May 30, 2008

Most of us have preconceived ideas of what a “writer’s retreat” would look like for us. Anything outside that box (we think) just wouldn’t fill the bill. That’s what I believed, until I continued to read the book I’ve blogged about lately, The Writer’s Retreat Kit: A Guide for Creative Exploration and Personal Expression by Judy Reeves. She challenges writers to think of retreats in other ways–and thus to see the possibilities around us to create such retreats. Chew on this quote for the weekend and see what you come up with.

Much as I believe that the idea of a writing retreat will always include Time Away Alone (I expect secluded mountain cabins or pri­vate, distant seashores will also remain in our writer’s mind’s eye), I also believe it is possible for each of us to create other, less extensive writing retreats that can refill and restore us, that can be containers enabling us to produce new work and to open us to creative expres­sion and that allow us to dip into the solitude we need to communi­cate with our inner selves.

*Consider that a writing retreat is not necessarily a place, but a concept.
*Consider the word retreat not as a noun but a verb.
*Consider time not as a measure in length, but in depth.
*Consider the idea of being alone not as being distant from people but as not allowing others to intrude on your solitude.

In other words, let loose all those old ideas about what is nec­essary for a writing retreat to be “real,” and open your mind and heart to another way of giving yourself this gift of love.

May 28, 2008

I’m still reading my “retreat in a box” kit called The Writer’s Retreat Kit: A Guide for Creative Exploration and Personal Expression by Judy Reeves that I mentioned last week. I am contemplating the following–and what it might mean.

A writing retreat isn’t just about the time spent writing. Perhaps equally important as the time spent writing is the time given over to nourishment… For many writers, a retreat is a time for reconnecting with nature, for long walks in quiet woods or beside a restless seashore, for rowing on a lake or canoeing on a river. We long for a soundtrack of birdsong or trickling creek, for the lazy sway of a hammock beneath a shading tree, for a rocking chair on a generous porch, mint tea, a glass of wine or fresh, sweet water within reach. We want someone to bring us lunch. A retreat is a quiet place (except for the birds or maybe the profound purring of cat on lap), and when the time is right and good and when we are ready, it is writing.

After my next deadline is met in mid-June, I am seriously considering giving myself this “gift of time” that such a retreat would take. It wouldn’t have to be expensive–or even cost anything at all. I live near a pond and greenbelt area to walk in, I have a porch with a swing and three rockers, and I can fix the tea. It’s the time that will cost me–time away from people and expectations and deadlines. Right now, after so many years of writing to deadline, I can barely fathom what it would feel like to retreat like this and not write until I really felt called back to it.

But oh! What an idea!

May 26, 2008

Happy Memorial Day, everyone! For every military man or woman–including my daughter, Laurie, deployed in Iraq–we love you and are so proud of you. To see and hear something that will stir your very soul, turn up your sound and click here:

May 21, 2008

Do you have trouble receiving email from people who try to contact you through your website? Me too–until now. You may be generating a lot more email from your website than you think–you’re just not receiving it.

I’ve had a personal website for years, and I have two more websites for book series, but I’ve had the same problem with them all–until recently. At a writing conference at Mt. Hermon in March, one tech-savvy gal explained the problem–and the cure. For reasons unfathomable to me, those mailto: links often don’t work. They try to generate default email programs that won’t send the email. (I know they don’t work–I’ve asked numerous friends to send me an email from my websites. Only ONE email got through out of six.) Important email from friends, fans, book buyers, and event planners often don’t get to you. Hopefully, that problem is a thing of the past. And the fix is FREE. Instead of using a mailto: link, get a free “Email Me” form.

I Googled “email forms” to find several choices, and I settled on EmailMe.com because it was very easy to use. I chose the simple, standard form, but when time permits, I may go back and tweak the colors and fonts. It was so easy to install! And it even makes sure that you have a “thank you” page link so the person knows their email went through.

I love when I find things that make life easier–especially when the process is fairly painless and free.

May 20, 2008

Over the weekend I created a website specifically for my Boarding School Mystery series. I hope you’ll take a look at it and let me know what you think. The four middle-grade mysteries should be in the bookstores within a couple weeks. Although I have resisted the marketing push talked about so much lately, I have to admit that designing simple websites is getting easier. I use FrontPage, self-taught with the free online tutorials, and each time it is less intimidating—and faster. Someday I may have a professionally designed site, but for now, I’m glad to have it up and running!

