I'm Not Going To...and You Can't Make Me!
What inspires: Saying NO!
It's usual to begin a new year with a resolutions. Lists of things we "must do" and "have to" and "will do" lists. It's also usual, and expected, that we will break those resolutions (If we're honest, don't we make some specifically so we can break them?) We are barely into the 2nd month of the year, it's FULL MOON Time, and I've already broken mine...
So instead of more Do lists, how about a couple of Don't Do lists? Here are two : the first a quit-pussy footing-around-and-get-after-it list called "Twenty-Five Things Writers Should Stop Doing..." specifically for us writers by novelist, screenwriter and self-proclaimed "Freelance Pe-monkey" Chuck Wendig.
And for everyone: the list that inspired Chuck to "cobble" his list: 30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself
Just say no! 
Reading them inspired me to begin my own No List. Item #1: NO MORE BEATING YOURSELF UP!
Chances Are the Chances Are Awfully Good
What Inspires: 2nd Chances! It’s the New Moon and the beginning of the Chinese New Year 4709: Year of the Black Water Dragon!’s Celebration! A 2nd chance to make a fresh start of 2012; a 2nd chance to commit to change. Chinese tradition on New Years’ houses are swept clean. Old thoughts, deeds, misdeeds are brushed out the door. Out with the old; in with the new. New Resolve! New Ideas! New Slate!
Gong Xi Fa Cai! Happy Chinese New Year!
The first day of the 2012 Chinese New Year is today—January 23, 2012 in China's time zone. This day is a new moon day, and is the first day of the first Chinese lunar month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar system. But, according to all my Internet research, the first day of the Chinese New Year is Feb. 4th.
The Year of the Water Dragon comes only once every 60 years. 2012 is the year of the Male Water Dragon.
Are you are Dragon? Know a Dragon? Want to be prepared for the Dragon year? Here’s more about the Dragon:
“The Dragon is a legendary creature. It can survive on the ground, in the water, and in the sky. Dragon is mystic, misty, blurred, unreachable and unpredictable animal. When Dragon has attraction relationship with the other animals, Dragon is quite likely to hide its Earth characteristic. When Dragon meets Rat, Dragon will show more Water characteristics. When Dragon meets Rabbit, Dragon will fully support Wood characteristic in the Rabbit. When Dragon meets Chicken, Dragon will turn itself into Metal identity. Dragon is a stranger to Dog. When Dog meets Dragon, Dog will bark and prepare for fighting. Dragon is kind of lonely. It's hard for other animals to build love or romantic relationship with Dragon.” Chinese Forecast website
What does the Year of the Black Dragon mean?
“Dragon contains Earth, Water and Wood. If your Lucky Element is Water, then you will have pretty good luck in 2012. If your Lucky Element is Earth, then you will gain some degree of good luck in 2012. The Dragon is the last year of Wooden Cycle, which is from 2010 to 2012. If your Lucky Element is Wood and you do well in the 2011 Rabbit year, then your luck will continue.”
It’s really all about knowing your “Lucky Element.” But first, you must find your Lucky Element. After finding your Lucky Element, you can click over to see a graph of the rise and fall of your life.
Luck if you've ever been a lady to begin with, Luck be a lady. . . Happy New Year, Take 2!
What's the Use Of Listing?
What Inspires: Lists Last night, on a whim—and desire not to waste a National holiday off—we flew to Bali and checked into Kayana Villas. It was past midnight and raining when we arrived. It's the rainy season, so we weren't surprised by the rain; we brought books, computers, cards, etc. but we were hoping for sunshine. Several times during the night and this morning I woke to the sound of rushing water. Believing it was still raining—pouring—I rolled over and buried my head.
Curtis finally managed to coax me to breakfast. Surprise! Surprise! The big floodlight in the sky was shining full beam. The rushing water/rain sound was the waterfall flowing into our private pool. Hurrah! Over breakfast (huevos rancheros ala Kayana are indescribably “enak” delicious!) we formulated a plan for the day. First item: Pool Time!
A trip or two back, Lexi, my extremely organized daughter, had shared her Trip Packing List with me. She keeps it on her phone, viewable at a touch. Would that I had used it when I was pulling things together for this trip…
I’m a heavy packer. My motto is: if you might need it, bring it! But this trip… this trip we are under serious weight restrictions: only 15 kg each. No exceptions. No paying extra for more. From Bali we’re flying to Moyo, a tiny island off the coast— in a seaplane! Anything over our weight allowance would have to be abandoned at the gate. So I packed predently; changed suitcases to flimsy light-weight duffles; took out all but one pair of shoes, two suits, one book, two bottles of sparkles. In the end, even with the restrictions I managed to bring almost everything I needed. Almost…
See this glorious picture of the pool, the trickling waterfall hidden behind the curtain of green, those inviting, empty lounge chairs?
Me!
Ask yourself: What are the most important items to bring on a tropical island holiday?
Yes, I brought sunscreen-3 kinds!
