Writer's Retreat - The Wrap Up

It seems like forever since I've blogged, but I guess it's only been a couple weeks. Two weeks ago today, I was exploring Copper Harbor, Michigan, eating muffins as big as my head made by a sect of Orthodox monks who live on the shore of Lake Superior, hanging with some of my best friends and writing my fingers off on a couple new stories.

There is something amazing about hanging for a whole week with other writers. We have the best conversations, we spur each other on with word count, we help each other through plotting problems and we laugh so hard our faces and stomachs hurt. It's pretty much heaven.

Getting back to reality is tough, but I know exactly where I'll be next year and it's going to be equally amazing. These are some shots of some of the personalities of Lake Superior and the Lake Superior shoreline - my constant writing companions that week and a huge source of my inspiration.

Please join us and share your inspiration on the Thursday's Children blog hop!

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Thursday's Children - Writers Retreat

In a day and a half, I'll be leaving for my favorite place with some of my favorite people. Some dear friends and fellow writers and I will be heading about 400 miles north to Lake Superior. We're renting a house right on the eastern side of the Keweenaw Peninsula and we'll be writing our little hearts out, laughing our butts off and drinking wine.

Once we reach our daily word count, we're free to explore the area, swim or heck, even nap. It's going to be glorious. We did it last year, and I'm sure we'll be doing it again next year. Before I run around like a mad woman desperately trying to finish everything I need to finish before Saturday morning, I'd like to share some pictures of our getaway.

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Thursday's Children - Walking

Since returning from my conference last month, I've been walking everyday - 2 to 3 miles a day depending on the weather and how much time I have. I have to admit, I'm not one of those people who likes to exercise Sweating, in no way, appeals to me, and frankly, I'm much more into lounging. However, I'm now walking. Every. Day.

I'm almost sort of enjoying it. Like many other Thursday's Children have mentioned, walking is inspirational. While I'm trudging through the neighborhood, I see all sorts of things that inspire me.

The pug who purposely blocks my way until I agree to pet him.Once I pet him, he moves.
The color of bluebells as they graduate from a twilight blue to velvet white.
The little smiley face stickers that someone placed on the sidewalk on Tamarack Street once yellow and now faded to almost white.
The insanely sweet scent of lilacs and peonies. 
The band of rabid terriers that throw themselves against their gate, desperate to attack me.
The orange and white cat that insists that I pick him up and carry it from one end of the block to the other.
The squirrel with the compulsive eating disorder.
The little girl on Jennette Street who sits and pouts on her front stoop every morning before finally schlumphing off to school.
Even the mom who screams nonstop at her 3 little kids while she walks them to the crossing guard. (Though, I won't tell you what she inspires me to do...)

I've had to walk on the treadmill a couple of times because of thunderstorms. I hate it. I don't feel inspired at all. I just feel crabby. I know that for a few miles, I should be able to rely on my one brain to entertain and inspire me, but there's nothing. Just the utter loathing of the treadmill with its flashing lights and numbers.

Physically, the treadmill is probably doing an equal amount of good compared to my outside walks, but emotionally and inspiration-ally, I apparently need fresh air and the sights and sounds of the neighborhood. When I get home from my walks, I"m always ready to write even if nothing I've encountered makes its way into my manuscripts.

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Thursday's Children - Drum Circles

Last weekend, I was able to participate in the March Against Monsanto with my mom and my oldest son. After the march there was a drum circle, and I love me some drum circles. My son, who drums incessantly to any rhythm playing, decided that he'd like to come along too. We had a blast.

If anyone is unfamiliar with the idea of a drum circle, it's basically a bunch of people coming together to hang out for an hour or two and play hand drums and other percussion instruments. 

It's also much more than that.

Other than my son, I only knew one other person in the group, but we plopped ourselves on the grass with about ten or twelve strangers and formed a circle. The woman facilitating the gathering suggested we all start together with a two tap heartbeat pattern. We all played together for a few minutes and then things started to change.

Here and there, people started to change things up. New rhythms evolved. Everyone was doing something a little different, but it all worked perfectly to complement the whole sound. There were five or six little kids running in and out of the group - occasionally picking up an instrument and playing with it or more often, just dancing around. It might sound a little chaotic, and really, it kind of was. But it was also really cool watching and listening to everything evolving organically to create this wonderful whole that couldn't possibly be duplicated.

In a way, it's like communicating through sound. Each person's rhythm changes to answer another person's. Sometimes, it's complementary. Sometimes it contrasts sharply. Just like actualy conversations.

As I sat there drumming, I realized something important - drumming in a circle of people - especially mostly strangers - is a lot like writing. Or, at least, it's a lot like my writing process. I typically start out a story with one, really solid idea or beat. And as I write and new characters and plot threads revel themselves. Sometimes they're complementary and sometimes not so much. But as I write, the rhythm of the story changes, growing fuller and more complex until I've got this organic whole that I created by listening to the beat of the story and characters.

In case anyone is wondering what a drum circle looks like, here are a few pictures and one of the drum I made.

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Thursday's Children - The Chalice Well

I've been fascinated with Arthurian lore since I was a kid - probably because in addition to Winnie the Pooh and fairy tales, my mom would also tell us stories about King Arthur.

When I was in college, I stumbled across The Chalice Well. Well, not literally. But in some research I was doing for a paper for a Medieval Lit class. I was instantly fascinated - from the wood and wrought iron well cover to the history - actual and literary. 

As near as archeologists can figure, it's been in constant use for over 2000 years. The spring produces 25,000 gallons of water a day and it's believed to possess healing qualities. The well has long been associated with goddess worship and there are also connections to Christianity. Supposedly the well is the final resting place of the Holy Grail. And in Arthurian tradition, Excalibur (and according to some) Arthur and Guinevere are buried nearby.

The well is also considered a gateway to the spirit world as symbolized by the overlapping circles of the Vesica Piscis on the cover.  It represents the connection of the spiritual and the physical, the magic and the mundane and to me it symbolizes the interconnectedness of everything.

I can't write in the vacuum of only my own head. I need the interconnectedness of life and imagination, and this symbol always reminds me that everything affects everything else.

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Thursday's Children - Jim Henson

Okay, I know this might seem like a stretch for inspiration, but bear with me.

When I was a kid, I loved Grover on Sesame Street.

Loved. Him.

He wasn't afraid to be silly or scared or even wrong. At one point in my childhood, I was pretty sure I was going to marry him. Yeah, I know.  I didn't quite get that he was a puppet. To me, he was just as real as my friends at school or my brother. I also adored Kermit and Cookie Monster and Oscar, but Grover was always my favorite.

When I was a little older, Jim Henson, one of Sesame Street's puppeteers, brought The Muppets to night time TV and my mom and brother and I fell in love with puppets all over again. It was on the one night she didn't have to work, so we'd watch it together and laugh.

I used to hate that she had to work second shift, so Muppet night was not only full of silliness and fun on the telly, but it was also full of togetherness and cuddles and stories and crafts at home. Not only did I love the Muppets, but I loved what I associated them with.

My love for Henson's puppets and his creative spirit only increased with the releases of Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal which remain two of my favorite movies to this day.

My much younger siblings were born when I was a teenager. I was only too happy to share the Muppets in all their incarnations with them. My brother, Andrew, was particularly enamored with them. We'd make our own puppets and put on shows. He also drew elaborate pictures and comic strips. Some of the characters were Henson's, but more were Andrew's. He was inspired to create his own stories, characters and artwork. It was wonderful to watch his creativity at work.

I remember listening to the news when it was broadcast that Jim Henson had died. I will never forget the expression on Andrew's face. He was young, and this was his first experience with anyone he "knew" dying. And no, he didn't know Jim Henson, but he'd been profoundly affected by the man's work.

I remember he asked us who would take care of Kermit and Gonzo since their dad had died. And he cried. He cried so hard, and so did I. I hated that his little heart was breaking. And I hated that a creative light had left the world.

The broadcaster closed with a quote by Jim Henson. When I was young, my ambition was to be one of the people who made a difference in the world. My hope is to leave the world a little better for having been there.

Andrew climbed on my lap and said, "He did make it better."

And that's one of the things that I think inspires all creative people - the desire, whether verbalized or not, to leave the world a little better place. 

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Thursday's Children - Saying Screw It

Last week, I wasn't able to participate in the Thursday's Children blog hop because I was chin deep at the RT (Romantic Times) conference in Kansas City, MO.

It's a huge readers/writers conference that I attend every few years to visit friends, attend workshops, meet some of my favorite authors and of course, there are always chances to pitch books. They also have an amazing YA Track.

I'm also super excited because I got a chance to meet Tessa Gratton. I *love* her work. And bonus, she was absolutely gracious and wonderful.

Okay, thanks for sticking with me this far. I'm finally getting to the title portion of this post.

I figured since I was there, I'd pitch my YA to the attending editors. Only, when I read through the program, no one that I was interested in pitching to was looking for Paranormal YA. I was totally bummed. In fact, I shoved the program in my purse and headed to the restaurant for lunch.

But something happened while I was in the elevator. I realized I was being stupid. I had a chance to pitch to editors who work at houses I'd love to be a part of. I would be stupid not to take opportunity. while I had it So I said, screw it...or you know...something like that. Instead of getting off at the mezzanine level, I got off at the lobby and got in line for the huge pitch session.

I pitched to five editors and got three requests for the complete manuscript! I sent them all off Monday night, and now I'm trying not to obsess. Sometimes, saying screw it really pays off! So now, I'm inspired to take more chances. The worst anyone can say is no.

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Thursday's Children - Inspired by Finding Joy

Okay, I know, I know. The idea of "finding joy" sounds super crunchy granola, but I'll admit, I am a little crunchy. And to be fair, this post is really more about making joy as opposed to finding it - but more on that in a minute.

I know I'm not alone when I find myself getting bogged down with all the crap that's hurled at us on a daily basis. No matter what side you're sitting on, politics are a giant suckfest. Add in war, terrorist acts, the general cruelty that people show each other on a daily basis, not to mention all the negativity in our daily lives like work stress, health and/or money issues, worry for family members etc., it's really easy spiral into negative thought patterns.

Once you're in that crappy mindspace, it's not a huge leap to think thoughts like, "I'll never figure out this scene/finish this book/get published/find an agent/sell anything."

And once those thoughts take root, writing or even wanting to write is damn near impossible.

So what's a Thursday's Child to do?

Find joy - or more precisely, make it.

When I find myself getting sucked into the ick and wallowing there, I know the only thing that's really going to help is changing my perspective. And the easiest way to do that is to change what I'm focusing on.

The first step is avoiding the internet. No matter how many awesome, amazing things and people are on there, there's a ton of awful, too and it's super easy to fall down the rabbit hole of one horrific news story after another after another after another.

The second step is to write down five or six things that I'm truly grateful for at that moment in time. For instance, at this very moment, I'm grateful for:

Listening to my son sing along to Mystery Skulls in the next room. He's super committed and it's making me smile.

Maureen Johnson's tweets. I haven't read her books yet, but I love her tweets that pop up in the corner of my screen. I just enjoy the way her mind works. (I know this contradicts the turning off the internet suggestion, but it's cool since I'm not currently wallowing.)

Getting a chance to hear amazing songs written and performed by my friend's teenage daughter.

Checking off items on my to-do list.

Knowing that as soon as I finish this post, I have a delicious lunch of cottage cheese and kumata tomatoes waiting for me. 

You'll note that none of these things are writing related. You'll also note that none of them are particularly earth-shattering, either. Of course, I have the big things I'm grateful for like family and friends, etc., but those are constants and even though they're the most important things to me they don't always help me escape the wallowing because I'm more likely to just worry about something bad happening to them. So if I can look at the little things that make me happy in that very moment, it immediately helps to lift my mood.

A lifted mood always inspires me to write!

And  third, for a quick pick me up, I have a couple songs I turn to even though my true musical love is angsty, depressing stuff. I'll share them below in case you need a little pick me up, today.

And now, if you'll excuse me, it's time to write. I'm feeling rather inspired.

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Thursday's Children - Kitch-iti-kipi

Nope - that wasn't a sneeze. Kitch-iti-kipi is the name of Michigan's largest fresh water spring. The name is of Chippewa origins and has multiple translations - The Big Springs, Bubbling Springs, The Blue Sky I See and my personal favorite, The Mirror of Heaven.

Kitch-iti-kipi is near Manistique and about five miles from where my immediate and extended family vacation every summer in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Kitch-iti-kipi is one of the most peaceful places I've ever been. It's a protected environment and my to one of my brother's dismay, there's no fishing allowed there. I think it kills him a little bit every time we see the ginormous lake, brook and brown trout swimming through the springs water. Did I mention that the water is so clear that you can see straight down to the bottom? 40 feet down at its deepest.

It's an absolutely breathtaking spot, and every time I'm there I'm inspired to write. I've actually got a historical piece I've been batting around, and whenever, I'm here, I get a little more of the story. One of these days I'll have it all. But in the meanwhile, I'd like to share the beauty of Kitch-iti-kipi with you all. And who knows, maybe I'll be able to share that story some day, too.

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Thursday's Children - Now!

My apologies for another late Thursday's Children post - between the day job and my youngest son's spring break, it's been a little chaotic around here.

But, I'm finally here, and I'd like to talk about now. Let's make that NOW.

I had a yoga instructor and she'd always remind the class (usually while I was trying not to hurt myself or anyone else while attempting posed like The (advanced) Crow) to "Be here. Be present."

And I'd think to myself, "Well, duh. I'm here. I'm present. Can you not see me trying to keep my knee from going up my nose?"

But I wasn't present. Not really. I was thinking about Savasana (also known as The Corpse pose. No irony there... o.O). I was thinking about the last joyous five to ten minutes of class where I could just lay on my mat and know that I didn't have to try to contort my body into questionable positions or worry about kicking my neighbor in the face.

I wasn't really present in The Crow or any other pose. Not the way I should have been. I just wanted to move through the class and get on with the rest of my day. I enjoyed yoga infinitely more once the class was over, but I know I didn't get the most out of my classwork, because I wasn't really there. My mind was too busy racing ahead toward all of the things I needed to complete.

Often times, I think it's really easy to slip into the same trap with writing. I find myself slipping into future mode and entertaining thoughts like "When I finish this book..." or "When I get an agent..." or "When I sell this book..." instead of focusing on the here and now.

By doing that, I'm robbing myself of the now. The now is equally important - perhaps more so. The now is about getting to know my new characters, discovering their story, learning things about them and also making new discoveries about myself. The now is about the writing, the journeying - not skipping to the end and laying boneless on my yoga mat.

Without being here in the now, the future is a little hazier. And I have a feeling it won't be as satisfying without being present on the journey to get there.

So, I'm going to go back to my WIP and really enjoy the journey.

And who knows, I might even give yoga another go.

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Thursday's Children - Michigan's Stonehenge...?

I can't remember a time that I wasn't fascinated with rocks - the little ones I put in my pocket, the bigger ones in my garden and on most flat surfaces in my house and the huge monoliths that make up stone circles. It's largely accepted that many of the formations were used as elaborate calendar systems and/or burial grounds. But there is some evidence that some of them may have been used for navigational purposes.

While researching my WIP, I discovered that there's even a recently (well, 1988, so somewhat recent) discovery of a stone circle on Beaver Island (the largest island in Lake Michigan) that suggests that not only was this structure used by the native Ojibwa tribe, it also may have been used by the Celts.

In this pre-Columbian circle which is roughly 400 feet in diameter, there are carvings in many of the stones.  Most of them are eerily similar in nature to early druidic carvings found in rocks in Ireland and Great Britain. However, there are also other markings that indicate an agricultural calendar of sorts. And still more that appear to be solely navigational.

I think the most fascinating on is the relief map of Michigan and the five Great Lakes. The carving is even more evident when it rains and the "lakes" fill with water. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a shot of that. But I'm stunned by the idea of someone carving such an accurate map without the benefit of an aerial view. 

There are some historians and archeologists that are suggesting that it's possible that some of the very early, nomadic Celts ended up here via the Atlantic Ocean and via the waterways of Canada and into the Great Lakes - with the result being a melded culture with the Ojibwa. It hasn't been proven, of course, and there may be other explanations for it, but the possibilities are totally inspiring me.

I'm hoping to get out to Beaver Island soon and see the circle for myself, but for now, I'm just gonna keep working on the book.

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