Tag: Reflections

  • Natural Inspiration

    This week I spent Thursday night at the Oregon coast. I live about 90 minutes away, but still only manage to make it to the beach two or three times a year. This trip the weather wasn’t particularly warm, but even fifteen minutes in front of the Pacific ocean still managed to make an impact.

    I don’t think I can adequately explain how much peace I find when I get into nature. Red Rock Canyon, the beach at Lincoln City, Multnomah Falls in the Columbia Gorge – it doesn’t matter where. When I let it in, something inside me just opens up. My morning pages become full of descriptions and images where wind and water and rock are living beings that interact with me.

    Even if that’s all it was – just fleeting moments when I feel connected to the world around me – it would be worth it. But it’s more than that. Making that connection stays with me, helps repair and restore the bridge that allows the words in my head to flow onto keyboard or paper.

    When was the last time you touched nature? Did you put your hands in the earth of your garden? Walk barefoot in the city park? Watch the sun on the water and listen to it rush against the shore? Feel the wind on your face while you packed a snowball?
    It doesn’t have to be a major event. Just get outside, and really open your senses to what’s around you. You’ll be glad you did.

  • Thoughts on The Artist’s Way

    In Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way”, one of the issues she brings up for blocked artists is poisonous relationships. They can come in many forms from a non-supportive parent or spouse to a jealous acquaintance who tears down your artistic attempts at every turn.

    Struggling with a bit of my own blight, I realize how fortunate I am. The gang here is wonderful, as well as others in my life, both on the internet and off. Even a coworker who knows of my passion for writing has expressed interest and gentle concern.

    As a result, I’m taking baby steps toward picking up the pen again. I owe a lot of thanks to the folks who have helped by giving me pressure free challenges. You gals rock!

    Is there anyone in your life who actively or passively sabotages your creativity? If so, I hope you’ll rethink your friendships and how you relate to family. I definitely recommend reading Cameron’s book and wish the best for you!

    Now I’m off to type up something I wrote during the wee hours of the night. The opportunity actually makes me grateful for a brief and rare bout of insomnia.

  • Wiley Wednesday: The Minutiae of the Mundane

    Every Wednesday, one of the writers of the Writer’s Retreat shares their thoughts on writing and the creative life. Topics range from how-to’s to inspirational thoughts about keeping the fingers moving on the page. This week, I wanted to share some more general thoughts about life and decisions about how to use one’s time on this plane. I hope you enjoy!

    “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” -Viktor E. Frankl

    I’ve been re-reading Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book, Simple Abundance, and a phrase jumped off the page at me: ‘the minutiae of the mundane.’ As in, “…a detective who searches through the minutiae of the mundane in hopes of finding clues for what was missing in her life.” (1995 edition, from Jan. 7 entry in daybook) It’s been my experience that the details are where “it” is at – that sense of peace, or of majesty, or of connection with the Universe, the Holy Spirit – whatever your name for it is. Call it the Tao, or ‘in the moment,’ but it’s in the mundane that we find it.

    Have you ever driven somewhere that you drive normally, and sort of ‘wake up’ at the other end not quite remembering how you got there? Or, while taking a shower, have you had the solution to a problem pop into your head? These sorts of mundane activities, the rote activities that make up our daily round, can give us a sense of routine and order if we let them. They can also be a source of drudgery or unpleasant duty, if we choose to let them. The trick is in deciding which we want to do. The laundry must be washed, and I have yet to meet a pair of self-brushing teeth – so these kinds of tasks are part of our rounds whether we like it or not.

    Today, I am reminded that “whether we like it or not” is an interesting phrase. I think it’s been used, for some of us anyway, as I way to brow-beat us into doing something for our own good or out of punishment: “You’re going to sweep this floor whether you like it or not!” “You’re going to do this homework whether you like it or not!” What if, instead of rebelling against these very routine tasks that won’t, after all, do themselves – what if we decide to love them a little and do them with a sense of gusto? Is there a way we can enhance our daily round so that instead of drudgery it becomes something of a glorying in our own abundance? After all, we must have clothes in order to have laundry; we must have a home in order to have to vacuum and dust; we must have food in order to have dirty dishes… These are all things that many people around the world do without on a regular, sometimes daily, basis. If we have these things, what if we allow our gratitude to be shown in the simple act of doing the tasks that maintain them with grace and enjoyment?

    In the path of doing these things with gusto, what if we kept note of those things which brought us happiness? For example, if we serve hot cocoa with marshmallows for dessert, or if we brought out the fancy china and made a special occasion out of dinner – maybe even use candlelight? We can note what things make us happy and then begin to incorporate them more into our daily round, creating a self-sustaining cycle. For me, it’s a box of tissues that makes me happy. I like having a box of tissues when I want to blow my nose. It feels decadent. This is because, for many years, I didn’t have the money to spend on tissues and I made due with toilet paper. Now, it’s become a habit not to buy boxes of tissue. What if I made that a priority for my weekly groceries? Did you know they now make all sorts of fancy tissue boxes? They don’t even cost much more than the el cheapo grande versions, but they come in colors and patterns and all sorts of things. There are special covers for tissue boxes, too, if I really wanted to go whole hog. Yikes!

