A Flyover Blog

No Way

Yesterday, I got a notice through the ORWL online writers' group I belong to about an upcoming conference. It's called Books in Bloom and it'll be held on Sunday May, 4th in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Their guest roster of writers is wonderful - a true smorgasbord of working authors - so check it out if your creative well is running dry. As for me? I'm not sure yet. The event sounds fantastic. The location? Not so much.

I've only been to Eureka Springs twice and I've lived in the region 35 years; that should tell you what I think of the place. Yes, it's picturesque and the Victorian architecture is gorgeous, but it's also the creepiest town I've ever been in. Seriously, I'm talkin' make-the-hair-stand-up-on-the-back-of-your-neck creepy. Mitch and I considered staying at the Crescent Hotel (pictured above) back in '89 for our honeymoon. That's before I knew the history of the place. I walked into that hotel, turned around and walked right back out. Couldn't stand to be in there. 

Now, I'm not one of those people who sees haints behind every tree, so if I get the creeps, it must be pretty bad. You can imagine what I thought when Ghost Hunters traveled to Eureka Springs a couple of years ago to check out the Crescent and discovered all manner of paranormal stuff on a grand scale!

I told Mitch about the conference. He'd love to go... and then suggested we spend the night at the Crescent! No thanks. I'll sleep in the car.

What Is Your Vocation?

I ran across this in my email the other day and it made such an impression, that I filed it away - which is code for: I put it somewhere and then couldn't find it. Anyhoo, it resurfaced again today and so I thought I'd post it. Written by Sam Keene, the subject is Vocation. I think this applies to all writers, and anyone else who aspires to find a purpose.

Probably "vocation" is my favorite word. It's certainly the favorite word that comes from the old religious language, meaning, of course, "calling," and the idea that we are all called.

I say that there are four different things that make up a vocation.

First of all, it has to be something that you have a gift for doing. Therefore, it has to be a passion and a gift.

The second thing is, to be a vocation, it has to be something that the world needs... You have to listen to the cry of the world. What's crying? What is a crying need?

Third, you have to be willing to undergo the disciplines necessary to hone that gift.

Fourth, then, you have to do it. You have to apply it.

Black Holes

I encountered a Black Hole over the weekend and I'm still trying to recover from it. Just so we're clear, I define a Black Hole as a person who is beyond negative - a person who draws the very energy out of everything and everyone around them. (I also call these people Dementors; Harry Potter fans will understand that one.) You probably know at least one Black Hole.

Many of you are participating in NaNoWriMo and other creative pursuits this month. Creating anything requires tons of energy; it is a precious commodity that you must guard and nurture. Without that creative spark, you scribble flat sentences and type words that have no life - words that will ultimately have to be rewritten. If you hope to make a living from your creative pursuits, you really can't afford to spend time dancing around the edges of a Black Hole.

Recovering from a Black Hole encounter requires effort, too. If you are sick, overly tired or stressed when you run into one, your ability to recoup is compromised; it can delay your creative pursuits for days. These are the steps I go thru to recover from a Black Hole. If I follow them, I usually get back on track fast.

1. Rest for an hour - even if you just sit on a bench in the park.

2. Remind yourself of your goals.

3. Talk to a supportive friend, hopefully someone who shares your vision. You can use that person's perspective to jump start your own creative spark and get you back on the road.

4. Do not try to make up for the time you lost. (I used to be bad about this.) If you lost a day on a project because of a Black Hole, do not try to make up that lost day's work. Just write if off. Start with a small manageable task - something you can accomplish quickly. Then move on to another small task. In a few hours, you'll be back in the swing.

5. Avoid things that drain you dry and are beyond your control. If you're a news junkie, stop following the day's headlines - ignor them. Remember, you're trying to insulate your creative spark, not expose it to the elements.

6. Do things that will fill your creative reserves - go for a walk, listen to music while you work, visit a gallery or bookstore in the middle of the day.

Life is filled with Black Holes and Dementors. Don't try to change them; they'll only pull you down, too. (Personal experience talking here.) If you want to thrive, avoid them.

Now, get out there and have a good week. I'm going to the park. 

Feed the Dog

I had the illusion of calm going for almost 20 minutes this morning, then the phone started to ring. It's turning out to be one of those days. You could be in the middle of one now.

I know several people who tell me they would like to write... if they could only find the time. That is the one question I am asked most often, "How do you find time to write?" I have no magic answer. Everyone gets the same number of hours in a day. We all juggle busy schedules, work, family, stress, and a list of "important" things we will do if time permits - like cleaning leaves out of the gutters, and organizing the sock drawer.

My advice? If you are truly serious about your writing, stop putting it on that list of important things that never seems to get done. Make writing a daily necessity, right up there with brushing your teeth and feeding the dog. You don't think about scheduling either one of those tasks - you just do it. Don't worry about setting up your own writing space or getting up an hour early to write. Just carry a pen and paper with you everywhere and start jotting notes - story ideas, bits of conversation you hear, the description of an interesting person you see in a store. What you write is not important; your goal is to make writing second nature. Write regularly. Write all the time.

