Mark David Gerson's Blog, page 29

A Different Kind of April Fool

Legendary sci-fi author Ray Bradbury says that writing is about leaping off cliffs and trusting that you'll sprout wings on the way down. It's the way of the Fool in the Tarot: that surrendered leap of faith into the void that alchemically transforms something that, in the moment, appears to make no sense into art.

Life is like that, too. And why wouldn't it be when the precepts of one apply equally to the other, when the first rule of both is that there are no rules.
Not only do I do my best t...

When Was the Last Time You Told Your Story?

The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.
~ Muriel Rukeyser


Only connect.
~ E.M. Forster


Those were exceptional times, the darkest of ages, in a land where "once upon a time" was a forbidden phrase and fact the only legal tender.
~ The MoonQuest


It's said that Native American medicine men ask three questions of the sick:
• When was the last time you sang?
• When was the last time you danced?
• When was the last time you told your story?

We're all natural storytellers, sharing our stories every...

Mark David's March/April Writing Events ~ In New Mexico & Beyond (*corrected*)

• Up-to-date listing of all Mark David's upcoming events
• Registration information for all Mark David's events
• Contact Mark David for more information


Voice of the Muse Writing/Creativity Coaching Groups with Mark David / in person and by phone via Teleconference

A 5-week guided experience of creative commitment and acceleration.

It doesn't matter whether you have a project that's ongoing, stuck or ready to kick off, or whether you just want help establishing and maintaining a regular writing ...

Maya Angelou: The Call to Write

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."
~ Maya Angelou

What stories are you carrying inside you that are yearning to be freed onto the page?

What stories are you carrying inside that, once freed onto the page, will also free you?

Whatever they are, write one of them. Now.

Write your story, and feel the healing freedom that all creative acts inspire.

Answer your call to write.

Photo: mayaangelou.com

Mark David's March/April Writing Events ~ In New Mexico & Beyond

• Up-to-date listing of all Mark David's upcoming events
• Registration information for all Mark David's events
• Contact Mark David for more information


Voice of the Muse Writing/Creativity Coaching Groups with Mark David / in person and by phone via Teleconference

A 5-week guided experience of creative commitment and acceleration.

It doesn't matter whether you have a project that's ongoing, stuck or ready to kick off, or whether you just want help establishing and maintaining a regular writing ...

The Muse & You with Mark David Gerson (#9): Radio About Writing, Creativity & Life

Episode Nine: Thursday, March 18, 1pm ET

(click here to listen live or to the archived version any time after the show airs)

• Ask the Writing Coach (your questions for me about writing and creativity)
• Feature interview with singer/songwriter Teri Wilder.


If you have Sprint Mobile, Teri Wilder is already a familiar voice when you check your phone messages. She's the sound of Sprint voice mail. But if that's the only place you know her from, you're in for a surprise on The Muse & You #9. Becaus...

A Writer's Life: Seven Things Writing Professors Never Tell You

A Guest Post by Lev Raphael

While author Lev Raphael had the good fortune in college to have an inspiring writing professor, neither she nor any other writing profs he took classes with later on talked to him about the writing life itself.

"I studied other writers and I studied my craft," he says, "but career was terra incognita, and what I discovered has often come as a surprise." Here's a partial list of what he's learned, since over three decades after publishing his first short story, he s...

Creative Support: The Healthy Way to Give Writing Feedback

Share these guiding principles with those to whom you intend to show your work, and be certain they're comfortable abiding by them. Read them yourself before commenting on a friend's work.

1. Be Nurturing.
Remember, the only reason to offer feedback is to support the writer and his or her work. This is not a test of your ability to pick out flaws. Don't be smart. Be gentle. Don't show off. Be fair.

2. Be Balanced.
Always begin with the positive -- with what you like about the piece, with its stre...

Creative Community & Commitment: An Unparalleled Opportunity

Imagine...
...a small writers' group that blends sharing, support and creative community with inspiration, instruction and professional guidance...
...a group that keeps you accountable and committed...
...a group that honors where you are in your creative process yet challenges you to meet your potential and move forward in your writing and in your life.

That group exists. It's my new Voice of the Muse Coaching Group for Writers, and it launches on Wednesday, March 3 via teleconference for an 8...

Sharing Your Work: The Healthy Way to Ask for Feedback

Stay in charge of your creative process by reading these guiding principles before sharing your work with anyone -- including your life partner or best friend.

1. Be Protective.
You have no more right to knowingly expose your work to influences that could harm it or set it back than you do your child. Seek out only those people and situations that will support you and your writing. Never assume that the people closest to you will be the most supportive. Always use your discernment.

2. Be Open.
Y...