Friday, December 28, 2012

December 25, 2012


Dear friends and writers, for whom I am so thankful:

Merry Christmas! I hope you are decorating gingerbread houses or opening gifts or sleeping late instead of reading this newsletter first thing in the morning. (I’m not up writing it – I found an email program that I could set up to send it today…) Next Tuesday I’ll introduce the shared weekly writing project for the new year. A hint: it’s focused on the idea of inspiration.

Happy year to you and thanks for reading,

Elisabeth


PROCESS: THE RELUCTANT BODY

What if the reluctant body refuses to get into the chair, or if in the chair, refuses to write? This happens to everyone at some point. What I do first is read. Often I opt for books about the writing process, but most recently it has been an odd pair of books: one by Collette, the French writer whose sentences are as beautiful as anyone’s I’ve ever read (possibly excepting F. Scott Fitzgerald); and then a manual on how to organize a home. For some reason these two get me excited again. Maybe it’s because they touch the two parts of writing: the simple beauty and lushness of each word, and then the masterminding organization that is required to pull a work together into a coherent, internal order. But if the books don’t work, I step away and go do something else. The body who wants to write will always find its way back to the desk, when it feels ready.

Try this: Be kind to yourself if you don’t feel like writing. When you are ready, you will write.


FEATURED VENUE: SOMEBODY IN YOUR LIFE

One of the primary reasons we write is to connect with others. It is not accidental that most books are dedicated to a “you” (the May 22 Tuesday Writer spoke to this). Using print-on-demand technology, or a pen on a piece of origami paper, put something you have written into tangible form and give it to somebody else. 

Print-on-demand websites: lulu.com OR a thousand other ones.


PROMPT: CREATE YOUR OWN

This idea was a gift to me from Kelly Lynae Robinson, Boise songwriter, who in turn learned it from Michael J. Bugeja’s book, The Art and Craft of Poetry: make a three-columned list of the highlights, lowlights, and turning points in your life. Each one is a prompt, tailored to you and you alone. Give yourself one of these prompts every Tuesday, or any time you have a spare 8 minutes and feel like writing.   

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

December 18, 2012


Hi writers,

Oh what a beautiful essay I read last week about the art of stillness in a writer’s life! It was by Silas House and it reminded me how even in the thick of a busy season (i.e. the winter holidays) a writer can always create his or her own quiet sense of peace.

Have writerly & peaceful days,

Elisabeth


PROCESS: REVISITING GOALS

As we are nearing the year’s end, consider taking a moment to look back on your writing goals for the year (remember those? It was the first Tuesday Writer post of this year). If you don’t have them, sketch out a quick draft of what you think they should’ve been. Take a moment to see how you’ve done. (Please do not let this make you feel guilty – remember last week’s post!) But let it be information: have you written more? Have you sent anything out? Joined a workshop? Felt more creative in other areas of life? Anything else? Nothing else?

Try this: Reflect on this year’s goals, applying the three rules of constructive criticism to them: what is, what works, what needs improvement? Start thinking about writing goals you might set for 2013.


FEATURED VENUE: LIMN

Limn Literary & Arts Journal was created to give exposure to emerging artists and also to bridge the gap between art and assistance. Founded on the belief that the creative process helps people resolve conflicts and grow more empathetic, Limn funds grants for persons with disabilities who are pursuing art therapy or art education.



PROMPT

“The best $5 I’ve spent on myself…” (5min)

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

December 11, 2012


Hi writers,

Thank you so much for emailing with feedback for the 2013 incarnation of this writing newsletter/workshop/project! Please keep ideas coming. Also, the Monday morning drop-in workshops are happening for three more weeks, 8-9am, in my backyard studio.

Have festive weeks!
Elisabeth


PROCESS: BUILDING A CRATE FOR GUILT

What can we, as writers, do with guilt? I think it plagues us all to some degree. Samuel Johnson – who wrote the Dictionary of the English Language in nine years, in addition to dozens of other lasting works – often complained about his own laziness, expressing guilt that he slept too late. Several writers have expressed to me a slight bit of guilt over The Tuesday Writer, saying “I need to catch up!” That is not the point. You do not need to catch up. Even if you write to one prompt all year, that is better than nothing.

As I see it, there are two useful things to do with guilt. The first: harness it and use it to get you into the chair and writing. The second: imagine it as a cockroach that you squish.

Try this: Either sit in the chair or start squishing!


FEATURED VENUE: IDAHO MAGAZINE FICTION CONTEST

Open to residents, non-residents, and visitors of the Gem State, with a deadline of January 31, an entry fee of $10, and prize of $100. Contests are fun places to send fiction because somebody has to win, and the judges’ tastes are always a wild card.



PROMPT

“What, if anything, could get her to relax?” (8min)

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

December 4, 2012


Hello writers!

A question: what would you like The Tuesday Writer to be for 2013? I like projects to evolve, and in order for this workshop-in-email-form to keep being useful, I want to enlist your ideas. Would you like to send in writing questions to have answered? Or have more focus on a particular element of the writing process? A place for your own writing to be shared?

I have a few ideas for new directions, but most of all I’d love to hear yours: What would help you MOST in crafting a meaningful writing life?


PROCESS: NAMING THE CHARACTERS

If you are writing nonfiction, this may not apply – but even when writing the truth, we at times must change names. Take a lesson from one of the masters at this, Charles Dickens or J.K. Rowling. The names they create are caricatures of the character’s values (think Gradgrind, Snape). Coming up with names that distinguish each character is a great art form and can also be great fun.

Try this: Go to the Latin! Look up a trait or value in Latin and see what wordplay you can make with the sounds and letters. Also try dictionaries in any language. 


FEATURED VENUE: BOUND OFF

A monthly audio literary magazine, Bound Off evaluates short pieces of writing (between 250-2500 words long) in written form, then records the accepted stories being read aloud.

Submission guidelines here: http://www.boundoff.com/submit.html


PROMPT

“I wasn’t sure what kind of beast I was dealing with, but…” (9min)