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Distractions, failures? Yeats had them, too
William Butler Yeats, July 1911
Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.
− William Butler Yeats
Two weeks ago in Dublin, I had the chance to visit the National Library of Ireland. Dublin is a city of literary landmarks, and I wanted to see every single one of them during the one day I was there. Tourist map in hand, I rushed around the city like Rochester’s loony wife on a literary mission.
On my harried way to visit Oscar Wilde’s house, I nearly passed by the National Library, which I hadn’t heard about and wasn’t on my map.
National Library of Ireland
When I saw the huge old building and the “LIBRARY” sign above the invitingly open wrought-iron gate, I could not resist going in. I’m so glad I did because beyond the architectural grandeur of the building, the Library currently features, The Life and Work of William Butler Yeats, one of the most in-depth and fascinating exhibits I’ve ever seen for a single writer.
Honestly, Yeats has not been one of my favorites. I think the last time I read him was 9th grade English, but seeing this exhibit has prompted me to read his work again, and I must say, I’m enjoying it a lot more than I did when I was 14.
Displays included original manuscripts, videos, interactive exhibits, and a huge assortment of Yeats ephemera donated by Yeats’ wife and son. But the display that stood out the most for me, and the one I most looked forward to sharing with the Silent Writers, was called The Creativity Questionnaire.
A researcher from Cambridge University attempting to analyze the creative effort sent Yeats the questionnaire. The first question asked how Yeats responded to the initial creative impulses that led to starting a project. Yeats’ answers were completely human and made me think of those of us who struggle every time we sit down to write.
In response to question, Do you become absorbed in other activities? Yeats answered, “Detective Stories.”
ME, TOO! Except for me it’s detective shows, Law & Order, in particular. Or it’s Twitter or Facebook or _________ (fill in the blank).
In response to question: Do you find that actual execution starts with a series of failed attempts to work? Yeats answered, “Always.”
ME, TOO!
If someone with the prodigious talent of William Butler Yeats goes through this kind of struggle, but keeps on keeping on, we can take inspiration from that. We can look at our own failed attempts or rejections and know that it’s the writer’s rite of passage. Not that this takes the struggle away. It doesn’t. But understanding that it’s a universal experience for writers makes it easier to bear.
The next question asked: Do you feel compelled to keep up these apparently fruitless attempts to work until you arrive at adequate expression?
Yeats answered, “Always.”
Well. I can’t shout out, “Me, too” to that one, but it certainly is another lesson that can benefit all of us. William Butler Yeats teaches us from that answer, and from the quote that opens this post, whether the iron is hot or not, we have to strike and strike and strike again until our work arrives at its own perfected expression.
Need a motivation boost? Join The Silent Writers Collective on Tuesdays at 9 PM Eastern and/or 9 PM Pacific (US) for the next Silent Write-In.
Visual Prompt: What a Picture Paints
I used lived across the street from the beautiful Vassar College campus in Poughkeepsie, NY. I woke up one foggy morning, grabbed my camera, and went for a walk.
I ended up with an incredible mix of photos, but this one is my favorite. Years later, when I look at it, I am still filled with a deep sense of quiet and calm … exactly what I was feeling that morning.
The thing that stands out most about this photo is that it presented itself at the end of my walk, after I stopped looking for photos and started to simply enjoy the peacefulness.
It’s that way with writing, too. When we struggle too much to find the right word, sometimes it becomes too elusive and slips further away. Then, later, when it’s quiet, the word whispers to us, still but certain.
I try to honor those moments and not scramble around looking for my notebook, but I also know that if I don’t write it down quickly, it could slip away again.
That’s the fickle nature of the muse, I suppose.
I’m sharing this photo now as a visual writing prompt. Take a good long look and let your mind wander. Then let your words whisper and see where they lead.
Positively Sharing Literary Link Love
A few long weeks ago, for the second time in as many years, my laptop brain fried, and I lost everything.
What a headache.
On the positive side, because it happened before, I had just about everything backed up. On the other positive side, I had been saving all of my bookmarks online because losing your bookmarks once is devastating, losing them a second time would be even more devastating.
If we can squeeze a third positive out of this (and I think we can), in getting my sweet new computer up and running, I decided it was time to clean out some of those bookmarks that haven’t been used since my 9th grade term paper on S.E. Hinton.
Positive #4: I now have a wonderful collection of literary websites to share. This isn’t my complete list; I’ll be adding more as I continue sorting. If you’d like your blog or site listed here, please let me know.
And now on to the links. I’m positive you’ll enjoy them all.
Literary Link Love:
Arts & Letters Daily: A daily report of news in the arts and ideas.
