I love Becky Karush’s literary podcast, Read To Me. I love her voice and her ability to distill essence from a short passage of a longer work. I learn something every time I listen. I highly recommend that you sign up for her offerings. Always short. Always delightful. Always insightful.

Today I am honored to share Day 3 of SPREE WEEK on Read To Me wherein Becky reads a passage from — ta-da! — my novel Other Wise. Apologies for the blatant self-promotion but I believe her take on any piece of writing is worth a listen.

I was humbled as I listened to her delicious voice read this scene and discuss, as only Becky can, what she loves about the writing. She has given me renewed insight into my own characters, my own words, and my sometimes unconscious choices. She has brought to the surface the work of my inner writer — that wise part of the writing self always present and contributing.

Please consider signing up for regular doses of Becky’s brilliance. You won’t regret it. And check out her Gateless writing salons. She is a truly gifted facilitator.

https://www.readtomepod.com/season2episodes/spreeweekday3?fbclid=IwAR0Dk1NEs69rhv7qsuluEZPtplIpsYwrvmAJ8xKf0B9Aua5mMTadWOfnc_M

We’re on the threshold of a new month. A short one. What will you do with your twenty-eight days?

May I suggest a new practice? A daily haiku? A flash of fiction? A sudden-prompt? A five-minute sketch? A gathering of imagery — a collage?

When I sit to write, I have a ritual that tells my body, mind, and spirit it’s time to create. I breathe, … light a candle (a particular candle), … and ring the ting-sha. I wait for the sound to settle into silence and then begin. This ritual is the doorway to story telling time for me.

To this I am adding something new.

Tomorrow, February 1st, following the tone of the ting-sha, I’ll compose a fresh haiku. If you wish to join me in this practice, create an intention and come to the page or canvas. Though we’ll be working in our own time and space, we’ll be companions in spirit.

The haiku tradition I stick to is the Japanese form of seventeen syllables arranged in three-lines of 5, 7, & 5. It can be spoken on a breath and is of a moment.

In the introduction to her book, haiku mind, Patricia Donegan says:

“A fine haiku presents a crystalline moment of heightened awareness in simple imagery, traditionally using a kigo or season word from nature. It is this crystalline moment that is most appealing. However, this moment is more than a reflection of our day-to-day life–it is a deep reminder for us to pause and to be present to the details of the everyday. It is this way of being in the world with the awakened open-hearted awareness–of being mindful of the ordinary moments of our lives–that I’ve come to call “haiku mind.”

Step into haiku mind with me. Then let that thought go and allow whatever wants to be written to come. Don’t worry about doing it right or even well.

Perhaps yours won’t have a reference word or phrase for nature. No snow or icy pond. No woodsmoke or burning leaves. No crocuses or forsythia. No shimmering heat or thundering storm or dandelion sending off her seeds. And that’s okay.

A remembered haiku from years ago comes to me for inspiration now:

I scooped up the moon/ in my water bucket and/ spilled it on the grass (Ryuho)

And another:

Chrysanthemums bloom/ in a gap between the stones/ of a stonecutter’s yard (Matsuo Basho)

One syllable off, but it’s a translation. And even if it weren’t, it’s okay.

If, however, haiku is not your February choice, then try some flash fiction. It’s a great springboard. An excellent resource is Going Short – an invitation to flash fiction, by Nancy Stohlman. And there are many online sites that offer daily prompts to set you alight.

Perhaps you’d prefer sketching for five minutes each day. Or gathering images from calendars and magazines and greeting cards and building a layered collage or 28 minis.

Whatever you decide, meet me metaphorically and prime the pump before beginning to write, or rewrite, or artistically explore.

Will there be days when your “results” are less than stellar? When your 5-7-5 is more like a 3-9-4? Or your watercolor sketch becomes a muddy mess? … Absolutely. … It’s the practice that matters, the continuous rhythm, the daily journey into self and onto the page.

When out walking, I’m often reminded of a story I read years ago and an image returns. — A Japanese master on his death bed, all stillness but for the faint fluttering of his fingers, … five, seven, five, …

Sometimes I notice my own fingers moving as I go and I smile:

toward the chuckling brook/ I’m walking on tree shadows/ mingling with the melt

Join me, won’t you?

Share a haiku or two along the way in the comments.

You are a creative …

Be still. Breathe. Begin.

We’re standing on the threshold. A writers’ month lies ahead. It’s filled with opportunities to kick up your word count, settle into your practice, get that novel started or done, or begin a flash fiction adventure. Tomorrow is the first day of November.

If you’re longing to get back at it, jazz up what you’re already doing, or try something new, here’s your chance. You have options both fun and challenging. Many options. Because November is for writers.

There are many NaNo’s to choose from now. It started with NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month. It’s now ballooned to short stories, flash fiction, poetry, etc. It takes place in November and it starts tomorrow and you get an extra hour of sleep before you plunge in.

On their website http://www.nanowrimo.org you’ll find the following: NaNoWriMo believes in the transformational power of creativity. We provide the structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals and build new worlds — on and off the page.

What a gift. And it’s free. Just sign up. See what happens.

A new favorite November challenge for me is Nancy Stohlman’s FlashNANo. Flash fictions are stories under 1000 words. Visit http://www.nancystohlman.com (click on 2020FLASHNANO!) Sign on and receive 30 prompts for 30 days. You’ll write 30 flash fiction pieces. Some as short as a few words or sentences. If you miss a day, you can catch yourself up any time, no problem.

I did it for the first time last year and wow. I came through it with thirty pieces that can stand alone or become longer works. And with every one I wrote, I became more comfortable with the form and with hitting the ground running with writing sprints.

You’ve nothing to lose to and everything to gain.

I’ve not yet done the actual NaNoWriMo challenge but I received an invite from Sisters in Crime (you don’t have to be a member) who is sponsoring it this year. The deal: you make a commitment to yourself to produce 50,000 words in a month. A definite challenge. I’m working on my second novel with some cleaning up and wrapping up left to do. So, I’m thinking, why not?

If nanos don’t ring any bells for you, I suggest you try a Gateless Writing Method salon/workshop or retreat offered by a couple of fabulous facilitators I know, one in Maine and one in New Hampshire.

Jodi Paloni http://www.jodipaloni.com is the heart center of Maine Coast Writers. With Jodi, I experienced my first Gateless retreat last year at a B&B on the Pemiquid Penninsula and was hooked. I later partook of a writing salon at her studio. Then Covid swept all in-person plans away and Jodi adapted. She created some evening workshops/salons and two retreats via zoom which combined adventures in both word and image. What a boost to my writing practice. What a creativity incubator. More wow. And wow.

Yesterday, I experienced a free salon with Becky Karush, the other Gateless coach I mentioned earlier. I’d been introduced to Becky’s “Read To Me” podcast by Jodi and became a regular listener. http://www.readtomepod.com Check it out. It’s delicious. Becky reads from a work that intrigues her and then discusses what she loves about the chosen piece. Hers is a voice you want to listen to, often. Her insightful analysis of the power and beauty of the works she shares is both informative and transformative.

Turns out, she is as gifted as Jodi in conducting a writing salon. Both draw you into a safe container for writing in the company of others. You write, listen, and give feedback to one another. Feedback begins with the words “I loved ______” about the piece.

Tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 1, she offers a free salon! The third of three. Go to her site and sign up. Now!

I offer you these suggestions in the spirit of community. Leap. Take risks. Walk through that hesitation, that fear. Tell the critic to take a nap. Let community and wise teachers and sister/brother writers lift you up and carry you to your finish line, whatever that may look like to you.