A Potpourri of Writing

Cheryl, hailing from Idaho, suggested checking the Open Writing blog. It's worth a vist.

A Book to Read, Underline, and add Marginalia

Years ago I read Pat Scheider's first book about how she taught writing. She shared her methodology, suggestions for teaching as well as writing prompts. I utilized a number of her techniques when teaching.

Now she's written a new book—part memoir, part instructional. I borrowed the book from the library and after reading the first few pages I knew I wanted to buy the book.

How the Light Gets In : writing as a spiritual practice by Pat Schneider

Why We Write?

I'm certain everyone asks the question—why do I keep writing, amassing poems, stories, essays. Do we all need an audience?

John, from Kansas, sent me this link to Khara House's blog Our Lost Jungle

Why This Matters

She suggests that we all write a Writer's Manifesto.

April is National Poetry Month

I'll be checking the prompts at Poetry Asides and writing a poem a day. Why not give it a try? Poetry Asides
More poetry information at Poetry. Org

Post Modern Memoir

A fascinating article on the Post Modern Memoir.

As the literary descendent of biography and journalism, it is no wonder that memoir (as a genre), has a rocky relationship with the truth. Like the artistic child born to scientific parents, it defies expectations. On the one hand, it is reportage, expected to convey facts; on the other, it is art, expected to reinvent the world. --HughRyan

Association of Writers & Writing Programs Read it soon because I expect it will disappear.

Flash Non-Fiction

Flash non-fiction finally captured my imagination and I ordered a new book on the genre. As soon as the book arrives I'll share some prompts and ideas.

Brevity magazine not only publishes flash fiction, but it also runs craft essays in every issue.

Here's an interesting prompt.

The Ant in the Water Droplet

Books, books, and more books

From buzzfeed Best Places to be if you love books

Only three more days until National Grammar Day

Publishing Women Writers

Once again—a disproportionate number of pieces by male writers appear in literary magazines, journals and small press imprints.

"The folks over at Creative Nonfiction, the literary magazine that this year celebrates its 20th consecutive year of publication, scoff at this assessment of the situation. In fact, CNF’s current issue, “Female Form,” includes only essays by female writers."— Emily Temple

"...these are essays everyone—male and female—should read..." Creative Nonfiction

15 Essays by Female Writers

What's Your Routine?

Fifteen months ago I began writing a blog piece a day. During the first few months I occasionally ended up writing my blog post at the Cinderella hour. Several times I backdated the piece.

Writing a blog post every day has its own inherent rhythm.

I write almost all my daily posts for Marginalia on an IPad—with an external Apple keyboard.

My favorite writing place—standing at a freestanding kitchen counter. Sometimes dinner is cooking, often I am drinking a glass of tea.

My longer writing doesn't seem to have an established routine.

Brain Pickings put together a selection of DailyRoutines of Famous Writers

Yet another List

Robert Lee Brewer, author of the blog Poetry Asides and an editor at Writer's Digest presents a list of the Best Blogs for Writers

I haven't checked out all the blogs, but will chip away at the list. I expect that's there's some gold 'thar.

Paper and Pen

Sometimes simply picking up a pen and writing slows down the process and allows us to think about what we want to say. Often corresponding with another writer clarifies the what and how of what we think.

April is National Poetry Month.

"This April, during the Academy of American Poets' National Poetry Month 2013, we will be celebrating the important and enriching role that letter writing has played in the lives of poets."

Ten Quirky Rules

I'm watching the Falcons play and hoping that Ryan can pull off an upset victory. I don't come from Atlanta, never lived in Georgia, but Ryan graduated from Boston College so I feel some connection.

Well I'm half watching.

While half watching I found this interesting link Margaret Atwood's 10 Rules of Writing

One Word For the Year

Imagine one word being written about all year. You'd be amazed with how many topics one word generates.

Check out my blog: Marginalia and see what I'm doing with one word.

Perhaps it's something you might want to try for a week—or longer. It's a great way to journal or to do some pre-writing.

Yet Another Book About Writing

Speaking of new books about writing— Marcia sent me a note about Tracy Kidder and Richard Ford's foray into writing a book about writing. The book: Good Prose is concerned with non-fiction writing. I requested it from our library consortium.

New Writing Books

Narrative magazine looks at the new Books about Writing . I haven't seen any, but some sound promising.

