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Why I Write: Then and Now

Why is she driven to tell the tale? Usually it’s to go back and recover some lost aspect of the past so it can be integrated into current identity. ~ Mary Karr, The Art of Memoir

THEN

In the late hours of the night while my husband, my son, and my daughter all sleep, I sit illuminated by the glow of a computer screen and type away, pour words into a document that marks my first real attempt at story: a novel about a young woman who is grieving the loss of her mother, searching for her in the waters of Lake Michigan, in the faces of strangers.

It is all fiction, of course, but not really. This book, complete in its first draft but tucked away in a file, is not for publication but is a work of confession by a young woman who suffered the loss of her mother too soon and who needed those late-night hours to process her place in relation to a son and a daughter.

NOW

In between work hours and dinner and the folding of clothes, after tucking my daughter and my son into bed—though both kids, one a teenager and the other almost, are beyond tucking-in…let’s call it herding them into bed—after all that, I write. In journals. On screen. In countless spiral notebooks.

I write.
To-do lists.
Essays in draft.
Outlines of story.

Moments of angst.
Visions of truth.
Conversations I do not want to forget.

I write, and every word I record reveals something about me in relation to you and the way we view the world.

The loons at midnight (how I feel most days).
If we could only page ahead in life (during those times I wish I was prophetic).
Where opposites attract (about the horseshoe counter at our local diner)

Each kernel of knowledge another piece to the puzzle of me.

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Your Next #Writing Move

Drawing of online connectionIn teaching courses online, I’ve been asked about the options of creating an outside opportunity for connecting during the course or even after the course. Some suggestions have included setting up a social media group, but not everyone is on social media or wants to interact over social media. Never mind that, depending on the metrics, posts may be visible or not in one feed or another. Still, after spending several weeks of (often intense) writing and critique, the desire to stay connected remains.

Red Oak Writing logoWhen writers are local, I never hesitate to spotlight Red Oak Writing as one of my favorite ways to connect with others. There’s a strong community of writers who move in and out of Red Oak’s studio, and Kim Suhr, the director, offers an ongoing rotation of writing & critique groups (online or in-person) plus plenty of Saturday workshops for anyone looking to hone their craft.

But I have been playing with the idea of setting up a different kind of group, one that functions between courses and critiques in a casual and generative kind of way, one that aims to satisfy parts of Forest Avenue Press’ Main Street Writers Movement pledge:

to encourage my neighbor writers in creative art.
to foster…
to support…
to introduce new friends to  my core community….

I know how difficult it can be to break away from the daily routine. If there’s a space, an invitation, and a gentle push from another writer facing similar challenges, I’m more likely to show up, put the kettle on, and set pen to paper. I’m more likely to encourage the writer across the table from me, and we–together– will create more art.

But here’s the thing: does this need to be in-person only? Is there even any interest in arranging another opportunity outside of the ones already found in your local area and mine? This is where you come in. If you’re itching to connect with other writers but are wondering how, if you’re local and just want space and a warm cup of tea at the ready, if you are willing…fill out a few questions via the survey below. Let’s talk about your next move…our next move.

Here’s the link >> Writers Meet-Up Survey.

(The survey is anonymous and will be open until February 17, 2018.)

If you’re not local to the Milwaukee area but are still interested in the possibilities, go ahead and click the link and take the survey. There’s a space for that kind of conversation as well.

 

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Quotables: Crank It Out.

In the beginning, when there are zero pages, you have to cheer yourself into cranking stuff out, even if it later lands on the cutting room floor. Each page takes you somewhere you need to travel before you can land in the next spot.
                    ~ Mary Karr, The Art of Memoir

Crank it out.