Midge Raymond's Blog, page 32

5 Ways to Write When You’re Not Really Writing

I’m delighted to be a guest on Clifford Garstang’s blog today, posting about writing when you’re not actually writing.

As busy writers, we can’t always sit down in the chair for hours of writing time — and this post offers 5 ways to keep your projects moving forward during your everyday life, even when you don’t have a writing session in your schedule. Enjoy!

And while you’re visiting Cliff, check out the rest of his blog, Perpetual Folly, which includes a wealth of info for readers and writers alike, including his famous Pushcart Prize rankings. And don’t forget to check out his books as well!

Weekly Writing: Dessert

Write about a dessert cart. Write about what’s on it, what is most tempting to you and why, and let this take you far into the world of sweets.

Weekly Writing: Toys

Write about a toy you loved as a child.

Stuff for writers in the new year

Happy new year to all!

So, here we are. It’s 2013, and most of us writers have grand writing plans and goals — right? I know I do…and I also know that I don’t want any of them to be forgotten by February. So I have a few things that I hope will inspire you and get your new writing year off to a good start.

First, if you’re in San Diego, come to one of my jump-start-your-new-year-of-writing workshops! I’ll be in the lively studio of author Judy Reeves on Saturday, January 12, from 1 to 3 p.m., for Everyday Writing, where you’ll learn how to fit various aspects of your writing into every day (from how to hone your powers of observation to how to keep your projects moving forward even when you’re short on time). We’ll work on overcoming your biggest obstacles and do writing prompts that will teach you how to become an everyday writer, even if you’re not able to sit down to write every day. Click here to register. (You’ll also be able to pick up copies of Everyday Writing and Judy’s new Daily Appointment Calendar for Writers.) And check out all of Judy’s upcoming workshops and events here.

And if this is your year for sending out new work, join me on on Monday, January 28, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., for a workshop on writing contests at San Diego Writers Ink. This workshop is for all writers who have wondered what goes on behind the scenes of writing contests, from literary magazines to small presses. We’ll talk about how to tell whether a contest is reputable, when it’s worthwhile to enter a contest, and how to make the most of the opportunities contests offer. We’ll go over submission guidelines as well as tips and resources for finding the best contests. Click here to register — and check out the rest of San Diego Writers’ great lineup of winter workshops.

When it comes to writing, I’m usually in need of a daily dose of inspiration, whether it’s about the craft of writing or the business of writing. Here are a few resources that I enjoy…

For both the business of writing as well as inspiration, check out Erika Dreifus’s blog, Practicing Writing, which offers wonderful opportunities and resources, as well as notes on her own progress as a writer.

The Lit Show features fabulous interviews with authors on their work and craft — as does the Writers at Warwick archive.

If you get inspired by (and addicted to) hearing great authors talk and great work read aloud, check out The Guardian’s short story podcasts, as well as The New Yorker’s fiction podcasts.

And, of course, the Paris Review Interviews, which go back to the 1950s, are fantastic.

Now that you’re inspired, back to your own work. If you haven’t already, follow Priscilla Long’s invaluable example and create a List of Works. If you already have one, now’s the time to update it. This may be the most important thing you do to get you on your way to a fruitful new year of writing.

Happy 2013!

 

Weekly Writing: The unfinished

Write about a project you never finished — from your novel to a home improvement — and why. Next: Write about starting it up again and what that would be like.

Weekly Writing: Bargains

Write about a bargain. This can be anything from buying a sweater on sale to the price of your first home to the deal you got on beets at the farmer’s market — or something different altogether, such as a time you had to make a compromise.

 

Weekly Writing: Chimney

Write about a chimney.

The Next Best Thing

I was delighted to be tagged by author JoeAnn Hart for The Next Best Thing project, in which writers answer the following questions about their latest projects, and then tag a few more writers who do the same, and so on. Such fun!

So, below you’ll find the questions JoeAnn answered about her forthcoming novel, FLOAT (look for it in February!), this time about my own current work-in-progress. And, you’ll soon hear from the fellow writers I’m tagging — Kelli Russell Agodon, Wendy Call, Brenda Miller, Judy Reeves, and Susan Rich — who will answer the same questions about their own Next Best Things!

Onward…

What is the working title of your book?

My Last Continent.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

A short story of mine, “The Ecstatic Cry,” originally published by Ontario Review and included in my collection, Forgetting English, is about a penguin researcher in Antarctica and about what happens when a wayward tourist interrupts her solitude and her work. She was such an interesting character to me that I wanted to give her another story. MY LAST CONTINENT puts her back in Antarctica, this time as a naturalist on board a small tourist expedition that encounters a disaster in the ice-choked waters off the peninsula.

What genre does your book fall under?

It’s literary fiction, though with Antarctica as its backdrop—and all the issues there, from dwindling penguin colonies to the effects of increasing tourism—it has a strong environmental component as well. So I’d also call it eco-fiction.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

George Clooney as Keller, George Clooney as Peter, and George Clooney as Nigel. Okay, seriously. George Clooney actually would be perfect as Keller, Deb’s on- and off-again soul mate. And I’d choose Laura Linney as Deb, the biologist. Diane Lane as Kate. Peter Sarsgaard as Kate’s husband, Peter. Daniel Day-Lewis as Nigel.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

The story of two women—one a biologist who studies penguins in Antarctica, the other a social worker struggling with a dying marriage—who are brought together during a wildlife expedition that is derailed by a tragedy in the Southern Ocean.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

About five months. Then I set it aside for eight years. But even as I’ve worked on other projects, the story and characters have stuck with me. Since picking it up again, I’ve been hard at work for the past six months and hope to finish this next draft within the next year.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Years after finishing my short story, I realized I couldn’t let go of this character, who is passionate about animals and the planet and very snarky when it comes to humankind. She does fall in love, though, and this changes everything—the realization that while on one hand she feels that people are destroying the planet, humans are also the only ones who can save the planet. She’s gotten to be too much at home in Antarctica, and it’s been fun to thaw her out a bit in this novel, to melt away some of her sharp edges.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

It’s set in Antarctica, which is a truly otherworldly place as well as the only real frontier left on the planet. It involves a maritime disaster, which is something we all need to be aware of as tourism increases in these remote corners of the world, where rescues are very tricky. And, of course, there is a big, messy love triangle.

Weekly Writing: Quickies

Write for one minute about each of the following: pumpkin, dish, moon, tiger, green.

Weekly Writing: Veggies

Write about your least favorite vegetables, and why. Are there any associations with these veggies that play a role in your dislike of them?

Next, write about three veggies you love, and why. Be detailed in your descriptions.