Radical Writer in the NaNoWriMo Zone: Day 5

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"One Hundred Peaceful and Wrathful Dieties" from Rigpa Shedra

Today was an interesting day. I made my word count early.

Okay, I'll qualify that relative term - "early." It means I wasn't scrambling to type out my words on my late night lunch/dinner break or in the wee morning hours. It meant long before I went to work today (which I start at 5 pm) I had my minimum done.

Due to the state of the downstairs bathroom, which is where our washer and dryer are housed, we don't have a working laundry system at home. We have to go to the laundromat. This is our current state for another two or three weeks. Luckily, we have Belmont Eco Laundry just a couple miles from home. It's clean, good machines, there's an attendant, and they have wifi.

So, today, I got my writing in at the laundromat. As the clothes spun in the washer and then the dryer, I spun out my tale. Or the tale of my MC (main character, in NaNoSpeak). Because I'm no longer driving this ship. I can't even rightfully claim who is the MC; I have two characters vieing for that position. Maybe I have two MCs.

But the story is progressing. There have even been a couple of mentions of the plot essence I went into NaNo12 with showing up here and there. Not that I have much clearer of a picture of the path of this novel - I don't - but at least the topic I brought into November is present.

So. Progress is being made. The novel is sort of coming together. There are some good pieces which may be salvageable and there is some junk which will be tossed without a twinge of guilt.

And I may have a love scene coming up. I haven't had too many of those in my novels; I haven't been avoiding them, they just haven't come along. And I started with a death - but that's more than the readers would know. It's kind of obvious that someone has died, but it's in the interest of my novel's plot that who died isn't clear. And that's holding true. No one knows who died. I think even I don't know even though I have a guess. With today's writing, I think even that mystery may be left to the characters.

Oh boy. NaNoWriMo is a wild ride if you let it be.

NaNo NaNo!
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Radical Writing Advice: The Flawed Guru

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There is a tendency to seek out teachers or mentors or artists we want to emulate. This is a good thing. Like that old saying, "why re-invent the wheel?" But sometimes we want to know how the wheel was constructed. What things did this person try - and what worked or didn't?

What are our options?

Did you know that in the past, it was common practice for developing artists to copy the works of The Masters. And I don't mean to follow their style or interpret a famous painting. To actually try to paint a painting of one of The Masters. To duplicate it in order to get the feel of the brush stroke, the shadowing, the colors, and so on.

Some writers do that, too, I've seen that advice here and there over the years. Copy, by hand, some poetry or a short story or piece of a novel of a writer you admire and whose style you strive to achieve. Not to plagiarize, no, but to get the feel of their language and their pace and the thing you like to read in their work into your hands and your body.

And then there are the writers we want to learn from. It may be from book s or workshops or videos. From online seminars or writing retreats or magazine articles. This, too, is good.

A couple of days ago I discovered I had an audio book in "my library" at Audible.com. This was from 2004. My technology at that time was very different than what I have now - and the technology at Audible didn't work with what I had, and so on. So I had this audio book, "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott (and I also own printed version). I'm going on a road trip and was thinking about getting a couple of audio books for the road, maybe taking Audible up on their special new member deal right now ($7.49 per month for the first three months, which gets you one book per month). I was happy to discover I already had a book, so I could test it out with the Bluetooth in my car. And it works, really well. Yay.

But in listening to her read her book, there were some familiar pieces of advice. In her own words and her own style, of course. But a few things were very similar to Natalie Goldberg; one of my writing gurus. For example, Anne Lamott has a different version of monkeys and things which take away our attention - but I'm particularly fond of Natalie Goldberg's discussion on "monkey mind" in "Zen Howl" and some of her books, which draws us away from our writing or our creativity, maybe making us feel hungry or like we have to go to the bathroom when we don't if nothing else works.

Then while thinking about that I was also thinking about some well-known writers who have inspired me over time, like the two I just mentioned, and a couple of other mega-famous writers. How sometimes we think their lives are probably perfect (or perfect for a writer) and everything they say is golden and we should pay attention. But then they prove themselves to be human and we back away. We may feel betrayed or tricked in some way and we may start to feel that what we thought was excellent advice is now not worth our energy.

I admit to doing that a time or two. Not that I've completely disregarded someone I used to admire, but they had fallen in my opinion.

But as I listened to Anne Lamott talk about her monkeys and started thinking about Natalie Goldberg's Buddhist "monkey mind" and remembering another writer who talks about the things which distract us. Something has come up regarding each of these writers which put me off, caused me to take them off the pedestal where I'd placed them.

Wait. The pedestal was mine. I placed them there. They are human. They are not perfect. They have a right to be who they are and - I don't have to throw out everything I liked about their  advice and insights because there religion is too conservative for me or they were snobbish during a workshop (note to self, however: never go to another in-person workshop with that very big name person again, stick to her books, which are awesome and fit my style) or they have too many discriminatory "isms" for me.

Really. Gurus are not perfect, nor should we expect them to be. Lead by example - sure. Be a good role model - okay. And are there people whose work we may want to not support? Sure. But in the case of the ones I have in mind, their work on writing is pretty solid. Well-known. Recognized. And some good advice which has helped thousands or millions, I don't know how many.

So I was thinking that sometimes we mistakenly want our mentors or our gurus to be perfect. To have all the answers. To never slip. But in reality they are human. Just like us. They have flaws. But being flawed does not negate their good, they are simply our flawed guru.

image from http://permaculturenews.org/what-is-a-contributing-author/

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Radical Writing Advice : What Do You Need to Hear?

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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.

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Radical Writing Advice: Story Time

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As I begin typing this post, I'm not sure where it's going. Yes, I know.

But what about your platform, Dot? Your image. You should plan it better, you should know what you want to say before you put it out there.

Surely you're not going to just wing it and fly it? At least look like you have something to say!

Part of what I write about when I write about writing is the process. So that's what this writing is most likely to be about: process. And in that process, something other writers can use may emerge. Or maybe think, I'm not alone out here.

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The topic is making decisions. It is a writing related decision and it is a taking care of me as a whole person decision.

Here's the dilemma. In a couple or so weeks I'm driving down to Berkeley to see the touring performance of Philip Glass' "Einstein on the Beach." I knew I wanted to go when I first saw that it was being performed, which was a while ago. The stops of the tour weren't yet posted and I was hoping for something nearby. Berkeley is the closest stop; although I would love to see it in New York, too. But Berkeley is do-able.

I purchased my ticket and would plan the trip later. Then I decided to take a few days on either side of the 4-hour performance to have a vacation, see the sites, allow enough time to drive. Since I bought my car 18 months ago, I've wanted to take it on a long drive. The furthest I've been able to go since then is Seattle. So Berkeley seemed perfect.

