Dear ,
I had to laugh when I noticed the word "habit" in writer Sherree McSherry's essay about a Father's Day gift she gave her husband Mike back in June -- a gift he's still enjoying! Her essay below, "Moving On Up," made me smile too. Like Mike, I have a morning coffee habit, and I like my coffee maker to be closer rather than further from my bed!
Habits can make a huge difference to writers -- something I'm going to talk about on Monday evening's teleseminar -- I so hope you can join me! (The great thing about teleseminars is that, even if you're busy during the time slot or live too dang far away, you can still "participate" virtually through a replay.) If you're interested, just click this link:
http://forms.aweber.com/form/22/1640010822.htm
(or paste it into a web browser), enter in your name and email, and you'll get the super simple details. Oh, and did I mention it's free?
Anyway, back to the word of the week, "habit." A few weeks ago I was lamenting in my journal about the terrible time I have sticking with habits. My standard line is that "my left brain knoweth not what my right brain doeth," but I so often think about how well it would serve me to inhabit more loving, healthy habits, like, say,
going to bed at a reasonable time no matter how much work I feel I need to do.
And as I wrote about habits, I had a visceral experience of quite a different kind of habit, a black and white one with a wrathful woman inside who rapped my uncooperative right knuckles -- the ones that just couldn't shape the cursive letters the way they should -- with a ruler. Ah! No wonder I rebelled against anything called a habit! What I needed, I wrote, was a "rainbow habit." I envisioned a rainbow-colored garment of flowing chiffon
and grinned. Yep, that's the kind of habit that would work for me.
I went from grin to guffaw when, that very same day, weeks after the at-least-third person who knows me well told me I simply MUST sign up for Anne Lamott's Facebook posts, I finally actually did, and happened upon this video clip on her page:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aYAUE6is7I
For those of you who aren't "link clickers", all I can say is, here is Mama Cass (singing with Joni Mitchell and Mary Travers, back in 1969) wearing MY rainbow habit!
Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor? (And may that wretchedly unhappy nun who taught me in the second grade rest in blessed peace.) What's funny is that, while I may not necessarily write in the same place or at the same time every day, I do have a habit of writing pretty close to nearly daily ;), even though my cursive handwriting hasn't improved much!
What rainbow habits would serve you and your writing?
Wishing you those,
Maureen
Upcoming WordPlay
DELICIOUS MEMORIES
Food not only nurtures and sustains us, it's a rich source of metaphor and memory. We'll explore our connections with food as we write of when, where, what, with whom, how - and even why -- we ate! You can use your food writings to create memoir, creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, a food blog, family cookbook -- or just for your own pleasure. $37.
WHEN:
Thursday. September 20, 10 am to noon (Yes, that's tomorrow! I do have room for you.)
WHERE: Covenant Presbyterian Recreation Center, 1000 East Morehead St., Charlotte, 28204.
TO REGISTER:
Email info@wordplaynow.com for a confirmation and pay in class with a check or credit card.
Or register online via PayPal or with a credit card by clicking this link (or pasting it into a browser):
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=67DGPD5W83ADY
WANT TO ATTEND BUT CAN'T BECAUSE OF TIME OR DISTANCE?
You can receive this workshop in a self-study format for $27. You'll receive the audio and handouts so that you can capture your food memories in the comfort of your own home (or wherever you are). Register online for "Virtual Delicious Memories" via PayPal or with a credit card
by clicking this link (or pasting it into a browser):
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=RVARE2F25R37A
THE FIRST EVER WORDPLAY TELESEMINAR: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO BANISH WRITER'S BLOCK FOREVER
New tools, new ways of thinking, new delivery method! This teleseminar will provide what you need to allow your words to flow freely and to give you the "oomph" to complete your writing projects. Yes, you'll get handouts, just like in a non-teleseminar class. You'll also have a chance to find out about a brand new group coaching program I'm offering later this fall. And it's all free, to celebrate my launch into cyberspace!
Want to participate but have other plans? No worries. If you register, you'll get a replay of the teleseminar and all the materials, too.
WHERE: The comfort of your own home.
WHEN:
Monday, September 24, 7 - 8:30 pm
TO REGISTER: Go to http://forms.aweber.com/form/22/1640010822.htm (or copy this link into a browser) and follow the uber simple instructions.
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WordPlay Success Story "What I did not anticipate was becoming so close with such an amazing and brilliant circle of writers. Maureen's generosity as a teacher helped me at every awkward turn in my creative process
." Meet Sherree McSherry
Sherree, a stay-at-home wife with an unrelenting need to write, was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and has been married to Mike McSherry for 31 years. She is the proud mother of three grown sons, a beautiful daughter-in-law, and one sassy pug named Baby Girl.
What Sherree says about WordPlay
"I have an unshakable affection for the hand-written letter. I have always been one of those who send cards, notes, and long, sometimes rambling, thoughts on ruffle-edged pages torn from spirals to those I love.
Two years ago I decided I wanted to write one of those letters to my children, and any future grandchildren, in the form of a collection of short stories -- my memoir, I suppose. I have always felt I had a story to tell. Yes, I am a storyteller -- I wanted to be a story writer.
