Karinwritesdangerously

“I’m the most emotional and passionate about getting kids reading in late elementary and early middle school because if they don’t, how are they going to get through high school?” James Patterson

Anyone who’s passionate and emotional about putting books in the hands of kids has my vote — and James Patterson has donated millions of dollars to help encourage kids to read.

Before he became the best-selling author of the “Alex Cross” series Patterson wasn’t exactly an avid reader himself. In fact, it wasn’t until he was in his early 20s and working the night shift at a psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts that he discovered his love for reading, which helped jump start his writing career.

Today, he’s racked up more New York Times best sellers than any other writer, according to Guinness World Records, and he’s become a powerful advocate for books and fostering the love of reading.

James spent his school years without a school library, but fondly remembers his weekly visits to public libraries as a kid and hopes to spotlight the problem of public schools with no libraries or under-funded libraries. No wonder! This blew my socks off: In California, there is just one certified school librarian for every 7,800 hundred kids. And in major cities like Chicago and Philadelphia, library staffs have suffered steep cuts. More than 8,000 public schools nationwide did not have libraries in 2012, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. Hard to believe we’re talking about America, isn’t it?

“We can’t do much as individuals about global warming or the health care situation,” says James, “but we can really help literacy in our homes and locally. We can volunteer, we can give books to the school library. So, I’d like to shine a light on the problem… We just want to keep doing something useful, pushing the rock up the hill. It’s a big rock, a big hill.”

Bravo, James, write on!

From “An Afternoon with Hemingway,” by Edward Stanford:

“When you write,” he [Hemingway] said, “Your object is to convey every sensation, sight, feeling, emotion to the reader. So you have to `work over what you write. If you use a pencil, you get three different views of it to see if you are getting it across they way you want to. First, when you read it over, then when it is typed, and again in proof. And it keeps it fluid longer so you can improve it easier.”

“How do you ever learn to convey every sensation, sight, and feeling to the reader? Just keep working at it for forty-odd years the way you have? Are there any tricks?”

“No. The hardest trade in the world to do is the writing of straight, honest prose about human beings. But there are ways you can train yourself.”

“How?”

“When you walk into a room and you get a certain feeling or emotion, remember back until you see exactly what it was that gave you the emotion. Remember what the noises and smells were and what was said. Then write it down, making it clear so the reader will see it too and have the same feeling you had. And watch people, observe, try to put yourself in somebody else’s head. If two men argue, don’t just think who is wright and who is wrong. Think what both their sides are. As a man, you know who is right and who is wrong: you have to judge. As a writer, you should not judge, you should understand.”

Bravo, Ernest! Wise advice to ponder and apply as we all write on!

•  Print
•  Facebook
•  LinkedIn
•  X
•  Reddit
• More

Share this:

Customize buttons

“In any project the important factor is your belief. Without belief, there can be no successful outcome.”
William James

In a TV interview, actor and director Clint Eastwood said something that I’ve never forgotten. When someone asked him how he managed to keep going during difficult projects, he said five simple words “I believe in my work.” He could easily have said, “I believe in myself” but he didn’t. Instead, he put the focus on his creative endeavor.

I believe in my work — I think that’s something we need to say to ourselves early and often in our writing projects. Maybe we even need to write it on an index card and stick it up where we can see it every day. I believe that believing in our work blesses it.

When we say “I believe in my work,” here’s what I think we’re saying:

Our work has value: It’s important, it has meaning, it’s worthy of putting time and energy into — and doing it is its own reward. The focus is on getting the work done, not on what doing the work will get us — it’s on the process, not the outcome.

Our work has a life of its own: It exists beyond the bounds of our ego and our self-regard. It has an independent life and energy — and it will grow organically if we get ourselves out of the way and nourish it with our intention and attention.

Our work is where the work is: We can spend all kinds of time and energy wishing we had more talent or skill. We can spend all kinds of time and energy distracting ourselves from the page. We can spend all kinds of time and energy wishing we more successful or had more time to devote to our writing. But in the end, our work is where the work is: Writing isn’t about writing, writing is writing. 

I Believe in My work — what a liberating concept! It frees us to get out of our selves and into the joyful, playful realm of creativity, where ideas have wings and anything is possible. 

When we believe in our work, we don’t have to take ourselves too seriously — just whatever it is we’re striving to accomplish. We don’t have to rely on ourselves to know everything, we just have to trust that the work itself will teach us whatever it is we need to know. And Every day, we have a Fresh chance to put our belief to work as we write on!

Share this:

•  Print
•  Facebook
•  LinkedIn
•  X
•  Reddit
• Mo

We’ve all been there: stymied by a scene,unable to bring it to life: We feel stuck, sluggish, blocked. How can we fly free again? Here’s an intriguing technique for getting yourself unstuck:

Instead of walking away from your work when you hit a major roadblock, dive into it more deeply by using sensory detail to jump start yourself.

