Now get back to work!
James N. Frey spoke at the PPW Writing Conference last night, his 10 Rules of Writing was just what the participants needed to hear. Affirming the reasons they get up every morning and write.
Fiction
Jena Isle – “Was Love Meant to Last Forever?” - Is there such a thing as eternal love? A story of love’s imperfections.
About Writing
Roy – “Getting back to poetry… my real reflection” - Rediscovering my love for poetry writing…
Izzy Daniels – “Maximizing Your Writing Time: Ideas! I need Ideas!” - Ways to come up with ideas for your writing, and maximizing your outline in order to avoid having to go back.
Poetry / Poetic Fiction
Zorlone – “Ancient Cities” - We are awed by the presence of astounding skyscrapers, sturdy bridges, and majestic monuments. They are in one way or the other influenced by the ancient cities from all over the world.
Deeptesh Sen – “Time Travel” - It’s the creation of a surreal city which you can reach through your mirrors by means of time travel.The vehicle for this telepathic transport is a symphony.
Dragon Blogger – “Unlikeable” - A random word poem about a person who is simply unlikeable.
Gabriel Gadfly – “Shelter” - Two creatures cross paths at the junction of life and death.
Zorlone - “A Gentle Touch” - An intimate beauty of lovers sharing their passion for one another.
Brought to you by PlotDog Press with the Serial Suspense Screenplay “Intervention”
Presenting the finest of the writer’s blogs by the bloggers who write them. Highlighting the top posts as chosen by the April 17, 2009 WOOF Contest participants. Want in to join the next WOOF? The next contest ends April 24. Submit a link to your best writing post of the last 3 weeks using the form on this page.
“It is only through your conscious mind that you can reach the subconscious. Your conscious mind is the porter at the door, the watchman at the gate. It is to the conscious mind that the subconscious looks for all its impressions.”
Robert Collier (American motivational author, 1885-1950)
If you read part 1, I am using S.L. Stebel’s book, Making Your Subconscious Your Partner in the Writing Process and Double Your Creative Power!
This morning I took out my piece of writing from April 9th.
Here’s part II. Take a pen, pencil or highlighter and read your work, circling the words or words that leap out from the page.* When you are done, put the circled words on a new page and repeat the first process, writing at white hot speed without stopping to think. The words you have circled Stebel calls “trigger words’ “messages from your subconscious from stories struggling to get out.” Again when you are done put away the writing for at least a week. Repeating the process until you recognize when you should stop. At the end of the process, weeks or months you should have themes or story starters deep from your subconscious, words that need to be written.
*For me this was amazing, I didn’t remember writing many of these words.
Today, if you haven’t done this exercise I encourage you to do this. I’ve had this particular handout for at least 3 years, and I’m pretty stunned what words came up in part II. I will continue on with the exercise so look for updates. Now get back to work!
Lovingly,
The Writing Nag
A snowflake is one of God’s most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together! ~Author Unknown
We are in the middle of a spring snow storm, not unusual in Colorado but hard to believe its the 17th of April.Of course, I am grateful for the moisture but worried about the sweet pea, radish, spinach, and lettuce seeds I already planted. Hopefully they are tucked in safely. I imagine them huddled together wearing their Polartec and striped wool caps waiting to stretch out their slim green arms the next sunny day.
I am also working on my food/poetry essay and reading Gertrude Stein’s Tender Buttons, food poems. They are challenging to say the least. When I first read these poems I dismissed them. I didn’t understand them and they frustrated me but my adviser encouraged me to go back and read them and to include them in this paper. My favorite this morning is Asparagus. Maybe because it reflects the day “wet wet weather wet.”
Today, if you’re not familiar with Gertrude Stein take a look at her food poems. Then try to write a food poem in the style of Gertrude Stein. Play with language, rhythm and sound. Now get back to work!
Lovingly,
The Writing Nag
“Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality.”
Earl Nightingale
I’m thinking my move to my new domain might take awhile so while I’m designing, adding, figuring out the WordPress world I will mirror the blog here. It feels like moving to a new home and I keep coming back here to check the drawers for missing socks and making sure that my neighbors know my new address and will come to the Open House. Weird how an online space can feel like home. Comfortable, cozy and difficult to break the ties.
During the residency I attended a workshop on novel writing. Even though I’m not currently working on a novel, I was curious what advice author, Ryan Boudinot would present. It was a motivating hour and a half. Not only to hear about his success, his novel will be published this September, but to hear about his failed novels the ones he wrote that will never be published and the lessons he learned from the process of writing a novel. He also talked alot about the subconscious and how this plays a very important part in writing. Yes, all that negative self-talk can thwart the writing process. This led me to this book I am adding to my study plan. It will probably weave its way through all of my studies this semester.Double Your Creative Power!: Make Your Subconscious a Partner in the Writing Process
To condense Ryan’s advice into a post is a little difficult but what I got out of it is the following:
* stop the negative self-talk
* write regularly even if it’s a page a day
* stop self-censoring
* don’t use time as an excuse…there will never be enough time
* be persistent
* follow your gut when it comes to your work
* find an agent and a publisher that believes in your work and your vision
* don’t give up your day job
* don’t force the process
Today, think about how your subconscious could be your partner, what have you been telling yourself about your writing. Write down all the negative stuff and then shred it. How would your writing look if you thought you would be successful and published? What would you do different if you didn’t have all of the excuses.
Now get back to work!
Lovingly,
The Writing Nag
And to answer Ian’s question What made me decide to move? I want my own domain so I can put all of me in a site. A place for food writing, poetry, content writing, book recommendations, reviews, etc. I’m sure this will evolve over the next few years…but I hope you continue to follow The Writing Nag.
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