A Kayak and Chicken Soup.

Today is one of those good "sick days."  I woke up fighting a swollen throat and limp body and decided to officially declare this day "off."  I'm off from worrying about being productive or writing with purpose or even knowing what I will be doing when the sun goes down.  To be honest, I'm relishing the quiet rest of body and mind.

I've found myself devouring a book my friend sent me in the mail on Friday called A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller.  Reading is not my usual activity of choice when I feel sick and yet somehow, today, it's warming me inside like chicken soup.

I've mentioned Donald Miller before in this blog and my very mixed feelings about him.  And yet I must admit, I find few authors in the world who make me laugh out loud while reading his stuff, with no one in the room to hear me.  His books ramble for sure (something he and I have in common).  He writes as he thinks and doesn't edit much of his pride or his weaknesses or failures. If nothing else, the man is extremely real-- something I hope to become.

In one of my favorite scenes, Donald is entertaining two movie executives, interested in making a film based on his life.  When the arrive at his house in Portland, the three of them find themselves standing outside his house in a snow storm.  Just when you think he is going to say they asked to get started on the script, the executives ask: "Do you have a sled?"  (For some reason, this struck me as so funny.)  Ashamed that he is not coming off more outdoorsy, Donald shrugs his shoulders and says he does not.  Without skipping a beat, he adds "I have kayaks."  Without filling in the blanks, the very next scene, the movie execs and Donald are sliding down the icy streets of Portland, holding on for dear life!

I love this.  I love that grown men can be silly and do stupid things.  I love that the movie execs asked about the sleds in the first place.  I love that he didn't regret the experience (even though they crashed it!)
It's quite refreshing.

On a slightly deeper note, I find myself nearing the end of the book (after only starting it this morning).  It's always hard to summarize what I'm learning from Miller's books because he is so incredibly sporadic. But I guess if I had a gun to my head and asked to summarize, I would say:

Your life is your story and you are both the protagonist and the writer of your story.  Make it interesting.

In one section, he speaks of expectation and how movies raise our expectation for love and life in a way that can't be attained.  This tension, he believes, is the source of many of our problems.

"When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are.  And when you stop expecting material possessions to complete you, you'd be surprised at how much pleasure you get in material possessions." - p206

Some good thoughts, Donald.  Maybe you are not so bad after all.



    

Busy!

If there is one thing I've learned during the past few years about writing, it is that it comes in seasons.  The last two weeks have been like a downpour of ideas, opportunities and tasks.  I'm quite excited about it!  I'm working on the Francis Chan article and queried a popular journal to ask if they are interested.  Guess what?  I got a 'maybe'!  While this might not seem all too promising, just the fact that I got feedback was miraculous.  I've been querying editors for years now and the most I've gotten is a form letter rejection--usually at least a year after the submission.  Can you think of anything more depressing?  Needless to say, a 'maybe' was well-taken.  Today I'm working a new article query for another idea (top secret :) and wrapping up some other loose ends.  It's kind of a 'pick up the pieces' day... And considering the fact that it's raining outside in the middle August, I think that suits me just fine.

Wall!

I am sitting at Panera, attempting to finalize my query for the Francis Chan article that I'm writing and suddenly, it is like I haven't a word to say about anything!  How does that happen?  I think it's time for some lunch.

A Step in the Right Direction.

Yesterday was a crazy, weird, emotional day.  However, I made great strides in my writing goals, so I count it as a win!

Some of you may know Francis Chan, the former pastor of Cornerstone Church...  He has had a great impact on my life in various capacities.  I first heard him speak at my college, then at Hume Lake and then at his own church.  He's really something.

Yesterday I got the amazing opportunity to interview him about his current ministry.  I will be writing an article about my findings and submitting it for publication in Leadership Magazines!  It was INCREDIBLY generous of him to give me the time...  I don't expect to get that lucky again!

Still, I cannot express how out of my comfort zone this was!  I get very nervous on the phone!  But it was such a good experience for me to step out and talk with a man who is doing innovative things to spread the gospel.  ( I won't say too much, since I will be writing about it!  I will keep you updated!)

Anyway, I feel as though I'm taking a step in a new direction and I CAN'T WAIT to write the article!

:)

Just the Right Angle.

Most recently, I have been learning about finding an angle for an article.  It's funny because in all the TV shows I've watched about reporters, I've probably heard them say "I gotta find the right angle for this story" a million times or more.  And yet, in my writing, it never occurred to me that I needed one.  I've always written what I know and what I've felt like writing. In some ways, this has fueled my writing.  I don't think I'd do well in a writing job where I was constantly assigned something to write which I had little to no interest in.  And yet, there is something about learning to craft your writing in a certain direction to meet a specific audience.  While an 'angle' is not as emphasized in novel writing as it is in article writing-- I think that's what I've been missing!  What a revelation!  Now I can just figure out how to find an angle...then I'll be on my way.  Suggestions are always welcome. :)

"Write What You Know"

