I can finally tell you!
I've been bursting to tell you this! A few months ago The First Line blog was contacted by The Writer magazine wanting permission to print some of my first lines in their magazine. I am so happy the issue is finally on newstands. The First Line blog is featured in a sidebar alongside an article by Jim Shepard, entitled, Off the Cuff: Writing as a Form of Play. I am super thrilled to be included in such a great magazine. So the next time you're at a newstand check out the February issue of The Writer!
River of Stones - Jan 6th
Maple tree stretches its branches into the winter sky - remembering its leaves.
River of Stones - Jan 5th
As I wait for the tea water to boil
the silence fills with the tick of the clock and the bumpy hum of the refrigerator -
my domestic symphony.
the silence fills with the tick of the clock and the bumpy hum of the refrigerator -
my domestic symphony.
Week #114
Lucinda kicked off her high heels in the back of the limousine and congratulated herself on fooling them all.
Random Exercise #42
Choose two or three different fragrant items. (Ideas: flowers, perfume, rotting garbage, tea/coffee, old shoes, incense, a car interior, the basement, etc.) Write a description of each item.
River of Stones - Jan 3rd
After many grey days, finally the sun -
I had forgotten the beauty of shadows.
I had forgotten the beauty of shadows.
Quote
"It is the function of art to renew our perception. What we are familiar with we cease to see. The writer shakes up the familiar scene, and, as if by magic, we see new meaning in it."
~Anais Nin
~Anais Nin
River of Stones - Jan 1st
I am taking part in the River of Stones project so every day this month I will be posting a sentence or two. I love this project and the way it asks you to be present and aware. Usually I just give exercises to inspire you, but this is a chance for you to read some of my writing, to see what touches and inspires me. Feel free to comment!
Here is today's stone:
Through the steam rising from my tea mug I watch the fog.
Here is today's stone:
Through the steam rising from my tea mug I watch the fog.
New Year's Eve Exercise
I'm not much of a fan of resolutions so this year I've come up with something slightly different to mark the transition to a New Year without all the pressure and almost certain failure (if you are me, at least) of a list of resolutions. Feel free to join me in this. Maybe we can start a new tradition!
Get two pieces of paper. On the first sheet write down one or more habits or behaviours or thought patterns you would like to let go of. On the second sheet of paper write down one or more habits, behaviours or qualities about yourself that you want to carry with you into the New Year.
Get two glass jars. Put the list of things you want to carry with you into the New Year in one of the glass jars and place it outside your door before midnight.
Light a candle just before midnight. Take the list of things you want to let go of and touch it to the candle until it catches fire, then drop it in the other empty jar and let it burn. (You can also tear it into tiny pieces, if you don't want to start a fire.)
A few minutes after midnight go outside and bring your list of things you want to carry into the New Year back into your home. Welcome these qualities at the same time you welcome in the new year.
Happy New Year's everyone. May 2011 be filled with magic for you!
Get two pieces of paper. On the first sheet write down one or more habits or behaviours or thought patterns you would like to let go of. On the second sheet of paper write down one or more habits, behaviours or qualities about yourself that you want to carry with you into the New Year.
Get two glass jars. Put the list of things you want to carry with you into the New Year in one of the glass jars and place it outside your door before midnight.
Light a candle just before midnight. Take the list of things you want to let go of and touch it to the candle until it catches fire, then drop it in the other empty jar and let it burn. (You can also tear it into tiny pieces, if you don't want to start a fire.)
A few minutes after midnight go outside and bring your list of things you want to carry into the New Year back into your home. Welcome these qualities at the same time you welcome in the new year.
Happy New Year's everyone. May 2011 be filled with magic for you!
Week #113
Carl was alone in the backyard, smoking his last cigarette of the day and idly looking at the moon, when something crashed to the ground with a heavy thud near his new hammock.
a river of stones: Welcome to a river of stones!
(I just discovered this project and think it is a fabulous idea! I know I am suppose to be taking a wee holiday but I had to post this so as many people as possible could find out about it. ~ Lori)
a river of stones: Welcome to a river of stones!: "Would you like to start the new year as you mean to go on? You might have heard of NaNoWriMo, where participants are encouraged to write a..."
a river of stones: Welcome to a river of stones!: "Would you like to start the new year as you mean to go on? You might have heard of NaNoWriMo, where participants are encouraged to write a..."
Happy Holidays
I'll be back with a brand new first line next Wednesday but things will probably be quiet around here until after New Year's. I'm going to give myself a few days off to relax and try to catch up on some reading.
For next year I've got some new features planned for the blog - there are some author interviews in the works that I am very excited about!
Happy Holidays everyone and thanks for reading!
For next year I've got some new features planned for the blog - there are some author interviews in the works that I am very excited about!
Happy Holidays everyone and thanks for reading!
By Moi
Did I tell you awhile back that the literary journal the New Plains Review was publishing my short story, "Confessions of Ignorance about Astronomy"? Well, my story appears in their current issue, Fall '10. If you can get your hands on a copy, have a look. It's a great magazine, jammed-packed with great writing.
But if you can't find a copy, no worries: you can read my story online. Click here.
But if you can't find a copy, no worries: you can read my story online. Click here.
Random Exercise #41
It's a busy time of year so I decided to come up with a short exercise designed to flex your creativity, but still fit into those precious few minutes between dashing from the mall to dashing to a party.