Use the five senses to give your story more color and bring it to life with a shot of energy. Start by identifying odors, textures, and sounds in your character’s life in the scene that’s not flowing well. Give your character something to eat, for example, and then let him/her savor the taste. Think about the light in the scene, the weight of the air, the temperature of your character’s skin. 

Write down everything your character is experiencing through his/her five senses in the scene you’re developing. 

Then consider your character’s desires in that specific moment: What does he or she want, what’s in the way, what’s needed to get it? Really get involved relishing those desires and making them come alive — and see what emerges. As A. B. observed, “I don’t necessarily insert all of those details into the scene, but the exercise of identifying them loosens me up, getting me unstuck. Sometimes insights emerge. Sometimes the character takes the story in a new direction.”

I like the idea of delving into a scene when you get stuck instead of retreating from it: going deeper builds confidence while retreating undermines it. When you dive in and play with enriching what’s happening in your story at a specific moment in time by layering in sensory details, it’s far more likely that you’ll emerge with something new and exciting. I’m adding this to my kitbag!Why not try this the next time you feel stuck and see what happens? Write on!

Share this:

•  Print
•  Facebook
•  LinkedIn
•  X
•  Reddit
• More

“Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” Guillaume Apollinaire 

Whenever I turn around, I see an article or news item that confirms what we all know: Writing can be life-changing — and a helpful, healing tool. Here’s proof positive:

Craft a happy ending: If you’re feeling stuck and unsure because of a difficult circumstance, taking time to pick up a pen and write out a positive outcome can make you feel better about your situation and even lead to a better conclusion. According to University of Virginia researchers, the very act of writing opens up creativity boosting channels in your brain, expanding your ability to find smart solutions and happier, more fruitful ways of looking at whatever life throws your way.

Scribble away your stress: Taking 15 minutes or so three times a week to vent by putting your pent-up feelings down on paper reduces worry, anxiety, insomnia and other stress-related problems by 30% according to recent studies.

Relax by reading: When you feel tension rising, cracking open a favorite novel or an inspiring holiday story like a Christmas Carol can lower your stress level by 70% within six minutes according to U.K. research. When we immerse ourselves in a fictional world we distract ourselves so effectively from our real-life worries that just the act of reading slows our heart rate and melts tension away!

Read aloud to calm yourself: Reading spiritual writings aloud, like psalms or chants, can slow your breathing to six breaths a minute, according to the British Medical Journal. This lowers your heart rate and blood pressure, creating a sense of calm within minutes. 

Power your diet with a pen: If you’re in the mood to slim down, then pick up your pen: Keeping a food diary can help you lose twice as much weight according to a major study of people who dropped an average of 18 pounds in six months. Why? Researchers say just the act of writing down everything you eat will encourage you to consume less. 

Boost your brainpower with poetry: Reciting poetry is a brain booster! The enjoyable, ear-pleasing rhythms and turns of phrase found in poetry spark activity in the right side of your brain, sharpening your memory, focus, and reasoning skills. Rhyming poems work best: The brain’s memory centers get an extra charge from recognizing rhyming patterns. 

Feel happier fast: Want to give yourself a boost all day long? Just send a quick email praising or thanking a friend. According to recent Harvard research, people who wrote a grateful note via email daily for three weeks felt significantly happier. Even a brief online exchange helps you bond with others and offers happiness-enhancing social support.

Our pens, pencils, and pecking have power! So, boost your brain, feel happier, relax — and write on!

Share this:

•  Print
•  Facebook
•  LinkedIn
•  X
•  Reddit
• More

Bing Chang, one of my cherished KWD readers and a gifted poet who finds beautiful moments everywhere sent me the lovely video below with this note, “I made this clip with La Mer as a mood spine. ‘We Are Waves in One Ocean’”—what a creative interpretation!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rv8JTLfoUDDNgyJbtdYPcZxHDz-9r-eq/view?usp=drive_link

“Light tomorrow with today!”   Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth was born today in 1806. In honor of her birthday, let us delight in her poetry:

How Do I Love Thee?

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, — I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! — and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

What a joyful, soulful poem! It reminds us all to bring our heart into everything we do as we all write on!

Share this:

•  Print
•  Facebook
•  LinkedIn
•  X
•  Reddit

“Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.”. Guillaume Apollinaire 

Whenever I turn around, I see an article or news item that confirms what we all know: Writing can be life-changing — and a helpful, healing tool. Here’s proof positive:

Craft a happy ending: If you’re feeling stuck and unsure because of a difficult circumstance, taking time to pick up a pen and write out a positive outcome can make you feel better about your situation and even lead to a better conclusion. According to researchers, the very act of writing opens up creativity boosting channels in your brain, expanding your ability to find smart solutions and happier, more fruitful ways of looking at whatever life throws your way.

