Writers On The Rise Zine March 2006 Issue

Welcome spring! Well…almost. We got a week of it in the middle of February. I could tell because many of my students in the Pacific Northwest stopped doing their homework. Then winter came rumbling back in like a thundergod. But lately–thankfully–the weather is growing milder, the crocus and daffodils are emerging, and even the ever-gray can’t keep people down.

How can we channel some of this emerging energy into our writing career? The quarter points of the year are a good time to assess how we’re doing on the goals we set at the New Year. We may need to tweak or realign those goals at this time, now that we have a more realistic idea about what we can accomplish. I look for ways to bribe my writer-self to meet big goals, like the promise of a trip to Disneyland or a spa day. What might motivate your Pavlovian inner-writer?

Now is the time to light a fire under our butts if we are going to meet our goals in nine months. Where can you find that fire? Right here in Writers On The Rise, of course. You can also sign up for a class. I am so inspired by my Pitching Practice students, who are writing one query a week. Go, Writers, Go!

You might start a publishing group—a teaching/learning group of writers, who support each other in getting their work into the hands of industry decision-makers. You can plan to attend a writing conference. Contact summer and fall coordinators NOW and ask about volunteer opportunities that can save you money. You can drop a few of the time-gobblers that aren’t doing your writing goals any good. And finally, you can add some good old-fashioned creativity breaks to your schedule. It’s amazing what a short walk, some window-shopping or a visit to a local gallery or museum can do for a weary mind.

I’m coming off a couple of weeks of a little less intense work and I’m ready to go back "into the tunnel" to finish off Writer Mama for a May 1st deadline. But during the respite, I’ve been reminded of the importance of getting out of the house, expanding my reference points and playing more. How about you? How are you going to scratch that spring itch? How are you going to direct all the energy that has been building up inside of you this past winter?

Here are a few ideas from this month’s issue: Spring clean your computer. Our newest columnist, Sharon Cindrich, a technology expert from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin explains how to do it safely. Kelly James-Enger shares the secret of turning rejection into success. And Jenna Glatzer, author and Editor and Publisher of AbsoluteWrite teaches us how to avoid falling prey to scammers who exploit writers.

Want to learn how to write for publications on topics that engage you? In this e-mail course, you will develop confidence by writing and submitting an article at the end of our six weeks together. You can try your pen at the three most marketable types of nonfiction articles—personal essays, how-to articles and interviews—and polish and submit one of your drafts by the end of the class. The class workbook is 60-pages long and includes weekly questionnaires, check-ins, resources, inspiration and assignments to advance your writing career. Two detailed reviews of your draft-in-progress are included at weeks three and six. Visit Writing Classes with Christina Katz for more information.

Q: I’d like to break into magazines but many of them say to send published clips. I don’t have much to send. What should I do?

A: Since you didn’t specify what clips you DO have, I’ll give you some general advice.

While the term “published clips” is just how it sounds, “writing samples,” (which you’ll see a lot) can be UNPUBLISHED pieces.

If you’re writing for say, Parenting Magazine, but don’t have any published clips,

you can send a general writing sample of a parenting-related subject. Better yet, create a blog or Web site and start posting writing samples so you can just email editors the link.

If you need a published clip, you can send a piece that’s been published – even if it’s on a different subject– and then just list the places you’ve been published. Don’t worry if they’re small – like a college newspaper or a company/church newsletter. Just mention the name. You don’t have to go into specifics, apologizing about how small the newsletter was. Most likely, your style of writing will speak for itself. Here’s an example of what I’m suggesting for someone who only wrote for her college newspaper, her church newsletter and her corporate e-newsletter:

“Jane Smith’s work has appeared in The Collegiate, The Glory Church Times and MCI’s corporate publication, Tech Today.”

Also, you may want to try to rack up some clips in local and regional publications – even if they don’t pay much – to get you into the larger publications that require published clips.