Obviously there are no correct answers to the following questions. They are intended to surprise your brain into thinking in a new way.
- What does your favourite song look like?
- If you could touch darkness what would it feel like?
- Take a look at the clock. What does this hour of the day taste like?
- What does your favourite fruit sound like?
- What does your current mood smell like?
Obviously there are no correct answers to the following questions. They are intended to surprise your brain into thinking in a new way.
- What does your favourite song look like?
- If you could touch darkness what would it feel like?
- Take a look at the clock. What does this hour of the day taste like?
- What does your favourite fruit sound like?
- What does your current mood smell like?
Quote
No horse gets anywhere until he is harnessed. No steam or gas drives anything until it is confined. No Niagara is ever turned into light and power until it is tunneled. No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined.
~ Harry Emerson Fosdick
~ Harry Emerson Fosdick
Confessions from the Desk
For the last two days I have been trying to write a post about how busy I am and how hard it is to find time to write during the holiday season - but I haven't had the time to finish it. Oh, the irony the irony.
I'm sure I am not alone on this one, so if anyone has any suggestions on how to stretch the day, or how to go without sleep, or how to build your own time-making machine, please share with the rest of us.
I'm sure I am not alone on this one, so if anyone has any suggestions on how to stretch the day, or how to go without sleep, or how to build your own time-making machine, please share with the rest of us.
Week #109
Connie knew this was not the sort of thing a lady did, but decided she was going to do it anyway.
Quote
"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."
~ Cecil Beaton
~ Cecil Beaton
Setting the Scene Exercise #1
In this exercise I'll set the scene and you decide what is happening, and to who, and why, and how it all ends. How exciting!
Scene:
A near deserted beach. Fog is rolling in. In front of you is a pier and at the end of the pier, through the thickening fog, you glimpse the faint outline of two figures, their heads close together.
(Who are they? Why are they here? What happens next?)
Scene:
A near deserted beach. Fog is rolling in. In front of you is a pier and at the end of the pier, through the thickening fog, you glimpse the faint outline of two figures, their heads close together.
(Who are they? Why are they here? What happens next?)
Very, Very Short Story
I thought my haiku story idea (a story told in three sentences) was short, but I just read about a journal in the UK that is seeking stories only one or two sentences long. Just one or two sentences?! For a whole story?! Wow. That's taking concise to a whole new level. They're looking for stories so if you want to give it a try click here.
Theme Exercise #3
How this works: I give you a theme and you are wildly inspired and immediately write an award winning story, and you thank me in your heartfelt but still funny speech at the ceremony where you are given a trophy and big fat cheque, and I am in the audience teary-eyed and so proud.
Theme: Hope
Theme: Hope
Confessions from the Desk
Sometimes I forget why I write. I get lost sitting here at my desk and wonder why I am pushing words around on a page. I worry that I am wasting my time. I think there must be more meaningful and worthwhile ways to spend my days than by creating stories.
This weekend I plucked Natalie Goldberg's "Thunder and Lightning" off my bookshelf and started rereading it. I came across this and was reminded of not only why I write, but why I read:
"If we read someone who is awake, it helps to wake us up. And think of it: while you read you're not spending money, getting into a fight, creating karma. What better gift can you give yourself than to arrive in the present moment?"
What better gift, indeed? As always, thanks Natalie.
This weekend I plucked Natalie Goldberg's "Thunder and Lightning" off my bookshelf and started rereading it. I came across this and was reminded of not only why I write, but why I read:
"If we read someone who is awake, it helps to wake us up. And think of it: while you read you're not spending money, getting into a fight, creating karma. What better gift can you give yourself than to arrive in the present moment?"
What better gift, indeed? As always, thanks Natalie.
Week #106
Harvey Chase's only ambition since high school had been to become mayor of Barnsville and today was election day with his name, finally, on the ballot.
Random Exercise #38
We all have topics we do not want to write about. For whatever reason, these are the subjects we avoid. Maybe they scare us, annoy us, or make us feel guilty. For this exercise I invite you to make a list of these topics. You need not write about them, just make a list of what they are. But keep the list and maybe one day when you are feeling brave and strong and invincible and adventuresome, you can look at that list, choose a topic, and meet it on the page.
Theme Exercise #2
Use this theme as a starting point for a short story, postcard story, or haiku story (a story told in three sentences).
Theme: departure.
Theme: departure.
Week #105
Trudie walked nervously along the street clutching the slip of paper in her hand until she found the right address.
Random Exercise #37
E-mail is great and all, but there's nothing quite like a letter, is there? I love writing letters and I love receiving them! So, I thought for this exercise it would be fun to write a letter.
We are going to write to a stranger and tell them a secret about ourselves. Fun, huh? It's up to you who you want to write to: it could be the cute janitor at work that speaks only broken English, or the weird old lady at the end of the street you always catch peeking through her lace curtains. As for the secret you reveal, that's up to you. It can be real, or fiction, or a bit of both.
Dear Reader,
This is your chance to bust out your fancy stationary and fountain pen. Have fun!
Sincerely yours,
Lori
We are going to write to a stranger and tell them a secret about ourselves. Fun, huh? It's up to you who you want to write to: it could be the cute janitor at work that speaks only broken English, or the weird old lady at the end of the street you always catch peeking through her lace curtains. As for the secret you reveal, that's up to you. It can be real, or fiction, or a bit of both.
