… is to finish revising!

Between now and the New Year, I’ve got a lot going on. Not only will I be spending time with family and friends, next week also is the last week before my self-imposed revision deadline. That’s right: by January 1, I’m hoping to finish revising my book.

So rather than blog during the last week of December — when few of you will read blogs anyhow — I’m going to focus on my book. That means no posts until 2010.

See you then! And for now… HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Photo courtesy SXC.

It’s only a few days before Christmas, but plenty of folks are still making crucial buying decisions for writers and editors! In this light, I asked friends and members of my social networks what they desired most for a holiday gift.

The answers reflect the lifestyle of a writer, often touching on the need for solitude and concentration, or the need to replenish oneself after a period of writing in solitude.

Enjoy peeking at their wish lists!

Gifts with muscle

“A gift certificate for an hour-long massage is always a good choice, especially for artists who spend many hours hunched over their keyboards.”
— Sarah Quigley, author, “TMI”

***

Out and about
“I may not be the norm here, but a lot of writers, like myself, work alone out of their home. The gift I would love is something that gets me out of the house and away from my computer — a little break in the action.

“(I’d love) a gift certificate for a spa treatment, manicure/pedicure, cooking class, wine tasting, or yoga/Pilates class. Even just a gift certificate for a local coffee shop (would be nice), so I can work away from my house and at least be around other people!”

— Kami Gray, author of “The Denim Diet: Sixteen Simple Habits To Get You Into Your Dream Pair of Jeans”

***

Handmade is heart made

“If someone has made something creative (written a book, put out a music CD, sewn pillows, whatever), I would love to have one of those things, of course!

“Otherwise, any gifts I receive, I love to be handmade . . . not mass produced in China. (I love Chinese people, so handmade authentic Chinese things are OK!)”

— Margaret Scheirman, copywriter and ESL professional, Twin Cities (Minn.) area

***

A laptop of one’s own

“My inner writer would like her very own red laptop so she can take it to the bathroom, lock the door, put in earplugs, and write for 5 whole minutes STRAIGHT!  I also want that pen set that’s been advertised in the wee hours of the night … the one you can throw at a dartboard and then write with.

“I’d also like some good article ideas.  And all regional parenting magazine editors could give me the gift of publishing any of my reprints in 2010 and also pay me $1,000 per article! (I can dream, right?)”

—   Kerrie McLoughlin, freelance writer and author of The Kerrie Show blog

***

Time after time

“What I really want as a writer is the gift of time to write, and the mental space to do so. I can think of nothing so precious as time spent diving into writing my novel.”

— Beth Barany, writing coach and author of “The Writer’s Adventure Guide”

***

Mentor me

“My ‘inner writer desires for the holidays this year’ would have to include time, for sure, and the creation of an all-in-one place to do my writing, since we’ve been under construction and I had the election and stuff has just been EVERYWHERE so it’s been very chaotic.

“But what I think I most desire as a writer would be to have a mentor-mentee relationship with another writer who could help me put together and pursue some ideas I have for larger writing projects. It’s not so much that I don’t have the confidence to do it, but I’m all about the research before the jumping off the cliff and rely on the experience of others to help me understand what I’m getting into. If I knew that at least once a month, a writer I admire who has succeeded in the past would spend an hour or two with me and help kind of coach me, that would be a great gift to me at this point in my writing.”

— Jill Miller Zimon, freelance writer, author of  the “Writes Like She Talks” blog, and newly elected city council member in Pepper Pike, Ohio

***

Reaching for “the remote”

“I would like three days/nights at a remote cottage near a stream so that I could focus completely on my writing. NO internet, NO television, just a plug for my laptop, a bed, and a rock in the middle of the stream for sitting and pondering. A hot tub would be okay for nighttime soaking.”

—Bill Konigsberg, sports journalist, blogger, and author of the young-adult novel “Out of the Pocket”

***

The Question to You

What does your inner writer or editor desire for a holiday gift? Tell us in the comments field below.

Yay! I am a happier girl today. My manager has approved a proposal that we change the work hours in our department from five eight hour shifts a week to four ten hour shifts.