Q: I’ve written for a few online publications but now I want to break into magazines. Can I resell the pieces that I sold to Web sites?

A: This depends on what rights you sold and if the magazines you’re pitching buys

previously published pieces that have run online. Many larger magazines want First North American Serial Rights (FNASR), which means they want to be the first publication in North America to run the piece.

If you didn’t sign a contract, you probably still own the rights. (Just be careful as some Web sites and even contests say in fine print “by sending us your submission you give us all rights to this piece.”) If you DID sign a contract, you’ll have to review what rights you sold. Some online publications buy electronic rights for a certain period of time – like six months – after which all rights revert back to you. When in doubt, write to the editor at the online publication to ask if you can resell the piece.

Wendy Burt is a full-time freelance writer and editor in Colorado Springs, Colo. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Writer, Writer’s Digest, Byline and Family Circle. Autographed copies of her two books, “Oh, Solo Mia! The Hip Chick’s Guide to Fun for One” (April 2001, McGraw-Hill) and “Work It, Girl! 101 Tips for the Hip Working Chick” (June 2003, McGraw-Hill) are available through http://BurtCreations.com.

Featured Writer On The Rise

Give Your Computer a Good Spring Cleaning

As I emerge from the frigid temperatures and dark days of winter, my computer and I have a lot in common. We’re both slow to start up in the morning, storing a bit of extra weight after a busy winter and feeling the need to get in shape in time for swimsuit season (or in my computer’s case, an onslaught of new writing projects).

If your computer is running a bit sluggish and limiting your productivity, it might just need a good old-fashioned spring cleaning. To get started, make sure you have a complete back up of all files. Then try these tips to cut the fat and boost your computer’s energy level.

Clean out old files. Your computer is like a giant closet, crammed with out-dated sweaters or in this case, old files and programs, and the same rules apply – if you haven’t touched it in a year, throw it out. Old writing, bulky photo files and outdated software can really suck up space, so get rid of files you don’t use or back them up and store them somewhere other than your computer. Lighten your load even more by weeding out your temporary files folder, emptying your recycling bin regularly and deleting old e-mails in your inbox and your sent box. If you’re not sure how long it’s been since you’ve worked on a file, simply move the mouse cursor over the file to read the “last modified” date.

Clean your hardware. Dust can be a big problem for computers, especially if you work in a carpeted room, if you smoke, if you have furry pets nearby or happen to do a lot of eating at the keyboard (like me, gulp.)

Start with the accessories. Turn over your keyboard to get rid of debris, then used compressed air to blowout dirt from between the keys. If your mouse has a roller ball, remove it, wash it with warm water and let it air dry. Blow dust from the cavity of the mouse before re-inserting the ball and use a mouse pad with a smooth surface, as opposed to a fabric one to minimize dusty build up. If you have an infrared mouse, turn it off, use tweezers to remove debris from the eyehole and avoid using a mouse pad at all.

To clear dust out of your computer, unplug it and ground yourself with a static strap (available in hardware and office supply stores.) Then, open the case of your computer and do a little dusting using compressed air to chase dust bunnies away from fans and vents. Always refer to your computer’s instruction manual or the manufacturer’s website before cleaning your computer and make sure to read the directions on the compressed air in order to avoid damaging your equipment.

Defrag your data. When computers save your files, they search your hard drive for available space, filling up vacancies and sometimes splitting files into pieces. This file fragmentation can cause the retrieval of your files to be slow, as your computer gathers all the parts to put your file together. Running a defrag program, every three months can reorganize your files so all the parts are in the same place and retrieval is faster. (Note: This is most useful for Windows.)

Update your Antivirus software. Cold and flu season may be over, but your computer is susceptible to viruses all year long. ‘Malware’ (viruses, worms, spam and spyware) doesn’t always destroy your files or make your computer crash, but it can cause quirky and sluggish behavior. And since new malware is created every day, getting regular updates is important in keeping these nemeses out of your system. Check with the manufacturer of your computer’s security program for updates, which are often free to download from their website.

