As you may remember, I’ve been taking two online writing classes, one on essay writing and one on writing for trade magazines. Both have been very interesting and I’ve learned a lot, including the fact that taking two classes at the same time causes me to let other priorities (like regular blogging) slip.

The essay writing class, which was only six weeks long, is now over and while I’m relieved to have that time back, I’m sad to see it end. Not only was the class material helpful, but I received extremely useful feedback from fellow classmates, as well as the instructor. I’m looking forward to making some final edits on the pieces I submitted for the course and then sending them off to markets over the next couple of weeks.

Some of the lesson material in the class was refresher information, but I did take away some new strategies for approaching essay writing in the future (Example: Write or edit essays with specific markets in mind.), as well as tips for getting those essays published. But more than learning about the general and technical ins and outs of essay writing, I learned about my own essay writing style, some common mistakes I make, and some strategies for improving my essays (and my writing in general).

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It’s hard to imagine a world without the technological advances that we use every day. I can barely remember what it was like not to be able to call anyone at any time from where ever I might be. I’ve almost forgotten what the inside of a video store looks like or what life was like before email and the internet. Technology has made life easier. It has connected us to others and yet I wonder if, in ways, it’s isolating us more.

This week your Creativity Corner prompt will take you back to a time when you could barely imagine some of the technology that we have at our fingertips now.

The Tech Effect

Think about today’s technology and choose one advancement that you take advantage of every day that you didn’t have access to when you were a child (e.g., email, internet, mp3 players, cell phones, etc.).

Now write for 10 minutes about what life was like before you had access to this technology. Describe the way you lived without the technology and how you coped. What technology was available that the new technology has replaced? What were the positives and negatives of not having the technology at that time?

Take 10 more minutes to write about what life is like with access to the technology you’ve chosen. What are the positives and negatives now? Compare and contrast the time before and after you had access to that technology. Are you happy to have the new technology or do you miss life without it? How do you think your life would be different if you didn’t have access to this technology or if you were to give it up for a day? A month? A year? Could you survive life the way it used to be now that you’ve learned to live life with access to the technology you’re writing about?

When you’re finished, please feel free to share a paragraph or two of your writing in the comments or post the exercise on your own blog and leave a comment here with a link to your writing. Remember, these are exercises. The results don’t have to be perfect. But to benefit from them, you actually have to do the work. Now head to your corners and come out writing!

I have a lot of memories that are accompanied by a specific song. For example, when I think about a particular dance with a particular boy I immediately start singing “Groovy Kind of Love” by Phil Collins. Then there’s an afternoon waiting for a ride in front of my high school (after a Regents exam, I think) that triggers “Come to My Window” by Melissa Etheridge. I’m not even sure if in that case I was listening to my walkman or the song was on the radio when I got in the car, but it’s attached to that memory nonetheless. In fact, I don’t even know what test I took or who picked me up, but I remember the waiting and I remember that song.

So for this week’s Creativity Corner we’re writing about songs that have stuck with us, not just because they were catchy, but because they’ve attached themselves to our memories.

Sticky Songs

Think about a song that you remember when you recall a certain moment or period in your life. You might even want to pull out the old album or find the song on YouTube and listen to it while you write. Let the memories come back to you and then start. Free-write about the song and the memories that come with it.

What is the song and who sings it? What does the singer’s voice sound like? Is it husky, high-pitched, strained, full of emotion or emotionless? Do you remember the video for the song (if there was one)?

How does the song make you feel? What are the details of the memory (or memories) attached to that song? Where were you when you first heard it? What were you wearing? How old were you? What emotions does the song stir up? Do you have a physical reaction?

Write whatever comes to you as you listen to or think about that song. You might be surprised where this exercise leads you and what details you’re able to recall as you free-write. Don’t censor anything. Write about your feelings then and how you feel about the song now. Write about a seemingly unrelated moment if your writing takes you there. Just let the song lead you.

When you’re finished, please feel free to share a paragraph or two of your writing in the comments or post the exercise on your own blog and leave a comment here with a link to your writing. Remember, these are exercises. The results don’t have to be perfect. But to benefit from them, you actually have to do the work. Now head to your corners and come out writing!

Since Friday, we’ve gotten almost three feet of snow and we’re getting even more while I type this. If I still lived in my hometown in Northern NY, this wouldn’t be a problem. But here in Baltimore, the idea of a foot of snow, much less three, usual sends everyone into a frenzy. When I first realized that I might be stuck in my house for several days by myself, with no one to talk to but my cat, I got a little anxious. I went into serious nesting mode, planning meals, cooking and cleaning.

