3 Ways to enjoy the (Writer's) view this Week

While looking for an inspirational picture a few months back, I stumbled across an image of a girl rock climbing. I was instantly attracted to the colors and the feeling of accomplishment that the photograph captured, so I paid for a legitimate copy and made it my desktop for several months.

Though there are no words, I learned three lessons about writing while staring into the bright orange glow of the summer sunset:

1. Writing is a Journey.

You can't call yourself a rock climber if you only think about being one. The same is true of writing. Don't think one day you'll be a writer. Pick up your notebook and be one today. Start small, and work your way up to the harder, higher peaks as you gain confidence and experience.

2. Avoid Rock Wall Vision!

Writer's have a bad habit of getting so engrossed in a single project that we forget to look around. When we do, it's like keeping our nose pressed into the rock wall — we see only the work and forget the beauty around us. Be sure to enjoy creation while you create!

3. Enjoy the Results of your Labor.

Writing (like rock climbing) is exhausting. It requires focus, strength of character, and drive. Finishing a project is a lot like reaching the mountain peak — one of the greatest feelings is being able to look back from finish to start and say, "I accomplished that!"

These three lessons now help get me started each day because they, like the picture, remind me I'm doing something I love. Something that, though always challenging, is ultimately worthwhile.

A Novel Approach to Short Story Writing

A short story is simply a novel in condensed form.

I’ve shared several times before that when I really started writing the only thing I wanted to do was publish novels. I wanted the big book on the shelf. In my mind there simply was nothing else to write other than non-fiction. And I was never going there.

Years have passed. I’ve never published that 300-page tome. But it hasn’t kept me from continuing to try. In the meantime, I’ve learned the novel isn’t the only way to go.

Wanting to be a novelist is pretty common among writers. There is a sense of mystery and adventure to it. We’re readers by nature and we want to be just like the writers we’ve grown up loving. We want to create a world people will never forget.

In our rush to publish it’s easy to forget that most of our heroes started out small, then worked their way up to something bigger. Others built their entire career around the short story. As a result this medium is often overlooked.

But that’s beginning to change in both the world of reading and writing.

The Weekend Short Story Challenge

In honor of such literary giants as Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Isaac Assimov, Philip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, and so many, many more, I propose a challenge to any who read this post.

Let’s write (and complete) something small this weekend!

Like a novel, the story needs a beginning, a middle, and an end. Start with a hook. End with a punch. And pack in the tension. It can be something completely original, or you can tell a well-known story from a different angle. Just make it unique.

For those not familiar with short stories, here are a few options to choose from:

Short: 1,000 – 3,000 words

Flash: 1,000 words or less.

Micro: Less than 300 words.

Nano: Less than 100 words.

As an experiment, I chose a Nano Story similar to Hemmingway’s six-word story “For Sale.”

Wanted: Six-month puppy seeks loving home. Loves Tag and Hide & Seek. Well trained. Missing her little playmate.

It’s my first attempt at Nano fiction, and I plan to try my hand at another this weekend. Whether they’re ever published or not, I’ve come to realize short story writing will help me focus on what’s really important when I go back to my novel.

Want to join me in the challenge? Let me know in the comment section below. Not your thing, but know someone else who might? Please share a link!

Stoke the fire of imagination: What the Village Blacksmith teaches

Photo courtesy of stock.xchng. ©2006 Atroszko. 

Under a spreading Chestnut tree

  The village smithy stands;

The smith, a mighty man is he,

  With large and sinewy hands;

And the muscles in his brawny arms

  Are strong as iron bands.

“The Village Blacksmith” was my very first encounter with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I was in third grade and my class was memorizing a new poem every month for the year. Of all the poems we covered the only other two I remember are “The Dual” and “Keep a Poem inYour Pocket.”

The other poems were fun and easy to learn, but none of them stoked the fires of my imagination the way that village blacksmith did.

In eight, six-line stanzas we are given a vividly detailed story of love won and lost, of a life that continues on despite the grief, and of the lesson we can take away from one man’s example.

