Quest For Gold

Post by NCW Director Kerrie Flanagan

After the success of the first Northern Colorado Writers Conference five years ago, I had Olympic-sized dreams. I had dreams of creating an event that welcomed all writers regardless of experience or genre, one that brought in agents and editors, and one that had 200 attendees.

As I head into the 5th annual conference I am thrilled with how the event has evolved and grown. It does cater to all writers and from the feedback I’ve received I know that everyone does feel welcome. I am able to bring in agents and editors. (in the past we have had Chuck Sambuchino, Kristin Nelson, Andrea Brown, Jon Sternfeld and others). And each year attendance has increased.


The first year we had 45 attendees, year two we saw 80, year three it was 100.





Last year it was 150.
This year I want to go for gold!
I want to be able to reach out to 200 writers and get them motivated and excited about their writing.



I am pulling out all the stops for this year’s event:
• Stephen J. Cannell, Author of the critically acclaimed Shane Scully series and writer/producer of more than 40 shows including Rockford Files, A-Team, 21 Jump Street and Greatest American Hero is the opening keynote speaker
• Everyone attending gets the hardcover copy of Cannell’s latest release the Pallbearers.
• 29 workshops to choose from
• Agent and Editor pitch sessions
• A one-hour improv show by
Bovine Metropolis Theater to close out the event
• I'm offering a free pre-conference workshop
• The conference takes place in beautiful Colorado
• Door Prizes
• Networking opportunities
• A chance to recharge your creative energy

We have been watching the Olympics and have seen the hard work, practice and dedication that goes into being a successful athlete. Becoming a successful writer takes that same kind of drive and determination. With the right attitude, tools and encouragement we can all reach the podium.

Five years ago I had a dream. It is so close to coming true now, I can almost feel it. With your help, I know this dream can happen.

Ways to help:
* Blog about the conference
* Link to it (http://www.northerncoloradowriters.com/)
* Pass the information on to your writing friends
* Tweet about it
* Register for the conference (I would love to meet you in person)

As a thank you, if you register or get someone else to register, I will send you a copy of my favorite Stephen King book, On Writing. Send me an email with your info and the name of who registered.

Thank you for supporting my dream!
~Kerrie

Book Contest

You can enter to win Paula Reed's book Nobody's Saint on the
Northern Colorado Writers website.
Paula is a Colorado author who writes historical fiction. Her newest book Hester: The Missing Years of the The Scarlet Letter: was recently released by St. Martins Press. You can read an interview with Paula at Patricia Stoltey's blog.

Pen and Podium

Post by NCW Member Darlene Mueller Morse

Alexander McCall Smith. Khaled Hosseini. Wally Lamb. David Wroblewski. Frank McCourt. Amy Tan. Alice Sebold. And the list goes on: David McCullough. Garry Trudeau.Claire Messud. Anna Quindlen. Sue Monk Kidd. Azar Nafisi. Suzan-Lori Parks.

What do these authors have in common? I have seen them all and shaken hands with several. I’ve heard their stories about writing and how their books came to be. I learned firsthand how they agonized about what to include and what to cut. I have been privileged to see that none of these authors looked like anyone out of the ordinary but when they spoke, they proved to be extraordinary by virtue of their writing accomplishments and their words. I saw that they were human but had taken a path not well-traveled.

They are part of the Pen & Podium Series sponsored by The Denver Post and presented at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts on the University of Denver campus. Each season, four major authors come to speak in front of about 900 people who have purchased the lecture series tickets.

Surprisingly, the authors who have written the most serious novels have the best sense of humor. David Wroblewski (The Story of Edgar Sawtelle) had us rolling in the aisles. Of course, Alexander McCall Smith was a gem; he even wore a kilt and showed everyone when asked the question, “How can you write so well from a woman’s point of view?” He said, “You see, I’m wearing a skirt.”

Azar Nafisi (Reading Lolita in Tehran) had so much to say. We were brought to tears from some of her revelations and laughter by others. Her Q&A made us want to send a transcript directly to Washington, DC.