Dear Reader,
This is your chance to bust out your fancy stationary and fountain pen. Have fun!
Sincerely yours,
Lori
Writing Adventure #13
This writing adventure is in honour of Halloween, my favourite holiday. For this adventure you get to go to a cemetery (the older the cemetery the better, in my opinion). Once there wander around and read tombstones. Let yourself be inspired. Who were these people? What were their lives like? You're a writer - only you can breathe life into them again and let them live on the page.
Quote
Perhaps it would be better not to be a writer, but if you must, then write. If it all feels hopeless, if that famous "inspiration" will not come, write. If you are a genius, you'll make your own rules, but if not - and the odds are against it - go to your desk, no matter what your mood, face the icy challenge of the paper - write.
~ J. B. Priestley
~ J. B. Priestley
Random Exercise #36
Use these three words in a short story: pony, ice, purple.
(I'm heading into the last weekend of my yoga teacher training course. I've been studying like crazy for my exam. All I have to do is wrap both legs around my head and levitate, and I'm in! Kidding! Wish me luck! Have a great weekend!)
(I'm heading into the last weekend of my yoga teacher training course. I've been studying like crazy for my exam. All I have to do is wrap both legs around my head and levitate, and I'm in! Kidding! Wish me luck! Have a great weekend!)
Week #103
As Dexter turned his key in the lock he heard an unfamiliar rustling and then a sharp whisper come from inside.
Quote
The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.
~ Henry Miller
~ Henry Miller
Theme Exercise #1
I thought we'd try something new. For this exercise I am going to give you a theme and you can interpret it anyway you want to write a short story, a postcard story, or even my own idea - a haiku story. I know that you remember a haiku story is a story told in three sentences because you hang off my every word, right? Of course you do, everyone does. (I'm a fiction writer, I live in a make believe world, okay?)
The theme is: Renewal
Happy writing!
The theme is: Renewal
Happy writing!
Week #102
All her long life Doreen Willowby had been known for her sharp tongue, short temper and complete lack of humour, but there was one thing that never failed to bring a smile to her otherwise grim face.
Random Exercise #35
In this exercise I am going to give you a line of dialogue and you can use it in your story any way you like. You can make it the first line, the last line, or any line in between. You decide who says and why. Sound like fun? I hope so!
Here's the line of dialogue:
"It is a vicious circle."
Here's the line of dialogue:
"It is a vicious circle."
Confessions from the Desk
Things have been going well at the desk lately. I sold another short story! That's makes two stories accepted in less than a month! That's a record for me. I'll let you know when this one appears. It will be online (and apparently there will be a "hilarious" caricature of me as well). That alone should be worth the click. I'll let you know when it appears.
Week 101
I was reading the newspaper and eating a sandwich on a park bench when the dishevelled old man stopped in front of me and announced, "I am the world's most fabulous dancer!"
Two Great Websites
I discovered a new website for short story writers and poets that I thought you might be interested in called Fictionaut. It's part magazine, part community. Click here to have a gander.
Full disclosure: actually, I didn't discover Fictionaut - the fabulous Erika Dreifus did and I simply read about it in her Practicing Writer e-newsletter, which you should be signed up for, if you're not already. Click here to learn more about Erika, her awesome blog and newsletter, and her soon to be released short story collection, Quiet Americans that I can't wait to read.
Full disclosure: actually, I didn't discover Fictionaut - the fabulous Erika Dreifus did and I simply read about it in her Practicing Writer e-newsletter, which you should be signed up for, if you're not already. Click here to learn more about Erika, her awesome blog and newsletter, and her soon to be released short story collection, Quiet Americans that I can't wait to read.
Writing Adventure # 12
Sometimes you just get stuck. The ideas, for whatever reason, stop flowing. Your inspiration gauge is on empty. When that happens it is time to take an inspiration walk!
Inspiration walks are great because there's no pressure, no way to do them wrong and somehow they always manage to surprise you. Here's what you do: get outside and get moving. You can take the same old walk you take every day or you can go somewhere completely new. It doesn't matter. The only important thing is to leave everything you are worrying about at home! The worries cannot come with you. Then walk. Don't think. Just pay attention to your surroundings. And when you notice something interesting (it doesn't matter how crazy or insignificant it is) jot it down on a piece of paper or in a notebook. Once you jot it down, forget about it and keep walking. By the end of your walk you should have an interesting list of items. It may read like this:
- girl in red beret
- squirrel with no tail
- graffiti that reads "if the shoe fits, buy the other one"
- a falling leaf
- mean-looking old woman squatting on a bench
There will probably be a few items on that list that rub up against each other and spark an idea. And then you'll be writing again!
Inspiration walks are great because there's no pressure, no way to do them wrong and somehow they always manage to surprise you. Here's what you do: get outside and get moving. You can take the same old walk you take every day or you can go somewhere completely new. It doesn't matter. The only important thing is to leave everything you are worrying about at home! The worries cannot come with you. Then walk. Don't think. Just pay attention to your surroundings. And when you notice something interesting (it doesn't matter how crazy or insignificant it is) jot it down on a piece of paper or in a notebook. Once you jot it down, forget about it and keep walking. By the end of your walk you should have an interesting list of items. It may read like this:
- girl in red beret
- squirrel with no tail
- graffiti that reads "if the shoe fits, buy the other one"
- a falling leaf
- mean-looking old woman squatting on a bench
There will probably be a few items on that list that rub up against each other and spark an idea. And then you'll be writing again!
Quote
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle, the other is as though everything is a miracle."
~ Albert Einstein
~ Albert Einstein
Book Review: Creating Short Fiction
I already briefly mentioned Damon Knight's "Creating Short Fiction" in an earlier post while I was still reading it and said that I liked it. Well, I finished it and I like it a lot. This is an incredibly useful book on crafting short fiction. I think there is plenty in here for both the novice writer and the been-around-the-desk-a-few-times writer. There is a wonderful section explaining various different viewpoints and the advantages and disadvantages of each (that section alone may be worth the price of the book if you are particularly puzzled or interested in whether to go with a limited omniscient viewpoint, a detached viewpoint or a multiple-character viewpoint). There is also a great section on developing characters and good advice on what to do if your plot fizzles out.
This book does a great job of leading you from initial idea to finished story without being boring along the way. Also included are examples and exercises. I'm glad I read it.
This book does a great job of leading you from initial idea to finished story without being boring along the way. Also included are examples and exercises. I'm glad I read it.
Writing Adventure #11
Go to your favourite people watching place. It could be a park, coffee shop, the mall, train station - wherever. When you see someone interesting write a three sentence bio for them. Get creative! Here are a couple examples:
Steve is an ex-firefighter. He enjoys playing Scrabble and grooming poodles. Secretly he wishes he could do the tango.
Marcia loves cowboys and lemon meringue pie. In grade school she won a spelling bee contest. She has never learned how to walk in high heels.
Steve is an ex-firefighter. He enjoys playing Scrabble and grooming poodles. Secretly he wishes he could do the tango.
Marcia loves cowboys and lemon meringue pie. In grade school she won a spelling bee contest. She has never learned how to walk in high heels.
Week 98
Tyler stepped out into the Las Vegas sunshine thinking that had been easier than he had expected.
Random Exercise #33
I've been doing this for a couple of weeks now and I hesitate to throw this one out to you because it won't lead to you writing fiction (I don't think?). But it is turning out to be so much fun I decided to let you in on my new secret writing joy.
Confession: I'm not much of a journal writer. I go through fits and spurts with it. But I like the idea of having some sort of record of my life to look back on one day. So I started trying to sum of my day in one sentence. I figured one sentence was manageable. At first they were long and crazy. Things like: I went to visit my Mum today and when I stood up from her sofa my jeans were so covered in cat hair they looked like they were made of fun fur, not denim, and when I couldn't scrape it all off with her lint brush she accused me of not knowing how to work it properly and I said "Mum, if I figure out how to write a book I think I can figure out how to work a lint brush" but she looked doubtful and I felt like I was going to explode.
But now they are getting all Zen-like and poetic. I say things like: The sunset breeze calmed me into pink happiness. (Well, actually I made that one up - but that could be today's).
Anyway, if this appeals to you, I invite you to try it. It's fun!
Confession: I'm not much of a journal writer. I go through fits and spurts with it. But I like the idea of having some sort of record of my life to look back on one day. So I started trying to sum of my day in one sentence. I figured one sentence was manageable. At first they were long and crazy. Things like: I went to visit my Mum today and when I stood up from her sofa my jeans were so covered in cat hair they looked like they were made of fun fur, not denim, and when I couldn't scrape it all off with her lint brush she accused me of not knowing how to work it properly and I said "Mum, if I figure out how to write a book I think I can figure out how to work a lint brush" but she looked doubtful and I felt like I was going to explode.
But now they are getting all Zen-like and poetic. I say things like: The sunset breeze calmed me into pink happiness. (Well, actually I made that one up - but that could be today's).
Anyway, if this appeals to you, I invite you to try it. It's fun!
Confessions from the Desk
I just received the good news that a short story of mine is being published in the Fall 2010 issue of the New Plains Review! This acceptance letter came at a good time for me. My confidence, which even on a good day hovers around ankle-height, has lately dropped even lower. So it felt good to have a story accepted. It renews my energy for the grant application I am working on and makes me want to get back to work on those two short stories that are being stubborn about being written. And, of course, it helps keeps me going while I write novel #2.
I always thought having a novel published would bring me to a place of more confidence about my writing. I guess not, huh? It turns out these things really are more about the internal than the external.
I always thought having a novel published would bring me to a place of more confidence about my writing. I guess not, huh? It turns out these things really are more about the internal than the external.
Week 97
Gus was in his car, paused at a red light, when he saw his neighbour hobble out of the Pink Palace beauty parlour in tears.
Confessions from the Desk
Sorry for the lack of posts and new exercises lately. I'm up to my neck in work at the moment. The most pressing being a grant application that I am working on. Remember those two short stories that have been giving me grief lately? Well, I got a copy of Damon Knight's "Creating Short Fiction" and have been reading that. It is great (expect a proper review when I finish reading it) and has been giving me so many things to think about that I've actually gone back to the short story I wrote last winter and am now rewriting it! I confess I am getting a bit worried about this new trend of mine to spiral backwards through my work and rewrite it. I mean, how far is this going to go - will I start rewriting stories I wrote (and published) ten years ago? Somebody stop me if I try. The plan is to rewrite this story and submit it along with my grant application and then return to the two stories that I've been working on throughout this summer. That's the plan, anyway. We'll see how it works out.
