I start with a doo-dee-da-de-dee-dum-dee in mind and rhyme it with a bloop-bee-doop-bee, or something like that. A clearing of the throat. A hum.
— Caryl says
“Caryl Pagel’s poems float and drift and alight in just the right places.” From “How I Write” in The October 2014 issue of The Writer magazine.
Marlene’s Musings: Sounds like a good way to write just about anything. I love watching words fall into place and enjoy the sounds and rhythm of words . . . this goes for prose as well as poetry.
How do you feel about words and sounds and rhythm? Tell us, we want to know.
“Muse still comes in a rewrite. Magic happens in rewriting. As you chip away, themes appear. Start the story on the day the character’s life changes. Use your first draft to explore characters.”
“It wrote me. I did not come up for air until the first draft was finished. I’d always been warned not to write ‘talking animal’ books — that publishers don’t like them — but as I edited STARFIRE, I realized it was the book I’d always wanted to read as a kid.”
“In hindsight, I’m grateful STARFIRE is the book that broke through because this book, my fifth, is the book I was born to write. It is the sum of me and my interests—flying horses and underdogs, heroes and bullies, and a special colt watching his herd, wishing he was not an outsider. It’s the story for anyone who’s ever felt left out, or different, or alone, but who believes in their heart they can belong and, perhaps, make a difference. It’s my story, and now—thanks to my agent and HarperCollins—it can be your story too.”
Note from Marlene: Is there a story you have always wanted to write? Use any of the prompts on The Write Spot Blog to jumpstart your writing. Just Write!
Years ago I read an interview with Paula Fox in which she said that in writing, truth is just as important as story. Reading that interview was the first time I really understood that there’s no point in trying to impress people with my cleverness when I can just try to write honestly about what matters most to me.
Jennifer was an amazing presenter at Writers Forum in Petaluma, summer of 2014. If you have an opportunity to hear her speak, or attend her author’s event . . . go for it! She’s warm, friendly and has a herd of information about publishing . . .both traditional publishing and self-publishing. She has done both and has stories to tell! She is welcome back at Writers Forum anytime! She’s a good writer, too!
“That you be clever as clever, and people will be impressed, but they will only be impressed for so long. After that, unless you are very real in your writing, and donate some piece of your heart, and are vulnerable, someone else will come along much more clever than you. Better to be ready from the outset. There is no competition for vulnerability. We are all in that together.”
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about writing?
“That you be clever as clever, and people will be impressed, but they will only be impressed for so long. After that, unless you are very real in your writing, and donate some piece of your heart, and are vulnerable, someone else will come along much more clever than you. Better to be ready from the outset. There is no competition for vulnerability. We are all in that together.”
Note from Marlene: There’s that vulnerability thing again. Feeling vulnerable seems to go along with sharing your writing with others. . . that’s what Steve Jobs and I were talking about in the August 14, 2014 post about the most important tool in life about making big choices. Well, Steve and I didn’t actually have this conversation. . . but we could have, in my writerly imagination!
Your turn: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about writing?
What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?
Note from Marlene: You talk, right? And you think, right? Therefore, you can write. I just know it!
Set yourself up for writing with paper, pen or pencil, or computer and keyboard. Choose a prompt. Set a timer for 12 minutes. And Just Write!
You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give
— Khalil Gibran
Note from Marlene: It seems to me this is what writers do . . . we give of ourselves every time we share our writing. We put ourselves out there . . . our emotions, our vulnerability, and our hope that our writing is understood. Kudos, Writers, for being willing to put yourselves out there. . . what would we do without you and your stories?
I’ve always known that I had a story to tell about my education. I don’t mean school. I mean my coming of age
MK Asante, filmmaker, professor, hip-hop artist, essayist and memoirist. The Writer magazine, July 2014
“I didn’t have the courage to do it [write] until more recently. I was ashamed of some of the things I wrote about in the book. I didn’t want to deal with those things. As I had more distance, reflection and time, I realized that vulnerability is my strength, and everything I’ve been through is not something to be ashamed of.”
How about you? Are you ready to write your story? You can jumpstart your writing with prompts posted on The Write Spot Blog.
Writing and editing is like sculpting a garden
— M Cullen
I love to work in the garden, pulling weeds, and occasionally being creative with new plantings. I love tugging at weeds and hearing the slrrp as they surrender their grip and let go. Writing is a lot like weeding . . . letting go and enjoying the moment. Not always worrying about the end product; just enjoying the moment of complete surrender.
Later, after the writing seedlings have sprouted, it’s time for editing, which is a lot like pruning. When I’m pruning a fruit tree or a rose bush, I make a few snips, stand back to see how it looks and how it’s shaping up. It’s the same with editing. . . . make a few changes, then re-read. Keep what’s good and continue pruning until the piece has shaped to satisfaction.