A third day off a week! My commute is so long and I’m so often late off, that I rarely write on work nights. Extended shifts won’t lose me any writing time. But with all of another day free, I’ve simply got no excuse not to spend it writing.

I need the extra time, as I’ve realised I probably should totally redo most of what I’ve written so far on Luk and Emma. My pacing is soooooooooooo sloooooooooooow.

I have too many scenes where not enough happens. Too many scenes that go on for too long. Poor transitions where I just write too much.

Not quite sure how to fix it yet. I just know that it’s not working as well as it could.

I took off Friday afternoon to begin to cull journals and diaries from 1983 to the present for worthy entries.  I’ve used transcription software rather than prop them open and type them.  This emulates thumbing through and reading the better entries to a close friend or my children, for whom I hope to compile a significant amount of this material and possibly have it bound and printed. 

I’ve spent my writing energy over the years keeping journals.  Effectively, I’ve no short stories, poems, or essays to show for all the hours I’ve spent writing and this is the raw material that may best reveal who I am in what I’ve written.

If these journals are the bulk of my effort, my children and friends may well want to read it.  Their choice.  But it’ll never get read otherwise.  If I don’t do it, the journals will be thrown out and the effort lost, or I’ll be unable to control what I wanted to convey and destroy the insignificant entries, which are the majority.

I’d like to share with them subjects like finding my birth parents, reactions to my adoptive mother’s terminal illness, struggles in jobs and with people, sketches, worlds internal, and the struggle with and recovery from my mental illness.  Similar to this blog.

This post may be slightly difficult to write, as for the past while every time I have sat down at the computer, the dog has decided that she must sit right on my lap and step all over the keyboard. She’s currently sitting on my lap chewing her Pepto, and I am trying to write this at arm’ length.

However, I’ll soldier on. Last post I left off I said that I was going to go straight away and start writing. And I actually did! Not a huge amount, but a good couple of pages. Since this it’s been difficult for me to get myself motivated, I am going to take it.

And you know what – it rocked! I felt super free to just write whatever I had in my head. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but that doesn’t matter. I was doing it, and that is the big part.

I’m going to work on keeping any preconceived notions about WHAT exactly I’m writing at bay – not worry about what genre it would be, or who would be its target audience, etc.

My motto for the next while: JUST DO IT.

My head is full of a wide assortment of various ideas, schemes and daydreams these days. Even more than usual, if that’s actually possible. A and I are planning on buying a place in the next year, and so I have been consumed by looking at potential houses or condos, planning out what kind of home exactly we should by, how we’ll afford it, where it will be, etc.

Since we aren’t planning on officially starting to look for several more months, this is a little ridiculous. If I don’t control myself soon, I’m going to go crazy.

I have also, of course, been plotting out ideas for stories, articles, and blog posts. I’ll lie awake after A has fallen asleep and think about how best to work out a character’s motivations, how to get to know her, and what she would do in the story that I have floating on the edges of my mind. Despite that, I haven’t yet actually started writing anything.

A and I are also thinking about collaborating on a children’s book. I would write the story and he would illustrate it. It’s going to be about the ducks at Beacon Hill Park, but I haven’t yet decided on the story, or exactly which age it will be targeted to.

I have also been really toying with the idea of getting my real estate license. This has occurred to me before, but I’ve always pushed it away, thinking that I wasn’t willing to forgo my communications career or writing for real estate.

This time, though, the idea doesn’t seem to want to get put aside quite so easily. I think it is something that I may actually pursue. I have decided that since being a realtor is basically owning your own business, I could set my own schedule and how much time I would commit to it. That way, I wouldn’t necessarily have to give up my other passions. Plus, since the income isn’t set (especially in the beginning), I would still have a bit of money coming in reliably.

I’ve learned that that is something that is big for me. I am a curious, easily distracted person, and despite my best intentions I don’t know if I can really see myself sticking with the same job day in and day out for the rest of my career. I am interested in too many things, and despite being perfectly happy at my current job, and not wanting to leave it at all, I keep finding myself pulled in other directions.

My hope is that I can do it all (isn’t that the goal of every 21st century gal?). I’d like to work part time in communications/public relations, and also work in real estate. Really, I don’t think as industries they are that different. And I will always be a writer in my soul, so no matter what I do for the rest of the day, that will always be a part of my daily life.

