Just came home from a long weekend trip to Mexico (Rocky Point). Knowing it would be a busy one, (hanging out with my family, a friend and her wedding party), I was realistic in packing books. I packed just one. This one:
Lots of great tips from one of the pioneer writers of writing practice, Natalie Goldberg. I wanted to share one that resonated with me.
When you work on a story, make the structure your own. That is, don’t feel confined by an outline or drafting device you learned in school or in a workshop, but make the structure yourself and fill it with wildness! Natalie Goldberg grew up with very little structure, but learned about self-discipline and “harnessing the mind” through meditation practice. Goldberg cites friend and fellow writer Kate Green’s technique for writing Shattered Moon (Edgar Allen Poe award winner) this way (p. 50):
She decided the novel would have thirty chapters; there had to be action in each chapter, and she would set it up so that when readers came to the end of the chapter, they’d want to go on to the next.
It sounds mechanical, but Kate explains that she actually does a lot of writing practice, journaling, sketching ideas, scenes, and research in a notebook, planning it out anywhere between three months to a year before she sits down to write it.
Finally, as a single mom of three children and a working mom (teacher), she addresses the time issue. “Time to write is just that. An hour here, a half hour there. Go. Move pen. That’s it. The rest is all bullshit and I know it but I get caught up in it and create a lot of suffering around not writing. Writing itself is pretty simple. Just do it.”
I don’t have a spotlight writer this go ’round, but I thought I’d share with you an article about the writing spaces of famous writers. As a writer (on and off for the past 20 years), I’ve learned what works for me best and what doesn’t. I’ve come out of the denial that simply sitting at my computer for several hours, surfing the Net and writing a few lines does not make me productive. I definitely (and sadly) work best when I’m at a desk with no view, a notebook in front of me and pen in hand. When I write on my laptop, I am too easily distracted. This week, I invite you to make an assessment – an honest one. Define the absolute necessities for being the productive you.
Are you a writer, wondering how to get published? Feel hopeless? I have a treat for you! Lisa Alber is a writer with many tips and words of encouragement.
I met Lisa at my husband’s high school reunion over a decade ago. We shared a common passion for writing. She published her first novel, KILMOON, last year, and I’m thrilled to share that just two days before I interviewed her for this Kismet issue, she signed a two-book publishing deal! Lisa also secured a new literary agent. Her experiences and advice follow in Q&A format:
Lisa Alber
If I met you at a party and asked you, “What do you do?” how would you answer?
I would probably start off by saying, “I’m a writer.” I’d give them the big picture answer because I’ve always been a writer—it’s just who I am by temperament. Writing novels is a part of that, but so is journaling and blogging and day-job technical writing.
If we kept talking then I’d say my debut novel came out last year and tell them about it if they showed interest. People often get excited when I mention the novels – there’s a kind of perceived glamour there, I think.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve always been a words-oriented person. Even as a kid it was pretty obvious that I wasn’t going to be a math whiz. So I’ve essentially always been writing. I started to pursue writing as a craft in my 20s when I attended my first workshops.
The turning point came when I got laid off in 2000. I remember it vividly: I thought, Now’s the time to see if I really AM a writer like I think I am. And by that I meant, could I sit down every day and treat it like a job? I was lucky because I had a simple and cheap lifestyle.
Lo and behold, I could sit down to write every day! I wrote my first novel during that time. I call that novel my “drawer novel” now, hah!
How do you balance a day job and writing?
Good question! I don’t?
Seriously, I’m not sure. I’m pretty lazy by nature, but when I have a deadline I also get anxious, and then the anxiety overrides the laziness. Truthfully, I might not have great balance in my life right now. We have to make choices, right? And right now I’m choosing to have a second job, which is novelist, over other hobbies, a rockin’ social life, and sometimes, sleep.
That’s my choice, just like I recently chose to become a first-time home buyer (yay! I love my house!). I dream of quitting my day job, but having a mortgage means I can’t do that as easily, which means that much more work for that much longer.
Don’t we always wrestle with choices that pull us in separate directions? Buy a house or potentially quit job quicker for the sake of fiction? It wasn’t a slam dunk decision, but I’m so happy I have my very own house. So worth it!
