Still at it

By -

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I Don't Know What I Think Until I Write It Down

By -
Image
I attended a women’s retreat on the banks of beautiful Flathead Lake yesterday. About sixty of us discussed spirituality in all its loose forms and how we might demonstrate our personal beliefs in daily life. I was struck by the importance of writing in the process. We wrote letters to ourselves to be opened at next year’s retreat, and time to journal was built into the schedule. As soon as I could print, I recorded my thoughts and feelings on paper. I’ll reread all my old journals one day, and for that implausible reason I can’t bring myself to burn or toss them. All those intimate self-revelations are part of me. Truthfully, sometimes I don’t know what I think until I write it down. One Saturday among women from all backgrounds reinforced my belief that my writing today started with journaling. My work represents far more than stories. It represents what I have to give back. ~ Ann (First appeared on montanawomenwriters.com )
Read more

Acceptance

By -
How do you accept what you cannot change? Maybe that's too big an assumption on my part, and you don't even try to accept the problem (let's say), but fight fight fight away until you surrender. You likely make yourself miserable in the process. I know because stubborn insistence on what I want rather than what's before my nose has long been my MO. Acceptance is my friend. The other way is not. So, back to the how of acceptance. When I can't change "it," I write a story about "it," dumping all those feelings about why "it' is wrong. The first draft is usually shit (see Hemingway quote from May 2013). Once all those feelings have cleared my system and stare at me from the page, I start playing. How to render "it" unrecognizable to family, friends, and prominent players should I ever publish? 1) Change names - No, Sister, the watercolor artist is not you. 2) Alter locations - That large southern city couldn't be...
Read more