Bookforum: Book reviews, author interviews, and commentary
Booksquare: The whole truth and nothing but the truth, unless making it up is easier or funnier
Cannon Fodder: One reader’s journey reading the classics and blogging about them
The Critical Poet: An online poetry forum
Editor Unleashed: Writing, publishing, social media, and community
Editorial Ass: Notes from a recovering editorial assistant
Electric Literature: A quarterly anthology of five top-notch short stories, delivered in every viable medium
Emerging Writers Network: For emerging and established writers and the readers who love them
Escape Into Life: An online arts journal featuring art reviews, poetry, essays, and lots of art
Fictionaut: For adventurous readers and writers
The Fill in the Gaps 100 Project: Post 100 books you plan to read over the next five years (or read everyone else’s list)
Girlebooks: Ebooks by the gals
Hilobrow: An encounter with uncompromising arts and ideas
Janet Reid, Literary Agent: Reading queries for fun, fodder, and best-selling books
JMWW: A quarterly journal of fiction, poetry, flash, nonfiction, and art
Kenyon Review: Exclusive works of fiction,poetry, essays, and more
Lit Kicks: Opinions, observations, and research on the meaning and relevance of literature in modern life
Literary Mama: An online literary magazine featuring mama writers
Make a Scene: Author, journalist, and editor Jordan Rosenfeld
The Millions : Online magazine offering coverage on books, arts, and culture
Nathan Bransford: Literary Agent
Poetic Asides: Writer’s Digest poetry site with Robert Lee Brewer
Poetry Speaks: Experience poetry in exciting new ways
Poets.org: From the Academy of American Poets
Six Sentences: What can you say in six sentences?
Three Guys One Book: Reviews, publishing news, photography, and the popular 3G1B group discussion
The Nervous Breakdown: An online literary publication type deal
Tin House : The online edition of the American literary magazine
Web Fiction Guide: The name says it all
A Writer’s Edge: English words, writing, and books–with a tech touch
The Writing Show: Information and inspiration for writers
Writers: When Inspiration Sags, Hit the Books
One of the many joys of being a writer is finding something that moves you so deeply that you’re inspired to write. What happens, though, when that initial flush fades, and you’re far from finishing what you’ve started?
Staying motivated is a challenge writers face daily. As a world-class procrastinator, I can find hundreds, okay, thousands of diversions that keep me from writing. Sometimes just the process of getting started inspires me, but I’m not always so lucky. When I’m feeling particularly stagnant, I turn to my favorite books to push me forward.
Dennis Tafoya, author of DOPE THIEF and the soon to be published THE WOLVES OF FAIRMOUNT PARK also finds inspiration in books. On his blog, Dennis Tafoya’s Bad Neighborhood, he has started sharing info on books that have taught him something about writing.
He starts his Books That Teach series with SAVE ME, JOE LOUIS by Madison Smartt Bell and explains what the book taught him. He also asks for input. Please visit Dennis’ site and share your favorites.
Can you guess which author I included? Hint: His first name is Philip and his last name is Roth. (Hi Philip! Love you!)
Need a different inspiration boost? Join The Silent Writers Collective on Tuesdays at 9 PM Eastern (US) for the next Silent Write-In.
Go Silent every Tuesday at 6 PM EST-US
Our standing meeting is Tuesday at 9-10 pm EST and 9-10 pm PST (US), but participants are encouraged to “Get Silent” whenever the mood strikes, either alone, with others, online, or in person.
We meet via Twitter using the hashtag #SilentWriters. If you aren’t on Twitter, we have a group on Facebook, or just click the email link to the right, and we’ll get you in on the fun.
Our gatherings start with a few minutes of socializing, sharing info, etc, but after that we all agree to shut up and write. We’re not a critique group, we’re not limited by genre, education, experience, or skill. We just get together to write.
We hope you’ll join in. We’re a new group, but everyone who’s gone silent with us has found it’s productive hour. Gotta love that!
Whenever, Wherever: Finding Time to Write
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Turn Down Time into Writing Time and Watch Your Creativity Blossom
Stephen King does it every day. So does J.K. Rowling. Philip Roth does it every day, too. He even does it standing up!
Successful authors know that daily writing is the key to creating a rich, rewarding writing life. But for those of us with busy families, jobs, and other commitments that leave little time for creativity, the thought of writing a grocery list, let alone a sentence, can seem daunting.
Your Time, Your Way
The good news is that although it may seem daunting, it’s definitely doable. By using down time, you know, those annoying little pockets of time when you’re forced to wait and your blood pressure is forced to rise? Yeah, those! By using that time to write, instead of wait, you accomplish two big things. First, you write! Second, you’re using your time to your advantage.
Keep a pad and pen with you all the time, and start watching for those moments when you could sneak in a sentence, or a paragraph. Even writing the seed of an idea gets your creative mind working. That habit keeps building on itself, and before you know it you’re writing those words you always knew you had inside you. Once it starts, keep going!