May 16, 2008

Does anyone else feel the constant push-pull between their commitment to writing and their commitment to their families? I was just talking about this yesterday with another busy writing friend. We’re both empty nesters now, and we both expected to spend endless hours writing every day. Take out the hours needed for website work and other book promotion (speaking, teaching workshops, signings, etc.) and, in theory, there are still about five hours per day to write. If you exercise, then make it four. Four would work, as long as you spent evening and weekends reading about the craft of writing and reading current books in your genre.
Hmmm…

Where’s family fit in? Although my kids are grown, I have two girls living in this town and both my grandchildren. I love spending time with them more than anything else. I want to invest in their lives–and they’re just plain fun to be with!

The point of all this?

I have two deadlines that I am behind on. I’ve put in tons of hours on both projects, but they are coming along more slowly than I’d anticipated. Even so…today I’m quitting early and taking my grandkids (ages 2 and 5) down to the pond to go frog hunting. It’s rained three times this week, and the tiny half-inch frogs should be hopping!

Could I get more writing done if I stayed in my office this afternoon and evening? Yes. Do I feel guilty about the fun I’m going to have with my grandkids, or the bonding time this evening, the hugs and kisses, watching an episode of “Little House on the Prairie,” and popping popcorn? Not one bit!

Work hard at your writing, yes–but don’t let it mix up your priorities.

May 14, 2008

Nearly every month I hear (in person or by email) from an author who’s been scammed by a new publisher or a very small publisher. Before considering an offer from a new or small press, I’d recommend reading HOW TO TELL IF A NEW OR SMALL PRESS IS LEGITIMATE on the Write4Kids website.

I agreed with everything she said in this fine article until the last line. She wrote: “It’s not possible to follow all these steps, of course, if the publisher is new and hasn’t produced its first list. In that case you could ask to contact some other authors or illustrators the publisher is working with, and get their impressions of the company. By and large, most new publishers are legitimate, sincere and dedicated professionals, and are not a bad risk for the author or illustrator. These people will not object to your researching the company. Those who do should be approached with caution.”

I sincerely believe that if a new company objects to you contacting its authors and illustrators to research them, then you should not approach them at all. It’s no different than the Don Juan who objects to you wanting to meet his family and friends before you marry him. If they have nothing to hide, they’ll be happy to have you research them. If they’ve got something to hide, run (don’t walk) to the nearest exit. (I speak from experience here–I got scammed last year and lost $5,000 owed me. It didn’t matter that I had a contract and they had my full manuscript either. At one point the publisher got very upset that I had talked to another of their authors. I should have taken that as a big red flag and backed out early.)

May 12, 2008

My son-in-law knows that I’m always looking for free programs online, so when he finds things of interest, he sends them along. I realized last week that I now knew (and sometimes spoke) a foreign language. “Do you use Weebly or Zillow?” I was asked. “No Weebly yet, but I do Zillow. I’m also learning to Twitter, but I’m not sure if I need to Jott yet.”

Confused? Then check out these free services–and you’ll be speaking the new language fluently in no time!

Jott: With a free account, Jott converts your voice into emails, text messages, reminders, lists and appointments.

Weebly: Create a free website and blog, host it for free, easy to create and maintain, even host your existing domain for free!

Zillow: Wonder what your house is worth? Type in your address–or anyone else’s–and get your home’s worth, an aerial photo of the neighborhood, the real estate values of homes in the area, and much more. Great free service for house buyers and sellers.

Twitter: Another social networking site that’s free and easy to use. “Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?“

Good luck!

May 9, 2008

Madeleine L’Engle {Herself} is a book of reflections on the writing life, excerpted from the works of one of our finest writers. In this volume you will find hundreds of Madeleine L’Engle’s most illuminating statements about writing, creativity, and the writing life, including material from her workshops and speeches that was never published before. L’Engle was the author of more than 50 books, including the Newbery Medal-winner A Wrinkle in Time, the American Book Award-winner A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and the inspirational book for writers Walking on Water. In ten topical sections, Madeleine L’Engle {Herself} mixes marvelous pointers on technical craft issues with her reflections on the mystery of writing. Read a page each morning before you write, or (if you’re like me) sit down and read straight through it, then go back and savor each page’s gems.

May 7, 2008

If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland is a classic, and one of the very best books for writers ever written. I had forgotten how good it was until I re-read it over the weekend. Frankly, if you can only afford to ever buy one writing book, get this one. It’s that good. Brenda Ueland said she had two rules she followed absolutely when writing: to tell the truth, and not to do anything she didn’t want to do. This shines through in her best-selling classic that has already inspired thousands to find their own creative center. Carl Sandburg called this book “the best book ever written about how to write.” I’ve read dozens of writing books, and this is one of my two all-time favorites. I need to re-read it about every six months. Find a copy for yourself today.

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