A Soul's Write

Do you write for love, money or both?

2011-08-31T07:47:00.000-07:00

I am one of those rare birds. I'm an artist who supports herself completely by doing what she loves to do- write. And, I'm proud of that fact. I've worked long and hard to get to where I am. After a couple of decades of slaving away as an administrative assistant for other companies I can now work for myself. I work from the comfort of my own home verses a stuffy office, I don't have to fight the traffic on the freeways, I've traded in my heels for my comfy bedroom slippers and more importantly, I no longer have a petty boss watching over me. I am my own boss. I answer only to myself. (But as a good taskmaster, I do make myself work on weekends if I'm under a deadline).

I love being able to write articles for magazines, advertorials for companies and especially seeing my Chicken Soup for the Soul stories on the shelf at the bookstore.

A writer friend of mine feels differently. She thinks I've sold out. She says she only writes for the love of writing and nothing more. That she only works when the muse tells her to. My opinion is all artists have a muse that moves them to create. Also, anyone who writes and gets paid for it is under some kind of deadline and therefore, sometimes can't afford to wait until the muse speaks up. And, if a contract has been signed, we have to meet said deadline.

The only writer I know of, or can think of at the moment, who truly only wrote for her art was Emily Dickinson. She never sent in her own work to be published (her friends did that) and she kept her poetry hidden away in her bedroom. She wrote when the muse moved and answered the call brilliantly. But, I'll bet Emily Dickinson also never had a phone or cable bill to pay.

I remember an episode of I Love Lucy where someone asks Ricky, with an aristoicratic scowl on her face if he makes his living as one of those "entertainer types." He replied, "yes". And when she asked him why, he said, "I have a nasty habit. I like to eat." Me, too. I also like to pay my bills. So I feel I'm not selling out, I'm just doing what I love and thankfully, able to sell. Also, thankfully, the muse speaks often. And I'm enjoying every moment of it. I just wonder if my "boss" is going to make me work this weekend...

"Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work." Chuck Close (painter)

What’s your favorite form of communication?

2011-04-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

The other day a friend of mine (who avoids the internet like the plague) made this bold statement- “I don’t have e-mail friends.” Now don’t feel sorry for her. She didn’t mean she felt lonely for lack of friendship, she meant that if her friends are too lazy to call her on the phone, then she didn’t want them as friends. (Interestingly, John Cheever, famous for letter writing said he refused to have phone friends).

Humm…

There are so many forms of communication available, I wonder why some people only stick to one. For example, in the beginning there was only face to face communication. Then with the invention- thanks Ben- of the postal service people started writing and mailing letters. Then good old Alexander Graham Bell brought us a more immediate way- the telephone. A few decades later the internet appeared and with it e-mail followed by instant messaging and texting via our trusty cell phones.

Personally, my preferred preference for communicating with my friends (take a guess as I’m a writer) is through good old fashioned letter writing. I have a ton of gorgeous stationery and nothing gives me more satisfaction than sharing my thoughts on paper. I feel that by exchanging letters, you and the person you communicate with have a chance to go deeper and be more thorough and say things one might be too shy to say over the phone or feel too rushed to type on IM. Writing by hand makes you slow down and delve into your subconscious as no other form of communication allows. Besides letters are intimate and something you can keep for lifetime. Having said that, I make sure to maintain communication with my friends by adapting to their favorite ways as well.

For example with my friend who only communicates with her friends via the phone, we talk on the phone. I have another friend who only talks to me via instant messaging because she is allergic to spending any of her phone minutes and doesn’t feel comfortable with the intimacy a phone conversation can bring. So, we IM during the week. With another friend we touch base every weekend on the phone and text during the week which is great for me too. Then there is my pen pal I’ve had for twenty something years. We exchange delightful letters and have spoken on the phone a total of one time, but we occasionally also e-mail. Lately, and the most frequent way the majority of my friends and acquaintances use is keeping in touch via Facebook.

