readers will start with 5 minutes apiece at 5:00pm. Expect a fifteen minute intermission to start somewhere close to 6:00, with the second half starting no later than 6:30. The show will be over no later than 8:00, and many of the authors will be available to stick around and mingle.

*

Cross Pollination: Art and Writing

Detail from Heart Connection mixed media by Dot.

*
Writers write and visual artists make things.

Right?

But aren't we more than just the primary label we apply? Or what is applied to us?

I think we are. I had a wonderful discussion over brunch today with three artists. One of them, my partner, recently had a book published. She doesn't identify as an author - yet she is that, now, too. The other two artists are artists and teachers. And one of them was talking about how she has written articles and a piece for another artist friend's book. The third artist described a wonderful project for a workshop he did a number of years ago which included a story he wrote.

And I know authors who take art breaks. No, a better description might be authors who also make art as inspiration or as a different creative focus when they need to step back from the writing piece they're currently working on.

So artists also write and writers make art.

What about you?

What is your primary artistic identity? What other artistic pursuits do you enjoy or do you use for relaxation, inspiration, meditation, percolation? What other avenues do you use as a break or focus for your creative endeavors (cooking, walking, swimming, biking, floatation tanks, meditation, reading, or...)?
*

The Next Big Thing Authors' Blog Hop

*
“The Next Big Thing Blog Hop” was created by writer and poet Zoe Brooks in August 2012 on She Writes
*

What is the working title of your book?

"Out of the Frying Pan." This is only the working title and has been since the project came into being. I am doing major revisions so have not landed on the actual title yet.

Where did the idea come from for the book?It emerged from several writing exercises in weekend intensives and online workshops with Ariel Gore in The Literary Kitchen. As the stories started to appear on the page before me, I realized there was a book in there somewhere!

What genre does your book fall under?

Memoir - creative non-fiction.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I don't have actors in mind for the movie rendition of this story. But I do know who I would want to direct the movie : Jane Campion. I would trust her decision in choosing the actors best suited for the characters and the story. I don't think there would be a role for Holly Hunter, but I could be wrong. Wait! I take that back - I can think of one. But I will leave it up to Jane Campion.

What is a one-sentence synopsis of your book?

This is the story of how a young woman learns to open her own doors, and by the end, she also knows how to close them.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

That is yet to be decided. I would love for a publisher to pick it up and I have a handful I'd like to reach out to. But I'm open to the possibility of self-publishing. I know that memoir can be a hard genre to jump into in terms of traditional publishing.

How long did it take to write the first draft of your manuscript?

The first draft? That's hard to say what constitutes the "first draft." If I look at when I thought I had the 1st first draft done, I'd say about two years from first story to everything ordered and written and in a binder. But then when I had an actual first draft, ready to give the whole manuscript over to someone for editing feedback on the piece as a whole? I'd say it was nearly three years. Now, I have new insights, with some exciting changes which are going to make it sing, so the fourth or so draft is on its way. But the first draft, the real first draft, was nearly three years in the writing.

Who, or what, inspired you to write this book?

Ariel Gore. Blame her. I do, with a smile. Ariel and the various other Wayward Writers and The Attic workshop participants, and other writing partners and critique group members who have inspired me, given feedback, shared their own work. And Lidia Yuknavitch, who helped me find the missing key for this book. Also Bonnie Hearn Hill, who encouraged and supported my writer self, even during the years we lost contact. To be completely honest, I didn't set out to write a memoir. I was writing short stories and some poetry; I'd written for newsletters, some articles, other non-fiction. My intent was a novel (and I do have one of those in the works, too). But the memoir was born of its own insistence and it's nearing its release into the world.


What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

This is a story about putting one foot in front of the other to get through each day, each stage of life, each change. Of pretending you know what you're doing but making it up as you go. It's about trusting those who say they care even when it hurts, even when it's a lie, even when you know it's a lie. It's about being the tallest girl in school, with ringlet curly red hair, glasses and freckles, who likes to write, until you can't. Until even you are telling lies. It's a story about growing into a woman who thinks she's escaped but finds herself feeling eerily similar to what she left. It's about finding the door to get out.

painting by Serena Barton

You can read one chapter, The Shotgun and the Peacock Feather, which was recently posted on The Literary Kitchen.

