Posts Tagged ‘writing exercises’
Does Your Writing Life Need a Reset? MY NEW ONLINE Fall Writing Retreats Are HERE!
Posted on: September 20, 2020
Hi Writers,
Over the past several months, I’ve heard from so many writers that their old ways of doing things just aren’t working.
Many of us aren’t writing and if we are writing, we’re not having a lot of joy doing it. Many of us are finding it hard to get ourselves to the page and to stay focused when we arrive. We’re often afraid, discouraged, and tired. Very tired. Our inner critics have been very loud during the past few months.
We haven’t danced with, wrangled with or been charmed by our muse(s) in quite a while.
I HEAR you and I’ve designed something for you that you will LOVE.
It’s time to RESET. I’ve found that if I don’t reset every 5-6 weeks regarding my mindset, exercise routine, and writing habits, I hit a wall.
A reset is in order. And FALL is a perfect time for one.
I’ve designed a NEW online monthly writing retreat series: Reset, Refresh and Reclaim
I call these themed retreats reset, refresh and reclaim for a reason—we need these qualities now more than ever to deal with the changing pace of life!
These well-paced structured retreats are designed to inspire you and connect you to other writers. You’ll get some serious writing done and have FUN while doing it!
Give me the next four months and I will take you from creatively blocked to creatively sparked!
My reset approach has kept me productive, writing and getting published throughout the last six months.
Space for these online retreats is limited. I’m offering this to YOU at these rates, before I advertise broadly, because you are part of my community as an engaged reader of this blog.
Want to see how excited I am to tell you about these retreats and what we will do in them? Here’s a brief video:
If you don’t want to watch the video, it’s fine. All the details are below.
Here’s what people have said recently about my expertise as a coach and writing facilitator:
“Michele’s calm voice and emphasis on mindfulness practices has been a boon to my writing.” Amy T.
“I’ve written more with Michele in two hours during her Write-INs than I have during the last four months.” Francesca P.
“Michele encourages one to do their deepest work in a supportive environment.” Mark J.
ONLINE WRITING RETREATS
Reset, Refresh and Reclaim
If you’ve found yourself isolated, alone, and struggling with your writing, imagine how much different writing might feel if you had some dedicated and structured time, plus awesome community and coaching support.
Here’s a way to write THROUGH the fear, sludge and anxiety!
You can sign up for ONE retreat or ALL of them.
They all will include writing time (come with work or start something new), a brief writing craft discussion, fun writing exercises and games, mindfulness exercises for focus, and group coaching. We’ll have the option for a short lunch break and/or additional writing time.
Each retreat is curated to the needs and interests of the group. Once you register, I’ll send a brief survey to find out more about you. A few days prior to the workshop, you will receive additional information and any suggested readings or exercises.
Fall Retreat Dates:
*Saturday, Sept 26-The Harvest of 2020
Saturday, Oct 24-Characters
Saturday, Nov 21-Beginnings, Middles and Endings
Saturday, Dec 12–Author Mindset/Goals for 2021
(11am-2pm EST via ZOOM)
(Dec’s retreat will go 11-3, BONUS hour!)
(*tentative topics; each workshop is tailored to registered participants)
That’s 16+ hours of writing, community and support for you over the next 4 months!
Want to feel GREAT at the end of the year knowing that you MADE time for and NOURISHED your writing life? I know you do!
Ready to sign up? Ready to Reset?
Each online writing retreat is $69.00
Sign up for all four for $255 (discounted!)
Prices go up on 9/25
I can accept payment in a few ways:
-via PayPal:
(The link above takes you to my Creative Tickle business link. In the comment box for PayPal, let me know which month(s) you are registering for.)
-I’m also on Zelle as Michele Berger (State Employees’ Credit Union)
Questions? Email me at mtb@creativetickle.com
Look forward to seeing you soon!
What Can Help You Pivot as a Writer? Join Me at the 2021 Career Author Summit
Posted on: September 6, 2020
- In: creative writing | creativity | writing
- 1 Comment
Do you aspire to be a career author? Unsure of how to take your writing and marketing to the next level? Would you like to gain insider tips and techniques from some of the biggest names in publishing about how to build and sustain the author life? Want to make meaningful connections with authors nationally? Want a great event to look forward to?
Mark your calendars as I have something just for you!
I would love for you to join me at the Career Author Summit 2021. I’m thrilled to be a presenter at this major author event hosted by J. Thorn and Zack Bohannon, authors (Three Story Method and 9 Things Career Authors Don’t Do) and podcasters (The Career Author Podcast). It’s an *immersive 2 day event, Sept 18-19 2021 in Nashville, TN. The conference is capped at 120 people.
https://thecareerauthor.com/summit2021/
[*Don’t want to attend live? You have the option for a virtual ticket– the virtual ticket gets you real-time viewing (and replay) from home. The in-person ticket also gets the replay. One-time payment or installment plan option. Scholarships available, too! See website for additional details.]
