Emilie Richards's Blog, page 114

The Advent Virus: Beware an Increased Susceptibility to Love

WARNING……WARNING: ADVENT VIRUS

Be on the alert for symptoms of inner Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to this virus and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.

Some signs and symptoms of The Advent Virus:

A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.
An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
A loss of interest in judging other people.
A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.
A loss of interest in conflict.
A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom.)
Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.
Frequent attacks of smiling.
An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.
An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

Please send this warning out to all your friends. This virus can and has affected many systems. Some systems have been completely cleaned out because of it.

(This virus alert has circulated anonymously, beginning in the 1990s, but I discovered it here.)

The Write Way: Out With the Old, but When?

Unless you’re new here, you already know my husband and I just moved to Happiness Key. . . okay, not “really” but close enough to suit me. We bought a House with a View in Florida, and will never regret it. We look over a narrow marshy waterway alive with birds and, I’m told, occasional bobcat and Florida panther sitings.  I’m not sure whether the person who told me the latter really had her facts straight, but she did tell me eagles fly by regularly, and she is absolutely right.

We are mesmerized by the beauty of it all, and after fighting with my better self for weeks, I moved my study into what was formerly the media room. I think writing at the window overlooking the marsh makes more sense than watching television with my back turned to it. Luckily my husband agrees.

Have you moved recently? Then you know that you arrive at your new home with your old furniture and ideas, and sometimes nothing from the past really fits. For us, this time that universal truth is more apparent than usual. The furniture that looked snug and homey in Ohio and Virginia now looks dated and out of place here. We’re finding ways to use some of our things, but some of it will have to go. Replacing it will be a slow process since every piece has memories attached, and I have to figure out what I can live without and what I can’t.  But the ending is inevitable. By the time a year has passed, this house will look very different.

Writers have to go through the same process, only sometimes we don’t catch on right away. We conceive a project, fall in love with characters, settings, plot points, then we “move in” and settle down to write the story or the book we imagined and yikes, something feels out of place. Instead of tossing whatever it is, though, too often we try to shoe horn it in, shoving it where it doesn’t want to go, where it’s uncomfortable and even dangerous to the health of our work in progress.

But we can’t let go.

Here are a few tips I’ve learned to help determine what should stay and what shouldn’t. They apply to moving and to writing.

Try your original concept. Move furniture or story points where you thought they should go and live with them a little while. Time is your friend.
When you’re ready, evaluate. Does something seem intrusive or out of place where it is? Does it need to be moved or removed? Try moving it first before you do something more drastic.
Change is easiest in increments. If rearranging didn’t help, try listing everything that doesn’t seem to fit. Then order the list from the easiest to the most difficult or painful to get rid of. If you really need to make a change, start with the easiest thing. Then evaluate again. Repeat if necessary after you’ve lived with the change for a little while.
Put furniture and ideas in temporary storage. If you’re not ready to get rid of something entirely, store it off site for a while. Are things better now? Or do you miss what you removed? If so, with a fresh perspective can you find a new place for it? If you watch  HGTV’s myriad  renovation shows, you’ll remember that decorators often remove an item from one room to place in another less likely room, where it looks smashing and revitalizes the decor. Can you do the same?
If you can’t find a place for something in your work in progress, can you pack it away it until you need it again? Or until you can give it to someone who will love it the way you did? I keep a “cuts” file on every book I write, the way some people use a storage locker. Instead of throwing out carefully crafted sentences or paragraphs that don’t belong, I move them into the cuts file. Sometimes they are beyond valuable in a different chapter. Sometimes they are exactly what I needed for the next book. Sometimes if the idea is a good one but not really my style, I pass it on to a friend. However, most of the time, it’s gone from my mind the moment I remove it.

Patience is the hardest part.  I want everything in my house or manuscript to be exactly right immediately.  But polishing takes time, and rushing through the process doesn’t help.  In the next months I’m going to step back and follow my own advice.  And while I’m figuring out what should go where in my new house, I’m going to enjoy my new view.  Nothing beats being relaxed and happy for generating solutions and fresh ideas.

And speaking of being relaxed and happy?  Enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday.  I know that I personally have a lot to be thankful for this year.  How about you?

 

Sunday Poetry: When She Comes Back, From College…

Welcome to Sunday Poetry. If this is your first visit you can read about the purpose and inspiration of my Sunday poetry blogs here.

One of my favorite joys of Thanksgiving is being with family, especially those I haven’t seen for a while.  In this poem, First Thanksgiving, by Sharon Olds, she tells of her daughter returning home from college for the holiday.  Do you remember that first time when your child came home and what a joy it was to have her or him back in your home and in your arms?  Do you remember the first time you returned home to your family after being in college or in the military or away exploring the world?  There is much to be thankful for in those reunions, and I hope you will share those stories with your family over the holidays.