Week 96
Every night for the last week Dan had promised himself before sitting down to dinner that he would tell Tina his news, but every night he had eaten quickly then bolted from the table with the words still locked in his chest.
Writing Adventure # 10
Take a walk around your neighbourhood. Pay attention to the litter. Yeah, I know this exercise is heavy on glamour, but it teaches you that everything has a story. If you find something interesting have a closer look - you don't have to touch it! I personally can't resist anything with handwriting on it, whether it is a shopping list, a torn bit of homework or, my favourite find, a letter! But it doesn't matter if all you come across is cigarette butts and used condoms (though I sincerely hope you live in a better neighbourhood than that!) Consider where this piece of trash came from. Who dropped? Did they do it deliberately, or by accident? What frame of mind were they in when they dropped/lost it? Where are they now? Write about it.
Book Review
I read a great book recently. It is called, "A Big New Free Happy Unusual Life: Self-Expression and Spiritual Practice For Those Who Have Time for Neither." Isn't that a fabulous title? I mean who doesn't want a big new free happy unusual life? It was written by Nina Wise and I hope she writes another book, that's all I can say.
It is a book about bringing creativity and spirituality into your ho-hum, busy, ordinary life. But why I really love it is, it teaches you that your life is actually a pretty extraordinary, fabulous, blessed place filled with wonder just as it is. Which means Nina Wise and I are on the same page, so to speak. You really don't need oodles of time, or to change yourself from top to bottom to be creative or to experience more joy and happiness in your life. It is all there just waiting for you to discover it, or rediscover it, actually.
This book is divided into chapters, each one focusing on a different way to express yourself creatively. There is a chapter on writing, but also one on singing, on dancing, on making art, on collaboration, even one on love-making! And scattered throughout the book are exercises. I have to say sky-gazing, which is a type of Buddhist meditation I had never heard of before, is my favourite.
It is an inspiring, interesting, thought-provoking, wise, funny book that I am already looking forward to rereading.
It is a book about bringing creativity and spirituality into your ho-hum, busy, ordinary life. But why I really love it is, it teaches you that your life is actually a pretty extraordinary, fabulous, blessed place filled with wonder just as it is. Which means Nina Wise and I are on the same page, so to speak. You really don't need oodles of time, or to change yourself from top to bottom to be creative or to experience more joy and happiness in your life. It is all there just waiting for you to discover it, or rediscover it, actually.
This book is divided into chapters, each one focusing on a different way to express yourself creatively. There is a chapter on writing, but also one on singing, on dancing, on making art, on collaboration, even one on love-making! And scattered throughout the book are exercises. I have to say sky-gazing, which is a type of Buddhist meditation I had never heard of before, is my favourite.
It is an inspiring, interesting, thought-provoking, wise, funny book that I am already looking forward to rereading.
Confessions from the Desk
Remember that short story I was having difficulty with and switched from third person to first person on? And remember how happy I was with the switch? Well...(and you just know where this is going, don't you?) After a two week vacation I came back to my desk, reread the story (both versions) and decided they were both crap. That was on Monday. For the rest of the week I have been working on novel #2 and ignoring my short story. It is bobbing around in the back of my mind where I am sure it will emerge one day and command me to grab my pen. So much of the writing process is about patience and trust, I find.
(*An interesting thought just occurred to me. I always used to write my first drafts in longhand, even for my first novel, but lately I have been working directly on my laptop. Maybe I should try drafting that short story in longhand and see what emerges? Hmmmm.)
(*An interesting thought just occurred to me. I always used to write my first drafts in longhand, even for my first novel, but lately I have been working directly on my laptop. Maybe I should try drafting that short story in longhand and see what emerges? Hmmmm.)
Quote
This is from a Paris Review interview with John Cheever.
Interviewer
What is your definition of a good editor?
John Cheever
My definition of a good editor is a man I think charming, who sends me large checks, praises my work, my physical beauty and my sexual prowess, and who has a stranglehold on the publisher and the bank.
Interviewer
What is your definition of a good editor?
John Cheever
My definition of a good editor is a man I think charming, who sends me large checks, praises my work, my physical beauty and my sexual prowess, and who has a stranglehold on the publisher and the bank.
Musings from the Desk
Sometimes I get asked why I write. It is one of those questions that simultaneously has no answer and a thousand answers. In the beginning I just wrote. It was that simple. I reached for a pen and words poured out of me. I didn't think about it much. But eventually even I began to wonder why I was spending so much time and effort on this odd, frustrating, wonderful, rewarding, exhausting, exhilarating thing called writing.
I decided my one tiny little life is simply not enough for me. I am greedy. I want to experience so many things: I want to be young, old, a woman, a man, an labourer, a socialite, a hermit, a movie star, an astronaut, a deep sea diver, a king, a queen and the court jester. And alone with just my pen and a pad of paper I can be all these things and more.
I decided my one tiny little life is simply not enough for me. I am greedy. I want to experience so many things: I want to be young, old, a woman, a man, an labourer, a socialite, a hermit, a movie star, an astronaut, a deep sea diver, a king, a queen and the court jester. And alone with just my pen and a pad of paper I can be all these things and more.
