Summer Solstice — A Second Chance for Your Dreams

The Summer Solstice is Tuesday.  My friend Bill clued me in to an old tradition – a second chance at the New Year’s resolution smack in the middle of the year.  I love second chances, rewinds, or fresh starts.  Guessing you do too.

Bill will have a few logs in the fire pit, despite the sweltering summer evening.  With the hope in our hearts amped up by a pint of Pimm’s, we write our wish on a piece of paper.   My husband Scott will decline, he does not believe in fairy dust.  And Alice will construct a list; tear it in pieces submitting each one to the flame.  Jim thoughtfully prepared his in advance and will make a separate ceremony as he thrusts the tiny bit of white into the embers.  One by one we approach the fire with varying degrees of belief.

Last year I wrote “publish Between Dreams”.  My wish came true.  This literary journey has been the hardest thing I have done in my life, and easily the most rewarding.  Whenever I tell someone about Between Dreams, the most common response is the look of someone visualizing their dream.  Often they will blurt out – really I always wanted to…

Their response and the connection we had in that moment as we shared our dreams was the real gift of writing my wish on the slip of paper.   So…I invite you to cast your dreams into the universe.  And see what is revealed to you.

Writing in Community

So what happened to keeping you apprised of the details of self publishing Between Dreams – book sales and all the other tidbits?

I was doing – rather than blogging about my journey.  First with NaNoWriMo which is a global community of 300,000 writers trying to craft a novel in the month of November, I managed 44,000 words on Awakened, the sequel to Between Dreams before deciding I did not like it.  So, I headed to the local Indiana Writer’s Center for a boot camp and somewhere in the midst of it discovered the joy of working with other writers.  As a group, we are pretty shy – some would say outright weird.  Most of us enjoy the solitude and yet breaking out – joining a community of writers is essential.

I am embarrassed to say that I did not understand this fundamental aspect of writing.  Hearing the tone of a piece as a friend reads, having the setting questioned or arguing over commas opened my eyes.  Sharing sources such as Noah Lukeman’s The First Five Pages  gave me a new perspective on the craft of writing.  The thing about self-publishing – the reason it is held in such disdain – is anyone can release a book.  And in the end, that puts the pressure on you as an independent writer.  Your writing community assists you in navigating the wonderful new world.

I would love to know about your community.  Is is face to face, a tweet-up or some other place to connect?

Gratitude Between Dreams

As published in Branches Magazine 

The world abruptly shifts when we face unanticipated change.  We swat our friend’s cheery assurances away like a cloud of gnats blocking our view of the future.  The old life, before divorce, unemployment or loss of a loved one was so comfortable, assuring.  But this is the space we are often only grateful for when we are past it, firmly standing on the other side.  How much wiser it is to anticipate the growth that happens when we are pushed beyond our expectations.  And, give thanks as we move through this state.

The euphemism for this place between beginnings and endings is transition.  Our lives can be charted by where we are on the continuum of ending – transition – beginning – transition – ending…like a merry-go-round.  William Bridges has written extensively on the subject and is renowned for his work counseling people caught up in corporate downsizing.  In The Way of Transition he extends his views to encompass all of life’s abrupt changes.  It all seems very neat and logical for something that feels like a pendulum no longer swinging in an arc.

Eastern cultures have a better term for this kind of gut wrenching change, it is called being between dreams.  Our reality is really the dream we created for our lives, and when that reality abruptly ends it is like waking up in the middle of the night to utter darkness.  The dream is a vague wisp that dissipates as fear of the dark consumes us.  Suddenly all our senses are demanded to discern what is in front of us.  Alone, we cannot tell if we are staring into an abyss or a universe of opportunity.  Both cause us to tremble at the vast void wanting only to pull the covers up and clamor back into the old dream.  But that would be to miss the gifts waiting within the void.

Stripped of the trappings that defined us in our old dream we are set free to gain clarity on what is sacred in our lives.  We can begin to establish our touchstones even as we seem to swing wildly back and forth between the abyss and the universe.  Tossed around in this darkness we discover our faith inches before we reach the end of our rope.  And here, in this precarious position we can accept what we may have soundly rejected in our old reality.  An abandoned dream tucked into the recesses of our hearts slips out tantalizing us again.  We recall childhood beliefs and wonder why we forgot.  A verse of poetry seems written for us.  Coincidences accumulate demanding our attention.  A sunrise makes us weep.  And even the nuggets of wisdom we ourselves have doled out to others in similar situations begin to have a hint of truth as gradually the new dream takes shape.

And yet, when we are between dreams we ache.  Feelings are intense magnified as our perspective has not been honed.  The longer the treasure within has been buried, the harder the excavation.  But the gift is all that much more cherished when unearthed.  Sifting through the layers of our former life may inform the dream we choose to create.  But, insisting on crawling back into the old dream is to willingly create a nightmare for the new reality.  Hovering in the darkness holding out hope for the past prolongs the pain.  Just as we used all our senses to filter the darkness, we flex new muscles as we stretch towards the future.  It is not easy and yet this is when we most need to give thanks.  Our souls cry out for help so often it is a relief to finally find the strength to give thanks for what is revealed within the void. 

