L.L. Kirchner's Blog, page 19
November 4, 2018
November 2, 2018
In celebration of the upcoming #truestoriesfl @yestopickles and I are ON A BOAT. Cause that’s her HOME. And that’s our theme. Get your true, 5-minute stories about whatever you call home ready for us. At Iberian Rooster @subcentralevents Nov 14 at 7pm, par
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October 31, 2018
Nomnomnom. #hartleyrules #hartbreaker
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October 30, 2018
Not sure why, but this charmed me. #nanowrimomeet
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October 27, 2018
Leopard print. I used to hate it, thinking it a sad way to try and prove to the world you were wild. Then a switch flipped and I loved it. So I was enthralled with @headmistressjo’s book about it, FIERCE: The History of Leopard Print, because apparently th
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The post Leopard print. I used to hate it, thinking it a sad way to try and prove to the world you were wild. Then a switch flipped and I loved it. So I was enthralled with @headmistressjo’s book about it, FIERCE: The History of Leopard Print, because apparently this has been the trajectory of leopard as a whole. And then some. Check out my review https://ift.tt/2EVArOy appeared first on .
October 26, 2018
August 16, 2018
Protected: The Heart of Your Story
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August 14, 2018
Open heart, guarded mind
I love this image because it reminds me of what a meditation teacher once told me–“When I started to practice meditation my mind was like an attic, filled with boxes and cobwebs. Twenty years later, it’s still an attic, with all the boxes and cobwebs, but there’s more room to get around inside.”
It was a revelation. I didn’t have to be perfect, ever! But that airplane advice to put on your own oxygen mask first? That I did have to pay attention to, and get myself sorted before I can be of use to others. If I don’t have enough sleep, I’m hangry, or just in a bad head space, I’m not doing anyone any good. But it starts with me. The powerful moment was realizing the agency that gave me, because all of those elements are within my ability to manage. I can go to be earlier, I can eat something, and–thanks to learning my mind through meditation–I can find something new to focus on to get away from anger. Even if it’s only briefly, my perspective is forever changed, unless I choose to go back and dredge up the worse feeling.
For me, this isn’t about, la dee dah, stay in your happy place! Bliss is not realistic 24/7. But I have a damn better shot of seeing at least some every day if I remember that my misery is optional. For a long time I didn’t know that, and it led down an alcoholic shame spiral. That was over 22 years ago, and it’s astonishing now how I didn’t see the power I had to change the dynamic. So, while sober, I attracted the same kind of misery, which was pretty hard to do, but I’m just that good. 
August 8, 2018
Fresh writing tips
Perspective is everything. Especially when you’re struggling to finish a project. One of the biggest mindfucks out there? Real writers slave away on their craft each and every day.
I call bullshit.
In order to write, I’ve had to create space for writing. That space isn’t available every day. Sometimes it’s ten glorious minutes, other times I know if I can’t put a few hours together I’m better off not getting started. Then other days, I got nothin’. Yesterday, for instance, I had a 4am call time. I went to bed early enough to get about six hours sleep, which is fairly standard, but I KNEW I’d be useless at writing the next day. So I scheduled meetings and admin. Frankly, the sleep deprived feeling made them much more delicious… But back to writing tips.
Nobody wants to read nice stories about nice people doing nice things.
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There is nothing less productive than forcing yourself to CREATE NOW DAMMIT! Everything I write concerns a topic I had to fall at least a little bit in love with. This is what sent me back to the computer when the tasks at hand were painful–cutting fat, diving deeper, polishing the turds.
So while I don’t advocate waiting for the muse to strike, I am a huge believer that you must do the work that calls you. If I’m miserable writing something, should I expect it to be readable?
For more tips on writing, have a listen to this podcast, in which Christopher Clawson-Rule, Cindy Stovall and I discuss what it takes to keep at it over the long haul, as well as marketing tips for writers.
I’d love to hear YOUR tips and tricks. Tell us on Facebook. Seriously, we could all use the assist!
AND, for your patience, a listicle with some of my favorite tips for keeping at the work, in no particular order:
Conjure the mood to write. Use music, art, essential oils, candles, pictures, other books. If it’s not happening, do something else for a while.
Write something completely different, for pleasure only, not consumption.
Know that it’s not personal. Just like you’re not your bank account or your wardrobe, you’re not your writing. Whatever you write, even if it’s memoir, it’s not happening while you’re writing. You are creating.
Keep something crunchy handy. Maybe it’s the former smoker in (just) me, but something about crunching nuts or carrots or those fried snap peas can re-set my brain.
Be willing to give it a total rest.
Stay open to tearing the whole thing down. You didn’t start writing so you could be done with writing.
Be honest. If you find time to transcribe your own words, you’re a writer. Own it.
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Protected: Your pranayama meditations
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