In fact, you know how a few minutes ago I said that I hadn’t actually started working on that story that has been rattling around in my head? Consider it old news. I’m going to start now.

Hopefully I can actually get some work done before some other idea hangs its carrot in front of me and lures me away.

I haven’t been posting much lately. This is because I have been trying to work out for myself what I want the focus of this blog to be. Its purpose. Its raison d’etre, if you will.

Last week, I was lucky enough to attend the annual “Beyond the Hype” conference put on by the Vancouver Island chapter of the Canadian Public Relations Society. There were a whole host of fantastic presenters, who were all inspiring and thought-provoking.

One presenter who was especially interesting (and relevant to my current conundrum) was Alexandra Samuel, CEO of Social Signal. Her presentation was all about using social media effectively, and talked about the importance of finding your niche – the hook of your site.

Alexandra was great. She was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and helpful, but I have to admit that following her talk, I was left even more unsure. Her insights were phenomenal, but were focused around an established business, which wants to capture the possibilities of these new platforms. Since I am just a chick trying to figure out what I have to say, establish my own voice, and expand on my current opportunities, I was left feeling even more confused.

But then, as the last presenter of the day, I got to listen to Rob Cottingham, a stand-up comic as well as the co-founder and president of Social Signal. He was fabulous. Yes, he was funny, but he was also touchingly honest about what he sees as the true possibility of social media.

Rob believes that, amid all the chatter about blogs, twitter, wikis and the like, the inherent point of social media is obvious – its “social-ness.” What is so wonderful about the possibilities that these various platforms open up for us is that they allow creative self-expression.

Thanks to social media (and blogs just like this one), anyone is able to express themselves creatively, and connect and share with other people. And that, despite what it means for the number of blogs and tweets out there about what so-and-so did last night at the bar, or how that burrito you just ate is making you gassy, is a beautiful thing.

You know,

there comes a point in every writer’s life when it’s time to float that basket. What I mean is, if you’ve written your story, edited it, tweaked it, listened to your critique buddies’ advice, edited again, prayed, battled depression that it might never sell, battled insomnia because you know it’s time to send it out…if you’ve finished the thing, it’s time for that baby to go!

Are you with me?  Then read more here:

http://ritahubbard.com/2009/float-that-basket

Best wishes and happy writing,

Rita Lorraine

Hello Everyone,

Just thought I would drop a line and explain some of the publishing terms and abbreviations you may see when you are conversing with writers, editors or publishers.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, however, it is important that you’re familiar with these words. I’ll add to it whenever the occasion arises.

Here goes (By the way, you’ll find out soon enough that this is in no particular order…so spare me a little folly):

http://ritahubbard.com/2009/know-your-vocabulary

Best wishes and happy writing,

Rita Lorraine

In my quest to become comfortable writing fiction – or even just writing genres and forms that I am not used to – I have collected a mini-reference library. I hope to also add to this library as time goes on, but at the moment, it’s quite limited. Before you say anything, I do realize that READING about writing is not actually the same as writing, and is sort of just another way to procrastinate.

However, it’s my nature to try to prepare as much as I can for things I work on, and I am all about research and learning, so I figure it can’t hurt too much if I read up on writing WHILE actually working on my own stuff.

So, here’s a rundown of what is in my tiny library at the moment:

“Characters and Viewpoint” by Orson Scott Card—part of the Elements of Fiction Writing series

The back says that this book will help teach me to:

• Make characters show who they are by the thing they do and say, and by their individual “style.”
• Develop characters readers will love—or love to hate.
• Distinguish among major characters, minor characters and walk-ons, and develop each appropriately.
• Choose the most effective viewpoint to reveal the characters and move the storytelling.
• Decide how deeply you should explore your characters’ thoughts, emotions and attitudes.

“Becoming a Writer” by Dorothea Brande, with forward by John Gardner

This book was originally published in 1934, and was based on Brande’s creative-writing classroom in the 1920s. A blurb from the back…

“Becoming a Writer is Brande’s legacy to all those who have ever wanted to express their ideas in written form. A sound, practical, inspirational, and charming approach to writing, it fulfills on the expectation in her introduction: ‘This book, I believe, will be unique… I think there is such magic and that it is teachable. This book is all about the writer’s magic.”