It’s going to be phenomenal! This amazing line-up of speakers includes: Jeff Goins (author of Real Artists Don’t Starve and The Art of Work), Rachael Herron (thriller writer, podcaster and memoirist, author of Fast Draft Your Memoir), Becca Syme (creator of the Write Better-Faster course and author of Dear Writer, You’re Doing It Wrong), Mark Lefebvre (author and Director of Business Development at Draft2Digital) and Stephanie Bond (author of over 96 novels traditionally and indie published, over 7 million copies in worldwide distribution).
https://thecareerauthor.com/summit2021/
My Experience with the 2020 Career Author Summit
In May I attended the Career Author Summit hosted by J. Thorn and Zack Bohannon and Jim Kukral. It was supposed to be in Nashville (and I sure was looking forward to checking out the BBQ and music scene), but they like so many other event organizers wisely decided to make it a virtual event.
I made the decision to attend the CAS in 2019 to push myself outside of my comfort zone. I typically know and hang out with traditionally published writers. And, I typically attend craft focused writing workshops. The CAS’s focus is more on indie and hybrid publishing and the business side of being a career author.
The conference was outstanding in content with presentations on topics that included ‘Making (More) Money as a Writer’, ‘Audio for Authors: Audiobooks, Podcasting and Voice Technologies’, ‘Finding a Mentor/Being a Good Mentee’, ‘The Myths and Legends of Amazon Ads’ to ‘The Future of Publishing’ with key representatives from Google Play, Draft2Digital, Kobo, Reedsy and Vellum.
The roster of speakers was fantastic and included Joanna Penn, (author and creator of The Creative Penn podcast), Lindsay Buroker (fantasy author and co-host of Six Figure Authors podcast) and Tim Grahl (book coach and author, Your First 1,000 Copies).
Every panel challenged my assumptions about what I thought I knew about the business of writing and gave me much to consider about how publishing may change during this decade for writers, publishers and readers.
Several presentations also focused on the importance of creating and managing a growth mindset.
And, the organizers did a great job helping writers connect with each other during the week with smaller genre specific networking opportunities (love those Zoom breakout rooms). They also set up a Slack channel prior to the conference which enabled the attendees to connect before, during and after the conference which was a great resource.
This summit was rocket fuel for my career. In the past 100 days I’ve been able to implement several of the strategies offered by the speakers. I feel much more confident about meeting my short and long term goals as a career author. The connections I’ve made with other attendees (and speakers) at the CAS have already yielded incredible opportunities and collaborations that would simply not have happened on my own.
Our Pivot as Writers
One of the many comments that struck with me was from Jim Kukral’s introductory remarks when he said, “Adversity doesn’t stick to a schedule.” And, “This is the time to pivot as writers.” And, “It’s going to be OK.”
The adversity we are facing is going to change readers’ habits, publishing schedules and lots more. We are facing challenges and opportunities. Some of what we were doing or pursuing may no longer work.
Pivoting, as writers, in 2020 and 2021 is going to look differently for each of us.
I don’t know what this will look like for you.
It might mean:
-recommitting to your work
-upgrading aspects of your writing profile (i.e. website, social media profiles)
-keeping track and finishing more of your work (I finally have downloaded an incredible tool by the writer Jamie Raintree, that is a spreadsheet where you can track ten projects, set writing and revision goals and it records and updates everything. Tracking my progress visually is highly motivating for me.)
https://jamieraintree.com/writing-revision-tracker/
-investigating ways to increase productivity using new tools (i.e. Scrivener, dictation software)
-seek out what’s working right now for authors
-investigate producing audio content from your creative works (if you are traditionally published and still have audio rights or if you are indie published). The rise of audio is going to be a continuing and important trend for authors. Think about mature audio-eco-system that we are experiencing: smart technology in cars, smart devices, homes, etc. As Joanna Penn said during her talk, “If someone searches for your work and their preference is to listen to audiobooks, can they find you?”
-exploring how to get your content (if you are indie or hybrid published) sold on multiple platforms, instead of relying on Amazon
-exploring translation and foreign rights for your short stories and novels
What might pivoting in your writing life look like?
Something was nudging me to make some changes when I signed up for the conference. Before pivoting was optional. Now I know pivoting is not a choice, but a necessity. I’m fully committed to upping my writing game.
I hope you decide to invest in your writing career in 2021 and join us at the Career Author Summit!
In late April, I started a YouTube channel. I have been populating it with short excerpts of me reading from recently published fiction. It’s been fun!
Reminder: Last Write-IN happening tomorrow: Thursday, May 28 (3-5 pm and 8-9 pm EST).