Then I started thinking, "Hey, since I'll be 'in the area,' I should try to see Bonnie Hearn Hill." Being three hours away from her is "in the neighborhood" compared to our homes, which are nearly 13 hours apart. So I wrote an email and we started a correspondence about a visit.

My original - no, my second - plan was to drive half way on the day I left and stop overnight. Not push too much driving in one day. Then I thought maybe stop in Ashland, take in a play. Maybe. Then get to Berkeley the second day. Have time to chill and relax and settle; and see the performance on the third day. Then I would have a couple of days to take BART into SF, sleep in, write, walk, whatever I wanted to do. Then come home.

My original thought was drive straight through to Berkeley in one day - the day before the performance.

And, as I already said, with my second plan, I realized that since I was driving, I could pop on down to see Bonnie. It's no further than from Portland to Seattle and I've made that a day trip before. That seemed like a very good plan. Visit Bonnie and then start the trip home from Fresno and divide that up over two days.

Now it's several weeks past all of those options coming up. And I have a new option to throw into the mix.

Bonnie invited me to visit her writing group, and bring something to read. This is exciting. I've been hearing about her writing group since I was reconnected to her. I've read about it online. And it seems like a very good writing group. Of course I want to go. But, wait, it's the second day of my little vacation. At 9:30 am.

Still. Not impossible. No. But I certainly won't be staying overnight in Ashland!

For those who don't know me well, I'm a master at trying to make everything fit. If I shift this thing in my schedule and slide in that thing, and the other thing that this other person wants to do goes here, and if I skimp a little on sleep and and and. You get the picture. I did that very well. I am actually an excellent multitasker. The problem with all of this is that I sometimes forgot to take care of me or got my priorities mixed up and there were some less than optimal personal things which happened. Enough of that.

So, when I start "figuring out" - those can be trigger words.

But the opportunity to meet the members of this group is something I want to do. It seems like an opportunity that I don't want to pass up right now. And I have to be careful to not push myself physically too much in that way.

My thoughts have been:
- no, I can't make it to the group.
- I can drive all the way from Portland to Fresno in one day, crash in a hotel and sleep and go to the group.
- I can drive to Berkeley on day one; then get up early to drive to Fresno.
- no to the preceding idea; that means leaving Berkeley by 6:30a; for those who don't know, I'm not an early morning person.
... and a few others.

I've ran this idea by a few people and I think, finally, I have a plan. With flexibility. And I guess that is the key - at least for me. I will drive down towards Fresno, and stop at a town along the highway that is about 2 hours from there. Going to Berkeley adds about an hour to the total time. That way, I can get up at a more reasonable for me time and get to the writing group. And, while it will be a long drive for sure, it seems do-able and, with short stretch and restroom stops, I won't get in that late. Do-able.

And I realized that I can have this plan, and leave it open for change. I'm not going to make a hotel reservation in a nearby town - there seem to be a bunch of them along the highway. I'm going to see how I feel and what seems like a good place to stay. And it leaves it open, if I need to, to stop earlier and not go to the writing group. I don't think that will happen, but I need that option. I could be wrong about my back and knee being fine to make that long of a drive in one day - but I don't think so.

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I'm excited to meet these people.

I'm excited to see "Einstein on the Beach." All 4 hours of it. Yes.

I'm excited to get a little time away from all work. And to take a little road trip in my car.

I've checked my priorities, I've checked in with my heart and body and soul to see what is the true desire, and I believe I've found it. And I'm not closing out the option of stopping if I need to.

In a way, this is keeping writing high on my priority list. There aren't many things at this point in my life, after a few lessons the universe has handed me, that I would even consider doing this for. But to spend time with Bonnie and her writing group, to spend time talking about writing and sharing writing - this I will do.

And I believe that both the performance and the time with these accomplished and talented writers will be inspirational and an energy boost to get NaNoWriMo 2012 to a great kickoff for me, not too long after I get home.

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Yes. To Fresno and the writers. To Berkeley and the Philip Glass epic production. To me, and listening to what I need, too.

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Radical Writing Advice : Creativity Missing in Action?

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I haven't come up with a great topic for this week. I've been thinking about it. And I think, in the midst of the contractor-insurance dance, the will-they-won't-they debate of who will show up but then doesn't, and certainly the hurry-up-do-it-now flurry of activity followed by periods of silence while they haggle over dotted t's and crossed i's. (Yes, I know I wrote that backwards. Thank you for noticing.) In this find the floor and contractor and we're coming to your house now, that my ability to think outside the box and be radical has diminished to just-write-it. Whatever it is. Just put down the words and call it good.

I had a story to tell, but even that seems mundane. Too boring to share. Or maybe too personal; no, not that. Too - well - undecided.

Maybe some of this is that I'm interpreting my first play of the season tomorrow. There has also been a lot of focus on that - time spent at the theater, with the script, with the CDs, thinking about it, figuring out creative uses of the target language. Practice.

I did manage to write something for last week's Literary Kitchen assignment. It wasn't as bad as I was afraid it would be. But the topic? Yes, the water leak, the contractors, the unplanned bathroom remodels.

And what's so "radical" about that? Nothing.

What I keep thinking, when the stress climbs and we have to do things in time we don't have is:
(a) as a good friend says, "it will end:" and
(b) someday this will make a good story.

Perhaps that is the message for this week: Even when things seem hard or impossible or that the schedule is too full, don't give up. This is all fodder for the next short story or novel or play. Someday, it will make a good story.

Keep in touch with your writer self even when it seems pointless or hard or boring. Nothing we as writers do is wasted or unrelated to writing.
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Radical Writing Advice :Word Pairs - Sharing Time

Last week I sent a tweet into the world about a little run-in I had with Microsoft Word's spell checker. And it got me to thinking: I wonder what other little pet peeves writers have with Word. I know I've heard others grumble about what Word thinks is grammatically correct or not recognizing some words.

And Word certainly doesn't take kindly to creative license. It hates sentence fragments and, at least in my version of word, those get the squiggly red lines, reminiscent of the red pen marks of teachers in elementary school or middle school. Word insists on capitalizing words at the beginning of every line, even if it's poetry and I don't want that word capitalized.

Yet teachers and editors and agents still tend to advise: "Make sure you run spell checker on your document before turning it in - submitting." Like Word and its counterparts have the last word on all things creative.

I have known some people to even turn the spell checker off. I could do that. But once in a while it does catch a typo, an error. It lets more go than it catches, true, but it still has a place. Just don't depend on it to do all of the work for you.