“Fiction Writer’s Workshop” by Josip Novakovich

This one seems most like an actual workshop in a book, which I am excited about. It includes:

• More than 100 writing exercises, that challenge you to experiment with diverse writing styles.
• Specific statements of purpose for each exercise to help guide you and instruct you at every step of the creative process.
• Self-critique questions to help you assess your work and identify strengths and weaknesses before moving to the next lesson.
• The full text of eight acclaimed short stories, with analysis and exercises to provide models for your own writing and help reinforce the lessons you’ve learned.

This will probably be the one that I try first. I’ll let you know how it goes!

“Pilgrims” by Elizabeth Gilbert

Ok, so this one isn’t actually a “writing” book, per se. It’s a collection of short stories by the author of Eat, Pray, Love – one of my favourite books. However, I bought it at the same time as I bought the others, and was hoping to use it to inspire me and help me learn a bit more about a really good short story.

I have a short story working around in my head that I am going to finally start working on. It’s loosely based on an experience that I had years ago, that I have thought would make an interesting start for a story ever since. Wish me luck!

Hi Everybody,
I just had to share this wonderful post with you. Did you know that editors have their own secret language? They do, and if you don’t know it, the things you say when you’re trying to get published may make you sound like a stark-raving lunatic!

Don’t miss this helpful and hilarious article by author Kit Whitfield. She calls it:

The Publisher Dating Dictionary.

http://www.kitwhitfield.com/publisherdating.html

Thank you, Kit!

Best wishes and happy reading,

Rita L.

I have a confession to make. You know all that talk in my first post about working hard on my writing, and using this blog as a place to talk about my efforts, inspirations and troubles? Well, I haven’t actually started yet.

I have been thinking about writing – working out in my head what I want to write about, figuring how best to go about it, wondering how certain situations or images I encounter during the day would sound on the page – but have yet to actually start doing the writing. My main roadblock, I think, is fear. I’m afraid that I won’t be any good, or that I will have no idea how to do it.

You see, I haven’t really written fiction, ever. At least not since I was ten years old and would hole myself up in my room, feverishly writing stories that I just knew would be read the world over. But at ten, you haven’t really developed your inner critic. That irritating girl inside your head who rolls her eyes when you start planning out the structure of your novel (“seriously, you think people will want to read that?!”).

My writing experience has all been non-fiction. I worked at a magazine for a couple of years, where I focused on news pieces, how-tos, profiles and features. I’ve done some freelance online writing for a couple of small businesses, and by day now I work in government communications. So not really a lot of short stories, novels or poems going on.

I have been too afraid to really try venturing over to the “other side” of the writing world. I’m determined to change that. Think of it as an early new year’s resolution. I’m going to structure my days so that I have a time set aside to work on my writing. I’m going to try to be fairly easy with myself on what I’m actually writing, as long as I’m writing it. (This goes back to the whole reason I’m writing this blog – to get myself actually doing some writing.)

I’ll try to post some of what I’m working on here. Please, just be kind when reading. Remember – I’m new at this!

‘Till tomorrow,

Laura

I have heard it said – if you take a million monkeys and place them in a large room with a million typewriters for a million years, one of them would eventually write a novel.

I am just one monkey with one typewriter so I gotta get clicking.

There are those of you who have that gift of sitting down at the keyboard and casually type out fifty words a minute with 99% accuracy and spend the rest of the day watching Oprah while snacking on Pringles.
The rst of us fight the keyboada at every word at it slick out speelng anf grammer eerrosa thatw never intended to put there. (That’s exactly the way I typed it. Now I havta go back and fix it.).

You are at a greater disadvantage if you are one of those few Americans who still have fulltime employment. Work takes time. Work consumes mental energy and physical resources. It’s nearly impossible to put out creative, imaginative work when you are exhausted from crunching numbers or dealing with personnel problems all day.

So, you have to find the time to write.

No Rules!

Years ago when I started reading books on writing and Writers Digest, I was informed by the experts, that to be a good writer you have to write at least an hour every day. I agree that most good writers, who have the time, will probably spend an hour or so putting out something. When I’m in the creative zone, I can expend five hours filling my screen with reasonably good prose.