I Know it's early...

But maybe the time to start thinking about ten writing resolutions. From Writing Unboxed 10 New Year's Resolutions for Writers
Want to share your ideas?
Mine are simple.
1. Stop making so many glasses of tea and get down to the actual writing
2. Really question how many saved copies are necessary
3. Stop fixating on why the Red Sox seem stuck in neutral
4. Quit organizing files and write things to put in the files
5. Don't forget to get up and stretch, walk a bit, have a cracker
6. Realize that this won't be the year of the novel, accept it as the year of the short...
7. Wait before selecting the font for final printing
8. It's ok to dabble in different genres--Try writing a dystopia short story-- they are big right now
9. Don't write a dystopia short story or a horror story or a story peopled by vampires no matter how they are selling.
10. Take deep breaths at least once an hour

An Absolute Find

Some of you probably know of Brain Pickings but I just read my first issue and wanted to pass on the find. Their statement of intent:

"Because creativity, after all, is a combinatorial force. It’s our ability to tap into the mental pool of resources — ideas, insights, knowledge, inspiration — that we’ve accumulated over the years just by being present and alive and awake to the world, and to combine them in extraordinary new ways."

A Linear Version

Have you ever heard of American Sentences ? Devised by Allen Ginsberg as an American version of Haiku. Basically you create a seventeen syllable sentence. It's a wonderful discipline for pre-writing.

Child's Play

Mid ‘40s Billy was a gentle sort, older than he looked, who drove his imaginary truck, i.e., a tractor trailer, a logging truck, or whatever, around town. We kids met him one snowy night, driving up the hill from the bridge to the main stores. We heard him humming the laboring motor long before we saw him. He came into view pumping the shifting lever, double-clutching and spinning his wheels.

“Can we hitch a ride, Billy?” I called from the sidewalk through cupped hands.

“Jump on!” he shouted with a grin from the open cab and motioned us to the rear. Without the truck stopping, the three of us shuffled across the downhill lane, careful not to slip under the double-duals, scrambled onto the flatbed and rode up the hill. The added weight gave him extra traction.

On the level by the stores, I yelled “Hey, Billy, slow down a bit.” He lowered his humming so we could hop off. “Thanks a lot, Billy!” as we waved and slipped and slid toward Jimmy Cawley’s lighted diner.

“Good night!” Billy hollered, and drove on home.

+ + + + + + + + + + Billy came into Jimmy Cawley’s mid-morning. His bulky latched overshoes, heavy plaid jacket, fur hat with ear lappers and bushy eyebrows were covered with snow. “Hi, how are you, Billy?” Jimmy smiled behind the lunch counter.

“My truck is stuck in the snow and I can’t get it out,” he blurted, his gloves tucked in his left armpit, blowing on his hands to warm them.

Jimmy went over to two traveling salesman sitting at the counter having coffee and donuts, “Hey, could you fellas give Billy a hand. He needs a push.”

“Sure, Jimmy!” They turned on their stools, hopped off and followed Billy, bare-headed and coatless, out the door. His truck was parallel parked in front of the diner. He climbed into the cab and started the engine. The salesmen, with a shrug of their shoulders and a “We’ve been had.” expression, mouthed a silent “You SOB” at laughing Jimmy in the diner window. Billy gunned the engine. The men dodged the snow spewed from the rear wheels, leaned against the truck tail gate, pushed Billy on his way and hustled back to the diner, laughing while stamping the snow off their shoes.

Speculative Fiction

When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.
—Albert Einstein

I'm fascinated with the term Speculative Fiction.

"Speculative literature is a catch-all term meant to inclusively span the breadth of fantastic literature, encompassing literature ranging from hard science fiction to epic fantasy to ghost stories to horror to folk and fairy tales to slipstream to magical realism to modern myth-making -- and more."
—Speculative Literature Foundation

This definition allows me to include the South American writers whose magical realism transports me to another dimension where I suspend disbelief.

From The Hungry Reader's review of The Passage by Justin Cronin

"In this staggering book of speculative fiction, Cronin has proven that he can transcend genre and, with his power of language, create a distant world that feels close and credible."

It's good to see that the genre is expanding and becoming more inclusive. Perhaps more writers will dip into speculative fiction. I read The Passage and I'm on the library wait-list for The Twelve—the second book in the series.