Ironic?

Is it ironic that I almost didn't do my 20 minutes of writing today because I spent most of the day getting ready to go to a writing retreat with friends?  There were so many last minute things I had to complete: packing my clothes, packing the books I wanted with me, packing cooking supplies, getting church bulletins emailed to the person who prints them, sending emails related to Brick Road Poetry Press operations, other disciplines like Bible study, devotional reading, prayer time, checking in on people by phone, making sure I had directions to our retreat site, and the list goes on. Then when at dusk I arrived at the retreat house, I had to unload my car, prep my dinner, and put on the TV to watch while I ate.  The TV almost allured me into a night of turning off my creative mind and surrendering to the Disney+ creative team behind WandaVision. It sucked me in for three entire episodes. But here is where disciple and a promise to myself kicked in. I have committed to 20 minutes of writing a day. If I can't do it at our writing retreat house, I'm doomed. So I turned off the screen and opened my notebook and handwrote a series of lines, bouncing off the deeply held truth that "in love someone always gets hurt." I tried to restate this idea in as many different and unique ways as I could think of. Again it feels good to keep my commitment and be able to say, I have written. 

Why Do I Need a Life of Letters?

With no self-deception, I can say I’m fairly good at so many life skills. I can cook well. When I clean the house, I do it full-out, moving items off the floor and shifting furniture when I’m vacuuming. I’ve even been known to do my own laundry and have repaired a few home appliances. While these are valuable abilities, none of these have ever given me a feeling of lasting satisfaction. Most of what this life requires is necessary but not edifying, at least not for me. It's not enough.

What does give me a sense of accomplishment and the feeling I am using my life in a worthwhile fashion is writing, more specifically “having written.” There’s something about the process of putting together words to express something that quiets my feeling of inadequacy. Maybe I can say writing helps me to feel as if I’m not wasting the precious time of my life. I am doing something constructive and creative. I am creating something that did not previously exist. When the creative juices are flowing and I perceive that I’m writing something special and surprising, it is the best feeling ever. It’s like what I imagine it would be like to have superpower. Writing well is when I feel most God-like, in the sense I am creating new life and new worlds from words.

As well as I know myself I can say, it’s not so much producing writing that impacts others and the world so much as it is the active practice and discipline of scribbling in my notebook. Once I did dream of producing popular books, of going into a random bookstore and seeing my name on the spine of my latest work. But for my life now, the goal is quieter, simpler, more for my sense of meaning and purpose rather than the consumption of others. I simply feel good when I have written. I feel great when I write regularly. And, when the opposite happens, when I allow writing to be squeezed out by the business of other pursuits, that’s when I feel like a failure. To look back on a month, a season, a year or more without writing is to want to lay down and die. For vitality and a sense of purpose in my life, I need writing.

Routine Writing

The desire to write well, the desire to write extraordinarily well can hinder the likelihood of any writing at all. Most writing is going to be mundane, clichéd, substandard, and uninspired. I know that. Consciously I accept that. But when it comes to having the motivation and discipline to write, I stall, avoid, and leave it undone. This is why I need to build the discipline of 20-minute writing sessions, yet again. 20 minutes is possible in almost any circumstance. And I go into it with no expectations except to have the bragging rights that I have written. 

Today's session felt uninspired. I wrote from an artistically done photo of a domestic scene. As you would expect the subject of the writing was a domestic scene about making coffee and a mother cuddling with her son. There was some life in the mother's stream-of-consciousness, but it did not excite me. The words were not fresh or inspired. But it was writing. I was meditating on what that life would be like. Reaching into that environment with my imagination. It was something. 

The downside of 20 minutes is that it's not enough writing time for experiments with saying things in different ways, revising, and rethinking the way I'm putting together words. I will need more time to develop more style and inventiveness again. I need to be thinking ahead to what the goal would be after 20 minutes becomes habit. Thankfully I have a Poetry Retreat coming up next week with poet friends. There I will be able to sink more deeply into the process for a weekend. 