This all started when I was editing a story for submission. (Yes, I did get it edited with feedback from a couple of years ago from my online writing group, and then additional feedback on an edited version from my new in-person writing group. Thank you everyone for your input. The story is in the 'zine's hands now.)

Where the issue came up is that, in the story, the protag is talking and says "...there is a character, who kills..." But Word marked it up and told me it should be "...there is a character, which kills ..."  I thought, No; no way. The character is a person so it should be who and not which. But then I started questioning myself as much as I questioned Word and soon, I found myself being able to justify it either way. I kept it with my original wording.

To be fair, I will say that the character the protag is talking about actually turns out to be a personification of the protag herself. Maybe that makes a difference and maybe not. But I will still stand behind my "character who" decision.

This discussion is not new. This same pair of words came up a couple of years ago in the online writing group. It was a great discussion and some helpful advice in choosing the appropriate word.

So when this situation came up with Word, I started thinking about other possible word pairs that sometimes trip writers up. Or at least make us pause and maybe even pull out our Strunk and White, or The Everyday Writer, or whatever your favorite online or in-print resource may be.

I'd love to hear from you.

What are the words which have (or maybe still do) cause you to doubt or pause the pace to make sure you have the correct usage?

What are a few tricks or hints you have to help make the better choice?

Here are a few which come to mind:
- which & that
- lay & lie
- drink, drank, drunk
- less & fewer.

Others?
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Radical Writing Advice: A Challenge

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On Monday I was the new member in a writing group. There are four other women writers who've been meeting for ... a while. I realize I don't know how long they've been meeting and that isn't relevant, anyway.

An online writing friend - via Ariel Gore's Literary Kitchen - is becoming a 3-D writing friend since moving (back) to Portland. I mentioned her a couple of week's ago. She and I met for coffee - now a decaf soy latte for me -and talked about writing and getting to know each other in a bigger context.

And she asked me if I wanted to join this writing group, as they were wanting another member or two. She gave an online introduction and I answered the group questions and submitted a short piece, all as application to being a member of the group.

It seemed a good fit and now I've met everyone in person. And it still seems a good fit. Unfortunately I had to leave early to get to work; but I loved the pieces I heard and the sharing feedback style was great and is highly compatible.

One member was talking about writing and mentioned there were some good online resources for flash fiction. One of them stood out for me, probably because of her high recommendation and because it seems like an active and energetic group of people are attracted to this site.

The website has regular flash fiction challenges. There is one up right now which, ahem, closes tomorrow (9/21) at noon EST. Give it a try! Or wait until the next one.

Oh, and I do want to give you a heads up that there is profanity on the website. For those who are sensitive to, or don't like to see, profanity - best stay away. And if you don't mind, click on over to TerribleMinds.

Challenges can be good writing motivators. Block breakers. Or attic clearing devices. Challenges can help move stories through or get something out of the way or spark an idea you didn't know you had. I know they're not for everyone - but they can also be just plain fun.

Try TerribleMinds. Or check out WritersWeekly for their next 24-Hour Short Story (they just had one, so the next is probably winter). NaNoWriMo (write a 50k+ novel in 30 days) or NaPoWriMo (write a poem a day for 30 days). And more.

Know of other writing challenges online? In print? Do share *smile*.

Find a challenge which inspires you and give it a try.
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Who Are You, more

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I've been thinking about the post earlier this week and I still stand by it. But I've also been thinking about it more.

One question raised is how to know when it's a being true to oneself change or if it's a not-in-the-writer's-best-interest change being considered? I didn't mean that change is bad. That we shouldn't work to improve and strengthen our skills and our persona and so on.

If that is our truth. Who we are and what we want to do.

And mimicking our writing heroes isn't bad or wrong, but we have to hold our own voice, too.

It's good to experiment.

It's good to try out, to learn, new skills. Because in that process we may find another part of ourselves we didn't know was there. We may discover that we're good at this other genre or style or maybe poetry when we thought we couldn't do it.

The key is to stay mindful of what we're doing and how it feels. To know first what we want and our intention and then check if the action fits with that vision.

This leaf, which I call my Autumn Ambassador, appeared on a walk recently; alone on the sidewalk, bright, calling. The rich colors surrounding the heart of green, wearing it's bloodlines - the veins - boldly and proudly. It is unique and yet it shares characteristics with other leaves from its home tree.

We are each unique and at the same time a part of the whole. Know your voice and be mindful of and true to your writer-self.
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Radical Writing Advice: Who Are You?

There is much advice floating about for writers. So many conflicting viewpoints about the best way to publish, to write, to edit, to create your platform. To do just about anything related to authors and their work.

I'm not calling anyone out or setting up a gripe session about what is right or wrong. No, that's not what I do. Or try not to do.

I know there are confident people in all professions who have no doubts about who they are and what they want to be. Be now or when they grow up. They know this is the path to follow and some are sure that others should follow in their footprints. And they may be right. Or are right, for themselves and for others. And certainly we want to learn from those who have succeeded in what we want to do. Writing is no different in that way.

When I'm talking about writing, I mean all writers and authors, playwrights, poets, novelists, memoirists, and so on. I certainly have a pile, or several piles, of books about writing, on writing, on how to write, for writers and by writers. And many of them are very good. Lots of advice.

So, with all this advice, with people whom we admire suggesting different and sometimes opposing ideas. Sometimes, there might be a little confusion. Sometimes, while we might strive to be like a famous author or editor or blogger or comedian, we might also lose sight of ourselves. Maybe that's okay. No, what I mean is, that's okay if that's what you want to do.

I've been struggling in trying to follow the path of the "famous" or at least well-known in big-time writers and local writers, too. I've been looking at those who seem to know what to do, or at least that's the persona or the platform they've built and it seems to work for them.

But in this process of following advice, I've discovered that I've lost a bit of me. Have you done that, too? Maybe you haven't and that's awesome. Truly. But I have.

I appreciate the hard work and wise words of writers who are living that dream. Who are writing successfully and telling us how they did it. For the pioneers in social networking and blogging and platform building who give us advice. All worthy and to be noted. Yes.

And I appreciate that we are individuals and have our own ways.

What I'm proposing is that we look at who we are and decide how much of that we are willing to let go of in order to be like that writer we admire. Why are we letting go of that thing we do which is a little off the beaten track? Should we? And can we? What is the cost in the long term of undoing a part of who we are?

I'm not saying that sometimes it's not a good idea to alter or improve or put away a piece of us - if that thing is not working. If it's habit and not our truth. If it's not in our best interest and doesn't bring us abundance and joy and a sense of our place in the world.

This is sticky stuff to wade through.

But in the end, as writers, isn't it our voice we're promoting? Isn't it our words and our way of storytelling we're using to promote our craft, our characters, our novels?