What about the technical writing? Does it help or hinder your fiction writing?
Hmm … I don’t think it hinders except for the fact that I’m on the computer all day. Sometimes I can’t bear to look at the screen anymore for the day.
However, technical writing is very left-brained analytical. I think I’m a better self-editor for it. I recently cut my work-in-progress from over 100,ooo words to 82,ooo words. That’s no mean feat – requires a lot of objectivity, which can sometime be difficult for fiction writers.
There’s a saying: You gotta kill your darlings. So true!
You recently published Kilmoon to great critical and popular acclaim. Congratulations! Can you tell us about how the story took shape in your mind, your writing process for it…how long did it take you to write it?
The drawer novel I mentioned? I was in Ireland researching that novel when I stumbled onto a few cool things that later turned out to be the seeds for Kilmoon. It took me a decade to get that novel right. I kept setting it aside and returning to it. I’d think it was complete, submit it, get rejected, and go to work on it again.
The process is long and arduous. First you have to learn your craft—like a painter, you don’t come out with a masterpiece the first time you set words to paper!—and then you have to deal with the business side of writing: book publishing.
What do you consider the most important “habits” one must adopt to be a successful writer?
Treat it like a job and show up every day. Do it even when you’re not feeling the Muse. The more you sit and work for it, the more the ideas appear. Having a habit signals your subconscious that it can come out and play now. The habit of writing takes as much practice as any other part of the process. Persistence is a huge factor too.
Any tips for unpublished writers? How do you get attention? It used to be that writers needed to get published in literary journals. Do you recommend this?
Everyone’s trying to figure out how to gain visibility. There are a million and one theories about how to increase your “discoverability.” I’m slowly learning what could work for me…
Ultimately, the first thing that comes to mind is to keep writing. The more books you have out there, the more visible you become. There’s a cumulative effect.
Marketing wise, in the shorter term? I would say engage in activities that you like. For example, if you have a blog, but hate blogging, then don’t blog. Newsletters seem to be making a come back. If your writing and your personal interests overlap, you could write a fun monthly newsletter that’s not just about your novels. I have a friend who writes mysteries with a vintage-clothing-loving amateur sleuth. In real life, my friend is all about vintage – she adores it – and she has the most entertaining newsletter.
I really like your personal definition of success on the Shadowspinners site: (I feel hectic and forgetful right now, sure, but also very successful. I’m facing my terror of home ownershipand getting my writing done. I’m managing to walk my dog too. And that counts for heckuva lot too.). Can you explain how you came to this definition of success?
My current definition of success has evolved. I realized I’m a perfectionist, which isn’t the greatest thing in the world to be. It’s too black and white, and I tend to be too hard on myself. Being a perfectionist tends to orient us toward end product versus the process. However, as I get older, I’m becoming aware that it’s the process that’s really meaningful. So if I sit in front of my computer all the while moaning and groaning that I suck as a writer, but I still sit there and get some crappy, awful words down, I can call that a success.
What is the importance of a writing community/support for you? Who provides that support?
I used to be a more solitary writer than I am now, although I always had a writing group, which can be beneficial. In the last five years, I’ve really become a part of the mystery-writing community by going to conferences and getting to know people online. It would be harder to quit writing now that I have a community—it would be like quitting my family!
Publishing—the business side of writing—can be very hard. I have an older friend who’s been writing for many years, and he is thinking of retiring simply because the publishing and marketing side of it is wearing him out. I totally get this.
What are your goals for near future?
I got an offer on my next two novels with a publisher I love! August 2016 is the tentative publishing date for my next novel named GREY MAN (for the moment). I also got a new, fabulous literary agent.
My head’s spinning I’m so happy.
So, the near future? I gotta get crackin’ on the second of the two novels! The publisher has the first novel right now, and by the end of summer I bet I’ll be immersed in the editorial process.
How does a writer get a literary agent?
There are cold query letters, which is a long-winded frustrating process, but still sometimes works. There’s going to conferences to pitch agents.
If you’ve indie published—that is, without an agent—and feel like you need to think about your career, then you can land an agent on the basis of books you’ve already published. Also, you can land an agent if you already have an offer from a publisher and need an agent to help you negotiate the terms.