Here are a few situations where you might put your own down time to use:
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- Grocery Store Check-Out Lines. The worst! They’re notoriously long and slow. I used to pass the time reading People magazine (oh, poor – pick one – Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Aniston, Kate plus 8, etc.) It was a guilty pleasure, but I find a lot more pleasure in pinpointing that character trait that’s been eluding my main character or the plot point that’s been vexing me.
- Waiting for the Kids. When I was a kid, my mother used to get in the car about 15 minutes before we had to go anywhere. All these years later, I realize she wasn’t obsessively early (well, she was a little), she just liked the quiet time she found in the car while the rest of us were running around in a chaotic frenzy. If your kids are at an age where they can get themselves ready, let them! If you’re constantly running around town picking them up or dropping them off, use the waiting time to write. Write. Write.
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- During the Commute. This is for those who take public transit, of course, but driving commuters can benefit, too. Traffic jams and long stop lights could allow you to sneak in a few words here and there, but for goodness sake, err on the side of extreme caution.
- Waiting Rooms. When I typed in “What to do in a waiting room,” Google came back with 28,200,000 results. Do you think this is a universal annoyance? It might be for most, but for writers, it’s a prime time to get the pen moving.
These are just a few ideas, but I’d love to hear from you. Do you have a secret time stash where you can always sneak in some writing? Share it here, and we can all benefit!
Let It Flow
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Next Silent Write-In Tuesday, 4/27
Ray Bradbury said,
We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.
Join us for the next Silent Write-In and tip yourself over to let the beautiful stuff out.
The Silent Writers Collective is meeting again this Tuesday, April 27 at 9 pm EST (6 pm PST). As always we will meet via Twitter using the hashtag #silentwriters.
The Write-In begins promptly at 9 pm EST, with a few minutes of chat, news, tips, questions, etc. Then the we go silent and commit one hour to writing. At the end of the hour, participants can continue writing (and are encouraged to do so).
No RSVP necessary, just show up on Twitter, watch for the hashtag and join in.
If you aren’t on Twitter, we have a group on Facebook, or just click the email link to the right, and we’ll be sure to get you in on the fun.
Please spread the word to all your writing friends.
Hope to see you Tuesday!
BIC HOK TAM: We’re Not Talking Thai
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Silent Write-In This Tuesday
Butt in Chair.
Hands On Keyboard.
Typing Away Madly.
That’s the motto of Book-In-A-Week, the website where writers commit to a scheduled writing frenzy for one week each month. Think NaNoWriMo in hyperdrive.
As a three time winner of the Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers, the site is clearly onto something good. Namely, that if you’re going to write, it takes time, commitment, and effort.
Along those lines, the next Silent Write-In will be Tuesday, April 20 at 9 pm EST (6 pm PST). We will meet via Twitter using the hashtag #silentwriters.
The Write-In begins promptly at 9 pm EST, with a few minutes of chat, news, tips, questions, etc. Then the we go silent and commit one hour to writing. At the end of the hour, participants can continue writing (and are encouraged to do so).
No RSVP necessary, just show up on Twitter, watch for the hashtag and join in.
If you aren’t on Twitter, we have a group on Facebook, or just email me and I’ll get you in on the fun.
Please spread the word to all your writing friends.
Hope to see you Tuesday!
To Write Good Books, Skip the How-Tos
Richard Bausch: Put the manuals away, read the writers themselves
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It’s exciting news that The Atlantic is again publishing fiction. The May issue is out now, and it includes Fiction 2010, the annual fiction supplement to the magazine.
There are some wonderful writers included, and I plan on spending a good part of my weekend being both entertained and educated by them.
There’s one piece in particular I’d like to share with The Silent Writers: The essay titled, How to Write in 700 Easy Lessons by Richard Bausch.
Bausch’s love of his craft comes through so strongly and beautifully that it’s hard not to find inspiration in it. The essay advocates something we’ve all heard many times before. Namely, in order to write well, one must read, read, read. He’s not talking about how-to writers books that proclaim some kind of shortcut to a finished product, he’s talking about literature.
He goes beyond telling us that we must read by explaining why it matters. To paraphrase, Bausch says:
Spend the time to absorb what is there in the vast riches of the world’s literature, and then craft one’s own voice out of the myriad of voices.
This incredible thought humbles me. That Boccaccio, Flaubert, Bronte, Hemingway, Judy Blume, S.E. Hinton, and, of course, Philip Roth (my personal favorite), are out there waiting to teach us, is a richness I’d never considered. We can absorb and learn from them, and then with time, effort, patience, passion, and great great love, we can go on and our own voices.
The Silent Writers Collective 