• The Written Word returns

    When Yahoo Groups shut down last month, I lost access to The Written Word, a mailing list I’d run for nearly 17 years. The contact information for hundreds of subscribers also disappeared as did my entire archive of past postings.

    The concept for The Written Word was simple: email a daily quotation about writing, editing, journalism, poetry or publishing. It was basically the online version of a page-a-day calendar.

    On weekends and vacations, I would prep future emails by scouring magazines and reading writing-related websites. I’d buy quotation collections secondhand and fill ’em with sticky notes, marking the pages that offered advice I wanted to share. Whenever I scrolled through social media, I’d save any interesting commentary from experts in the publishing business.

    While my goal was to provide a bit of inspiration to aspiring and professional writers, I would be remiss if I didn’t admit that the quotations I shared sometimes helped me too.

    As 2020 ended, I considered putting this project behind me. It was only after reading the many old emails I’d saved thanking me for sending the quotes that I decided to continue The Written Word. I may not be able to go out into the world and volunteer in person right now, but I can help others in this small way.

    So, I’ve relaunched The Written Word on Tiny Letter. To subscribe, click here. And if you enjoy what you read, share it with others and encourage them to subscribe as well.

  • Books

    A heartbreaking story of love, loss … and mountain climbing

    In the basement of The Strand, my favorite used book store in New York City, there is a maze of shelves dedicated to advanced review copies (ARCs). For those unfamiliar with the way the publishing industry works, ARCs are the uncorrected proofs of books that are about to be released. Publishers send these unfinished manuscripts to authors for blurbs and critics for review. Since The Strand is located in the publishing capital of the world, it receives thousands of ARCs. And while most are stamped “Not For Sale,” the store sells them to help build buzz about upcoming tomes.

    Whenever I’m in the city, I always make it a point to visit this section to discover some new writers. Authors and publishers will occasionally send me ARCs as well, in the hopes that I’ll write a review or perhaps share a positive comment on social media. When I have the time and inclination, I’m always happy to do so.

    I mention this because there’s a wonderful book by a brand new author hitting store shelves today.

    altitude sicknessPortland indie press Future Tense Books is launching a line called Instant Future eBooks, and its debut title is “Altitude Sickness” by Litsa Dremousis. The book, which is available on Amazon, tells the story of how the author dealt with the death of her best friend (and on-again-off-again boyfriend of 20 years). More than just a treatise on grieving, “Altitude Sickness” delves into the physical and emotional consequences of mountain climbing, and how society’s attitude toward this activity needs to change.

    M and I read an ARC of the book earlier this month. Reading together is one of my greatest joys. Even though he’s deaf, his hearing aids and my lower-timbered voice work well enough together to allow me to read to him. So on our fifth wedding anniversary, we took a drive and I shared Litsa’s tale of love and loss.

    This might seem like an odd choice of reading material for a romantic night out on the town, but it was actually quite fitting. We’ve been friends with Litsa for many years, and have a boundless adoration for her. Also, we became aware of her best friend’s mountain climbing accident while on our honeymoon, so the pain of his death and the joy at our pairing will always be intertwined.

    I loved this book’s wit and wisdom. While Litsa plumbs the abyss of her grief, she somehow manages to return to the surface to breathe and love and share the knowledge she gained from all that suffering. Her goal is not to memorialize the man she lost, but to remember; not to preach, but to enlighten.

    We laughed while reading numerous chapters — the Courtney Love and Clif bar ones were my particular favorites — then discussed the book’s many scientific revelations. Although neither of us are mountain climbers, M and I came away from this reading with a better understanding of the sport and its participants. I’ll also admit to breaking down in tears at the end. Even though I knew what was coming, it was incredibly difficult to read that last line.

    So, if you’re looking for something fascinating to read, I strongly recommend checking out “Altitude Sickness.” You won’t regret it.