    My point is, that some of the things that make us happy aren’t decadent and fancy and uber expensive. Sometimes, they’re just the small minutiae that surround us in our daily round, and they’re small touches we can add to our daily round to enhance it.

    After all, there’s not a do-over option to life.

  • Wiley Wednesday: Change, Cheese, and Conflict

    I’ve had the opportunity lately to come face-to-face with the Chinese symbol of opportunity = danger. In their written language, the symbol representing opportunity is the same as that for danger. The reasons are clear, but the emotional reality is something different – more gritty when we’re face-down in it, rather than when we’re observing it from outside.

    What’s this got to do with writing?

    Everything, and nothing.

    Typical Zen answer.

    Let’s explore why: some say that “Change is Constant.” A constant, we know from physics and chemistry, is something that doesn’t change, the thing in the equation we can depend on when we tinker with other elements in an experiment. So, change is constant. What does that mean to us mere humans as we attempt to live out our lives in perforce linear fashion, unable to teseract, as cats can? (No, really, cats can teseract – haven’t you ever seen your cat in a room when you swore he was in the room you just left? I rest my case…) What it means for us is that as we live, there are things outside our control that affect us – our jobs, our homes, our loved ones, and a host of other uncontrollable external events and influences.

    As we write, we learn to record what we see. Even fiction storytellers use the fodder from their daily round in their stories – else how could they create plausible characters that become, for the reader, real people? Change is constant, and change causes conflict – and conflict is what makes a good Story. Watching the change in our own lives can help us to create plausible change, and thus conflict, for our characters.

    There’s a popular management and business book called Who Moved My Cheese? (It’s even got its own website.) Personally, I hate the book, because I find it preachy and sanctimonious in tone. Its message, though, that change is constant and that learning how to navigate it can make us more versatile and agile in our work lives, is useful. Understanding the flows and ebbs of the world we’re in helps us to avoid the snags and pitfalls that inevitably come along or, if unavoidable, to handle them with grace, dignity, and professionalism. (And, truthfully, it’s not a bad idea to be familiar with the concepts in the book since many management folks are and it’ll give you a common language with them.)

    This can help our writing as well. Understanding that there are immutable currents in which your characters must swim can give your stories life. For example, if you are a cubicle submariner, then you understand the dehumanization that happens in cubicle farms. This can be applied in all sorts of venues in Story – from the workers in a Babylonian stable, to farm hands in the Old West, to the crew of a spaceship lightyears from civilization. The strange behaviors that crop up in such environments as compensation for their foreignness are sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, but can always lend veracity to our stories.

    And finally, we come to conflict. Is it inevitable? That’s a question for philosophers. In my experience, though, conflict – true, unavoidable rock-meets-hard-spot conflict – can sometimes be avoided, but not always. The trick is in recognizing when one cannot change the situation that caused the conflict, and to know when to back out and when to confront. Sun Tzu, the famous Chinese war scholar, said “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” In chess, the way to win is to play several moves out ahead of your opponent. And sometimes, the way to win, as in the movie Wargames, is not to play.

    All that said, conflict is what makes a story. After all, what would Romeo and Juliet be without the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues? Just another tale of two teenagers in love, they kiss, they break up, they Twitter about it, c’est fini. Instead, it takes on a family war of epic proportions and the two lovers are doomed – as are their families, until the deaths of the lovers ends the feud… Same goes for Hamlet. What would Hamlet be if his stepfather were a stand-up man? Conflict is what draws us. Look at all the reality TV shows, the talk shows, talk radio, newspapers, etc. After all, it would be a very boring news story to say “Diane woke up on Wednesday morning, took the train to work, and made her morning audit numbers.” We’d be left wondering why we should care about Diane. But if it becomes, “Diane took the train and saw a strange man watching her, one eye covered by a patch. At lunch, she saw him again from the window of the restaurant where she ate lunch with her colleagues. Did he follow her? Was he related to her lover’s wife? He looked a little like he could be her brother…” And voila, Story is born.

    If truth is stranger than fiction, then we benefit by watching for Truth in our daily round and reporting what we see.

    Changing names, of course, to protect the innocent.

  • Wiley Wednesday: Irreducible Minimums

    There’s an idea in piano instruction called the Irreducible Minimums. It’s the idea that there are certain things that one must do on a regular basis, those “at least” things that keep us with one foot in the water.

