September

Here we are, on the cusp on the autumnal equinox, barely a week away.

Lady Autumn stands by the gate waiting for the Mistress of Summer to depart her post, which in turn will allow the Lady to work her seasonal magic. See her now as she stands, dressed in emerald green and gold, her copper colored hair flying in the chilly breeze, oblivious to the rain drops landing  on her face, lining her white cheeks. In her arms, she carries butternut squash, sweet potatoes, garlic, leeks, thyme, rosemary, and brussell sprouts. Her eyes are incredibly blue right now, looking forward to backyard fires, roast vegetables, smoked pork and other beautiful food things.

She is the best of the best and she knows it, which is why she demands so much. She will bring mums, in every shape and color, straw bales, kale, and pumpkins...she will bring candle light and dark, sumptious wine. She will make you eat and drink to preserve your life for the coming season, for this is Lady Autumn, the spirit that comes before the dark, steely cold, dispassionate time that occurs in deep winter.

The winter season is hard in any case, in any venue, but it can be made easier by stocking your pantry with root vegetables, good stock, fresh herbs, carrots, celery, good wine and crusty bread. Surround yourself with guilty pleasures this season, leading into the next, more difficult season. Good tea, good hot chocolate, all the ingredients for a hearty homemade soup, and always, good bread and good wine.

And, believe me, this is important, an adequate supply of seasoned firewood.

Above all, remember, if you don't tell your stories, nobody else will.

Dogged Dog Days

August is finally drawing to a close, and I can't tell you how pleased I am that we'll soon leave these torrid temperatures behind and maybe, just maybe, catch some relief. This particular summer drained me, left me weak, tired, uninspired to write or photograph or cook or so much of anything. I spent the summer watching the grass turn to crackly brown straws, seeing my beloved flowers dry up and disappear, musing that maybe next year, maybe next year it would be different.

I apologize for not posting all these months. That was wrong of me. I should have written something, if it only was I hate this!!! and I didn't do that.

Here's a little catch up, if you're interested after all this time.

Someone asked me to edit his 408 page manuscript. My first editing job. Sort of took me by surprise, actually, that anyone would ask me to edit their work. I took the job on and worked diligently for a month. I hope I helped. That's what I strive to do.

I found an interesting article today that I'd like to share with you. Here is the link: http://rockyourwriting.com/2012/08/the-slow-writing-movement. It's a great article, and so timely in this day and age of sustainable living.

I'll post again but in the meantime, write. Write like you mean it, write with your whole heart. Don't be afraid of the "judges." Just write.

Ciao!

Fiction Writing

Someone, another writer friend, once told me that fiction writing is largely autobiographical. Although I realized that we based a lot of our character formations on things that happened to us, that affected us in one way  or another, it didn't occur to me that fiction writing is autobiographical. Now my friend is writing about himself as fiction and I see that's his perspective because his fiction work is largely autobiographical.

But. You know how I like to think about things and examine them and turn them over and over looking for clues on how it could  be.

J.K. Rowling came to mind at once. Are her characters simply extensions of herself, her personal view on the world,or is it just a fantasy she made up? What about other authors such as John Steinbeck, what about Jenny Cruisie, how about Deborah Harkness? Hmmm....so I'm turning the stones over and over again, following this line, peering atthat jagged blotch, and I'm realizing that some of my work is fraught with my own thoughts, foibles and views of the world.

Hunh. I suppose my friend would be right, if you know your ying and yang, if you are in touch with the light and the dark side of your personality, if you truly understand youself, then I think he may be right.

What are your thoughts on fiction writing? Do you believe your writing is an extension of yourself?

Sometimes It's Just Hard to Write

Sometimes it's just hard to write. Sometimes the words don't come, sometimes the ideas are not there, sometimes even if the words are lurking about, the brain can't seem to engage the words with a plausible idea. Sometimes it's just hard to write.

Alright, and don't worry because I've been experiencing that very dark of night, when it's just hard to write, and I want to write, and I know I need to write, but, for some reason, the attic is filled with dustmotes, the so-called "girls in the basement" have gone on a cruise somewhere leaving me berefit and on my own, and nothing I see or overhear or sense has any bearing on my writing life at all.

Dry. Dry. Dry.

Well, here is a bit of information from that little book I told you about earlier, but maybe I should explain the James Taylor photo first so  you don't think I've completely flipped my lid.

James Taylor came to Springfield on July 17th, the day after my birthday by the way, and I eagerly went to hear him play. I've been a fan of his for something like 40 years, I don't know, whenever he came on the scene. Well, he played his new hit, on his new album, "That's Why I'm Here," and I thought, he knows so well why he's here and I know why I'm here too but, I'm having a hard time with the from A to Z process. I know why I'm here too, but I'm thirsty, dry, need a drink of water from the well, and I feel so guilty for all of that because I'm not producing as I should be. Nevertheless, Sweet Baby James delivered a wonderful, memorable performance, and it inspired me a bit, something I was in need of. Why I'm here, indeed...

