Twenty-Four

This year, I'm loosely following Gretchen Rubin's The 24 in 2024 Trifecta  – "One Word" (which I mentioned last month), "The 24 in 24 List" and "The Write 24 in 24 Challenge."

  

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The 24 in 24 List – these are 24 things I hope to accomplish in 2024. It includes some fun things – art classes! - but it's mostly tasks that have been driving me crazy for the last few years, and I need to get done before I lose the little sanity I have left. I probably won't get them all done, but I'll be pleased with just a handful.

 

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The Write 24 in 24 Challenge – I put this on my 24 in 24 list, and I don't care if it's kind of cheating – it's my list, I'll do what I want. (My One Word = Unapologetic!) This takes place over the whole year, writing 2-4 minutes OR 24 minutes every day. Now, some people might ask, don't I, as a writer, already do this? And the answer is yes . . . and no. I do pretty much write every day, but it's not as focused or as imaginative as I'd like. 

 

Over the last few years, I've lost a lot of my creative joy. I don't know if this challenge will help, but we'll see. I'm also going to re-focus on shorter works – flash fiction, micro fiction, short stories, maybe a novella. So much of the novel work I've been doing has felt so heavy, like one of those weighted blankets. (By the way, I tried one of those and felt so trapped, I almost had a panic attack.) 

 

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Now, we did not do this on purpose to continue the theme, but my husband and I are re-watching the old TV series, "24" starring Kiefer Sutherland. We're up to Season 7, and although it's gone off the rails a bit in these later seasons, it's still been a lot of fun. I only wish I had thought to create my own version of a "drinking game" so that every time Jack Bauer or another character said "dammit" I'd get to eat a Peanut M&M. 

 

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Are you participating in any challenges this year? Do you find them helpful or too restricting? Are you feeling the joy in your creative endeavors or are you trying to get it back? If you're a fan of the weighted blanket, please tell me, what am I missing? Do you remember 24? Watching anything that's fun for you? 

September in Stories

My creativity is – finally! - creeping back into the light, showing itself cautiously, slowly, much like Larry did after his very first visit to the vet. 

 

Unfortunately, the results are less than stellar. Unlike a tortoise, my creativity cannot be coaxed out of its shell with basil. None of the stories I worked on are submission-worthy so I have to let various contests and open submission windows pass on by. Sure, I'm disappointed, but I'm also reminded of something incredibly important – 

 

"When you're writing, no matter how hard it is, 

you are more truly yourself than at any other time." 

(Julie Duffy)

 

YES! That's exactly how it felt. 

 

So, to keep up that momentum, I signed up for Story A Day September. (I participated in Story A Day May years ago and enjoyed the challenge.) All the information is at the Story A Day site, but the gist is to write a story every day in September. Now "every day" is open to interpretation, so I'm aiming for a story every day Monday through Friday for a total of 22 stories. The only strict rule is you have to FINISH the story. It doesn't have to be pretty, but it has to be done.  (Much like every art project I've ever undertaken.)

 

So, here's hoping for a September full of stories. Wish me luck!

 

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Any plans for September, writing or otherwise? What are you looking forward to this fall?

 

Bins, Boxes, Bubble Wrap - Oh My!

Hmm, apparently in my packing frenzy, I misplaced some items: 

Creativity

Energy 

Focus

 

I didn't realize how fragile they were. I can only hope I wrapped them carefully in bubble wrap. (I know I'm not myself when I haven't played with popping all of those delightful little bubbles.) 

 

Of course, I found some things so easily they might as well have jumped out of the boxes on their own:

Anxiety

Exhaustion

Stress

 

Pfft. Isn't that always the way?

 

Really, though, I am incredibly grateful for all the good in my life and things are definitely okay overall. They're just progressing at the pace of a tortoise dozing in the sun. So, much like the bubble wrap, I'll still pop in and out, but I'm extending my blogging break a bit longer. 

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What's new with all of you? How's your summer been? Looking forward to fall? 

  

Out of My Gourd

For some people, Fall means cool, crisp weather. For others, it means pumpkin-flavored everything. Since I'm still running my air conditioner, and I'd rather carve a pumpkin than eat it, nothing says Fall to me like National Novel Writing Month.

This time around, I'm a NaNo Rebel. I will write 50,000 words of fresh fiction, but it will not be a novel. At least, I don't think so. I have Plan A and Plan B, which means I'll probably end up with Plan W, but I'm okay with that.

See, somewhere along the line, my writing stopped being fun. This happened for more reasons than I can count or even define. And I really, really miss that energy, that joy. Then I came across this quote by R. L. Stine:

"The writers who go into a school, do an assembly and say to write from the heart, write your passion, write what you know . . . the kids who listen to them will never write a word . . . I've written 350 books, and not one has come from my heart, not a single one. It's true! They're all written to entertain people, for people to enjoy and have fun. But you don't have to write from the heart."