Gradually as we give thanks more than we ask for help we are framing the new dream.  The sacred part of our lives is no longer an afterthought but rather a centerpiece of the new dream.  We cannot imagine forgetting this time, and as we settle into this new dream we have profound gratitude for what we discovered.  And, we also can recognize those who have just awakened to their void and offer our support.  Able to reach out and steady them, grateful we can.

I hope if you are between dreams this Thanksgiving Day that you know you are surrounded by those who are there to steady you!

Branching Out – to Print

I have been a reader of Branches a bi-monthly magazine for years.  It is a beautiful work of art that focuses on nontraditional healing and growth.  And, there on the next page was a notice of their deadline for the November/December issue.  They gave several quotes to expand on the issue’s theme – thanksgiving.  This one caught my eye:   

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.
(Thornton Wilder, playwright and novelist, 1897–1975)

Ahman, the main character in Between Dreams discovers her gifts only after she stops trying to accumulate wealth.  Sometimes we go ‘unconscious’ as we pursue what we think we want.  We settle into our groove, live our dream.  But, when we wake up it can be exhilarating…and scary.  The similarities with Wilder’s quote inspired me to submit an article. 

It was published!  As the new author it was exciting – a new dream forming.  My hope is if people connect to the article they might enjoy exploring the topic further in Between Dreams – giving back as they give to themselves.  And that is yet another thing to be thankful for.

NaNoWriMo in November!

I’m a WriMo and two weeks ago I didn’t know what one was…but of course if you are a writer then you know that November is  National Novel Writing Month.  A group of 20 something’s in the Bay Area started it in 1999 …

“We called it noveling. And after the noveling ended on August 1, my sense of what was possible for myself, and those around me, was forever changed. If my friends and I could write passable novels in a month, I knew, anyone could do it.   Which is how the whole thing really got rolling. “

How irresistible to a writer:  join in a National frenetic writing competition where the winning prize is a certificate.  So much of writing is in the words of Anne LaMott, write really shitty first drafts.  It feels a bit like a reality TV show, throwing myself into a competition…especially considering Between Dreams took 12 years to write.  This is crazy, which is exactly how I feel about writing.  Crazy, fun, self indulgent, absolute joy.

But for those of you following this I just declared I would be sharing what to do once you get published.  If there is one piece of advice the seasoned authors share is to mix it up with other writers.  Okay, they would never use that phrasing but it makes sense.  So then one of my quests was to engage with the local writer’s community.  Last year over 150,000 people participated in NaNoWriMo.  And, who knew there are regional chapters.  The one in my neighborhood meets on Sundays at the Starbucks.  Three hours in front of a screen just madly typing.  Recklessly – or wrecklessly – writing AND caffeine.  Hope nobody is injured.  Check it out and I’ll keep you posted – 21000 words so I’m behind midmonth.  If you ever wanted to write that great American novel…it starts with a draft.

Perpetual Outsider

Another difference in the established world of book publishing and the ‘Wild Wild Midwest’ of E-publishing is a book review.  For the uninitiated, a review is an ‘independent critique of a published book’.  And, it helps people make decisions in their purchases – in other words it is a great marketing tool to raise awareness. 

Turns out, if you do not have a printed book getting a review is next to impossible.  We found three online only book reviewers: Bookpage.com, BookReporter.com and Midwest Book Review – oddly Midwest is based in Portland, Oregon.  All of them require a print version of a book.

This is one of those moments when it is hard not to ask – really? I mean if Midwest can be in Portland – why can’t they bend another rule and review an E-published only book?  Okay, my frustration is showing.

So, here’s the point.  Amazon claims to be selling more E-Books than printed books.  Yet, the industry is stuck in tradition insisting that a print version be available.

Predicted outcome:  E-Books will be reviewed…by you or anyone who chooses to comment on the site where they purchased the book.  Will a site for E-Books similar to TripAdvisor overtake the NY Times Bestseller List?  Will it be like Angie’s List – which requires a subscription to find out who is a great contractor, doctor, etc…? 

I suppose fine literature will still be critiqued by the truly qualified.  But E-Book sales will be driven by your comments.  Hmmm now that I think about it what a great way to get to the truth.  In that case, I’m okay with being ‘outside’.

BREAK IT DOWN

I was fortunate (?) to learn about NaNoWriMo from Cathy Day during the recent Writer’s Gathering.  Okay, the fortunate part was the suggestion she gave on how to break a novel into manageable parts.  Now, before you writers say – but that’s not how it happens for me – which was what I was saying initially…this is just an idea you can use or discard.

She calls the novel The Big Thing because saying novel is well, intimidating.  When she compared it to building a house – something I’ve done once – it all clicked.  You need a blueprint which is NOT the same thing as an outline.  It’s okay to know the basic architecture before you build the house.  And, although we had an architect create a plan we still needed to have a builder to make all the parts fit together.  There were huge changes along the way [artistic license] that we could not see while we were sitting around the table dreaming.  The builder would just roll his eyes and say – ach architects, what do they know? 

She suggested borrowing the structure – that’s what architects do.  I followed her advice to read a favorite author and simply write down ‘this happens in chapter 1’ and so on.  Actually, I could not find the book I wanted – which of course led me to the book that fit the one I am pounding out this month for NaNoWriMo:  Margaret Atwood Crake and Oryx.  I charted point of view, characters, plot/story, questions raised and ‘other’.  It was messy but a blueprint magically appeared.  I noticed how Atwood moved from present to past to present to past as she developed her characters always increasing the stakes.  She raised intriguing questions that she teased out answers to where it was needed or left to the reader as she moved from present to past.

I’m taking a chance sharing this – part of my insecurity of not having a ‘creative writing’ certificate.   But the other favor Cathy Day shared was the fact that most Universities teach the short story because the professor can get through it in a semester.  And so…it is common for people who have the ‘creative writing credentials’ get stuck when it comes to The Big Thing.  It was nice to have lots of folks in the boat.  She has challenged her students to take on NaNoWriMo as a great teaching tool.  The world needs more Cathy Day professors!

Blurred Vision

When the hotel’s elevator doors closed a banner ad appeared at eye level.  First the toilet stalls now the elevators.  Is there no place free of information – a tranquil four story glide to the lobby interrupted by…wait a minute.  I liked the message – it reminded me to do my part to conserve water.  And so for the 20 seconds when I probably would have been studying the font of the floor numbers it changed my consciousness.  They were not trying to sell me anything, just a thought.

Message is important – staying on message about what matters even more so.  I was walking my friend through the SterlingHope website and he stopped me.  That’s really cool, he was pointing at the charities’ page.  Whenever a book is purchased money goes into a fund that one of the 3 charities would receive.  Why didn’t you start with that?  It drew me up short, because we had.   Hadn’t we?

I could have created a website to simply promote me, my book, yada yada ya.  Better yet, I could have simply self published and imposed on my friends to buy it – honestly I’m doing that anyway.  But it was when Amber, my business partner said why don’t we connect the themes of Between Dreams to the causes of charities and when people buy the book they make a difference? that I said yes.  Sign me up.  It was not business as usual.  We wanted to connect to people in a different way, a gentler way that started with what mattered to them already.  If people are readers and they have an E-Book they can buy on Amazon or SmashWords or Borders or Barnes & Noble.  But what inspired us was the chance to make a difference in the process, literally to take care of animals, empower women and make sure life sustaining water is available to all.  We never lost this passion, but looking through a journalist’s eyes – we buried the lead.

We got caught up in telling you about the book, letting authors know this was a test and we would do the same for them.  It’s embarrassing to take a fresh look at the website and admit that what should have been front and center is three pages back.  Wow, talk about not keeping your vision foremost.  When I shared this with Amber she got it…and shifted immediately.  But then, that happens in a startup.  You make mistakes, you recover and make some more.  We thought the concept was so obvious, so inspiring that given a choice people would buy their E-Book from SterlingHope instead of Amazon.   Lesson learned…I’m thinking about the elevator doors slyly sliding in front of my face to remind me of what’s important as I go up and down.

Writing Tips

Elizabeth Stucky French, professor at Florida State University and author of Mermaids On the Moon was the keynote speaker for the Writer’s Gathering gave the following tips:

v  It’s all about audacity – we have to be willing to say the things that are absolutely unsayable.

• What am I most afraid of?
• What can’t I think about?
• What’s the worst thing that can happen now?
• What are my childhood wounds?
• What can I not bear to lose?
• What terrifies me about the future?  [There were probably more but I was under the desk by then]

v  Clear out your jumbled brain, sort through it for those few ideas and images that the reader can see – and connect with.  Think of your thoughts as a cluttered attic – put the things that don’t matter into a box and shove them in the corner to get to the one or two things.

v  The things she pushed away from – the things she said ‘never’ about were the very things that found their way into her work.  She despised the use of Aspergers characters as a cheap way to develop a character and yet her upcoming book has two teenagers with it.

v  Embrace your obsessions; you have a license to be obsessed.  Susan Neville compares writing to schizophrenic paranoia – an acceptable way to listen to what is bugging you and write through it, indulge in it until the story finally appears.

v  Be ruthless about getting rid of anything that does not have the solidness you want.  Develop your own antenna about what is good – what works and what needs to be pitched.  Jonathan Franzen ‘knows when it’s good when there’s heat like hot magma just below his written word’.

v  Your work should shimmer with energy, mystery and possibility.

She highly recommended checking out Janet Burroway’s numerous books on creative writing.  Audacity, I like that.  What do you think?  Do you have others that would help others?

Writer’s Center Gathering is Saturday

One of the constant themes for other authors is ‘get into the community of writers’.  So, just a quick note to remind readers and let you check out the upcoming Writer’s Gathering at  http://www.indianawriters.org/welcome.html.