*

Thank you to Jenna Zine for tagging me for "The Next Big Thing!"

Up next in this line will be Deb Scott and Rooze Garcia (links to come later) - and maybe a couple of other authors I've contacted to tell us about their recent or upcoming projects!
*

update: Mr. Penumbra

A little while ago I wrote about the book I was reading, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. I was loving it. I bought copies for friends and was going to buy it for my partner, but decided to ask before I bought it. There's no way I can keep up with all the books she reads; sometimes she loses track. Not a criticism, just a fact. She reads - a lot. And she had read the book not long after it came out.

I enjoyed the book. It was fun and quirky and new and it was a great little ride.

Until the end. The ending didn't ruin the rest of the book for me, but I was disappointed. I don't like the ending.

I'm not talking about how it ends - that's all fine. My problem is with how it's written.

I wonder if that was the author's idea? Or an editor's? Or even the publisher's?

It felt like there might have been more at some point but it was too long, so, chop chop, here you go. The End. Or maybe not long enough so it was tacked on to fill space.

Maybe not. Maybe this is exactly what the author wanted.

But, for me, it doesn't fit. There are these great details in the rest of the book. The characters are written with enough distinguishing features to allow the reader to create them in his/her mind. There are some well-written scenes in places real and imagined and hybrids. Fast paced dialogue. Characters you can relate to or at least you know someone like them or have read/heard/seen something about these someones.

A well built story that keeps the reader engaged and then, wham. Tie it all up in a little ribbon and fast forward with a skipping motions, tada, there it is, and so long.

My partner said she'd reread the book so we can talk more in depth about the ending. I'd love to have some conversation about the ending of this book, which I still recommend, even though I would have much rather had a sequel, or a longer book even, than this treatment.

For me, the ending doesn't fit.

Have you read the book? What do you think?

NaNoWriMo Day 21 : Approaching the end but not The End

*

I made good progress today on my NaNoNovel. Both in terms of word count and in terms of the story.

Words written today = 3,103

Total word count = 48,462

And, yes, this means that I am nearing the NaNoWriMo benchmark of writing 50k words in 30 days. Except that I expect I will have it completed tomorrow. So 50k in 22 days. Not bad.

But the story is still going. The novel is not yet done and it is coming together quite nicely. I do think this will be another one to work on completing and editing and working towards publication. One of the first things to go will be the title. There is a little bit of that in there, but it is definitely not the point of the story. And that is okay.

This is NaNoWriMo and for me that means creative exploration. Letting the story come as it will and being willing to throw out any preconceived ideas about where we're going because, after all, this is the characters' story - not mine.

Yes. Tomorrow I will reach the end of my 50k NaNoWords. But I won't reach "The End."

All is good.
*

Radical Writing Advice : What Do You Need to Hear?

*

I get torn between searching for "the thing" I need to hear, or see, or do, and waiting it out, until it happens. I make lists. I contemplate. I go online and spend time exploring options, read magazines, listen to snippets of conversations about the topic I might be interested in pursuing.

Sometimes in that "doing" I lose the thread or I'm not able to hear my heart. I start following with my head and not my spirit and then I, sometimes, lose my way. Or I knead my schedule - okay, I know the more common term is "massage" my schedule, but that's not what I do. I pound it and shape it and fold it over on itself until I can make "X" or "Z" or "Q" fit. Then, sometimes, that thing I worked so hard to get in there cancels. And I have this twisted mess on my hands and not the thing I tried to squeeze into the odd shaped container.

So it goes with writing advice, too. If we're not open to opportunities we may miss what we need or what would be beneficial to our writing. I don't mean we have to accept everything which floats our way. But sometimes we should trust our instinct and go to hear that author read from their work and talk about their process. Or pick up that book a friend recommended even though it's nothing we would look twice at on our own.

