Karinwritesdangerously

A gathering of wisdom to spark our enjoyment and creativity! These words of wisdom come to us from Sarajane Giere, a cherished KWD reader and the award-winning author of “My Pilot,” a memoir:

“Aim at heaven and you get the earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.” C.C. Lewis

“We live not by things, but by the meanings of things. It is needful to transmit the passwords from generation to generation.” Antoine de St. Exupery

“With a child’s imagination, you can own half the world.” Neil Simon

“The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.” Molders

“When friends failed or full palled or spirits flagged, there was my typewriter and there was my world, my oyster.” Edna Ferber

“Put your hero in a lake and every time he comes up for air, take your foot and shove him under again—wait until the end when you rescue him, unless it’s a tragedy, in which case, you hold him under for good.” Sinclair Lewis

“What takes place between reader and writer is ‘the exchange of dreams.’ A writer writes memories, dreams and lies. It makes no difference if it’s true—what matters most are the emotions.” Lois Lowry

“…characters, once conceived, have a willful habit of jumping the reservation and must be herded back into the boundaries of the story.” A.B. Guthrie

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” Marcel Proust

“Style is the self, escaping into the pen.” E.B. White

Thank you, Sarajane! And now, inspired and emboldened, let’s all write on!

Drinking Alone Beneath the Moon

Li Po

Among the blossoms, a single jar of wine.
No one else here, I ladle it out myself.

Raising my cup, I toast the bright moon,
and facing my shadow makes friends three,

though moon has never understood wine,
and shadow only trails along behind me.

Kindred a moment with moon and shadow,
I’ve found a joy that must infuse spring:

I sing, and moon rocks back and forth;
I dance, and shadow tumbles into pieces.

Sober, we’re together and happy. Drunk,
we scatter away into our own directions.

Intimate forever, we’ll wander carefree
and meet again in Star River distances.

—Li Po, eighth century

Star River is the Milky Way

To find joy in work is to discover the fountain of youth.”
Pearl S. Buck

A cornucopia of writerly wisdom to brighten your day and inspire you! 

“Literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourse of my book-friends.” Helen Keller

“Write about winter in the summer. Describe Norway as Ibsen did, from a desk in Italy; describe Dublin as James Joyce did, from a desk in Paris. Willa Cather wrote her prairie novels in New York City, Mark Twain wrote Huckleberry Finn in Hartford, Connecticut. Recently, scholars have learned that Walt Whitman rarely left his room.”
Annie Dillard

“Just now I can feel that little quivering of the pen which has always foreshadowed the happy delivery of a good book.”
Emile Zola

“None of the writing is easy, but I no longer refuse to do it for fear that I’ll fail to get it right. It can never be right, I know; it can only be done.”
Nancy Mairs

“There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before.”
Willa Cather

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”
Richard Bach

“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

“I still read everything aloud. I have a fundamental conviction that if a sentence cannot be read aloud with sincerity, conviction, and communicable emphasis, it’s not a good sentence. Good writing requires good rhythms and good words.”
Richard Marius

“The ear is the only true writer and the only true reader.”
Robert Frost

“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

May these words give our own words wings as we all write on!

Share this:

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

“To see what is in front of one’s nose requires a constant struggle.” George Orwell

Today, June 25, is George Orwell’s birthday. He was born in 1903. My dear friend Nancy Burke shares her June 25 birthday with him—what wonderful company to keep!

“Politics and the English Language,” George’s masterful essay on clear, compelling prose, is well worth reading whatever type of writing you aspire to. In concise, crystal-clear words, he identifies a number of ills that pepper poor writing. Here’s an overview:

Dying metaphors: Vivid metaphors assist thought, says George, “by evoking a visual image.” Worn-out metaphors, however, such as “no axe to grind” or “swan song,” are so overused that they’ve lost their evocative power.

Verbal false limbs: These are created when writers abandon clear, simple verbs such as “break,” or “stop” in favor of phrases, which consist of a noun or adjective “tacked onto a general-purpose verb.” The result? Filler phrases like: “have the effect of,” “play a leading part in,” or “serve the purpose of.”

Pretentious words: George was a stickler for clarity and he disliked two-bit words. Some of those he nominated in this category are: phenomenon, constitute, utilize, effective, virtual. In his view, these types of words are “used to dress up simple statements and give an air of scientific impartiality to biased judgments.”

Meaningless words: To George’s mind, many writers dilute the power of their prose by liberally sprinkling it with words so broad and abstract that they have little true meaning for the reader. Examples: values, natural, sentimental.

As a model of fresh, appealing language, George quotes a verse from Ecclesiastes: 

“I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill, but time and chance happeneth to them all.” 

This passage, George notes, contains “49 words but only 60 syllables.” It uses simple, everyday words, expresses six vivid images, and has only one phrase (“time and chance”) that could be viewed as vague.