Scribble away your stress: Taking 15 minutes or so three times a week to vent by putting your pent-up feelings down on paper reduces worry, anxiety, insomnia and other stress-related problems by 30% according to recent studies.

Relax by reading: When you feel tension rising, cracking open a favorite novel or an inspiring holiday story like a Christmas Carol can lower your stress level by 70% within six minutes according to U.K. research. When we immerse ourselves in a fictional world we distract ourselves so effectively from our real-life worries that just the act of reading slows our heart rate and melts tension away!

Read aloud to calm yourself: Reading spiritual writings aloud, like psalms or chants, can slow your breathing to six breaths a minute, according to a leading medical journal. This lowers your heart rate and blood pressure, creating a sense of calm within minutes. 

Power your diet with a pen: If you’re in the mood to slim down, then pick up your pen: Keeping a food diary can help you lose twice as much weight according to a major study of people who dropped an average of 18 pounds in six months. Why? Researchers say just the act of writing down everything you eat will encourage you to consume less. 

Boost your brainpower with poetry: Reciting poetry is a brain booster! The enjoyable, ear-pleasing rhythms and turns of phrase found in poetry spark activity in the right side of your brain, sharpening your memory, focus, and reasoning skills. Rhyming poems work best: The brain’s memory centers get an extra charge from recognizing rhyming patterns. 

Feel happier fast: Want to give yourself a boost all day long? Just send a quick email praising or thanking a friend. According to recent Harvard research, people who wrote a grateful note via email daily for three weeks felt significantly happier. Even a brief online exchange helps you bond with others and offers happiness-enhancing social support.

Our pens, pencils, and pecking have power! So, boost your brain, feel happier, relax — and write on!

Share this:

•  Print
•  Facebook
•  LinkedIn
•  X
•  Reddit
• More

« The one thing you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can. »

« Write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly and tell it as best you can. I’m not sure there are any other rules. Not ones that matter. »

« The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before. »
Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is not only an award-winning author, he’s also prolific. He’s written short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, and screenplays. In an online interview he offered inspiring advice:

Where ideas come from: Desperation, deadlines, daydreaming. Ideas often turn up while you’re doing something else. Confluence is a big factor: two things flowing together and converging can trigger an idea. Everyone gets ideas all the time, but most people let them slip away. As writers we “train ourselves to notice when we get an idea” — when we find or hit upon something that might be mined.

First drafts: Neil likes to write by hand in notebooks, because until he puts his work on the computer, it’s “not real” and somehow, “it doesn’t matter,” so it takes the pressure off and frees him up. As he puts it, “No one really cares about your first draft but you. Whatever you’re doing can be fixed.” So get it down and see what you have.

Read outside your comfort zone: Whatever the genre you want to focus on, make it a point to read outside of it. When you read widely, you get ideas, you make connections, you see fresh angles. “Go and learn things” — it will make you a stronger writer. 

Tell your story your way: “There are better writers, smarter writers than you. But you are the only you — so start telling the stories that only you can tell.” 

Bravo, Neil — write on!

Share this:

•  Print
•  Facebook
•  LinkedIn
•  X
•  Reddit
• More

You can never really tell what will come in handy as a writer or where inspiring ideas that give us a jolt of energy will come from. A case in point: “4 Principles of the Wrestling Mindset,” a poster created by Gene Zannetti, a sports psychology expert. When I heard about it, I knew right away it could be adapted to the writing life. So here’s my rewrite:

4 Principles of the Wrestling (Writing) Mindset

#1 I am thankful for the opportunity to wrestle (write).

Having the opportunity to share our stories, fantasies, hopes, dreams, and fears with the world through our writing is a gift. Whenever I write, I light a small candle by my desk to remind me that giving life to words is a time-honored calling that I am blessed to pursue. Gratitude opens the door to abundance.

#2 I am aggressive and relentless.

Right above my computer, I have a sticky note with a quote from Vincent van Gogh: “I attack the page, struggling like a lion.” I keep this right in front of my nose to remind me that writing is not for the faint-hearted. It takes courage. It takes stamina. It takes aggressive attention and pursuit. It takes relentless dedication and relentless willingness to endure frustration, setbacks, and rejection.

#3 I have no fear of losing or making mistakes.

To survive and thrive in the pursuit of our craft requires full effort — and letting go of a focus on winning and losing. We need to take a “win some, learn some” approach to any mistakes we make and see them as stepping stones rather than missteps. 

#4 I never, ever give up. 

Whatever obstacles we face, inner fears or outer demands on our time, believing in our work, we write on! 

Share this:

•  Print
•  Facebook
•  LinkedIn
•  X
•  Reddit
• More