Radical Writing Advice : What Do You Need to Hear?

*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*

Razor's Edge: Friday 5/4/12

So far today has been another lesson in Trust the Process.

It started out as a very early (for me) day. Only to arrive at the job site and discover that the coordinator had double booked interpreters. There are multiple clients, so I waited for the second arrival time to see if perhaps we'd just been told the wrong clients. Another interpreter showed up for the other group, so one of us had to go.

I left. It was very early, like I said. The hour at which I got up this morning is only slightly past the time I once in a great while go to bed (which is very late, even for me). I had a rehearsal last night so didn't get to bed as early as I should have for getting up so early. But as long as it's once, I knew I'd be okay.

I was frustrated. The other people were frustrated since they've lost paid hours recently from this same mistake. So I did my best to let it go and headed home with the intention of going back to bed. Still frustrated but thinking that more sleep was a good idea.

I even changed back to my pajamas but I wasn't tired. I tried playing a really boring computer game but it didn't help. Then I thought I'd apply a relaxation technique and go to bed.

But I checked my mobile device one more time before going to bed. And there was a message from the person where I was also scheduled, offering to split the shift.

I said yes. And thank you. With the recent medical appointments and the pending crown, I needed the work. And I wasn't yet asleep.

So I changed back to work clothes, drank the coffee I'd put in the refrigerator, and rebuilt the contents of my lunch.

Yes, four hours was better than no hours.

After we switched, the other interpreter sent me a message wondering if one of us was supposed to be working the night shift. We'd both checked our confirmation emails and we were both scheduled for the morning - but perhaps a scheduling error that the coordinator intended to put one of us on at night.

The other interpreter couldn't do the night due to plans. I had a writing and dinner date with a friend, so I couldn't.
 .
Finally, a couple hours later, the coordinator got back to me and said the other interpreter would be relieving me. And I told him, no, she was headed out of town. And I had a meeting.

Just after that, my friend sent me a message that she is sick and couldn't meet me; what about next week.
So here I am, a few hours after I thought I'd be at home, still at work with more time to go.

Call it fate or trust or faith - it doesn't matter. It was another reminder that I don't need to panic when the money gets a little jostled. Something will come along and it will be okay. Notice I didn't say easy; I said okay.

What is your sticking point? The thing that if it happens or doesn't happen will make everything else okay or better or messed up?

Write a list of 8-10 things where you feel like your world changes? Or things you have to have to feel okay/safe/prosperous?

Now write the threat to those things.

And your options for recovery or avoidance?

Tell me a story about a time when....
. .

.

Halfway

Last Saturday the online writing Intensive with Ariel started. Since then I have written nine stories ranging between 900 to 1800 words. I have posted at least one story each day - two last Sunday; and I have an extra story which I didn't end up using of about 1500 words tucked away on my computer. That unused story isn't finished because other stories surfaced which better fit the assignments and the unfinished story was going to be too long for either one.

I just looked at my posts, thinking I'd missed a couple of days and saw that I haven't posted anything since Monday. Now it's Friday. And tomorrow the Intensive will be halfway done.

The middle of this week was Solstice. A time to look ahead to the coming year, to envision hopes and desires as the sun turns and we will begin climbing back to the light. Although this week has been especially mild and unusually sunny for December in Portland. I'm not complaining - just taking note that it has been dryer and more sunny than normal; although I do see on the current forecast that we are into a rainy period starting on Sunday.

So - the Solstice. Rejoice, rebirth, renewal - and visioning.

For me, this was a commitment to live my life from the inside outward. If you haven't been with me on this recent journey that may not make sense. But it's about living my life - not the one imposed on me or to meet the expectations from outside. It's about being present in my life and in my heart and soul and living from there and being in the world, from my experience.

It will include more regular writing, submitting more of my writing, using Ariel's editing and feedback on the memoir to revise it and then getting more feedback and advice and editing until it's ready to sail out into the world. It will include opening up my writing even more - taking risks, not censoring (although I've already made great strides in that), being bold and brave in my writing.

My vision includes more time to be inspired - which may mean staying in my pjs all day or going for a leisurely stroll or going to dinner & a play I'm not interpreting or reading. Or sleeping.

This vision definitely includes some time to be. To simply be or to be simple. Do nothing or whatever happens in the moment.

And to "Trust the Process."

Friend Rooze took a great picture not too long ago: a medium blue background with those words in white. She posted it on Facebook for her BFA Goddard cohort and there was some specific significance for them. I wasn't a part of that cohort but I know and need those words. Those are words for my creativity, my writing - my life right now. Trust the Process. I don't know where that picture was taken and it doesn't matter. But I do know that I downloaded that picture and it's my current laptop wallpaper - tiled: the picture fits on my  screen basically four times. Repetition can be a good thing.

Half way through the Intensive, half a week from the Solstice (I know it's Christmas Eve, too). And there was another "half" I was going to mention but I've forgotten. And I'll take that as a cue to go to bed.

.

water, water, everywhere

The story of my first whitewater kayaking trip definitely deserves a little more space and thought than I have time to write now. So just a teaser of what's to come *smile.

Lost: my new kayak, fear of falling in (well, not totally), maybe my pretty new digital camera, my self-image of being a non-risk taker (okay, so there are shreds of that left, but definitely shreds), all thoughts of going kayaking alone (except maybe in a still water pond or lake - maybe).

Found: a bond between the group of people with me, trusting what felt like my life to the experience of another person, physical awareness and joy, and more.

It was a good day with several events, not all including dumps in the water.