That is where Maureen and Wordplay came into the picture. With a friend's encouragement, and sturdy prodding, I signed up for a session of Maureen's Under Construction class. I was told to bring something I had
written to share with my fellow writers. Driving to my first class, I couldn't help but wonder what the heck I had gotten myself into. It really did feel like the first day of high school all over again. Did I wear the right outfit, does my hair look alright, legal pad or notebook? And most troublesome, will I throw up when it's my turn to read? I had no idea what to expect; what I found was nothing short of wonderful. I just finished my fourth session of WordPlay's Under Construction class. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had. I expected to learn from Maureen how to put words onto paper. And not just any words, but good words that people would want to read. I knew how to listen and how to absorb information, so when my writing improved after each and every class, I was not surprised. What I did not
anticipate was becoming so close with such an amazing and brilliant circle of writers.
Maureen's generosity as a teacher helped me at every awkward turn in my creative process. If I had a question or doubt, she has been, and is, always there to get me through my dilemma. My fellow writers have become so much more than that. I have made special friends that will remain in my life long after my memoir is complete. To say her classes have been beneficial would be a huge understatement. Maureen has made me believe I have a talent that needs to be shared. Although being published is not my main goal, I now know, with all my heart, that if it were
I could do it. With my stories in hand, I edit and fine-tune with my newly obtained know-how, and relish my success at becoming a writer." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Featured Writing
Moving On UP
by Sherree McSherry
Our bed is upstairs. Everything else you need in life is downstairs. Well, that's how my husband, Mike, feels anyway. See, what he thinks you need to get the morning started is a big strong cup of coffee, and, yes, that is downstairs. Our builder had the gall to put the kitchen next to the dining room instead of the master bedroom. Every morning at 5 a.m., Mike's feet hit the floor, sending a seismic thud throughout the entire house. He continues across the room, through the hall, and down the stairs with the subtlety of a six-ton Asian elephant. There is then silence for 4.3 minutes, allowing me just enough time to drift back to sleep, only to be re-awakened when the pachyderm makes his way back upstairs and into our bedroom.
Mike has this morning ritual of sitting on the balcony with his big strong cup of coffee, a Marlboro or two, and his phone, so he can check his emails. It's a habit he's had for years and I have no desire to change it. I do, however, long to sleep past 5 a.m., having no reason to be up at that ungodly hour. My job as Mike's wife requires no alarm, and my morning ritual consists of finding my house shoes and popping the tab on a can of Diet Coke. I prefer to do that at 7 a.m. I had to come up with something to end Mike's morning stomp and scowl. I really needed my two extra hours of sleep. I've always heard the last two are for beauty and I'll take all of that I can get.
So on Father's Day I cleared a shelf in our closet that had been home to some of my purses. I put a brand-new miniature Keurig coffeemaker on it, along with a crystal bowl filled with assorted coffees. Next to them I arranged some coffee cups and bottled water. When I showed it to him, he acted as if I'd given him the world. Since the installation of Mike's java shelf, mornings at my house are good for all. I sleep till seven like God wants me too, and Mike no longer pouts his way across our house. The elephant now sounds like a cat tiptoeing on carpet. I also noticed he holds his head higher, with a look of self-satisfaction. On the third morning, he strolled out of the closet with cup and cigarettes in hand, stating with a hint of arrogance, "This is how the other half lives, Sherree."
He was truly impressed with the new convenience sitting next to his underwear drawer and dirty clothes hamper. I never thought eliminating a few morning footsteps would make my husband feel so well-heeled. About a week later, over breakfast, I asked if he liked his Father's Day gift. He immediately responded, "I mean, really, who has coffee in their master closet?" "Just you and Puff Daddy, Mike," I answered. He smiled. "Cool, next year you can buy me a Bentley."
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 "habit."
Last week, in our writing prompt, we looked forward, using the word "frontier" as an impetus to create a "bucket list" -- for, as I said, we so often, as writers, look back at where we have been for inspiration and it's good to mix things up. This week, rather than looking forward or back, train your attention on the present. How do you do what you do each day habitually, from putting on your socks (Left sock, then right, or vice versa? Both socks, then both shoes, or sock and shoe on one foot, then the other?) to the route you take to the grocery store to the way you approach your writing. Where do you drink you coffee, tea, or Diet Coke? What habits do you not even know you have? Make it a habit to notice your habits.
And, if you haven't yet, make one of your habits writing pretty close to nearly daily. Even fifteen minutes is enough to make a big difference in the quality and quantity of your words over time. (More about this on Monday evening: http://forms.aweber.com/form/22/1640010822.htm
And I suggest instituting one more new habit -- at the end of each day, write down at least five small things you did well. And at least three things you did to further yourself as a writer. (Hint: doing this prompt counts.) You're much more likely to write if you're feeling good about what you've accomplished then if you are beating yourself up over how many things you didn't get done or did wrong. (Yes, this is the voice of experience speaking here.)
This paying attention to the smallest details of how you move through your days will serve you as a writer in another way too -- from fiction to poetry and everything in between, good characterization only happens when you really see
your character and understand what drives her! The little things are what make characters -- and narrators -- believable. And great for your readers to spend time with! And it's not just me saying that; here are two fine writers on the subject:
First, notice everything. Miller Williams
The worst that can be said of any of us is: He did not pay attention. William Meredith
Want to be featured in a future Word-zine?
Send in a piece of your writing that you think could inspire other WordPlayers to write. 500-word limit, please.) You can send something inspired by this writing, or anything else of your choosing. Email your words to WordPlay here and your piece may be chosen for a future Word-zine.
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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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