First Line

A Writing Log

2012-01-27T09:50:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I wonder what I am doing on my writing dates. I know that I am spending a good chunk of time at my desk, but it doesn't feel like any work is getting done. To stop myself from just sitting there, staring out the window and calling it 'writing' I keep a writing log. After every writing session I jot down what I worked on and how much got written. This way I can't cheat. And it makes me much more productive when I know someone is looking over my shoulder - even if that someone is only me.

Week #169

2012-01-25T07:29:00.000-05:00

The stars had never looked so close.

Dialogue Exercise

2012-01-23T21:08:00.002-05:00

Use this line of dialogue in a short story. It can be the first line, the last line or any line in between!

"It was easy."

Show Up

2012-01-20T10:13:00.000-05:00

I am often asked where I get my inspiration from and I never have a proper answer. I still don't, so don't get your hopes up that I am about to give away some heavily guarded writer's secret. I suppose I find inspiration everywhere. There is a quote I like (though I can't remember who said it) and I've probably used it on the blog before, but it goes: "All art is inspired by either nature or other art."

I agree with that. So I think that is a good place to start. If you want to be inspired take a walk outside or go to an art gallery or to the symphony or read something great. Those things work for me.

But don't wait to be inspired before you sit down to write. That's really what I wanted to say to you today. If you make a commitment to write once a day, or twice a week or whatever - do it. If you have made a writing date with yourself, keep it. Because what I have consistently found over the twenty plus years that I have been writing is this: when I show up consistently and faithfully so does the muse. Really. And words and stories and books get written that way.

No one hates to be stood up as much as the muse. Trust me. Show up for her. Show up for your writing. Show up for you.

That Calls for a Celebration

2012-01-19T20:40:00.000-05:00

Geez, I just noticed that yesterday's post was the 500th one for this little blog. I have been rambling on for over 3 years now. Thanks to everyone who stops by. You are all delightful. Feel free to break out the champagne on my behalf now!

Week #168

2012-01-18T07:15:00.000-05:00

When Aunt Velma was sixty-eight years old she announced, one Sunday over a roast beef dinner, that she intended to learn how to ride a unicycle.

Quote

2012-01-16T09:39:00.000-05:00

"We have an innate desire to endlessly learn, grow and develop. We want to become more than what we already are. Once we yield to this inclination for continuous and never-ending improvement, we lead a life of endless accomplishments and satisfaction."

~ Chuck Gallozzi

Good News

2012-01-14T21:49:00.000-05:00

I am thrilled to report that I contributed to an article in the February issue of the awesome magazine (and essential reading for all writers) The Writer. The issue is on newsstands now. The article is called, "40 Prompts to Get You Writing." There are oodles of inspiring ideas in it.

Check out the issue here.

Random Exercise

2012-01-13T08:12:00.000-05:00

Use these three words in a short story:

sofa, capture, ring.

Week #167

2012-01-11T09:01:00.000-05:00

The hawk reminded me of my boss.

Quote

2012-01-08T20:49:00.000-05:00

"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out."

~ Robert Collier

Goals

2012-01-06T10:54:00.000-05:00

Have you set any writing goals for 2012? It is tempting, but vague, to say you want to be a writer. Or to declare that you want to write more. One reason that people don't reach their goals is that they are not clear enough on what they actually want.

So give some thought to:

- what sort of writing would you like to do
- what projects would you like to start or finish
- decide how much writing would you like to do by this time next year
- decide how often you would like to write each week and for how long

Just as you would not set out on a trip without a map, plot a course for your writing. Aim yourself in the direction of success!

Week #166

2012-01-04T09:33:00.000-05:00

In these times of economic woe even the cloud factory was in difficulty.

Quote

2012-01-01T21:18:00.000-05:00

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one."

~ Mark Twain

What big goals do you have for yourself and your writing this year? How can you break it down into small steps and get started today?

Week #165

2011-12-28T11:08:00.000-05:00

From my kitchen window I can see the car dealership.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-23T11:30:00.000-05:00

I wanted to wish everyone Happy Holidays and a very happy and creative New Year! I'll be taking a holiday but will be posting a brand new first line (the last one of 2011!) next Wednesday. I'll see you in the New Year!

Random Exercise

2011-12-23T11:17:00.000-05:00

Use these three words in a short story:

package, bell, stumble.

Week #164

2011-12-21T07:55:00.000-05:00

"His name is Buster," Henrietta declared.

'Tis the Season

2011-12-19T16:51:00.000-05:00

This is a busy time of year which means it is easy for your writing practice to fall by the wayside. I know personally that I am happier writing tiny amounts than not writing at all. So I wanted to share a few ways in which I tuck writing into even my busiest days.

1. Lately I have been posting small prose poems on the blog. I like writing that kind of thing all year round because it keeps me aware of the world around me, but I especially love writing them when my days are filled from morning to night. To me they are the writerly equivalent of a few deep breaths.

2. Try keeping a one-sentence journal. At the end of even the busiest day, pause, reflect and try to capture your day in a single sentence.

3. Try writing micro fiction. How small can you go? That's the challenge. Lately I have been trying to write short stories tiny enough to capture on a Post It note.

4. Keep a small notebook or sheet of paper with you at all times. That way when those fleeting ideas come to you in the midst of the holiday madness you can jot them down. After the holidays you'll feel good having those starting points to dive back into your creativity with.

With a bit of determination and some creativity you can still fit writing into even the busiest time of the year!

Theme Exercise

2011-12-16T09:07:00.000-05:00

Write a short story with the theme:

Anticipation

Week # 163

2011-12-14T08:31:00.000-05:00

Tonya turned when she heard her name called, but did not recognize the man waving to her.

Quote

2011-12-12T09:33:00.000-05:00

"Art is a guarantee you are not going to go cuckoo."

~ Louise Bourgeois

What do you think? Does being creative keep you from going cuckoo?

Random Exercise

2011-12-09T09:40:00.000-05:00

What does the word 'portal' mean to you? What images does it conjure up? What mood does it evoke? What possibililites does it present? Write about a portal.