Photo Prompts

I've known several poets who hate writing prompts. That's never been the case for me. My imagination seems to love assignments, particularly entering the environment of a painting or a photograph. Finding an image at the spur of the moment can delay the writing process, so I've gradually gathered photos which intrigue me. Unfortunately, I can't always find them quickly in my computer files or I'm somewhere separated from my home computer. So I'm putting up these links today to photographers and photos which have drawn my interest. That way I can pull up this blog and find them no where I am. 

Story 01: Ward Long — Nowhere Diary

A Life Worth Living — ZSOLT KADAR

turdlez User Profile | DeviantArt

• erica & i - AMY POWELL | Photographer | amylynnpowell@gmail.com (amy-powell.com)

Slavery

 In the novel The Mountain in the Sea, the plight of characters Son and Eiko, slaves trapped on an AI run fishing ship, have deeply disturbed me. What novelist Ray Nayler has demonstrated in their story is that anyone, no matter race, nationality, or resources, can be abducted, isolated, and enslaved. The use of drugs in kidnapping and the use of technology to evade detection makes anyone vulnerable to being used as free labor in whatever the business. Son and Eiko remind me about human trafficking which happens all around us, under the radar. I'm reminded there are people silently suffering with no hope of rescue or escape. They also have no choice whatsoever in how to live and be. What helplessness they must feel. 

This leads me to think about the slavery of black people in America. I want to shelter my emotions from too much exposure to their afflictions. I would rather ignore how their suffering continues to impact our nation today. Yet I know I must choose to look directly at their affliction and imaginatively see and experience through their eyes. I'm making a commitment to myself to visit The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration in Montgomery within the next month. I know this will be a painful experience, but I do believe it is my calling to live out the character of my God who is afflicted as we are afflicted, who weeps with us in our suffering. There is nothing godlier I can do than to expose myself to the pain of other people's suffering. 

Imaginative Empathy

I'm currently reading a sci-fi book entitled The Mountain in the Sea which deals with Artificial Intelligence and efforts to communicate with a non-human lifeform. One of the major themes is about longing for connection and the difficulties of communication. The characters have gotten me thinking about my own level of empathy for others, a crucial ingredient for connection and communication. In the novel there's a guy who has been kidnapped and enslaved. As he is forced to work with other slaves, he realizes how he has never cared too much about other people. He's only cared about himself. In the midst of his slavery, he starts to listen and actually pay attention to his fellow slaves, where they came from, what they are thinking, and how they are feeling. 

All this has stimulated the observation that I too need to grow in that area. Wouldn't it be wonderful if I imaginatively explored the plights and conditions of others through poetry and writing? It not only would offer the potential of interesting writing, but it would also aid me in developing greater empathy for others. I need to get reacquainted with poets like Norman Dubie who excel at monologues from the point of view of other people, including historical figures. 

Friends working in a soup kitchen

Of course, empathy without caring action is useless. I need to make it priority to find ways to put my empathy for others to good use. Even if that starts as a simple phone call or visit to support someone with my presence. After doing a bit of free writing this morning about homelessness, I texted an old friend who has experienced that. Writing led to seeking connection, which is the way it should be. 

Lastly, allow me to note that I decided yesterday to adopt the practice of 20 minutes of writing daily. Part of the commitment includes doing this writing no matter what the circumstances of my surroundings or the distractions of tasks, guests, travel, or illness. What I'm aiming for is the discipline of writing no matter what else is going on. It seems an achievable goal which could conceivably lead to a good habit. 

My Creative Journal

Starting today I will be posting here more regularly on the topic of my creative efforts and my exploration of aspects of writing and stimulating creativity. My aim here is to keep a running journal of what works for me and what doesn't.  Also to document my thought process as I strive to reactivate my muse and search for ways to get back to the pleasure of imagining and creating new worlds, whether they be worlds of language or story. 

This week I am committed to spending a bit of time on nailing down my aspirations for 2023. My biggest hope is to improve at balancing my time and efforts.  I have a tendency to get single-minded about tasks, tenaciously spending an excessive number of hours on one thing to the detriment of everything else. Often that's either seminary or occupation related. I'm obsessively focused on being responsible. While it is good to be concentrated on important and purposeful things, I need to develop the disciple of setting aside other things in order to fit in things I aspire to do. 