Amy Tan brought her small black dog onto the stage with her and most people had no idea he was there until the end. When Alice Sebold came on stage, she spent the entire time reading from her prepared script. Anna Quindlen is much more suited to be read rather than heard. And, she did not take any Q&A. Nor did she sign any books. J. R. Moehringer made every woman in the audience want to run up and give him a hug. Suzan-Lori Parks not only was a stage writer but a singer and pulled out a guitar and began to belt a few tunes.

Each writer (except for Quindlen) hosted a Q&A after their talk and it was here that we got to see the real person behind the keyboard. Most of these authors, if not all, had a specific purpose in life, a calling one might say. Through their discoveries made during their writing processes, they saw inequalities. Some have gone on to sponsor charities and to work for certain political parties. Wally Lamb teaches writing at a penitentiary for women.

The most recent author I heard was Wally Lamb. He spoke of what had happened in the country since he began his second novel but before it was published. He mentioned 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq, Katrina and…Sarah Palin. The entire audience erupted in applause.

Khaled Hosseini talked of how his next novel would feature the sacrifices made in Afghanistan by US military personnel. He got mega-applause for that. The audience knew that here was a person with deep understanding about the whys and wherefores of the whole conflict.

Each author I have been privileged to meet and hear has given me new perspective in the writing field. We write to be read. But therein lies a huge responsibility to write something that makes people think. From what I have gathered from these authors is that they initially wrote because they had to; they were compelled to. That fire still burns and is stoked by the response of their previous books. They all have stories to tell.

I wish that I could get a transcript of what these authors shared with us. What wisdom! But, alas, I don’t think that’s in the cards. What I do know is that each of them has given me some invaluable insight that is well worth the cost.

The final author in the current series is Jodi Picoult. I have read several of her novels but on a grander scale, I have graded many high school essays written by students who read her books. She is an example of a writer by whose very words can influence a complete generation of young people. She attacks topics with gusto which are for the most part taboo.

In hearing all these authors speak, I am always inspired to spend that much more time on my own writing pursuits. I am also gratified to be a part of a larger audience who also feels the pull of the authors. And lastly, I am feeling very valuable in the huge scheme of things as a reader and as a writer. What power words have.

Blog Carnival

This is our first ever Northern Colorado Writers (NCW) blog carnival! Yeah! NCW is an organization that supports and encourages writers of all genres and levels. Our membership of nearly 200 spans from Colorado to Wyoming to Minnesota.

This carnival celebrates the blogs of the NCW members. Have fun visiting and be sure to leave comments. :-)

Cheryl Miller Thurston
Scattershot
A teacher-turned-writer’s random thoughts on creativity, humor, education, and more…

Diane Fromme
Mama J's Parenting Posts
My blog sparks conversation about stepparenting and about raising girls.

Anne-Marie Nichols
This Mama Cooks!
Watch this mama lose it...one pound at a time. Diet, weight loss and fitness tips, plus healthy recipes the whole family can enjoy!

Melissa Dutmers
RIVERFORK
Change by Design: Insight at the intersection of work+life

Dr. Peter Springberg
Eat like the Doc does
Diet, Exercise and Lifestyle topics.

Patricia Stoltey
Patricia Stoltey
A blog about the writing life, books, social media, and getting published.

Kristy Lantz Astry
Realtabsd's Blog
My blog covers my Belgian Sheepdogs, birding and writing.

Laura Lee Carter
Midlife Crisis Queen
The Midlife Crisis Queen is all about getting you through your toughest times. Go see her when you KNOW it's time to change your life!

Carolyn Yalin
Thoughts from a one-armed writer.
I am a mother who loves to write, even if it means having my daughter on my left hip and my right hand on the keyboard.

Kay Theodoratus
Mutterings of a Wanna Be Writer
Comments on how my reading gives me examples on how I should write -- and how well I follow them.