Quote
"If you don't change the direction in which you are going, you will end up where you are headed."
~ Confucius
~ Confucius
Week 92
Detective Farrow had been on the force for thirty-three years and thought he had lost the ability to be shocked, but now stared in near disbelief at the gangly girl in front of him, before loudly clearing his throat and asking her to repeat what she had just told him.
Random Exercise # 31
Awhile back I introduced the idea of a prose haiku. I love the idea of a short story told in three sentences. I thought a theme might be a good idea to help get us started. So our theme is: reunions. Interpret it anyway you like.
Here's an example to help get you started:
She was walking on the beach when she spotted him, alone, leaning on the pier. Even after seventeen years his still handsome face was unmistakable. She watched him for as many minutes as she dared, her heart beating louder than the waves, and then turned, retracing her way back to the hotel with the knowledge that he would never recognize her in that instantaneous, aching way she had recognized him, pricking her every slow, hopeful step.
Here's an example to help get you started:
She was walking on the beach when she spotted him, alone, leaning on the pier. Even after seventeen years his still handsome face was unmistakable. She watched him for as many minutes as she dared, her heart beating louder than the waves, and then turned, retracing her way back to the hotel with the knowledge that he would never recognize her in that instantaneous, aching way she had recognized him, pricking her every slow, hopeful step.
Week 91
Stan looked around the hotel dining room and thought, not for the first time, that humanity was not at its best at breakfast time.
Musings from the Desk
I've been working on a short story lately that has been giving me a bit of trouble. For fun I decided to change the point of view. (It was in third person and I switched to first person.) I didn't have a plan in mind, I just started rewriting it from the beginning, this time in the first person. Well! This character suddenly sprang to life. I found out more about him in an hour of writing like that than I had in the last few months. The plot line of the story still hasn't sorted itself out but for now I am going to keep things in the first person and see where they go. It might not work out in the end, it is still too early for me to tell, but I'm having fun with it again.
Week 90
My mother, bless her soul, always said you should never make serious decisions when you're angry.
Random Exercise #29
Let's continue exploring our five senses more fully. For this exercise (and it's a sexy one) I want to focus on taste. Does anything say summer quite like watermelon on your tongue? Taste (and smell, but we'll concentrate on that one another day) are both intimately linked to our memories. Think about your favourite foods as a kid. Though you may have outgrown Fruit loops in chocolate milk, the memory immediately takes you back to the rough nub of the sofa fabric as you watched cartoons in your pyjamas.
I don't think food is used enough in fiction. You can learn a lot about a character if you know what their favourite foods are. A character whose favourite meal is hot dogs smeared in Cheese Whiz, washed down with a root beer float is a lot different from a character that eats tofu and sprouts while sipping organic carrot juice. So if you're having trouble bring your characters to life you might want to give some thought as to what is in their refrigerator. Even if these details don't make it into your fiction if helps bring the character alive.
For this exercise I'd like you to grab some fruit. Something bite-sized like strawberries would be great. But anything will do. The trick here is I want you to eat it with your eyes closed. Slow down. How does it taste? And don't just say - sweet. Does it taste like a red star bursting on your tongue? How does it feel? I told you this was a sexy exercise. Don't think, just write down your first impressions. Get it down before your brain starts censoring itself. You don't ever have to tell anyone what strawberries felt like on your tongue as you ate them blindfolded on your back porch in the full heat of summer.
I don't think food is used enough in fiction. You can learn a lot about a character if you know what their favourite foods are. A character whose favourite meal is hot dogs smeared in Cheese Whiz, washed down with a root beer float is a lot different from a character that eats tofu and sprouts while sipping organic carrot juice. So if you're having trouble bring your characters to life you might want to give some thought as to what is in their refrigerator. Even if these details don't make it into your fiction if helps bring the character alive.
For this exercise I'd like you to grab some fruit. Something bite-sized like strawberries would be great. But anything will do. The trick here is I want you to eat it with your eyes closed. Slow down. How does it taste? And don't just say - sweet. Does it taste like a red star bursting on your tongue? How does it feel? I told you this was a sexy exercise. Don't think, just write down your first impressions. Get it down before your brain starts censoring itself. You don't ever have to tell anyone what strawberries felt like on your tongue as you ate them blindfolded on your back porch in the full heat of summer.
Confessions from the Desk
Maybe it's the heat but my mind has been mush the last few days. I've been trying to draft a new short story but it's been like watching a chicken try to fly. You can see it wants to get off the ground, but you know it's just not going to happen. So between writing sentences, then deleting them, and staring out the window, I've been making up words. One in particular I'm finding very useful: netnesia. Netnesia is when you're on the internet and you know you wanted to look something up, but damn if you can remember what it was. So you pleasantly waste oodles of time surfing, looking at all sorts of other stuff, then finally give up, switch off your computer and presto! - you suddenly remember the website you were so desperate to check out. So, you had netnesia.
Now this could be one of those cases when I think I've come up with something, but everyone else had known about it for years. So if that's the case with netnesia don't burst my bubble. My day has been hard enough already. I'm not even going to Google "netnesia" to see if anything comes up. I'd probably forget to anyway.
I hope at your desk the words are flowing for you.