My other weakness is succumbing to timewasters, especially scrolling through Facebook or looking up the latest news or gossip on Doctor Who, Marvel movies, or Star Trek.  My goal is to set aside those mind-numbing sessions of yielding to click-bait. Time is limited in this life, and there are so many other edifying options. 

If you know me and you happen to find this post, please say a prayer for me, and I also invite you to check-in and hold me accountable for my aspirations. Drop me a line and say something like, "Keith, did you write today?" Thanks in advance. 

Robert Olen Bulter Writes Word by Word before My Eyes

I'm watching a Pulitzer Prize-winning fiction writer as he creates a short story, beginning to end. I'm only up to Episode 2 in this 17-part video series by Robert Olen Butler. Butler is the type who re-reads and revises word by word, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph and so on, as he goes along. (Not a fast / rough draft and then later revision.) He describes fiction as coming from the dream state, not the conscious mind. Says a writer must enter a "zone" or state of meditation that accesses the writer's "dream center." However, he clearly allows his critical / analytical mind significant participation in the creation of the text. It's a contradiction which is clearly working for him. Maybe it works for Butler because he is primarily conjuring the voice of the narrator and imaginatively experiencing the sensory details of what the character is experiencing like a "method actor." The secondary issue is surface text--the right words in the right order.

April Events at the McCullers Center

From: Courtney George

Sent: Monday, April 16, 2012 9:22 AM

To: Courtney George

Subject: April Events at the McCullers Center

 

Hello everyone,

The Carson McCullers Center is hosting two great events over the next couple of weeks:

Friday, April 20th at 7 p.m.
The Mystic Order of the East Alabama Fiction Writers will give a reading from their new collection, Be the Flame, published by local press, New Plains Press.The Mystics are composed of a group of six women bound together by their interest in the visual and literary arts: Margee Bright-Ragland, Gail Langley, Judy Nunn, Joanne Camp, Marian Carcache, and Mary Dansak. The Mystics will sign books, and a short reception will follow.

Friday, April 27th at 1:30 p.m.
The English Faculty Lecture Series features Dr. Nick Norwood, CSU Professor of Creative Writing and author of the recently published poetry collection, Gravel and Hawk. Dr. Norwood will read from and speak about his poetry, and coffee and cake will be served. For more on Dr. Norwood's new collection, visit here: http://www.ohioswallow.com/book/gravel+and+hawk.

Please contact (706) 565-4021 for questions about these events, and don't forget to follow us on Facebook for weekly updates, too.

We hope to see you soon!

Thanks, always, for your support,


Courtney George

--
Courtney George, Ph.D.
Interim Director
Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians

Columbus State University

www.mccullerscenter.org

 

Terry Kay to Read at New Bowers House Literary Center in Canon

April 2, 2012—for immediate release

 

Internationally Acclaimed Georgia Writer Terry Kay to Read at New Bowers House Literary Center in Canon

 

The University of Georgia's award-winning journal The Georgia Review and the recently opened Bowers House Literary Center in Canon, Georgia, are sponsoring a reading by, and up-close conversation with, writer Terry Kay at the Bowers House on Saturday, April 21, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. A tour of the historic home, originally built as a hotel nearly one hundred years ago, will be offered at 1:30 p.m. Both the tour and the reading are open to the public free of charge.

              Terry Kay, a Hart County native who currently makes his home in Athens, is the author of some fifteen books—among them eleven novels, a collection of essays, a children's book, and a recently released volume of short stories, The Greats of Cuttercane.

              Three of Kay's novels have been produced as Hallmark Hall of Fame movies: The Runaway, The Valley of Light, and his best-known work To Dance with the White Dog—the last of these starring the famous acting couple of Hume Cronin and Jessica Tandy.

               Readers around the world can find Kay's books translated into more than twenty languages; most notably, To Dance with the White Dog has sold some two million copies in Japan.

              After Kay's reading in the house's spacious living room/parlor, Georgia Review editor Stephen Corey will moderate a conversation between Kay and the audience. A reception will follow, during which attendees may enjoy their refreshments while walking the grounds or sitting on the first- and second-floor wraparound porches.