Week #162

2011-12-07T06:50:00.000-05:00

The red envelope was not in the mailbox, but was instead thrust between the branches of the rosebush beside the door.

Random Exercise

2011-12-06T16:37:00.002-05:00

What is your favourite song? Work it into a short story.

2011-12-05T09:07:00.000-05:00

the steady thrum
of rain
wakes the day

Dialogue Exercise

2011-12-02T08:04:00.000-05:00

Use this line of dialogue anywhere in a short story. It can be the first line, the last line or any line in between.

"I'm going to turn the lights out."

Week # 161

2011-11-30T08:09:00.000-05:00

My father was a charming man.

Surf on over...

2011-11-29T08:55:00.000-05:00

At one time or another we have all pondered the questions: what the heck do editors want, anyway? Well, now we can find out. Check out the Six Questions For.. blog where Jim Harrington asks, and discovers, what it is that editors want.

sixquestionsfor.blogspot.com/

2011-11-28T09:26:00.000-05:00

the green moss
glows greener
as the grey day
sinks greyer

Random Exercise

2011-11-25T08:18:00.000-05:00

Think of three things that are purple. Use these three objects in a short story.

Week #160

2011-11-23T08:02:00.000-05:00

Jared suddenly realized his problem was much bigger than he had thought.

2011-11-21T09:48:00.000-05:00

on the windowpane
one small black spider
tiptoeing across the sky

Occupy Imagination

2011-11-18T09:37:00.000-05:00

Lately it has become very popular to occupy a place. So I suggest this weekend we occupy our imaginations. Let's devote some time to our creativity. Let's make a writing date. Let's take our notebooks to a coffee shop, or art gallery, or train station. Let's sit down and occupy our imaginations and see how we can change the world.

If you need a prompt to get you started use these three words in a short story:

doodle, crumb, song.

(And let me know how your own Occupy Imagination went. What did you do?)

Quote

2011-11-17T09:10:00.000-05:00

"I admire anybody who has the guts to write anything at all."

~ E. B. White

Week #159

2011-11-16T09:21:00.000-05:00

It figured that the first thing Marilyn won in her life was a prize she did not even want.

Random Exercise

2011-11-15T08:43:00.000-05:00

If you were walking along today and saw a note on the ground and picked it up to read it - what would it say? Is it handwritten? From a child, or an adult? Does it have spelling mistakes? Is it silly, or heartfelt? Write that note.

2011-11-13T21:03:00.000-05:00

I watched
as the last bird flew south
leaving the sky empty

Theme Exercise

2011-11-11T08:41:00.002-05:00

Write a short story on the theme of:

happiness.

2011-11-10T09:34:00.000-05:00

between sand and snow
the crunch of my footsteps
in fallen leaves

Week #158

2011-11-09T09:26:00.000-05:00

There comes a time when even the most patient person reaches their limit.

Half a Writing Adventure

2011-11-07T09:57:00.000-05:00

This is only half a writing adventure because you are going to stay at home, but you get to open the window! (I know, I know, the thrill factor just went through the roof, didn't it? I felt it, too.)

I want you to open a window and just listen for a few minutes. Try listening without looking so you hear the sounds but do not see the sights. Then try to capture what you heard on a piece of paper. (And don't forget to close the window!)

Quote

2011-11-06T20:28:00.000-05:00

"Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It's about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.(...) Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink.

Drink and be filled up."

~ Stephen King from On Writing

Random Exercise

2011-11-04T09:38:00.000-04:00

Use these three words in a short story:

popcorn, hulu hoop, Tarzan.

Week #157

2011-11-02T09:50:00.000-04:00

I watched the man and woman across the restaurant unable to decide if they were on a bad first date or at the end of an unhappy marriage.

2011-10-30T21:23:00.000-04:00

the frost-stiffened grass
glows white
in the autumn dawn

Something You May Want to Try

2011-10-28T21:23:00.000-04:00

The next time you are reading a short story (or novel) you might want to try pausing when you are almost finished to guess how it will end. I like to pause when I am about three-quarters of the way finished. This sort of exercise can teach you a lot about plot - in a fun way!

Week #156

2011-10-26T09:42:00.000-04:00

When Jim came down the stairs he saw that the boy had the cat trapped in a corner.

Quote

2011-10-24T09:39:00.001-04:00

"Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary."

~ Sir Cecil Beaton

Random Exercise

2011-10-21T15:49:00.000-04:00

Write a short story that includes these three items:
tambourine, gold cigarette case, a pair of binoculars.

Week #155

2011-10-19T07:16:00.000-04:00

Lucy had never written a fan letter before.

Musings from the Desk

2011-10-18T21:01:00.000-04:00

On the weekend I was at a one of those giant used book sales that are absolutely irresistible. It was at the University of Toronto. As I was browsing the Canadian literature table I came across a copy of my novel, The Last River Child. It was a bit disconcerting to see my own discarded novel while searching for cheap treasures. I snuck a peek inside to see if it was signed (it wasn't) and then peeked at what it was priced at ($3). I hope someone took a three dollar gamble and loves it.

Quote

2011-10-16T21:02:00.000-04:00

"Believe you can and you're halfway there."

~Theodore Roosevelt

Dialogue Exercise

2011-10-14T07:07:00.000-04:00

Use this line of dialogue in a short story. It can be the first line, the last line or any line in between!

"Hell will freeze over before I do that!"

Week #154

2011-10-12T06:54:00.000-04:00

Charles looked around but there was no where to sit down.

Random Exercise

2011-10-11T09:30:00.000-04:00

Write about an adventure. It can be a real adventure you had or a fictional adventure. But give some thought to what you consider to be "adventurous."

Author Interview: Lisa De Nikolits

2011-10-07T06:55:00.000-04:00

West of Wawa is a cross-Canada roadtrip adventure, narrated with wry humour and filled with a cast of engaging characters. A tale of sexual adventure, narcotics, redemption and triumph.
First Line (FL): West of Wawa is your second novel. How did the writing process differ from the first book?