Landing an agent is probably one of the hardest aspects of the whole process!
Visit Lisa’s research page for more visuals!
Mystery writing, to me, seems very difficult. Do you have the ending in mind first? The entire idea? Or do you just start and see where it takes you?
I’m a seat-of-the-pants writer. I didn’t know the ending for Kilmoon when I started writing it. I felt my way through it, getting to know the characters. Halfway through the first draft, I got a vision of the ending and skipped ahead to write it. Then I wrote the rest of the novel toward that end.
The more I write, the better I get at knowing the ending before I start writing. The interesting thing is that for my third novel—the one I need to get crackin’ on—I DO know who the villain is. So I’m going to create the story backwards. What’s the villain’s story? Who gets killed? Why?
Thanks so much for having me, Caroline!
LISA ALBER is the author of Kilmoon, an atmospheric mystery set in Ireland that has been described as “utterly poetic” and a “stirring debut.” The novel was a Rosebud Award finalist for best debut novel. Lisa worked with New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth George in several workshops, which culminated in receiving an Elizabeth George Foundation writing grant. Ever distractible, you may find Lisa puttering around the yard, fooling around online, or drinking red wine with her friends. Lisa lives in the Pacific Northwest with a tiny dog and a chubby cat.
“If you really want to do something, you’re going to have to go for it.”
I first learned about Marie when I was researching Korean-American history for a San Francisco State University’s ethnic studies class I was going to teach for Dr. Grace Yoo (during her sabbatical). Her book, Somebody’s Daughter, expertly covers both the adopted child/adult’s perspective as well as that of the adoptee within two cultures. Marie Myung-Ok Lee is a Korean-American author and essayist, writing often for The New York Times, The Atlantic and Newsweek. She’s been published in Witness, The Kenyon Review, TriQuarterly and Slate. She teaches creative writing at Brown University and Columbia University.
Marie Myung-Ok Lee
If you’re interested in being a writer, Marie is sure to inspire you. She is not only an accomplished writer, but a loving mother to an autistic teenage boy. Her essay for The Atlantic Monthly “What My Son’s Disabilities Taught Me About ‘Having It All'” is one of the most moving, enlightening articles I have ever read.
Despite her extremely busy schedule (she’s working on her next novel), she graciously and generously spoke with me on the phone. She is a modest, hard-working, intelligent and creative person. When I informed her of my objective with my blog (to help others achieve goals by reading of people who have already accomplished them), she got right to the point:
“I constantly write. Every single day from 4:30am to 6pm. I never take a day off.” She lives in NYC in a small apartment with her husband, a professor and their son. Previous to writing, she was an investment banker for five years. Although writing does not even come close to the money she made before, Marie couldn’t be happier with her work, “I love it.”
Another tip: “I get 10 rejections to each offer. You have to be committed to writing. If you really want to do something, you’re going to have to go for it.”
Marie is down-to-earth, honest and practical. When I congratulated her on all of her great work, she was quick to point out that it took her eight years to write her novel, and that she couldn’t live on her salary alone. The family is on her husband’s insurance and she constantly juggles motherhood and her work. When she left banking, she was a ghost writer, a freelancer, an editor. She obtained fellowships and worked hard at her novel.
Wanting it, working hard, sacrificing hours each and every day, utilizing your strengths (and challenges)…going for your passions: these are the secrets to her success.
Marie’s most recent article can be found here, on Salon.com. She provides a careful analysis of the McKinney, TX pool party incident, tying in a personal example of mistreatment by an adult when she was a teenager.
You can follow Marie Myung-Ok Lee on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarieLeeWriter
I’m dedicating this portion of my website to life makeovers: not just losing weight or a getting a new hairdo, but overcoming huge obstacles like self-doubt, depression and “failure.”
The easiest and most motivating way to do this is to learn from people who are doing or have done what you are dreaming of accomplishing!
The Debut Spotlight belongs to someone who, against all odds, overcame incestual abuse, spousal abuse and debilitating depression. She is also a single mother of two beautiful daughters. Still think you can’t overcome your current struggle? Meet Laurie Lee…. She lost 130lbs and gained a brand new life.