              The Bowers House Literary Center is located in the small town of Canon, four miles north of Royston and a pleasant thirty-five drive north of Athens; just a few miles from I-85, the house is easily reached from both Atlanta and the Greenville-Spartanburg region of South Carolina.

              Thanks to owner Laura Bowers Foreman, herself an active writer, the Bowers House's two-story, 4,000-square-foot, seven-bedroom space is now dedicated to the service of writers and lovers of good writing. The house is available for a variety of programs, from a brief gathering such as the Terry Kay reading to day-long festivals or multi-day conferences. Individual writers, as well as small groups, can take up residency in the Bowers House, for anywhere from a few days to several weeks, for modest fees—all of which go to support the mission of the house. Also, ongoing workshops and classes are currently being conducted by Sandra Scott and others. For further information, including driving directions, visit www.thebowershousewriters.com or e-mail to bowershousewriters@gmail.com.

              The Georgia Review, published quarterly at the University of Georgia since 1947, features short stories, poems, general-interest essays, reviews, and visual art by the famous and the newly discovered. Winner of National Magazine Awards in both the fiction and the essay category, and a recipient of the Georgia Governor's Award in the Arts, the Review has a long tradition of sponsoring and cosponsoring reading events on the UGA campus and in the Athens area. For more information, go to www.thegeorgiareview.com or call 706-542-3481.

Bobbie Ann Mason in Montgomery, Troy

 

Sent by: Alabama Writers' Forum Reply to the sender

Bobbie Ann Mason (courtesy of Troy University, Montgomery Campus) Bobbie Ann Mason to read in Montgomery,Troy Influential Southern novelist Bobbie Ann Mason has been named the latest recipient of the Hall-Waters Prize, presented by Troy University. Mason will be honored by Troy during events at the Montgomery and Troy campuses March 28-29. On Wednesday, March 28, Mason will read from her latest novel, The Girl in the Blue Beret, at the Montgomery Campus inside the Gold Room in Whitley Hall from 7 to 9 p.m. This event is free and open to the public and is co-sponsored by the Alabama Writers' Forum. Books will be available for signing. On Thursday, March 29, Mason will be honored on the Troy Campus at a luncheon sponsored by the Troy English departments. At 4 p.m. a special taping of the Alabama Public Television program Bookmark will be held in the Hawkins-Adams-Long Hall of Honor, followed by a Q&A session with the author. This event is free and open to the public, although seating is limited to the first 120 people. Mason is the author of five novels, five short-story collections, a memoir, and a biography of Elvis Presley for Penguin Publishing's popular Lives series. Her 1980 New Yorker debut, "Shiloh" (1980), remains one of the most anthologized short stories in contemporary American literature, and her 1985 novel, In Country, dealing with the after effects of the Vietnam War, is considered a classic. The Hall-Waters Prize is endowed by Troy alumnus Dr. Wade Hall as a memorial to his parents, Wade Hall Sr. and Sarah Elizabeth Waters Hall. The award is presented regularly to individuals who have made significant contributions to Southern heritage and culture in history, literature, or the arts. For questions about any of the upcoming events, contact Dr. Kirk Curnutt, chair of the Montgomery Campus Department of English, at 334-241-9701 or kcurnutt@troy.edu. READ MORE… To forward this e-mail to a friend or colleague, use this link.