So, back to the example of me: if I try to keep my blog "professional" and clean up what I'm saying - or only write things directly (read : blatantly) related to writing - then I'm leaving out where I came from on my blog. I'm leaving out important information about my writing process, which may or may not be relevant to other writers.

I feel like I'm talking in circles here a bit. But I also think this is important.

For some writers, having that platform *is* who they are. They want an angle, a perspective or genre with a slant to be known for; and that's good. Some writers want to be known for their author persona and that's good. I'm not saying it's not okay. But I am saying that we first have to know who we are and how we want to be known. Then seek out the advice and footsteps of those who fit our style.

Just like some people seem to be naturally born sales reps, some of us aren't. Some people are born with the ability to be a chameleon and morph to fit the current trends, some of us have a hard time masking who we are. And there are all of the in-betweens, of course.

I think what's important is to know who you are as a writer. What parts of you fit with that? What do you want to improve or lose or enhance? Then do that. I am not Denise Mina nor do I write like her. I am not Natalie Goldberg and don't strive to be her, though especially some of her earlier writing books were inspirational. Even my mentor and the excellent writer and faciliator and teacher, Ariel Gore - I am not her nor can I be.

Find what is true for you. Follow that.

That's what I'm hoping to do. And I'll start right here. I love doing the Razor's Edge prompts on Fridays and the Radical Writng Advice early in the week and will continue to do so. But I also miss writing about adventures and found prompts and walks and even the mundane at times. These all inform my stories.

Find you and write with her. Look inside and ask what your heart wants you to do; then do that.
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Radical Writing Advice: hello?

I started a piece for this week. I like the topic. I want to write about it.

And we had one of those homeowner emergencies over the weekend. The process to deal with it is still continuing, so I'm letting this week's full post go.

I will return next week. But for now I'm cutting back on a few things to decrease my stress level right now.

It's been an interesting week, with great news on two fronts (interpreting and writing) and then the not so good news of a broken water pipe at home. The fall session of Ariel Gore's Literary Kitchen started this week. I was accepted into an in-person writing group. And more. Ups and downs, but holding it together.

So, this week no advice.

I will be back next week for sure. I have it partially written, but the situation at home has taken many hours in what was already a very full schedule.

See you next week! No, see you on Friday for the Razor's Edge prompt. That I will do in the late afternoon.
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Radical Writing Advice: Where's Your Energy?

I'm a couple days late with this post. With reason; without intention.

But the reasons did lead me to this topic. That plus my coffee with another writer on Sunday.

What I'm talking about is our creative energy as writers. As creative beings in the world. When we are working on something which excites us, that energy builds on itself and expands. If we are working on something which doesn't hold our interest, which we don't like, or we are feeling pulled from that thing we love doing, we can drag. Our energy diminishes if we don't have a passion.

I can hear people nodding and feel people holding back, thinking, "But I can't drop everything just because I'm bored or don't like it; I'd never get anything done." And, I know. I'm not saying that sometimes we don't have to hang in there with the projects which don't excite us. I know we do. I also know that sometimes being bored may stem from other things than it being something we shouldn't do.

What I do know, though, is that energy begets energy. I've just had that confirmed for myself. I started a new project, the basics which started - well, it's a long story. But this phase of things had the seed planted in June. And now that I've made a big step out of the little bubble in which I've been existing in this particular area, it is blossoming. Partly because I noticed that spark - a pilot light, if you will - inside which said, "look at me!" So I did. Excitement was there. Energy.

Did I immediately give up the responsibilities and projects which aren't as much fun? Or one in particular which right now is not creating energy? No. But I did move on this new one. And the universe today sent me a message in the form of an email in response to that seed in June; the answer was "yes."

The writer on Sunday was talking about a project which surfaced - a novel. She found a spark by listening to her inner voice and her "gut." She had renewed energy and a vision. She sat down to begin writing this novel and it was easy, it was fun, and she wants to do more of it.

Because she noticed the energy and she followed it. She realized that some of what she had been doing wasn't her, wasn't her passion. This is. I am excited that I will be able to read some of her writing as it progresses.

So: where is your energy? Where do you feel drawn? How can you incorporate that right now?

What is the vision of that energy place?

Write it. Or draw it. Or make a collage if the words aren't coming right now. Just do something creative with it. Notice. Look. Listen.

Where's the energy?

Radical Writing Advice: Step Away From the Computer

Sometimes we sit at the keyboard, waiting for inspiration or the perfect word. Or any word. Or we gaze at the unfilled paper on the desk, tapping the eraser of the pencil or the clicker end of the pen, hesitant to make a mark until we know it's work the ink and piece of tree.

Or maybe, sometimes, we try reworking the story or the page or the sentence over and over. And over. Until we get it just right except we pass the point of knowing what "just right" looks like. Then, next thing we know, it's 5:30 AM and the sky is lightening and birds are singing in the tree outside the window over the fireplace. Or whatever your particular brand of hanging in there a little too long may be. Perhaps it's passed out on the sofa with the laptop's battery running dry next to the now empty bottle of wine; and you're alone. Or maybe you're in bed dreaming of characters who are now zombies who have invaded your home and you bury deeper in the covers to avoid being consumed in their quest for satisfaction.

Yes, we must write to be writers. (Although I did read something a while ago which questioned the idea of writing being a requirement of being a writer. Hm.) But sometimes we have to not write.

Sometimes we need to get outside. To get out of our writing environment, leave the desk and the words and the projects behind. Step out.

I do mean literally to step out. Go outside. Explore your city. Maybe take a bus to downtown if you're not a frequenter of the area. Or ride a bicycle to the inner city lake with a bike path. If having a target destination helps, pick one. It can be familiar or new - it doesn't really matter. The point is to move and to immerse yourself in life outside of the writing womb.

I won't even mention the health benefits of taking an urban walkabout. We've heard about that many times and we now that a lot of sitting should be balanced with a lot of movement. Keep the circulation going, blood pumping, lungs breathing; all of that. Look anywhere and you can see information about how moving your body will benefit you.

But what I'm talking about is moving the energy around and getting away from the writing place. And being present. Mindfulness if you will; maybe I'll talk about that in an upcoming post. But for now I'm talking about noticing. Not walking head down and avoiding people and surroundings. But looking, noticing, seeing what is there. Being present in the world.

Which is why I say it can be beneficial and even enjoyable to try something new. Or something you haven't done in a long time if "new"makes you nervous.

Get out. Look. Listen. Smell. Feel.

Be.

In the world. Be. A writer. A writer in the form of a person who is not writing at the moment but is just living.

Being.

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled across this video. An illustrator talking about finding inspiration. In the world. Outside of the studio and house.