Disable Extra Programs. Messaging, media and back-up programs that initiate as soon as you turn on your computer can cause a slow start up and hog up your RAM. Turning these programs off may boost your computer’s processing time and eliminate error messages.

Reinstall Your Operating System. Still slogging along? If you feel like your system is just not up to par, you can start from scratch by re-installing your operating system (like Windows or Mac OS). This will put your computer exactly where it was on the day you bought it, getting rid of any sneaky viruses, spyware or adware that has slipped though the cracks. Before you consider this, talk to a your computer support professional to make sure you back up your existing files correctly and have all the software you need to make your reinstallation a success.

Sharon Miller Cindrich is a freelance writer whose work has been published nationally in magazines and newspapers around the country including The Chicago Tribune, Parents Magazine, and The Writer. She is a Contributing Editor at FamilyFun Magazine and writes a bimonthly humor column for West Suburban Living Magazine in the Chicago Suburbs. She is a regular contributor to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Lifestyle section and Metroparent Magazine. Her book E-Parenting: Get Plugged In to Raise Safe, Smart Kids is due out from Random House at the end of the year. Read more about Sharon at http://www.mediabistro.com/sharoncindrich.

Since I've deemed my first novel, Blackbelly, a "Contemporary Western" and basically started a new genre, I've found that most people skip "contemporary," hear only "western," and plunk my book into the old fashioned shoot-em-up category. This is bad.

I called my book a contemporary western for a good reason and I'd like to raise awareness about what exactly it means. I've bought the domain contemporarywestern.com and am in the process of developing the pages. It's not focused on me or my work, but on the body of work (books and film) that fall into this new genre.

Some examples: Annie Prouxl's Brokeback Mountain, Larry Watson's White Crosses, Sherman Alexi's Reservation Blues, Kathy Baldwin Keenan's The Horse Whisperer. You get the picture...

I consider contemporary western a story set in the rural American west that takes place after the Great Depression (basically, life as we know it). I'm looking for ideas, but especially for content. Your favorite contemporary western authors and screenwriters, book and movies. I'm also looking for reviews to post. I can't offer money, but I can give you a byline.

Tell me why you like these authors/writers and stories. What grabs you about the work. Please send me everything you can think of. And feel free to share this with others who might like to contribute. Send your input to: hsharfeddin@yahoo.com.

I'm going to let you in a little secret about sending your work out for publication. You're going to get rejected.

There it is. It's not that surprising, is it? But this fact stops many would-be writers in their tracks. It doesn't have to. Expect rejection—and then plan what you'll do next. I suggest you try my "24-hour rule." When you get a rejection, or a "bong," as I call it, do two things within the next 24 hours.

Number one, send a new query to the editor who bonged you, starting with, “Thank you very much for your response to my query about [fill in the blank]. While I’m sorry you can’t use it at this time, I have another idea for you to consider…” Number two, resubmit the idea (tweaking it, if appropriate) to a new market.

Author, speaker and consultant Kelly James-Enger is a certified personal trainer and the author of books including Small Changes, Big Results: A 12-Week Action Plan to a Better Life (with Ellie Krieger, R.D.) and Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer’s Guide to Making More Money. Visit http://www.becomebodywise.com for free articles about freelancing and more information about her.

LAURAL RINGLER published "See Radio Live with the Midnight Mystery Players," plus an accompanying photo, in the March issue of Entertainment News Northwest.

ARLENE CHERWIN’S essay on moving to Seattle from Boston was published in the fall/winter issue of Uncapped, the e-zine of Seattle Writer Grrls (www.seattlewritergrrls.org). The theme for the issue was turning over a new leaf.

LAUREN FRITZEN published "Lucia Douglas Gallery: Exhibiting the True Spirit of the Northwest" in the February issue of Entertainment News Northwest and "The Monday Night Project: In Concert at the Fairhaven Firehouse" in the March issue.