I’ve always wondered if there really was a spreading chestnut tree, if a smithy was nestled beneath its branches, and if inside there worked a dedicated yet gentle man. Was he a friend? Was he an adult in the place where Longfellow grew up? Or was he a stranger Longfellow noticed in passing and became as enthralled with as the children?

Or was the blacksmith just a story after all? A tale cobbled together from bits and pieces of life experiences.

I was reminded of this poem when a friend quoted from the last stanza a few days ago, and it’s caused me to ponder those words, the rhythm, and the purpose ever since.

As writers many of us dream of creating the next great novel. We pour hours into plot lines. We fill days hammering out character descriptions. And we spend weeks honing the description of our fictional world down to the last popping ember.

In the process it’s easy to forget what a story is: a snapshot of a specific moment that conveys the essence of humanity’s greatest joys and sorrows.

I learned a valuable lesson in re-reading my favorite childhood poem this past week: Anyone can create a world in 500 pages.

It takes a true artist to capture an entire life in 48 lines.

Writing as a Calling, Offering, or Encouragement: Finding your niche in 2013

Writing can be a calling, an offering, or an encouragement,
but if there is no joy in it you may find yourself wondering what the point is.

I read a blog post recently by Book Agent Terry Burns titled “Is writing a calling, an offering, or something else?” In it, Terry posited that a calling is a specific project that is confirmed to the writer in more ways than one. An offering is a gift, something the writer wants to do out of a labor of love but not one that has necessarily been placed before her as a specific task to complete.

Then there’s the third category — one that’s equally important, but perhaps not as specific as a Calling or Offering. Terry referred to this sort of project as an Encouragement.

In this case, Terry writes, “It is possible for God to make it clear that He wants us to use our writing skills for Him, but does not give us a specific book to write. He leaves that up to us.”

This can be incredibly freeing for a writer, or it can make writing even more challenging. It all depends on how we choose to look at it. For many of us, we can’t imagine a life in which we didn’t write, but there are many days we sit in front of the computer and wonder just what words we should commit to the page. It’s not uncommon to question at some point if being a writer is even what we’re supposed to be doing with our lives.

“Where do I fit in?”

This is a question I found myself asking multiple times during the past year. I always pictured myself as a middle grade writer. The fantasy I’ve poured so much time and love into remains an incredible passion of mine but it has yet to catch the heart of the publishing industry despite an editor showing some interest in it last spring. I keep telling myself I’m going to let it go, but I just can’t bring myself to do that yet.

For years I thought that book was my calling, my purpose for being a writer. What if perhaps it was an offering instead? One that taught me invaluable lessons and has done much to hone my skills as a writer.

And then there is The Writer’s Wellspring, which I created to learn how to blog and at the same time to encourage my fellow writers. I’ll admit I’ve often wondered if I’ve utilized it in the manner I’m supposed to. There have been so many times I’ve lost track of my original goal and have gone off in different tangents. During the month of December I strongly debated discontinuing posting here, but have since decided otherwise. I just started another blog called Jots and Thoughts, which I can use for more personal topics, thus allowing this blog to be what it was intended to be, a place for writers to find fresh inspiration.

What will your writing look like in 2013?

The lesson I took away from Terry’s article is that it’s okay to write for the sake of writing. Not everything is meant to inspire millions of readers around the globe. Sometimes it’s enough just to encourage a single soul. Even if that soul is your own.

Writing is a gift. Whether you’re following a calling this year, presenting an offering, or simply just releasing your thoughts into the void, writing should also be a joy. It’s too hard a craft to continue on with if it isn’t.

Does your writing pass the 3 tests of métier?

For me, writing is the only thing that passes the three tests of métier: (1) when I’m doing it, I don’t feel that I should be doing something else instead; (2) it produces a sense of accomplishment and, once in a while, pride; and (3) it’s frightening. — Gloria Steinem

What does writing mean for you?

I was looking for my old organic chemistry textbook the other day and instead found a book I vaguely recall telling myself I would never look at again once I finished Technical Writing. The book is called Writing with Style by John R. Trimble and it’s filled with academic conversations about writing that I found only somewhat interesting during my junior year as an English major.

The above quote was on the first page I turned to and, after reading it for a third time, I found myself asking two questions. The first was: What does métier mean?  The second was: How can I add it to a casual conversation this week?

So I did what every logophile does when she stumbles across a new word. I looked it up.

According to Merriam-Webster, métier means 1) Vocation, trade. 2) An area of activity in which one excels: forte.

Looking beyond the common definition, I discovered it’s an old French word that is derived from the vulgar Latin “misterium,” an alteration of the Latin “ministerium” which means work or ministry.

All thoughts of sounding sophisticated (and even more odd) at my next public gathering where immediately cast aside. That one word had just reminded me of three things about writing. Three things I used to know, but had somehow lost sight of in the last few months.

Three Definitions of Writing

1) Writing is a vocation, a trade. We hear this all the time, but for so many of us it’s still just a hobby. As a result it is often set aside for something “more important” or is overshadowed by whatever is captivating our attention most at a given time. The people who really excel are the ones who stay focused.

2) Writing is an activity, which by definition requires action. It’s also a strength. Writing is a difficult skill to truly master. It’s something a lot of people wish they could do but, like learning to play the violin is something few ever take the time to really perfect. Those who know how to write and effectively communicate a message are blessed. It’s a shame and a waste to ignore that gift.

3) Writing is a ministry. People read because they’re looking for something to speak to them. Words encourage in moments of doubt, strengthen in times of weakness, and bring passion to seasons of apathy. Words open up new avenues of thought, take us to places we can’t visit ourselves, and allow us to understand the world through the eyes of a stranger.

Does my writing pass the test?

As I sit here I have to ask myself if writing, for me, passes the three tests of métier. How often does it fully captivate my attention these days? Do I feel accomplished when I finish a project, and do I ever feel proud of that work? There’s no doubt that it’s frightening. And I think that right there is what’s hanging me up right now.

So now I have one more question I need to find the answer to. What am I afraid of? Because, for me, it’s time to face that fear.

The Crooked Tree: How one thought touched another's life

How can one little thought touch a stranger's life?

The morning was fresh, the air laden with a rich spice that only the wilderness can offer: an atmosphere free of oil, soot, and modern-day strife. The coffee perked in anticipation, waiting to be sipped. French toast begged to be drowned in pure maple sweetness.

And the first of my guests arrived.

A husband and wife from Alabama traveling to the Pacific Northwest for the first time in their life, ready to embark on their inaugural fly fishing expedition on the Rogue.

While the rest of the world slept, we spoke in hushed voices. Over the course of a few minutes discovered we a couple things in common, one being a love for the written word.

Weeks have passed since then, and I had all but forgotten that pre-dawn chat…

…until today when I received notification from the post office that I had a package waiting. After standing in line a few minutes, the post master brought me a large, yellow envelope from a Jeff Barganier. The name didn’t register and I walked back to my car perplexed. Why would a stranger send me something?

The moment I slit open the package the dam burst and the memories flooded into place. (Including the moment he asked if he could have my mailing address to send me a little something.) In my hands I held a hardbound book with beautiful artwork on the cover beneath a simple title: The Crooked Tree.

The story within the pages proved to be just as simple, but the take-away was incredibly rich and powerful.

The Crooked Tree is a tale about a little seedling beside a stream that initially goes ignored by the entire forest, but as he grows all he wants is to become as big and mighty as his father, the Hickory on the Hill. Then comes the storm that knocks the little tree down. Mangled and twisted, he becomes the butt of all the other trees’ jokes and he despairs of ever having any value. And that’s when everything changes.

A thought changes a life when it's nurtured, allowed to mature, and then is released into the world.

Dave Lambert once wrote, “Nonfiction communicates truth to the intellect, through logical thought. Fiction communicates truth to the heart, through emotion.”

The Crooked Tree does exactly that. As I turned each page I felt a stirring inside and tears welled up. I didn’t just identify with the little tree, for a few minutes I was the little tree. And when I closed the back cover I felt inspired, ready to tackle every obstacle the world keeps knocking across my path.

That’s what writing should do. Fill the reader with a desire to do more, be more, and then challenge her not just to want it, but to act upon that desire.

So as I sit here with my laptop after dark, with a panting pup at my feet, the first mug of hot apple cider of the season by my chair, and a chill autumn breeze playing a mournful tune in the wind chimes, I find myself feeling incredibly encouraged and immensely grateful for the day Jeff went for a walk in the woods and discovered something that made him ask the question, “Lord, how did this tree come to be so crooked?”

And even more thankful for the morning I spent with Jeff and his wife by the river. 

Tulle, Lace, and Ribbons...for the bride!

On Saturday, my little sister will begin her new life with an incredible young man. And we are all incredibly excited for her!

Needless to say, we currently find ourselves surrounded by enough tulle, lace, and ribbon to swaddle the mountains that hem in our beautiful valley. Now, if only those same mountains will drive away the clouds are supposedly going to sweep in come this weekend. (The wedding is outside!)

Rain or shine, it is going to be a beautiful ceremony and the chaos of the past few weeks of preparation has given me plenty of food for thought, and feast of ideas for future use in my own writing. This is what a writer's life should be like!

If you're finding yourself drained this week, take some time off to enjoy the beautiful summer weather. Do something creative. Then get back to your desk and write about what you discovered!

Looking for the extraordinary in the ordinary

A cottonwood seed hidden in the grass. 2012 J.E. Lindsay

The Cottonwood is drifting through my yard like so many downy ideas just waiting for the right moment to settle and take root. It’ll cling to anything: hair, clothing, spiderwebs. It piles together in crunchy clumps and rolls across the road like bits of snowy tumbleweed.

The amount of seed being released is truly uncountable. The number that will find a fertile place to rest and grow to full-sized trees will only be few.

The ancestor of every action is a thought. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

As I sit at my desk watching these micro-sized assailants to my eyes, throat, and nose parade through the neighborhood I’m reminded of all the stories that have flitted through the field of my consciousness. Some have had great potential but failed to take hold. Most have floated on by without me ever being aware they’d ever existed.

Then there are those few little wisps of the imagination that landed among the right mix of creativity, passion, and gumption. Some of them grew quickly and have gone on to encourage and inspire others. Some are taking their time in maturing, and I love them all the more for it.

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. ~ Marcel Proust

One of the most incredible aspects about writing is we never really know which little seeds will go on to produce the most fruit. This is why it’s so important to train ourselves to discover the extraordinary in every single day. We have to continue fertilizing and watering our creative selves if we want to do anything of value.

And the possibilities for inspiration are as endless as the fluff in the air around me!

It can come from an art walk. A car show. A goofy video posted by a couple of bored children on holiday. Even something as seemingly mundane as watching bits of pollen in the wind could ultimately provide the perfect soil for something incredible to grow.

If you overlook the ordinary, you’ll never see the extraordinary.

A 158-year-old cottonwood tree grows in the middle of an intersection
 in rural Audubon County, Iowa. (Via BigStock.)

There are few things that irritate my seasonal allergies as much as cottonwood pollen, but anyone who has ever seen a full-grown cottonwood tree would tell you it’s beautiful. Like so many things in nature, you would never guess how large the trees get (up to 80 feet) based on looking at the minuscule seeds.

And as with the fury bits floating on sunbeams as I type this, you’ll never spot a life-changing thought if you aren’t actively looking for it. 

Keep. Store. Toss.

I just finished consolidating my two-bedroom apartment into two bedrooms. This meant as I packed up the last couple of years I had some tough decisions to make: what am I absolutely going to need over the next (I hope) few months, what can I put into storage for the time being, and what should I just get rid of all together?