Now this could be one of those cases when I think I've come up with something, but everyone else had known about it for years. So if that's the case with netnesia don't burst my bubble. My day has been hard enough already. I'm not even going to Google "netnesia" to see if anything comes up. I'd probably forget to anyway.
I hope at your desk the words are flowing for you.
Week 89
It was early in the morning on the first day of Melanie's vacation when she got the idea to remove, or cover up, every mirror in the house for a month.
Writing Adventure # 9
On our last writing adventure I sent you out to explore the world using all five of your senses (you can read that post here). For this exercise I'd like to invite you to do the same thing but if you went outside last time, this time try a spot indoors. Try going to a mall, a train station, a library. And if you stayed indoors last time, then here's your opportunity to put your senses to work outdoors. Go to a park, along a beach or through a forest. Wherever you go experience it with all your senses and then write a description of it.
(This weekend is another 3 day yoga teacher training intensive for me. That means 9 hours each day of yoga - though some of it is lectures and anatomy stuff. But there's enough yoga to leave me aching, trust me. Anyone got a surefire way of soothing sore muscles? Now would be the time to share it with me! Have a great weekend and I'll be back the start of next week.)
(This weekend is another 3 day yoga teacher training intensive for me. That means 9 hours each day of yoga - though some of it is lectures and anatomy stuff. But there's enough yoga to leave me aching, trust me. Anyone got a surefire way of soothing sore muscles? Now would be the time to share it with me! Have a great weekend and I'll be back the start of next week.)
Week 88
Wonderfully, Tony only knew three things about Donna when he married her: she was ticklish, allergic to cats and baked the best lemon meringue pie he had ever tasted.
Confessions from the Desk
I am one of those contrary sorts of writers (I'm not a contrary person, mind you, just a contrary writer). When I am working on a first draft I grumble to myself and wish I were in the final stages of editing, fine tuning the whole piece until it sings. But when I am editing (you guessed it) I wish I were in the throws of writing a first draft, the words flying from me, every twist in the plot opening up new vistas of possibility.
(This yoga teacher training course is absolutely killing me, by the way. But I did learn from the chiropractor who taught the anatomy part of my course that the top four vertebrae in my neck are almost completely locked. I need to get it x-rayed and then worked on. When the good doctor told me it felt like my neck had been like this for years and asked what had happened to it I said I had no idea. I didn't mention the fact that since I've been able to read and write I have rarely lifted my head up! It has either been bent over a book or bent over a desk. Maybe when I become a yoga teacher I should offer classes to writers and other bookish types to save the necks of the book world!).
(This yoga teacher training course is absolutely killing me, by the way. But I did learn from the chiropractor who taught the anatomy part of my course that the top four vertebrae in my neck are almost completely locked. I need to get it x-rayed and then worked on. When the good doctor told me it felt like my neck had been like this for years and asked what had happened to it I said I had no idea. I didn't mention the fact that since I've been able to read and write I have rarely lifted my head up! It has either been bent over a book or bent over a desk. Maybe when I become a yoga teacher I should offer classes to writers and other bookish types to save the necks of the book world!).
Random Exercise # 28
Pretend that you are an advice columnist. Yes, you! Your advice! Your opinions! Can you think of a better gig than that? I really think that would be a fun job so if anyone needs an advice columnist - please contact me!
For this exercise you get to write the questions and the answers. Have fun. And if you've got any great real life advice column stories, drop me a comment. I'm feeling voyeuristic.
For this exercise you get to write the questions and the answers. Have fun. And if you've got any great real life advice column stories, drop me a comment. I'm feeling voyeuristic.
Secret Journal Exercise # 11
Pick a famous person from history. Who is it that obsesses you, intrigues you, fascinates you? Is it Cleopatra? Bluebeard? Gandhi? Pick someone and write an entry in their secret journal.
Week 86
My recently deceased husband, widely regarded to be one of the greatest writer's of his generation, began his career with a two thousand page piece of drivel about the history of civilization told entirely from the point of view of a tree and ended it with a novel just seventeen sentences long, which many people foolishly believe provides answers to every spiritual and existential question that has ever gripped the human heart or mind.
Quote
"To be nobody but myself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make me somebody else - means to fight the hardest battle any human can fight, and never stop fighting."
~ e.e. cummings
~ e.e. cummings
Random Exercise #27
It has been a busy week. I had a grant application due on Tuesday and tomorrow (Friday) I start a yoga teacher training course (and have to get up at 5:00am - yikes!). But I didn't want to leave you without a little inspiration for the weekend. So...
Use these three words in a short story: pizza, guru, sprint.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Use these three words in a short story: pizza, guru, sprint.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Book Review: Creating a Life Worth Living by Carol Lloyd
You know how it is: you're an artist but you never make enough money (or any money) from your art and you get one crappy job after another that you hate every minute of. Sound familiar? Seriously, the title of my memoir could be: "One Crappy Job After Another". (Am I the only person who is constantly coming up with wacky titles for memoirs I'll never write?) Well, I've discovered a terrific book by Carol Lloyd called "Creating a Life Worth Living" that is a career manual for creative folks. It is filled with great ideas and advice to help you build a life that you won't have to force yourself out of bed every morning to face.