SUSAN CLARK published "Take That You Dirty Rat: Rodent Monitoring, Prevention and Control" in the Jan-Feb, 2006 issue of In Good Tilth; had an article "CSAs Joint Marketing" accepted by Touch The Soil, and put out her first issue as editor of the land trust newsletter Salt of the Earth.

JOANNA NESBIT published “Love Brings Bavarian Pretzels to Bellingham” in the February issue of Entertainment News Northwest, and “Handprint Arts Gallery Celebrates One-Year Anniversary” in the March issue of the same magazine.

KELLY HUFFMAN published short reviews of the plays "Boston Marriage," "Last Year's Kisses," and "The Devil & Daniel Webster," all for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Her feature article, "From Meatballs to Melodrama at IKEA," was published in the 2/17/06 issue of the Post-Intelligencer.

LORI RUSSELL’s article “Coming in from the Cold: Felines Find Care and Comfort at Catlink” about combating the homeless cat population in the Columbia Gorge appears in the March issue of Ruralite magazine.

SAGE COHEN was invited to be a monthly columnist for Black Lamb, a Portland-based journal devoted to the art of the essay. Her first essay will appear in the April 2006 issue.

Success happens in clusters, writers! Keep the anouncements coming and keep inspiring us. Corrections, Omissions, News? Keep us posted.

PITCHING PRACTICE STARTS MAY 24TH BUT REGISTER NOW BECAUSE SPACE IS LIMITED
You've taken freelance writing classes, you've read writing and marketing books, you've published a few articles. Now all you need are assignments, deadlines and more checks made out to yours truly. In this class, pitching is all we do. Over the course of six weeks, we are crank out six queries. This is exactly the kind of practice you need if you want to get in the habit of landing regular assignments, designed for writers with a basic understanding of query writing, who want to take their career to the next level. For details visit: Writing Classes with Christina Katz.

SAVE $20 WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR WPNA AND PITCHING PRACTICE BY MARCH 31ST!

Author Jenna Glatzer’s latest book is a good choice for the spot next to your dictionary and style manual. Her book is The Street-Smart Writer: Self-Defense Against Sharks and Scams in the Writing World and is co-authored with attorney Daniel Steven.

The Street-Smart Writer has been selected as a Writer's Digest Book Club selection and provides new and not-so-new writers with a detailed and enjoyable read about all the ways others are trying to take us for a ride – and that’s not in a shiny new car, either.

The professional reviews and reader reactions to Street-Smart have been fantastic. I've been frustrated that there's a large segment of the "new writer" population that isn't savvy about the sorts of scams that exist: bogus agents who charge up-front fees or have kick-back schemes with editorial services, poetry contests that name everyone semi-finalists and exist to sell vanity books, print-on-demand vanity publishers masquerading as "real" publishers, and so on.

Unfortunately, there's no shortage of people preying on the hopes of new writers... if we could build up an army of savvy writers who can protect the new writers, we might save people from a lot of heartache and costly mistakes. I hope The Street-Smart Writer will be a major contributor to that army.

I began writing screenplays when I was 21, and it was an exciting ride of "almosts." I won a few contests, had scripts optioned, got an agent, but made almost no money. I needed to find a way to support myself, so I began writing for magazines. That was my main focus for several years, and I wrote greeting cards on the side. Along the way, I had a couple of short plays produced and did some business writing, too. Then I began writing books. I've written 14 to date, and am under contract for three more. Most of what I do now is either ghostwriting or co-writing.

How did your anxiety disorder affect your writing and how did you overcome it?

I probably wouldn't have become a writer if not for the anxiety disorder. I was agoraphobic (housebound because of panic attacks) for several years, and could no longer work outside the home. I had plenty of time to write! (Prior to that, I was a children's theatre actress.)