Then, right around the third load of laundry, something happened.

I realized that I had no reason not to spend this found time reading and writing and enjoying my own company. I had no place to go. No appointments to keep. No responsibilities to meet. So I settled in and the creativity started to flow.

Instead of turning on the TV, I listened to the radio. I journaled. I worked on essays that I’ve been trying to finish, but haven’t had time and energy to work on. I wrote blog posts and a newsletter for a client. I read short stories and essays and blogs I haven’t visited in ages. I slept in and practiced yoga every day. I cuddled with my cat and ate satisfying meals that I prepared with pleasure.

In short, I relaxed. I focused. I centered myself on the things I love. And from that place, I produced. I learned that sometimes shutting out the world is the only way to connect with the things that mean most to you. Being snowed in for the last three days has been the best retreat I’ve ever had, despite the fact that it was forced on me by Mother Nature.

I’ve gotten used to the solitude and freedom to do the things I love whenever I choose. But with the streets clearing and the forecast looking brighter (after another foot or so of snow by tonight), it appears I’ll be heading back to work in the next couple of days. I’m not looking forward to readjusting my routine to office life again. What I am looking forward to is my next retreat–even if I have to manufacture it myself.

First, a disclaimer: This week’s Creativity Corner may or may not be influenced by the fact that I’m totally snowed in this weekend.

It’s not often that we get blizzards here in Maryland, but when we do, it means days indoors, first waiting for the snow to stop, and then waiting for the roads to be cleared. The good thing about being snowed in is that there’s plenty of time for writing and reading. No reason to go outside means no reason not to be in front of the computer. OK, there are plenty of things I could do around the house, but that stuff can wait. I’ve got ideas to get down, essays to edit and freelance projects to finish. I hope you’re having a writing filled weekend, too.

Enjoy this week’s prompt!

Blizzard

Write about a blizzard you experienced. How old were you? Where did it happen? Was it expected or were you surprised by a sudden storm? How long were you stranded by the snow? What did you do to occupy your time? What did it look like outside? Did anything strange or unexpected happen during the snow storm?

Write out all the details you can remember, including physical and emotional details, thoughts you may have had at the time and any reflections you might have about the experience now that time has passed. You might even compare it to another “storm” experience later or earlier in your life.

If you live somewhere that doesn’t get snow, imagine what it might be like to be stranded in a snow storm and try to describe a blizzard experience without being cliche. Or put one of your characters in a blizzard and see how she reacts to the situation.

When you’re finished, please feel free to share a paragraph or two of your writing in the comments or post the exercise on your own blog and leave a comment here with a link to your writing. Remember, these are exercises. The results don’t have to be perfect. But to benefit from them, you actually have to do the work. Now head to your corners and come out writing!

For this week’s Write Out Loud interview we have a local-to-me writer. Paul Lagasse is a full-time freelance writer living in Baltimore, and the author of the YA historical novel Seeing Through Clouds: The Story of an Airship Apprentice (2006).

Write Out Loud: Welcome, Paul. Thank you for taking some time out from your writing to answer some questions for us. Let’s get started. You’re the current president of the Maryland Writers’ Association’s Baltimore Chapter. What do you feel are the benefits of being a member of a local writing association?

PL: I think writers need to find their tribe, however they define it. I may be a loner, but that doesn’t make me anti-social! I love hanging out with people who have the same affliction and who understand what it’s like to ache with a story or to spend days wrestling with a sentence. I like what Antoine de Saint-Exupery said about the mysterious power of companionship:

Each man must look to himself to teach him the meaning of life. It is not something discovered: it is something moulded. These prison walls that this age of trade has built up round us, we can break down. We can still run free, call to our comrades, and marvel to hear once more, in response to our call, the pathetic chant of the human voice.

MWA is a neat way to meet writers of all different genres and levels of experience. I’m always amazed by the depth and breadth of knowledge of members, and by talking with them in person and via social media I’m always learning about new resources, events, funny cartoons, etc.

WOL: You have a degree in history and planned to become a professor. Why did you decide to become a freelance writer?

Paul Lagasse: The short answer is that I discovered that my temperament wasn’t suited for academia. I was lucky to find work in the private sector as an historian and then as an archivist and records manager, but what I loved most about those jobs was having the opportunity to write — everything from project reports to articles for the company newsletter. So I decided to focus on that and make the history a hobby, and not the other way around.