Remember, we read poetry together here for the pure pleasure of the experience. There are no quizzes, no right ways to read or contemplate the poem we share. Absolutely no dissecting allowed. Just come along for the “read.” What line, word or thought will you carry with you this week? If you’d like to tell us where the poem took you? We’ll listen.

Remember, too, there is a special giveaway in progress for those who comment on any Sunday Poetry blog before year’s end.  The prize is an autographed copy of Billy Collins’s Horoscopes for the Dead. See the details here. I’ve carried this precious autographed book from New York to Virginia, on to North Carolina, and now to Florida. It’s waiting for someone to claim it.

Will it be you?

The Walls Revealed: Our Cottage Renovation

I can’t remember a busier few weeks.  I traveled to Ohio for the Buckeye Book Fair, then spent four days of brainstorming with my new brainstorming buddies, and finally managed a quick trip to Western New York to see the beginnings of our cottage renovations.  Now I’m back in Florida and after moving from the east coast to the west, this week we closed on our new house just south of Sarasota.  We can’t wait for the movers to come.

Meantime, I wanted to share a few promised photos of the cottage renovations.  All you HGTV addicts will particularly enjoy.  Hopefully (!) we’ll see progress in the months ahead, although right now it’s stalled because of a problem with the permit.  I expect lots of these kinds of moments.

Here’s the back of the house stripped of siding. We’re building a two story addition of bathrooms and closets on both levels.

You find interesting things when you remove walls. Here, our wonderful architect is pointing out that there is nothing between the insulation and the vinyl outdoor siding, plus the insulation was installed backwards.

To keep the cottage character and some of the history, we’ll keep this wall behind stairwell exposed. It was covered with nasty insulation board until renovation began. Our builder also promises to plane some of the great ceiling boards and use them on the counter base. The best kind of recycling.

Our wonderful contractor heading downstairs. Note the width of these amazing boards now that the insulation board is off.

 

Who’s doing most of the “renovation?” The squirrels or the builder? Little hickory gifts from squirrels to us where cabinets used to be.

To keep the cottage feeling we’re considering yellow pine flooring to cover the plywood nailed over–most likely–the original yellow pine flooring. What do you think? We’re also using an old-fashioned linoleum look alike Formica on the countertops for the same reason.

Last but not least, look what was revealed when the insulation board was removed. A snippet of the original wallcovering. Wallpaper? Oil cloth? Glad I could get a photo.

Pinterest is More than Casseroles and Hair Styles

While I’m in the middle of my move from Virginia via New York, the east coast of Florida and now the west coast, I thought I would remind you of my Wisdom of the Goddesses board at Pinterest.  I’ve reserved this board for inspirational sayings that go straight to the heart of the series.  Today I decided to begin memorizing some of the sayings as my own personal spiritual discipline.

My first is a quote by Don Miguel Ruiz.  ”There is a huge amount of freedom that comes to you when you take nothing personally.”  It’s a lesson I need to learn.

How about you?  Is there a lesson captured somewhere on the Goddesses board for you?

Now I need a quote, hopefully something profound, about patience while setting up a new household.  Maybe you have a suggestion?

See you Friday if my internet’s fully installed and functioning.  We can hope for the best.  No matter what, though, I will NOT take it personally.

Sunday Poetry: I will make the continent indissoluble

Welcome to Sunday Poetry. If this is your first visit you can read about the purpose and inspiration of my Sunday poetry blogs here.

The elections are over, and now is the time for our nation to reunite as one people.  This poem,  “For You O Democracy” by Walt Whitman helps me to appreciate the blessing of being an American and participating in the democratic system.  Even if your candidate or candidates didn’t win, I hope you will give thanks that we live in such a great country and that we have the opportunity not only to vote but to work for and support our candidates.

Remember, we read poetry together here for the pure pleasure of the experience. There are no quizzes, no right ways to read or contemplate the poem we share. Absolutely no dissecting allowed. Just come along for the “read.” What line, word or thought will you carry with you this week? If you’d like to tell us where the poem took you? We’ll listen.

Remember, too, there is a special giveaway in progress for those who comment on any Sunday Poetry blog before year’s end.  The prize is an autographed copy of Billy Collins’s Horoscopes for the Dead. See the details here. I’ve carried this precious autographed book from New York to Virginia, on to North Carolina, and now to Florida. It’s waiting for someone to claim it.

Will it be you?

Flying Overhead As You Read This

Today I’m flying back to Florida after a week in Ohio.  Meet you here, same time, same place for Sunday Poetry.

Brainstorming, Branding and Buckeye Book Fair

Election Day! I hope you’ve already been out to vote. I did not, but only because I am between residences and have been disenfranchised accordingly.  Not voting in a presidential election feels very wrong, although giving a false address would have been worse, right?

I’m writing this a week in advance since I’m about to travel to Ohio on four separate missions. I’ll sign books at the Buckeye Book Fair on Saturday, November 2nd, on Sunday I’ll begin brainstorming with my new brainstorming group, and on Thursday I’ll make a quick drive north to see what’s happening with our cottage renovations in Western New York.

That’s only three missions, you say? Did I mention two of my children and all three of my grandchildren live in Cleveland, where our brainstormers are meeting this week? Enough said? At least I’ll be there for the bedtime stories and for trick-or-treating since this year it will be post-Halloween and post-Sandy.

Here’s a quick rundown of my week:

Buckeye Book Fair:   Buckeye is a fabulous event. What’s not to love about a book fair where  readers line up half an hour before to get in the door and buy autographed books from their favorite authors? I love being asked to sign at Buckeye, and even though I no longer live in Ohio, I still have so many roots there. Of course being able to sign with good friends is an added plus. Casey Daniels, alias Kylie Logan, will be sitting at my table, along with our mutual friend Karen Harper.  Serena Miller will be joining us for the first time, and close to a hundred authors will be represented.
Brainstorming:  My former brainstorming group has disbanded. Several of our members aren’t writing at the moment, and so Casey and I have formed a new one.  I explained the ins and out of brainstorming here last year. We meet for as many days as we have authors. Each of us hastwo hour-and-a-half sessions to discuss works in progress or even ones we’re simply considering. Then we explain what we need help with and the floodgates open. We tape each session because it’s so easy to miss ideas, some of which suddenly leap off the tape and into our plans for the book. I’ll be working on the third book in the Goddesses Anonymous series and on. . .
Branding:  Branding is one of those promotion and social media buzz words that’s being tossed around a lot. Basically we, as authors, are told to figure out what we do best, then find a tag line that best expresses that to put on our websites and every piece of promotional material we produce. Quite frankly given a choice between working on this and walking on hot coals, I would be stumped. But hopefully my new brainstorming buddies will help. If they don’t, you’ll need to put on your thinking caps.

I will have internet, so join me on my Facebook Page while I’m gone. I’ll be checking in whenever I can. I promise renovation photos when I return. If there’s anything to see.  The last I heard they were still waiting for a permit. Don’t we love bureacracy? Which brings me back to . . .

VOTE!!!!

Sunday Poetry: Let Your Voice Be Heard

Welcome to Sunday Poetry. If this is your first visit you can read about the purpose and inspiration of my Sunday poetry blogs here.

With the elections only two days away, I hope this poem,  Get Out and Vote: A Poem by David McLennon encourages you to participate in one of the most exciting and inspirational privileges of being an American.   Do you remember the first time you voted?  Do you remember the experience or the candidate?

Remember, we read poetry together here for the pure pleasure of the experience. There are no quizzes, no right ways to read or contemplate the poem we share. Absolutely no dissecting allowed. Just come along for the “read.” What line, word or thought will you carry with you this week? If you’d like to tell us where the poem took you? We’ll listen.

Remember, too, there is a special giveaway in progress for those who comment on any Sunday Poetry blog before year’s end.  The prize is an autographed copy of Billy Collins’s Horoscopes for the Dead. See the details here. I’ve carried this precious autographed book from New York to Virginia, on to North Carolina, and now to Florida. It’s waiting for someone to claim it.

Will it be you?

Surfing Through A Manuscript

Surfing in Vero Beach a few days after Hurricane Sandy.

Sandy has come and gone, and while she visited Vero Beach she rearranged sand and assisted in a few home renovations.  Today’s prize as we walked on the beach was an intact set of steps. To where? Who knows? We were more or less hoping for some pieces of eight from one of the Spanish galleons that sank off this coast in 1715, but you can’t have everything.

Sandy’s real gift to the Treasure Coast, was the towering waves. On Friday night we ventured out to see what damage had been wrought and found about thirty surfers riding them, or at least trying to. The beach was crowded with onlookers, and we quickly learned why. One of the surfers was Kelly Slater, 11 times world champion, and both the youngest and oldest holder of that title. How often do you encounter a champion on a random walk?

I’ve never paid much attention to surfing.Although I grew up on Florida’s Gulf Coast, our waves were tame. I’ve visited Hawaii’s North Shore, home of the famous Pipeline, but never in the winter when surfers worldwide come to ride the waves. So this was my first real surfing demo, and what a great one. I was reminded as I watched of some of the similarities to writing.

The first time you wade into the water or the manuscript, a safe outcome seems impossible.
Practice is the difference between sinking and gliding happily to your destination.
Once you’ve learned the basics you must be willing to take chances to get to the next level.
It’s best to surf (and write) with friends to support you and catch you if you need help
Sharks aren’t always visible, so you should be ever vigilant.
You don’t have to be a pro or a champion to love the experience.

Have you ever wanted to write a novel or even your memoirs? Have you ever wanted to hop on a surfboard? Now’s the time to climb aboard. What’s stopping you?

***If you’re anywhere near Wooster, OH on November 2, come visit me at the Buckeye Book Fair from 9:30 to 4, for an autographed copy of Sunset Bridge or One Mountain Away.  My friends Casey Daniels, Kylie Logan, Serena Miller and Karen Harper will also be autographing.