Overcoming it was a process. I tried lots of medications and saw three therapists, and I tried self-help tapes and books and meditation, but nothing really "clicked" until the man who would become my husband showed up and gave me the impetus to get back into the world. He taught me not to be embarrassed of my physical symptoms, which took away their power. Then I found the right medication (Lexapro), and a role model to follow (Jamie Blyth), and gradually got better and better.

How did you meet your co-author, Daniel Steven, and which of you did what on the book?

Daniel was a columnist for Absolute Write. I loved his style-- not too often that you find a publishing lawyer who writes with humor and a real down-to-earth style. So when my publisher asked me for a book about beating writing scams, I asked Daniel to write it with me. I wrote the first draft of most of the book (Daniel wrote a couple of chapters almost entirely himself), and asked him to fill in parts where my expertise wasn't enough. He did the second draft and checked through the book to make sure I wasn't giving any inaccurate advice.

How can a person sort out legitimate opportunities to write (and get paid) for websites and e-zines from the losers?

Even though pay-per-click has declined, other crappy deals for writers have multiplied. "Content writing" and SEO (search engine optimization) writing ads are all over the place. The emphasis is on quantity rather than quality. I don't think it's so awful for writers to do these kinds of jobs for short periods of time, just to see what it's like to have deadlines and to get the excitement of having "assignments," but it's not really doing anything for you. Much better to spend your time honing your skills and going after the established markets–e-zines and magazines you've heard of, that pay decent rates, that have editorial standards.

Would you share a favorite story about writers facing the perils of the marketplace?

I just love it, in general, when a person writes to tell me that he or she found us right on time. I get letters almost daily to say, "Thanks so much for your website. I was just about to sign a contract with XYZ agency, but I did a Google search and found your Bewares & Background Check board and I found out it's a scam. I tore up the contract." Then I punch my fist in the air, laugh slightly maniacally, and say, "You'll never get them, scammers... never, never!"

Susan W. Clark is a freelance writer and photographer. Her work regularly appears in publications such as Capital Press, In Good Tilth, Permaculture Activist, the Canby Herald, and Small Farmer’s Journal. She was recently recognized as Author of the Year by the editor of In Good Tilth. She comes to her writing about sustainability as a Master Gardener and organic farmer. She co-founded Oregon Sustainable Agriculture Land Trust (OSALT) and is editor of the quarterly journal SALT of the Earth. She lives with her husband near Canby, Oregon.

The Myth of the Muse

Successful writers don't wait for inspiration to get them writing, instead, because these writers have regular, daily writing habits, their muses show up frequently to inspire. Why? They know when and where to find their writers.

Are you waiting for your muse to come to you before you start writing? If so, you're missing the opportunity to turn your writing hobby into a writing career.

Professional writers write, every day. There's no way around it. If you dream of seeing your published byline on a regular basis, you need to start cranking out the words. Pick a place, set a time and write every day. Not just when the spirit moves you or your muse arrives.

Don't let negative thinking psych you out. New, good habits are often derailed because we expect too much from ourselves at the start. Every word you commit to screen or paper during your daily writing sessions doesn't need to be your best. There's plenty of time for editing. The key to unlocking the publication door is getting your ideas out of your head and on to paper habitually. Once that door is open and your ideas are flowing, you begin improving your craft by setting your ideas and notions out one word at a time. Those words become sentences and then begin forming paragraphs; before you know it you've got articles, chapters and completed books.

What you may discover, like many of the great and prolific writers who have come before–Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, Eva Shaw–is that by forming a daily writing habit, your muse will know when and where to find you. As you develop your own daily writing habit, you'll quickly discover that your muse will know where to find you and begin showing up more regularly.

Gregory A. Kompes (Kompes.com) is a writer, photographer, and professional speaker. He is the author of the bestseller 50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live (fabcities.com) and The Endorsement Quest (endorsementquest.com), founder of The GLBT Authors' Project (glbtauthors.com) and Fabulist Flash Publishing (FabulistFlashPublishing.com), editor of The Fabulist Flash (FabulistFlash.com), an informative newsletter for writers, and produces a line of art cards and gifts. Gregory is a graduate of Columbia University, NY.