Watch and consider.

Where would you like to go explore?

In this episode of Epiphany, Maira Kalman, illustrator,  finds inspiration while walking the city streets and veering off the prescribed path.

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Radical Writing Advice: Ennui, or Give In to the Feelings

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Write every day.

Write three pages every day. A chapter. A scene. A poem or two or three. Write the crap and get it out of the way. Write whatever is there and move it through.

Just write. Keep the pen (fingers) moving across the page (screen).

Write when you don't feel like it. Don't wait for the muse. Hang in there. Keep going. Don't give up.

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All true. Yes. I agree.

But, you know, sometimes. Sometimes, a writer needs a break. Or needs a little down time.

Or maybe I"m simply projecting what I need right now. That could be, too.

Yet, I do think it's also true that writers need some time to get away. To do the thing which restores you and, while I could list activities or escapes, I also know there is not a one-size-fits-all writer's getaway. For me, a trip to the beach works wonders. One where I can walk on the sand, getting my feet wet and sandy and cold (the Pacific Ocean is not warm, for those who live in places with blue warm water), feeling the layers of warm and cold air blowing over the ocean. Or sometimes a swim gets me into a zone where thoughts flow and energy surges. Or a week in a cabin in a forest near a stream and away from the highway sounds heavenly right now.

Today I'm telling you that writers need to pause. Once in a while. Keep your good habits. Look at the ones which aren't working. Write regularly.

And stop.

Notice what you're feeling. Try dancing it out. Or painting, drawing, chalk, or charcoal. Make up a song and sing it out loud.

And stop.

Be quiet a little longer than is comfortable.

Breathe.

Relax.

Today a friend sent me this video. I saw it once before but it had completely slipped from my mind. In mid-August, this is kind of how I'm feeling. And maybe, sometimes, as writers, we need to just sit back and say, ah. Okay; let go for a little bit.

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Radical Writing Advice: Not So

Today's topic is not so radical. Hence the title. Brilliant, right?

Okay. So I'm not feeling too brilliant and certainly not radical at this moment in time.

Recently there has been a discussion in a an online writing group about feeling like the writing is without meaning and how to get through or past that. Feeling stuck. I'm not sure if this has been mentioned, since I got behind in reading the responses, but I don't think the originator meant "writer's block." That's not what it's sounding like and that's not the place I'm in now.

Again. I wouldn't say that I feel my writing has no meaning, but I am in a place of wondering where I'm going. Where I want to to go, my path, the composition of the pathway. I don't necessarily need to know exactly what's at the other end - but I would like a bit of direction.

And then I started reading two of Steven Pressfield's books: "The War of Art" and, just recently started, "Turning Pro." I'm enjoying reading them. And right here and now I will admit that "Turning Pro" felt challenging just reading the back cover. So I started thinking, in addition to "where's the road?," about what I would be willing to lose to "be a writer."

I really like Pressfield's quote about needing to be willing to lose your friends and family and relationships and house (or whatever his exact words were) in order to achieve your dream. I like what he says and the concepts behind it. And I'm not willing, three years from having it paid off, to lose my house. I'm not willing, on the cusp of my 30-year relationship, to lose my relationship. So the next thoughts were: Am I really a writer, then, if I'm not willing to lose everything to achieve that dream?

Wait! I am a writer. I may not be making my living solely from my writing, but I am a writer.

Maybe the question is more of a "what will it look like when I arrive at my creative dream?" because it still probably won't be just writing. I do more than write.

But they're good questions Pressfield's writing is bring up, even if I can't go "exit, stage left," in the words of Snagglepuss, into the woods for a few months to just write. That doesn't mean I can't have a dream and work towards it.

And how did I wander down this path? Oh, right. I was talking about not feeling brilliant and not feeling radical. Althought maybe a little rebellious in response to Pressfield's requirements for success as a creative. I have a feeling I will be revisiting this issue in a future post.

So. I was thinking about not feeling brilliant or important or radical. And that we still have to keep writing. When we think we suck. When the muse isn't around, if we even have one. When we're tired or feeling out of sorts. Or when we just discovered that we can't drink caffeinated coffee any more and decaf just doesn't taste the same and green tea ... oh, that's me. Never mind, I'm not going wandering down another path.

But what I've been thinking about is this Nike-esque "Just Do It" mentality. And it's true. There is also the 12 Step or therapist saying, "Fake It Until You Make It" which goes along with the theories about how many days it days to instill a new habit. Like doing something for 21 days will etch it into your neural pathways so you'll keep doing it; some studies say 30 days.

I know, you've heard all this before. If you're a writer and you ever struggle with writer's block or the creativity wall (or well of darkness), you've heard all kinds of things about hanging in there, getting through, push through it, wait it out, and so on. But I think the simplest thing is, tada, write. Write the crap. Write about your dream or that you didn't dream or that you were hot and couldn't sleep or about the yummy lemon ginger tea you smelled on the bus the other day or whatever. Keep the words coming out, whether that's a pen/pencil moving across paper or fingers on a keyboard or the vocal cords for a speech-to-text software. Keep the words going.

Simple. Right? I know.

It's true. And I do know it's not simple sometimes. But just write. Okay? Don't fuss and fume about it being crap or worthless.

As an example, I'll toss out Richard Foreman. I know some of you have never heard of him. I admire and respect his work. And he just writes. Every day (or most days). And those daily generated writings are available online. He shares them with others to use as they will; giving credit where credit is due, of course. Locally there has been a Richard Foreman mini-festival, which I hope continues; I'll save details on that for a later post - it deserves its own space.

One thing I love about Richard Foreman's writing is that it is just words put together into thoughts sometimes; sometimes it is fairly coherent dialogue, at least for a while. Connections aren't always there - just the words, sentences, some paragraphs, dialogue. He writes. And from that spring plays and a theater, and other people take pieces and create other theatrical works. I'm curious in all the ways his work has been used; I'm guessing it's not all theatrical or performance, but I have no proof.

So. To get through. Just write.

And as an example, here is a tiny snippet from one of Richard Foreman's "Notebooks." I'm going to click on one at random and copy a few pieces from it. This came out of the "Deep Stories" notebook :

This is the story of a man
who said meaningful things--
in the presence of other people who claimed the things he said were not
in fact
meaningful.


Were these things said in friendship?

Right. Youíre right to be frightened

I didnít say I was frightened


But you are, I can sense it


Do I look frightened?


Now that the subjcts been raised, itís hard not to be aware of a certain, veneer of fear, underlying the most ordinary things


Perhaps this is one of my stories


I would say itís not a story, itís a simple hypothosis.


I would say thatís a story.. A very meaningful story. The story of your elusive fear, which may well be justified. The story of the meaningfulness of everything I present for your consideration..


Wouldnít you agree that itís meanimgful for me to say that-- if I am not in fact your friend-- this fact, could in fact, be for you a source of energy.
({Pause)
Yes, if thereís hostility betwene people, people are energized as a result.


There have to be better ways.


Ah, thinking about better ways-- thatís potentially meaningful. But it is also potentially meaningful to reralize that all energy is perhaps the result of hostility on some level, between people, and that energy is not necessarily desirable because it only seems desirable in the context of a world in which every possible relationship is colored by a certain degree of hostility.


I choose not to entertain that vision of the world.


You entertain a vision of the world?


Perhaps


Describe it.

I donít have words to describe it. Sorry if that makes it less meaningful

Oh no. That makles it more meaningful-- donít operate under the delusion that decription equals meaningfulness. No-- description is as best the corelation of a fact and a particulAr sub-system, and sub-systems are mere conveniences, buffers against the truth.


Which is?


(Pause)

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Radical Writing Advice : Cheryl Strayed Video

* Radical Writing Advice will return next week.

In the meantime, here is a TEDx video of Cheryl Strayed, talking about "Radical Sincerity."

Enjoy!

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Radical Writing Advice: Follow your Urinetown Idea

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If you're not a theater buff, you may be thinking, "What the heck is she talking about now?!?"; or  maybe , "WTF, Dot?!?"

"Urinetown? Excuse me. But what?"

But whether you know what "Urinetown" is or not, don't worry, you know I'll tell you what I mean.

See, "Urinetown" was someone's "huh?" idea. I mean, accept it. A play with 'urine' in its title? Let alone as its title?! A play about urine? It's true. I'm not making this up. It has been a very popular play, it ran on Broadway, it is now being done in theaters around the country; around the world.

From The Broadway Musical website, here is the synopsis of the play:

In an attempt to regulate water consumption, Urinetown has outlawed the use of private toilets. The citizenry must use public, pay-per-use amenities owned and operated by Urine Good Company, a malevolent corporation run by the corrupt Caldwell B. Cladwell.

See? I told you. A play about peeing.

"Get to your point, Dot." I can hear you. And that's okay.

My point is that this was someone's "bad idea." Well, obviously not a "bad" idea; but an idea people may have scoffed at or doubted or thought ridiculous. People were perhaps reacting much as some of you may be reacting. Incredulous that anyone would even think of it, let alone actually do it.

But they did. They wrote the script. They were able to get it on the stage and even on a Broadway stage.

So this week's advice is to look at all of your ideas. Don't judge them; look at them. Write them on a piece of paper or type them up in an electronic document or an Excel spreadsheet. The what or how isn't important. What is important is writing out your uncensored ideas.

See, sometimes these little germs of ideas aren't germs at all. They are gems. (Okay, go ahead and groan. I didn't plan that; it leaked out as I was typing this up and I thought about deleting it. Then I realized, as corny as it is and that I would certainly groan if I read this written by someone else, it is a little ge(r)m.)

And these little germs can be sensitive. If we squash them too quickly they may disappear. And we will never know what gems they could've become through our alchemical process with words and editing and sharing. We may lose our own "Urinetown" idea.

Start yourself a file and give it a title which works for you. It may be a file with 3x5 notecards, an electronic file, a manilla envelope. Whatever helps you keep it light and keep it real. Call them snippets, or germs/gems, or flutters, or talking frogs, or drooling clowns. Then periodically go through them. One of my "catchers" is a special folder in one of my email accounts. I have a certain thing I put in the subject line and the email with whatever it contains is filtered to that file. So I send myself "notes" because I tended to lose the paper ones or they would get buried in journals.

What is your Urinetown idea?

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P.S.

Just for fun:  In my research about Urinetown (I was looking for a "fact" I'd heard but couldn't corraborate), I came across this webpage with "10 Dumb Ideas that Made A Lot of Money;"

I know some of these things may be cherished favorites for some people - but I love this list. Among the items are Pet Rocks, Billy the Big Mouth Bass, Antenna Balls, and Doggles. Check it out. I don't think I'd call them "dumb ideas," but I might call them seemingly silly or ridiculous ideas. Which made someone a lot of money.

Enjoy.

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Radical Writing Advice: Taking a Pass

There are many types of "pass," I realized when I wrote the title for today's post. I mean, we all know that; but I had one of them in mind and as I typed and got a handle on what I was going to say, more "pass" definitions came to mind.

Language is good. It keeps us engaged and alert if we let it. It keeps us looking at more than just the words or symbols for the meaning, if we care, if we dare to go below the surface.

And I dare.

So. My original intention was to write about a "pass" as in: "No, thank you. I'll pass on ___________." Fill in the blank for whatever it is you feel obligated to do, unless you're ready to steep yourself in some heavy guilt or excuse making or having to make up for not doing the Big X if you follow through and "pass."

But as I started to make notes, I started thinking about other meanings of "pass," which may have some opposite connotations, much like the word "sanction."  That word can mean to punish or to reward.

To "take a pass" generally means to do something like "skip a turn" or turn down an offer. But a person can also "pass" as being something other than they are. One specific example I'm thinking of is in the LGBT/Queer community, a person can be said to "pass" as a member of a group even though they're not. Such as back in the 80s, when that community was still primarily called the "Gay Community," there was talk of gay men or lesbians "passing" as straight; or the stone butch women before that time who "passed" as men.

Sometimes to "take a pass" may imply avoiding a bad situation. Or avoiding getting in trouble by revealing something which is not supposed to be shared if someone asks you for information.

It may also mean - and here is where the opposition comes in - to take a turn. Such as asking someone to "take a pass" at repairing something. Which means give it a try and see if you can fix the thing.

Now that I've wandered down that side path, I'll come back to my original intent, which was to "take a pass" and let a deadline roll by without a submission.

Yes. I'm saying that sometimes we writers might find it useful to let a deadline slip by.

I want to be clear that I am not advocating for ignoring deadlines. And if you've made a commitment to an editor or a publication and you have a story or a poem or an article due, yes, do it. Your reputation and perhaps your livelihood could be affected if you just blow off a commitment. Although if you have an emergency situation ... well, you know what I mean. I don't want to wander down yet another side path. (Though I could, quite easily, I think.)

My point is that sometimes it is in our best interest to not put the pressure on ourselves and let something slide if there are not significant repurcussions. Especially if there is another opportunity.

One example is from the online writing group I'm in, the Wayward Writers in Ariel Gore's Literary Kitchen. Week before last I let the due date go by without submitting a writing for that week. I'd taken notes and worked on a story. And there were some intense and time-intensive things going on that week. To complete the story and get it in on time would have meant cutting back on sleep and not getting something else done and would have increased my stress level. So I let the story deadline for that week go by. Unattended by me.

Another example is that many publications, especially the well-established ones, have multiple submission deadlines. Often they repeat. If you miss it this time around, it will cycle back. There are exceptions of course, like zines with themes - that theme may not surface for a while, or The Sun's "Readers Write" which also has changing themes. But even those publications often accept general work. So, unless your piece of writing is for a specific theme, if you are feeling pressured and stressed to meet another deadline, maybe you can take a pass, as in letting it go.

I've done that with some general submissions. Places I want to submit but the deadline fell at a particularly hectic time or there were other timely conflicts. When I gave myself permission to let a deadline pass - such as a famous, well-established publications "short story contest" month, and they have that twice a year - it relieved the pressure. Yes, I missed that month's, but it will come back again. And it did.

So this week's advice, if you're struggling with feeling overwhelmed and stressed, is to look where you might be able to let a deadline go. Take that pass *for now* and swap it for the next opportunity.

Of course you are the only one who can make the determination if taking a pass will be less stressful or not. But sometimes it can feel good to know that you are in charge of your own deadlines. I believe in deadlines and they help me; sometimes more than I like to admit. But, like me, you may also find that sometimes not meeting that deadline really is okay and you can submit the story the next go 'round.

Try it. See if there is one thing on your list which can wait until later. Unless you have plenty of time and everything is perfectly balanced and you have no stress. Which could be true. Just one thing. Like the sales on computers (laptops, specifically) I've been tracking recently, the best new hot awesome "inventory sale" gave way to the "spring break specials" which gave way to the "mother's day sale" then the "grad sale" and the "dad's sale" - oh, I forgot the "Memorial Day Sale" - and the "Fourth of July Sale" and then the "New Release Sale" and now the "early back to school sale."

You get my point.

Except in the case of themes or special events, timely events, many things come back around. Sometimes it is in our best interest to "take a pass" on the current deadline and wait for the next. And, just maybe, sometimes it's in our story's best interest to let it age and take another look, as well.

Maybe.

Or you can look at it as "taking a pass" and letting the deadline go by, or "taking a pass at it" and giving it a try.

See which is most true for you and take a pass, your way.
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Radical Writing Advice: Perspective

Perspective. POV. First person, second person, third person, omnipotent. As a writer, you've surely at least heard these mentioned. You may or may not remember what they are. Perhaps your time in school was long enough ago that you've integrated the information but the labels fell off long ago. You may use some of them or a combination. Or you may just write and see what happens.

Perspective goes beyond who is speaking. I mean, obviously, who is speaking is important unless you are inentionally obfuscating the narrator. But even then, perspective is used with intent.

Before I write more, I want to share a video I found, which led to this week's topic.

As you know, last week I talked about dialogue. About being in the world around you for authentic conversation in your writing. When I was preparing that writing, I had mentioned sushi-go-round, more accurately called kaiten sushi. I wanted a picture and was surfing my photos and online.And, surprise - but not really if I'd thought about it - I found videos of kaiten sushi bars.

One of those videos caught my attention and I was going to include it last week as a postscript to my piece. Then I realized, it was a perfect companion to this topic of perspective.

So, before I delve into this any further, watch this video. It's a little long for some of you, I know. So feel free to watch a part of it, although if you stop early, you will miss the trip through the kitchen.

Perspective. From the point of view of the belt at the sushi go round. Thank you, MJRecession, whoever and wherever you are. After the video, I will continue with this week's topic.




How much did you make it through of the nearly 8 minutes? Did you see the kitchen? The reaction of the diners as it emerged on the belt from the kitchen?

Perspective!

I'm a fan of sushi. Regular sushi where you order off a menu and the kaiten or conveyor belt style. I find the sushi-go-rounds entertaining and relaxing and it's good for those "I can't make up my mind" times. I also enjoy the opportunity for overheard conversations and interactions - or lack of - of the people around me, sometimes nearly on top of me. And I've never thought about things from the point of view of a plate on the belt.

It can be challenging to write from a perspective we've never experienced, or perhaps one that is in direct conflict to our own. What do we do to quiet our voice, our bias, or preferences? How do we get to the point of the other if a character appears who is unlike us?

This is not an impossible task, but it can be a challenge. What we risk when we write from a perspective which isn't us or which we have no direct experience of is having our characters become cariacatures, stiff, cliche. But no, I'm not saying that we should try to experience everything or to stick only to topics we've experienced firsthand.

I am saying that we need to open up our experience of perspectives and to be aware of perspective when we write. Opening up perspective experiences may include something like this video. What does it look like from the sushi belt? Doesn't a sushi chef in a kaiten restaurant have a similar perspective to that? Write a story of a sushi chef who works in the front, with his creations going around and around, as he monitors what is popular and what they need more of, if something is staying there too long. What about the customers who don't see what they want and order off the sushi chart? Who want the orange spicy sauce? The low salt soy sauce or the teriyaki sauce? What does the sushi chef see?

What are some other perspectives you could try? Just for something new? How about lying on the sidewalk (or near it) of a popular running and walking track, perhaps near a lake or a river? What is the perspective from the ground up as people jog by, or pass on bicycles, the strolling walkers and the practicing race walking groups? You've probably sat on a bench or a fence or in a picnic chair as walkers and runners go by, but take it one layer lower. Or go sit outside a restaurant with big glass windows and watch the people inside. What do people do when they notice you noticing them? What do you notice about the flow of traffic; perhaps how do the customers travel through the space as compared to the people who work there? Can you tell who's worked there a long time from the newbies by their behavior?

Very important in this proces of learning about other perspectives is to talk to people. Talk to the people who are doing what your characters are doing. Open your mind and meet them with honest curiosity about their experience. Talk to them. Ask some questions and then listen. What do they want to tell you? What is important to them about this thing or this place or where they've come from?

A few months ago I took an online writing workshop with Inga Muscio and she had one assignment which relates to the idea of perspective, as well as other things good for writing. Her assignment was to go to a place where you normally don't go and interact. Talking to people who are unlike us or more like our characters will be beneficial to our stories. There are limits, of course. If you're writing a horror story you probably don't want to meet with an unstable serial killer; no. But if your serial killer grew up in a small house by the railroad tracks in a very small town, you might at least find a small town to visit. Meet some people.

For example, my grandmother taught in a one-room school house which was in the high desert, along the highway. Her trailer was next to the school house and the main part of town was a gas station-library-diner-post office-grocery store across the street. There was a small compound of a few houses a couple miles up the road for state highway workers, and a couple of houses near the multipurpose building across the road. But most of the people lived on ranches and farms miles away in both directions, in the hills. That is probably the smallest place I've ever visited and I'm sure it's grown at least a little by now.