I do get frustrated that I have a hard time getting people to answer my handwritten letters in this day and age, but I keep sending them my love on beautiful paper. After all, who doesn’t like to get a letter in the mail? (Anyone who wants to exchange letters let me know!!). I’ve learned though to embrace all the types of communication and yield to however my friends want to keep in touch. I’m just glad to hear from them.

No matter how people choose to communicate, I’m thankful we are all communicating. All these different forms allows everyone to stay in touch, share hellos, updates, the latest news and most of all share the love.

So tell someone you love them today no matter which form of communication you happen to prefer. And while you are at it, drop me a letter!

Are you a “Spaghetti” or a “Bull’s Eye” writer?

2011-02-28T14:06:00.000-08:00

When I was an editor for a country/music/fashion magazine several years ago, I noticed there seemed to be two types of writers who submitted story ideas to us- those who submitted a bunch topics that had nothing to do with our magazine and those who knew exactly what, how and who to submit to.

Because of the type of magazine we were, we got many queries for celebrity interviews, hats, boots, or anything having to do with country music.

One day I received a query for a bird article. I did a double take. Birds? Since when have we ever had a story about birds in our magazine? Obviously this person had no idea what we were about and had never taken a moment to even read our publication.

My first reaction was disbelief, and then I got a bit peeved. This person had so little respect for our organization as to not have even taken a moment to read a copy of our magazine before submitting. Plus, they’d wasted my time by not doing so. I tossed his query in the “circular” file.

That same day, I received a query for an article entitled, “Western Boots for the Cowgirl at Heart” from another writer. Which story do you think I was eager to publish?

This little gal had read us, knew what and how to submit to us (a query letter and not the whole article) and how to spell my name correctly. She was a “Bull’s Eye” writer because she took the time to target her submission. Every writer has heard the phrase “target your market” and she did exactly that.

Needless to say the other writer was the kind who just threw out a bunch of ideas to various publications and hoped one of them would stick. Just like throwing spaghetti against the wall.

I soon made up my own category of writers- the “Spaghetti” writers and the “Bull’s Eye” writers and I never bought one single article from the former.

So, those of you out there who want to break into the non-fiction article market- learn the biggest secret out there on how to sell! Target your market and aim for the bull’s eye!

Stepping Away From a Project

2011-01-28T10:41:00.000-08:00

The other day, after writing back to back articles, I could feel myself getting burned out. As I attempted to write another one I was at a loss. I just plain didn’t feel like writing anymore and I knew what I was trying to pull out of myself was second rate. It was hopeless to continue on. Thankfully I had two weeks until the next project was due.

“Step away from it for a few days,” I remember an editor once saying. I knew that was exactly what I needed to do.

In writing you use your right or creative brain almost exclusively and when it gets tired, forget about it. No matter how much one pushes, sometimes one just can’t think clearly. So the best way to get the work done is to stop working.

When we step away from our work, we can give our brain a rest and let our subconscious take over. I’ll find myself doing laundry or watching TV and something sparks a new idea or outlook and I’ll quickly jot it down. Well it worked. After two days away from my article I came back to it with a list of four things to include that made it stronger. I had the piece wrapped up the next day.

I remember an editor talking about this once at a writer’s conference. She told the audience, “The best thing to do in this case is to step away from the project for a day or two to gain a fresh perspective.” A lot of authors, after they’ve completed the first draft of their novels will set aside their work for three weeks or so and then come back to it with a fresh outlook. When you do this you really catch a lot of mistakes that you glossed over after reading the text again and again. Stepping away from it lets you come back with new eyes to catch mistakes and to see what the book or article needs to make it stronger.

So now it’s back to work. But next time, instead of resisting taking time off, I’ll know that if I want to get the article written faster it might be time to turn off the computer.

New Year's Resolutions

2011-01-08T12:08:00.000-08:00

I noticed that a lot of people are not making New Year's resolutions this year. I imagine that is due to a fear of not keeping them. After all, if you don't make any no one can hold you accountable, including yourself. Well, I will make a New Year's resolution now- to post blogs at least once a month. I haven't posted much in 2010 and I know I have a lot to say. I hope other people will be interested in reading my postings and also share their views on my topics. After all, that is what makes these blogs fun.