Lisa De Nikolits (LDN): The main difference is the amount and nature of the research that I did for my first novel, The Hungry Mirror. I read up on as many statistics and facts that I could find because I really wanted to inform the reader about the factual side of eating disorders and I worked hard to weave this information into the fabric of the fictionalized world of the novel.

I also quoted from a number of sources, so there were permissions involved – and I had to ensure that quotes I used were approved by the writers.

And now, while West of Wawa has a fair number of facts too, with regards to the buses and distances that Benny (the protagonist) travels, the rest is a complete work of fiction. I researched Benny’s route in the most pleasurable way by actually doing the journey and making careful notes at the time of the scenery. I wasn’t planning on writing a book but I always keep a travel journal and I’m very glad I did.

FL: What is your favourite word?

LDN: An interesting question! If you were to look at West of Wawa prior to editing, you’d be inclined to say that my favourite words, (albeit unconsciously) were, ‘looked’, ‘little’, ‘happily’ and ‘cosy’. They’re actually not my favourite words at all and once I spotted this weak-word trend, I weeded them out vigorously!

My favourite word is ‘serene’. I have loved it ever since I first read it in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – I was so moved by this opening paragraph and I’ve always thought it’s one of the best openers:

“Serene was a word you could put to Brooklyn, New York. Especially in the summer of 1912. Somber, as a word, was better. But it did not apply to Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Prairie was lovely and Shenandoah had a beautiful sound, but you couldn’t fit those words into Brookly. Serene was the only word for it; especially on a Saturday afternoon in summer.”

After reading that, how could serene be anything but one’s favourite word? There isn’t too much call for the word these days but I found the perfect place for it in West of Wawa:

The ruined and the destroyed had always held a fascination for her,even before the devastation of her own world. She liked to stand among the decay and pick through the aftermath of vanished lives, searching for clues to uncover what had made it all go wrong. And finding the perfect images to capture her imaginings, well, those were moments when she felt close to serene.

FL: What was the best advice you received as a writer?

LDN: That there are times when a piece of writing cannot be salvaged. I really struggled with this because I thought that every bit of writing deserves its moment in the sun. But a lot of times that isn’t the case, and you just have to be able to ditch it. Once I get over the initial hurdle of saying goodbye, I have a great time with the new stuff and it’s always better than it was.

FL: What book do you think every writer should read?

LDN: A Feast of Snakes by Harry Crews. I found it powerful, amusing, tragic, succinct, violent, incredibly bizarre and equally inspiring.

FL: If you weren’t a writer, what would you want to be?

LDN: Funny, I don’t really think of myself as a writer! I hadn’t really realized that until you asked that question. I see myself more as a lover of words who is currently enjoying the privilege of writing. And I think if I ever couldn’t write, then I would just accept that and do other things, like try to take better photographs or knit more or find some other creative outlet. But as long as the words befriend me, I say thank you!

FL: Describe your work habits. When do you write? Where?

LDN: I try to write daily. I always keep a notebook on hand in case I’m not near a computer. If I go for a walk, then I use that time to bond with my characters, I imagine they’re with me and I’m chatting to them, getting to know them. Or I try to imagine what they’ll do next. I write most of the weekend – if I wake up early like at 6 am on a Saturday, then I get up and write. Sometimes in a day, if I haven’t written, I find myself becoming agitated, even feeling distressed. Sometimes at the end of a long working day when I’m tired and it seems like an effort to write, I say to myself, “just ten minutes, just ten minutes.” And sometimes it does just end up being ten minutes but that’s okay, that way I don’t lose the thread of writing, the rhythm.

I write everywhere! I move around at home, from the bedroom, to the sun room, living room, back deck, my study, back to the bedroom! It depends on the time of year, my mood and where my cat feels like hanging out – she loves the sun room so I sometimes write there just for her.

I carry printouts of my writing with me so that I can edit them on the subway or if I’m in a coffee shop. When I’m working on a piece, I like it to be close to me in a physical sense. I believe that words read out loud or read from a sheet of paper, have a very different tone and message to words read off a computer screen and I juggle back and forth between them, testing the words as it were.

FL: What inspires you?

LDN: Pretty much everything inspires me. Crowds inspire me, solitary people inspire me, news headlines, snippets of conversations, picking up scraps of paper, imagining what’s going on behind the scenes of other people’s lives, imagining their motivations, their envy, their anger and disappointments. How people dress also inspires me, how we’re all so different and yet we try so hard to look the same, while also fighting to display our own uniqueness.

Life seems to be a constant battle, we’re constantly in a state of discontent, imagining how much better our life would be if this or if that happened… I let my mind wander and I imagine the consequences of the various ‘ifs’. I think the state of our human discontent is what makes life fascinating – our seeking, finding and then abandoning that which we thought we so badly wanted, and setting new goals. Danger, greed, lust, envy and love – studying the nuts and bolts of those emotions never fails to inspire me and it’s the promise of salvation (or the potential damnation of the individual) that makes it interesting.

And I must add that good writing inspires me, I love to read beautiful prose and study it like one would a painting. I am always looking for ways to improve my writing and I also get inspired by workshops and conferences with other writers. You pick up tiny nuggets that make the world of difference.

FL: If you could have dinner with any writer, living or dead, who would it be? Why?

LDN: John Steinbeck. Because I can’t help but think it would a melodious and beautiful experience. And if not him, then Mordecai Richler. Or Miriam Toews.

FL: Do you have any other creative talents? Do you paint? Play a musical instrument?

LDN: I play the classical guitar with a fair amount of dedication – I try to practice every day and I take lessons weekly. I don’t paint or draw but I do knit – a sort of freeform wild knitting based primarily on the yarn I fall in love with. I knit blankets that my father has dubbed ‘the world’s longest scarves’. I also art direct as my day job, so I guess you could say that creativity surrounds me – I also love to photograph, I love infrared and so when I can, I do a lot of that also.

FL: What are you working on now?