As I considered which box to put everything into I couldn’t help comparing it all to writing. When we first start a project we have a lot of room to spread out. We get to pick setting, mood, themes, and design. We choose how to furnish our world. We play with moving one line to another spot. And we’re free to let our imaginations run wild.

Inevitably that means we also collect a lot of clutter. We craft scenes that expand a character. We create backstory that reveals everything about our world. We add thoughts that tie into the overall theme of an article, and then take us on a related tangent. Then, just when we hit the final period in that last sentence and step back to admire and enjoy our finished project, we discover it’s time to pull out the recycle bin.

I find it fitting that my move came at the same time as I was embarking on a serious rewrite in preparation of sending a book proposal to an editor. As with my packing, I’ve had to consider my entire story and evaluate what is immediately needed to carry the plot, what information could be stored away for later use, and what dialog, subplots, and flat characters needed to be tossed all together.

As adept as I’ve become with it, I abhor moving. I’m one of those writers who loves the creative part that initially comes when writing a story. I cringe when it’s time to rewrite. It’s difficult, yes, but I can now see exactly how it has served to strengthen my writing overall and give my book a more defined purpose and meaning.

At the same time, I get to see how true this is of my overall life as well.

The hardest part about being a writer...

“The hardest part of being a writer is not getting your commas in the right place but getting your head in the right place. Where help is really needed is in the area of countering anxiety, frustration, and despair.”

— Ralph Keyes, The Writer’s Book of Hope

Ok! I'm officially lost!

I’ve been messaging back and forth with a couple of my writer friends this past week and if there is one statement that describes us, it’s Ralph Keyes’ above quote.

Each of us are in different places in life: friend one is married and trying to get her freelance writing business off the ground while pursuing her passion of creative writing.

Friend two just finished her Masters program and beyond looking towards what’s next in her life, is trying to start writing again but doesn’t quite know where to begin.

And me, I’ve come to the realization that writing a story I’m passionate about becomes something much more challenging when I know there’s an editor waiting for it. The clock is ticking and I find myself more distracted than ever with everything life has decided to throw at me at once.

Though currently boxed up, I have book after book that helps with the edit process, gives tips on making your writing POP, and offers more prompts to get your creative thoughts moving at 3AM than I know what to do with. Each is an invaluable resource, but there are days when all that advice can just make you feel more overwhelmed, more frustrated, and more desperate.

In speaking with my friends this week, I’ve been reminded that as amazing as they are, How-To books don’t always hold all the answers. When it comes to the area of countering anxiety, frustration, and despair it takes a real person who is walking that same road right alongside you to lift you up and get you moving in the right direction again.

Who’s your companion? And what’s the best advice you’ve ever received (or given) when you’ve needed to get your head in the right place?

Inspiration Comes to Those Who Look

Yesterday I took a walk purposefully looking for inspiration. I was with several others who were talking about a TV show I don’t watch, which meant I needed to focus a little harder than I would have had I gone walking alone.

It took a while, and required I take a few steps back, but I finally found what I was looking for. And it came in the most unlikely form: a Highlights magazine-worthy, can you spot the hidden treasure? 

As I found them, I took a quick snap shot. I only had my phone with me, and with nature it’s hard to get up close without startling your subject, so you may have to look a little harder to find what I saw, but I made sure each is visible.

What did I come away with?

Sometimes we get so lost in all the details of the big picture we overlook what’s right in front of us. There are days you may write three pages worth of content and come back later realizing you only have one really good thought.

Treat that little thought like the gem it is. As you cut and polish it you’ll eventually see something of immense value come to light.

I went for a walk looking for inspiration among the water and trees. I came home and found a sentence that changed my perspective and opened a new world of possibilities for my story without requiring any major changes to my overall outline. It was a hidden treasure so to speak. A clue left for me and eventually for my readers.

Which gives me a new quote for my pegboard: Inspiration comes to those who look.

Where have you found inspiration this week? Share in the comment section below!