I've made several other resolutions as well. One is to hold back when I feel tempted to "set someone straight" when I think they are about to make a mistake. An instance came up just a week ago when someone I know announced they were going to get married. I think they may be walking down the wrong aisle. But, as someone said, "there is always hope in love." And I agree. After all, who am I to dash anyone's hopes? I certainly don't want to throw cold water on anyone's dreams in any area of life. God knows I've made my own mistakes where major life choices were concerned. But in turn, I learned a lot about life, myself and love. We experience life and mistakes and come out the other side with more wisdom, maturity and empathy. I sure wouldn't want to take that away from anyone either. So I have sworn to keep my opinions to myself. Except of course on my blog. I will be here sharing, voicing my opinions expecially in the area of writing. So, stay tuned....

Letters From the Heart

2010-06-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

I saw Letters to Juliet last week and it really got me thinking. The letters and love letters people send are so special, why doesn’t anyone send them anymore? Simply, people have just gotten lazy. But boy are we all missing out on a powerful tool.

I recently re-read my mother’s letters she wrote home to her parents during WWII. Sometimes when I’m really missing her, I’ll pull them out and spend time with her while she was in France, Germany and England. She ran a few of the USOs and helped entertain and keep the troops company. My mother died when I was just 21, but was ill since I was in my early teens so I’ve felt like she’s been gone forever. So when I want some comfort I’ll re-read the letters and her diary from 1945 and 1946. I feel close to the 24 year old woman she was then as she talks about friends, the troops, Paris, Germany, England, Eleanor Roosevelt, how the USO was run and her numerous beaus. She’ll chat about the hotels and what it was like to be away from home for one of the most infamous times in our nation’s history. When the war ended, they told her she could go home, but she chose to stay and help with numerous duties. In her diary she calls that time “the happiest of my life.” I would have never known that if I hadn’t had her diary and letters to read.

Another thing my mother talked about was getting and sending letters from home because they meant so much to her, her friends and the troops. Letters do mean a lot. They are an expression of our love and emotions to another person. A way to touch and connect with someone through the written word.

A lot of thought and feeling goes into a letter and you can hold it in your hands years later and see their handwriting and feel the paper or seal they chose and know that the person also held it in their hands and put their love and effort into every word they wrote. Its something you can keep and cherish years later. You can’t get that from an e-mail.

So now, as I love and miss my mother so deeply, I can grab my favorite letter from 1946, see her uniquely wide handwriting, read each and every word knowing she put care into each letter and go through her experiences with her during WWII. I’ll forever cherish those letters.

I’d encourage everyone to write a letter to their children, lover, parent or best friend and send it. Letters can be kept and cherished for a lifetime. Something e-mail can never replace.

Writer's Schedules

2010-04-14T09:19:00.000-07:00

Last week a writer friend of mine said she got advice from her writing instructor to write first thing in the morning. This fellow gets up and goes straight to the computer first thing and writes for four hours. Doesn’t eat, drink, nothing, he’s that disciplined. My friend swears by it and now does the same thing. She gets up, takes a bathroom break then goes straight to the computer.

Okay…. While I’m all for being disciplined in my writing, I don’t give up my morning coffee for anyone. SERIOUSLY. But as I’m always interested in experimenting with my writing routine, the following day I got up, took a bathroom break and sat down at my desk.

Nothing. I organized some papers and waited. I felt dry…I couldn’t think. So I went and made coffee. Again, I couldn’t motivate myself to get started on a blog I had to write for a company. So I went back to my usual morning routine. I made breakfast, enjoyed my coffee, spent some time in prayer, had a shower and watched about 10 minutes of Dr. Oz. Then I was revved up and rearing to go. I shut off the TV and went to my computer and finished my blog. Then spent the rest of my day working on the projects I needed to.