  • Laptop and notepad

    Supporting writers and artists just makes cents

    A couple of people have asked about the new button at the bottom of each blog post. Most readers recognize the social media buttons and the email/print buttons, but what the heck is this one?:

    Centup
    That button is for CentUp, a service that allows readers to toss a few pennies into the digital hats of their favorite cyberbuskers. Best of all, half of each donation goes to a charitable organization. Learn more here:


    CentUp.org from CentUp on Vimeo.

    Interested in helping your favorite content creators? Sign up here and receive your first 100 cents free. Then, just click on the CentUp link whenever you see it on a particularly good blog post or podcast. Here are some links to get you started:

    The Weeklings
    The Second City Network
    Travel Geekery
    Zulkey

  • Chapter 1

    How to become a more disciplined writer

    At work, I’m on constant deadline. In the rare moments when I’m between breaking news events, I spend my time searching social media, contacting sources and checking out the competition for the next big story. I simply don’t have the time to dawdle.

    When I attempt to write fiction, however, procrastination can sometimes get in the way of productivity. Making stuff up is far more challenging than sharing facts and quotes. There are no looming deadlines forcing me to buckle down. And, frequently, the fear of sucking whirls like a fog through my Nauru-sized imagination.

    To prevent the blank page from mocking me into writer’s block, I simply buckle down and get to work. Here’s how:

    Look for inspiration

    * Read, in your preferred genre and outside of it. Learn how to become a better writer by reading authors who have serious talent.

    * Carry a notebook at all times to store random titles, story ideas, characters and bits of dialogue.

    * Subscribe to The Written Word, a free service that sends a writing- or publishing-related quote to your e-mail box.

    * Subscribe to The 10th Muse. This mailing list offers one or two writing prompts a week, perfect for inspiring your latest journal entry or freewriting session.

    * Speaking of freewriting, give it a try. Sometimes you just need to warm up a bit before diving into your latest writing project. There are plenty of great websites and books offering writing prompts, but I highly recommend “The Amazing Story Generator” by Jay Sacher.

    Eliminate distractions

    * Turn off your phone. Seriously. Don’t just put it on vibrate. Turn it off.

    * While you’re at it, shut down the Internet, too. Email, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, these sites are awesome …and total time-sucks. An easy way to hinder your access is to download and use Freedom.

    * Avoid people who do not support your writing. If you grant access to these folks, they will poison your muse.

    Develop a writing routine

    * Timed pop-up reminders encourage me to stand every 30 minutes and stretch. Computer reminders point out upcoming appointments/events. I even have a reminder to alert me to the fact that my tea has finished brewing. Consider setting reminders on your computer to work on your latest project.

    * Try the 100-word challenge. Every day, vow to write 100 words, no less. This practice not only encourages you to develop a daily writing habit, it builds up your confidence and your portfolio. Inevitably, you’ll write more than 100 words; the first 100 will simply clear out the dust bunnies in your brain.

    * If you have a superstition that works for you, indulge yourself. Doing so will put you in a focused frame of mind to create. When I write nonfiction, I do so in my home office. I generally prefer to work in silence. I drink hot tea or pop. When writing fiction, I prefer to work away from my desk. I often listen to playlists specifically designed for the project at hand. And I drink iced chai lattes.

    * Set self-imposed deadlines. I will finish my novel by the end of the year. I will blog five days a week. I will participate in National Novel Writing Month and pen 1,500 words a day for 30 days. Give yourself a goal and start working towards it.

    * Know when to stop. I like to kill off random characters or leave them in a jam at the end of a chapter. That way I have something interesting to ponder for the rest of the day/night. I also like to end my daily writing effort in the middle of a sentence. Sounds odd, but it works.

    Lastly, consider these sage words by John Gardner: “The real message is, write in any way that works for you: write in a tuxedo or in the shower with a raincoat or in a cave deep in the woods.”

    Just write!

  • Upcoming event in Keene, NH

    If you’re free on Wednesday night (Sept. 17) and interested in discussing any and all things related to writing/publishing/journalism, I’ll be speaking to the Among the Elms writers group at the Toadstool Bookshop (222 West St., Keene, N.H.). The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome.