It is solved by walking
It is solved by walking
I'm taking my cues this week from Brad Listi, Steve Almond, and Ruth Ozeki.
Eight great things worth sharing this week:
Last weekend, kind of by accident, I got into a literary discussion with Alexa. She recommended several books she thought I would like (and the fact that she didn’t know I had already read most of them allowed me believe I still maintain a shred of privacy).
I’m currently reading Be Brief and Tell Them Everything by Brad Listi. It’s a gem. His insightful rumination reminds me of why I’ve been such a fan of his podcast for so many years. If you don’t know his work, you should (and I humbly suggest you start with episode 629 of the podcast).
My new motto is solvutir ambulando (latin for “it is solved by walking”). It works both literally (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve solved a plot problem by stepping away from the computer and going for a walk) and metaphorically (sometimes you just have to take the next step on a project).
Flog a Pro. This regular installment from Writer Unboxed invites you to read the first 17 lines of a novel (equivalent to the first page in a published book) not knowing anything about the author (or even if the book has been published) and then you cast your vote to say whether you would keep reading. Only after you vote do you get to know what the source material is (and see how everyone else voted). Good fun.
Nerd Word of the Week: Glissando ~ a continuous slide upward or downward between two notes. Brought you by Steve Almond (by way of Paulette Perhach).
Wrote this piece about how writers withhold information from their readers, asking does the omission feel like a hole, or does it produce a hunger? One will inspire a reader to put your book down. The other will keep them turning the pages.
American Idiot, by Green Day, is one of my favorite albums of all time, but I only learned just yesterday that the songs tell a whole narrative, a dark tale of Jimmy & Whatsername and the dumbing of America. Did everyone but me know this already?
"[Meditation] helps train the mind to settle and focus and be more perceptive, more aware, which is of course very helpful for the writing practice." - Ruth Ozeki, Buddhist priest and author of "The Book of Form and Emptiness" and "A Tale for the Time Being."
Happy writing, my friends,
April
p.s. I am currently accepting applications for my 6-Week Mindful Writers Challenge. Take a deep dive into mindfulness and writing and train your mind to draft more compelling prose.