Re-Vision

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Several years ago, when I was doing the facilitator training for Write Around Portland, our trainer talked about the revision process for the workshops we would be leading. Then she wrote on the board - which was probably an easel sized sticky note on the wall - Re-Vision.

That changed my perspective of rewrites, of editing my work. Even though I was there to learn the Write Around Portland facilitator way (which is awesome - as a facilitator and as a participant). But it gave me a new insight into working on my own writing.

Last week I was thinking about how I wanted to change the novel. There are many changes, but some of them are structural. One of them was that I needed to strengthen the beginning. I will admit right here that beginnings (at least in my early drafts) are not grab-you-by-the-heart-and-hold-on. I don't mind reading a book which leads me gently into it; I don't need to be hit on the head or have a murder in the first scene; I can wait if the writing is good and the trail of word crumbs looks like it's leading somewhere I want to go.

But I've also read a couple of books with really strong openings recently and I thought, That! That is what I want my books to do at the beginning. Not all of them, maybe; but this novel I'm working on right now, it needs a solid opening.

So I played around with finding what would be about the first 25 pages for the writing retreat I will be attending in October. I even printed it out because my schedule has a few breaks built into it where a paper editing process will work and on the computer won't.

One day I was driving to work, thinking about writing and something else, and that word came to me: Re-Vision. And in the next minute I knew what I was going to do for my new opening. And I did it.

The novel now has a new beginning. It is a section from a later chapter in the book, which has some excitement and a bit of a hook. And it is pivotal to the story - but that doesn't come out until later. It can't come out until later or else I'd have the whole thing wrapped up in a short, boring ten pages or so. Maybe more.

That new beginning chapter? It's written. And revised. I need to do one more look over for myself and will probably make some changes; but I should have that opening chapter in its Re-Visioned state done by the end of this week.

Once again I have discovered that editing can be fun.
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A Very Art-full Day

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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.
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Upcoming Writerly Things To Do

I'm noticing many local creative and writing opportunities coming soon. The following are just a few. This is not an exclusive list - but a list of events which have caught my attention. I could tell you why this one or not that one - but I won't.

A few upcoming things you may like if you're local at the time they're happening.

Most of them, I won't be able to make due to work or theatrical commitments. But these are worth a mention and attendance if you can!

Enjoy.

"Poetry Reading with a band of stars!"

from Write In Portland

Join Annie Bloom's Presents for a poetry reading featuring:

*Ursula Le Guin, Molly Gloss, Noel Handlon, Bette Husted, Barbara Drake, Kari Easton and Caroline Le Guin

Annie Bloom's Books! 7pm on Thursday, February 16th.

7834 SW Capitol Highway, Portland, OR (503) 246-0053

FREE

Summer in Words 2012

from Jessica Page Morrell at  The Writing Life Too

Folks, I'm finalizing (drum roll) the schedule for the 5th annual  Summer in Words 2012, but just wanted to let you know that the funny, smart, amazing and bestselling author Chelsea Cain will be our Keynote speaker. More to come as things shake down. Registration will open in March.

Dates are June 15-17.

Your workshop time will be spent at the Hallmark Inn & Resort, overlooking Haystack Rock and the wide, wide Pacific. You can book your room now at a reduced rate. Nearby in Cannon Beach you'll find great places to explore and wide beaches to stroll along.

This year's theme: Refinement, Resonance, & Resolve

Immerse yourself in a focused, intensive and exhilarating writing venture this summer. Well, it will be almost summer. Join us and experience the power of words.  Summer in Words will improve your writing and outlook. Really.  

Click on over to the The Writing Life Too for more information and how to contact Jessica to get more information as it becomes available.

     

Write Around Portland offers a unique generative workshop called Prompt designed for writers and aspiring writers in the greater Portland area who want to participate in a Write Around workshop and support the communities we traditionally serve who might not otherwise have access to writing and community.

Based on the acclaimed Write Around Portland model, this dynamic workshop incorporates many of our favorite writing exercises designed to inspire the writing life, including freewriting; work with writing elements; strength-building feedback and early-draft revision. The workshop caps off with a community broadside.

2012 Sessions:
Prompt #1: Ten Mondays, February 27-April 30, 6:30-8:30pm - Spaces filling fast!
Prompt #2: Ten Thursdays, April 26- June 28, 6:30-8:30pm
(...three more sessions on the website)

Location: Powell’s City of Books
1005 W. Burnside, downtown Portland

Go to the Write Around Portland (prompt) webpage for other dates and more information.

3rd Thursday & Last Sunday
Write Around Portland 

Writing Workshops at HOTLIPS Pizza

2211 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR

Join Write Around Portland and HOTLIPS Pizza to experience the transformative power of writing in community. These workshops are perfect for the new and seasoned writer. Start your day with pastries provided by Grand Central Baking, coffee, tea and the written word. Attend one, attend them all.

Thursday Workshops, 9am - 11am:
2012: Feb 16, Mar 16, April 19, May 17, (no Thurs workshop in June), July 19, Aug 16, Sept 20, Oct 18, Nov 15, Dec 20

Sunday Workshops, 10am - Noon:
2012: Feb 26, Mar 26, April 29, June 24, July 29, Aug 26, Sept 30, Oct 28 (No Sunday workshops in May, Nov or Dec.)

More information on the Workshops and Events page at Write Around Portland.

SongStory

125 NW 5th Street, Portland OR

Wednesday 7 March 2012 7:00 pm

In conjunction with March Music Moderne, SongStory is a night of stories and essays about music.

In the lineup:

LIDIA YUKNAVITCH, whose memoir The Chronology of Water is a finalist for the Oregon Book Award,

KEVIN SAMPSELL, publisher of Future Tense Books and author of, among other things, A Common Pornography and Creamy Bullets,

COURTENAY HAMEISTER, essayist, filmmaker and head writer / host of Live Wire Radio,

VANESSA VESELKA, writer and musician, best known in literary circles for her novel Zazen,

BRAD ROSEN, writer and drummer recently published in The Frozen Moment,

GIGI LITTLE, whose work has appeared in Portland Noir, The Pacific Northwest Reader and lit magazines.

With special guest CYMBALMAN
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MARCH MUSIC MODERNE is a month-long Portland music festival. Check out the myriad musical events at: http://www.marchmusicmoderne.org/

Happy Birthday, Virginia Woolf - Jan. 25th

Virginia Woolf

Born Adeline Virginia Stephens

1882-1941

There are numerous websites and books and articles about Virginia Woolf. Her contribution to literature, to feminism, to the desire for time and space for women writers. I'll let you look that up on your own.

Instead, I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to some of the women writers I've written with and been inspired by and received feedback from over the years. And I'm not talking about dead ones, because there are many of them; or the ones I've only read their works but never met ... but I am talking about the ones I've actually met in this life.

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For my current proliferation of writing, the accumulation of short stories and the completed memoir/creative nonfiction (now in editing mode), as well as increased confidence and a stronger voice, a big thank you to Ariel Gore. She is one bad ass writer and she is an outstanding instructor, facilitator, with incredible feedback and editing skills. Thank you for the inspirations and prompts and years of being an excellent role model, writer, and friend.

For unconditional support and belief in me as a writer, Bonnie Hearn Hill. Also a great writer with some great series and individual books, as well as years of experience. Thank you for being there, Bonnie, and reconnecting. And for taking the long train ride to Stockton and our unintentional walk through the wild side of town.

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As I begin writing this, I realize the list is long, There are some whom I know primarily through their writing, but had an occasion or two to take a workshop with - such as Natalie Goldberg - and to hear them read, as well - such as Judith Barrington.

There are organizers, trainers, and facilitators I've worked with in other capacities. Such as the women at Write Around Portland - Dawn, Beth, Robyn, Sara - some of whom have moved on to other projects or organizations; they were all inspiration to writing in community and opening up the definition of community - giving access to anyone with a desire to write. All excellent role models for becoming a better facilitator and giving feedback. As well as each of them being a skilled writer in her own right.

There are and have been some incredible writers in the Literary Kitchen over the years I've been doing the online writing classes/workshops - and the in-person versions, as well. So many women - and men - in the Kitchen that I can't possibly name them all and know I'd forget some people if I even tried. Some of the other Wayward Writers are local - and we've had face-to-face writing time. Everyone in the Kitchen and the Facebook lounge - awesome. And Inga Muscio who is currently pushing us in new directions in our writing in a special Literary Kitchen "Decerebralization" online class. Thank you.

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Just thank you. For being you. For being a writer. For being there with and for other writers.
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Writing Workshop at Powell's City of Books

Community Writing Workshops

 from Write Around Portland  

Write Around Portland offers a unique generative workshop called Prompt designed for writers and aspiring writers in the greater Portland area who want to participate in a Write Around workshop and support the communities we traditionally serve who might not otherwise have access to writing and community.
Based on the acclaimed Write Around Portland model, this dynamic workshop incorporates many of our favorite writing exercises designed to inspire the writing life, including freewriting; work with writing elements; strength-building feedback and early-draft revision. The Prompt workshop caps off with a community broadside.

6:30-8:30pm
Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside, downtown Portland
Workshop Facilitators - Thomas Cordova, Robyn Steely 

Cost: $285
Payment plans available.
Cost includes free parking, snacks and access to the “Bowels of Powells”

All proceeds go toward funding Write Around Portland programs, including workshops for people affected by HIV/AIDS, veterans living with PTSD, teen parents, those with physical or mental disabilities, people living in low income housing and others without access because of income, isolation or other barriers.

Registration is limited to 12 adults per workshop. IMPORTANT NOTE: Spaces fill quickly! Please call ahead (503.796.9224) to confirm there is space, to register and to discuss payment plan options.

Upcoming dates:
Ten Tuesdays, Aug 16 - Oct 18
Ten Thursdays, Oct 6 - Dec 15 (skip Nov 24)

Memoir and Bicycle and Work, Oh My!

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I have all of the most current versions of pieces of the memoir printed out and in a new notebook. Each section has its own beginning page and ending page (some are chapters, some will become inserts into chapters, some are probably two or three chapters - and one is several chapters). This will supposedly make it easier to move them around. Or not. But it does make it easier to find them. When I found a "hole" - a missing piece of information or a place I want to add something, I used a page with the title or theme of that missing section.

And I placed them in order in the notebook.

Except that now I am going back to my original plan, rather than my newly hatched plan. And - oh, wait - yes, I printed them out in a way that makes them easier to move! Good for me.

Next step in the memoir: write the missing pieces and rewrite the other pieces so there is a consistent voice.

After that: editing. Well, after more rewriting and tweaking. Then edit.

And I took the bicycle out today. I think this is going to work. It was fun! And it feels like it will be a nice compliment to the exercise I've been adding back into my schedule. Swimming and biking and walking and weights. Yes. I've been able to add bits back in, slowly, cautiously, paying attention to my neck while swimming from the December car accident and paying attention to my back as I add walking back in. And now bicycling - this feels right. I know I've only started - but I enjoyed it and I haven't fallen off and I'm doing really well on flat, wide, low traffic streets. Yes, a lot of conditions in there and that's okay. Today I even tried a slight incline and I didn't fall, didn't run out of breath, and couldn't get the gears shifted quite right so it was really hard - but I did it.

Remembering how to ride a bike. Remembering and telling my stories. Fine tuning and being patient and going ahead even when it's hard.

Then work. All of the places I work and the hats I wear and the days and hours spent doing them. Things are coming together and it's going to be okay. Planning a little and some good news here and there. Setting some boundaries on scheduling and trying to stick with them. And planning little bits of time off here and there.

Remembering that I count, too. The people I work with - clients, students, and more - all count and are important and that doesn't devalue my needs as a person, as the person, the writer, outside of my profession. Fine tuning how I work and what I want. Being patient. Going ahead with the meetings and the new ideas, even when I think it may be a stupid one.

And remembering that this coming Saturday, April 30th, is the Write Around Portland event: WRITE! Several two-hour free writing workshops scattered around Portland. I'll be facilitating one and there will be a couple (that I know of) people who are Deaf in my workshop - and my friend and fellow interpreter, Steve, will be with me to interpret so that I can facilitate. I'm very excited about this opportunity, too. There may be more that comes out of this weekend that getting a Deaf friend and another person who is Deaf hooked on writing!

Moving forward, incorporating what works into the changes and letting go of things that no longer fit.

Write. Bike/swim/walk. Interpret.
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NaNoWriMo: day 16

No, being home sick all day did not mean that I got to write my brains out and get to 50,000. Definitely not.

It was a hard decision to stay home. And it is not because it's the "piggy" sick, as my friend said. It was hard because it was the last session of the Write Around Portland group I was facilitating. I have a cold and was (am, admit it, it's not gone yet!) stuffy and blowing my nose and a sore throat. But I could have gone if it were just for me. But it would not have been fair or healthy for the participants. So I didn't go and, after talking with the staff, the decision was made to just cancel it rather than send a stranger for the final group.

So I did spend some time making up little envelopes stuffed with the things I was going to give them today. That was fun and took some time - but time I was happy to spend that way.

Then I had to deal with health insurance. What a pain. TMI so I'll stop on that topic now.

And picked up supplements from my naturopath to help get me through this - quickly, I hope. I still have some training days for the half marathon!! Help!

Otherwise, home. Home and taking care of business. And a nap.

But I did manage to sit down tonight and get some writing in; I thought I was going to have a -0- day. But, no, I actually managed to hit...

33,925

...so just over the minimum daily average needed: 50k, here I come!

NaNo end of day 9

Oh, what a great day! A couple hours with Jenny at Urban Grind, another 3o minutes alone and a greatly increased word count. Then writing with the members of the Write Around Portland groups (some of which was for the novel - but I haven't added it in yet!).

Then home for dinner and to catch up on grading my PCC student's homework. Well, at least the written part - I wasn't able to get to feedback on the videos, yet.

Then a few minutes of playing Feeding Frenzy.

Topped off with more writing - about 1000 words worth.

So tonight I ended with a grand total of : 21, 385 ....

NaNoWriMo: day 9 midday update

I was curious about the total authors this year (or authors so far - people can still join in; but most of the participants are already involved) - so I popped on over to the Twitter site during a nanomaintenance site down -- and here's what I found

2009 Tally: 157,425 authors signed up with 676,900,348 combined words (from the Office of Letters and Light, the NaNoWriMo headquarters).

As for me, I passed the 20,000 mark just a few minutes ago. Which is why I'm taking a short procrastination break from my novel. Which is still plodding along, although I feel there is a little movement in there now. We'll see. One of my main characters is taking a little diversion down memory lane, which had me a little irritated because I felt like we were finally starting to head towards the actual plot. But no, she had to go back to a recent event, a recent personal discovery.

So, I followed. Then I hit 20,031 and she said I could rest a bit, to check in with the rest of my life.

I have a little bit of time left to write, then I get to go facilitate the Write Around Portland workshop I'm doing this session. Only two more of those left. I will miss them - they have been a great group and awesome writers, spectacularly strong and brave human beings, and so supportive of each other. And I will be glad to have those three hours on Monday afternoons back for the rest of November. I have set them aside for writing.

Okay, my main character says, time's up. If I need to go to the bathroom, now is the time because there is only 30 minutes left and I have more to tell you.

Gotta go - my novel is calling!
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NaNo note for November 2nd

I arrived at the designated cafe about 20 minutes ago to meet up with Jenny and write. I was a little later than I'd hoped, since today was my pace training day and not a short one at that. I was scheduled to do five miles, fast - or fast pace - something, whatever, language escapes me at this moment, which is not a good thing.

So I was supposed to do five miles - and I did five miles. After talking myself into getting out there to do it. "Skip it," I taunted myself. "No," I replied. "Yes, one day won't hurt. Go write. You know you want to." I almost caved. Then I thought that I really can't skip at this point because - well, the half marathon is only 27 days away (now if this was in my nanonovel I would have written twenty seven days because that gives me a word count of three instead of two - but I'm not so you get the contractions and the digits normally).

I did the five miles at a decent pace. And ran into construction on the way here - typical of Portland in the fall.

And now I have food and coffee and water and my laptop open, with Jenny in front of me.

Distracting myself.

Her I go, back to nanoland. My beginning word count for today is 3,956. I'll let you know where I land when I have to rush off the get to the trainers. Before the Write Around Portland group. And then end with a stint of work.

Procrastination is ending now.

NaNo - ho!

countdown: 5 days, 4 hours

...but who's counting? oh, me... right... and thousands of other hopefuls.

And so I've entered the final week before NaNoWriMo. Am I prepared? Maybe. Am I ready to jump into this novel? Yes, definitely.

Maybe I should be making lists. What I need and when and where. Or maybe not. Life has been hitting me from right and left these last two weeks and I feel like I've been in a battleground. I won't bore you with the details nor expose personal garbage by spilling it here *grin. So the one thing I have done is put out a request to the universe to stop with the messes and get those stars aligned because I am going to write another novel beginning at midnight:01 on November 1st. And I need a little help getting things straightened out before that time.