LDN: I’m working on a number of projects; I’ve written the first 40,000 words of a new novel called, Between The Cracks She Fell and my goal is to finish that before year end. I am also polishing a collection of short stories and I’m hoping to find a home for my murder mystery entitled, The Corner of the Desert which is about a group of tourists who travel to Namibia and learn about witchcraft, the origins of Nazi theory and practice and how the Bushmen were affected by that. The travelers also start to plot and plan against one another with murderous intent. I wanted the read to be gripping and enjoyable on a fictional level while also being informative about the Bushmen and their traditions.

Thanks Lisa! To learn more about Lisa De Nikolits and her work, visit her website.

To view the trailor for West of Wawa, click here.

Quote

2011-10-06T07:58:00.000-04:00

"Memorize and follow this never-fail recipe: get started. Don't quit." ~ Barbara Winter

Week #153

2011-10-05T07:04:00.000-04:00

Molly stared at the television screen, too dumbstuck to even yell to Harold to come and see.

Random Exercise

2011-10-03T07:46:00.000-04:00

For this entire week I challenge you to pick a time during the day (10:00am, for example) to look at the sky and write a description of what you see. It doesn't have to be lengthy, it can just be a sentence or two. I want you to notice how the sky changes, to see some of its endless variations. Don't just accept that the sky is blue. Have a look. Is it?

Free Workshop with Me this Saturday!

2011-09-29T20:07:00.000-04:00

Fast Fiction Workshop

In collaboration with Culture Days and the Neighbourhood Arts Network, Toronto Public Library hosts over 80 Toronto-based artists and arts organizations in a celebration of arts and culture at library branches throughout the city of Toronto. Lori Ann Bloomfield presents Fast Fiction Workshop! at Deer Park Library.

In this sixty minute workshop each participant will create a rough draft for a short story using writing prompts and timed writing exercises. Students will learn how to overcome creative blocks and generate ideas quickly. Through several short exercises, participants will produce a theme, a setting, characters, a conflict and write key scenes. By the end of the workshop everyone will have a rough draft of a short story to take home and continue to work on. All this, in just sixty fun, creative minutes!

Date & Time:

Saturday, October 1, 2011 — 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

Location

Deer Park Library, 40 St. Clair Ave. E. Toronto

Week #152

2011-09-28T07:03:00.000-04:00

Martin had never been good at math.

Quote

2011-09-26T16:29:00.000-04:00

"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."

~ Michelangelo

(Think about that a bit. How can you adjust your aim and reach a bit higher in your creative pursuits?)

Interview: Sage Cohen

2011-09-23T07:05:00.000-04:00

Sage Cohen is the author of two nonfiction books, The Productive Writer (reviewed on this blog yesterday, click here to read) and Writing the Life Poetic, as well as the poetry collection, Like the Heart, the World. She also writes the popular blog, The Path of Possibilities. She is one of my favourite writers and I am so happy she has stopped by to chat. Welcome Sage!

First Line (FL): Sage, I loved The Productive Writer. You are obviously a very organized writer. As I was reading it I couldn’t help but wonder if your organizational skills extend to other areas of your life, as well. Tell me the truth, does your house look like an Ikea showroom?

Sage Cohen (SC): I'm thrilled that you love The Productive Writer! Thanks for taking the time to read it and talk to me about it!

The truth: My house looks like an Ikea showroom collided with a preschool in a high-speed chase. My office, however, is a space that I still have some control over. It's my sanctuary, and I try to keep it as beautiful and orderly as I'd like my client work and creative writing practice to be.

The other truth: I know how to be an organized writer; which doesn't always translate to actually being an organized writer.

FL: I know that you are also a talented poet. Do you have a favourite word?

SC: Oh, gosh. Favourite word. That's like choosing a favourite child or animal or type of potato. I will say that every year I choose a word for the year -- one that I am curious about understanding and inhabiting. This year, I am in pursuit of: grace.

FL: What was the best advice you received as a writer?

SC: It was more like anti-advice. A world-famous poet, who also happened to be my thesis advisor, told me that the problem with my poetry was that I was good at too many things. I couldn't figure out how such feedback might actually improve my poetry manuscript -- or anything else for that matter. And, like a pebble in my shoe, this strange comment has kept me just uncomfortable enough to eventually clarify that this teacher was giving name to an archetypal changing of the guard. He had bought into the "suffering artist" archetype, as was typical for artists of his generation. And here I was, good at all kinds of things, including poetry: the "thriving artist" archetype. I don't think he liked seeing a woman who could tie her shoes, chew bubble gum, and write a poem, and that's fine with me--change is uncomfortable for all of us. What that anti-advice did for me was clarify my position of which side of the artist fence I was on. It inspired me to take a stand for the balanced creative life in which poetry was an expression of abundance. I've been going public in defense of the thriving artist archetype ever since.

FL: What book do you think every writer should read?

SC: Every writer needs something different in the way of education and inspiration; I don't presume to have the single answer that will work for everyone. The book that was most significant to me in my foundational years was Wild Mind by Natalie Goldberg. It gave me both permission and strategies to access what was most true and free in my thinking and writing. That book became the foundation of my writing practice. My suggestion is that each writer commit to finding the book that is their true companion -- and ignoring / discarding any advice along the way that doesn't resonate.

FL: If you weren’t a writer, what would you want to be?

SC: 1. Painter. 2. Rock and roll star 3. Animal rights + world hunger activist

FL: Describe your work habits. When do you write? Where?

SC: I write for a living, and I keep regular, work-day office hours for my marketing communications business. I do that writing in a home office, at a desktop computer. My creative writing happens generally on my laptop, in bed, at all hours of the night. My prime creative writing time is 4 p.m. to midnight. Before I was a mother, I was able to honor this rhythm somewhat. These days, I'm lucky if I get an hour from 9-10 p.m. Then, I often find myself awake and writing between 4 and 6 a.m.

FL: What inspires you?

SC: Forests. Oceans. Bathtubs. Sushi. Literature. Good company. The right drum beat to match my mood.

FL: If you could have dinner with any writer, living or dead, who would it be? Why?

SC: Jhumpa Lahiri. I would like to thank her for keeping me company in the woods that winter in my 20's, broken-hearted, swimming in words, with the most perfect collection of short stories I have ever read. She lifted me completely out of my small sense of possibility into some other place sculpted of words.