I realized I’m like those runners who have to do exercises to warm up their bodies before they set out on their run; I need to warm up my brain before I set out to write. I like to feed it spiritually by spending some time with God, give it a little caffeine, then educate it with some interesting information like Dr. Oz or a little reading, some journaling, maybe even some educational TV. By 10:30 a.m. I’m rearing to go. I usually work until 6:00 p.m. then call it a day, unless I’m under a strenuous deadline. So my routine works for me.

Every writer I know has a different routine that works for them. We can’t be all lumped into the same schedule or routine. Like one dress size does not fit all, one schedule does not fit all writers.

So go and do what works best for you and however you get to your desk each day enjoy the fact that you can be creative, work for yourself and write for a living.

Draw Yourself Out of Your Comfort Zone

2009-10-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

I love the show, “So You Think You Can Dance.” It features raw talent, kids with starry eyes, and some exquisite dancing. I’m always moved by the beautiful dancing on the show and the young men and women who want to showcase their talent and abilities. And, especially, I admire the dancers who are willing to open themselves up to learning more about their chosen craft.

One such dancer on the show last night was “Legacy,” a B-Boy dancer. He’s brilliant at his one form of dancing, but had a bit of trouble adapting to some of the Broadway-style moves the contestants were asked to do.

When it came time to dance in front of the judges, I was amazed at what I saw. This dancer, who had admitted he sometimes stayed in his comfort zone of B-Boy style, opened himself up on the stage. He flowed in and out of the moves and you could see he had stretched and grown as an artist. Legacy indeed, made it through to the next round.

When asked to share his experience, he replied, “It changed something inside of me. My mind has expanded and I had no idea the other world there is of dancing.” He had even told the judges, “You made me a better dancer.”

I believe this is true of writers as well. I know plenty of writers who have wedged themselves into a comfortable little niche- be it writing romances, ad copy, or non-fiction. They convinced themselves so fully that they are unable to write anything else, they aren’t even willing to try writing for a different genre. While it seems to be true that there aren’t as many writers who can write both fiction and non-fiction well, I would encourage all writers to force themselves out of their comfort zones and try a new style of writing. If you have always written romances, try writing a non-fiction article for a writing magazine. If you’ve always written ad copy, try your hand at short stories. If you write profiles, attempt some science fiction.

Take a lesson from Legacy, a true artist. When you challenge yourself to try new styles of your chosen craft and see the brilliant results, you’ll be less afraid to open yourself up to other worlds of writing. You’ll too, help make yourself a better artist.

Writer's block or writers who block?

2009-08-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me the other day if I thought writers can get writer's block. Like it was some contagious disease that was hiding or lurking around the corner of an unsuspecting writer’s office- ready to push through the door and pounce on them as they sat, unsuspecting at their computer.

"NO!" I answered emphatically.

There is a quote by the famous writer Louise Hay, "If you accept a limiting belief, then it will become a truth for you." I believe this quote to be true in all aspects of life. Especially the writer’s life.

I choose to not accept the limiting belief of writer's block. If I sit at my computer and try to come up with something- a paragraph, or a new article idea and it seems a challenge at the time, I’ll simply work on something else. Better yet, I’ll remove myself from the situation and go wash the dishes, take a walk, or file papers. Then, sure as anything, the paragraph or idea will come to me, and I’ll sit back down at my desk and pick up where I left off.

What is that saying, “a watched pot never boils?” If ideas are simmering in the back of your brain and aren’t yet ready to come to the surface, or the front burner, give them the time they need.

Hope Clark, president of Funds for Writers says, “Some of my best writing happens when I don’t want to write.” Ideas can’t be forced. They come like a whisper on the wind, or the flash of a camera’s bulb. Words can’t be forced from your mind or from your mouth until they are formed, shaped and ready to be released.

Even if I am on a deadline, if I try to force myself, the writing doesn’t flow as well. It lacks creativity, sparkle and freshness. So you might as well go with the flow and work on another project. Or, dare I say it, don’t work at all. Catch up with your soap opera or favorite TV show, plan dinner, or call a friend.