Despite all the drama and the too many things to do in too little time, I am excited. I am excited to see where this idea leads me. All you see in my last post is what I know. I don't have specific characters in mind nor specific incidents. I don't know if what I wrote as a synopsis will be a scene, the start, or the setting in general.

But it will happen. It will go somewhere. It will be completed. As I work, and teach (which is work, yes) , and finish out the last three weeks of the writing group I'm facilitating, and wrap up the final two weeks of the writing workshop I'm taking, and train for and walk my first half marathon. I can.

update: today's Mayor's Walk results

originally posted at "Run Around for Write Around Portland" - reprinted with permission from the author. wait. that's me.

I set a new personal record today for walking the 10k. I shaved about 3/4 of a minute per mile off my record time, which I set mid-July at the Smith Rock Sunrise Classic. I also looked back at my time last year for this event - which was with a friend and the early stages of getting fit - and I bit off a huge chunk of time from that: I finished 24 minutes earlier today than I did just a year ago. Things are looking up.

And that's a great number of funds raised for Write Around Portland. I'm leaving my donation widget up on my website, The Writing Vein, for another month so people can still donate if they find some extra cash lying around and they want to give it to an awesome cause.

Thanks, everyone! For being you, for being Write Around Portland, for the financial support to the organization and the personal support to those of us who participated in our various ways in the event.

tomorrow I walk

This morning I picked up my bib and goodies bag, information for other events, some new socks (same kind of socks, just new ones! which I will not wear tomorrow but will get them broken in for Seattle in November), and other stuff.

I ate breakfast.

I ate lunch.

I wrote some feedback to a writer in the online class I'm doing with Ariel Gore.

I took a nap. Woke up and stretched.

I drank some electrolytes.

I'm going to eat dinner soon.

And the plan is to be in bed by 8:00 pm. Notice I didn't say *asleep* - just in bed. We'll see how that goes. My night is usually just getting started at 8 pm - but tomorrow I have the Mayor's Walk. Yesterday I said, "but it's only 10k" to a couple of people - who looked at me with that are-you-kidding-me face or in the tone of their voice. A year ago the 10k was a really big deal and walking 6.2 miles is not "nothing."

I am planning on walking it fast (for me). It'll be my pace day for the week. My Achilles is taped up by my chiropractor and all will be well. I realized about an hour ago the one thing I didn't plan for was cold hands. I'm heading off to look for gloves now - I have some somewhere in the house. It's time to dig them out, anyway - I just need them a little earlier this year and for a different reason.

Being downtown by 7:00 am to get a parking place and hop the shuttle to go to the start of the walk. It's predicted to be only 45 degrees at 8:00 AM when I plan to step off and head back downtown. Brrr. So - gloves needed. My attire is otherwise laid out and ready to go, my breakfast planned, electrolytes for during the walk ready to be put into water when I get up, and carbs in the Camelbak.

It's only 10k, I think, again. But I'm not going for a stroll, I remind myself. It IS 10k and that's good.

Then tomorrow afternoon and night it's back to work. And back to writing and feedback and making final preparations for my Write Around Portland group on Monday.

Which reminds me: thank you to everyone who has donated to this awesome organization. And you can still give a little if you want; I'll leave the link up for a while - the FirstGiving website will be active for a month after the event. Thank you!

seconds do count

originally posted at Run Around For Write Around Portland on Sunday 9/20

This morning I participated in the Komen Race for the Cure. A small group of friends and I decided to do the Women's 5k Untimed Run.

Remember, me, the walker? And I just said I did the run? What we really did is that, out of the 7 of us, 2 were going to run, 3 of us are in training for the half-marathon, and the other 2 were planning to walk.

It was a brilliant plan and it worked. We started near the back of that event's pack - with the slower runners (over 10-minute miles). Our original plan was to to all run across the start line and then the walkers to slow to our walking pace (either training or regular walking) after a block or two.

Luckily, the start was so slow that everyone except those in the very front were fast walking across the start once you got there. Even the smaller pack of runners were starting out walking due to the number of participants.

So - the deal with the few seconds is this. I kept up a pretty good pace, although I know that one of the two I was walking with was slowing her pace for us. After we did the up and over the bridge, loop up on Naito to make it the full 10k and then headed back for the finish line, I saw the timer coming into view.

I was pretty bummed when I got close enough to see the numbers and not just the red glow on a black rectangle. I could see that I was going to cross that finish line at about 49 minutes and that was slower than my recent times of similar length. I computed the numbers in my head. Bummer. Too slow.