How it works:
You log on through a Zoom link, see me on Zoom (everyone one is muted, and video off) and I lead you through a 5 minute writing prompt, mindfulness exercise or gentle stretch.
After that, I turn on an online timer for 45 minutes. You write. At the end of 45 minutes, I come on and encourage you to take a break before the next session (i.e. stretch, drink some water, etc.). We do the same thing during the second hour.
To get the Zoom links for tomorrow’s Write-IN, go here.
- In: creative writing | creativity | writing
- 2 Comments
Hi Writers,
Right now many writers I know are struggling with focus, accountability and staying inspired. Like other aspects of our lives, our precious writing routines have been (and continue to be) disrupted.
What many of us crave is connection, both to other writers and our inner writing rhythms.
A few weeks ago, I hosted several FREE Write-INS to gather together virtually and write.
I called it ‘Write, Connect and Share’: Virtual Write-INs’
Here’s how it works:
You log on through a Zoom link, see me on Zoom (everyone one is muted, and video off) and I lead you through a 5 minute writing prompt, mindfulness exercise or gentle stretch.
After that, I turn on an online timer for 45 minutes. You write. At the end of 45 minutes, I come on and encourage you to take a break before the next session (i.e. stretch, drink some water, etc.). We do the same thing during the second hour.
Why this structure? It’s been proven one of the most effective ones for helping writers minimize external and internal distractions. And doing shorter sessions prevents binge writing. This is the structure that I have used consistently and successfully for both my scholarly and creative work for the past five years. This format encourages a mindful approach and helps me write smack-dab in the middle of my busy life.
So, many folks showed up at the Write-INs. Some people came to all of the sessions, others to just one session. Some stayed for the full two hour block and others came for one hour. Many people said it was the first time they had written in weeks. Others noted how calm they felt before and after their writing session.
Here’s the best part—I’m doing it again for FREE on Monday, May 25 (7:30-9:30 am EST) and Thursday, May 28 (3-5 pm and 8-9 pm EST).
I’m only offering this support to folks who are readers of this blog and/or subscribers to my newsletter .
I’d love for you to join me.
Writing together, in community, in a focused way can boost the writing routine you have or get you back on track if you haven’t been writing much during the past few weeks.
To get the Zoom links for the upcoming Write-INs, go here.
Need Some New Ways to Connect to Your Writing Self During COVID-19? I Got You Covered
Posted on: April 26, 2020
Hi writing peeps,
Most writers I know are having a difficult time staying connected to their writing life. In the past six weeks, you’ve probably had your schedule upended in completely dramatic ways. Your writing routine is now very different than it once was. Me, too.
This was the #truth
Some of us aren’t writing and really want to. Many of us still have deadlines and projects.
How can you move forward on the writing that matters most?
You know my mission is to serve creative people. I’ve recently written a short guide ‘Ten Ways to Keep Connected to Your Writing Self during COVID-19’. In it are some powerful ways to get and stay inspired. These are techniques I’ve culled from years of working with clients through my coaching practice. You’ll love this information and find it valuable. [And, the guide includes some cool bonuses, too]. It’s my FREE offering to you.
I’m only offering this to people in my community. You won’t find this information elsewhere.
Click here to get your ‘Ten Ways to Keep Connected to Your Writing Self during COVID-19’.
*Also, if you are reading this and work in a creative area besides writing, I believe you’d find the guide useful, too.
Class is in Session: Learning from Teaching MFA Students + Writing Exercise
Posted on: January 19, 2020
The beginning of the year has been a whirlwind, in a good way. I was invited to lead a craft workshop for the students attending Carlow University’s low-residency Creative Writing MFA program, taking place in early Jan, in Pittsburgh, PA.
I was very excited, honored and nervous. I am an educator by training and routinely teach undergraduate and graduate students in my areas of my research expertise (e.g. women’s and gender studies, sociology, and political science). Although I have given craft talks, I have never designed and solely led a workshop for MFA students. Even though I have taught writing workshops alone and with others, I have never taught in an actual MFA program.
I received the invitation in September. Once I accepted, an annoying inner critic voice popped up and said, “Who does she think she is to teach MFA students, especially when she doesn’t have an MFA?”
I had to repeatedly say to myself, “This is not about your ego or degrees. You are here to serve the students and offer up what you think will be useful to them.” One of the reasons why I was invited was because they have had students express an interest in writing speculative fiction. The administrators gave me complete freedom to design the workshop in any way that I wished.
Once I reminded myself that I had something unique to offer and that it was OK not to be perfect on the first round, I totally got into designing the workshop.
The MFA students sign up for the classes they want to take about a month before, so I sent some preliminary questions about their goals, challenges, interests, etc. I used their answers to guide me as I developed the workshop.