The “Baggage”
Laurie experienced incestuous abuse at a very young age from various male members of her family. She left her home, fell in love and got married at the age of 26. After having two daughters, she realized she was in a loveless marriage. There was no physical affection of any kind and no emotional connection. At age 33, she was divorced. “The weight gain just happened,” she says. “After ten years of absolutely no exercise and bad eating habits, I weighed 275lbs.”
She was working at a bank and doing very well, but her boss could tell that she needed help, and told her so. Fortunately, Wells Fargo has excellent insurance for employees. They covered counseling sessions and, despite her doubts, she went. “I didn’t expect anything to change, but something did.”
Laurie’s therapist is an exceptional one. While Laurie kept calling herself, “broken,” Tammy was adamant that nothing was broken, especially Laurie. During her first session, Tammy listened to her 100%. There was no agenda and Laurie was shocked.
After several sessions of Laurie sharing her painful past with her, she declared, “I want to lose 100lbs this year.” Tammy didn’t blink an eye. Laurie thought she’d say, “That’s nice, but you have a lot on your plate already.” Instead, she said, “OK.”
Throughout their next sessions, Tammy began using words like “fearless” and “warrior” to describe Laurie. It was a challenge – a very big one – but slowly, Laurie began to see herself that way. “Those are powerful words!” Laurie says.
Losing the Weight
Laurie said she wanted to try running. Again, she expected Tammy to laugh in her face, or say she wasn’t ready. Tammy accepted her wishes matter-of-factly. Laurie joined a running support group. The group supported much more than running, the women supported each other emotionally. “Running, for me, is a mind clearing event,” Laurie says over her salad. “But I started running to prove to Tammy that I couldn’t run.” It took her over a month before she could run a mile. She watched “The Biggest Loser” and admired Jillian Michaels. Laurie lost 60lbs. in 7 months.
It’s been a rollercoaster, Laurie’s weight loss and increase in self-esteem has not been easy. She’s cried a lot, felt alone much of the time and struggled with feeling at ease. With over 1/3 of the United States’ population being obese1, this disease is a pervasive, challenging one to overcome. The roots of obesity’s cause run deep. Mid-way through her progress, that discouraging voice still reared its ugly head. Laurie wanted to prove to Tammy that she was right, she was broken. So she brought in a broken flower vase. “You see, this is broken, this is how I feel. I want to feel whole again.” Tammy showed her a website of art created by broken glass. “So, you think these pieces of art, made of broken glass have no value?” “No, I mean…they are definitely worth more than just a broken vase.”
But now, Laurie feels better than ever. Take a look at the gallery:
She’s still losing weight (slowly) and she’s enjoying the process! These days, it’s more about the feeling she gets after the run. Some runs are inspiring, others not, but she always feels better after going on one.
Key Factors for Success
Take advantage of insurance and offers of help from others.
Know that life is a journey, not a destination.
Change your thoughts, learn to live through your heart. You come out the other side stronger.
Think less and feel more.
Don’t diet, just be aware of what you eat and stay active.
My heart is singing for joy this morning! A miracle has happened! The light of understanding has shone upon my little pupil’s mind, and behold, all things are changed!
Anne Sullivan (Helen Keller’s Teacher)
Until I was in third grade, I was invisible. I was only one of two Korean-American kids in our school (my sister was the other one), so I should have “stuck out.” But I was quiet, shy and bookish. My parents dismissed me early on as an underachiever to my more outgoing, dynamic younger sister. As most introverts do, I quietly accepted this reality.
It changed one day.
During a parent/teacher conference, my mother asked haltingly in her strong accent, “Is she OK?” I braced myself for comments about the need for improvement…in focus or math…but Ms. Meretta looked me straight in the eye and said, “Oh yes, better than OK! Caroline is my hardest worker.”
I felt an electric charge throughout my body that caused my eyes to well.
My identity underwent a dramatic transformation: I wasn’t lazy or dumb (as I had overheard). I was a hard worker. I held promise.
