Wild Writing Women Magazine | Writing: Your Passport to Life
Wild Writing Writing your passport to life Women TM
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Features
Total Risk, Freedom, Discipline by Constance Hale The author of two books on language advises us on her writing philosophy
The Memoir Craze by Cathleen Miller The best selling author of two memoirs explains the intimate genre's appeal
The Business of Writing by Lisa Alpine Lisa deconstructs the starving artist myth
Inspiration by Jacqueline Harmon Butler The muse visits Jacqueline in some surprising places
Writing for the Web by Carla King
http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/index.html (1 of 3) [1/2/10 1:17:04 PM] Wild Writing Women Magazine | Writing: Your Passport to Life The WWW's own personal Web dominatrix shows you how it's done
The Literary Hotel: Where B & B Means Bed and Books by Cathleen Miller These inns provide a cozy haven for bibliophiles ______
Writing 10 Tips for Beginning Writers Tips Cathleen figures that even Virginia Woolf started somewhere.
10 Tips for Overcoming Writer's Block Appreciate how Pamela overcame writer's block to write this article.
10 Tips for Making Money as a Writer Haven't penned a bestseller yet? Lisa has other ideas on how to make money from your writing skills.
Mining for Gold on the Internet Jacqueline offers tips on searching for new markets.
The Economist's Style Tips Orwell wrote them, The Economist uses them, Lisa practices them.
After the End Jacqueline tells you what to do after you've toasted the completion of your manuscript.
Raw Readings Lisa lets the audience become part of the creative process.
The Potato Exercise Lisa shows how even the humble potato can provide inspiration.
Links to the WWW (Wonderful World of Writing) Cathleen compiles a list of our favorites. ______
http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/index.html (2 of 3) [1/2/10 1:17:04 PM] Wild Writing Women Magazine | Writing: Your Passport to Life
Columns Food Flirt Jacqueline on mouth-watering fiction
Gear and Gadgets Carla teaches you how to create an online travelogue
Getaways Lisa tells you why she whistles while she works
Miller To Go Cathy tours literary Dublin ______What Goes Contributions from our students Around River of Words: Pamela Michael presents some of the poems she receives from children around the world as part of her work with River of Words. ______Reports Books About Writing & Reviews From inspiration to reference, here are our picks.
Daunt Books for Travellers Cathy finds a travel reader's haven in London.
Wild Writing Women® is a registered trademark of the Wild Writing Women, LLC. Copyright 2003-2008©
http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/index.html (3 of 3) [1/2/10 1:17:04 PM] Total Risk, Freedom, Discipline by Constance Hale
Writing: Your Passport to Life Wild Writing Total Risk, Freedom, Discipline Women TM by Constance Hale
Guest contributor Constance Hale shares her writing philosophy with WWW readers.
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Wild Writing Women® is a registered trademark of the Wild Writing Women, LLC. Copyright 2003-2008©
http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/features/hale_risk.html [1/2/10 1:17:05 PM] The Memoir Craze, by Cathleen Miller
Writing: Your Passport to Life Wild Writing The Memoir Craze Women TM by Cathleen Miller
In recent years critics have maligned the "memoir craze" as a self-indulgent diversion where writers (and everyone else) try to outdo one another with the revelation of every facet of their lives--from the most lethally boring minutia available, to the most sordid secrets imaginable. Agents, editors, and publishers change their minds hourly about the genre's status: the memoir's in--oops sorry!--the memoir's out, as if they were peddling shoes at Macy's.
None of these groups seems interested in considering what makes memoirs popular with readers: America is a nation of 250 million voyeurs. Everyone wants to know the private details of other people's business--what goes on behind closed doors. How does my life compare with everyone else's? This explains the explosion in popularity of nonfiction writing in general, and autobiographical writing in particular, with books like The Liar's Club, Angela's Ashes, and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius topping bestseller charts. (This same voyeuristic obsession can be extended to tabloid journalism-- which today has become almost all journalism, and the proliferation of reality TV and daytime talk shows that delve into the lurid details of ordinary people's lives.)
While on the surface the memoir obsession may seem like just another fad, I believe the reasons for its popularity can be explained by transitions in our society. All of the old ground rules have been cast aside: most of us no longer structure our lives by the tenets of the church; we're separated from the stability of our childhood homes and families. And the careers and material rewards we embraced as the guiding light for all our days, fizzled out when we maxed the credit cards at the same time our employers discovered they could create profit by axing thousands of workers and making half the workforce do twice the amount of work. Even the lucky ones are questioning what to do once they cash in their stock options. So where does that leave us? Millions of people are looking for answers, someone to tell them how to live their lives, and by reading memoirs, we can sample other people's lives, try them on for size and see how they fit.
In short, trends change, but human nature doesn't. We are all in this strange life together, and
http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/features/miller_memoir.html (1 of 4) [1/2/10 1:17:08 PM] The Memoir Craze, by Cathleen Miller it helps to have someone to talk to. Maybe your circle of cronies and acquaintances haven't had the experiences you've had, or the experiences you're curious about. Aha! Enter the beauty of autobiographical literature. A memoir can take you into the thoughts and feelings of someone else's life with an honesty that few of your best friends will provide. ______
My passion is nonfiction, as I consider reality more fascinating than anything I could create. Like most of my fellow nonfiction writers, I possess an infinite curiosity about the world; this passion for life keeps us going--traveling the globe, looking under rocks, seeking new experiences, gathering data, delving into the psyche of everyone from field hands to heads of state. We report back to readers on our findings, knowing that the best nonfiction narratives enable them to feel like they're living the experience with us. I look at my own life as a laboratory for material, much like the mad scientist who tries his latest concoction on himself. And like the mad scientist, oftentimes the outcome of my experiments may provide empirical knowledge for the observer, but turn me into a freak in the process.
After I had taken on the assignment of writing Waris Dirie's story, Desert Flower, I met her for the first time in New York. I asked her why she wanted to write this book, and she gave me two reasons: 1) Waris wanted to publicize the issue of female genital mutilation and tell the truth about its horrors from her firsthand account and, 2) she wanted to educate the American public about the beauty of Somalia, because she felt that all the Western world knew of her homeland was poverty, drought, famine, and war.
I felt that the first goal was easily attainable. But the second one presented a considerable challenge. As two seemingly unrelated events become fused in a person's mind because they happened at the same time, Waris and Bill Clinton's tribulations became fused in mine. While I was furiously writing Desert Flower, the media storm was breaking over Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky. I remember thinking wryly: "If I can put a positive spin on Somalia for American readers, then perhaps when I get through with this book I'll get a job helping the Clinton administration."
Another challenge of writing Desert Flower was in understanding a person who was seemingly the complete opposite of me: a black woman from Somalia who had grown up as a nomad in the desert, worked as a maid in London, then transitioned to lead the glamorous life of an international fashion model and human rights activist. By comparison I was a white woman who had grown up in a strict Baptist household in the swampy Missouri cotton fields, worked in advertising in San Francisco, then transitioned to the decidedly non-glamorous life of a writer and academic. I feared that I would be unable to relate to Waris's life and thus the book's message would ring hollow.
http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/features/miller_memoir.html (2 of 4) [1/2/10 1:17:08 PM] The Memoir Craze, by Cathleen Miller
I needn't have worried. After spending over a hundred hours interviewing her, we found out that we had numerous points in common: we were both victims of strict, patriarchal upbringings that left us resentful and angry; we both grew up in the wide open spaces and moved to cities that left us feeling disconnected from nature; we'd both left home as teenagers and spent the rest of our lives searching for a place to fit in; we both viewed the world of business with queasiness and mistrust; and we both shared the same grievances against men that any session of "girl talk" will usually unearth. When I began to write the book, I paid close attention to areas where I felt a special connection to Waris, knowing that these episodes would relate to readers from every culture. To date, Desert Flower has been published in sixteen countries, sold over two million copies, and ranked on the bestseller lists of England, Ireland, Germany, Holland and New Zealand. But my biggest gratification has been comments from readers that tell me they connected with Waris's story like I did: "This extraordinary biography describes in perfect detail her journey through seemingly unconquerable feats that leaves the reader gasping for breath with laughter and having to put the book down because you can't see for the tears."