I taught about speculative fiction and my path as a winding path as a writer (i.e. why I went to get a PhD in political science instead of an MFA). I integrated mindfulness and contemplative practices as resources for sustaining their writing. I also had them generate lots of material through prompts and free writing. We looked at some ways that writers can play with premise, setting and character as part of speculative work. I drew on a wide variety of authors and my own work as demonstrations of particular approaches.
Boy, does two and half hours fly by!
The students were amazing and generous to me and each other.
I so enjoyed watching students dive deep in the exercises and claim some of their buried interests, including horror and dark fiction.
The fantastic MFA students I worked with at Carlow.
I absolutely loved teaching the workshop.
I’m glad I didn’t let my fear get the best of me. I’m also glad that without acting like a know-it-all, I could share with them some lessons I’ve learned as well as hear what their writing lives are like. As in all adult learning communities, you know some things and they know some things. Learning happens in the middle.
The only thing I would do differently would be to send some of the short readings ahead of time, so we would have more time for in class writing and reading our work.
I was honored to read alongside Patrice Gobo (center) and Lynn Emmanuel. We read poetry, memoir and fiction and our selections all complimented each other.
The faculty and staff were welcoming and it was a joy to be with them. I loved reading with the other faculty, too.
Creatives, don’t we just light up when we are with other creatives?
Below are two of the exercises that I used as warm-up material. I absolutely adore Dena Metzer’s Writing for Your Life: Discovering the Story of Your Life’s Journey (a more spiritual approach to creativity, but some of the deepest writing advice I’ve ever seen and great prompts throughout the book)
The Dream Police
We are what matters to us. Our identity materializes through images, memories, events and through things.
Suddenly there is a knock on your door. A trusted friend enters to warm you that the Dream Police will arrive in twenty minutes. Everything, everything in your life that you have not written down will evaporate upon their arrival. You have a short time—twenty minutes-to preserve what is most previous in your life, what has formed you, what sustains you. Whatever you forget, whatever you have no time to record, will disappear. Everything you want must be acknowledged in its particularity. Everything to be saved, must be named. Not trees, but oak. Not people, but Alicia. As in reality, what has no name, no specificity, vanishes.
*set the timer for 20 minutes and GO. This is great prompt to help us dig deep and go from the abstract to the concrete. Every time I do this exercise, my list looks different.
The Dream Police #2 (also from Writing for Your Life)
Imagine you are an anthropologist who has unearthed this list of “possessions” that once belonged to some unknown person. Write a brief portrait of fleshing that person out, speculating on his or her character and life.
-The anthropologist writes about this subject in the 3rd person, (i.e. he, she, they)
My addition: circle 3-5 items, images, memories from this list that interest you. How might you approach what you have created as the basis for a new character? What kind of trouble or setting might be interesting to explore with this character sketch?
Photo credit
Cracking the 9 Billion Dollar Self-Improvement Market: A Sneak Peak at the Hay House Writer’s Workshop
Posted on: November 4, 2019
Besides loving to write fiction, I also love writing nonfiction. Over several decades, I have read and benefited from what’s known as ‘self-help, inspirational and personal transformation’ kinds of books. And, truth be told, I’ve always wanted to write a book that falls in the area of inspiration/personal transformation, especially as it relates to creativity. And, I’ve had my eye on Hay House Publishing for a long time.
Hay House Publishing is known for publishing leading self-help, health and wellness, and personal transformation books and has a very successful thirty-year track record. Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer and Kris Carr are well-known Hay House authors and many Hay House authors end up on the New York Times bestseller list. Hay House is one of the top twenty major publishers in the U.S. The founder of Hay House was Louise Hay and she wrote You Can Heal Your Life, a book that sold millions and was translated into many languages. She helped to create the modern ‘self-help’ genre. I read her book in my twenties, loved it and shared it with everyone I knew. She was at the forefront of making the argument that what we think (and think about) can affect our bodies, now known as the ‘mind-body’ connection.
The U.S. ‘self-improvement market’ is estimated at 9 billion dollars and close to 800 million dollars of that involves books!
Hay House provides an experience for aspiring authors that no other publishing company does. For the past twelve years they have hosted the ‘Hay House Writer’s Workshop’, an intimate in-person event. They share with you the insider information about the publishing process from start to finish (i.e. developing an idea to submitting proposal to building a platform) and you get to hear from some of their most popular authors. The idea is to give aspiring authors a jump-start and leg up. And, here is the truly remarkable thing—if you attend a live event, you are eligible to participate in their exclusive contest (for that event) and submit a book proposal six months later. From every event they pick three winning book proposals with a commitment to publish those books. The Grand Prize is $10,000. You can only enter the contest by attending. And each event is attended by about 250 people. Reid Tracy, the CEO of Hay House said that despite those good odds, they often only end up with 60-80 entries. I like those odds!
