Karinwritesdangerously

« How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. » Anne Frank

What a gentle, joyful spirit shines through Anne’s words! Today, June 12, is her birthday. She was born in 1929, but her lovely life was cut short. She spent her last few years hiding behind bookcases in the secret rooms of an attic in Amsterdam during World War II. Month after month, she lived her life in cramped quarters among difficult, frightened adults. And yet, she never lost hope, as we know from her amazing words, penned in her young hand in a classic memoir beloved from generation to generation, The Diary of Anne Frank. Some of her words of wisdom to light our way:

“Riches, prestige, everything can be lost. But the happiness in your heart can only be dimmed; it will always be there as long as you live, to make you happy again.”

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God … I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.”

“We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.”

“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”

“Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness.”

“An empty day, though clear and bright, is just as dark as any night.”

“As long as this exists, this sunshine and this cloudless sky, and as long as I can enjoy it, how can I be sad?”

“I must uphold my ideals, for perhaps the time will come when I shall be able to carry them out.”

“People can tell you to keep your mouth shut, but that doesn’t stop you from having your own opinion.”

“No one has ever become poor by giving.”

“In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit.”

“Where there’s hope, there’s life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again.”

“The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!”

On August 1, 1944, Anne Frank wrote the last entry in her diary. “I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are still truly good at heart…” The Franks were arrested by the Gestapo three days later.

“What a bold, beautiful spirit! May her words inspire and uplift you as we all write on!

« The secret of becoming a writer is to write, write, and keep on writing. »
Ken MacLeod

« Nothing will work unless you do. »
Maya Angelou

William Styron called writing “my tortoise-like art” and had a strict writing pattern: He rose at 12, had a leisurely lunch or brunch until 2, took a long walk with his dogs and mentally organized his afternoon bout of writing. Then he’d disappear into a barn where he’d coax a No. 2 pencil across yellow legal paper, each sentence painfully polished until he went onto the next. At 7:30 in the evening he’d emerge with “my painful 600 words,” which he played with over a drink and then gave to his wife to type. His daily output? About two and a half pages. Once finished, he tinkered very little.

Few of us have the luxury of rising at noon or passing our pages onto a wife to type. But Styron’s story here isn’t about the perks of being a writer, but about the benefits of establishing a  writing regimen.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to cling to. Styron wrote in the late afternoon, Eudora Welty was at her desk from 9 to 12 in the morning, Michael Chambon is a committed night owl. William Styron wrote 650 words on a good day; Stephen King doesn’t get quit until he’s written 2500 words. Styron wasn’t a reviser; Nabokov once said that his pencils outlasted his erasers because he rewrote so obsessively.

The message? At its heart, finding your own writing process isn’t about how or when you write, it’s about discovering a writing pattern that works for you — that plays to your strengths and circumstances — and then pursuing it consistently. Professional writers like Styron, Welty, Hemingway, King each learned the secret to productivity: develop a personal game plan for tackling the page and then stick with it through thick and thin. Something to ponder and apply as we all write on!

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As we launch into our writing today, some words of wisdom from writers to embolden us and give our words wings:

« Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray. »
Rumi

“I know you’ve heard it a thousand times before. But it’s true — hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don’t love something, then don’t do it.”
Ray Bradbury

“The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today.”
Elbert Hubbard

“Writers have an island, a center of refuge, within themselves. It is the mind’s anchorage, the soul’s Great Good Place.”
Wright Morris

“Think of all the other writers out there in the world, taking the same detour from word processor to coffeepot, thesaurus in hand, hopes in tow. We’re all in it together, crossing over and over the elusive bridge between words and literature.”
Abby Frucht

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”
Scott Adams

“I discovered that rejections are not altogether a bad thing. They teach a writer to rely on his own judgment and to say in his heart of hearts, “To hell with you.”
Saul Bellow

“The greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to see something, and tell what he saw in a plain way.”
John Ruskin

“Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.
Gustave Flaubert

“Inspiration usually comes during work rather than before it.”
Madeleine L’Engle

“To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.”
Mary Oliver

I hope you’ve found a little gem to polish and apply. Write on!

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“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”   Marcel Proust

This quote always makes me think of my wonderful family and friends — and how blessed and lucky I am to have them in my life. And one of those who’s a constant source of support is my beautiful sister Stephanie. Who could be a more wonderful and “charming gardener” than she?

