This is a photo of my books set up at the Nebraska Writers Guild Spring Conference in Omaha that I attended this past Thursday, Friday, and Saturday — and the reason I did not get a “Tomes and Topics” out last Friday as I normally do (or try to do). Since I’m the Guild secretary, I was there Wednesday evening to help set things up, so my books were some of the first to get displayed — by late Thursday, all the tables were full of books by Nebraska authors.
While at the conference, I wrote about 2,000 more words in the rough draft of my next novel that I’m still trying to complete, I attended many classes and taught one myself (about how to line up library appearances if you’re an indie author like me doing everything by yourself), and I helped make sure that all the speakers stayed within their allotted times. I also networked and hung out with like-minded people, so it was a great rejuvenating experience for me even though it was utterly exhausting because of the amount of time spent at it.
Now, I’m home and trying to get back into my normal writing routine. Easier said than done, of course.
Julie Cameron, the author of “The Artist’s Way,” “The Right to Write,” and other books, recommends that writers write what she calls “morning pages.” The following quotes are from juliacameronlive.com:
The bedrock tool of a creative recovery is a daily practice called Morning Pages.
Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing,
done first thing in the morning. *There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages*–
they are not high art. They are not even “writing.” They are about
anything and everything that crosses your mind– and they are for your eyes
only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and
synchronize the day at hand. Do not over-think Morning Pages: just put
three pages of anything on the page...and then do three more pages tomorrow.
A few months ago, I started writing my own “morning pages” as an attempt to do all the things mentioned above by Cameron but also as a way to discover myself, both as a writer and as a person.
The word “identity” has been thrown around a lot in the media and on social sites lately, so I hesitate to even use that word, but that’s basically what I’ve been searching for — my author identity.
I think it’s a search, or a journey, that I will be on for the rest of my life. With each book, and even with each idea I have for a story, that identity changes a bit (or a lot), and I don’t ever want to be pigeon-holed or stereotyped as a writer — I don’t want to be labeled and then expected to keep putting out that kind of work. I want to write whatever comes to me — from poetry to essays, from fiction to non-fiction, from travelogues to my book column, from genre writing to literary fiction, from stand-up comedy bits to philosophical meanderings, etc.
Basically, I want to be seen as an artist. Scratch that — I want to BE an artist.
On the drive to Omaha and then on the drives to and from the conference each day, I listened to the audiobook version of “The Creative Act: A Way of Being” by Rick Rubin. I enjoyed it so much that I checked out the digital form of it last night, so I can see and jot down some of the insightful things he said.
Rubin’s specialty is record producing, but what he has to say in this book applies to any artist in any field, including writing.
My morning pages, though not truly the stream of consciousness writing that Cameron advocates, have opened my eyes more and more to who I really am. It’s not an easily definable thing because it transcends simple labels like “Trevor and Sam’s mom,” “a Nebraska author,” “a retired teacher,” “a motorcyclist,” “a book lover,” etc.
There’s a core there that can’t be put into words, which is extremely ironic since that’s what I most enjoy doing — putting things into words.
It’s that search, that constant search, for who I truly am so that true me can come through in what I do write. That essential ME will be there in the books, stories, poems, essays, etc. that I write (and in those I have already written), and I want my art, my writings, to exude it in some fashion, yet not in a way that hits the reader over the head with it.
I’m not sure if I’m making myself completely clear, but that’s also all right because in a state of constant discovery, things can’t be completely clear all the time.
Later this week, I will be appearing at a library to speak about my column, and then I will be one of many Nebraska authors setting up in Norfolk on Saturday for a book fair. After the fair, Alex Kava, a best-selling author who originates from Nebraska, will lead a writing activity for novelists, like me, who are trying to finish their next book — so, yes, I will be attending her class.
I’ve met and visited with Kava a few times in the past, and she’s not only a good writer but also a really nice person. If you’d like to learn more about her and her books, go to her website at alexkava.com
As I ramble and roam my way along my writing journey, I want to continually learn from others who have gone before me, so I’m looking forward to her class. I think that’s something we should all do, no matter who we are: keep learning and keep working on ourselves.
Since I’ll be busy later this week, too, you probably won’t hear from me until next week sometime.
Prior to writing this, I took my dog for a walk. Just before a small bridge, I caught movement out of my eye and instantly locked eyes with a small fox. She stood very still in the tall grass and stared at me before turning and moving down the slope. I managed to get a couple photos of her from the bridge before she disappeared into her den. The quality isn’t the best because I only had my phone with me, and I wanted to capture the photo before she disappeared.
Why am I telling you about a fox I saw a few hours ago? Before going on the walk, I was trying to think about what I’d share this week with you, and then the fox appeared, and I remembered a poem I wrote about a fox years ago. So, I’m going to share that poem and a few others about animals with my paying subscribers.
If you’re not yet a paying one, would you consider becoming one for a month or two at least? It’s only a few dollars, and it would mean a lot to me. Thanks for considering it.
Until next time if you’re not a paying subscriber.
Tammy Marshall
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