And, so for years I have wanted to attend the Hay House Writer’s Workshop. I decided this was the year to commit, so a few weeks ago, I headed to the Houston event. I went with few expectations and can truly say that the experience was phenomenal.
Some highlights:
The People:
For me, there’s few better ways to spend my time than with other writers. I met people from all over the globe who had made their way to Houston. A few nights before I left, I put a note out on the site’s Facebook page to see if people wanted to get together for dinner when we got in as I knew no one in Houston. People responded right away and this became the beginning of a great group of about eight of us. One of the folks I met is a writer in Greensboro, just 45 minutes from where I live—we even know a ton of the same writers. Small world!
I was fascinated by people’s backgrounds and what was motivating them to attend. There were medical doctors, integrative health practitioners, therapists, grandmothers, seasoned writers, entrepreneurs,healers, energy workers, and newbie writers all wanting to know more about Hay House and how to get their book into the world and change people’s lives. Close to 90% percent were interested in writing prescriptive non-fiction and/or a ‘teaching memoir’. I don’t usually get to meet so many people that were interested in personal transformation topics so that was a treat. They were kind, funny and generous. It was also a diverse group of writers which I was very thankful for. I left with a new community of wonderful writers.
The Workshop/Speakers:
Hay House delivered on providing an excellent, inspiring and informative curriculum. Reid and Kelly Notaras were our informative co-hosts.They spent a lot of time explaining the publishing market and led with the fact that authors need a platform (or the ability to create one) and that out of 80,000 books published a year only about 300 of them sell 50,000 copies (which in publishing is seen as a type of benchmark). They also talked about the range of options for publishing besides the traditional route and in both cases explained how important it is to work with an editor, before you send your proposal or book out the door.
Reid Tracy welcoming us and talking about the power of Hay House books to change people’s lives.
Each presenter provided insight either about the writing process, how to stay inspired, or how they broke in. They were engaging, funny and inspiring.
Mike Dooley shared his story of how he started his ‘notes from the universe’ when he was in a down period and how serving people over time helped him create a major platform. He started with 36 email addresses and now has thousands and thousands of people around the world who are engaged with his message.
Nancy Levin spoke from the heart about how she came to write her own book after being the Hay House events manager for over a decade. I was impressed that she spoke without notes or a fancy Powerpoint. She also talked openly about the value of working with an editor and a ghostwriter. On Sun morning she also led a fantastic meditation workshop that included poetry, very unique.
Robert Holden (toward the right of center), author of Shift Happens started his talk off with us dancing on stage with him to Stevie Wonder! As we had been sitting almost all day, this was such a joy. His talk was about how to write through fear and anxiety. And, he stressed writing as a spiritual practice which resonated with me.
Super inspiring to hear Rebekah Borucki’s journey. She attended a HH Writer’s workshop a few years ago but didn’t submit a proposal. She then worked on the book proposal for ‘You Have 4 Minutes to Change Your Life’ and platform. She submitted her proposal to Hay House via the traditional route and it got acquired and it is now out. She talked about writing the book of your heart. I also appreciated that they showcased an up and coming author and one who identifies as bi-racial.
The Materials:
I’m not a newbie to writing or publishing. For about a ¼ of the participants the idea of writing a book was new and they didn’t know a lot about publishing platforms, finding a writer’s group, how to put together a proposal, etc. I came knowledgeable about the publishing process, but learned lots! There were two things that got everyone up to speed. One was the long Q&A sessions on Sat afternoon and Sunday where anyone could ask a question and they all got answered as best they could by Reid and Kelly. And, the second was this incredible manual that they gave us that contained a successful proposal of a book that was acquired by Hay House, plus information about publishers in the field besides Hay House that publish in the self-help field, resources for platform building and other tips about both traditional and indie publishing. It was a gold mine of resources and alone was worth the cost of the trip.
I’m glad I got myself to Houston (didn’t do as much sight-seeing as I would have liked) and I know have until April to write my book proposal for the contest and send it in. I’ll keep you posted!
- In: creative writing | creativity | writing
- 1 Comment
My 90 day fast draft novel challenge is done! I finished up last week. I ended up with a little under 55,000 words. Not bad for a first draft. I had a few setbacks though, including losing 6,000 words (!) due to a computer glitch in a recent Microsoft Word update for the Mac. Losing that much material really sucked, but overall, I feel inspired about the progress I’ve made on my nascent horror novel.
Why This Challenge Worked for Me:
-I love a good writing challenge! Doing a fast draft appeals to me for the same reason that doing NaNoWriMo appeals to me. Both challenges provide structure and encourages and rewards daily effort. I love stretching past what I think I can do. With NaNoWriMo, you also get community through numerous online support via their website. Since I was posting my word counts on my author Facebook page, many folks cheered me on there.