Cricket McRae
Hearth Cricket
Mysteries, writing, recipes and musings on traditional domestic arts.

Karin Livingston
MyHoofprints
Check out the horse blog you’ll never forget, covering all things equine from books about horses, to games, 4-H, horse property issues, stable management and training!

Luana Krause
Emerald City
Welcome to my world: commentary, rantings, inspiration, blatherings, quips, witticisms, jargon, pleasantries, wisecracks, wordplay, whatnot and all that jazz.

Patricia Walker
Voice of the Spirit
This blog explores music, body, mind and spirit, mysticism, God, self-realization, science, various conventional and non-conventional spiritual beliefs and paranormal and supernatural realms in an effort to provide others with hope that their lives can be everything they've ever dreamed of.

Bob McDonnell
Words by Bob
A look at the use, misuse and humor of words

Pam Wolf
Writing Outside the Barn
Stories of compassion, kindness and connections between humans and animals.

Laura Lee Carter
Medical Research on Aging
What's the latest on Boomer health issues? Laura Lee will keep you informed.

Name: Lee Larsen
Lee's Reads
A collection of book reviews from young adult/teens to adult.

Jim Davidson
Speaking of Adventure
Distilling lessons from climbing adventures into wisdom for a resilient life and a thriving business.

Pam Wolf
The Spice of Life
What has added flavor to your life? Fun/Meaning/Your Faith Journey/Love/Best Friends/Feeling Healthy/Pets/A Calling/A Memory/An Experience/A Relationship/Your Family?...Name it and write about it. I'll do the same.

Maggie Goins
Living in the Write Mind
This is where I will post my thoughts, tips, and topics on writing.

Erika Nossokoff
Notes From Nigeria
It's about an inspiring AIDS clinic in Nigeria, with a combination of personal stories and current happenings.

Kathleen Harrell
Retired in the Rockies
My blog is an eclectic collection of glimpses into my life as I explore my new journey as a retired writer living in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with my husband, including stories that wander through my childhood and child rearing days, sharing humor, travel, photography, some of my crafts and recipes, as well as an occasional editorial.

Joannah Merriman
Woodswoman d'Italia
Adventures in Italy and France

Maggie Goins
2010 Tech Street
2010 Tech Street, blog companion of website Internet Safety Central, discusses online and tech communications safety and news.

I hope you had fun at the NCW Blog carnival.
~Kerrie
NCW Director

Beginnings and Endings

Guest Post by Terry Odell

Sometimes, the hardest part of writing is writing the third word. You know, the one right after "Chapter One." But you have to start somewhere, and if you're not a detailed plotter, that somewhere is often tough to come by.

Recently, as I chugged into the day's writing, the first thing I did was delete the beginning. By that time, I was about 13,000 words into the manuscript, and I didn't need them anymore. I've used that same basic opening at least two or three times, and it always gets cut. But you have to start somewhere, and as has been said over and over: "You can't fix a blank page."

It's kind of like revving the engine. The race doesn't begin until you cross the starting line, but sometimes you need that running start. Helps burn out some of the impurities. There's more to beginning a story than starting with a paragraph that hooks a reader. It has to hang together with the rest of the book, and since I really didn't know where I was going, it was more like messing around with a bit of clay, seeing if there was a shape inside.

We're advised that a reader is likely to want to read "one more scene, one more chapter" before putting down a book. So, writers are told to make sure that scene ends with something that will keep the reader reading. I discovered this long before I started writing. I knew I had to get enough sleep to make it to work the next day, and I realized that the end of a chapter made me keep going. So I started arbitrarily stopping mid page when the hour got late.

But what about that last page? The one where you can't turn any more pages.

It's been said that your first page sells the book. Your last page sells the next book. If you're writing a romance, that ending will include a happy resolution to the relationship. If it's part of a series of connected books, the author will have introduced some secondary characters and laid a foundation for an upcoming book that will the their story—their turn for that Happily Ever After.

Very few romances actually pick up with the same hero and heroine as the first book. JD Robb does this well in her In Death series, although she's expanded the cast of characters exponentially as the books continue. Would Eve and Roarke be enough to carry 20 or 30 books alone? Maybe. Maybe not.

Mystery series are another animal. Detectives come back, book after book, solving case after case. Is it 'fair' to the reader to end the entire book on a cliffhanger? I've noticed it in several series I've read recently. In one, the protagonist is thinking about three women he's dealt with during the course of the book. The phone rings. A woman's voice. And … 'the end."

It's clear the author is setting up the next book in the series, but I find endings like that less satisfying. The author needs to create compelling characters in their own right. The major plot threads in the book need to be tied up. It's all right to leave the reader with questions, but they shouldn't be in your face questions.

Leaving a totally unanswered question leaves me dissatisfied rather than feeling that a story has been told to completion. Will I read the next book in the example mentioned above, with the unknown voice on the phone? Of course, primarily because I like the characters. But I have this feeling that I've been coerced into it. Keep your endings strong without relying on gimmicks.

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By Terry Odell
Author of four published romantic suspense novels and several romance short stories. Upcoming releases include two mystery short stories in an anthology, and another romantic suspense novel.
www.terryodell.com
http://terryodell.blogspot.com/
http://www.redroom.com/author/terry-odell

Can You Afford NOT to Go to a Writers Conference

At first glance, many writers conferences seems expensive. $300 for two days? That's a lot of money...but is it really? Considering what you get from a conference and if you are serious about a writing career, the real question should be: can you really afford not to go?

Let's delve into the heart of writers conferences and figure out what you are really getting for $300. (Since I am the director of the Northern Colorado Writers Conference (NCWC), I will use this one as an example, but most conference have similar offerings).

Food
Most conference include food. For NCWC there is a nice dinner and lunch buffet, which includes a drink and dessert. Each are probably worth about $25. Plus a continental breakfast-about $10. So meals end up being worth about $50

Sessions
Every conference has educational sessions to attend. NCWC has 8 different sessions with 29 workshops to pick from. I have instructors with PhD's, agents, editors and industry professionals. A one hour, instructional session with these experts would probably run anywhere from $40-$100. We will stay on the low end and say it would be about $50 an hour or a total of $400.

Keynote Speakers
Most conferences will bring in big name authors, editors or other industry professionals to deliver a motivation speech during the meals. For NCWC I am having two keynote speakers, Stephen J. Cannell and Todd Mitchell, but I am also bringing in an professional Improv group to perform at the closing of the event. To buy a ticket to hear them speak or perform would probably be about $20 each, for a total of $60.

Pitch Sessions
Some conferences charge a little extra for pitch sessions, but for NCWC and other conferences it is included in the conference fee. But what is a 10 minute, face-to-face meeting with an agent or editor worth to you? This is a difficult one to price because you normally don't get these opportunities. So to me this goes into that priceless category.

Networking
This is another area that is hard to put a price tag on. Conferences are a great place to meet other writers and talk shop. There are also opportunities outside the pitch sessions to talk with the agents and editors. Plus the presenters are usually available to answer questions you may have. Many of the these people are untouchables out in the real world, but in the conference realm they are available to you. So how do you price that? How do you price being able to sit next to an editor at lunch and ask her questions? It also goes into the priceless category.

Add it all together and the tangible items equal $510, plus there are all the intangible, priceless items. So back to the original question, can you afford not to go to a writer's conference?

If you want to be a published author, professional freelance writer or make writing your career:

• Can you afford not to meet face-to-face with agents, editors and other industry professionals and make those personal connections?

• Can you afford not to learn what is currently happening in the publishing world from the experts who are already there?

• Can you afford not to get some new tools for your writing toolbox from all the breakout sessions?

To find a conference near you visit my friend Patricia Stoltey's post at the Blood Red Pencil or visit The Shaw Guides.

What conferences do you plan on attending this year?