FL: Do you have any other creative talents? Do you paint? Play a musical instrument?

SC: I sing, drum, paint, and dance. I have also done some really terrible acting.

FL: What are you working on now?

SC: I have a collection of poems and a memoir in the works. I'm also getting ready to lead an online course for women to guide them through the death and rebirth process of divorce.

Thanks Sage!

To learn more about Sage Cohen and her work, visit her blog at: pathofpossibility.com

Book Review: The Productive Writer by Sage Cohen

2011-09-22T09:54:00.000-04:00

Sage Cohen is one of those writers I have longed admired. And who wouldn’t? She has written three books, runs her own copywriting business, teaches writing workshops, is an accomplished poet, writes the wonderful Path of Possiblilty blog and raises a family. In my opinion, Sage Cohen is a phenomenon. So, when I learned that her latest book was called, The Productive Writer: Tips and Tools to Help You Write More, Stress Less and Create Success, I had to read it.

The Productive Writer is two hundred pages of tightly packed information and inspiration. The first five chapters are about getting started as a writer, creating goals and finding ideas. Chapters six through twelve focus on getting organized, developing good work habits and finding time to write.

I especially liked Chapter Eleven, called “Embracing Fear.” Here, Cohen reasons that we all feel fear and since fear isn’t going to go away we should learn how to make it work for us. There are brilliant tips in this chapter on dealing with our inner critic, accepting ourselves as we are now, committing to taking risks and using fear as fuel.

Once Cohen has given you plenty of strategies to be more productive, she turns her attention to helping you build your career as a writer. Topics such as using the web and social media, finding and maintaining momentum, revising your work, getting published, building community, going public and promoting yourself are covered in the last third of the book.

The final chapter is called, “Skipping Down the Hill.” In it Cohen reminds us to celebrate our successes, and ourselves, and urges us to, “Take the Risk to be Happy.” It is a wonderful reminder of what is truly important in the writing life.

In addition to all the great information found in The Productive Writer there are also bonus downloadable worksheets and examples available on Sage Cohen’s website, The Path of Possibility to help get you even more organized!

The Productive Writer is overflowing with fabulous tips and advice that you can begin implementing immediately to see results in your writing life. If you are the type of writer who finds yourself starting projects but struggling to finish them, or you are trying to fit more writing time into your day, I especially think you will love this book. I know I did. Get yourself a copy of The Productive Writer and put yourself on the path to becoming your own phenomenon!

Week #151

2011-09-21T07:05:00.000-04:00

Phil thought there was a fifty-fifty chance that what Larry said was true.

Quote

2011-09-19T20:31:00.000-04:00

"To be a writer is to sit down at one's desk in the chill portion of every day, and to write; not waiting for the little jet of the blue flame of genius to start from the breastbone - just plain going at it, in pain and delight. To be a writer is to throw away a great deal, not to be satisfied, to type again, and then again, and once more, and over and over..."

~ John Hersey

Random Exercise

2011-09-16T16:37:00.000-04:00

Write a short story using the sky as narrator.

Week #150

2011-09-14T07:07:00.000-04:00

Ruby took a deep breath and, with a shaking hand, added her name to the list.

Random Exercise

2011-09-12T09:53:00.000-04:00

Read today's horoscope. What you will find is twelve possible stories (because there are twelve signs in the zodiac). Pick the one that is most intriguing to you and write a short story.

Writing Adventure

2011-09-09T22:20:00.000-04:00

The seasons are changing and we are in a time of transformation. Take a walk with your notebook and notice what is changing. Really notice your surroundings. Are summer flowers giving way to the blossoms of fall? Is the sky a different shade of blue than it is at the height of summer? Does the wind feel different? Does the air smell different? How has the light changed? If nothing looks different to you today, write a description of what you see and make a date to repeat this exercise in a month's time. You are training yourself to sharpen your observational skills; you are learning to see like a writer.

Week #149

2011-09-07T07:05:00.000-04:00

Marge had always wanted a red car.

Dialogue Exercise

2011-09-06T16:06:00.002-04:00

Use this line of dialogue in a short story. It can be the first line, the last line or any line in between.

"I can't believe she dreamed up such a scheme, let alone did it!"

Upcoming Workshop

2011-09-02T07:43:00.000-04:00

I will be giving a free writing workshop October 1st. If you can, drop by and say hello!

Fast Fiction Workshop

In this sixty-minute workshop each participant will create a rough draft for a short story using writing prompts and timed writing exercises. Students will learn how to overcome creative blocks and generate ideas quickly. Through several short exercises participants will produce a theme, setting, characters, conflict and write key scenes. By the end of the workshop everyone will have a rough draft of a short story to take home and continue to work on. All this in just sixty fun, creative minutes!

Date: Saturday October 1st
Where: Deer Park Public Library, 40 St. Clair East (At Yonge and St. Clair)
When: 12:30-1:30

Week #148

2011-08-31T08:46:00.000-04:00

Sid had not seen his feet in years.

Random Exercise

2011-08-29T09:44:00.000-04:00

Use these three words in a short story:

ring, dragon, lemonade.

Author Interview: Peter Carver

2011-08-25T21:09:00.000-04:00

Peter Carver is the author of, "So You Want to Write a Children's Book" (Red Deer Press). He is a veteran children's book editor and recipient of the International Board on Books for Young people (IBBY) Claude Aubry Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Children's Literature. Through his renowned workshops and retreats he has mentored hundreds of new and veteran authors, including dozens of national and international award winners whose books have been published in dozens of languages.

First Line (FL): What is your favourite children’s book?

Peter Carver (PC): Winnie the Pooh. It’s witty, subtle, beautifully written – and a wonderful read-aloud book to a range of ages. In an unaffected way, the stories create prototypes that children and adults can easily recognize in their own world – and then there’s the fun of the nonsensical poetic musings of Pooh.

FL: You are a long-time editor and creative writing teacher. What do you look for in a manuscript?

PC: I look for that element of surprise, that moment of realizing that I’m in the hands of a confident storyteller who is going to let me in on a world that is fascinating, three-dimensional, emotionally illuminating. I long to find a voice that is compelling and distinctive.

FL: What are some common mistakes people who are trying to write for children make?

PC: I think sometimes aspiring writers think they have to be teachers – convey a lesson or a moral to their audiences – rather than understanding that they must first of all be caught up in the web of a strong and convincing story. Children can spot a lesson a mile away, and they do not go to books to be taught lessons, but to immerse themselves in stories (and that goes for non-fiction as well).

Writers of picture books do not have to tell their stories in rhyming verse – strong, vivid prose is the best route. Also they do not have to supply illustrations with their text – better not to attempt this at all, and concentrate on making the words sing.

There are a lot of talking animal stories for young readers already available, some of them – like Winnie the Pooh – magnificent in their impact. We don’t need a lot of second and third-rate talking animal stories. Better to write about human children and do it well.

Above all, my message to aspiring writers is to write the story that means most to you, not one that you think would suit the market. The market is constantly shifting and changing, but the honesty and conviction you bring to the story that has been sitting in your heart all your life will always trump any attempt to produce the next Harry Potter or Franklin the Turtle.

FL: What inspires you?

PC: Inspires me in what direction? Not sure what you mean here, but right now I have been inspired by a holiday I’ve spent with my own family as well as extended family at our 100-year-plus-old summer cottage in northern Ontario. To be with your children and their children, as well as a fleet of cousins, on a beautiful island in the middle of a lake, is a stimulating and healing experience. Not quite sure if that’s inspiration, but it was certainly invigorating. I think a lot of what inspires me is my awareness of the legacy of family in its broadest sense – including that of my maternal grandfather who first built the cottage, and who, not incidentally, was Canada’s best-selling author at the turn of the 19th-20th century. His name was Ralph Connor, and few Canadians have heard of him now; but around 1900, he had sold five million copies of his first three novels. There’s inspiration for you.

FL: If you could have dinner with any writer, living or dead, who would it be? Why?

PC: A tough one – impossible to answer. I’d love to have dinner with Chimamanda Adichie, a young Nigerian author whose work I’ve learned about in the past couple of years – a brightening star in the firmament. And if somehow she could be returned to this world, I’d love to sit down with the late Margaret Laurence, one of Canada’s great novelists, bar none. Maybe my grandfather would join us.

FL: What book do you think every writer should read?

PC: Preposterous – there’s no one book. I think every writer should read widely. Certainly in the genre they’re aspiring to, but also far beyond that. The more one understands, through one’s reading, what can be done with words and sentences and paragraphs, the better. Sometimes, writers are so awed by what others have done that they give up on their own work. But more often, I think one can be galvanized by hearing the voices of fine writers spinning their magic – which can lead to one’s coming to hear one’s own voice as it struggles to break out.

FL: Your book, "So You Want to Write a Children’s Book" is a fabulous resource for people wanting to break into the children’s book market. Do you have any final advice for someone attempting to write a children’s book?

PC: Writing for children is not easier than writing for adults. For one thing, to do it effectively, you need to re-discover the child’s sensibility, the child’s way of looking at the world we all once possessed. It is said that writing for children is a way of resolving those issues from childhood that have been unresolved. I think it’s important to respect the child’s eye view of the world, not to trivialize it, as some writers do. The most powerful experiences one has in life are the ones that occur in one’s childhood – drawing from that well of experience and making some kind of sense of it is the job of the children’s writer.

Thanks Peter!

Week #147

2011-08-23T20:46:00.000-04:00

Davis knew this was going so spectacularly wrong, in such a wealth of ways, that he was redefining failure.

I thought you might enjoy this -

2011-08-21T21:04:00.000-04:00

Novel Rocket

Dialogue Exercise

2011-08-19T11:06:00.000-04:00

Use this line of dialogue in a short story. It can be the first line, the last line or any line in between. Have fun!

"I had the best grilled cheese sandwich today."

Week #146

2011-08-17T07:41:00.000-04:00

Everyone was waiting for me to say something.

Random Exercise

2011-08-15T06:57:00.000-04:00

Grab a dictionary. A big, proper one. Look up pages: 156, 336 and 718. Grab a word from each page. Use these three words in a short story.

Musings from the Desk

2011-08-11T21:35:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking lately how people often assume if you are good at something (like writing fiction, or windsurfing, or skipping stones) it must come easily to you. (In my experience, this is rarely the case, however.)

I think what troubles me most about this assumption, is that there might be people searching for something they find 'easy' with the belief they will excel at it. And then life will magically be happy, and easy, and good; they will be successful and money will be thrust upon them.

It is a nice fantasy. Even I admit that.

But here is the thing: if you only pursue the things you find easy you'll never know the thrill of accomplishment. (And it is a big thrill.) And you will never discover your own potential. (Which is greater than you know.) You will go through life and never test yourself - you will in short, never know what you are capable of. You will be a stranger to yourself.

Don't devote yourself to the things that come easy. Devote yourself to whatever it is you are passionate about. You'll be surprised where it takes you. I guarantee it.

Week #145

2011-08-10T06:54:00.000-04:00

All Charles talked about was the murder.

Dialogue Exercise

2011-08-08T10:26:00.000-04:00

Use this line of dialogue in a short story. It can be the first line, the last line or any line in between!

"You're kidding! You don't have a single tattoo?"

Quote

2011-08-05T20:15:00.000-04:00

"To imagine yourself inside another person...is what a story writer does in every piece of work; it is his first step, and his last too, I suppose."

~Eudora Welty

Random Exercise

2011-08-03T21:32:00.000-04:00

Use these three words in a short story:

prosper, closet, whisper.

Week # 144

2011-08-02T22:01:00.000-04:00

When Tanya told George she wanted a pet, a starfish was not what she'd had in mind.

Dialogue Exercise

2011-08-01T14:24:00.000-04:00

Use this line of dialogue in a short story:

"I don't know why Sarah wore that hat. Honestly, she looked like she had a pancake on her head."

