Volume III, Issue 3 January 15, 2014 |
Dear ,
First things first: don't miss the gift I attached for you -- a very comprehensive list of revision checkpoints to help you make your writing as strong as it can be. It has every possible thing on it that I can think of that ought to be considered during the process of revising and polishing your work. I share it with the students of my
Under Construction classes, and I want you to have access to it, too, because you are probably not going to be able to attend Under Construction.
When WordPlayer
Thelma Cooper shared her moving poem "Not Yet" in last week's Word-zine, it got me thinking about the power of that word "not" -- how much disappointment it can hold, and yet -- how it holds gifts for us, too. (See the
"special feature" article below: "Positively Not: Three Gifts What's Not Negative about 'Not' Can
Contribute to Your Writing Life". And I think you will have a really good time with this week's prompt, too, which leaps off a delightful, tongue-in-cheek "not" poem.)
I don't know about you, but I've come to realize that many of my dreams that did "not" come to fruition
were because I missed the boat -- I didn't jump into an opportunity, I didn't do the work required, I gave up before I gave myself a fighting chance. Sometimes the ship has sailed; it truly is too late. But I've discovered that sometimes, if I get creative, and/or put in some heartfelt effort, it turns out that it's not.
For example, I've been so busy this month that I didn't let enough people know about my new Wednesday morning Under Construction class. And it
began today. As I sat there with the five talented writers, each excited about all the writing they'll create over the next five months, and all the support they'll give and get, I felt disappointed that there were several empty seats that could be filled with other people feeling just this happy that they were giving themselves the gift of taking their writing dreams seriously.
And I asked myself the question, is there anything I can do about this? I mean, it's too late, isn't it? Or is it? And then I thought, what if I added another week and invited a few more writers to join us for the full thirteen-week class, and made today's class a bonus for the writers who came today? They were all on board with the idea, and the facility was happy to have us there for an extra
week!
So, I'm now asking you: are you up for joining a warm, talented community of writers who will support you in creating and polishing that writing you have been wanting to do? If so, details below -- it's not too late. (And if you want the information and tools you need to write
and publish a book this year, Project Book is right around the corner, too -- details below.)
Whether or not either of these "not too late for" opportunities are for you, I hope my sharing this invitation, along with the article below, will nudge you into taking a look at something in your life you've been thinking it's too late for, and asking
yourself that same question I asked: Is there anything I can do about this?
You deserve a second chance, and even a thirtieth and fortieth one. How else will you make the best use of, to quote poet Mary Oliver, "your one wild and precious life"?
Love and light,
Maureen
Upcoming WordPlay
It's not too late: UNDER CONSTRUCTION: YOUR WRITING (Fulfilling Writing Dreams and Goals; Creating New Writing; Revising and Polishing Your Writing) Available Both Mornings and Evenings This class is designed to fulfill your writing dreams and projects. You'll set goals and support structures and watch your writing flow! You'll also get feedback on your work (any genre) and learn revision tools. Jumpstart your pen and receive the knowledge and inspiration you need to write, whatever your preferred genre. Each week, writing prompts will generate
material for new writing or further a piece in process. Through examples of accomplished writers, you'll learn techniques to aid you right where you are in the process. $407 for 13 sessions. WHERE: Covenant Presbyterian Recreation Center, 1000 East Morehead Street, 28204. Click here for map.
WHEN: Wednesdays, 10 AM to noon. January 22, February 5 & 19, March 5, 19 & 26, April 2, 9, 16 & 23, May 7, 14 & 21; Snow date, May 28.
TO REGISTER: Email info@wordplaynow.com OR PHONE 704-494-9961 to be sure there's still an open spot for you. If so, then pay in class with check, cash, or credit card.
Or, to pay with PayPal/credit card:
CLICK HERE TO
REGISTER FOR MORNING UNDER CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT BOOK: GET YOUR BOOK OUT OF YOU AND INTO THE WORLD (Writing/Publishing Your Book-length Writing Project)/2 Saturday Sessions A hands-on workshop for any writer who would like to write and/or publish a book and
1) doesn't know how
2) doesn't get around to it
3) feels
a) intimidated
b) confused
c) overwhelmed
d) uninspired
4) all of the above
You will gain working knowledge of the steps you need to take and the procedures and documents that are necessary (query vs. cover letter, book proposal, overview, synopsis, outline), as well as an introduction to today's publishing world (major publishers, university presses, small presses, self-publishing, and print-on-demand). Note: Class doesn't include critique of your book
manuscript. $197 for 2 sessions, includes lunch for both days.
WHERE: Covenant Presbyterian Recreation Center, 1000 East Morehead St., Charlotte, 28204. Click here for map.
WHEN: Saturdays, January 25 and February 1, 10 AM to 4:30 PM
TO REGISTER: Click Here or pay by check with the attached mail-in registration form.