I always look forward to staying in her apartment for a “sleepover” — so much fun! Every day, we call each other at 11, just to check in and see how things are going. And then, at 4, we talk again, often over a virtual “teatime” together — we both drink a “cuppa” and chat a bit. These two check-ins with Steph have really helped me stay grounded and to remember that in the midst of whatever’s happening, there’s someone I can count on and who can count on me.

Along with all my wonderful family and friends, my fabulous sister Stephanie has been such a gift to my writing life! Not only is she an ace editor who always gives me the benefit of her enormous skill and experience, she is a fount of enthusiasm and encouragement. When she’s excited about something I’ve written, I always hear it in her voice: I know it’s really good and get a tremendous lift! She’s always ready to help me make my words better and stronger.

Writing is often a solitary activity, it’s easy to forget all the “writing angels” who give us much-needed  — not just ideas and valuable suggestions, but also encouragement when we falter and need a boost.

We writers are sharing, caring people. So let’s take a few moments today to give a shout out to someone who’s helping making this rough road we’re on a little smoother, especially in these difficult days. So, thank you, Steph — you’re the best!

And now enriched and enlivened by acknowledging the “writing angels” whose wings flutter against our pages and shower them with stardust, let’s all write on!

Please help KWD grow by sharing:  https://karinwritesdangerously.com/

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There is having flowers in the Spring,
Breezes in the Summer
Moon in Autumn
Snows in Winter.
If there is nothing worrying over you
It will be the best season at all times.

—Buddha

« The best way I ever found to help someone overcome fear and rapidly develop courage and self-confidence is by speaking before groups. I discovered that when I lost my fear of speaking to audiences, I lost my fear of speaking to individuals, no matter how big and important they were. This training and experience in public speaking got me out of my shell, opened my eyes to my own possibilities, and widened my horizons. It was one of the turning points in my career. »

Frank Bettger, How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling

Many moons ago, when I managed — almost by accident — to get my first book published, my darling mom Dorothy performed one of the many acts of love and support she lavished upon me: She encouraged me to take a Dale Carnegie course.

I was in my twenties, and though I had managed to co-author a book and was very proud of it, I was totally tongue-tied when it came to talking about it. My wise mom, knowing that I had a fierce desire to share what I had learned despite my shyness, pushed me into public speaking. And though it was difficult for me, I persisted. 

Week after week, along with others in many walks of life, I got up and spoke. As time went on, I forgot my shyness and became excited about what I wanted to say. I can honestly say that this course changed my life. I realized that if I could convey my enthusiasm and passion, I could reach other people. 

As time went on, I grew more confident in this ability. Over the years, it has become a huge source of pleasure and satisfaction to me. As writers, we often labor alone — yet at some point in our journey, it is so soul-satisfying to share what we know with others. 

You may be as shy as I was — and that’s OK. But, trust me, you don’t have to remain that way. Like me, you can come out of your shell and share what you know — through open mike sessions, or talks at a library, or public speaking courses. Never feel that you are too afraid to speak up — just like me, you can step beyond your fear. As Mr. Irving Kizner, my wonderful high-school Latin teacher, wrote in my yearbook: “Speak up! You have so much to say and you say it so well!” I say the same to you: “Speak out! Speak up! You have so much to say and you say it so well!” Speak up — and write on!

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“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.
Sir Edmund Hillary”

So often, I’ve found, when writers talk about their work, they do it in an almost dismissive, self-disparaging way. This tendency takes many forms, some straightforward and some subtle. Writers beware! Danger ahead! If we don’t value our work, who will? Here are a few examples I’ve heard in of ways in which writers tend to belittle themselves:

They talk about how impossible their projects are: We all hit rough patches in our work. But one writer I overheard kept dwelling on how challenging her genre was. It was almost as if she was defeated before she started because she was attempting something that wasn’t just difficult, but beyond her. Why should this be true? If she works hard enough, why shouldn’t she produce a work worthy of many readers?

They don’t shoot high enough: One writer had gone through a rigorous training program but seemed to feel that what was accomplished was enough of a stretch and that there was really no reason to go farther or try to push the work that was completed to the next level.

They feel that if they aren’t working on something specific, they aren’t working: As writers, we all go through fallow periods when we are in between projects. This doesn’t have to be a time of self-condemnation — it can be a time of discovery, of planting seeds. 

How we talk about our work makes a difference! While it’s important to share our struggles, let’s also share our joy and sense of achievement. Let’s not defeat ourselves by talking negatively about what we do and how we’re doing it. And let’s remember that just like a mountain climber, it’s not the mountain we conquer — it’s ourselves. Write on! 