Okay, so. back to "The Pocket Muse." Monica Wood. These are her words, not mine. "Writing requires discipline, but disciplined writers are not necessarily prolific. Most good work gets produced over time, sometimes many years, allowing the writer to grow with the material, to allow his world, his command over craft, and his psychological maturity to coalesce at just the right moment to produce something of value. This process often involves dreadful periods of not writing, or, worse, periods of writing very badly, embarrassingly badly. As time passes in a writing life, the writer learns not to fear these arid periods. The words come back eventually. That's the real discipline: to train the mind and heart into believing that words come back. I can think of a handful of writers who are both prolific and good: Joyce Carol Oates, Madison Smartt Bell, Anne Tyler. There is a certain genius at work in these cases, though; the rest of us normal writers have to suffer the droughts and hope for rain."

And then, Ms. Wood closes with: "Be willing to wait. In the meantime, write when you don't feel like it. If you can't write, read."

Again, her words, not mine, but they're golden. So for you out there, looking for a glimpse of rain, and for me too, grasp it, drink it in, and realize it.

My Early Morning Breakfast

Early morning is my favorite time of day, when most of the world is still asleep, and the sun is beginning to climb over the horizon. I never get tired of watching the sun come up, do you?

I also like early mornings when the house is quiet. The only sound I hear is the sound of my own footsteps padding across the kitchen floor to the coffee maker, to the refrigerator, the quiet of chopping parsley from my herb garden for a skillet egg-potato frittata, which is what I did this morning. Ella, the supercharged lab, was watching carefully from underneath the dining room table. She was fairly sure there would be something in it for her so she was content to wait.

Speaking of parsley, my gardens this year have taken a beating. Hot summers are nothing new to Missouri but this year, temps have hovered over 100 degrees for days on end, and no rain in sight. My heart goes out to our farmers, who are struggling this year more than most.

So, I took one russet potato, peeled and diced it, laid it in my little skillet, where 1 tablespoon of butter was already melted. A little onion, thyme, salt, pepper, and red pepper. Let that fry until the diced potatoes start getting soft and crisp on one side. I beat up one egg with about 1 tablespoon of milk, poured that over. Let it set up a bit, grate a bit of guyere cheese over, throw down the fresh chopped parsley from my herb garden, and once it's set, slide it out on a plate and devour with a homemade blueberry muffin alongside.

What is your favorite time of day?

The 2012 Springfield Writers' Guild 19th Annual Literary Poetry/Prose Contest is ON!

Okay, folks1 It's official!!! All you writers out there, whereever you are, whatever you write, check this out. Oh, and enter too.

The 2012 Springfield Writers’ Guild 19th Annual Literary Poetry/Prose Contest, with the Jim Stone Grand Prize Memorial Awards, is now open for entries. Former member, Mabel Taylor founded the contest in 1993. Lee Ann Russell, Honorary Life Member of the Guild, is the chairperson of the contest. She was acquainted with Jim Stone, a SWG member and well-known poet, who worked at the Paul Mueller plant. After Mr. Stone died at the plant from a tragic fall 1997, SWG initiated three memorial categories in his honor. Guidelines and fees are now posted on our Contest page. Enter as many categories as you wish. Our fees are reasonable and you never know, you could be a winner of one of the Grand Prizes! For details, go to www.springfieldwritersguild.org.

Entries will be taken until September 30th. Winners will be announced at our October meeting, which will be held the fourth Saturday in October, at the Heritage Cafeteria, corner of Battlefield and Fremont, Springfield, Missouri.

Thanks!!

The Pocket Muse

Hey, look you guys. Here is the neatest little book for writers - "The Pocket Muse" by Monica Wood. I picked this up yesterday thinking it would be a good door prize for the Springfield Writers' Guild and, after reading a few pages, I ended up pocketing it myself. Not to say I won't give it away later, but for now, I'm soaking it up.

This little book is full of prompts, ideas, advice and inspiration. "The Pocket Muse" gives you something to think about, a whole new perspective on looking at your work, what you are doing, what you need to do, what you should be doing, and how to go about it. It's not preachy, oh no, it's a clever combination of prompts, ideas, and quotes from authors who are a bit farther down the road than I am.

I especially love the last page, the quote: "Don't forget to be gratetful that you love words."

You know, all of us want to create a legacy, and that's what Alice Hoffman says on the next to last page. We may not want to admit this, but it's what we do want, some way for other writers and readers to remember us down through the ages. As Alice says, it's not about reviews or copies sold, and if you write it and write it well, it will last and you will leave something worth remembering.

Isn't that great?

Aren't you grateful you love words?