And away we go...


Roberto Saviano (Italian journalist): "Every hour seems pointless, wasted, if you don't dedicate your energies to discovering, flushing out, telling."      


We're halfway through November - the month of novel writing (or essays or picture books or memoir). And today is I Love to Write Day. 

Are you busy writing every day? Dreaming of impeccable nouns and verbs? Pleased when one perfect sentence is finally written? 

Or are you regretting that story idea, ripping up the first draft, and cursing the idea that you ever thought you could write?

Welcome to the world of staring at blank pages and missed deadlines. But there's also the world of that aforementioned perfect sentence or impeccable noun.

If you're stuck or even on a glorious roll, try one of these three exercises from Now Write! Nonfiction, edited by Sherry Ellis.

*In 15 minutes, write about the first 15 years of your life. Don't edit or sabotage - just WRITE. Use a timer.

*Finish this sentence: "I'm the kind of person who _____________ but ______________.

*Find a street corner or a park; sit with eyes closed, and listen to the passing voices. Form an image of what someone looks like...open your eyes. Does your expectation meet what you see?

If you're really stuck, rewrite another writer's essay or chapter - would you finish "The Grapes of Wrath" in the same way? Or, go to an art museum and sit in front of a painting...write what is going on just beyond the frame, to the left (or right!) of the painting. For example, in Renoir's Dance at Bougival, what music is playing? Are other couples dancing? What conversation could be overheard? 

There are almost countless books about writing...check your library (shelf 808) or book store. A few ideas:

* Now Write series - fiction, nonfiction, mysteries
* Writing Down the Bones - Natalie Goldberg
*The Writing Life (compilation of essays from National Book Award winners and finalists.
*The Art of Description - Mark Doty
*On Writing Well - William Zinsser
*Bird by Bird - Anne Lamott
*We Wanted to be Writers - Eric Olsen & Glenn Schaeffer
*Write Away - Elizabeth George
*Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction - Patricia Highsmith
*On Writing - Stephen King
*A Field Guide for Immersion Writing: Memoir, Journalism, Travel - Robin Hemley
*The Discovery of Poetry - Frances Mayes

It's not too late to grab a pencil, take a deep breath and begin to write your story. 


                             * * * * *

If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Read With Enthusiasm. It's easy. Look for follow by email at the top right hand corner of the blog. Submit your email address. You'll receive a follow-up email to activate your subscription. Thank you!