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“Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own.”
Carol Burnett

We’ve all experienced periods when the literary landscape appears dry and uninviting. Sometimes this takes the form of writer’s block, or a long time between books, or difficulty getting work out into the world.

But surely few writers can lay claim — or would want to! – to the long 14-year dry spell in which Barbara Pym, a well-published and popular British novelist, received a raft of rejection letters, including several for Quartet in Autumn, which was ultimately shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

Barbara had penned six modestly successful novels when her publishing house simply decided not to accept any more of her books because they just weren’t profitable enough. How did Barbara respond to the 14-year drought? She felt frustrated and abandoned, but she kept on writing. She finished two more novels and filled notebook after notebook — she always carried one — with little gems of observation. 

Finally, in 1977 she was identified in The Times Literary Supplement by several writers as one of the most underrated authors of the last 75 years. Suddenly, she was on top again: Publishers wanted her books, her backlist was reissued, and she was filmed and feted. What a turnaround!

Today, Barbara is often compared to Jane Austen and Trollope for her acute eye and sympathetic treatment of domestic drama and ordinary lives. Excellent Women is among her best-known novels. I read it some time ago — and it’s truly a gem. It starts slowly, but gains power as it plumbs the human condition with deep sympathy and wit. How fascinating to think that Barbara is on top once again — she’s an original! And how instructive to remember that literary fashions come and go, but readers remain ever loyal to the authors they love. It’s readers who kept Barbara’s work alive. Write on!

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As kids, many of us received allowances from our parents and as parents, we’ve also given allowances to (and often make allowances for) our children. As adults, however, we’re not always so generous to ourselves. We’re often caught up in the “oughts” and “musts.” Let’s be kinder to ourselves by giving ourselves the 10 allowances created by a wise woman named Margaret Buckley:*

1.   You are allowed to follow your dreams.

2.   You are allowed to laugh and have fun.

3.   You are allowed to like what you like and to dislike what you
dislike, no matter how many people disagree with you.

4.   You are allowed to have some time for yourself, even
if you have to work very hard to find it.

5.   You are allowed to be creative.

6.   You are allowed to have a bad day.

7.   You are allowed, maybe even encouraged, to make
mistakes.

8.   You are allowed to change your mind.

9.   You are allowed not to know all the answers.

10.  You are allowed to ignore this list.

OK! We’re allowed to be creative, to make mistakes, to not know all the answers, and even to have a bad day. What a relief! We’re human and if we find our writing journey today brings us to some potholes and we stumble, well, so be it. Let’s pick ourselves up gently and write on!

* This uplifting list comes to us via the wonderful Dr. Robert Gilbert. Check out his fabulous Success Hotline (973.743.4690)

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“It was the month of May. From every height the full fresh steams of spring water were flowing down into the valley. The clear warm sunshine lay upon the mountain, which had turned green again. The last snows had disappeared and the sun had already coaxed many of the flowers to show their bright heads above the grass. Up above the gay young wind of spring was singing through the fir trees, and shaking down the old dark needles to make room for the new bright ones that were soon to deck the trees in their spring finery. Higher up still the great bird went circling round in the blue ether as of old, while the golden sunshine lit up the grandfather’s hut, and all the ground about it was warm and dry again so that one might sit out where one liked. Heidi was at home again on the mountain, running backwards and forwards in her accustomed way, not knowing which spot was most delightful. Now she stood still to listen to the deep, mysterious voice of the wind, as it blew down to her from the mountain summits, coming nearer and nearer and gathering strength as it came, till it broke with force against the fir trees, bending and shaking them, and seeming to shout for joy, so that she too, though blown about like a feather, felt that she must join in the chorus of exulting sounds. Then she would run round again to the sunny space in front of the hut, and seating herself on the ground would peer closely into the short grass to see how many little flower cups were open or thinking of opening. She rejoiced in all the myriad little beetles and winged insects that jumped and crawled and danced in the sun, and drew in deep draughts of the spring scents that rose from the newly awakened earth, and thought the mountain was more beautiful than ever. All the tiny creatures must be as happy as she, for it seemed to her there were little voices all round her singing and humming in joyful tones, ‘On the mountain! on the mountain!’”

From Heidi by Johanna Spyri. Yes, this is all one long, lovely paragraph — and how delightful! I want to be up on the mountain with Heidi, listening to all the earth singing. Don’t you?