Secondhand Inspiration

Breaking New Territory.

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I found this article about nine women nonfiction pioneers, including Roxane Gay, Wendy C. Ortiz, and Eula Biss, to be inspirational. I’ve been experimenting with writing more nonfiction lately, especially as my personal muse has seemingly drifted from poetry towards more prose.

Not only did this article give me some candidates for my books to read list, it was also interesting to learn about women writers who are challenging convention and exploring new territory. I want to find my angle and do something unconventional like these authors have in order to find my niche in nonfiction. After all, we all have a story to tell…

http://www.bustle.com/articles/150778-9-women-writers-who-are-breaking-new-nonfiction-territory

When You Cannot Write a Single Word.

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In Writers Recommend, poet Lo Kwa Mei-en describes what she does when she cannot write a single word:


"I have taken to picking up a book from my past that I have been hungering to reread and typing it out word for word, at a speed slow enough to feel the words relating to each other and hear new things in their music that I had not heard before. I will retype another's book until I feel love and not despair." 

http://www.pw.org/content/lo_kwa_meien

Where's Your Novel?

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From a fiction standpoint, I’m a flash fiction/short story writer. As a result, I’ve often been confronted with the question, “But where’s your novel?”

So although I’m far from being a famous short story writer, I can identify with Amber Sparks’ article on Electric Literature: “Let Us Now Praise Famous Short Story Writers (And Demand They Write a Novel).”

http://electricliterature.com/let-us-now-praise-famous-short-story-writers-and-demand-they-write-a-novel/

Cult (Books) of Personality.

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Cult books, as with films that are considered cult favorites, often contain elements of the extreme, bizarre, or subversive--their power to inspire and persuade seemingly just on the edge of propriety. That is why I thought it would be great to share this awesome top-fifty list of cult books. These books are great to put into your personal reading queue, and I bet some will spark some original ideas for your own writing. Happy reading!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/what-to-read/50-best-cult-books/

30 Non-Fiction Books a Well-Rounded Person Should Read

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Bookmarked for future use: Paul Nowak from Iris Reading has compiled a great list of 30 Non-Fiction Books a Well-Rounded Person Should Read.

As a person who devours reading material, I sometimes wonder if there are books I’ve missed that can help in my never-ending quest to become better-rounded. At a glance, this list can be a great place to start. I was happy to see I’ve already read some of these. I see the value in spending some time with the others and maybe even revisiting ones that I studied previously. Happy reading!

http://www.irisreading.com/30-non-fiction-books-a-well-rounded-person-should-read/?utm_source=email_campaign&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=30books

Counterintuitive advice.

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A plea for writers to please stop thinking: an interview with Kathryn Harrison by Joe Fassler.

One great quote from this interview: “And I don’t sit there waiting for that perfect, beautiful sentence, because I know I’m going to sit there forever.” So true, so true.

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/04/kathryn-harrison-joseph-brodsky-by-heart/478791/

Why Writers Run.

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Since I’m training for a race in early June (and maybe another one later in the summer), this one hits home for me - The Atlantic‘s Nick Ripatrazone looks at why writers run. I definitely agree with the sentiment that, “the steady accumulation of miles mirrors the accumulation of pages...”

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/11/why-writers-run/415146/

Secondhand Inspiration: Advice for Younger Writers

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A recent blog post from Jane Friedman includes some excellent writing advice for the children and teens in our lives. I think it is worth passing along to younger writers as a bit of encouragement and guidance.

The post also presents adults with a viable question: Should the writing advice we give to children or teenagers differ from the advice I give to adults? Check out the link and find out Jane’s insight on this.

https://janefriedman.com/writing-advice-for-children-and-teens/

Secondhand Inspiration: Writer Podcasts

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It can be easy to get a tad overwhelmed by all the podcasts that are out there. But here’s a useful list of podcasts that are recommended “for writers, word nerds, and book lovers.” Check out Crystal King’s post for Grub Daily. There’s bound to be a few podcasts on this list that will interest you, and maybe even motivate you.

https://grubstreet.org/grub-daily/podcasts-for-writers-word-nerds-and-book-lovers/

Goal setting.

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The focus in 2016 is to not allow my intermittent trickle of creative work get subsumed under the rising tide of other things – the day job and other general life stuff that inundates my existence.

To continue doing what makes me happy in terms of writing and creativity, and not what I feel like I should or shouldn't be doing…according to writing world, academia, friends, family, or others. I finally found my voice in 2015, and I don’t plan on shutting up just because that voice doesn’t match what’s popular in modern writing.

To create with purpose and goals, but not to let them become the master of me.

What are your goals – creative or other?

Productivity.

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Secondhand Inspiration: Writers of the World

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Check out bestselling novelist Warren Adler’s new website Writers of the World, an archive of personal essays from different writers about their creative processes. It is sure to inspire and motivate. And if you are so inclined, you can also submit your own personal story about why you write.

http://www.warrenadler.com/writers-of-the-world/

Apathy.

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Writing when you feel like…meh.

It is something all writers face - what do you do when it’s time to write and you just don’t feel like it? For those moments when you just aren’t feeling motivated, here are seven remedies for writer’s apathy, from a posting on the BookBaby blog. I plan to use this advice for my own writing endeavors – maybe you can, too.

http://blog.bookbaby.com/2015/09/7-remedies-for-writers-apathy/?utm_campaign=BB1546&utm_source=BBeNews&utm_medium=Email&spMailingID=49982702&spUserID=MTQyNDU5NjkyMzI5S0&spJobID=801389160&spReportId=ODAxMzg5MTYwS0