Marillion News From The Studio

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In the studio recording backing tracks for the new album. It's sounding really good. I'm experimenting with some new effects pedals, you can never have too many toys! Feels like spring has arrived outside the studio. Steve R Just finished the backing track for "Sky Above The Rain". As I mentioned on my twitter feed a few days ago, it is a corker. This really is one of the special songs. And it is nice to be involved in the recording of tracks like this. Especially as the event has also been captured on film. We now have cameras in our live area, three to be exact but more may be introduced. So I have to choose my wardrobe carefully! Pete We've been working on this album, on and off, for what feels like years now. Maybe that's because it really is years! I'm now at the point where I don't know if it's any good or not. I wouldn't take that as a bad sign, I really didn't like Afraid of Sunlight when we were working on that and look how it turned out... Mark Evening All. Just got back from another really good day in the studio...We have been working on an arrangement and I think we might have cracked it. Will know more in the morning when we can give it a listen with fresh ears. I can now sit down and watch the football with a clear conscience....For some reason I thought it was Wednesday today bit of a shock when I found out it is in fact Thursday...Time flies when you are enjoying yourself.....Cheers... Ian Well and truly into backing tracks now. Putting down drums for a song called "The Sky Above The Rain" today. Just wait.. Steve H IN OTHER NEWS: For up to the minute news and gossip remember you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter too! Discs 2 & 3 from our Holidays in Zelande DVD are available to Pre-Order now from the Racket Store. This release features the Saturday night A-Z set recorded at the Marillion Weekend, Holland in 2011. These discs fit neatly into the Deluxe box that comes with Disc 1. We still have a few of these left in NTSC just in case you still haven't ordered your copy yet. Discs 2 & 3 can be Pre-Ordered from: www.marillion.com/shop/dvd/zelande-saturday.htm Disc 1 complete with Deluxe Box is available from: www.marillion.com/shop/dvd/zelande-friday.htm Check out the Trailer for A-Z in the Racket TV Lounge! 19 March 2012 News From The Studio

©2012 Marillion & Racket Records eWeb Newsletter Find a Better Way of Life at marillion.com

Morris Memorial Chapbook Competition

The Alabama State Poetry Society is accepting submissions for the Annual John and Miriam Morris Memorial Chapbook Competition. Deadline is May 31, 2012.

Winner receives $100 and 50 copies of his/her winning chapbook.

Poems may be previously published if poet retains all rights. Send 20-24 total pages of poetry, (poems may be longer than one page, but total page count must be 20-24) with two (2) title pages: one with author identification, and one with NO author identification.

Please send manuscript with a $15 reading fee payable to New Dawn Unlimited, Inc.

Mail to:

New Dawn Unlimited, Inc.
ASPS 2012 Morris Memorial Chapbook Competition
1830 Marvel Road
Brierfield, AL 35035

 

Jerri Hardesty


New Dawn Unlimited, Inc.
1830 Marvel Road
Brierfield, AL 35035

Poetry publishing, production, performance, preservation, and education.

NewDawnUnlimited.com
PoetrySlam.net
AlabamaPoetry.com

Write Uptown Columbus 1st Write-a-thon

Travel writer, memoirist, and novelist Mary Morris, who teaches a workshop called The Writer and the Wanderer at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, likes to send her students on field trips to light the creative torch. "I like to get my students out of the house, and a little out of their heads," says Morris, whose most recent book is the memoir River Queen (Holt, 2007). "Go away. Listen. Eavesdrop. Find something new. Bring back a souvenir. What do you take with you? What do you leave behind? Sit outside in one place until a story comes to you." Follow Morris's guidance: Go on a field trip of your own, and discover the wanderer within you.   From Poets and Writers E-Newsletter.   

 

The Chatthoochee Valley Writers are planning an opportunity for you to do just that. Register today by going to our website or replying to this email !

Chattahoochee Valley Writers Newsletter

Please see the attached Chattahoochee Valley Writers Newsletter

 

Check out the updated website – http://www.chattwriters.org

 

Register Now for our

Write-Uptown – 1^st annual Columbus Write-A-Thon.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

10:00 A.M. Kick Off at Vintage 222*

5:00 PM Wrap-UP at Vintage 222*

 

We will divide into small teams

To explore Columbus through a writer's eyes

To write about what we see (or not)

To ignite our imaginations

To encourage each other

To share what we write

To proclaim "We're Writers"!