-I also love the first drafting process. The first draft, as Jane Smiley has said, “only needs to exist.” In first drafts, I can put all my crazy ideas, flights of fancy, strange characters, and meandering subplots in. Although I was thinking some about the reader experience while writing, I was mostly writing to discover what I thought about the setting, the characters, my themes, etc.
-It gives me something to revise later. In Neil Gaiman’s MasterClass he said that when revising, you should look at a first draft and figure out the themes and ideas you were interested in exploring and then in the next draft to consciously write toward them.
-Writing 800-1,000 words five days a week was demanding, but also doable. I took Mondays and Tuesdays off which gave me some time to mull over what I was writing. NaNoWriMo’s daily word count of 1,667 words is not for the faint-hearted. This lower word count was just enough of a challenge to keep me focused, but it wasn’t so demanding that I had to keep the breakneck pace that NaNoWriMo requires.
-This challenge requires writing all the way to the end of the story. It forces you to construct some type of ending, no matter how provisional.
The only thing that I didn’t like about this challenge was that the research, writing and reading in the field was so all-consuming I couldn’t work on much of anything else during the 90 days. My submission rate plummeted. So, if I do this again, I will be more intentional about using one of my off days to stay on top of my submissions.
What’s next?
This big messy draft exists somewhere between an extended outline and fully fleshed out scenes and chapters. I’ll sit down in the middle of October, read it, make a new outline and write the next draft.
Want to know more about 90 day fast drafting? Check out Racheal Herron’s inspiring video.
Two conversations, in the past few months, has me thinking a lot about readers and the lengths they will go to for the authors they love. And, as writers, how do we put our attention even more squarely on creating an amazing reader experience.
This author has created very loyal and responsive fans
One of my colleagues recently shared a story with me about how completely determined she was to obtain the latest release of a Louise Penny novel. At the time, she was traveling in Michigan and the bookstore that she usually visits while there had already run out of LP’s novel. She was scheduled to take a plane home later that day. She was so determined to get this novel that she called several bookstores in the area and then wound up driving over 45 minutes to a bookstore that still had the novel in stock. * She almost missed her plane in search of this book. That’s devotion.
One of my dearest friends and I were recently discussing what we were reading. Since I knew that my friend was also a fan of LP, I mentioned that my colleague was looking forward to diving into the latest LP novel. My friend paused and said with intensity, “Louise Penny is the only author that I make sure I do a pre-order for, so that the day of her release, the book arrives at my door. And, then I drop everything for a few hours to read it.”
I was struck by both conversations. Also, on a recent episode of the fantastic ‘The Writer’s Well’ podcast with Rachael Herron and J. Thorn, Rachael mentioned that a writer she knew had fans who would call in sick on the day of a new release. That’s commitment!
Having fans that make it a priority to read your work is every writer’s dream. It made me think about the question posed in the blog post title: What Lengths Are Readers Willing to Go to Read Your Work?
The deeper question is: How do we craft stories that readers can’t put down? Stories that keep them coming back for more.
This, as you already know, is a million-dollar question and there is no magic answer. I do think a piece of the answer is consistently thinking about one’s ideal reader. Over the years, I made an important realization—I am ultimately writing for reader experience and engagement, not just my own personal pleasure. Twenty years ago, I really didn’t think much about reader satisfaction or engagement—it was all about MY MESSAGE. Or, it was all about HOW CLEVERLY I USED LANGUAGE. This sounds so dumb and pretentious as I write it here, but it is the truth. Now, for me, managing and heightening reader experience is where the gold is and is always in the forefront of my mind. The first draft of anything is still just for me, my flights of fancy and risk-taking. Each subsequent draft though, I try to hone the kinds of emotions I want the reader to feel in each scene and across the whole manuscript. I also pay much more attention to where I might lose the reader in a story.
While teaching at the Table Rock Writers Workshop a few weeks ago, I had the distinct pleasure of hearing a fantastic book talk by Emily Nunn, author of The Comfort Food Diaries: My Quest for the Perfect Dish to Mend a Broken Heart and former writer and inventor of the “Table for Two” column in The New Yorker.
She shared the grueling writing process she went through her after book proposal for a memoir (based on her experiences being in a psychiatric facility) was sold with relative ease. Her book is about the circumstances that got her into the facility and after leaving, how she healed by traveling to see friends and cooking together. She shared with us that she really wanted to include a chapter about her time in the psychiatric facility and someone on her team (I can’t remember if it was her agent or editor), said no and told her to take the chapter out. She was very upset with this advice. She had labored over that chapter and to her it represented the heart of the book. They, however, felt that the tone of the chapter was completely out of sync with the rest of the overall upbeat feel and transformational tone of the book. This same person said something along the lines of, “You don’t want to eject the reader from the book.” And, that chapter, in their opinion, though well-written would have created such incongruities for the reader, there was a potential of ejecting them out of the book. Thinking about what ejects the reader out of our work struck me as a useful bit of advice. We never want to eject the reader from our work! Ejecting the reader can look many different ways, right?