I’m a teacher now, and looking back, I realize Ms. Meretta would not be considered a very good teacher today. She sat at her desk the entire day, giving papers to helpers to pass out for her. She was morbidly obese and rarely moved. She allowed me to get up and read books – a LOT. I rushed through math worksheets in order to read about Ramona or even Archie. She would most likely not embrace technology or move about the room to watch progress. Most likely, she would not attend ISTE and come back with cutting edge techniques to use in the classroom.
Still, she saw me. I consider her to be my most important teacher ever. She knew my personality, my friends, my parents, my interests. She invited my mother to come in and teach my peers about Korean customs, dress and food. My mother, a housewife, was positively giddy for weeks after her presentation. She had knowledge to impart! I realized that my culture was something to be proud of, not an aspect of myself to hide.
I’m not saying that using effective teaching strategies in the classroom lack importance, but in our fast-paced, technology-driven world, we need to stop multi-tasking. We need to slow down, ask real questions (How was your gymnastics meet?) and behold the people in front of us.
My daughters and I walk into our violin teacher’s house, and the first thing we see is her 5 year old son’s newest creation: A private hide out!
Instantly, I am transported to my childhood and I’m in a tent my sister and I make out of blankets, behind the couch. We are dirt poor, but only know the sheer pleasure of the morning sun on our faces and the taste of Pal Bubblegum which the McAllister kids give us when they come home from the grocery store. My sister and I get some raw yellow spaghetti from the kitchen as part of our secret snack. We break the stalk into matchsticks and place them in a small bowl. With crayons and a rocking chair, we create clouds of waxy confetti in the carpet and we are soundly punished for it afterwards. How we relish our hideout! Another favorite secret hangout is behind the stalks of giant sunflowers next door. We are young, free and alive! As we grew older, we created more sophisticated hideouts and games. We’d devise new Charlie’s Angels episodes and took turns being “Director.” Looking back, it was one of my first powerful, hands-on storytelling projects. I learned how to set up the scene, create a climax and conclusion and, most importantly, work with others (my sister and a friend of ours).
According to Clarissa Pinkola Estes, PhD, there are five stages to creativity: inspiration, concentration, organization, implementation and sustenance. She asserts, “Women who have lost one or more of these report that they “can’t think” of anything new, useful or empathic for themselves.” (Women Who Run with the Wolves).
Arguably, a place (or room) of your own, is essential for the concentration component of creativity. This does not have to be a home office, but it can be a favorite public hangout where you work on a consistent basis. Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones (and many other books and art), wrote in her favorite cafe for many years, culminating in several books on writing as well as her first novel. She had become such a fixture at the cafe, that people knew to leave her alone as she worked.
Where is your place for inspiration and creativity? If you don’t have one, think of the place you find yourself over and over again, to collect your thoughts, to write in your journal….to get things done.
On the heels of Thanksgiving, I thought I’d share what one of my students learned after a few weeks of discussion and study about English settlements.
Before I do – just so you know – most of my students got this answer correct (yes, I’m deflecting responsibility for this student’s response). The correct answer: Pilgrims, Separatists. I can only surmise this student did not study and was probably doodling or talking to a neighbor instead of listening.
Delicious – highly pleasing to the senses, esp. to taste or smell. (www.Dictionary.com)
Painting this in my kitchen was a delicious experience.
I love tiramisu. I love painting, drawing and writing. But I don’t do it as often as I like because I’m so “busy.” I know this is a cop out. I have plenty of time to write, draw, paint, play with my daughters, and eat tiramisu. So why don’t I do it more often?
Because I’m supposed to be working. Because there is a house to clean, people to feed, bills to pay and tiramisu has too many calories.
But….all of that is delicious! Playing Uno with my daughters is highly pleasing, writing this blog gives me joy, and eating tiramisu, well…it’s divine! Why do we (especially mothers) deprive ourselves of joy? Why do we allow other people and things to come before our own desires? We’re afraid of being called “selfish.” But I believe that if we are happy people, we will be all the better as mothers, wives, friends, teachers, nurses, lawyers, daughters, writers and whoever else we are.
So paint, do your yoga, change your job, say “no,” and eat dessert.
Lots of great tips from one of the pioneer writers of writing practice, Natalie Goldberg. I wanted to share one that resonated with me.
Kismet 