Listen: to this January podcast episode in which I lament not staying connected to my writing over the holidays (and learn from my mistakes!)
Make a plan to give yourself the gift of some small intervals of time, this season, where you will leave the hustle and bustle behind and just be with your imaginary friends (no pressure to add new words. Just commune with your story worlds!). Let us know your commitment in the comments, here.
What to write, how to write it, and where to talk about it…
What’s life really like as a writer? Well, the answer is as varied as the number of writers you ask, but for me, this is how things are going: Listen in, you might be inspired!
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At some point, you started following me: maybe for writing prompts (like these), maybe for inspiration and recommendations (like this), or maybe for something else entirely.
(This is why I will never give up on physical bookstores and libraries: the sheer joy of stumbling across books and taking a chance on them!)
I’m not a poetry expert and often find books of poetry unsatisfying, as I sit there thinking, “‘what am I supposed to get from this? What am I missing?”
Well, Ó Tuama’s book follows up each poem with an essay in which he tells you what he loves about the poem. It’s not prescriptive. It’s not an attempt to tell you what you should get out of the poem, but it does offer a way in.
A Great Start To The Day
Every day that I start by reading a poem and essay from this book, is a good day.
I start my day thinking about words and what can be done with them.
I start my day thinking about how words affect the people who read them.
I start my day with black and white proof that it is possible to use words to share tiny moments and experiences, to be brave enough to put them out into the world, and to find other people who will be moved by them.
And that’s a pretty good way to start the day.
Borrowed focus.
Borrowed courage.
A chipping-away of my excuses.
Do The Work
In a recent conversation with one of the StoryADay Superstars she talked about a gift she made for her brother.
It was challenging (so much that she put off starting, for years), it was a little beyond her skill set (so much that it was imperfect) AND yet she resolved to finish it and give it to her brother anyway.
Of course, he loved it.
He saw all the things that were right with it, not the few tiny details that could maybe have been neater…
Perfectionism Generosity
As I sit here thinking about what I want to achieve over the coming year as a writer, that generosity of spirit is something I want to keep in mind: a willingness to finish things and share them, and let them be enjoyed.
To not withhold.
To not be arrogant enough to think I’ll ever ‘get it right’.
To be bold enough to finish and share my stories.
How about you?
What inspires you? What gives you courage? What’s the best thing you’ve done for yourself over the past year?What’s the most generous thing you will do, in the coming year?
…after which, the hero assembles their team, recognizes the strengths of others in helping them fulfill their quest, and starts making good decisions, at last….
You know that moment in the story when the hero has lost everything, and the odds seem stacked against them, and all seems lost?
Imagine if that was the end of the story….what a terrible way to live!
But in the stories we love, the hero looks at herself in the mirror and says ‘what am I doing?’.
Someone says one word, and suddenly she sees all the clues in a new light and finds the final piece of the puzzle.
Or he realizes, for the first time, the strength has been inside him all along.
Or she realizes she has all the resources she needs, available to her after all if only she would ask for help…
AND THEN…the hero assembles their team, recognizes the strengths of others in helping them fulfill their quest, and starts making good decisions, at last.
Cue: storming the castle, starting the bombing run, making the mad dash across town to catch their lover before they set foot on the plane.
Wouldn’t it be nice if life worked that way?
Ahem.
It DOES.
The Problem With Being Bright
Were you one of the brainy kids at school?
It probably left you with a legacy of expectations that say: you should be able to do this by yourself…
…which is a dangerous lie.
We are all people who need people.
We need them,
To make random comments that spark connections for us, that unlock a creative idea in our heads
To point out to us that actually, we are quite capable, even if we don’t always feel like it
To show us how to do new things, or improve our existing skills, or even to do part of a task for us (like, spotting that final typo in your manuscript!)
How do you go about finding the right people to help in your quest to be a writer?
Well, I’ve spent 15 years assembling a community, and six of those years curating a small group of writers who write, who cheer each other on, and who help each other out.
If you’re reading this, I think you belong with us.
Something is pulling at you, telling you that you need to try something new.
Something about the way I talk about writing resonates with you.
I’ve created a gang of like minded writers, and I think you should join us.
Give yourself the gift of six months with us and see how it goes.
It works out to about $2.77 a day for,
Daily writing dates
Twice-monthly hangouts
A monthly special event (workshop or challenge or critique)
An archive of 40+ workshops and masterclasses, plus a library of worksheets
A place to belong where you are always reminded that you are a writer.
PLUS, if you join us on CYBER MONDAY, you get the I, WRITER Course (6 modules of curated instruction on building a writing practice and buffing up your fiction skills) for FREE!!!
Someone sent me this, this morning and a, haha, of course! And b, look how the last line turns this into an actual story…
The last line, just five words, puts the reader into a specific moment. Something is happening. We have a character to root for. Stakes! Suspense! (Ok, mild suspense but still).
That line alone transforms the whole thing from an funny observation into a story.