WOL: How has that history degree (or your process of getting it) contributed to your writing?

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Our emotions are often powerful drivers behind our actions. They can affect how we speak, how we act, how we dress, and the choices we make. Without even realizing it sometimes, our moods affect who we appear to be at any given moment. This is the same (or should be) with our characters.

This week’s Creativity Corner prompt requires some self-reflection and observation. Don’t let that scare you away, though. The more you consider your emotions and how they affect your actions, the better your writing will be. How so? Scenes that involve emotional experiences will come to life with the details you discover. “Showing” emotions through action and dialog will be easier to do when you recognize how emotions change a person–her voice becomes strained, her shoulders slump, her eyes shine with tears. You get the idea. Once you’ve done this exercise, take what you’ve learned and head to your work-in-progress. Your writing will shine with emotional details.

In the Mood

Spend some time each day for a day or two paying close attention to your moods. When you recognize an emotion, notice how you are responding to it. How does your body feel? What are your thoughts? What instinctive actions are you prone to in these moments? Take notes throughout the day.

Once you’ve recognized the effects of your own moods, spend another day or two paying close attention to the moods of others. In this case you will be making a judgment based only on their actions. Which actions indicate which emotions to you? Again, take plenty of notes on your observations.

Now integrate these observations of self and others into your current works-in-progress or your new pieces and see how adding emotional details changes your writing.

When you’re finished, please feel free to share a paragraph or two of your writing in the comments or post the exercise on your own blog and leave a comment here with a link to your writing. Remember, these are exercises. The results don’t have to be perfect. But to benefit from them, you actually have to do the work. Now head to your corners and come out writing!

As an essay writer, and a student of essay writing, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about what makes personal essays and memoirs work. Why are they so popular? What is it about them that people are drawn to? How can a very personal and seemingly unique experience speak to the lives of others?

While I regularly read essays, particularly those by Anne Lamott and David Sedaris, I’m discovering that, until recently, I wasn’t reading them from the perspective of a writer. Instead, I was enjoying them only as a reader, failing to ask myself the questions that would help me write powerful essays of my own. So, in the hope of becoming a better writer, I spent several hours this weekend at the bookstore poring over the essay section and dissecting what I found there. I picked up collections from Nora Ephron, Marion Winik, Anna Quindlen and Sarah Vowell, to name a few, took over a table in the cafe and got to reading. Read the rest of this entry »

Do you ever feel like fear is holding you back? Fear can be a powerful force in keeping us from reaching our goals. Believe me, fear has had it’s hold over me before and I’m sure it will come along again. Any time we take steps toward doing something new or unknown, it’s likely that fear will show up. How we react to that fear is what will determine our success.

This week’s Creativity Corner prompt takes us out of that fear and into the realm of fearlessness. Take some time to contemplate your fears, then write to the following prompt:

Fearless

What would your life look like if you were fearless. What would you do, say or be if there was nothing holding you back? What goals would you set if fear wasn’t a factor?

Imagine what fearlessness might produce in your life and write about what your fearless dreams look like.

When you’re finished, please feel free to share a paragraph or two of your writing in the comments or post the exercise on your own blog and leave a comment here with a link to your writing. Remember, these are exercises. The results don’t have to be perfect. But to benefit from them, you actually have to do the work. Now head to your corners and come out writing!

I’ve lost my voice. Not the voice I speak with, but the one I use to tell my stories.

I only recently discovered my difficulties with voice when I got a few comments from the members of my critique group and the instructor of the essay writing course I’m taking that pointed out something was missing in my pieces. Because I’ve always thought I had a strong voice, I didn’t think much about it. It turns out, though, that I’ve given up my voice and replaced it with my need to sound like an expert. My essays are becoming no more than a factual recounting of events in my life, with little reflection or humor or with too much pushing and preaching. And so I’ve gone in search of that voice I once loved so much.

About a week ago, I read a post at Writer Unboxed on giving voice to characters that reminded me of what voice can do for a story. In the post, Allison Winn Scotch discusses how voice can be the thing that really brings a character to life and allows the character to better resonate with readers. While her post refers to fiction specifically, I think what she says can easily be applied whether you write novels, memoirs or essays.

In nonfiction, having a clear voice that is consistent throughout a work (and in some cases across works) allows readers to connect with you and understand you at a deeper level. The voice you use in your writing can also contribute to the tone of a piece. For example, if you generally have a humorous voice, your pieces will likely come off as less formal than pieces by someone who has a serious tone.
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