At other times, I’ve had  nothing. This is worse, because I still have all those thoughts and outlines taking up disk space in my head?

When you have the time, get down to writing! As a self-published author, you probably don’t have an agent or editor with demanding lines. That’s good because it frees up your mind for creating good ideas, but bad because it’s easy to become lackadaisical.

Write when you can. If you can’t, keep filling your mental disc space with outlines and story ideas. Jot down a few notes. When your time comes to write you will be ready to sit hunched over in front of your keyboard expending countless hours on your best seller. Never give up and never quit!

Hi Everybody,

Just taking time out of my overwhelming, ever-expanding schedule to ask you a question. Question:   How in heaven (or hell) do you have time for all these social networks, and who in heaven (or, again, hell) needs them, anyway?

For me, social networking sucks like a yellow-bellied sap sucker sucking up sap.   (Disclaimer: It may be that yellow-bellied sap suckers do not care to suck up sap…or anything else, for that matter.  I mean, have you ever seen one suck up sap? Have you ever seen one at all????   I just needed a comparison, so there!)

Read the rest of this article here:

http://ritahubbard.com/2009/do-you-twit-face-link-digg-space-blog-serv

Best wishes and happy networking,

Rita Lorraine

I feel like such an imposter. All the other bloggers here (and probably the readers, too) have hectic lives – they get up before the sun rises, they have children to raise, and full-time jobs to work and houses to clean.

I used to think I was busy. I’m doing school by correspondence, so I can complete a whole bunch of subjects I couldn’t do at school. I’m constantly snowed under by work. I have a lot of responsibilities in my household. I run errands occasionally, speak to people on the phone, always seem to have something to do right now and can’t go out with friends.

I see now that I’m an imposter. I’m a lazy teenager. I’m not busy at all compared to you folks. Forgive me, please!

Now, for your edification, I present:

Making Time To Write – Tips For Lazy People (Yes, Me)

• Wake up an hour earlier, or stay up an hour later. If you’re lazy like I am, this will be difficult. If you’re extraordinarily busy, it will be pretty much impossible. But if you can do it, it’s really worth dedicating an hour at the start or the end of your day to writing, and nothing else.
• Blogging about writing is not writing. Neither is Facebook, Twitter or anything else you use as an excuse by saying you’re ‘networking’. Writing comes before this.
• Stop watching TV. Really, apart from the news, it’s a total waste of time. If you have favourite shows, watch them, but don’t watch the shows that are on before and after, because you’ll wind up sitting on the couch all evening when you could be writing.
• If writer’s block is making you procrastinate instead of writing write something different. Write an essay or a short story. Then come back to your novel. Honestly, I think a lot of writer’s block is just when there’s an obstacle in your story you can’t figure out. If you work on something else, you’ll probably have a fresh perspective when you return to your work-in-progress and you won’t have just avoided writing for a week (and said it was okay to yourself, because you were so busy).
• Do not play videogames at all. Okay, this is probably only a problem if you’re fifteen. But, seriously, it accomplishes nothing.
• Don’t write when hungry. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be thinking about food the entire time. And plot points will crop up that centralize about food. And you’ll be going, perhaps I should hav something to eat? Then you’ll leave and eat something and never return to your writing. Eat before you write. Sure, you can have all the time in the world to write, but it’s important to be productive during that time, and actually write something.
• Have someone to answer to. Promise a friend or fellow writer that you’ll email them a chapter a week, 10,000 words a month, etc. That way, they can email you and ask why you haven’t written anything. Fear of this email will force you to write. Do the same for them. (This is important if you don’t have any deadlines. If you have deadlines – like write article by this day, hand in rewrites by this day, then you should be writing anyway.) No more procrastination!
• Share your tips for making time to write! I actually have to go write something…

–
Steph Bowe
http://heyteenager.blogspot.com
http://stephbowe.com

Off for Columbus Day and spending the day w/ words.  A story unfinished for a year and having been developed for months before that.  And, of course, once enough time evolves, once you procrastinate the final phase, you end up with more ideas, new ones that occur, old ones that recur.