    As it relates to writing, there are certain things that we must do on a regular basis to keep the pump primed and the ideas flowing. But for each writer, those things are different.

    Here, then, is the List According to Noony (which is the only right list, you know…)

    1. Morning Pages

    Those of you who have been readers of mine for a while have heard me harp on this subject quite a bit. It bears repeating: Morning Pages work. They work because they keep the channel clear. They are the small step that leads to bigger steps.

    In case you haven’t been reading my material (and if not, you should feel very guilty and go fix that right now by reading everything) (from the beginning) (and making comments on each thing) what are Morning Pages? They are an idea from the genius mind of Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way and other books, and are three pages of longhand writing, done in the morning. They are hardest for writers, because our temptation is to write them. They aren’t meant to be fine prose, or even grammatically correct. In fact, one way to really get a lot out of them is to try to write them badly. Write them from the perspective of a child throwing a tantrum. Write them however you write them, but write them. Three pages of them. Every morning.

    2. Regular Sleep

    This may sound like a “duh” moment, but it amazes me how many people I know who don’t let themselves get enough sleep. They try to burn the candle at both ends and wonder why they’ve run out of wax. Stupid. Sleep is necessary for mammals. (In case you haven’t been paying attention, if you’re reading this, you’re a mammal.)

    3. Support

    This may sound foo-foo, but it’s critical. Studies have shown that people with extended networks of family and friends do better on all sorts of measurements from tests to longevity. Writing is a solitary activity, since it comes down to us with a pen or keyboard. But you do not need to be solitary to pursue it. There are all kinds of writing groups, online support, and other resources you can use to meet this basic human need.

    4. Practice

    In order to keep it going, and get better, storytellers need to practice. Experiment with new techniques, write to writing prompts, and keep your hand in. Blogs are a good way to keep it flowing and to get support, all at the same time.

    5. Write

    It may seem simplistic, but in order to keep writing, one must… write. It’s not hard.

    Of course, it ain’t easy, either…

    What are your irreducible minimums?

  • Starving Artist

    I was at a restaurant the other day with my partner when the wait turned into a longer ordeal than anticipated. I was not really surprised, as it was a new place. My first instinct happened to be leaving, too, but I didn’t want to be a spoilsport.

    So we waited. We waited for a table, we waited for service, then we waited a ridiculous amount of time for mediocre food. Somewhere during the period between sitting down and getting served, I was asked why I wasn’t writing. There is always some sort of writing material on my person, even if it’s a cheap pen and a scrap of paper. I don’t feel right without it.

    But do you know why I wasn’t writing? Because I was hungry. The old belly grumbled way too determinedly for me to focus on any kind of storytelling.

    I thought that was a funny sort of blessing. Of all the big issues that plague countless poor, blocked artists, my issue happens to have been a very brief one with biology.

    So, what stops you from writing or drawing or whatever it is that makes you feel personally productive? I doubt it’s your appetite for protein and carbohydrates. Do you suffer guilt over other things you think you “should” be doing? I say, go feed that creative hunger! Stop being a starving artist. Your whole being will thank you.

  • A Solitary Occupation?

    We’ve all seen it in the movies and read it in books: the time-worn image of a writer sitting down to his typewriter (or computer these days) to write a book.  The author is always alone, in a nifty little office with an old fashioned desk, a shelf full of books, a few quaint decorations, and a window with a lovely view. The setting outside the window varies, but the one thing always there is the idea of writing alone. How true is it?

    My best answer is it is and it isn’t. Writing, for the most part, can be a very solitary profession.  There is no substitute for physically sitting down, on your own, and getting the words on the page via whatever medium you use, be it typewriter, computer, or pen and paper. A s such,  no one can bring to life the stories in your head besides you. Time to focus, without distractions, is a must and this is best done alone. When we really get into the writing groove, when the words are flowing and the story is good, the characters alive, the least interruption, one phone call, can totally derail you. We need time with the people in our heads here, perhaps not the people in real life.

     But what about the other times? What about  the night last week when you had a sticky plot point and could have used some advice? What if you just received a revise & resubmit request and need an opinion on the notes? What if you need technical information on how to saddle a horse or make nitroglycerin (for example)? There is always  the internet for research but for other things — advice, sympathy, a pat on the back, or someone to cheer with — you need other writers.

    There is no substitute for having author friends to commiserate with you over a rejection, or look over your chapters to see what’s going awry, to cheer with you over your latest sale, or even talk shop with over your process. Some of us are lucky to have people locally for this whether it’s local writing groups or local chapters of national writing organizations.  Whether you have writers at hand or don’t, there is always the internet. Writing groups flourish online.  Forums, writing blogs, online chapters of organizations, the list is endless. Add in smaller crit groups that form among the patrons of these online groups and you can spend 24 hours a day socializing. It’s a wealth of knowledge, help, and much needed socialization with people who understand what it means to have imaginary people talking in your head.