See http://wordplaynow.com/current.htm for more details and more WordPlay opportunities. Positively Not: Three Gifts
What's Not Negative about 'Not'
Can Contribute to Your Writing Life
The word "not" can be devastating. The things that won't/don't happen, that we
won't/don't have, can leave us with a sense of nothing but longing and lack. And yet, while "not" is "used as a function word to make negative a group of words or a word," it also carries some positively wonderful gifts for your writing (and your life). Let's take a look at three of them. "Not" Gift # 1: Conflict Okay, you may be wondering how I can list conflict as a gift. But remember, I'm speaking as a writer to the writer in you, and conflict is what makes a story worth reading. (Or for that matter, given the month it is, a football game worth watching.) When you run against a "not" in your life, consider it as writing material, and get writing. Consider, too, that writing about something you are struggling against can make you feel better. And if you're writing fiction, write
about the effect what did not happen or what not getting something he/she wanted had on your character. "Not" Gift # 2: Clarity There's something definitive about "not." And definitiveness leads to clarity, if we let it. When we realize that we're not really going to ever move to Paris, that we are not going to
finish our book by the date we told everyone we would -- or, much bigger and harder, that we are not going to be able to carry a child, that we can't keep a loved one from dying, we often come face to face with what we really do want. This clarity can give us the resolve to go after our desires with renewed commitment. In this case, 'not" can be very powerful fuel. And if what we want is
truly not possible, "not" forces our hand -- we must put that dream down and pick up another one, or at least make some modifications. "Not" causes us to ask important questions, like: If we can't carry a child, and we now see that we long to be a mother, how can we fulfill this desire? How many times does the "not" of loss help us to appreciate our blessings, see what was hidden from our eyes when the person or circumstance was
still with us? A gift that pierces our heart, true. But true joy is often born of such piercing. Use the gift of clarity that "not" provides, in and out of your writing life. One way to do this, if you're not getting the results you want, is to let go of a writing goal that isn't happening for you. If you feel a sense of relief when you even imagine doing this, then it's clear that choosing a different goal will serve you. At
least for now. If your heart sinks at the thought, allow yourself to really feel the disappointment and loss of this "not." Then alter your strategy. Try alternate tactics. Get support. Give something up so that you have time to give your writing project. Here's my favorite way to use the power of "not" to give me clarity: I look at the impossibly long list of tasks that shows up each day in my Microsoft Outlook.
(Yes, I know, I am the one that put them there; I'm working on that.) And I say to myself, You know there are not enough hours today to do all those, right? And then I ask myself which of them I'm "not" going to do, at least today. Then I delete and delay (as in, reset due dates) until there's at least a little time for my writing in there. Try this. It's not only a not negative way to use "not," it's also a
great way to bring more light into your life by lightening your load. "Not" Gift # 3: Closure
You could probably hear the closure that "not" can give you in what I just shared about clarity. There's something downright magical about truly accepting what's not -- we are freed up to say yes to something new. A beautiful
canvas of possibility opens before us. Not that, so how about this? Or this? The first month of a new year is a great time to take inventory and create closure for yourself. Start by making a list of everything that you did accomplish in your writing life in 2013. What did you work on? How often? How many pages? What writing did you share? Then, make a list of what did
not happen. What goals did not come to fruition? What dreams did you give up on? Write them all down. Then take a look. Here's the thing: what you did not do, you did not do. Pretty simple. At this point, it makes no difference why. There's no shame or blame, "just the facts, ma'am." Do you feel the peace in being with this? And when you do feel that closure, you are in the perfect space to choose specific goals and dreams for the year to come. And new possibilities for action will
arise. There you have it: three gifts "not" can contribute to your writing life and specific ways to put them to use.
WordPlay Now! Writing Prompt
This is WordPlay -- so why not revel in the power and potential of one good word after another? This week, it's
"not." PROMPT: Here is one more "not" gift. Because, at least once in a while, the best part of encountering a "not" is the fun of imagining how it could have been. (Which, with your great imagination, is often better than it would have been.) Want to play? Read Richard
Blanco's charming "We're not going to Malta". Then write your own riff, beginning with the words "I'm not (going to)... or "We're not (going to)...
This does not have to be about a place; anything works, like "I'm not going to be a Broadway diva..." or "We are not going to eat sushi at that restaurant again..." Anything you imagine is perfect to use -- I'm "not" kidding ;).
And remember, if you're looking for writing support and community, WordPlay classes, workshops,
and retreats are waiting for you. |
MAUREEN RYAN GRIFFIN, an award-winning poetry and nonfiction writer, is the author of Spinning Words into Gold, a Hands-On Guide to the Craft of Writing, a grief workbook entitled I Will Never Forget You, and two collections of
poetry, This Scatter of Blossoms and When the Leaves Are in the Water. She believes, as author Julia Cameron says, "We are meant to midwife dreams for one another."
Maureen also believes that serious "word work" requires serious WordPlay, as play is how we humans best learn -- and perform. What she loves best is witnessing all the other dreams that come true for her clients along the way. Language, when used with intentionality and focus, is, after all, serious fuel for joy. Here's to yours! |
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