"

Free and Open to All Writers

 

Sponsored by

Chattahoochee Valley Writers Conference

 

 

Please Register by 5 p.m., Fri.. April 20, 2012 chattwriter@gmail.com

* limited seating at Kick-off and Wrap-Up, 222 Seventh Street

 

 

Chattahoochee Valley Writers Newsletter

Please see the attached Chattahoochee Valley Writers Newsletter

 

Check out the updated website – http://www.chattwriters.org

 

Register Now for our

Write-Uptown – 1^st annual Columbus Write-A-Thon.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

10:00 A.M. Kick Off at Vintage 222*

5:00 PM Wrap-UP at Vintage 222*

 

We will divide into small teams

To explore Columbus through a writer's eyes

To write about what we see (or not)

To ignite our imaginations

To encourage each other

To share what we write

To proclaim "We're Writers"!

"

Free and Open to All Writers

 

Sponsored by

Chattahoochee Valley Writers Conference

 

 

Please Register by 5 p.m., Fri.. April 20, 2012 chattwriter@gmail.com

* limited seating at Kick-off and Wrap-Up, 222 Seventh Street

 

 

Time to Write and Win!

TIME TO REGISTER FOR THE SOUTH'S

OLDEST, MOST HELPFUL WRITERS'

CONFERENCE!

TIME TO SUBMIT YOUR MANUSCRIPTS

TO THE CASH-AWARD AUTHORS'

CONTEST!

Click here:

http://alabamawritersconclave.org/

&

Check out the latest issue of Alalitcom

at

www.alalit.com

Winners of the Alabama Writers' Conclave 2011

literary contest. Read and enjoy!

Lessons Learned from NaNoWriMo

Writing 50,000 words in 30 days was a tremendously positive experience for me. Over the last ten or fifteen years, I had come to think of myself as a poet ONLY. I dabbled with fiction for a few pages at a time, dreamed about maybe one day trying my hand at it again, but never gave myself permission to take the time and to put in the effort to follow a set of characters for an extended period of time. Now that I have stuck with this cast for 30 days, I believe in my ability to do so again and again. A door for creativity has been opened to me.

Now I know that an hour or even 30 minutes a day is plenty enough time to work on a scene, to get some dialogue flowing and to keep momentum going forward in an initial draft. I was amazed how by sitting down for a solid hour in the morning I was usually able to crank out 1,600 words without strain. I won’t claim they were great words or even okay words, but for a first draft, I’m not supposed to worry about that at all. It’s more a matter of learning who the characters are, who they want to be, what they want to do, and where the plot is going. The first draft is only an exploratory journey and a get-to-know-you period, if you will. I’m excited to know that it doesn’t take a major change in my daily schedule to foster that process.

I learned that I can write under terrible conditions, or at least what I once thought were terrible conditions for writing creatively. During the week of Thanksgiving, I had four house guests. That is to say, I had six people total in my little house that only has two bathrooms. The “office” where I usually write had a guest staying in there on an air mattress. He happened to be the latest sleeper too, so I wasn’t able to get access to my home PC in the mornings. During the day the PC was usually tied up by another guest who was doing Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping. Good thing I had borrowed a laptop from work! I was able to sit on the floor of my bedroom and write whenever I could squeeze it in. Sometimes the time was stolen in the mornings or in the late afternoons. One time everybody else was watching a movie I’d already recently seen, so I took those 2 hours to write in bed. This experience taught me to look for those tiny pockets of time and space to write. I don’t need to wait for the ideal situation. Every little amount of writing you can do adds up.

Lastly, I want to underline something I alluded to earlier in this post: FIRST DRAFT WRITING DOES NOT HAVE TO BE HIGH QUALITY! This is a lesson about turning off the internal editor. I found myself bored a few times when I was creating scenes. I also had a few days when I caught myself saying that the book was a flop, that it was hopelessly boring and dull. It very well might be, but when writing the first draft you have to set all those opinions aside. That’s the joy of revision. You can take a sorry story and throw in a few twists and turns and turn it into something wonderful. But you never get that opportunity if you don’t jot down the first round of garbage and let your characters explore options. Outlining doesn’t seem like a viable option to me. I could come up with an outline that says what the characters should do, but that doesn’t mean that they will show up and do those things. It’s only by muddling through the exploration of storytelling that your characters announce where they are going and what is going to happen. You have to trust that process and work the process and tell your editor that he/she needs to shut up until needed later.

50,000 Word Goal Has Been Met!

Current Word Count!