Because, maybe, in that book or in that author's storytelling and process discussion there are nuggets which help improve our writing. Or boost our self-confidence. Or lead us to that secret place where we stored that good idea in our head but it was lost behind all the plotting and planning.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to interact with a couple of authors in my "day job." I was planning on attending the general event - and was volunteering for an organization later in the day - and I may or may not have stopped in to hear these two read. Nothing against either of them, but there were so many choices and I probably would have ended up somewhere else - if I was even there by the time they spoke.

And in their readings and their discussions, even though I was working in another capacity, I felt energized by their words and picked up a few of those little gems in their talks about their process. It felt good both as a writer and for the reason I was there.

An additional benefit of that for me was that I was also being a little bit hard on myself. See, I'm trying to get a better handle on my scheduling and I'm trying to not work on most Saturdays. Except for theater work (rehearsal purposes and teaching the workshop I've designed). But I took this job last Saturday and was giving myself a bit of a hard time about that: "why didn't you just take the day off, Dot?" (except I was volunteering at Wordstock later in the day and I had a theater rehearsal that night), or "you said no work on Saturdays!" and so on.

But then I realized that at some instinctual level, I knew what I was doing. I met a great author and we might have a planned meeting in an entirely different capacity in the future. I was interpreting about writing, about literature. And I learned a couple of things which will help me as a writer - simple, basic, yet important things I might not have heard otherwise, or not for a long time.

So - don't be too quick to judge if the interaction will be useful. Don't worry so much about trying to figure out the perfect way to make it all fit. Plan? Sure. Dream? Absolutely. Explore? Yep.

But leave room for the unexpected. Keep space in your days to wander. Keep your ears and eyes open to that sparkly thought which may pass in a blink; catch it. And trust that sometimes the not-quite-what-I-intended  encounter will hand you a gem.

*

A Very Art-full Day

*
Saturday began with a trip to Wordstock.

Before I get into today's events, I want to take a little side trip to tell you how I ended up there. Or, how I ended up there as I did, today. Which was not how it all began.

I originally held the day to attend Wordstock. I knew I'd be working on Sunday, because I almost always work Sunday late afternoon into the evening. So, Saturday it would be. So, nothing scheduled for the day. Then along came an email from the Portland NaNoWriMo ML (Municpal Liason, for those not up on NaNoWriMo lingo). She announced that the Salem group and the Portland group were going to go in together on a booth at Wordstock and needed volunteers.

Hey, I thought. Sure. Why not? I'm going anyway! So I signed up. I was the second or third person to sign up, so I got to pick my time slot - the only slots filled were ones I couldn't (or wouldn't) do anyway.

Time passed. Then came an announcement that the NaNogroup didn't have enough money so they couldn't have a booth. I was disappointed, but I'd already received two other emails asking if I'd volunteer for two other writing groups I have association with. I looked at one and decided I'd rather just go as a participant. Then the second group, which was Write Around Portland, asked me if I could volunteer.

If you've been following my blog for any length of time, I'm sure you've noticed Write Around Portland crop up more than once. I love Write Around Portland and everything they do. So I looked at the schedule of what they needed and picked my top two and replied, "yes!"

I had a sign-through rehearsal for the play I'm interpreting next week, so I selected times which would be within the vicinity of that, time-wise. With enough time to meet up with my interpreting teammate and our sign coach before the play started.

All was going great. I got my first choice of volunteer slots.

Then a couple or so days ago I received a request for interpreting work at Wordstock. I jumped at that call, though I'm trying, as much as possible, to not to work on Saturdays. But to interpret at Wordstock? Yes. You bet I wanted to do that and I got the job. That was scheduled to end an hour before my Write Around Portland volunteer shift started, so it was perfect. The author was a joy to work with and I enjoyed meeting her, hearing parts of her book and about her process; and I have a copy of her book to read.

It was a perfect day.

Interpreting at Wordstock and meeting a very nice author/stand-up comic/publicist from NYC. Then having an hour to wander and look around, buy a couple of books, pick up brochures and information. Volunteering two hours with another personable and nice to share space with volunteer for my favorite non-profit. Followed by a couple of hours for dinner and going over the script, discussion with our sign coach. And then our sign-through for the play at Portland Center Stage. Or our sign-through of Act One because in Act Two our headsets weren't working correctly and we finally gave up after about 30 minutes of struggling to be able to hear. But it's okay - Act One is the most challenging due to pace and density of information.

So I guess that's my story. A very art-full day of literature, interpreting about literature, meeting people, and being at the theater.

A good day.
*

Radical Writing Advice

*
I have stacks and shelves and magazines and files and, now, e-documents (books, articles, links, bookmarks, blogs, quotes) of advice for writers. I've been to some writers' conferences and writing workshops and have been (still am) in writing groups. My first Associate's degree was Liberal Studies with a focus in Journalism/English. My second two-year degree was in Sign Language Interpreting - so it doesn't really relate to writing; well, maybe it does if you look at it as a communications and linguistic degree. Then I went for a BS (I love that!) degree in Liberal Studies, with emphasis in Writing and Theater. I've written for newsletters, edited newsletters, had some poetry published, a few short stories and essays, and some flash fiction - including an ultimate short fiction of only 50 words. I also have a creative nonfiction/memoir in revision and a novel in revision.

My point is, I have many resources, education, and experience in writing. In what it takes to be a writer.

So I can say with confidence that I do have advice for other writers.

Right now, if you only listen to me about one thing, listen to this:

Find what works for You.

That's it.

I have read articles and listened to successful authors tell me that I must write daily and blog frequently in order to be successful. I've been told that writing is a solitary act and one must have expansive time alone in order to write. I've been told that a real author's books are picked up by agents who convince publishers to print them. I've been told that setting aside specific writing time is the way to go and daily writing becomes dry and habitual, uninspired. I recently have been reading that frequent blogging is not a good idea; it overwhelms or saturates your audience : slow day, pace it, spread it out. I've read or heard that writing in community is the most beneficial; keeps the words alive.

Finish the book before you pitch. Only finish the first few chapters before you pitch, don't waste your time. Contact an agent with a proposal, then write the article. Only send queries on what you know. Query about things you're interested in but don't necessarily know a lot about, but can research.

Write what you know. Don't reveal too much about yourself. Be honest. Don't lie. Make it up if you have to. Tell the truth. Fictionalize to make it engaging.

I am not saying there isn't good advice out there. There is. And there is a lot of it. What I am saying is that there is a lot of conflicting advice out there.

If you want to get published by one of the Big Six (or however many are left now), then look into what they require. Who has the connections to get you into their doors. And do it.

If you want to write memoir: read a few. See who you like. And by "like" I don't mean just to click "like" in Google+ or on Facebook or whatever social networking tools/sites you use. I mean to check out some styles of writing, content in their stories, read their articles or blogs. Read what they do and read others who read or follow them. Where do they publish? Who works with them? Read what those authors say about writing memoir.

If you are more into small presses, read some. Find an independent bookstore or a local coffee shop with zines and related material. What is there? Who publishes it? Where are they? Read them. Read about them.

If you want to do freelance writing, poke around in different publications you're interested in writing for or which you read regularly or support. Who is writing for them? What do they have to say about publication as a freelance writer? Where are their blogs or books of syndicated articles?

Find what you like. Read it. Read about it. Read about who writes it. Read the writing of those who write it or publish it or represent it.

I believe that this is how you will be a successful writer. You are your best tool. If you need to polish up your grammar, do it. If you need to enlarge your vocabulary, register for a class or find language partners and work together. If you want to write a mystery about the desert but you live where it's cloudy + rainy + green 350 days of the year, take a couple weeks off or 5 days and take a trip; experience the dry the heat the golden landscape. If you want to be indie published, find the zines and the books and read them, find the authors, look at the variety of publications. If you like to write rants and raves and vent your opinion, find bloggers with similar styles; subscribe to them; read them; contact them.

If you try to mimic someone who is not like you, it may fail. It will probably be hard. Part of you may rebel and you won't enjoy it and you may quit.

Don't quit. Look at your options. Have a sit-down meeting with yourself to see what is in your heart. Do that. Follow your heart. You writer's heart.

Trust your writer's heart.

If you're the next Stephen King, then read what he has to say about writing. I am not the next Stephen King, but I do recommend his book, "On Writing." It is one of my all-time favorite books on writing.

If your writing style is like Ariel Gore, the ultimate hip mama rebel writer, then read her book "How to be a Famous Writer Before You're Dead." Again, I recommend reading it anyway, for pretty much anyone. Definitely recommend to the indie-leaning writer. And you can check out her Literary Kitchen class offerings: online and in person.

More spiritual or zen-like? Try Natalie Goldberg or Dosho Port. Definitely listen to "Zen Howl," which is only available on CD and is by both Natalie Goldberg and Dosho Port. For general spiritual writing in the Buddhist direction, read some Pema Chodron. Or read that just to help calm and give perspective on life.

Speaking of Zen, I recently read Dinty Moore's new book, "The Mindful Writer." Great nuggets of useful information, insight in there.

A poet? Try Judith Barrington, who also has a book on writing memoir.

Spoken word? Look up Queen Juliana, Juliana Luecking. She's in New York and has some great videos up on YouTube and Vimeo and some pieces on CD.

Looking for some editing and publication preparation information? I recommend Jessica Page Morrell. She has some great books and a blog. And she presents workshops.

Bonnie Hearn Hill (who has a great YA series, StarCrossed, as well as numerous mysteries worth reading) has books on a number of writing issues and recently co-authored a book on e-publishing, which can be found for the Kindle or cloud reading on Amazon.

I could give you a long list. But why? Look around at who you like. Who speaks to you as a reader. Read them. Read what they say about writing. Read what others say about them. Read editors, agents. Find their blogs. Find small presses blogs and websites. Take a class on letterpress (IPRC if you're local has some great classes and an certificate program with a fast approaching deadline) or publishing software.

Look around.

Find what you like.

Look inward.

Find what you like.

And do it.

Again, one simple rule:

Find what works for You.

*

Jupiter Transit

From astrologer and author Hazel Dixon-Cooper (click on her name to read the rest of her June astrology notes).

June 11, Jupiter spins out of Taurus and into Gemini, where it stays until June 2013. This deepens the message that the universe wants us to get out in the world to explore new ideas, meet new people, and broaden our minds. Jupiter is full of luck and fun. It’s also the planet of excess. Gemini relationships and plans can have a short shelf life. While Jupiter’s in Gemini, it will be easier to assume that every idea you hatch and every person you meet is perfect.

Although this transit is going to be mostly upbeat and intellectually stimulating, it’s wise to think before you dive into anything.

.

Maurice Sendak Died Today

We've lost another amazing author today. I looked around online, gathering videos and stories and anecdotes. I planned to write something original.

But isn't part of what he did is bring out our universal connections? The things we share - laughter, fears, humor, the dark places?

There is so much available online, so many tributes and stories and so much information, that I have decided to post one video and provide you with a few links. Just as he took us on journeys, I offer these as a starting place for you to take your own journey to discovering more about Maurice Sendak, his writing, his thoughts on writing, and maybe discover a few things about the author, about yourself.

Thank you, Maurice Sendak.

I wasn't able to embed the video, but click this title, NOW with Bill Moyers: Maurice Sendak to go to the interview, which includes a transcript. (I couldn't find a captioned video, but you can scroll through the transcript simultaneously as you watch the discussion).

From The New York Times: Maurice Sendak, Author of Splendid Nightmares, Dies at 83

From ABC News: Maurice Sendak: The Pointed Psychology Behind ‘Wild Things’

From The Guardian: Maurice Sendak obituary

From Huffington Post Maurice Sendak Dead: Stephen Colbert Remembers Author On 'Live With Kelly' (VIDEO)

Broadcasting Myself

I wonder about my blog.

I wonder about my website, which is primarily my blog at this point, with a calendar of calls for submissions, a "store," an outdated workshops page. I have hopes of developing my website into so much more. I have dreams of a beautiful, functional, fun, informational website.

I wonder about my Facebook profile, er, presence. I have thoughts of what I want to do there, as well, but I also want at least an outline of a plan. Because being an author requires a platform, requires a presence, and I don't want it to start badly. I mean, I have a profile - but not yet a page/group/fan site or whatever the current need is called. I will!

I wonder about Twitter. Yeah. I'm there, too. As just me. And I'm still in the flirting stages with Twitter; have been for three years now. Though maybe we have made it to first base together. Useful? I think so. Overwhelming when I'm busy? In the blink of the eye of that great watcher in the sky way - absolutely. Now, if only I could read as fast as my new Blackberry Bold can scroll : no overwhelmed, for sure. Right?

And I do have Google+. That's the newest social gadget (or one of the newest, there have probably been two more appear since I've been typing this) and I'm still trying to remember to check there. And determine its usefulness - which I'm sure it is, but it's still growing and I'm still growing my presence/platform/circles.

Hootsuite? Twitterdeck?

Oh, I forgot Linked In. No, really, I forgot to link in on Linked In. I'm not there. Yet?

Platform. Profile. Who am I?

Public me.......Private me
..........Online me............
................Me.................
As a person...As a Writer
...........I'm Still Me..........
..............Right?..............
.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

New Offering in The Writing Vein Store

.
There is a new item listed on The Writing Vein Store page (see link below the title bar). You can now purchase "Blood on the Keyboard: Selected Essays from The Writing Vein 2009" at Blurb directly from here. Just click on the store link above and you can see the preview, then click through to Blurb to purchase.
.

It's Nice to Have Mentors

I posted an update on Facebook while I was at the coast. Which led to an appropriately short but gem producing discussion.

The gem came from a mentor - an experienced and skilled (an published writer).

I just wanted to share pieces of the conversation (edited down just a bit):

me: sometimes it's hard to keep telling the story my way - especially as I'm in the final edits of getting 25k-28k ready for a book contest. sometimes I think this is a dumb way to tell it; that I need to structure it a certain way. then I come back to myself, remembering this is *my* story. and they'll pick it or not. I don't want to write a formula book. I want to write it real and well. and what a win it would be!

friend AR: Win or not win, writing real and well is a triumph.

me: so true, A

mentor BHH: Trust that inner voice. And don't edit while you write. Just write.

me: thanks

BHH: You know how to do this. If you need me to look at anything, let me be the naggy editor voice, not you.

me: I'd appreciate another set of eyes on the part I'm going to submit. I have the basic chapters written. Over time, which means changes in voice and quality, of course - but also means there are different tenses... 

friend E: be true to yourself!! :o) ♥

BHH: Your questions are left brain. Just write the story. I'll help you with the organization. I'm excited too. Love what I saw of it.

I needed this conversation. I had an "ah ha" moment when I read "your questions are left brain." Yes. They are. A time and place, for sure. But for now, focus on the story.

And I do know how to do this. I'm beginning to see where I get myself trapped as editor while I'm still being the writer. Or at least I am at this moment. Not always - but recently.

Thank you, friends and mentor, for these words. I've made great progress since you said these things.
.

"All the Pretty People" by Ariel Gore

I've had Ariel Gore's newest book, All the Pretty People, for a couple weeks, but just got time this weekend to read it. And I couldn't put it down. I had to put it down a couple times - but didn't want to.

I love this book. Her voice is authentic, the stories are funny and sad and connect to the human spirit, and her writing is witty and inspired.

From the early promo:

(The dirt on '70s suburban hippies!)

(The inside story on confused queer love in the '80s!)

This book has it all--love, shame, carob, suburban violence, Barbie envy...