I employed the same narrative techniques I used in Desert Flower to write my memoir about moving to rural Pennsylvania. In The Birdhouse Chronicles, my husband, Kerby, and I move from Pacific Heights in San Francisco to a ramshackle farmhouse in the midst of an Amish cornpatch in Zion. I use sensory images to make readers feel like they're right there beside us, watching buggies bounce down the dirt road--lanterns swinging in the darkness, canning tomatoes, burying rabbits, catching fireflies, and exorcising spirits from our old house. During the course of the book, we struggle to transform ourselves from frantic city dwellers to unflappable country dwellers.
In the narrative I include a wealth of seemingly mundane daily details to create an old- fashioned sensibility of time--a sensibility that hails from an era when every action was not measured by its cold-cash profitability. The result is a portrait--not only of our lives--but of a way of life that is rapidly vanishing from the American landscape.
Critics have called memoirists every evil adjective that derives from the word "self": self- indulgent, self-centered, self-absorbed, self-obsessed, self ish . But writing a memoir is the antithesis of selfishness. It is the art of offering one's life as a lesson to others, and displaying
http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/features/miller_memoir.html (3 of 4) [1/2/10 1:17:08 PM] The Memoir Craze, by Cathleen Miller all one's embarrassing foibles and failures in the process. What's could be less selfish than that? ______
Portions of this essay originally appeared in Contemporary Authors.
Wild Writing Women® is a registered trademark of the Wild Writing Women, LLC. Copyright 2003-2008©
http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/features/miller_memoir.html (4 of 4) [1/2/10 1:17:08 PM] The Business of Writing by Lisa Alpine
Wild Writing: Your Passport to Life Writing The Business of Writing TM Women Deconstructing the Starving Artist Myth by Lisa Alpine
How DO you make a living as a writer? It is not an impossible dream. Let me share with you many tips that will facilitate living the writer's life. These include: marketing your writing effectively, multiple ways to make money with your writing skills, time management, financial planning, and lifestyle choices. Let's rewire your life to make it work for you in a creative way.
Be the turtle, not the hare Prepping your mind and body for success Can you afford to be an artist? Making a living as a writer Marketing your writing
BE THE TURTLE, NOT THE HARE
Make a long-term commitment to your passion. Don't think your writing should support you immediately--it's a child and won't be an adult for quite a while. Experts say it takes upwards of five years to grow a successful business.
Be committed but realistic about your writing. Yes, you can write, but you aren't Ernest Hemingway or Barbara Kingsolver. Editors will not be licking your boots and begging you to write another novel.
Your writer's ego is fragile and will have a lot better chance of surviving the turbulent waters of rejection and acceptance if you are patient yet persistent, confident yet humble.
PREPPING YOUR MIND AND BODY FOR SUCCESS
When you work for yourself, you are the janitor, bookkeeper, innovator and CEO. That takes a tremendous amount of focus and energy. The learning curve is extremely high and challenging, but when you work for yourself, you reap the benefits of your efforts. In order to achieve this success, you need to have good energy and health.
Energy maintenance: Notice where your energy goes. It fuels your life. Are you using it to enhance and create, or do you worry and spin your wheels? This may be the most difficult change to make in your life--getting control of you and learning to deconstruct the internal stress patterns.
http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/features/alpine_writingbusiness.html (1 of 5) [1/2/10 1:17:11 PM] The Business of Writing by Lisa Alpine
The mind uses a tremendous amount of energy to think and weave its stories. It is usually out of control--rather like an undisciplined child. I don't think the Western mind understands its true function. We are not our brain; it's just an organ with a job to do. Give it assignments and when it completes them, let your brain take a well-deserved rest. Learn to not think by creating down time for your mind, a time that is quiet when there is no mental activity. Perhaps going for a hike in nature or getting a massage. Many creative ideas and solutions come out of the "no mind" state that is induced through relaxation and letting go of mental focus.