The day that might be spent completing the task becomes the assessment of how to begin to complete it.  Hence two years.

Today we are interviewing Kelly L. Stone, author of the fabulous new Thinking Write: The Secret to Freeing Your Creative Mind (Adams Media).  First of all, I have to say thanks to Kelly for giving me the ability to take a long, hot bubble bath with a glass of Pinot Grigio and some Aretha on the ipod without feeling mom-guilt. I’m not being lazy, I’m pursuing the muse through my hypnagogic state!  Now this is only one of the valuable tips you can learn from her book, gentle reader. Just a single idea like that would it worth your while – but it is chock full of ‘em!

      Let’s hear from Kelly about how to use our subconscious mind to jumpstart our writing and take us to the next level:

 SS: Kelly, tell us about your day-job and education, because I know that explains why you are the perfect person to write this book.

 Kelly:  Thank you so much for having me as a guest today! I have a master’s degree in counseling and am a licensed mental health therapist. I’ve been working in the field of psychology for 20 years.

 SS: And that leads us to Thinking Write. What is the premise of the book?

 Kelly:  I wrote THINKING WRITE as a companion to TIME TO WRITE, a book in which I tell aspiring authors that no matter how busy they are, they can always find time to write. After I finished that book a lingering question remained in my mind about how to best use the limited writing time people have available.  Everyone is so busy these days, and we all have to accommodate very limited writing periods around very busy lives.

 As a licensed mental health counselor, I have an understanding of how the mind works, and I wanted to know if I could translate that knowledge of the mind into a program for writers that would help them get into a creative state of mind quickly and easily in order to make the most use of sparse writing time.  The answer was yes, and that’s the premise of  THINKING WRITE –ways to quickly and easily access your subconscious mind, the seat of all creativity, for writing purposes.

 SS: What are these three different parts of the mind, and how do they affect our writing?

 Kelly: The conscious is your every day, thinking mind. It’s the part of your mind that is reading this blog right now. The conscious mind can only attend to one thought at a time. The preconscious is the second component to mind and it’s between the conscious and subconscious. It’s where the “anti-writer™” resides.  The subconscious is a vast, unlimited portion of your mind that is like a giant computer with multiple input sources. The subconscious mind’s ability to store all the details of your life, even those that escape your conscious mind’s field of attention, is what makes it such a powerful tool for writers.

 SS: So the subconscious is like a huge memory-bank of ideas, sensations, and emotions just waiting for us to use it.  Are there things we can do to get in touch with our subconscious mind while we write? Can you give us an example?

 Kelly: THINKING WRITE is chock full of ways to get in touch with the subconscious mind, and there is a CD included that helps you practice some of the techniques. One example of how to get in touch with the subconscious mind while you write is to write to music that is 60 beats per minute, such as Baroque music. Music that is 60 beats per minute has been documented to put the mind in an alpha state, which is conducive to creativity.

 SS:  I mentioned it already, and I think the hypnagogic state is vital to a writer. I’ve been using it without knowing what to call it!  Can you explain what it is and how we can work with it?

 Kelly: The phase just before full sleep is called the hypnagogic state; it is characterized by periods of fleeting altered consciousness in which, among other things, subjects that have no relation are perceived as associated. Many writers keep paper and pen beside the bed as a way to capture this unique material.You can also hold one arm straight up while dozing, too. The tension required to keep your arm up will keep you in that state between wakefulness and sleep.  When you start to drift off, roll over and write down whatever was going on in your mind at the time. It will usually be something very creative and unique.

 SS: Now, in reading the book, I found out about this “Anti-writer”. Can you tell our readers what it is, and how do we avoid it?

 Kelly: The anti-writer is in the preconscious, which is between the subconscious and conscious minds. It can actually thwart your goals at becoming a successful writer unless you control it. It manifests in the form of thoughts and feelings of negativity related to your abilities as a writer. One way to combat it is by keeping a notebook and writing down all negative thoughts you have about your abilities as a writer.

Write down all the ways you sabotage your own writing efforts–maybe you set aside time to write but when you get to your desk, you consistently draw a blank and don’t write anything, and never get a manuscript finished.  That’s your Anti-Writer™ at work.