In addition to the advice, there are also interesting exercises that I have actually completed. (I usually skip the exercises in this type of book because they often seem lame or like filler to me, but these I've found have actually helped me to clarify certain things about what sort of work suits me best.) There are also some terrific interviews with artists from various disciplines - the writer Mary Gaitskill is interviewed, for example. If you're still searching for work that allows you to focus on your art and doesn't drive you nuts, this is definitely a book worth reading.
In addition to the advice, there are also interesting exercises that I have actually completed. (I usually skip the exercises in this type of book because they often seem lame or like filler to me, but these I've found have actually helped me to clarify certain things about what sort of work suits me best.) There are also some terrific interviews with artists from various disciplines - the writer Mary Gaitskill is interviewed, for example. If you're still searching for work that allows you to focus on your art and doesn't drive you nuts, this is definitely a book worth reading.
Week 85
I knew the moment the words left my lips and hit the air between us that I had just uttered the stupidest thing a man had said to a woman since Adam complained to Eve about her cooking and demanded something new for dinner.
Random Exercise #26
I love reading personal ads. Admit it, so do you. Have you ever written one? Would you like to? For this exercise I'm going to create a few characters and you can write a personal ad in their voice. Or feel free to create your own characters. But if you need some inspiration...
Character #1
Jocelyn works in a flower shop. She is thirty-six, has never been married and lives alone. Her passions are detective novels, black and white movies and building kites which she likes to fly on Sunday afternoons in the park near her apartment when there is enough wind. It is her dream to one day see the ocean (any ocean will do).
Character #2
Jake is a butcher. He has been married and divorced twice, both times to the same woman. He enjoys playing cards, barbecuing and watching TV sitcoms from the
1970s. "Three's Company" is his all time favourite TV show. If he had all the courage in the world he would be an Elvis impersonator, but the closest he has ever gotten to that dream is dressing up as the King on Halloween.
Character #3
Martha is pretty sure she has the most boring job in the world. She works for an insurance company processing claims. In her spare time she studies belly-dancing and teaches her pet parrot new words. It currently has a vocabulary of sixty words, which is more than some of the men Martha has dated. She loves Chinese food and cupcakes. Since she was thirteen-years-old she has saved every fortune from every fortune cookie she has ever eaten. She keeps them in an old cigar box that once belonged to her father.
Character #1
Jocelyn works in a flower shop. She is thirty-six, has never been married and lives alone. Her passions are detective novels, black and white movies and building kites which she likes to fly on Sunday afternoons in the park near her apartment when there is enough wind. It is her dream to one day see the ocean (any ocean will do).
Character #2
Jake is a butcher. He has been married and divorced twice, both times to the same woman. He enjoys playing cards, barbecuing and watching TV sitcoms from the
1970s. "Three's Company" is his all time favourite TV show. If he had all the courage in the world he would be an Elvis impersonator, but the closest he has ever gotten to that dream is dressing up as the King on Halloween.
Character #3
Martha is pretty sure she has the most boring job in the world. She works for an insurance company processing claims. In her spare time she studies belly-dancing and teaches her pet parrot new words. It currently has a vocabulary of sixty words, which is more than some of the men Martha has dated. She loves Chinese food and cupcakes. Since she was thirteen-years-old she has saved every fortune from every fortune cookie she has ever eaten. She keeps them in an old cigar box that once belonged to her father.
Musings from the Desk
Recently, I received an email from an editor. He was the editor of a a fairly new literary magazine that shall remain nameless. I had sent them a short story and he wrote to tell me how much he loved my story. In fact, it was one of the best pieces the magazine had received so far, he said. He then told me they would be making their final decisions soon.
Three days later I received a standard "thank-but-no-thanks" rejection email from the magazine.
A long time ago I decided as a writer that I wouldn't let myself get too upset by rejection, and I also wouldn't let myself get too caught up in any praise that might come my way. It made sense to me that if I wasn't going to pay much attention to one then I couldn't place too much importance on the other, either. This practice has stood me in good stead, though it is not always easy to stick to. It is tempting some days to hide under the covers after a stinging rejection, or to start chanting, "I am the greatest" after a good review. But I try to keep my focus on the page, on whatever I am writing. I prefer to pour my energy into my work rather than into trying to figure out how good or bad of a writer I might be. I'll leave that up to others to decide.
Although it seems they're having trouble figuring that one out as well.
Three days later I received a standard "thank-but-no-thanks" rejection email from the magazine.
A long time ago I decided as a writer that I wouldn't let myself get too upset by rejection, and I also wouldn't let myself get too caught up in any praise that might come my way. It made sense to me that if I wasn't going to pay much attention to one then I couldn't place too much importance on the other, either. This practice has stood me in good stead, though it is not always easy to stick to. It is tempting some days to hide under the covers after a stinging rejection, or to start chanting, "I am the greatest" after a good review. But I try to keep my focus on the page, on whatever I am writing. I prefer to pour my energy into my work rather than into trying to figure out how good or bad of a writer I might be. I'll leave that up to others to decide.
Although it seems they're having trouble figuring that one out as well.
Week 83
Eventually everyone arrives at that heart-faltering moment when they must decide whether or not to attend their high school reunion.
Eugenides Alert
If you, like me, am a Jeffrey Eugenides fan then get yourself over to the New Yorker's website where his latest short story is online. Check it out here. (It's good - I read it last night.) I hope he's got a new novel coming out soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