Award-winning editor and memoirist Ariel Gore is exploring beauty, shame, Barbie-envy, '70s California pop culture, '80s love, and first cigarettes with a new novella of flash-memoir stories.

As spoken-word pieces, the stories in All the Pretty People have been wowing audiences from Portland to San Francisco to Albuquerque and beyond.

Here is a link to Ariel's website, where you can purchase this fabulous book,All the Pretty People !
.

The Razor's Edge: 4/29/11

Today instead of prompts, below are two short videos from Jennifer Egan in the My New York series. She is one of the authors to recently win a Pulitzer Prize. I've enjoyed her novels and thought I'd see what I could find on YouTube from her.
The third video is from "Cooking the Books" in which Ms. Egan specifically talks about her process of writing the Pulitzer winning novel, A Visit From the Goon Squad.

National Breast Cancer Month

October is National Breast Cancer Month. There are many events, fundraisers, special happenings all around. One event is a Blanket Tour for  Diana M. Raab’s new book, "Healing with Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey".  Over at The Muffin, WOW! Women On Words has this to say about Diana and her book:

Diana’s latest book reflects her experiences battling breast cancer at age 47 and then multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer, when she was 52. The book is part practical advice(she is a nurse, after all) and part inspiration, which takes the form of poems, journal entries, and friendly thoughts. To show readers the effect of healing writing, Diana also includes blank sections and writing prompts so the reader can contribute their own thoughts and writings. Diana describes her daily journal writing as “a daily vitamin-healing, detoxifying and essential for optimal health.”

Each day in October, a different writer has been selected to post something about breasts: cancer, surviving, and other related topics. Click on The Muffin link above to see the month's line-up.

I am honored to be one of the writers in this tour. Check back here on October 16th to read what I have to say; I'm hoping to be able to meet with a friend of mine who has already given me permission to talk about her story. She's been through breast cancer, the BRCA gene testing, and some big decisions as a result of the test; she's an inspiration and one of the shining lights in my life.

Here is one of Diana Raab's poems in her new book:

To My Daughters

by Diana M. Raab, MFA, RN

You were the first I thought of
when diagnosed with what
strikes one in eight women.

It was too soon to leave you,
but I thought it a good sign
that none of us were born

under its pestilent zodiac.
I stared at the stars and wished upon
each one that you¹d never wake up

as I did this morning to one real breast
and one fake one; but that the memories
you carry will be only sweet ones,

and then I remembered you had your
early traumas of being born too soon,
and losing a beloved grandpa too young

and then I had this urge to show you
the scars on the same breast
you cuddled as babies, but then wondered

why you¹d want to see my imperfections
and perhaps your destiny.
I caved in and showed you anyway,

hoping you¹d learn to be careful, as
if it really mattered, because your grandpa
used to say when your time¹s up, it¹s up.
May he always watch over you.
.

reading: Alltopia antholozine release

From Lara Messersmith-Glavin, the founder of Alltopia:

...join us for a reading from the latest issue of Alltopia Antholozine, FLORA. Come hear amazing local writers share a handful of stories from the vegetable kingdom at our favorite vegan cafe! New and back issues will be available for purchase, along with delicious, conscientiously crafted beers, teas, and snacks. Kids are welcome, local publishing is very cool, and readings make for a creative hot date.  

When: Sunday, September 12th at 5 pm (the reading will be short and sweet!)


Where: The Red & Black Café, 400 SE 12th Ave, Portland, OR


Bring your friends!


See you there,
Lara


PS - In case you've forgotten, Alltopia is a Portland-based nonfiction journal that provides new writers and visual artists with opportunities for publication, peer review, and public performance. Like to write or have stories to tell? Come and check us out.

I'm unable to attend due to a previous commitment. But I do have a piece being published, "Aplets and Cotlets: Getting Gammy's Goat." I always enjoy going to the openings and like to read my writing for a friendly audience - but I have to sit this one out. There will only be six or seven authors reading this time, so it will be a short evening - but worth your time. Enjoy!
.