I read a phrase today that got me thinking.  Feministing posted a link about "How girls are socialized to be music fans, not critics."  The article it links to is interesting and well worth reading, although it's on a different tangent than the one that came to my mind.


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Mary Roach's first book, "Stiff," is one of my favorite non-fiction books of all time.  It has earned a permanent spot on my bookshelves, and if you know what a fanatic I am about decluttering and "culling the herd" and selling old books to buy new ones, you would realize what a place of honor that is!  I have to admit that I didn't enjoy "Spook" quite as much as I enjoyed "Stiff," but it was still a great read.  

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It’s that time of year again. The kids are out of school for the summer and it’s time to find things for them to do to keep them busy and their brains working. If you live in Oregon go check out your local library and join them in Make a Splash and Read. Each summer Make a Splash and read is organized by the Oregon Library Association and The Oregon State Library. It’s a great reading program for kids of all ages so if your little one isn’t quite reading on their own yet, that’s not a problem. Along with the reading are new arts and crafts and activities every week that you can sign up for or just show up. The best part is that it is all 100% free and goes all summer long.

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The secret to a good story is good characters. Wait, that’s not true. The secret to a good story is to have a little mystery mixed in with the action, to never tell everything all at once, to keep the reader or the listener guessing so that thaey always want to go to the next page with you. Maybe.

Whatever the secret is, A Yellow Raft in Blue Water has it. The book tells the story of 3 women: Rayona, the grand-daughter, Christine the mother, and Ida the grandmother.  Three generations, each tied to their tribe’s reservation. The compelling thing about the book is that it is told from the first-person perspective, one woman at a time. The first 250 pages are Rayona. The second 150 Christine, and the third 100- Ida.

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Forgotten TypewriterWriter’s block is the single worst thing that can happen to a writer. Recently, while in a cafe, I had to confront my own writer’s block- what was I going to write about? Why was I three-tenths as creative as I usually was? What could I do to get the creative brain juices flowing a little more smoothly?

To combat the situation, I decided to brainstorm some of my own writer’s exercises. I am not claiming that they are 100% effective or guaranteeing that your imagination will return in full tilt, but in my humble opinion, these original writing exercises are definitely worth a try. Thinking of the exercises is a great way to alleviate Writer's Block in and of itself and I recommend trying to brainstorm a few of your own exercises.


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PD James: Children of Men

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Our series of writer interviews is intended to show the wide variety of work involved in being a writer, as well as the highs and lows of the writing life.  I also hope that these interviews will help to dispel many of the preconceptions and myths that some new writers hold, only to have lead to disappointment later when reality hits home.  
 
What is your primary type of writing?
Mostly I write articles for trade and B2B publications.
 
Is writing your primary source of income? Yes, I’m a full-time freelance writer. 
 

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This is Part Two of the great interview with writer, blogger and editor Kate Gilby.  You can read Part One here.

Can you share one of your milestone moments from your writing journey?

The first time a publisher contacted me out of the blue to ask me to write for them, for money, was quite a milestone. But, on a personal level, it would be the time a friend told me they had been reading an article (written by me) and recognised my 'voice' before they even got to the byline. I think all writers hope they will have a unique voice, so it was heartening to know I do.

 

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Here are some great writing sites, blogs and tweets that I came across last week.

Recommended Sites and Blogs
An interesting, informative and entertaining blog by a UK based writer.  If you never venture outside of the US blogosphere this is a breath of fresh English air.
http://cheekyfrog.me.uk/

At last!  A sassy, sexy magazine site for thirty-something women that is NOT all about man-bashing and feminist propoganda.  Hey, it's ok for girls to be girly without appearing weak! Many of these articles are smart and stylish.  A recommended read.
http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/


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If one were inquisitive enough to seek out various writerly types and query each about literary heroes, no doubt names like William Faulkner, Hank Charles Bukowski and that guy who wrote about bull fights would crop up pretty frequently. The thing is, with those last two fellows perhaps more than the first, is that not only were they each one trick ponies to a certain extent, their writing wasn’t too entertaining.

All of those gents, though, might be thought of as overtly masculine writers, though. And for that alone, each should be commended. With the likes of Tom Robbins and his cohort traipsing about on the outer lying edges of acceptable, mainstream lit, it serves everyone who takes an interest in the written word to figure out why there aren’t more women writers making huge gains in publishing – or anywhere.

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