What beautiful imagery and economy of style! May it inspire us all!

Share this:

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

On my walks around my hometown, I often think about whatever I’m writing. So it seems perfectly natural to me that I should attract not only ideas and fragments of phrases or poems, but also the means to set them down on paper, including pens and pencils, which I often find just waiting for me to rescue them.

Just as material stuff seems to expand to fill the space allotted to it, so it is with our writing life. The more mental space we devote to the pursuit of writing — the more we signal our commitment to writing to the universe through word and deed — the more ideas and relevant books and articles, and inspiring encounters we’ll begin to have.

Here’s an amazingly simple technique that my friend and mentor Rob Gilbert once suggested on his Success Hotline (973.743.4690): If you have the seed of an idea for a short story or play or novel that intrigues you, you can nurture it along by getting an everyday manila folder and carrying it around with you. Almost magically, you’ll find yourself attracting nuggets of information, glimmers of inspiration, snippets of conversation, and all manner of useful tidbits to stoke and sustain you. 

I’ve used this technique more than once and it’s always worked for me. Like many writers, I’m always awed and heartened by the way I seem to draw just what I need when I need it, or how some seemingly unrelated artistic endeavor supplies me with the missing link to a project I’m working on. These moments of synchronicity are not only to be cherished, but to be courted. So give your work the chance to thrive by focusing on it intently and you’ll be surprised at what you attract. Gifts frm the Universe are everywhere, just waiting for us. Write on!

Writing is mentally taxing and sometimes, your brain — or my brain, at least — doesn’t want to kick in and meet the demands I want to make of it. It craves a day off.

What to do, what to do?

I’ve learned a few things that might prove helpful if you (or someone you know) encounters this kind of setback:

Let go of your frustration: Getting frustrated doesn’t help. You can’t bully yourself into accomplishing something you consider productive, The more frustrated you become, the longer it takes to get past this kind of hurdle. So as my mentor and friend Dr. Rob Gilbert* says, Don’t get frustrated, get fascinated! Find the silver lining by slowing down.

Let go of your agenda: Once it becomes clear that, for whatever reason, you are on a different path. let your agenda go. Clinging to it will be counterproductive, so release it.

Go for a less-ambitious goal: Come up with a simpler goal and work toward it. If there’s small research project you need to finish as part of your revision, focus on getting it done. It’s probably straightforward and may involve surfing the ‘net, which is a pretty low-energy activity, Just find a reasonably productive activity and give your mind a break.

Get some rest: It’s more than likely that a slow day can be traced to a restless night, so hit the hay earlier tonight and see if a good night’s sleep will rev you up tomorrow.

Slow days don’t have to be “low” days. Just ride them out and write on!

* Check out Dr. Rob Gilbert’s fabulous Success Hotline: 973-743-4690!

Share this:

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

« The practice of any art has certain general requirements,
quite regardless of whether we deal with the art of carpentry,
medicine, or the art of love. » Erich Fromm

Or the art of writing. At first blush, The Art of Loving may seem like an odd guide to draw on for writing advice, yet it’s surprisingly apt. In the last chapter of this classic, Fromm lays out the ingredients for achieving excellence in any artistic endeavor. What a gift to us as we hone our craft! Reading the chapter is like attending a master class in mastery. Here are Fromm’s five keys to mastery:

Discipline: “I shall never be good at anything if I do not do it in a disciplined way; anything I do only ‘if I am in the mood’ may be a nice or amusing hobby, but I shall never become a master in that art.”

Concentration: “The activity at this very moment must be the only thing that matters, to which one is fully given. If one is concentrated, it matters little what one is doing; the important, as well as the unimportant things assume a new dimension of reality, because they have one’s full attention.”

Patience: “If one is after quick results, one never learns an art. Yet, for modern man, patience is as difficult to practice as discipline and concentration. Our whole industrial system fosters exactly the opposite: quickness.”

Supreme concern: “If the art is not something of supreme importance, the apprentice will never learn it. He will remain, at best, a good dilettante, but will never become a master.”

Devotion: “If one wants to become a master in any art, one’s whole life must be devoted to it, or at least related to it. One’s own person becomes an instrument in the practice of the art, and must be kept fit…”

Discipline. Concentration. Patience. Supreme concern. Devotion.

What a fabulous recipe for mastering our craft as we all write on!