Dietary maintenance. The brain needs calories to function properly and I get very hungry when I write. In the past I would skip breakfast and exist on coffee when I was on deadline. I thought "who needs calories when you are just sitting in a chair typing?" But what I discovered was that my brain would shut off rather suddenly and I would go blank. Welcome to low blood sugar!
The brain needs protein and fluids to function. I suggest creating a "brain food" meal you eat before you sit down to write. High in protein, low in carbohydrates and sugars. Think omelets and keep a glass of water at your desk--or even better--a water bottle with a secure top.
Sleep maintenance . Fatigue causes "foggy mind" and you can't write a sentence worth reading in that state. The deepest rest happens before midnight so if you have a creative writing project or deadline slated for the next day, get to bed before 11 p.m. if possible. Don't watch violent or depressing movies before you go to sleep. Create a peaceful state of rest. Be a mental Olympic athlete and train yourself to succeed with the energy you need.
Relationship maintenance. I personally believe stable relationships are a great boon to creativity, but your partner, family and friends need to really understand and appreciate your artistic efforts. If you feel undercurrents of competition or belittling that you are a writer, stand up for yourself and ask for their support. Surround yourself with other writers and artists, people who understand the ups and downs of creativity.
If you aren't in a writer's group already, join one or start one. The editing meetings keep you on track and give you deadlines, plus the feedback is a constant source of learning for improving your writing skills.
Time maintenance. How much time is spent during your workday talking to friends on the phone about their latest breakup or an epiphany you had in the hot tub last night? I've wasted a lot of deadline time in this manner. Time management is like dieting, you need to cut out the fat (unless you are on the Atkins Diet).
Figure out a writing schedule that you can stick to. In order for this to work, you need to eliminate all distractions--unplug the phone, turn off the stereo, stay away from the refrigerator and don't suddenly decide it's time to clean the house (my house is always the cleanest when I have a writing deadline).
http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/features/alpine_writingbusiness.html (2 of 5) [1/2/10 1:17:11 PM] The Business of Writing by Lisa Alpine
CAN YOU AFFORD TO BE AN ARTIST?
One of the main areas of stress in people's lives is money or lack of it. If you get smart about your resources, you can overcome the roadblock of debt and money worries. This does not mean you will become a millionaire, it means you'll use common sense in financial matters and take control of the wheel so that you can open up space in your life to write and be creative.
How can you tailor your life to meet your income? I don't own a cell phone or have cable modem. I drive a Saturn. I don't shop unless I really need something. I get airline tickets through my Mileage Plus program. I avoid credit card debt and bank charges. I still clean my own home. I have no goals to be a multimillionaire; my goal is for my art to support me.
Educate yourself about financial management and budgeting. Take a course, read one of Suze Orman's books, ask friends how they manage their money. Be frugal but not a tightwad--that in itself is a sign of stress and if you aren't enjoying yourself--what's the point?
MAKING A LIVING AS A WRITER: How to organize a freelance writing business
Be organized! Don't think an elf is magically going to organize all the paperwork piles around your office. Deal with that paperwork daily--before it piles up and deliquesces into a big heap of worry. I believe 50% of most people's energy goes to obsessing about what they have to do instead of just doing it. Streamline your energy application. This means thought followed by action.
File fanatic. Develop a filing system that works for you. It should resemble the way you organize information in your brain. Don't overlay an organizational or lifestyle model that does not match your personality. Know thyself. It prevents the feeling that you are swimming against the tide and never quite getting to the place where you feel organized.