After you have identified patterns of your Anti-Writer™, create on index cards countering statements to your Anti-Writer™ thoughts. For example, if something you think a lot is, “I never have time to write,” a countering statement can be,  “I know there is time in my day to write, and I will find it.” 

 SS: What is the CD that is included with Thinking Write?

 Kelly: The CD is four meditations written and performed by Robert M. Stone (www.unlearnsmoking.com) (no relation to me)– Robert is an expert in subconscious mind communication. The CD has 4 guided meditations that help you learn the various techniques in the book; one is on visualizing yourself giving the perfect pitch to an editor.

 SS: The book is fabulous, and I have been using some of the techniques you discuss already with my WIP. Any last thoughts about Tbinking Write to share with our readers?

 Kelly: Thank you! I’m so glad it’s helping you.  Some of the techniques in Thinking Write are very unique– I encourage everyone to try them all and then use the ones that resonate with you and enhance your creativity the most. There are a lot of different exercises in the book, so there’s something for everyone!

So there you have it, dear ones.  Straight talk from an expert about how to get at all those wonderful resources right there in your brain. So go get her book and get started!

One of the coolest parts of being at The Hambidge Center is learning about its history. Mary Hambidge (fascinating character) moved to these 600 acres in 1934 with a vision: to establish a place where artists could reflect, create and return to a way of living that was sustainable, good for the land and for us.

I feel that vision whenever I walk through the woods here, and not just because I often come upon stone ruins, old spring houses and other remnants of past life. I can think so clearly when I walk these trails alone. That’s what Mary wanted.

Cutting board in Son's Studio

But my five weeks here are almost over. So I’ve taken part in a Hambidge tradition, one that allows me to become part of The Center’s history. On the mantle in my studio are several cutting boards, each covered with the names of creative thinkers and artists who’ve spent time here. Each of Hambidge’s cottages has them. I’ve scoured the ones here in Son’s Studio, reading the names and the dates, which go back only as far as 1988.

One guy wrote “first novel” next to his entry. A sculptor noted, “I almost burned the place down.” But most residents just write what they are, what they worked on while they were here. Poet. Visual artist. Novelista. Photographer. Painter. Writer.

What I love about this place is you can be whoever you want to be, create whatever you want to create.

Under my name, I think I’ll write “journalist.” After five weeks here, my identity has blurred – got a little “artist” and “writer” in me now. But journalism is still at my core.

Wonder what I’ll call myself next time I come to Hambidge.

Mantle above the fireplace in Son's Studio at Hambidge

I’m still working on my book at The Hambidge Center. Only nine more days left of my residency! You requested more photos, so I’m sharing them today.

Rabun Gap, home of Hambidge, in the north Georgia mountains.

Artists take a break to play with clay.

Visit to Hambidge's grist mill. Grits, anyone?

Awesome farmer's market nearby has fabulous gourds!

One of about a dozen pottery kilns here at Hambidge.

My favorite place to sit: Circle of Hambidge rocking chairs.

Hambidge even has a huge Anagama, or Japanese kiln, which they fire several times a year. (Apologies for the jacket hanging in front.)

The Rock House, the main grounds.

Have a great weekend!

Hiya Freshman Writers! Hope this finds you well and writing.

Today’s post is about using your energy to write. I found that when I put on my headphones and listen to inspirational music, I really am charged and can focus on writing.  Freshman writers often have a difficult time figuring out how to find time to write.

Not all writers have a specific peak writing period. Some writers can focus best in the morning, while others are night writers. Lol. Still others are grazers and write in short spurts throughout the day. Other writers are weekend warriors and write during days off from a 9-5 gig. In her book “Time to Write,” Kelly L. Stone writes about how writers can find writing time no matter what kind of schedule or responsibilities they may have.  Stone interviewed 100 writers to get their input on how they and you Freshman Writers can find the time to write and get things done.   

When is your peak writing time? What helps you get the most out of your writing time? How do you get yourself into the groove to write? However you may answer, you can get insight as to your peak writing times and use that to get as much writing done as possible.

Happy Writing!

If I had the talent and the time. if. How dull.

The empty fascination with one’s own failures.

If I had the talent and the time. if. How dull.

The empty fascination with one’s own failures.