Now, go feed the dog, then let me know how you do.

Thursday Thirteen - Week 41

Labor Day Weekend signals summer's end and time to switch gears for fall. I'm getting ready to dive into a huge writing project - I'll start sharing details with you next week - and I've been firing up my creative spark by reading favorite quotes from my personal journal. I thought I'd share some of them with you; maybe you'll be inspired to start your own fall project. Hats off to Samulli for this week's header!

13 Quotes for Writers and Other Creative Types

1. Words are sacred. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little. -- Tom Stoppard

2. There's no excuse not to dream. -- Candy wrapper

3. There is no better way to spend your life than in the unceasing preoccupation of an idea - of an ideal. -- Gustave Flaubert

4. Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures. -- Henry Ward Beecher

5. If you really do put a small value upon yourself rest assured that the world will not raise your price. -- Anonymous

6. We learn to fly not by becoming fearless, but by the daily practive of courage. -- Sam Keen

7. Those whom God wishes to bless, he puts in their hands the means to help others. -- Saying

8. Hope is hearing the melody of the future. -- Rueben Alves

9. Every pebble and wildflower has a story to tell. -- Chet Raymo

10. There is no such thing in anybody's life as an unimportant day. -- Alexander Woolcott

11. Life isn't about finding yourself; life is about creating yourself. -- George Bernard Shaw

12. The artist has one function - to affirm and glorify life. -- W. Edward Brown

13. Rest when you're weary, refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work. -- Ralph S. Marsten, Jr.

Let me know if these gave you a creative nudge!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

The 6' Ferrets

It's been some time since I've written about one of the links I feature in my sidebar.  I thought you might like to read about my favorite writer's group.  No, I do not belong to this group; I just like the way they do things - and I LOVE their mascot.

The 6' Ferrets originated in Connecticut in 1989; they met regularly in person for 16 years.  These days, their members are scattered all over the country, so they meet online.  I'm not going to go into their whole history. You can go to The 6' Ferret Writers' Group and read about them to your heart's content.  Very early on, members of the group engaged in writing exercises, several of which could only be stopped by killing off characters with this infamous line:

"Just then, a giant 6' ferret driving an 18-wheeler came along and ran them all over.  The end."

If you've written for any length of time, you'll appreciate the beauty, simplicity and poetic justice of this solution.  To this day, when I write myself into a corner, I think of this phrase, and the group logo pictured above, and I invariably feel better!

For Christmas this year, Mitch surprised me with my very own 6' Ferret sweatshirt!  Yes, the Ferrets have their own merchandise.  I always get comments when I wear it out and about.  And it reminds me that writing is not brain surgery... it's supposed to be fun.

Thursday Thirteen Week 21

January is the probably the hardest month for writers to find motivation, probably because December is so good at wrecking routines!  So, this week, I'm listing 13 tips for anybody who writes - for fun or for profit.  This is a grab bag, and is NOT topic specific. 

13 Tips For Writers

1.  Make your writing fun.  If it's drudgery, you won't do it.

2.  Writer's block got you?  Truth:  there is no such thing as "writer's block."  It's like saying, "I have Mommy block, or jet pilot block, or school teacher block."  Read on -

3.  It's time for the egg timer.  Actually, I prefer the stove timer, because you have to get up and reset the thing.  Grab a notebook and pen and set the timer for 5 minutes - no more.  Don't pick a topic in advance, just write anything that comes to mind for those five minutes.  Do this 2 or three times, for several days in a row.  Soon you'll find yourself not needing the timer to keep you on task.

3.  Few people have a whole, interrupted block of time to write every day, so train yourself to jot notes - in line at the grocery store, waiting to pick up your kids, while you cook - okay that one gets me in trouble, but you get the idea.

4.  Watch people - how they move, how they dress, take in all the details. They are your best source for characters.

5.  Listen!  I constantly hear THE BEST bits of dialog when I'm out and about. 

6.  My favorite research tool - old high school and college year books. They are time capsules!  You can target a specific year, a region of the country, see hairstyles, clothing trends, find great names, and see, first hand, the way people of that area wrote and talked.  Best part - they are inexpensive and available on Ebay or in local flea markets.

7.  Never stop reading.

8.  It's okay to mimic a favorite writer when you first start out, but develop your own voice.

9.  Putting words on paper is the LAST step in writing.  Most of the work is done in your head.  Writing is like planning a trip - you plan for weeks; driving is the last thing you do.

10.  Put YOUR personality in everything you write.

11.  Ignore anyone who belittles your writing or your dream.

12.  When you're working on a big piece like a novel, don't write to the end of a chapter or page.  Stop in the middle of a thought.  Jot a note to yourself to remind you what comes next, but leave it in the middle.  It will jump start your next writing session.

13. Mingle with other writers, doesn't matter what kind.  Some are eccentric, some are fun, some are walking history books - but they all share your goal - to write - AND they all have creative energy.

That's my list.  I'd love to hear your favorite writing tip, too, so leave me a comment.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants