Keep a book journal by your side, in which you write your thoughts as you read. This practice can help you stay in the critiquing mode, taking notes on what or what doesn’t work in the book. Now of course there is the tradition of scribbling in the book itself, which can be problematic if the book belongs to the library or to a friend. In addition, the book journal notes become a separate reference for you. Then there is the option of keeping a regular book journal in which you write your opinions after you finish the book. All part of studying the kind of writing to which you aspire, as well as writing any darn thing on a regular basis.
As you become more adept, you could contact some periodicals that accept freelance book reviews, which count as publications for your CV even if you aren’t paid. Naturally Writer’s Market is the best place to start your search.
A writer does not wait for inspiration and then starts writing. S/he starts writing and inspiration often slides out.
Or not. When you’ve stared at the blank screen or page for the set amount of time, after a while the creative faculty may feel as stiff as your back. In that case, take a break with a nonverbal activity that is not goal-oriented. Rather than watch TV, do chores, or read someone else’s writing, let your verbal side nap while you engage another side of your creativity or at least a induce a kind of meditative calm. When you get back, chances are you will write with greater ease.
Billy Collins fools around on the piano (and takes lessons as well, I understand.) In an issue of Poets and Writer, several authors were interviewed who also painted, and one was a creative cook. We see the same trend in Zona Rosa, where we have several writer-artists. A number of Zona Rosans bring their culinary creations to our meetings (lucky us!) Working on needlepoint or a piece knitting or other fiber art also would be relaxing in the same way.
Or, you can moodle, as Brenda Euland put it, with mindless activity such as knitting without purpose (quite a common activity, I hear), walking or bicycling (not as exercise, but to let your mind rest), staring out the window, or watching passerbys in a public place. I bet that a ride on a swing or a ferris wheel would be equally relaxing.
Then there’s actual meditation, and I mean the hour-long kind, not the 5 minute minimum. If you can’t manage that (I certainly can’t) you can sit on a chair in a patio and let your thoughts drift, which my father enjoys.
I know I am starved for idling time, which makes it harder to initiate writing in a free fashion. I take that 5 minute meditation, but the rest of the time I am constantly in motion; back and forth between home and work (I’m an industrial che mist, and believe me, analytical nearly all day), then errands and family obligations. Right now as I write this blog is the most free I’ve been all day. I wrote more in earlier years because life was not so busy. I had the leisure to let my thoughts wander where they will.
I’ve written before about what a challenge it is to work full time as a machinist and then to do creative writing. Despite bright spots such as MARCON last May, I’m afraid most nights I come home simply too exhausted to put the time and effort into Mason-Dixon Publishing that it needs.
At the same time, I’ve been getting more active in politics. Specifically, I’ve committed to running for U.S. Senate representing Ohio on the Green Party line. Ohio’s restrictive election rules say that we have to run a State-wide candidate and that candidate has to get at least 50,000 votes, or the Secretary of State will disband the Green Party. The only state-wide race in 2012 is Senate. So, Greens from all over Ohio gathered over 600 petition signatures to put my name on the ballot. We have to wait until mid-January to find out if our signatures are accepted, but it looks pretty good.
So, I’ve decided that for 2012, I will take Wednesdays off from my “job” and use that day to pursue my dreams. If you don’t consciously set time aside to do the best things in life, the mundane things will crowd them out. Ujjvala has been doing a great job posting the bulk of these blogs. This year I’m committing to posting at least one blog a week for the whole year.
Still, in 2012 I will turn 50 years old. I’ve raised two sons to adulthood, and we’ve reached a point financially where we should be able to survive the reduced income for a while. Essentially, now’s the time for my dreams of being a writer and for changing our political landscape to a more environmentally sustainable path. I’ll let you know how it’s going.
—-Joe
Well, it’s been a month since the Zona Rosa retreat on Tybee Island, and it was nothing like I had expected. For one, I had only two walks on the beach. The rest of the time I was writing or carousing with my lovely Zona Rosa sisters. Yes, that is how I think of these women, and indeed, we caroused in that beautiful house as well as in neighborhood restaurants. We ate, we drank, we laughed, we teased each other, we helped each other.
And in addition to fooling around, we wrote and listened to each other’s writing, and we learned from each other and from our writing teacher Rosemary Daniell, who had said that the daily afternoon workshops would last 3 hours, but they went on for 6. The woman is tireless!
Just from my first experience at a writer’s retreat, I will recommend anyone to get away on a regular basis, and especially on a extended retreat other writers and a writing coach, especially for people like Joe and me who have jobs and families, where we normally steal our moments to write. I had not had time away from my family that was not related to business - well, ever. That alone was luxurious.
Here is how I spent my three days: In the morning after coffee and such, I did spend at least a couple of hours during the quiet time between 10am and 1pm writing in my journal, normally assignments from Rosemary. (Although, the first morning I went out with a couple of Zona Rosans to the Breakfast Club, a diner by the beach that already had lines by 9:30. Do go there whenever you visit us here in Savannah!). There was lunch of some sort that most of us got on our own from the groceries we brought with us. Then we had the workshop. We all found our spots in the living room, and Rosemary guided us through the program which covered writing exercises to help us explore - oh shall I say, our inner realms, our writing goals, motivational tools, the advantages of journaling (I had an interesting show-and-tell for that!) and more suggestions and help. We read from our own writing that we had brought or had started or finished before the workshop.
And the women! All of them were such interesting people. It turns out I was interesting too.
Well, there is the drama with the debt ceiling, but I will not be thinking about it on my last day at the Tenth Annual Zona Rosa Writing Retreat on Tybee Island, Georgia, which is abut 20 miles from my house.
Actually I will be there for 3 days of the 7, but at least I’ll stay overnight at the beach house that our writing coach Rosemary Daniell has rented for the retreat. I believe there will be 15 women there (yes, this is an all-woman retreat, although Rosemary does hold a monthly Zona Rosa mixed writing group meeting as a counterpart to the original women’s group).
I’ve never been to a writing retreat, not a formal one like this nor the DIY version of an evening or few in a hotel room (or a tent in a state park, an option Joe and I like), or a day in the library or in a coffeeshop. In fact, the most time I’ve had to write is three hours. Usually I can squeeze in an hour, along with scribbles in journals at the spur of the moment.
At this retreat we will have the morning to ourselves, with one scheduled consultation with Rosemary. In the afternoon we will be in 3 hour workshops, According
to blogs and other references, I should make a plan for my time. I intend to continue to write the book on arsenic contamination in Bangladesh, warming up first with some journaling. I think I will also blog here about the the experience. I have also submitted 6 poems for Rosemary to critique during our one-on-one session.
I also intend to walk on the beach at least once a day, and ideally in the evening. We haven’t been to Tybee all summer!
—Ujjvala
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