Author: cyndarling

I attended Word Nerd Networking last night in NY.  It was great getting to hang out with my writing teaching and friend Lisa Romeo and several other writers I met there.

Some fun tidbits:

Networking is invigorating!  I love the random connections that I make with people about their careers and my career–sitting down for a conversation, I never know what overlapping piece of advice or experience we will share or pass on.

I come away from these events always–with a tidbit of knowledge to followup on.  I may not be able to predict what I will learn before walking in to that room of writers–but I always walk away with more than I started with.

Afterwards, I got a ride back to Jersey with three other Jersey writers who were there. It turns out I knew these women already. One writer, Stacey Gill, writes for Barista Kids and Baristanet, where I also write.  I have read her stuff over the past year, but I had never met her until last night. Great to put a face with the name and also share writing stories with each other.  Another woman, Bernadette, had been in a writing class I had taken two years ago with Lisa Romeo.  So, it was great to connect with these writers and brainstorm about writing and give each other advice and support regarding all of our projects.

So, as I get into this blogging business, I figure the best way to figure out how to do it is the share my thoughts about it here–on my blog!

When I was in grad school, we were always studying ways of writing and I felt like I became very interested in the idea of how fields of writing vary.  For example, academic writing is so different from popular online writing–which is also so different from writing for literary journals, etc.  Each one has its own audience and set of assumptions and way of communicating.

Martha Beck, in her book Steering by Starlight speaks about how she had been trained in academia for so long as a Harvard PhD that when she began to want to write self-help books, she really felt as if she were going against all that was sacred to her training!  Indeed, when you are in academia, there is this certain way of speaking about “other” types of writing beyond the university that make that other type of writing seem simplistic, facile and lesser.  However, now that I am outside of academia, or at least outside of the university level, I in fact feel the opposite:  I feel that academic writing is really just one way of writing and is in fact a very limited way of writing with a very limited audience.  Not to reduce it or anything–it certainly has its purpose.  But, I embrace the idea now of becoming part of a larger conversation, one that incorporates all different modes of writing and all different audiences.

So, what I think is interesting is how, as a blogger, I have to think about now how to enter into the blogging conversations that are out there.  How can I enter into this field of writing, with all of its multiple approaches and variants.

I guess the first way is to read the blogs and online media that are out there-to even become aware that there are people out there experimenting with lots of ways of writing.  Then I can gradually position myself to think about where I fit in.

Some ideas I think are important as I approach a blog:

Keep entries short (which I am NOT doing in this post!)

Life coaching IS a viable topic to write about–even if non-professionally–just from my own experience

I think I would be interested in applying all of my Literature and Teaching background to more of a pop culture audience.  How to take this literary knowledge, figure out what I like about it, and then bring it to the blogosphere—so that I write not only to academics, not only to my students, not only to my students’ parents but also to general readers, who may not know much about books or literature.

How can I write about books and literature and literary-esque topics in a way that makes it fun and enticing for my audience?

Who is my audience?

Who do I want to target as an audience?

How can I use the professional training I already have in education, literature, writing and academic research to propel my writing forward?

I just finished reading Breaking Night by Liz Murray–the girl dubbed with the phrase, “from Homeless to Harvard.”  She came to speak at our school as part of our book fair. When she spoke, I was amazed at how down to earth she seemed.  She spoke from the heart and even seemed nervous.  Now , of course she must have said some of these things hundreds of times all ready.  But, she seemed very genuine.  Good for our students to see a speaker like that.

And then I started the book and literally haven’t been able to put it down!

For one, it is extremely well written.  The clarity of her voice is amazing.  I found myself thinking about the things she said even when I wasn’t reading the book. Her words echoed through my mind.  She talked about how she used a blank transcript that she filled in with A’s as her motivation as she was working her way through high school while homeless.  She talked about how she had to choose school over and over again in the daily decision to get up and throw the blankets off her head. She described the physical effects of poverty and drug abuse–the way she had lice as a child and the way the house was left in disarray with a tub that never completely drained, filled with a brown murky water.  She talked about how she and her sister became more and more distant.  She also described her love for her mother.  The incongruity of her mother’s blatant neglect and irresponsibility and yet her affection when she called Liz “Pumpkin.”

Perhaps I was also drawn in by her story because her story is so horrific and happens literally under our noses.  There are homeless kids like this everywhere.  In Montclair, even.  Or Newark, just down the road.  And, this problem is an old problem.  It’s been around forever.  It’s not hip or current or part of the latest example of social ills.  It’s homelessness and hunger.  Plain and simple.  And the things that will solve it are:  food and awareness, distribution and funding.  Plain and simple.

So the food banks that I have visited in my community service days at school are essential.  People rely on them.  And, other organizations that aren’t as big as the food banks need food too.  It’s not glamorous.  It’s not innovative and cool.  It’s just cans in a bag.  Delivered to a shelter.

Just saw Dominique Browning give a talk and reading at The Manor in West Orange.  The event is part of MKA’s week-long book fair extravaganza run by Scholastic.  Tonight’s event was especially cool because the tickets were donated to the teachers by the parents.  So, we were all able to go and soak in the atmosphere of this beautiful place while dining on scrumptious appetizers and main course and a delectable apple dessert.

