Why paint? Why sew? Knit? Garden? Play the piano? Play football? Snorkel? It’s funny how the pursuit of any other creative endeavor is rarely questioned. But writing? We question the validity of it all the time. Is it really an appropriate use of our time here? Isn’t it a little selfish? Maybe even self indulgent? [...]
Archive for February, 2009
Why Write?
Posted in Uncategorized on February 26, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Creative Lulls
Posted in creative process, writing on February 25, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Moods, creativity, energy, the tides. What do all of these have in common? Cycles. Up cycles. Down cycles. Ebbing and flowing. Becca wrote last week about resurrecting her writing. I’ve had that same feeling of panic as I grab my book mentors off the shelf hoping to infuse me with some inspiration. They usually include: [...]
Having a Genius vs. Being One
Posted in Uncategorized on February 13, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
This is an absolutely stunning talk by Elizabeth Gilbert at the TED conference. You must watch it. She talks about the creative process, on being a creative person and how that has come to mean being a semi-mentally unbalanced person filled with anguish. She talks about the anxiety she has been experiencing as she writes [...]
It’s a Love/Hate Thing
Posted in creative process, motivation on February 12, 2009 | 1 Comment »
If I update my blog I can then officially cross the last item off of my to-do list for today. I don’t believe I have ever crossed every single thing off in one day. What gives?
Well, I’ll tell you. I’ve been laying low lately. Usually that means I’ve slipped off the creative/motivation radar. Not this [...]
The Gift of Revision
Posted in creative process, writing on February 2, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Becca asked us to write about our revision process. For me, revision is the only thing that lets me write. If I knew it had to be perfect the moment I put pen to paper, I’d never write another word.
There are levels of revision. Big picture, small picture. Macro edits, micros edits. I’ve come across [...]
Books Read in January
Posted in Uncategorized on February 1, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
“Goldengrove” a novel by Francine Prose
It’s the summer before Nico’s big sister, Margaret is about to leave for college. Nico is determined to savor every moment, even helping her sister see the boyfriend their parents disapprove of. But Margaret’s sudden death leaves Nico and their parents swirling in their own grief, not quite sure how [...]