Every time I’ve felt the need to leave my desk in search of that elusive word, or escaped sentence (pun intended), it’s only been perhaps half an hour at the most and I find myself sitting right back down at my desk refreshed and equipped with just the right words to finish my idea, paragraph or article.

So, to answer the question- writer’s block only exists for people who want it to exist. I won’t allow that disease into my house, into my office, or into my brain.

How do you get inspired?

2009-07-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

Another question I get as a writer is, "How do you get inspired to write?"

Gosh, there really is no magic potion or incantation needed to be inspired. Inspiration can come from anywhere, anytime. I do find, though, that when I do things that allow me to be completely 'in the moment,' I can calm the chatterbox that is my conscious mind and slip into my subconscious and listen.

Some of my best ideas and prodding’s have snuck in the back door of my mind first thing in the morning while still lying in bed before it's time to get up and begin the day's activities. Right after waking up, lie still for awhile and let your mind whisper a message to you, or allow it to clarify that dream you just had. Sure enough, a cool idea, or a scene that solves that problem in your storyline that you’ve been working on, will show up and all of a sudden become clear to you. Then grab that pen and pad of paper you have by the bed and capture it before it slips away.

Sometimes while watching TV or a movie, I’ll see a scene that sparks a new idea. Or perhaps I’ll get inspired to write the ending a bit differently. Or maybe the message that was just portrayed in the film has really made an emotion impact and I’ll reach for the keyboard and come up with something I want to express.

Doing a “robotic” type of chore also frees up my mind. I’m known frequently for doing the dishes or vacuuming and all of a sudden shouting, “That’s it!” I’ll drop the chore and dash off to make notes at my computer while a family member just stares at me, shaking their head. Yeah, yeah, I’m at it again….

Another way to get inspired to write is to become one with nature. If I find myself becoming a bit stale while at the computer, I’ll take myself out for a walk. Where I live, nature calls out to me through the thick trees, the squirrels that dash across the lot, or an owl that “hoots” during the early evenings. I recently watched a woodpecker while he pecked away at a tree and the squirrel that was below, picking up some of the wood droppings. They worked together as a team as a cat watched from about fifty feet away. It was so cool to witness that I found myself engrossed and was inspired to write about two quite different personalities who could work to create a brilliant idea together at their place of employment as a jealous co-worker eyed them evilly.

Lastly, music is my favorite inspiration. As a music fanatic, I can become involved easily as I listen, caught on an emotional wave of a minor note that sets a ominous tone, or a composition in G major that makes everything seem right with the world. I could listen to the ethereal sounds of Pink Floyd for hours and ride the surf of epiphanies that come at me from all directions. Thanks to, and God Bless David Gilmour.

All these activities allow me to be completely in the moment and give my mind free rein to figure, solve, calculate and be inspired.

Now go take a walk!

Where do you get your ideas?

2009-07-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

As a writer, the first and most frequent question I get asked is, "where do you get your ideas?" I remember reading about John Lennon's response when he was asked where he got the name for the Beatles and he responded something along the lines of, "There was a little man sitting in the sky on a pie and he said you shall be named the Beatles, and so it was."

Not that I claim to have the wit my favorite Beatle possessed, but sometimes I want to respond in kind. "I reach into the sky, into my special P.O. Box that is within the clouds and withdraw an idea, and so it was." Or, "I reach for the stars and grab the one that twinkles the brightest and thus, an idea is born."

I sometimes wonder why other people claim to not have ideas or to not be as creative as writers are. Actually, I think people do have ideas, they just don't stand still long enough to listen. They let things like the TV, the internet, or chatting with the neighbors interrupt their quiet time. Their time to be alone, be still and just listen. Writers have trained themselves for years to stop and listen to their muse when it talks. They open their ears and their hearts and listen to their souls.

"Put your ear down close to your heart and listen." Anne Sexton.

She knew to tap into her soul. To listen to the voice who whispers ideas as quiet as the wind.

So the next time you want to ask a writer where they get their ideas, stand still and listen. Your soul may be telling you an idea. Then go and write.