But, I forgot the most, absolutely most important 3 items: my hat, my sunglasses and my lipstick. Anyone who knows me knows, I do not sit in the sun without my hat, my sunglasses and especially my lipstick (Like Queen E, I am never, never, never am without my lipstick). FYI: Shops in Jakarta Airport Domestic Terminal do not sell lipstick, chapstick, gloss or Crisco.
So, instead of basking in the sun I’m sitting in the shade typing and thinking I need to add 2 New 2012 Resolutions:
#1 MAKE AND MAINTAIN LISTS
# 2 USE THY LISTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ENOUGH TO HAVE A LIST; YOU HAVE TO USE IT!
BAWWWWK!
What Inspires: Chicken Scratch I walked away from a post-holidays “debate” with my sis-in-law, Joanne, with chicken scratch on my mind.
Joanne, a Special-Ed teacher, maintains that learning cursive isn’t important anymore, and furthermore, that future generations may not write at all. Not to say they won't comunicate. They may well communicate faster, more easily, and on more advanced levels. Instead of writing, they'll dictate and a machine will respond accordingly and/or transcribe if needed; non-verbal folks will type and the machine will speak. Wha-Lah: Communication!
This might well be the way of the future. But…but…but… BAWWWWWWK!
Recent arguments about how practicing and learning writing is as important t0 brain development as going through the “crawling stage” and learning to skip aside, I can’t stop thinking about what will be lost if people stop writing?
I keep a box of cards and letters; my mother has one; my grandfather did, too. (I type, “did” because my grandmother burned my grandfather's, along with his family photos, shortly after his funeral (will we ever know why???)
When my grandmother died, I found hers, too. I didn’t burn it; I was embarrassed by it, though, and delighted and saddened and mortified to discover "brilliant" Mini-me thought “Boston” was spelled “Boaston” and my teacher, Mr. Tweet, may well have had legitimate cause for giving me a C- in 5th grade penmanship (which crushed me and kept me from making the Honor Roll)
I was touched and thrilled to discover my grandmother kept those cards and letters--if for no other reason that that I get to read them, touch them, smell them. . . . An exchange of molecules takes place during the process of “penning a note” which adds a different twist to the term “give something of yourself.” During the process of writing the note we transfer piece of ourselves to the paper. Unlike carbon dating, human residue on hand-written card, notes, letter—recipes—don’t lessen by halves, it becomes more precious. (Any historic, cultural, kitsch value of the card is another discussion entirely.)
This holiday season, just as I have other holidays, I pulled out my raggedy recipe accordion folder and riffled through recipes. One Christmas eons ago (when my mother had more time and imagination than funding) she created a recipe file for my grandmother and herself. She typed “favorite” recipes on index cards and decorated them with doodles and comments. I relish those recipe cards. They whisk me back to when Mom was younger, energetic, and willing to spend the time on handmade gifts. As cheesy as many of them are, I love looking at them. They always make me smile and remember, as does “Aunt Margie’s Sheet Cake,” Grandma Lee’s “Noodle Koogle” and my grandmother’s “Never-fail Pie Crust.” (And dang if those pre low-fat, low-butter, low-calorie, low-sugar, high-nutrition recipes aren't dang tasty!)
This holiday season, I received a piddly pile of cards—which I saved to savor after the rush and beyond as they will be duly read, then stored in my memory box. The bulk of my holiday greetings and post-holiday thank you notes arrived via email. And though I read and enjoyed them, I didn’t—even when I could have—print them out to save. I may save an e-mail note or card in Outlook, I rarely print one with the purpose of saving it. Those I do print rest in a wicker basket which bears a striking resemblance to the recycle basket. Even in my wildest imaginings, I can not make myself believe a time will come when scent, skin, bone, tears, smudges, molecules can travel through the Internet, to the satellite and fiber optic cable, squish out the printer. (At least old-fashioned "dittos" smelled good--Oooh! Ooohh! I'll run off the copies for you, Mrs. Hsang...can I? Please, oh pretty please?????)
In a lecture on non-fiction at Vermont College of Fine Art last year, Diane Stanley shared how she researched her books.c She shared that judging from the volume, frequency, and immediacy of correspondence, communication in London during Charles Dickens time was almost as fast as today. As a result, volumes of his thoughts, ideas, musings, menus, gripes—in his own words—are read, enjoyed, studied, perused, evaluated, analyzed, synthesized, idolized, etc. etc. by scholars today. With e-mail notes, sms, cards, tweets, etc. stand the same test?
AAMOF, 404!
Scribble on…BAWWWWWWK!
Welcome 2012!
What Inspires: A Clean SlateHappy 2012 to us all.
Our new calendars are open and flipped to bright, new, blank pages. Along with all those other resolutions, let's save space for creative moments, deep jolly belly rolls, and personal fulfillment!
For my part, I'll keep seeking tidbits that inspire me and promise to share them here in hopes they'll inspire you, too.
As the song goes: "It's a new dawn/It's a new day..." add to that It's a new year!
Community Begins With Two
What Inspires: Community We do most of the really hard work—to quote George Baily in one of my favorite Christmas movies, It’s A Wonderful Life—“most of the living and dying around here” alone.