I would love to see you at the Northern Colorado Writers Conference March 26-27. (Colorado is a beautiful place to visit ) :-)

*

Resolution: Perseverance

Post by NCW Member Jennifer Sundstedt

Ever since reading the story of South Korea’s Cha Sa-soon, I’ve been thinking about the value of perseverance. Last November, Cha finally achieved the minimum score of 60/100 needed to pass her written driver’s license exam. It was her 950th attempt.


Nearly every weekday since April of 2005, the 68-year-old woman rode the bus to the licensing agency, paid the application fee…and failed the test. (This does beg the question of whether Cha should drive at all, but I’ll leave that to her local authorities.)

I can’t help but wonder what roadblocks, if I may, Cha encountered on the way. Unsupportive friends and relatives? Snide, eye-rolling license employees? Illness, inclement weather, general I’m-so-sick-of-this-I-could-just-spit malaise? Certainly the license fees totaling the equivalent of $4,200 couldn’t have been easy for a woman who makes her living selling vegetables. But she kept at it. "I felt so ashamed of myself for failing so many times but I simply could not give it up," Cha told the Yonhap News Agency.

Cha’s perseverance blows my mind and makes me feel a tad bit ashamed. I’m so fortunate to have few significant roadblocks in my life. Nevertheless, I can think of nothing—other than telling my boys I love them, and, hopefully, basic hygiene practices—that I’ve done on a near-daily basis for four years and counting. Not even writing. If I had, my writing career might look different these days. Maybe I’d have an agent. Or even a book deal.

Albert Einstein said, “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” I suspect he was being modest, but I like the message that determination pays off. So, at the dawn of this new decade, I am recommitting myself to perseverance, especially in regard to my writing.

It often seems necessary or appropriate to make resolutions based on guilt or obligation, but now feels like the time to find true inspiration in the genuine, worthy goal of crossing one finish line, celebrating madly, and focusing on the next. After all, anything is possible. Just look at Cha Sa-soon.

(And on the days when I’m disgruntled and frustrated and have received my fair share of rejection, I hope I can laugh at how the wonderfully de-motivational www.despair.com defines perseverance: The courage to ignore the obvious wisdom of turning back.)

--------------------------
Jenny Sundstedt is a Colorado author, currently seeking representation for her first mystery novel.

Book Giveaways

Countdown to Conference Contest at Northern Colorado Writers

In honor of the upcoming conference (March 26-27) and the wonderful speakers and presenters who will be there, I am holding a Countdown to Conference Contest. Each week I will give away a book by one of the NCWC presenters. Drop by the Northern Colorado Writers website to enter. Drawings are held each Sunday. This week's prize is a copy of Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner.

Patricia Stoltey's Second Mystery/Thriller Book Giveaway

The Second Mystery/Thriller book giveaway is officially open. I have a nice selection for you, so I hope you'll enter. Each is gently read and in near perfect condition. Most are signed by the author. Visit Pat's website to enter.

~Kerrie

Follow me on Twitter @kerrie_flanagan

Ode to a Critique Group

Old Town Writers' Group meets twice a month to critique each other's work (a mix of adult and teen fiction, essays, and novels), celebrate good news, commiserate over struggles, share writing/publishing info, and generally cheer each other on. We also have annual readings and retreats. In celebration of our third annual reading, the members of OTWG have written a guest post about what we've gained from being in a writers' group.

Molly Reid says,
"Old Town Writing Group has pushed me to experiment more, in the ways I’d been wanting to but hadn’t had the guts or impetus yet; there’s something about knowing others are going to read and critique something before you think it’s ‘done’ that takes the pressure off and allows you to just write.

The group also offers something I didn’t really realize I needed: encouragement and support. It makes all the difference when you’re typing away all alone, shaking and swearing when no one can hear, if you know there are people who think you can do it; it’s like having your own little cheering section you can take out and listen to if you need it. I’m not saying I never have self-doubt anymore, but being in a writing group makes it lighter and more bearable – and I know there are people who will listen to me at the next meeting while I bitch about it, which helps."