Without going into the convoluted math I do in my head (round here and approximate there to make it easy to compute) - the actual numbers came out better when I had a calculator. It's funny - because I keep forgetting that knocking off .1 or .2 of a mile to make it easier to divide, or ignoring the true seconds and rounding up - it all works against me when I'm looking at pace.

What went as a disappointing approximately 17-minute miles to an acceptable actual calculation of 15.2-minute miles showed me that, yet again, seconds do count.

The little pieces of time, the actual measurements, each step, counts.

Just like each $5 or $10 or whatever amount our friends, family, co-workers can drop in our hands or put on our FirstGiving pages counts for Write Around Portland.

Click on the "donate now" button on the left to contribute whatever amount you can afford. Thanks!

inspiration is a two-way happening

originally posted at Run Around for Write Around Portland

Last week I took my distance training day off - on the advice of my doctor because of pain in my Achilles tendon; but still. I took it off. I did a one-mile stroll with a friend the next day. Then I missed my pace training 2 days later; same reason. I did the 4 miles of the pace training, but at regular speed - not speedy speed. That was this last Monday.

On Tuesday I did my strength training and regular walking (several short brisk-ish walks totalling an hour scattered in between my jobs).

Then it was Wednesday and time for my hill training (in preparation for the half marathon in Seattle; I don't need it for the Portland Mayor's Walk!). I was concerned about my heel and feeling a little frustrated about missing the distance day and not doing the pace training. And doubting myself. Not wanting to do it - up and down the hill to Mt Tabor several times.

I distracted myself by checking my email. Which turned out to be the perfect anecdote to my funk. There was the following email from my dragon boat / half-marathon walking / whitewater rafting friend :

Hi Dot... every now and then I check in on your writing [on your website, The Writing Vein] ... and I love reading what you write! I also just wanted to tell you that it inspired me because I'm getting to the point where I think about going out for a run/walk or walk and I don't want to... but you remind me that I will feel better if I go and do it. Thank you for that!

I was just going to go do the 1/2 Marathon without training but think I'd
better get out there and get my feet in condition!

Don't forget the Race for the Cure on the 20th!

...oh, and she's a MissFit Alliance Race for the Cure teammate, too.

I went out with a smile and walked up and down the hill. And without any pain in my foot but with a renewed sense of "I can do this."

Thank you, K, for your perfectly timed counter-insprational note. And I did feel better for having done it.
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copy: walking around for write around

I will be walking the 10k Mayor's Walk in the Portland Marathon. I am a walker, not a runner - and I'm fine with that. I am not a race walker, I am a walker who is increasing her pace little by little, with a current goal of doing under 17 minute miles in a half marathon in November. And I'm okay with that, too.

I read Loren's post [on the Run Around for Write Around Portland blog] with a knowing nod about what keeps you going when you don't feel like it. I am just coming out of one of those stretches where I've had to drag myself out the door to go for the 5-mile pace building training walk, or the 8-mile distance building walk, or to walk up and down the hill to Mt Tabor 5 - 7 times. And that's been okay, too.

So what does keep me going?

Sometimes it's noticing how I'm feeling - like the time two weeks ago when I took a day off due to fatigue, and it was the day after my training day off. I was feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. So on the third day I set out on my training walk and I'd gone only a fraction of the miles I had to go and that cloud of doom lifted and I thought, ahhhh. Recognizing that my body has become used to the daily routine. Easier and cheaper than another therapy appointment or anti-depression medication *grin*. Or it's my partner telling me I've become a little crabby and wouldn't a walk feel good? And I know she's right. And it does.

Sometimes I keep going because I've signed up for some events and rallied others to join me on events I haven't signed up for yet. An example is that Sunday I thought, there is no way I can do that 8 miles today and then I remembered that, after the Mayor's Walk, my next event is the half-marathon in Seattle in November. Which now feels not so far away; and I'm out the door with shoes laced and my Camelbak full with a package of Stingers in my pocket.

The same is true of writing. If I go too long without being actively engaged in the writing process, I get cranky. I start feeling bottled up. Stuck. And sometimes I have to completely close that internal critic's eye and just write. I keep myself enrolled in a "Lit Star Training" course with Ariel Gore so that writing is kept on my list of things to do, with weekly assignments and peer feedback. And I find submission deadlines to give me an end-point or a reason to keep revising.