Nothing wrong with Alone. Alone is when I do most of my deep thinking. Alone is when I do my deep cleaning, straightening, organizing. Alone is when I write down most of those brilliant ideas.
Alone is when I falter, too.
That’s when Community makes the difference. As a brand-new mother in a brand-new town, I was completely lost and helpless until a neighbor, Sally, crossed the street and pulled me by the hand into hers.
With my children grown, I consider myself more of a writer than mother, so that's the community I'm thinking of now. When I was first beginning my writing career, I belonged to a writing Community of 2: Ronnie Davidson and me, sitting side-by-side in her attic office from 8:30 to 11:00 am Monday through Friday, her at the computer keyboard clicking away, me with a legal pad on my lap, scribbling. However small, without my Writing Community, I may well have dropped the notion of becoming a professional writer.
Mid-way through my writing career, my Community grew to include critique groups, writing organizations, such as OWFI, SCBWI, Authors’ Guild, etc. My Writing Community grew so large that its tentacles spread into almost all other areas of my life.
Then just as George’s younger brother Harry, and Sam Wainwright and even brassy Violet tried to, I left my Community. I didn’t realize what I was leaving until I faltered again…and again and didn’t have my Community-- colleagues/friends/critique buds/teachers-- to which I could turn.
- Community are those folks who talk you off the ledge when you’re feeling like chucking it all…
- Community keeps you honest and grounded when you’re on top, by remembering you when—and never letting you forget.
- Community keeps you going when you hit bottom, by reminding you why you’re trying to do something “so dog gone hard in the first place” and how far you’ve come.
- When you need advice, commiseration, support, love, Community is the place to go, because there’s sure to be someone there who has either “been there, done that” or knows someone who knows someone who might, or might not, have been.
Clarence the apprentice Angel took that icy plunge on Christmas Eve just so he’d have a chance to remind George of his Community and his role in it.
I didn’t need a Clarence to remind me; I have a Marilyn, my sister-in-law who’s battling breast cancer [for more click back on Helping Hearts blog posting]. Like George, Marilyn’s Community is huge, and rich and diverse. And just as everyone in Bedford Falls rushed over when they heard the call that “George Baily” needed help, Marilyn’s Community is rallying around her. They arrive with treats, with notes, with rides, with offers of help and support of all kinds. Soon after I arrived to support Marilyn post-surgery, she said to me, "I'm learning how to let people help. You have to keep that in mind, too. People want to help and it's important to let them."
We talk so much about giving--especially at this time of year. We don't spend so much time considering receiving. We don't want to be receivers (except on the ball field). We don't want to be in the position of needing help. But that's Community! In giving we receive; in receiving we give.
Community! A gift we give and receive
FYI: I Googled quotes to make sure I correctly remembered the line from “It’s A Wonderful Life.” In the process, I came across this article by Joe Carter, comparing Frank Capra and Ayn Rand. I found it worth the read. You might, too! “The Fountain Head of Bedford Falls”
Want the full movie quote?
George is talking to Old Man Baily, justifying the existence of the Savings and Loan, when he says: “Well, this riffraff you’re talking about does most of the living and dying around here. Is it too much to ask for them to do it in two decent rooms and a bath?” – For more memorable lines from the movie visit Eudanomics: My Pursuit of Happiness blog
Community: Starts With Two...
How To Make Money as An Author
What Inspires? Gumption What to know how to make money as an author: Put a tip jar on the signing table at your next bookstore or library presentation.
It worked for David Sedaris! According to an article in The Guardian, Sedaris told people "it was all for me to spend on candy." he said they were "delighted because it's funny to give money to someone who doesn't need it." (Bestseller author, Sedaris, doesn't, evidently.)
Sedaris suggested putting out a tip jar at signings as an "interesting money-making tip for authors."
I'm inclined to agree: At then end of one evening's reading at a Dallas bookstore, Sedaris's tip jar had $350.00 in it--his "best evening." Sedaris said he netted "$4000.00 in candy tips" on that book tour.
Will Read for Tips!
Will Write for Tips!
(And if you're one of those fortunate authors who "don't need the money" why not put your tip jar out at signings anyway--you can then donate it to one of those "not fun" someones who does need it.)
Writing vs. Cooking
What inspires: Pushing Through
“Unlike cooking, for example, where largely edible, if raw ingredients are assembled, cut, heated, and otherwise manipulated into something both digestible and palatable, writing is closer to having to reverse-engineer a meal out of rotten food,” -author David Rakoff, from his essay “A Writer’s Day,” published in the spring 2011 Authors Guild Bulletin.
Rakoff shared how he procrastinates, justifies, stalls before settling in to write each day. How in most things, art, for example, one progresses, learns, becomes more adept and so the work gets easier. Conversely: “Writing—I can only really speak to writing here—always, always only starts out as shit; an infant of monstrous aspect; bawling, ugly, terrible and it stays terrible for a long, long time (sometime forever).”
Still, even with the “terrors and agitations,” Rakoff pushes through—never forgetting for a moment that his is not a life of “mining coal, waiting tables, or answering someone’s phone for a living”— beginning each writing day “suffused with this sense of privilege, shell-pink and pulsing with new hope.”