Dominique lost her job.  She seems part of a rather big trend out there.  A successful journalist (or other profession) who has lost her job–in this case due to the demise of the magazine market–and as a result sits down to write a book about the bad thing that happened to her.  And yes–it is comforting to read these books.  But, I am struck how these books are a bit light on content.  And big on packaging and catchy new philosophies of life easily said in two or three words like, Browning’s “Slow Love” concept.  She was funny tonight.  I did enjoy her.  In fact, I liked listening to her. She has a great sense of humor and a cool reading voice.  I was just struck, is all.  Just struck by our current publishing world.  By the facebook and twitter and blogging and book tours authors go through while striving to get their word out. As I listened to Browning speak and thought about all she was doing to make her new book a bestseller in this new publishing climate,  I thought of Laura Munson a lot.  I am Laura Munson’s friend on facebook, and I read her blog These Here Hills sporadically.  And, I am somehow hyper aware of the efforts Munson has to make to “sell” herself beyond merely the one great book she wrote.  Which is, by the way, a great book.  That everyone should go and read.  Immediately.  It’s called “This is not the Story you Think it is”.)  I think HER book is higher on substance than Browning’s new “Slow Love” book.  By a longshot. Perhaps because Munson wrote it NOT as an established writer, but as a writer who was yet to have a book published.

But back to Dominique.

At the end of the night, I went up to have my newly bought copy of her book signed by her. I was conscious of what I might say to her when it came time to stand over her while she signed.  The other women in line had been laughing with her and telling her about their gardens (she likes to garden) and about their houses (she likes houses).  Listening to their chatty laughter,  felt like they were all part of a very elite home and garden club.  And, when I got up there, I just handed her my book and stood silently while she signed.  When she was done, she looked up, handing the book to me.  “Thank you so much!” I said.  “You’re welcome!” she replied.

And I thought that if anything, I had just given her her one “slow love” moment of the evening.

Played trivia tonight with some friends from work.  We had done it during the summer and were delighted and surprised to learn that this trivia game also went during the fall and winter months.  Now we have something to remind us of the summer in October!  The weird thing is, it’s all a little off.

Sure, the same guy reads the trivia questions and we still fill out the same sheets for six rounds of trivia that go from 8-10:30 p.m.  But, our carefree days of summer are gone.  Our days are now filled up by work. With cares and details and thoughts of tomorrow.

So, it was a great feeling for me to give myself this two and a half hours of trivia.  Yes, I had school work to do.  But, there is something about the slow and steady progression through the ten questions of a trivia round that is grounding.  It is literally like a kind of zen.  My mind slows to focus only on the ten questions at hand. Who just released an album this week?  Where are George and Martha Washington buried?  Or what number is neutral on the PH scale? The stresses of the day fall away.  My teammates and I converse, throw answers around.  We lose ourselves in the gentle plodding routine of filling out our answer sheets.

And slowly the night moves toward the end of the round.  But I feel renewed and calmer. Like more spaces have been created in my brain.   It may not be summer, but for a few hours on a Tuesday night I was given a dose of what our summer nights felt like, only two months ago.

Out and about in nature today!  I went to Pyramid Mountain with some friends.  We joined a meetup group that advertised a hike with time to stop and do art halfway through.  My two friends and I tagged along and they had each brought sketch pads.  When we stopped, we sat for an hour to sketch and giggle and take in the colored leaves and the sun filtering through.

 

http://blogs.targetx.com/hbu/DawgTracks/2009/10/fall_foliage.html

I am a jealous person.

Lately, I have found that jealousy is one of the best things to get my off my duff and to get me to do something.  Something usually related to writing.

Why is this?

There’s nothing more motivating than seeing a friend or even a stranger’s accomplishment and thinking, “Damn, I should have done that!” or “Damn, why aren’t I that good?!”  Nothing like a little good old-fashioned envy to get me into my writing seat.

There was a time when I used to feel badly about this tendency within me.   Indeed, in some aspects of my life, this jealousy can be pretty harmful and destructive.  But, I’ve come to see that jealousy as motivator to get work done is as good an incentive as any.

Take this case in point.  Here I am, blogging after being away for over a week.  What brought me here?  Well, the free time, yes.

But, if I look more closely, it was viewing a colleague’s recent published column.  Her column was marvelous.  Beautiful.  Funny. Whimsical.  Poetic and heartfelt.  And, it was in a very well-known journal.  One I don’t even have visions of writing for.  Completely off my radar.

Nothing sends me to the computer to type like the thought that I have been woefully squandering my time.  And that I should be writing.  Because someone else out there has already done it.

Is this lame?  Shallow?  Impure of motive?  Sure!  Is it entirely human?  Yes.  And entirely effective?  Yes.

It’s times like these when I see that someone else got the prize–a prize I wanted.  And someone else out there had the guts and the persistence and the chutzpah to cut through all of the writerly bullshit that we all deal with–and write.  And put it out there.  And, for better or for worse, I get my butt in the chair and for a few brief moments, I am all focus.  My goal is clear.

And so I sit here now.  For a little while.  Until the little green-eyed monster and I join forces again.

400 words.  Those were the guidelines for my first magazine article.  And, indeed, they served to cut through my writerly anxieties about writing the great American novel or the great American short story.  The requirements were clear.  Keep it short.  Don’t over do it with the flowery language.  Get the story done.  No one wants to read more than this–at least not for the particular story I was doing for the magazine.

A few years later, that length, 400 words, is my litmus test for a brief, well-focused story.  If the article goes beyond, I know that I am being wordy.

400 words also is just what I need to get myself writing.  To jumpstart myself through the haze of not producing.

So, here, I offer you 400 words: as a concept and as a literal length of an entry in a blog.

Brevity.

Getting the story done.

Cutting it down.

Making it readable to the reader.

Done in an hour.

Moving forward.

And in fact, the best 400 word entry for today’s blog post is 179 words.