Writing Practice

Today’s Tuesday Tip is about writing practice.

Yes, writing practice.

We expect athletes and musicians to have to practice. Why would it be any different for writers? True, we think that anyone can write, so there’s really nothing to it, right?

Wrong!

There are differing schools of thought on this. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, advocates writing morning pages, 3 pages of stream-of-consciousness writing first thing in the morning.  Twyla Tharp, author of The Creative Habit, also encourages the use of morning writing.

Crescent Dragonwagon, during a recent Fearless Writing workshop in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, emphasized the importance of writing practice in a way that makes more sense to me.

Show up.

When you get your notebook out, take the time to do the setting. This proves that you showed up.

For example, mine from last night looks like this:

Monday, 1-7-13, Mom & Dad’s kitchen table, 10:38 PM, day 38

Now you’re ready to start your practice, whether it’s stream of consciousness writing or making lists or just saying, like I did for two days, “I’m sick.”

When you’re accustomed to showing up, the practice will flow better and make more sense to you as you work through it.

Happy writing.

Press Release: Otherworlds Fantasy Fest

THE WRITERS’ COLONY AT DAIRY HOLLOW AND THE CRESCENT HOTEL TEAM UP FOR FANTASY, HORROR FUNDRAISER

Eureka Springs, AR:  To help raise funds for The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow, the Crescent Hotel and the Writers’ Colony are partnering to put on the First Annual OTHERWORLDS FANTASY FEST during the weekend of Jan. 25-27, 2013.

The OtherWorlds Fantasy Fest is designed for the general public and for aspiring and working writers interested in learning how to write fantasy/horror and graphic novels. The Writers Workshop features New York agent Cherry Weiner, owner of the Cherry Weiner Literary Agency; Lou Turner, owner of High Press and Publishing; and nationally known science-fiction authors Gini Koch (“Touched By an Alien”, one of the Top 10 Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels of 2010 by Booklist, and “The Necropolis Enforcement Files” Series),  and Ruth Weeks (“Soldiers From the Mist”,  “The Rook and the Raven”,  “The Legend of Dixie Dandelion”, and “The Church of the Howling Moon”). Graphic novelists will learn the craft from Sean Fitzgibbons (“DomestiCATed: Paths Once Crossed”) and Fayetteville award-winning author Kevin Brown. Local favorites Keith Scales and Alison Taylor-Brown will also present during the weekend.

The next generation of fantasy/horror writers will also be featured, including 10-year-old Lincoln J. Wear from Tulsa, whose first novel, “Apollo’s Medieval Adventure: Sand Lord’s Gem Stones and Time and Torture”, has just been published.  Joining Lincoln will be local favorite Lexi Brady, 16. Lexi has published her first book, “Death’s Apprentice: Death of Dreams“, and she is the Creative Writing Instructor at Mindful Living Studios.

General conference sessions will be held in the Conservatory at The Crescent Hotel. The Writers Workshop will be held at The Writers’ Colony. Participants will also take full advantage of “America’s Most Haunted Hotel” with Ghost Tours and Midnight Theater. The Fantasy Fest also includes roundtable discussions, open mic readings, book signings, tarot card readings, Pages On Stage readings, and an imagination stimulation tour of Eureka Springs.

For more information about OTHERWORLDS FANTASY FEST and a complete schedule, email director@writerscolony.org or call The Crescent Hotel at (479) 253-9766 for reservations. Package prices range from $295-685 for the weekend.

2012 in Review

This has been a banner year for me as far as writing goes. I can’t go back and completely recap my goals, but I will present the highlights.

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