August 5: "Build Expertise and Experience Writing for Newspapers, Magazines and Online"

Symbolically, the Equinox makes March a month of light. So let’s lighten the earth’s load by looking at ways of getting your writing out there on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. That is, if paper is needed at all.

Obviously, email saves paper, so sending your queries and articles electronically gets you sustainability points, but when paper is needed, here are some tips to combine your frugal nature with saving trees and looking professional.

Ask for 100% post-consumer papers. Your local print shop or office supply outlet may carry it. Yippee if they do. If not, why not order exactly what you want? Ordering is often quick and buying a whole case can save 10% or more.

Look for brightness above 90. According to Roger Weston, an Ikon copier technician, “High brightness gives you sharper images and greater contrast.”

Look for acid-free or archival paper, especially if you are selling photographs along with your writing. This paper won’t yellow and fade for decades, so your clips will last and last.

Consider heavier weight paper. Copiers typically use 20-pound paper, and using a heavier type will give a more substantial, more professional feel to a printed product. Printers and copiers will handle a weight range from 20 to 32 pounds. Try a 24-pound paper and see if you like the difference.

The Mohawk brand makes a 100% post consumer paper with a brightness of 96, the highest I found in my search. Staples lists a 20-pound 100% recycled, acid-free paper with a brightness of 90 priced at $4.49 per ream. I currently use “Smart brand eco-100PCW” 20-pound ordered by my local print shop.

Susan W. Clark is a freelance writer and photographer. Her work regularly appears in publications such as Capital Press, In Good Tilth, Permaculture Activist, the Canby Herald, and Small Farmer’s Journal. She was recently recognized as Author of the Year by the editor of In Good Tilth. She comes to her writing about sustainability as a Master Gardener and organic farmer. She co-founded Oregon Sustainable Agriculture Land Trust (OSALT) and is editor of the quarterly journal SALT of the Earth. She lives with her husband near Canby, Oregon.

Three Ways to Learn by Immersion

By Kelly Huffman

Book a working weekend in New York City on April 29-30 at this 35th annual gathering of freelance writers. Scores of nationally published writers with credits at Time, Woman’s Day, Parade, Oxygen, Conde Nast Traveler and many other magazines lead practical workshops aimed at improving your craft – and your cash flow. Learn what women’s magazines want; write sure-fire queries; break into copywriting; explore new markets for your writing. http://www.asja.org/wc/wc.php.

Three jam-packed days of workshops, agent pitch sessions, and editorial critiques await you April 21-23 in Colorado Springs. The focus is on commercial fiction, with a roster of published authors offering insights into the mystery, romance, young adult, and chick lit markets. http://www.ppwc.net/ppwc06.html#schedule.

Field’s End hosts its first conference on April 22 in Poulsbo, Washington. The setting is the waterfront Kiana Lodge, owned and operated by the Suquamish Tribe. (In the tribe’s language, kiana means “garden of the gods.”) Choose from over sixteen fiction and nonfiction workshops presented by Karen Joy Fowler (The Jane Austen Book Club), Craig Lesley (Storm Riders), and Erik Larson (The Devil in the White City) and others. http://www.fieldsend.org/conference.html.

Kelly Huffman is a freelance writer and independent events planner based in Seattle. She contributes reviews and arts news to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the website Theatermania.com, and writes for the local lifestyle publication Destination Issaquah.

It’s my first trip to Shanghai. I’ve been here for six days, and later today, I will board the plane for the 17-hour flight home to the United States. In another four weeks, I will move to this bubbling hive of a city and live in an apartment in the Hongqiao district for the next two years.