Share this:

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

This week’s “Something Wonderful” is a lovely poem in celebration of Father’s Day. It reminds me of dipping my hand into the pocket of my father’s overcoat when I was a little girl and finding all sorts of treasures:

My Father’s Hats
Mark Irwin

Sunday mornings I would reach
high into his dark closet while standing
on a chair and tiptoeing reach
higher, touching, sometimes fumbling
the soft crowns and imagine
I was in a forest, wind hymning
through pines, where the musky scent
of rain clinging to damp earth was
his scent I loved, lingering on
bands, leather, and on the inner silk
crowns where I would smell his
hair and almost think I was being
held, or climbing a tree, touching
the yellow fruit, leaves whose scent
was that of a clove in the godsome
air, as now, thinking of his fabulous
sleep, I stand on this canyon floor
and watch light slowly close
on water I’m not sure is there.

Wishing all fathers of our hearts and memories a day of sunshine and joy.
May all fathers everywhere honor their sacred calling.

« If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.”
Mario Andretti

Who’s better equipped than a professional race car driver to help us write dangerously? While most of us think car racing is all about stepping on a gas pedal and roaring down a track, it’s also mentally demanding. Here are a few race car driver tips we can apply:

Flexible goal-setting: Each race demands a decision about how aggressive or conservative an approach is needed to accomplish a driver’s goals. But once a race is under way, “Things change and you really need to act on what’s coming at you and how you’re moving forward.”

Intense preparation: “If he is racing on a new track, a skilled driver soaks in everything he can about the circuit — “the bumps, the turns, the layout…everything.” If it’s a track he’s already raced on, he visualizes each lap until he can draw a map of the circuit in his mind.

Total concentration: “I try not to break my concentration; you’re in the zone and your skill set should automatically take over. The more you think about it the more you get out of the zone and can actually mess up (not a good thing on a race track). You want to allow your subconscious mind to utilize your trained skills.”

Self-motivation: “Racing is basically winning or losing and if you’re not on the top step, you haven’t reached the maximum potential of what you can do. There’s no reason you can’t be the best if you push and try your hardest. I think about that last lap for motivation while I’m training at the gym and that pushes me farther.”

Mental focus: Like any sport, race car driving isn’t just physical — it’s also a mental game. Once you’re in prime physical shape, “it really comes down to your mental ability to focus and concentrate.” You have to be able to adapt quickly without losing focus.

Staying calm and relaxed: Vince Lombardi once said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” When racing, you have to stay sharp, both physically and mentally. You have to train so that fatigue, “doesn’t affect your race outcome.” “You cannot let fatigue set in…” That’s why staying calm and relaxed even when your adrenalin is pumping is key.

“You want to allow your subconscious mind to utilize your trained skills” — what great advice— and now, revved up, let’s all write on!

Share this:

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

« Cultivate a little [of] the don’t-care habit; don’t worry about what other people may think. This will endear you to others and make you liked and loved all the more. ». Dr. Louis E. Bisch

A fascinating fact: Brother Gilbert, who discovered Babe Ruth, once said, “He looked better striking out than he did hitting home runs.” People often noted that the Babe had a very endearing sense of indifference. Even when he was striking out and the bases were loaded and everyone around him, from his fellow players to the fans against him, was hot and bothered, the Babe radiated calm and remained unconcerned. 

Not a bad strategy: We all know what the opposite is like. When we try too hard, we become overanxious. We blow things out of proportion. We’re afraid to lose and so we bend ourselves out of shape trying to win. And guess what — we want to win so badly, we end up losing. 

Why not take a tip from the Babe? He knew he couldn’t hit 300 every day, so he didn’t bother trying. Instead, he just got up and kept swinging at every pitch. He never let the pressure get to him, because he knew how to shake it off — how to remain indifferent, unbothered by it all. He let all the fuss and anxiety swirl around him, but he never took it on or took it in. To be perturbed is to “alter a normal state or path” — and that’s exactly what Babe Ruth avoided. He kept his eye on the ball.

Cultivating an enlightened sense of indifference can be as helpful a strategy to us as it was for the Babe. Why? Mainly because it offers three powerful benefits:

It keeps us centered: When we don’t let ourselves be thrown off balance by an agent’s rejection or a bad writing day, we rebound more quickly and easily. “The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” — whatever form they take — don’t pierce as deeply.

It keeps us calm: When we remain at ease with ourselves and don’t let setbacks unsettle us, we can get into our writing zone and enter a state of relaxation more easily and fully. A relaxed mind is a creative mind!

It keeps us consistent: Instead of constantly shooting for a home run and straining ourselves by overreaching, we can go for consistency — working steadily and purposefully regardless of how we’re feeling and what’s happening around us. It’s this calmly active, actively calm approach that often leads to real breakthroughs.

My friend and mentor Dr. Rob Gilbert (Success Hotline: 973.743.4690) sums all this up simply: Make things important, but not special. When something is important to us, we value it and work hard at it. But when we make it special, we often tense up and our overanxious over-reaching can sabotage our efforts. 

So let’s take a tip from the legendary Babe Ruth! Let’s cultivate a little of the “don’t-care” habit as we write on!

Share this:

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