The cliche "Write what you know" is rearing its ugly head in my life this week.  I recently consulted a Christian writer whom I have known for years, asking for wisdom and advice on 'breaking in' to the writing world.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure got the answer I was looking for. It's tough out there and unless you already are someone, it's unlikely people will want to hear what you have to say.  One suggestion he gave me was to begin writing articles and submitting them for publication in journals.  Though I cannot say I was thrilled by this prospect, I must admit, I think it's a good idea.  And yet once again, I find myself swimming through an unknown corner of a market I know so little about.  Writing articles is quite different than writing books, I'm coming to find.  Not only so, but in a time when I'm barely hanging on to my 'writing voice' I'm now trying to change it to match the more serious and (sometimes) impersonal tone of a magazine or journal.  I feel like I just sucked in helium. I think my only hope in this magazine world is to write about my own life experiences (at least) and write about subjects that I'm at least familiar with (at most). Anyway, I look forward to the day when I can put a link on my blog to an online journal with my name in it! ;)

Momentum

Well hello there.  I'm afraid I've been a bit out of sync with my blogs this past week and half.  I blame it on momentum.

Writing is all about keeping in step with your own thoughts and getting them down when they come.  If you don't, I promise they will slip away like last night's dream.  And that has been my pattern lately. I get an idea and then get distracted by life and details and bills and sickness.  And then I'm left with nothing. 

Writing is like working out.  Sometimes you go to the gym and have an awesome work out.  Others, you are limping on the treadmill, half-dead.  Today, my foot is stuck in that conveyor belt of my own thoughts.  

BUT, like working out-- the most important thing is that you show up and stay consistent. And that's where I'm at today.   I may be out of breath, but I'm here.  :)

Kittens and 'darlings' and all that crap...

I had a thought a few minutes ago and though I'm much too tired to be writing at this moment, I just had to get it out...  It kind of ties into my other blog entry entitled 'A Humorous Realization' in which I explained that in an attempt to find my 'voice' in the non-fiction piece I was writing, I ended sounding like a 50- year man.  Why?  Because all the good non-fiction literature I've read is written by authors in this category.  What I failed to realize is that I also have a strong negative connotation with a female voice in writing.  Why? Because every piece I've read that has a strong female voice ends up talking about feelings and small furry animals and refers to the reader as 'darling.'  (I'm thinking of one writer in particular, who shall not be named...)

HOWEVER, some of the best writers I've ever read have been women... So, what I've been grappling with is, how can I be a woman and a good writer without making people want to vomit by writing overly sentimental pieces?

I think the answer for me is for me to write what I know and write it well.  If it comes out flowery, then it comes out flowery.  But honestly, I think it will come out just as I desire it to be, because it is from the strength of real life experience, told through the lens of reality.  I think everyone can appreciate that, no matter their age or gender.

Off to Starbucks tomorrow to write my heart out...And most likely scrap most of it before the day is out.

Goodnight.
    

Crossroads!

I'm just not sure where to go from here.  I'm really excited to dive deeply into my writing.  Steve and I are housesitting for the next three weeks and I'm very excited to use the peace and quiet and space to spread out my books and my thoughts.

I think I'm realizing that I'm afraid to go back to my manuscript.  I think, even though I know that it is fraught with disaster, there is a piece of me that likes it tucked in that neat corner in my mind as 'first draft: done.'  Pulling it apart sounds so messy and disastrous!

I predict a bit of moodiness and a load of frustration, mixed with unusual introversion and a splash of depression.  Such is the creator's process!  And honestly, I'm looking forward to it!

(Steve- don't say I didn't warn you. :)

Donald Miller.

I'm nestled on my couch next to my husband right now, both of us furiously typing our computers.  (Sometimes, I feel most close to him when we don't talk at all, but are writing on our Macs beside one another.)  My new issue of Writer's Digest arrived today, perfectly sealed and ready to be devoured.  I'm reading an interview with Donald Miller, the author of Blue Like Jazz and several other edgy Christian books.  I can never figure out if I like his writing when I read his books, but most of the time, I just appreciate him.  His voice is fresh and his thoughts off-beat.

Here's an excerpt from the interview:

(Interviewer's Question:  In A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, you talk about good stories-writing, editing and living them.  You say most writers don't live good stories because they're too busy writing, and most people living good stories don't have time to write.  What's you advice for those of us who want to live and write good stories?)

Donald Miller:   I'm amazed at how much my writing is improved when I step away from the computer, even in small amounts.  If I'm stuck, I vacuum the living room or walk the dog.  I'm amazed at what comes out of that.  Like right now, I'm in the airport, heading dow to San Diego to help a friend on his book... but I know that this process will {also} open something up in the book I'm working on.  I don't know what it is yet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I LOVE this idea!  I have found it so true in my life.  I remember thinking last time I went to Europe that I wanted to write a lot while I was there.  The truth was, I was too busy taking it all in to sit down and process it.  And honestly, I haven't written a lot about my grand experiences there.  So much of my writing flows out of the mundane.  Very seldom do I experience something great and write directly about it.  Instead, I float down the river of life, keeping my eye out for a small ripple in the water or a spinning leaf to catch me eye-- and I write about it.