Volume III, Issue 7 February 26, 2014 |
Word of the Week: project
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SPOILER ALERT: Powerful prompts to help you with your book project below!
Dear , How do you feel about the word "project"? The last time I held
my Coastal "Project Book" Retreat at Sunset Beach (details about this weekend's retreat below), several of my participants said they hated it. They almost didn't come because of that word. They don't like projects. Projects involve work. And mess. And often, inconvenience. They suggested that I change the name to draw more people: call it something like "Your book dream come true". I thought about it. I really did. I
like for people to attend my offerings, after all. But here's the thing -- book projects DO require work, and often mess and inconvenience too. (Don't most worthwhile dreams?) And if you the word "project" is scaring you away from completing -- or even starting -- your dream book, maybe that's a clue you need some support. For example, this is a photo of me and Erik Staiger of Pike's Nursery. Erik helped me to make my longtime
dream of having a beautiful courtyard garden come true. There's not only a bubbling rock to add the music of falling water, there are also plants that will bloom and provide fragrance each season of the year. I don't know how I could have gotten through this project without Erik! (If you happen to be looking
for a landscape artist who really knows how to listen and add his own vision and experience, and works for a company that guarantees its trees and shrubs for life, you can reach him at estaiger@pikenursery.com -- tell him Maureen sent you!) But I digress. Back to projects, and specifically, any writing project that is a dream of yours! The thing is, that my garden, complete with gardenia and sweetbox and camellia and oak leaf hydrangea, and more was a God-awful mess for months! (None of this Erik's fault -- blame the
weather and another contractor who didn't do such a hot job. Erik saved the day, in fact.) There were weeks I thought it would NEVER be done. There were times I forgot why I wanted a garden in the first place! (Does this sound like you and your book project?) But stone by stone, plant by plant -- when the weather allowed -- plans became reality, and finally, it was finished.
What helped the most along the way?
Being able to project how great it would be when the project was complete! (Pretty cool to bump these two definitions together, huh?) And that's a gift I'm giving you in this zine -- two "project projection" prompts. Scroll on down to get them. And remember, "project" may be a dirty word, but dirt's what makes things grow!
Happy gardening,
Maureen
Upcoming WordPlay
PROJECT BOOK AT SUNSET BEACH: GET YOUR BOOK OUT OF YOU AND INTO THE WORLD (Writing/Publishing Your Book-length Writing Project) / 1 weekend session 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
e) all of the above
You'll 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, e-publishing, and print-on-demand). Note: Class doesn't include critique of your book manuscript. $408 includes Project: Book sessions, two nights' lodging, two breakfasts and Saturday lunch (hotel tax and Saturday dinner at a local restaurant not included). Additionally, for those who might like to stay another day to work on their writing, or to just
enjoy the beach, the Inn is offering Coastal Writing Retreat participants the opportunity to stay Sunday night, March 2, at half price. You'll need a copy of Spinning Words into Gold, available for $23.54 at the retreat. Or order a copy now via PayPal/credit card. WHERE: The Sunset Inn, 9 North Shore Dr., Sunset Beach, NC 28468
WHEN: Friday, February 28- Sunday, March 2, 2014
TO REGISTER: Contact the Sunset Inn at 888.575.1001 or
910.575.1000). Because the Inn is holding rooms for you, our participants, they are blocked off as unavailable online. Register soon by phone - this is a popular event and there are only 8 spaces available each weekend. Also, please let the Inn know when you call if you are interested in staying Sunday night, March 2, at half price. The Inn will hold your reservation with a credit card.
See http://wordplaynow.com/current.htm for more
details and more WordPlay opportunities. Here I am on the porch of the Sunset Inn with the writers who attended this past weekend's Coastal Retreat. Thanks to each of them for being such an
inspiration to me -- and to each other!
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
"project." These prompts will help you "project" what it will be like for you, and for others, when your book is all written and out in the world for readers! PROMPT 1: Flesh out all the goodies your completed book will provide you. In other words, project your book project's future. Word the benefits as if you are already enjoying
them.
You may want to journal some answers to these questions to help you with both this prompt and the next one: - What inspires you about this book?
- What will having your book out in the world provide for you?
- In other words, what are the payoffs?
- What will you have that you don't have now?
- What will your experience of yourself be?
- What will your thoughts be?
- What will your
feelings be?
Example: I am experiencing peace, fulfillment, and joy as I picture my family
reading and cooking from How She Fed Us. I will remember the look on my mother's face when she saw "her" book for as long as I live. And I love knowing that my mother's descendants can forever enjoy my mother's recipes and that her stories will not be forgotten.
PROMPT 2: Name your project. This is not necessarily the name of the book you're writing. It addresses WHY
you want to fulfill this dream. What does it really mean to you? Be sure to use language that sings to you.
Example: My cookbook/memoir for & about my mother is titled How She Fed Us. But because
I was writing it in the last year of my mother's life, so that her dream of having a cookbook could be fulfilled, and so that it could infuse our family with positive memories and feelings at this sad time, I called the project of writing it "A Gift of Love Fulfilled." Every time I said these words out loud, I felt compelled to sit back down in the chair and write! I could see the future of this book clearly. And sure enough, when I placed the book in my mother's hands -- and cooked her a meal from it, using her own recipes, it was a gift of love fulfilled. My siblings still, twelve years later,
send me emails telling me they've cooked Mother's Blueberry Buckle, or Sweet Parsnips, or Turkey Tetrazzini, and thanking me for writing it. That sure feels like love. Once you come up with a name for your project that really inspires you (which may take a few days and several tweaks), write it out. Add an appropriate visual image for even more power, if you like,
and put it next to your computer, on your bathroom mirror, etc., etc. Read it out loud at least several times a day.
PROMPT 3: Flesh out the good stuff your completed book will provide your readers. In other words, project your book project's future for the people who will read your book. First, write a short description of your ideal reader, aka the "target market for your book". Include name, age, occupation, home city, and any other details that will make this person come alive for you. (Or maybe,
like me, you are writing for people you actually do know.) Next, close your eyes and imagine you are this person. Imagine that you are reading this gift of a book and loving it. (Think of books that you have felt were gifts to you, if this helps. It does me.) Now, pick up a pen and write yourself a fan letter, as if you were this reader. Example: Dear (insert your name here), Thank you so much for writing this book. I never thought I would write an author, but when....... Sincerely, Adelaide Stevenson, Boston, MA Lastly, choose at least one loving friend/supportive fellow writer to read your letter out loud to, or ask them to read it to you. Bask in the way these words make you feel.
Please do these prompts -- and revisit them often as you work toward your book's completion. The results are truly
magical! |
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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