Author Interview: Joe Denham

2011-07-29T10:10:00.002-04:00

Joe Denham is the author of two poetry collections, Flux (2003) and Windstorm (2009), and one novel, The Year of Broken Glass (2011). He lives with his wife and two children in Halfmoon Bay, BC, and works as a commercial fisherman throughout coastal British Columbia, Canada.

First Line (FL): Joe, in addition to writing fiction, I know that you are also a poet. Do you have a favourite word?

Joe Denham (JD): My favourite colour is blue. My favourite key is E flat Major. Individual words I don't find terribly inspiring.

FL: “The Year of Broken Glass” is your first novel. What was the journey like from writing it, to getting it published?

JD: Writing and editing it was a four year process. For two years the story and characters just kind of floated about in my imagination, slowly evolving. Then I spent the fall and winter of '09/'10 writing the first drafts. I'd tried writing a novel a couple of times before, each time taking the less disciplined approach I take to writing poetry (which is to say, getting to it if and when the desire and inspiration stirs me to do so, and otherwise busying myself with the rest of life), but unsurprisingly I kept getting lost after the initial burst of inspiration. So with this one I decided I needed to make it an 8 to 10 hours a day, everyday kind of project. Which is what I did over the six months of that fall and winter, and by the time spring rolled around Amy (my wife) and I had finished working over the fifth draft.

Before I left for fishing that spring I decided to give it to Silas White, both an old friend and the publisher of my two previous books, Flux and Windstorm, to see what he thought of the manuscript as it existed at that time. To keep a long story short, Silas thought it was
great, even possibly a big and important book, and encouraged me (despite his own enthusiasm for the book and desire to publish it with Nightwood Editions) to pursue an agent and a corporate publishing house that could really put some major money behind. Which is what I did. And after about 20 doors politely clicked shut in my face with less than a glance thrown my way beforehand, I came back to Si and he agreed to publish it. To be honest, I think we both hoped, for the sake of the book and for my career and for readers too, that I would have been able to get further with that process than I did, but what I gleaned is that there's a very conservative aesthetic holding sway in the Can Lit industry, and The Year of Broken Glass is in so many ways un-conservative, genre-melding, boisterous, etc, so it just doesn't fit. That said, publishing the book with Silas and Nightwood was a great process. Everyone poured a lot of energy into the editing and proofing and designing, and I think what we all came up with in the end is a really fantastic book that we're all proud of.

FL: What was the best advice you received as a writer?

JD: I studied at a community college for my first two years of post-secondary. When I finished, I asked my creative writing prof, a very fine and respected poet, where she thought I should go to continue my studies in creative writing: Concordia? UVic? UBC? She very respectfully suggested that if I wanted to learn to write inside that conservative aesthetic I just mentioned, that I should by all means go to any of the above. But if I wanted to find my own voice, to really find it, she suggested I should drop out, read, go to readings, work, and learn to write on my own, in the world.

Okay. So I took the latter advice. Sometimes I think to myself: who in their right mind (and who's to say she was in her right mind!?) would tell an earnest 20 year old straight A student with some talent and ambition to jump off the train? Usually I think this to myself when I've had a bad fishing season or have nearly cut my hand off at work or have had 20 agents flat out reject me without really considering my work because they have no idea who I am or who anyone close to me in my life is. But on the days when I'm writing and the writing feels good and true and at least somewhat un-affected, I think, sure, good for her, and for me, that she chose to be so honest in that moment. Spending too much time in classrooms always makes me itchy and dopey anyhow, and given the amount I recall nodding off in her workshops, she must have seen that in me! Also, looking at it all from a distance now, I think she was right in asserting that the whole apparatus of post-secondary creative writing workshops unfortunately works to reinforce a sort of lowest common denominator approach to writing and art and seems to kind of press out some of the more individual character and sensibility in many developing writer's work.

I was reading this little non-fiction piece on dissonance recently, and I found this interesting: back in the 16th century in Germany it became fashionable to carefully breed and train canaries for the purpose of birdsong performance and competition. Today, if you compare the sonograms of domesticated canaries with those of wild canaries, apparently you can see a distinct difference in the third and fourth seconds of their song. I'll quote the essayist (Barbara Hurd) here: "On the domesticated bird's sonogram, the markings on the graph (indicating frequency and duration of notes) are consistent, as if drawn by an accomplished graphic artist who'd learned to replicate the same graceful squiggle over and over. That bird is repeating clear notes and was cheered at competitions. But at the same moment on the wild canary's graph, the markings go haywire, as if drawn by a kindergartner using the wrong hand. Their thicknesses vary wildly; splotches hover over skewed jabs. Birders studying the sonogram call this the canary's "dissonant phrase." Though it's been completely bred out of domesticated canaries, it remains in wild ones."

I'm certainly not asserting that I'm the literary equivalent to a wild canary, or anything "wild" for that matter. I did eventually, for one year in my later twenties, return to Creative Writing workshops (at the University of Victoria), and I've read my share of literature. So I'm affected, just as we all are. But I think there are degrees of affectation, and I think that prof was trying to steer me, in the very formative years of my artistic apprenticeship, away from an arena which applauds the replication "of one graceful squiggle over and over", and instead towards a lifestyle and approach to art in which I might retain a small semblance of the more individual and at times dissonant song we're all naturally born with. Which hasn't and doesn't let me off the hook insofar as knowing and mastering craft goes, but how that is accomplished and even what that means can be defined in greater terms than many of the academic bureaucracies allow for. To be clear, I'm not suggesting that there are no exceptions to this as far as university writing programs go, nor am I saying that no good writers or work emerge from those programs. I think it's fair to say that some great writers have come up through the academic system, just as some have come up outside of it, and I know for myself that it's been a good thing for my artistic development, for my particular temperament, that I more or less count myself amongst the latter, and that this has occurred greatly because of one writer's timely advice given over 15 years ago.

FL: What book do you think every writer should read?