So even in that itsy bitsy town, there is a social gathering place. You could stop for some gas, sit down for a piece of pie and a cup of coffee and probably meet at least two or three people. Talk to them. Get a sense of their stories.

Perspective. Like the difference between a road leading to the horizon in a painting or the cat which looks like it's sitting on the table leg with the blue pitcher floating above the table, the story changes with skill and with authentic knowledge of the origin.

Perspective is a tool we can use as writers to reveal parts of the story and obscure other information until we want the readers to know. But poorly written perspective has that cat levitating the pitcher and the floor in the room crawling up the wall. Spend a little time out in the world.

Or borrow other's research when you can. Like the sushi video. There are characters for stories in there. People's reactions - those who notice, those who don't, those who are excited or giggling and those who look embarassed or confused.

Step out of yourself and into the world. Into others' worlds at times.

Well written perspective helps hold the reader in the space and time of your story.

And there is nothing wrong with writing about a cat levitating a blue pitcher. Just make sure that is what you intended. You might even want to try lying on the floor with a blue pitcher above you and see if you can levitate it yourself. Get down there and see what the cat sees, feel what it's like.
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Radical Writing Advice: Dialogue

I'm sure someone told you at some point in your life to "stop staring; it's not polite." At least if you were raised in the USA. I can't speak for all cultures and ethnicities, of course, but I do know that in American society, it is considered rude to stare at another person.

photo from iprefercake

Looking at someone can be used with intent, however.

For example, at the restaurant, when your coffee cup is empty and nearly dry and the wait staff have passed your table by three times with the coffee pot? It's time to stare. Not meanly, but with intent. Look at them like you mean it and like if that person doesn't come fill your cup soon you are going to turn into a raving caffeine starved loud mouth, ahem, upset customer. Try to catch the staff's eye gaze. They'll get it. Or if there's this person you're interested in meeting, in possibly getting to know better, over time, maybe? Staring might be a little over the top, but you do want to look in that person's direction, friendly-like, let them know that you know they look interesting and you just might float each other's boats if they're willing to give you a try.

And the same thing goes for overheard conversations. Again, in America, we're told from when we're young to not be listening in on other people's conversations, that it isn't our business and we shouldn't go sticking our nose - or our ears - in it.

However, eavesdropping on conversations is exactly what we as writers should do.

I've heard some people say to use the television or radio (does anyone actually just listen to the radio anymore, unless they're driving or stuck without their MP3 player/iPod/nano-with-every-song-ever-recorded library?). Which is okay. If you want your characters to sound like the characters on the program, rather than a real live person on the street or in the cafe or at the mall.

Personally, I like my characters to breath and walk and sound like who they are. If I use other writers' ideas of how the bowling alley shoe clerk talks in my writing, then my dialogue risks sounding like a B-movie spinoff. And that DIY spinoff character of what will someday be a cult film is okay if that's what you're looking for in your piece.

If I don't want my protagonists to all sound like other people's characters, I need to listen to characters. The characters all around me. Because I also don't want all of my characters to sound like me.

Eavesdrop. That thing you've been told you're not supposed to do. But we do it anyway and, many of us at least, have some guilt about it. As writers, this is our field. Our research. Our beta testing ground.

No, scratch that. It's probably best to not try to introduce anything into the conversation or try to influence what is happening. Unless you're writing a story about someone who jumps into other people's conversations or someone whose plans are repeatedly interrupted by interlopers. Then you might test out interruption reactions, but I don't recommend it. Find another way; if you want to try it, anyway, drop me a note and let me know how that worked out for you.

The goal is to listen. I've found it useful to listen more than I talk; at least most of the time. And, I know, that is not an original statement or idea. But it's true. I usually learn so much more by just listening - whether that is in overheard conversations or in one-on-one conversations. If I talk and talk and talk, then the other person says less and I get to listen to myself all the time. Isn't it better to listen to the person I'm with at least half the time? I listen to my chatter enough, thank you.

photo from the Essential Japan Guide

Use your discretion, of course, when listening to conversations. Although, if there is an intimate disagreement happening at the two seats right next to you at the kaiten sushi bar, you can't help but hear it. What are their voices doing? What are the words they use? Do their voices change as the conversation heats up or cools down or as agreement is reached?  Do they start to "punch" their words and enunciate more clearly? Or do they trail off and mumble?

Make mental notes and physical notes if you can. If you're a tech geek or an experienced user of your mobile device, send yourself notes via text or email. At the notetaking stage, don't worry about the exact wording of how you'd describe it in a story. Make it shorthand or make it a sketch or whatever will help you remember the sound, the words, the feeling you have as you listen.

How do you know that couple in Starbucks just met and are considering starting to date? What is it you hear which gives you clues? What are the words and what goes beyond the words? Are there any movements that go with the words? Perhaps which contradict the words?

Restaurants and cafes are obvious places to go.

But you might also try a courthouse. Most trials are open to the public and anyone can sit in - at least in most places I know of. If you want to try this one, I suggest double-checking in your area if the laws are the same. Here, most trials are open and it will be posted (or doors locked, with guards standing by) if they aren't.

Go to the laundromat, even if you have a perfectly good washer and dryer set at home.

Try going to a restaurant and a food cart! I'm not sure how much food carts have taken off in other places, but here? We have lots of food carts. Big "cart villages" as someone recently said, and tiny groups of food carts shoved into little vacant spaces between buildings. These carts are bigger than the hot dog and hot nut and pretzel carts in NYC; these are small travel trailers or other similar sized vehicles parked, with food for sale. Look at the diners in both places, listen to the conversations. What is the same? What is different?

Go to the gym or the local community rec center. I've caught some great conversation snippets in the pool, at a popular senior center visit time, with someone holding forth on topics - in the pool, in the hot tub. My only problem with the pool is that I can only use what I can hold in my brain until I can get to a notetaking system of some kind. Somewhere I have a waterproof paper and pen; I should look for those. See if there is a difference in conversation between the pool users and the cardio machine users and the strengthening equipment. And how are the dead-lift users different than the runners or the walkers?

Go. Listen. Watch as you can to pick up accompanying gestures, a tilt of the head, eyebrow raises, widening or narrowing of eyes, and so on. And make notes. Use this to help you build dialogue for your characters which reads as real - because it is.

Stick your ears in someone else's conversation. Politely. Discretely. (And with a little common sense; you know, sometimes "it just ain't right.") But do it. The authenticity of your characters' dialogue will benefit.

Although I will add that you probably don't want to stare while you're listening. It's not polite and it can be a conversation stopper.

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