For example: Sloppy dialogue, a wandering plot, undeveloped characters, shoehorning one of our darlings into a book that just doesn’t fit (Nunn made it clear that the chapter she was being asked to cut was one of her favorites and she considered it important). Nunn added though that in retrospect, the advice was solid—the chapter didn’t fit in the current version of the book and could work instead as an excellent essay. Her team was thinking about the reader’s experience.
Many writers don’t read their reviews for a variety of reasons. I have found it helpful to look at the reviews of my work and pay attention to emails I receive or in person responses. What they like (or don’t like) are hints to their reader experience.
Sometimes when soliciting feedback on a draft, I will ask someone to mark in the text, exactly where they were able to out the book down. I go to that spot(s) and ask hard questions about what is either not working, or what is working but in a very uninteresting way.
No one starts out writing something that they know readers will devour; if you’re lucky you grow into a gifted storyteller over time. The writers who consistently create work that makes people stay up late, almost miss planes, and tell others about it have cracked something valuable about reader experience. The answers are out there in others’ work and our own, if we are brave enough to dig for them.
How do you understand the role of the reader’s experience? Are there questions you ask yourself when rewriting that focus on reader experience? I’d love to know!
*You may be wondering why she didn’t order it on Amazon—she doesn’t use Amazon and prefers to support independent bookstores.
Photo Credit-Louise Penny
Photo Credit-Emily Nunn
The Magic of the Table Rock Writers Workshop and Why You Should Go + Writing Prompts
Posted on: September 8, 2019
- In: creative writing | creativity | Uncategorized | writing | yoga
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I’m winding down from a terrific and transformative week co-leading a workshop called ‘Opening the Writer’s Heart’ with the amazing Marjorie Hudson. We integrated yoga, mindfulness, breath work and prompt writing.
We were at the Table Rock Writers Workshop in the mountains. It’s held at the Wildacres Retreat Center. It’s a special place that encourages generosity of spirit, conviviality, and community. Loved connecting with our workshop participants, the many writers and creatives in attendance and the faculty. Gratitude to organizers Georgann Eubanks and Donna Campbell for saying yes to our proposal.
I’ve been to a number of writing retreats and residencies and this one is incredibly special and I totally understand why it is both beloved and kind of a secret!
The Prep
Showing off our blue toes as we get in the car to drive up to TR. We didn’t even plan on having the same color!
Marjorie teased me about how much stuff I was taking, but I reminded her that I was taking workshop materials, my own work, books to sell, clothes (didn’t know how cold it was going to be–turns out it wasn’t cold at all), and snacks!
Great stop in Little Switzerland for a bite to eat on the way up to Table Rock. I told Marjorie, I’d have to restrain myself if I went into the used book store. I have a ‘situation’ at home with books piling up behind the door in my office. It’s a fantastic bookstore though!
What Makes Table Rock Special?
I had heard about Table Rock for years, but knew little about before Marjorie and I pitched our workshop. It is a week-long retreat that many writers attend year after year. When we arrived everyone made us feel welcome and told us how much we would love the experience. People were pretty emphatic that we would love TR. I nodded, smiled and thought, OK, people are really into Table Rock. Not that I didn’t believe them, but I needed to just allow the experience to unfold. After just a few hours there, I felt a shift and by the end of the first full day, I knew what everyone was talking about!
Here are some things that struck me about Table Rock:
-The workshops are kept small, both in class size (no more than 12 people; we had 6 participants) and overall number of people. The size leads to an intimacy over meals and gatherings. It also contributes to community-building.
The wonderful dining hall where connections deepened over meals. And, what a gift to not have to cook for a week!
-there’s a daily social hour and people hang out and really get to know each other
-the faculty have been teaching there for many many years. These are people working at the top of their craft and teaching at an extraordinarily high level. Participants raved about their instructors, and many participants come back and take the same workshop with their favorite instructor. That’s high praise! They also enjoyed experiencing new teachers (such as myself and Marjorie). We were the new kids on the block. The faculty made us feel so welcomed (as did everyone)! They also shared tips about the writing life and their own journeys. We were so honored to be part of this group and add our own special sauce, so to speak. One of participants, Cyndy gave us the nickname M-squared!
This year’s Table Rock faculty (left to right): Philip Shabazz, Joseph Bathanti, Abigail DeWitt, me, Judy Goldman. Back row: John Claude Bemis, Dawn Shamp (editor in residence), Marjorie Hudson (photo credit: Judy Goldman)
-The Table Rock ethic is to support each other’s writing and to recognize we have a lot to learn from everyone in the room, not just faculty. It’s not about competition. Established writers and newbies get to mix it up at TR. People are interested in who you are, not just what (or where) you have published. People are encouraged to listen deeply to each other.
-Participants get to read their work and so do faculty. Folks in the audience are attentive and supportive.
-It’s a beautiful space that both inspires and restores.
A wonderful space to read, write and enjoy the natural beauty.
-It’s a creative hub. Not only are fiction, poetry and memoir writers at Table Rock, there are also a dozen or so songwriters attending their own workshop. Both groups get to hang out, cross-pollinate and the songwriters also perform for the community on Thursday eve.
A rocking concert by performers who had written and scored songs just that week!
Our Workshop!
Our participants were fabulous! They were a mix of emerging and experienced writers. All had prior yoga experience (though that was not a requirement). All opened their hearts to each other. We were blown away by the quality of their writing and how deep they went with the prompts we offered.
The table was set! The space we taught in was spacious and we had plenty of room for yoga. Flowers from Marjorie’s garden adorn our table.
Our sessions were from 9am-12pm and we opened with yoga and gentle movement, a brief meditation and then launched into writing exercises (people would write anywhere from 5-15 minutes). Folks would read aloud from what they wrote and the group would note what struck us and where they could go next if they wanted to develop the piece. Sometimes, Marjorie and I would read selections aloud from poetry or a novel in preparation for a prompt. We’d provide another prompt, take a stretch break midway through, do another exercise, read aloud some more and offer homework to continue with the prompt. They were always free to scrap the prompt and write something else.
Our themes for opening the writer’s heart and qualities you need on the writer’s path included:
-practicing courage
-practicing connection
-practicing gratitude
-practicing silence
We also allocated some time for ‘instant coaching’ about the writing and publishing life.
A prompt for you!
We spent time talking about what kinds of things open the heart (e.g. courage and dealing with fear) and what closes it (e.g. lies, secrets). This is one of the prompts I offered:
“I didn’t tell the truth for the first forty years of my life. I thought that reason I lied was that I thought I was protecting other people, but the truth is, it was to cover my own behind. I lied to my kids to get them to do what I needed them to do. I lied to my friends to get whatever it was that I needed. I lied to myself but I would never have known they were lies…This is what I realize: Being able to tell the truth makes being able to write the truth easier. And writing the truth is the beginning of healing the heart.” (emphasis in original) —
–Nancy Aronie
-Write about a lie you have told (5 minutes)
Then for homework, I suggested the following:
“Take a situation or topic or an event that you haven’t talked about honestly yet; something that is still stuck in your throat, like a tiny fishbone, small enough not to choke you to death but big enough to let you know it’s still there.
Work on it in small amounts. Truth is all you need to write. No gorgeous phrases, no sparkling syntax, just truth. Write until you’ve written the whole story.” Nancy Aronie
Write for 30 minutes.
Or: write about a major lie told to you
Our group went deep with this prompt! This prompt is adapted from Nancy Aronie’s Writing from The Heart: Tapping the Power of Your Inner Voice (a writing book that has a similar feel to Bird by Bird; also very funny and very poignant; Nancy Aronie came to writing late in life and I really identify with her journey.)
Our workshop participants doing our last exercise where we invite them to dream big about their writing life. They name their accomplishments, writing skills they want to strengthen during the coming year, and identify allies and mysterious sources of support. It involves colorful post-it notes!
Love this picture of Marjorie practicing Lion’s Pose, a great refresher for the face and tension reliever. (photo credit Donna Campbell)
We provided participants with easy, sustainable exercises to support their back, shoulders and hands during the labor of writing. Check out these poses for hands and wrists:
https://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/ss/slideshow-hand-finger-exercises
The Last Day
A quick pic with faculty member John Claude Bemis before we get down to selling our books!
Books, books and more books! Faculty and participants get to sell books on the last day. Humbled that my Reenu-You novella was on the table next to so many authors that I admire.
Overall, a very soul-refreshing adventure. I love teaching with Marjorie. And, because we had a week to teach the material (unlike our previous weekend teaching gigs), there was more spaciousness built into the experience. I was also able to stay on my own writing schedule!
And, of course I couldn’t leave with out some books! Can’t wait to dive into these books by the faculty!
I don’t know if we will get the chance again to teach at Table Rock due to schedules, etc. I hope so! I can also see myself taking a class at TR, too. Table Rock definitely made an impression on me.
Doesn’t this look like a really happy face? Taken on the last day of the workshop by the fantastic Donna Campbell.
Check out more about them and their schedule here.