JD: In fiction, I think John Berger's Into Their Labours Trilogy is an important work. I've been reading a lot of David Foster Wallace recently, though I'm still gathering the gumption to start in on Infinite Jest. But really, I can't answer that question. I don't think there's any one seminal author or book everyone should read and appreciate. Everyone comes to literature with their own particular needs, expectations, interests, and sensibilities, and what is an infinitely important work to one is next to useless to another.

FL: If you weren’t a writer, what would you want to be?

JD: That's an interesting question because I'm not sure I think of myself as "being" a writer, as opposed to "being" something else. And here's why: I don't make my living from writing. At best I get the odd grant and token royalty cheque. But as it is I'm a commercial fish boat captain and a residential house builder. That's the work which pays for the home I live in with my family and for the food my children eat, etc, and it also pays for the time I take to write. Writing is my heart's first vocation, and if I could I'd spend more time at it and have a greater volume of work published as a result, but I've yet to achieve the success necessary to call myself "a writer" in that context wherein it is exclusively what I do to make my way in the world. So, it's almost like, if I weren't a fisherman and a builder, I'd want to be a writer. Maybe someday things will turn that way, but it's a precious few of us who get to live in that grace, isn't it?

FL: Describe your work habits. When do you write? Where?

JD: There's a small studio building on our property where both my wife, Amy and I do our writing. There's Amy's piano and my guitars and a small PA system and some computers in there. That's where I wrote The Year of Broken Glass, and I've already described a bit of how I approached the writing of that book. More generally, I tend to write sporadically. I'm not into exercises or projects or scheduled effort. I'm interested in writing born of intense inspiration, and I think too much time at the craft can dilute that. I don't think writers need to or even should write all the time. I don't believe in writer's block. I believe that when we've got something really worth saying, we've got little choice but to sit down and thrash it out, and when we don't, c'est la vie. There are a million other things to do and explore with what little time we've each got.

FL: What inspires you?

JD: The sea. Music. My wife and children. Books. Movies. Wind. Anger. Love.

FL: If you could have dinner with any writer, living or dead, who would it be? Why?

JD: I suppose that would be the poet Jorie Graham. I think her writing is absolutely phenomenal--so brilliantly intelligent and so visceral all at once--and, though I'm not sure what it is I'd like to ask her in regards to that, I'm certain the conversation would have the potential of being
illuminating, and if it weren't so it would most likely only be as a result of my own shortcomings.

FL: Do you have any other creative talents? Do you paint? Play a musical instrument?

JD: I'm a guitar player. I write songs. I sing those songs.

FL: What are you working on now?

JD: I've been writing songs again for the first time in over a decade. Recently I formed a band with a few folks in the neighbourhood. I suppose it's an alt-country-rock kind of project. We're working towards an album, but I don't think we're in any hurry. I'm working (slowly) on two volumes of poetry which will form a trilogy in conjunction with 2009's Windstorm. I'm busy raising children, building a new home for my family, and kicking around ideas in my head for a second novel. I've just recently arrived home from a 100 day fishing shift, so as it is today I'm just happy to lollygag a bit with the kids, play some guitar, and hope for a little sun before summer's end.

Thanks Joe!

To learn more about Joe Denham click here.

Not Sure Anyone Can Figure This Out...

2011-07-28T08:29:00.000-04:00

but helpful and interesting:

How Publishing Really Works.

Week #143

2011-07-27T07:57:00.000-04:00

The coffee was terrible, the waitresses were mean, but I still kept coming back to this crappy diner.

Random Exercise

2011-07-25T10:39:00.000-04:00

Use these three words in a short story:

swordfish, gymnasium, cool.

Book Review: Ron Carlson Writes a Story

2011-07-22T07:45:00.000-04:00

“Ron Carlson Writes a Story” by Ron Carlson (Graywolf Press) is a unique and compelling essay that allows the reader to watch over the shoulder of Ron Carlson as he writes the first draft of his short story, “The Governor’s Ball.” In addition to having written eight books of fiction, Ron Carlson has also published short stories in The New Yorker, Harper’s, Esquire and GQ. He also directs the graduate program in fiction at the University of California, Irvine.

This slim book opens with an explanation of how this essay came to be and continues in a friendly tone about the art and craft of writing fiction. Carlson discusses topics such as the source and validity of ideas, and whether or not outlines are necessary, before settling at his desk to write the first sentence of his short story, “The Governor’s Ball.”

Interspersed throughout the writing of the short story are brief chapters on the importance of not leaving the room while writing (no matter how badly you want that cup of coffee), reference books, naming characters and writing dialogue. There are even writing exercises for the reader to try. I think Carlson does a wonderful job of capturing how the mind moves during the creative process: the decisions, the indecision.

As the book progresses, so, too, does the writing of, “The Governor’s Ball.” Characters are introduced, descriptions are artfully crafted and the plot develops until Carlson eventually finds his ending. He closes the book with a marvellous, short meditation on what he believes the job of a writer to be.

“Ron Carlson Writes a Story” is a rare opportunity to eavesdrop on a writer’s thought process as he creates and, frankly, I found it fascinating. I have never read a book quite like this one: probably because it is so difficult to capture the elusive writing process. But Carlson does it admirably well.

(Note: The completed version of, “The Governor’s Ball” is included at the back of the book.)

Dialogue Exercise

2011-07-21T09:50:00.000-04:00

Use this line of dialogue in a short story. It can be the first line, the last line or any line in between!

"That wasn't here before."

Week #142

2011-07-20T08:58:00.000-04:00

I forced myself to keep walking towards the light, blinking in the distance.

Quote

2011-07-18T06:49:00.000-04:00

"Anyone who keeps working is not a failure. They may not be a great writer, but if they apply the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, they will eventually make some kind of career as a writer."

~ Ray Bradbury

if you feel like surfing...

2011-07-15T15:58:00.000-04:00

You can spend a lot of time browsing around here, reading writerly stuff. I'm just warning you...

Long Story Short

Random Exercise

2011-07-14T21:05:00.002-04:00

Use these three words in a short story:

tattoo, hysterical, fly.

Week #141

2011-07-13T07:16:00.000-04:00

It was me who found Grandpa, dead on the porch, a lit cigar still burning in his hand.