Kimberly Srock Fields says,

"Pressure to write is what I was looking for from the group, and I got just what I wanted, but what I didn’t expect was that the group would push me to celebrate myself as a writer.

A few months after I joined the group, the subject of “the next reading” came up, and I balked. A reading? I hadn’t submitted anything for publication in years, much less landed a publication. I didn’t feel worthy. I wasn’t really a writer yet. Who would want me to hear me read? But, as the group continued to make its plans for the reading, I couldn’t help but get caught up in their enthusiasm, and, at nearly the last minute, I decided to participate.

So, I read. I read an essay that had never gotten published, despite my efforts, and the crowd loved it. People laughed when I wanted them to and nobody walked out in a huff. Afterward, people I hadn’t met before came to compliment me on my reading. I felt like a rock star. I felt like a writer. And that is definitely something worth celebrating. For that, I’m grateful to my writing group."

Sarah Ryan says,
"In OTWG, I discovered the rare and marvelous thing that all writers strive for: a dedicated audience. My group members cared about what I wrote. They wanted to read it, and they wanted to see it improve. They were generous with praise and criticism. They were interested in my goals, and both realistic and inspiring when it came to my abilities and potentials. We talked about writing habits, publishing, revising, and craft. Because they saw me as a writer, I came to see myself as a writer and began to make the choices that were necessary to carve out significant and productive time for writing in my life."

Carrie Visintainer says,
"When I joined OTWG a few years ago, one of my short stories had just been selected for the Bullhorn's creative writing issue. This was my first acceptance. I was excited (and surprised), and I found myself seeking ways to take my writing to the next level.

My educational background is in science, so I was interested in the expertise and experience that a writing group would provide. OTWG has been this, and much more. Each time I submit my work, I value the feedback of all group members, and I gain inspiration from our discussion. I've been able to fine tune my work, as well as delve into new and exciting projects. In addition, I've learned a lot about the diverse world of publishing. Finally, the camaraderie of the group feels essential. Each member supports me in a way that enables me to keep on keeping on."

Leslie Patterson says,
"Along with The Sorrows of Gin (Cheever), The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (Sillitoe) is a title I wish I could have invented. Never mind that both stories were composed before I was born and that both involve characters who excel at sports I revile, I love the way these titles sing and the truths they expose. Sometimes I cheat and make the Sillitoe title mine by thinking The Loneliness of the Long Distance Writer. That is the story I would write.

For me, isolation is part and parcel of the creative experience. I absolutely require quiet time alone for reflection and composition, and often, I relish this solitude. But sometimes the loneliness required for my creative enterprises seems unbearable.

For years, when I primarily wrote essays and short stories without the aid of a writers group, I would get to a point in a piece where I didn’t know if my ideas were interesting or if my writing techniques were good.

When I joined my writers' group, I came to see that the struggles I was experiencing as a writer were far from unique. I was encouraged to try exercises that helped me to create more believable characters and situations as well as more vivid language. Through group deadlines and the example of other writers, I learned to become more disciplined. I even learned how to submit.

Now, as I work on my first novel, the feedback of my writing group has become even more essential. I don’t think I would have the courage to embark on a project that requires such endurance without them, but with their help, I stand a good chance of becoming the gifted long distance writer I’ve always wished to be."

Laura Resau says,
"In addition to giving me great feedback and encouragement, OTWG also helps keep me on track. After I completed the copy-editing for my first published novel, WHAT THE MOON SAW, I started dabbling in little essays and stories, somewhat aimlessly.

At one meeting, a woman in my critique group said, "Hey, whatever happened to that book you were working on—RED GLASS?" The group had seen a few chapters of it months earlier. I told them it was a jumbled mess and I didn't know where it was going and I wasn't sure it was worth continuing. They said they loved the characters and wanted to read more of it. So, I focused on completing RED GLASS, which soon became my second published novel… but without my writing group, it might never have been written!"

Do you have a critique group? How has it helped you?