Coming to China has reminded me of the most basic lesson a writer can learn: Be attentive, be in the moment, and for goodness sake, write it all down. Every time I turn a corner, open a door, peer into an alleyway, struggle to communicate with a clerk or a waitress who doesn’t speak a word of English, or leap out of the path of a speeding bicycle, I am reminded, in flashing neon ways, to mine my life for its writing gold.

When the giant, hairy European man cuddles his Chinese prostitute in the hotel lobby, I am reminded: Mine your life!

When the toddler set alone on the street corner to beg for money claps his metal cup against the concrete, I am reminded: Mine your life!

When the hustlers at the Xiang Yang open market vie for my attention, escort me down the street, and repeat, “DVDs? Sunglasses? Silk scarves?” over and over until I get the hang of things and shrug them off, I am reminded: Mine your life!

When I accidentally learn that most public toilets don’t offer toilet paper and that I should always carry a roll in my bag, I am reminded: Mine your life! When I realize that the stereotype of Chinese people being very short is just that, a stereotype, I am reminded: Mine your life!

In six days, I nearly fill an entire journal with observations, descriptions, jet-lag induced dreams, funny verbal exchanges with taxi drivers, and traveling experiences. In the coming weeks (after this darn jet lag wears off), I’ll rework these words into essays and stories. I’ll polish and shine each piece. And then, after all that, I’ll have a collection of work ready to send for publication and the writer’s process will have come full circle.

Kristin O’Keeffe is a writer, teacher, and editor. In just a few weeks, she’ll be moving to Shanghai where she will explore culture, history, myth, and place. Her work has appeared in The Gettysburg Review, The Larcom Review, Permafrost, and Hair Trigger. She is a regular contributor to The ELL Outlook and PortFolio magazine. For more information, visit www.kristinbaircreative.com.

"New and Collected Poems, Volume Two" by Mary Oliver

Reviewed By Cathy Belben

“Be ignited, or be gone,” writes poet Mary Oliver in “What I Have Learned So Far,” one of the many incredible poems in her latest collection, New and Collected Poems, Volume Two. Acting upon the things that matter to us is the essence of being alive, the poem tells us. “Can one be passionate about the ideal, and yet commit to no labor in its cause? I don’t think so.”

In the spring, we clean—our homes and garages, our desks and cars. We pack boxes for donation and put away sweaters and scarves in preparation for sunshine and swimming.

We might also clean our minds—clear away the detritus of unlived resolutions, inaction, and negativity that crept in during the dark months of winter.

“How quickly, if I only knew by what remedy, I would turn from the commotion of my own life,” Oliver writes. Inspiration for this spring cleaning—the only real excavation and clearing that truly matters—might easily be discovered in her poetry. Oliver’s poems encourage us to embrace the time we’ve been gifted—to make the most of the world and the words that are in and around us. What could be more important?

Reading a book of poetry is unlike other literary endeavors. It is a slow savoring; words like Oliver’s deserve to be read thoughtfully and purposefully. A poem a day will push you into the world, open your eyes to its incredible, amazing temporary presence. It will ignite you.

Cathy Belben is a Bellingham, Washington native whose writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Bookmarks magazine, School Library Journal, Bicycle Paper, and Writers on the Rise. A high school English teacher and librarian for the past fifteen years, she recently took a year’s leave from her job to write for television. For information about Veronica Mars, go to http://www.upn.com/shows/veronica_mars/.

Adventures In Writing!

Writing and shooting my own images gives me an opportunity to examine a story from different perspectives. It also means I’m able to give editors a complete package – which seems to work out well for all concerned. These pictures were taken recently during an assignment for Sailing Magazine (www.sailingmagazine.net). The crew hoisted me to the top of the boat’s mast in a bosuns chair to give me a bird’s eye of the 28-foot center-cockpit sloop.

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Inspiration, Insight and Ideas For Emerging Writers Volume Three, Issue Three -- March 2006 (View Columnist Bios) Subscribe/Unsubscribe And Donation Instructions at the bottom of page