     So back to my original question. Solitary or not? I can honestly say that I think this writing gig is the best of both worlds. Now I am back to my desk, and my window with the gorgeous view of the Montana mountains.

  • Blessed Being

    One thing the Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron has taught me is that I am very blessed with wonderful parents. Exercises meant to deal with issues like poisonous people in our lives, unhealthy attitudes toward a higher power, and financial issues have all pointed toward their nurturing, positive examples. A phone call Saturday night only reinforced that.

    Dad called to see how things are going. Often asking after my writing despite his disinterest in reading fiction stories, he expressed amusement over my various projects, none of the ones mentioned even involving writing, to the point I didn’t give him a chance to talk about himself much. Mom, for her part, could have complained endlessly about a broken rib. She didn’t, not even with a chronic disease adding to the mix. How can I complain after that?

    Instead, they inspire me to do things like email a favorite author. If I don’t hear back, I’ll presume he’s busy. Odds are, I will hear back because he’s already proven himself to be courteous and grateful, but my world won’t be shattered if he’s too busy. I have too much knowledge of the many more important things in life.

    So, while this is an intensely personal post, it’s also short. I just couldn’t resist sharing. Hopefully, I can hear about some similar joy in your life today. Blessings to you and yours!

  • Food For The Soul

    I’ll admit it. From the moment I saw the previews for the movie Julie & Julia, I wanted to see it. I cut my teeth on Julia Child’s PBS show. My grandfather was a fan and we rarely missed it. Years later, she did some shows with Jacques Pepin, another favorite chef of mine, and I was glued.

    I loved the movie. It tells the story of Julie Powell, a blogger who set out to cook her way through Child’s The Art Of French Cooking in one year. She had a lot of ups and downs but eventually made it, blogging all the way about her experiences. They interspersed the modern day story with episodes from Child’s life in France starting in the 1940’s when she began to pursue cooking and attended the prestigious Cordon Bleu school.

    It follows her life through the long road of writing the book with her collaborators, but more than this, it told the story of her life with her husband Paul. They led a close and touching life together, and a long one. And while I enjoyed the parts about Powell, I was far more drawn to the story of Julia’s life. She was strong-willed and determined and refused to give up her dream. Eventually she got exactly where she wanted. A great lesson in there for all of us.

    I also greatly enjoyed all the food talk in this movie. Yes, I am a foodie. I freely admit it. I should get a t-shirt to warn people so they won’t wonder when I am in a restaurant and admire the sauce or swoon over the way my dinner is arranged on a plate. My husband is just as bad. He has a habit of arranging things on plates and never fails to delight. I asked him once why he never became a chef and he replied that it would then become a job and not as much fun. I, on the other hand, have been a restaurant manager in one of my former lives. I did it all from bartending, to overseeing wait staff, to paperwork, to filling in on the line when we were short a cook. It was a fun, chaotic, and exhausting time but I’m glad I did it. I learned a lot about food and cooking.

    I suppose it hails back to my southern upbringing. Cooking was not something we did for utility purposes, it was a labor of love. We cooked in big batches, just in case anyone stopped in. We baked cakes and pies and delivered them to friends and neighbors ‘just because’. When tragedy struck, we were there with food so the family would be spared that job to focus on what was important. We believed that good food fed the soul.

    I still do. So, I’ve since pulled out my copy of The Art Of French Cooking. Once my current work in Progress is done, and the rush is over, I’m digging in.

  • Writer’s Block or Artistic Balance?

    A few recent evenings and weekend afternoons have given me the perfect opportunity to work on my fiction WIPs. To my surprise, that didn’t happen. The sense of urgency to tell stories wasn’t there.

    I think it’s a combination of things. For one, I’ve decided not to break my neck to get published at this time. Honestly, the pressure to work 40 hours a week for a regular paycheck is too great. I can’t see doing that, writing, AND promoting myself to the satisfaction of publishing houses, e-book or otherwise. So I’ll hone my craft and keep feelers out for the right opportunity. Can you read my optimism? I’m happy to find it there.

    In the meantime, Friday night I watched a movie. Saturday and Sunday mornings, I devoured an e-book and pecked a little at a new story. Sunday afternoon found me setting up Thursday thirteen blog posts for weeks into the future. That felt good and I enjoyed some random research.

    Last night, fully intending to tell story, I instead read another m/m romance. This bit of fluff wasn’t as substantive as the one last weekend but left me with a warm and fuzzy HEA. That’s never a bad thing. So, I’ve decided not to beat myself up.

    Rather than feeling blocked, I sense a balance against the extensive creative output that flowed for weeks prior. I hope you can say the same, and wish you the best on whatever creative input or output you enjoy! It will be interesting to see where my instincts lead tonight.