Bylines Desk Calendar

Post by NCW member Laura Lee Carter

I submitted as essay for the last Bylines 2010 Writer's Desk Calendar, and just received my 2010 complementary calendar with my essay inside. Even though I've certainly been paid more for my work in the past few years, my entry in this calendar, which features weekly essays by 53 different writers, somehow felt special. It seems I have finally been accepted by my peers as a writer.

Here's my 2010 Bylines essay on writing:

I experienced some difficult times before finally becoming a writer at age 50. There were moments when I feared I was just a midlife loser. Since then I have decided that a loser is someone who gives up on their dreams.

I slowly came to realize that all of my lifetime heroes could have been considered failures at some point in their lives. People like Gloria Steinem, Jane Goodall, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, had no assurances that they would ever amount to anything. They certainly had doubts about how they spent their lives. The difference is that they believed enough in themselves and their dreams to follow through.

My favorite writer is Henry David Thoreau. Now there's a man many would not define as a hero. He led the quiet life of a naturalist, philosopher and writer and died at age 44. But his words had far reaching impact on political leaders like Gandhi and Martin Luther King, and writers like Tolstoy, Edward Abbey, Cather, Proust, Yeats, and Hemingway. I'm sure Thoreau sometimes wondered about how he was spending his life, but followed through with a strong sense of purpose to match his wandering spirit.

It is far easier to keep to the path of least resistance, than to take a risk, stand up for yourself, and make a difference. You don't need to analyze it to death, just figure out what gives your life meaning and follow that path. Be courageous and live your dream.

***
Please consider writing your own essay and send it in to Sylvia@bylinescalendar.com Limit your total words to 300 between your essay and a short bio at the end.

GOOD LUCK!

Laura Lee Carter aka the Midlife Crisis Queen!
Life Change Coach, Freelance Writer, Editor, Inspirational Speaker

Step Away From the Iron

Post By NCW member Laura Bridgwater

In preparing for Shari Caudron’s upcoming NCW class “Write an Essay in A Day, ” I decided to draft a new essay because when I have a work-in-progress, I get more out of a class. Though, now that I think about it, is this cheating? After all, the class isn’t called “Write an Essay in Advance.”

In any event, I’ve always wanted to write a “Modern Love” essay for The New York Times. “Modern Love” essays run every Sunday and I’ve been clipping them out for the past two years--which is also about how long I’d been kicking around an idea for one.

Plus, the Times is once again planning to charge for its online content, according to a recent NPR story. This change makes me want to write a “Modern Love” while I can still freely Google the Grey Lady (Maybe I’ll write about Googling your self. That’s as modern as love gets.)

It was time to stop procrastinating.

But before I could draft a MoLo, I needed to read some. So I dug around in the dark depths of my cramped file cabinet where I’ve been shoving story ideas since college. (And college was more than two decades ago.)

I don’t know why I was surprised that the contents of the folder labeled “Modern Love” were a mess. In a rant reminiscent of a third grader doing a word problem (or when writers do higher math), I calculated, “Fifty-two weeks at once a week for two years is 104 essays. How long will it take this writer to read that many?”

Well, maybe I didn’t need to read all 104 of the essays, but I needed to read a few. And in order to read a few, I would need to straighten them up. The newsprint looked like it had been wadded up as packing material for a cross-country move. They were too disheveled to read.

Using my old purple-handled Troop 16 Girl Scout scissors (the Boy Scouts aren’t the only ones who are always prepared), I trimmed off advertisements and cleaned up the ripped edges. Then I flattened the dog-eared corners and the folds that ran like an equator across each sheet.

But the pages were still too wrinkled to enjoy. So I organized the essays by date, hoping that chronological order would magically impart surface smoothness. It didn’t, and now my hands looked as if I were, in actuality, a grey lady.

Finally, I cleared a space on top of the file cabinet and anchored the MoLos in place with the two heaviest coffee table books I could pick up: The History of Art and The Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker (Whoever said “Everything is Bigger in Texas” hasn’t read New York.) I would let gravity do its work.