I write because I have something to say.

I walk because I feel better when I do and because I don't want to lose the muscle I've gained or gain the weight I've lost.

I walk and I write because sometimes I find myself smiling for no apparent reason, except that it feels good to be alive and I have something to look forward to. Or maybe I have a kayak tucked in the back of my car. Or snowshoes in the closet waiting for the snow to fall.

Or I find myself halfway up the four flights of stairs to Write Around Portland to pick up my facilitator's bag and realize I didn't even consider taking the elevator.

Originally posted on
Run Around for Write Around Portland

walking, writing, fundraising!

My next walking event is the Komen Race for the Cure 5k on September 20th. I will be walking with a team of friends and friends of friends, the MissFit Alliance. Yes, this team was born out of the MissFit Dragons (dragon boat team).

The next big event after that is the Mayor's Walk, 10k, which is a part of the Portland Marathon. Write Around Portland, is doing a fundraiser in conjunction with the Portland Marathon and its associated events - for walkers and runners. This amazing organization is one of the many which has been hit with budget cuts due to decreased funding. The staff of Write Around Portland, who are the original founders (plus one), as well, have decreased their work hours in response - which has not decreased the amount of work they do, only the amount they are being paid. They use their funds very well, run an excellent program, and have served our community well.

I don't generally do fundraising in conjunction with my walking events. But this time is different. You can read more about my story and reasons for supporting them on my FirstGiving page - where you can also be a donor of whatever amount you feel you can afford. You can either click on the button below, or click on the widget at the top left.

Honestly, I would not be fundraising if I didn't stand behind the organization 100%. As a volunteer facilitator for them, I have seen firsthand the difference their workshops make in people's lives.

Think about it. Even $5 will make a difference.

they've arrived!

The NaNo badges are here! The NaNo badges are here!

Yes, come November, you will once again be subjected to my NaNoWriMo musings.

My coffee drinking, late nights and early mornings, raves about the progress of the novel I will start at the stroke of midnight plus one minute on November 1st will become the fuel for my daily (goal!) posts. With little calculator widgets inserted here on my blog to let you know my progress.

As well as how it goes with working, volunteering for Write Around Portland (my group will finish on November 14th), participating in my fourth online Lit Star Training workshop/class with Ariel Gore (in which I plan to be focusing on the revisions of my first NaNo novel, plus the quick writes), and training to walk the half marathon as part of the Seattle Marathon on November 29th.

Yes, I will be walking my first half marathon the day before the end of my second NaNo attempt. Which is why I have planned a couple extra days in Seattle; to catch up and complete the novel if I have to and to relax and celebrate its completion if I have it done a little early (last year I hit the 50,000 word mark the night before Thanksgiving; I'm hoping for the same this year).

I'm excited! NaNo ho!!!
(and did you notice how well one of the color schemes fits my blog? perfect!)

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announcement: publication

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One of my short creative non-fiction stories, Showing Off, was accepted for publication in the fall issue of Alltopia. This time I will be able to attend the peer editing workshop and, hopefully again, the release and reading. As soon as I know the reading date, I will post it here.


In another note: the summer anthology release and reading of Write Around Portland will be on Friday, August 28th. Mark your calendars and attend this free event.
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event: drop-in workshops

Write Around Portland

and

Hot Lips Pizza

are continuing to team together to provide monthly writing workshops. See below for more information about times and location. You can register in advance for the date you want to attend (preferred) -- or you can show up without registration if your schedule changes and you become available, or you simply wake up in the mood to join a small group of writers to share a couple hours writing and giving/getting feedback. The facilitators are Write Around Portland volunteers, with coffee, tea, and a snack provided by Hot Lips Pizza.

Location & Details
HOTLIPS Pizza, 2211 SE Hawthorne
Thursdays 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Sundays 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Pre-registration is encouraged. To register, email hotlipspizza@writearound.org with your name, phone number and the date of the workshop(s) you would like to attend.

$25.00 Suggested donation to Write Around Portland per workshop. All proceeds go directly toward funding Write Around Portland workshops and programs for people affected by HIV/AIDS, veterans living with PTSD, survivors of domestic violence, people living with mental illness, homeless youth and many others. For more information, go to www.writearound.org.

Workshop Dates
Thursday, April 16
Special Sunday workshop, April 26
Thursday, May 21