So, this November, I will have fun with my writing again! And if I have to take down every pumpkin in the vicinity to do it, I will! (Drama! Suspense! A Possible Serial Killer of Pumpkins!) I have no idea what will happen, but since the month will go by anyway, why not have something creative - brilliant? stinky? both? - to show at the end of it?

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Are you NaNo-ing this November? Excited about your current project? Still having fun with your writing? Are you pro-pumpkin?

May We Motivate You?

As the month of May draws to a close, we here at TSR would like to offer up some motivation - and a little humor! Let's start the second half of 2018 with a kick in the creative "oomph" and a chuckle or two . . . .

"YOUR INTUITION ALREADY KNOWS

WHAT IT WANTS TO WRITE,

SO GET OUT OF THE WAY."

(Ray Bradbury)

"There are a million talented writers out there

who are unpublished only because

they stop writing when it gets hard.

Don't do that."

(Gillian Flynn)

"UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 

HEALTHY STRIVING AND PERFECTIONISM 

IS CRITICAL 

TO LAYING DOWN THE SHIELD 

AND PICKING UP YOUR LIFE." 

(Dr. Brene Brown)

"My theory on housework is,

if the item doesn't multiply, smell,

catch fire, or block the refrigerator door,

let it be. No one else cares.

Why should you?

(Erma Bombeck)

"IF I WROTE A DR. SEUSS-ESQUE BOOK

ABOUT THE RESEARCH I DO FOR MY NOVELS

IT WOULD BE TITLED

'OH, THE THINGS YOU NOW KNOW.'

IT WOULD BE TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE

FOR CHILDREN."

(Mindy McGinnis)

"MY WISH FOR YOU IS THAT

YOU FEEL NO NEED 

TO CONSTRICT YOURSELF 

TO MAKE OTHER PEOPLE

COMFORTABLE."

(Ta-Nehisi Coates)

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How was your May? Your first half of 2018? What creative plans and projects do you have coming up? What are you looking forward to this summer - books, movies, TV shows, vacations?

A Reminder to Wring It

Author and Writer's Digest Contributing Editor, Elizabeth Sims, wrote a fantastic blog post, "Wringing Direct Experience," as a reminder to get everything we can from a direct experience:

"So what’s the point of this post?

1) To be alive to the vastness of experience.

2) To go after it.

3) To improve your abilities to extrapolate and synthesize. This is the piece of greatest importance for writers."

She uses her experience witnessing the inaugural test flight of Elon Musk's/SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket to provide not a blow-by-blow of the event but instead her impressions of that day. Her notes bring not only color, texture, and vitality to this huge, public moment but they also manage to ground it, to make it personal and real. 

As someone who struggles with anxiety and fear, I sometimes feel like I'm not getting out enough, not experiencing enough. I continue to try, to push, to challenge myself, but I still worry it impacts my writing. And, while it's true that it does to some extent, this post by Ms. Sims reminds me that creativity isn't necessarily about the big moments, the dramatic experiences. It's about paying attention. To everything. 

"The point is, there’s so much waiting for you that you don’t expect. Space shots are extraordinary, and not everybody gets a chance to see one. But lots of other stuff happens that you can get out for and find way more than what’s front and center. City council meetings. Climb that hill, just for kicks. Ballgames. Prune that cherry tree. The movies. The lumpy blanket in the back seat. The sound of the cork popping, the cookie crumbling, the cows coming home. The look on that woman’s face when her boyfriend whispers to her....

1)     Say yes.

2)     Write bits of it down.

3)     Draw it. Try.

4)     Say yes again.

5)     And again.

6)     Take everything with you as you set to work."

Time to pull out that new notebook - the one I bought at the beginning of the year and have yet to write in - and get to wringing and recording those moments, no matter how small, in the hopes my writing will deepen and grow, and my stories may even, in their own way, loom large on the page.  

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Are you good at paying attention to the smaller things? Do you record them somewhere, somehow? If you struggle with anxiety, do you ever worry it hinders your art, your creativity, your writing?  

My Kind of Art

I'd like more art in my life. More color. More texture. More . . . LEGO?

Yes, you read that right. LEGO. 

My husband and I recently attended The Art of the Brick exhibit by LEGO artist Nathan Sawaya, and we were totally blown away. Who knew you could do all of the following - and much, much more! - with LEGO?

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Made up of almost 4,000 pieces, this is Sawaya's Lego version of Munch's The Scream. (Hmm, this looks a lot like me on a bad writing day.) 

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Speaking of writing, this next one is called Writer and is made up of about 3,000 pieces.

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At 80,000 pieces, Dinosaur Skeleton is, according to Sawaya, "...one of the largest sculptures I have ever made...After seeing so many kids flock to my first solo exhibition, I wanted to give something back and create a sculpture that children would enjoy. What is better than a dinosaur?"

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Grasp, made up of about 17,000 pieces, totally creeped me out. So, of course, I loved it.

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And because I live in Florida . . . Flip Flops (about 700 pieces.)

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As a reminder, this magnet now hangs on the refrigerator -

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Do you enjoy going to museums, exhibits, shows? Are you drawn to any particular style or medium? Are you artistic? Do you dabble, like I do, by taking an occasional art class, picking up one of those crafty, creative magazines? 

Progress Report: Breathing Again

The Goal = 23 stories written - and finished! - for Story A Day in May

Stories Completed So Far = 10

Stories Still To Go = 13

Well, I'm about halfway through the Story A Day Challenge, and honestly? I'm loving it.

Don't get me wrong, it's not easy. Some of my stories stink. Two - so far - might actually be scenes for a bigger project, like a novella or novel (what?! no, no, no! focus, woman, focus!) And some days I stare at the blank notebook page - yes, I'm going old school - and wish I hadn't gotten out of bed. Ever.

But then there's the story I revised and submitted already. And the handful I can definitely see myself returning to, revising. And the biggest benefit so far?

Finding my way back to creativity, to reviving a part of myself that was struggling to breathe, that was drowning beneath layers upon layers of anxiety and doubt, fear and normalcy. Now, when I finish a story, a sense of peace, of completeness, of rightness fills me, and I believe it's because - to paraphrase something Julie Duffy said in one of her Story A Day podcasts - I've done the thing that makes me, me. Writing.

May the (Creative) Force Be With You!

Believe me, I can use all the help I can get since this May, I will be participating in Story A Day! 

Story A Day is all about promoting creativity. The goal: write - and finish! - a story every day in May.

Now, as founder Julie Duffy says, there is some flexibility:

"Since the StoryADay May challenge began in 2010 I have always said: make your own rules. For some people, the challenge of writing a story every day is the thing that excites them the most and helps them to embrace the challenge. For other people it’s unrealistic. Those writers simply decide how many days this month they’re going to write. The key is to make your own rules and then stick to them. Some years, for example, I take Sundays off."

But she is a stickler for one thing: FINISHING.

"This is the only place where I am quite strict. There is a power in finishing a story and so I encourage you to push through to the end of your story every day. This does not mean writing a brilliant draft. Sometimes you have to cheat. You can write “[something clever happens here]” and then sketch out a resolution and final paragraph if that’s what it takes to get used to the end of the story. Doing this at least teaches you to keep the mood to keep the story moving towards a place of resolution."

So, my plan for May: write and finish a story Monday through Friday with weekends off OR five stories a week, just in case I need a little wiggle room. I hope to reconnect with the core of my writing, the joy and the passion I used to feel. I'm going to have fun with my writing again, people. 

Wish me luck!

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Have you heard of Story A Day? Plan on giving it a try? There's still time to sign up! Are you participating in any other challenges, creative or otherwise? 

Shine On, People. Shine On.

Many of us are gearing up for National Novel Writing Month. Some of us are throwing ourselves into November armed with scene cards and a caffeine IV drip. Some of us are winging it with a pen and a prayer. Maybe you're not participating in NaNo, but you're diving into a different project.

Wherever our creativity takes us the rest of this year, the rest of our lives, let's make sure we remember this quote from Nic Stone: 

"DON'T LET SOMEONE DIM YOUR LIGHT,

SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S SHINING IN THEIR EYES.

NOT EVERYONE WILL BE SUPPORTIVE 

OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

SOME WILL BALK.

SOME WILL TELL YOU NOT TO WASTE

YOUR LIFE ON PIPE DREAMS.

SOME WILL TREAT YOUR DESIRE TO WRITE

LIKE IT'S NOTHING MORE THAN A HOBBY,

AND WILL JUDGE THE WAY YOU USE YOUR TIME.

KNOW THAT IT'S NOT YOU. IT'S THEM.

SHINE ON."

Don't Make Bacon Naked

Even I didn't need cooking classes to figure that out. 

But, in my continued quest to live creatively in 2016, I'm finding that reminders definitely have a place among new-to-me concepts, and that humor helps with pretty much everything. 

A few recent takeaways from the Basics of Culinary - 

*  There are Five Mother Sauces from which hundreds of other sauces are made. (Now, for some odd reason, what I hear in my head is this - The Mother of All Sauces - spoken in a loud, booming announcer-like voice. I swear this happens without me having wine.)

*  Toasting whole spices then grinding them yourself gives a whole different depth to the flavor. I know, it sounds like a hassle, but I was surprised by how easy it was. Whole spices are just as cheap to buy, and the packets are smaller so they won't go to waste. (Raise your hand if you have spices sitting in your cabinet that might be older than you?) We made part of a marinade/rub for Marinated-Grilled Skirt Steak by toasting cumin, coriander, black pepper and cinnamon then grinding it in one of those little coffee grinders. The smell was heavenly!

*  You don't need a fancy squeezing thingy to juice lemons and limes. A contraption like that can be considered a "uni-tasker." Instead, put the cut lemon or lime up at the tightest part of a set of tongs and squeeze. This turns the tongs into a "multi-tasker." (I love tips like this because even though I am fortunate to have a nice kitchen with lots of storage, I have a thing about clutter and items used once every three years. This is why I don't own good china and silver.)

*  The juice from those lemons and limes? Went into my new favorite, go-to sauce - chimichurri! (I'm still working on a way to have it for breakfast....)  

Previous posts in this "series" - 

IWSG: The Year of Living Creatively

It Cuts Like a Knife . . .  

It Cuts Like A Knife . . .

A chef's knife, that is!

A few weeks back, I talked about 2016 being the year of living creatively, and how I planned on taking a cooking class. Well, the first one was the other day, and it was a blast!

My husband and I have taken Demonstration Classes - the chefs cook and talk while we sit and watch, drink wine and eat. This class - the Basics of Culinary - is Hands On and the wine doesn't appear until the food is cooked and the knives are put away.

A few things I learned:

- you really don't need most of the knives in the knife block. You can use a chef's knife for pretty much everything. 

- the point of the knife is the "toe" and the part closer to the handle is the "heel."

- when cutting up veggies, curl the fingers of your other hand under, making a claw. (I managed to leave class with all my fingers - yeh, me!)

- when seasoning, sprinkle the salt, pepper, parsley, etc from high above the food because that way it spreads more evenly. Too close and it can clump.

We made guacamole and salsa, pollo tacos al pastor (chicken tacos), red snapper escabeche (fish and veggies) and sopaipillas (fried dough with cinnamon sugar and honey - and, oh, honey, let me tell you, they were delicious!)

You know, cooking is a lot like writing - once you know the rules, you can go a little wild, expand and experiment.

And it's a pretty good bet that the next time one of my characters needs to do something dastardly with a knife, we'll all know what kind of knife they'll use....

A Makeup Lesson from an Unlikely Source

Since a number of us are slogging through NaNo, and even more of us are prepping for the holidays, I thought we could all use a chuckle and a reminder of how much fun  creativity and imagination can be….

My husband and I love getting drawings from my six and a half year old nephew, B, and from my almost five year old niece, T. Here's what they sent us the other day:

A portrait of Larry the tortoise, done by B - 

A portrait of Mrs. Larry the tortoise, done by T - 

A close up of the Mrs. Larry drawing - 

Give it a good look. Okay?

Now here's what's written on the back - 

MRS. LARRY WEARING LIPSTICK

(If only I looked as good wearing lipstick. Sigh. Have a good day, everyone!) 

Getting the Gunk Out

I've started doing Morning Pages again.  In The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron defines Morning Pages as "...three pages of longhand writing, strictly stream-of-consciousness . . . They might also, more ingloriously, be called brain drain, since that is one of their main functions."

I call it "getting the gunk out."  I try to get on the page all the stuff that's clogging up my brain - anxieties, fears, worries.  It's all the stuff that's dulling down my imagination.  It's the stuff that makes me feel like I'm slogging through uninspired muck.

I'm not sure if it's helping, but it's definitely not hurting anything.  Do any of you do Morning Pages?  Or do you have another system for caring for your creativity?  How do you put the verve back in your verbs, the nuance back in your nouns, the sizzle back in your stories?  (I know, sizzling stories?  See, I told you I need help.)   

The Crafty Writer

Over the weekend, my husband and I wandered around a couple of craft fairs. I am always amazed at how creative people are: how they can take a piece of wood and turn it into a sculpture or a funky box with a secret drawer; how they can take a piece of cloth and turn it into an adorable little girl's reversible sunhat; and how they can take pieces of glass and bits of stone and turn them into unique earrings.

I admit it: I'm jealous. I don't carve or sculpt. I don't draw or paint or take pictures. I don't knit or embroider. Most of what I attempt looks like something a first grader would make. (Okay, actually, I think the first grader's would probably be better.) I would love to be able to make things with my hands. But, as my husband likes to remind me, I make things with words. That's a gift of another sort.

Maybe I should set up a writing booth at a craft fair. I could display some pretty poetry, some zingy dialogue, some unique character description. I could frame them and hang them - a gallery of words! - and people could wander around and look at my words the way they look at other people's wood sculptures and homemade quilts.

Hmm, I'm not sure how much of an audience there'd be for my word gallery. But then again, who knew there'd be such an audience for cold neck packs for pets?