But when I sat down at my desk to revise other works-in-progress, I glimpsed at the essays yet again. And I thought to myself, “I could iron them!”

And that was when I realized that I had just spent my morning procrastinating like my daughter does when faced with homework. She pets the cat, gets a snack, pets the cat, sharpens her pencil, pets the cat, writes one sentence, and pets the cat until soon it’s dinner time and she has finished one math problem that probably goes like this: If a writer has four hours a day to write, but spends three hours a day ironing newspapers, then how much time does the writer actually write?

If I hadn’t been aware that I sometimes dally instead of rally, I would have set up the ironing board. And the irony is that I don’t even like to iron. (Procrastination gives new meaning to the power of the press.)

I’ve learned that you have to be careful as a writer. You have to know yourself and watch for those times when your writing life starts to feel like that best-selling children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Because if you give a writer an essay, pretty soon she’s going to want some spray starch to go with it.

What ridiculous behaviors have you engaged in to avoid writing?

*By the way, if you haven’t had the chance to take a class with Shari, I would highly recommend it. She’s an excellent teacher and NCW is lucky to entice her up from LoDo to NoCo for the day.

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Laura Bridgwater is an award-winning journalist and radio commentator from Colorado. To hear Laura's latest radio spot, click here.

ReBooWee Finale

Post by NCW director Kerrie Flanagan

Thank you all for participating in ReBooWee! From December 1st until today, February 1st, we all logged in a total of 43 books (not counting the one's you read this past week). This is fabulous! I hope you enjoyed it.

ReBooWee kick started my reading habits again. I had gotten lazy and was spending way too much time in front of the t.v. each night. Now I am balancing my t.v. viewing with my evening reading.

What did you read last week and what did you get from ReBooWee?

Here is the ReBooWee book list:

1. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba
2. Running from the Devil: A Novelby Jamie Freveletti
3. Your Life is Your Message: Finding Harmony With Yourself, Others, and the Earth by Eknath Easwaran
4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.
5. Eggs Benedict Arnold by Laura Childs
6. In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death and the World It Made by Norman F. Cantor
7. The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby
8. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
9. Silver Lies: A Silver Rush Mystery by Ann Parker
10. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet
11. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamont
12. Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass.
13. The Fire in Fiction: Passion, Purpose and Techniques to Make Your Novel Great by Donald Maass
14. The Eyre Affair: A Thursday Next Novel by Jasper Fforde
15. Wallflower at the Orgy by Nora Ephron
16. To Tempt the Wolf by Terry Spear
17. Hex in High Heels by Linda Wisdom
18. Living With Your Kids Is Murder: A Paul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery by Mike Befeler
    
19. Vibes by Amy Kathleen Ryan
20. The Prairie Grass Murders by Patricia Stoltey
21. Hearts of Courage by John M. Tippets
22. Dark Harvest by Colorado author Lynda Hilburn
23. Dear John
24. Mrs. Kimble (P.S.)
25. Love the One You're With
26. Rescue Me: A Novel
27. Wake (Wake Series, Book 1) by Lisa McMann
28. Fade (Wake Series, Book 2)by Lisa McMann.
29. Hush, Hush Becca Fitzpatrick
30. Dot Ryan's Corrigans' Pool
31. The Bone Chamber
32. Devil's Peak: A Novel by Deon Meyer
33. To Hell in a Handbasket by Colorado mystery author Beth Groundwater.
34. Bookmarked For Death by Lorna Barrett
35. Alphabet Weekends: Love on the Road from A to Z by Elizabeth Noble
36. Wench: A Novel
37. Homer & Langley: A Novel by E.L. Doctorow
38. The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel by Garth Stein
39. Trans-Sister Radio by Chris Bohjalian
40. Forever Fatal by San Antonio author Nancy Glass West
41. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
42. The Time Traveler's Wife
43. Buckley's Story, Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher