Are You a Summer Writer?

I am not someone who writes a lot during the summer.

While many of my friends who teach college use this time to generate new work, I tend to use it to fill up, to fill myself with experiences and sun, to take a break from writing.

If I were put my writing life on a calendar, it would begin in September and end in May.  In late August, I get my writing shed ready for autumn.  And in September as my daughter returns to school, my writing life returns.

However, this was also the case before I had a daughter.  Sometimes I feel my schedule as a student so ingrained in me, it's how I see my life.  Still.

I am taking a break from violin lessons, consulting, editing, and readings.  My daughter is taking a break from horseriding lessons.  My husband is taking a break from firefighting.  And our plans?  Why we don't have any.  They will be made daily.  Lunch home or picnic?  Sit on the deck and read or sit on the beach and read?  Camping or camp in the yard?  Do nothing or do little?

If I write, it will also be unplanned.

If I submit, it will be only if asked (and I have time...I mean, time from doing nothing.)

We will simply and eat the food from our garden.  We will watch the sunset over the evergreens.  I will read poetry.  I will read my favorite books.  But will I hold a pencil?

Tell me, do you write in the summer?  Or do you fill up?  Relax?  Work and schedule vacation for a later season?



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Seattle Folks-- Free Writing Workshop!

Event description:

Thursday, July 8, 2010, at 7 p.m.




Join Midge Raymond at Seattle's all-indie Pilot Books for a free travel-writing workshop
and reading. 


In this hour-long workshop, you'll learn how to turn your adventures into compelling fictional stories or memoir. Learn how to portray character (even if the character is you), develop a storyline, and make your memories jump off the page through vivid description and detail. The workshop will be followed by a reading from Forgetting English. 


The event starts at 7 p.m. and is free and open to all.

Link to the info on Midge's web site: http://www.midgeraymond.com/news.html

Link to Pilot Books: http://www.pilotbooksseattle.com/wordpress/

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Since You Asked- A Close-up of my Door Knocker

Virtual Poetry Salon at Diane Lockward's blog with Susan Rich!

This is an incredible idea-- Diane Lockward (author of Temptation by Water) is hosting a virtual poetry salon at her blog for Susan Rich (author of The Alchemist's Kitchen).

What is great is that it's as if Susan is actually there as you can ask her specific questions in the comments and she answers them!

I asked her a question last night about her emotions as her book came out as I've found that as my book gets closer, I have been a dash of nerves as well as a bowl of happiness.  Her response was both thoughtful and helpful.

Anyway, if you want to visit, have a snack or two, ask a question and hear the conversation that's already happened, please visit Diane's blog, which I've linked up here.

Congrats Susan!



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Confession Tuesday - 7 Deadly Sins

Dear Reader,

I have taken part in most of the seven deadly (deadly? that's such a strong word) sins this week. How does things happen to me?  So since it's Confession Tuesday I thought I'd go over what I've done

Gluttony-- I confess I'm a sweet tooth to the point where I prefer dessert over small talk.

At Elizabeth Austen's reading for her new book (which was awesome!), she mentioned she was serving pie.  Dear Reader, this was enough for me to completely lose focus on the poetry and go into a mindful repetition of "I wonder what kind of pie?  I wonder what kind of pie?  Keylime?  Apple?  Chocolate cream?"

I confess I love dessert.

In fact, when the reading ended, I said hello to a friend then took off to the pie area.  Blackberry & cherry.  I was first in line for the blackberry.  Reader, I was both slightly embarrassed and proud for being first.  I must admit there was a certain satisfaction for knowing I got the first slice.  (And yet, there was the deadly sin of greed spinning around me.)

What was interesting was there was a hipster doofus next to me, who also wanted pie (cherry, of course as that's what hipster doofuses eat for the irony of it).

I could tell he also had a sweet tooth, he was the male version of me moving up to the table, but he was not embarrassed that he too was controlled by his pie dreams.  In fact, he made comments almost to get his pie cutter woman to move more quickly (!! at this point, I felt we were in a race against each other to get pie first), but he was much more self-assured about this decision to be first in line for pie.  And I envied that (sin 3!)

We waited for the first slice.  The blackberry pie cutter was killing me with her slowness and precision.  And we were served at the exact same time.

But here's the thing, when I had pie and walked back into the group of people, no one could look away from me.  They all wanted pie.  And here is part four of the seven deadly sins, pride-- yes, I felt it.

So I confess I broke 4 of the 7 deadly sins just getting pie.  Actually 5, if you include Wrath for my annoyance at the slow pie cutter.  Though it wasn't really wrath, I liked her, I just was being very pie-oriented at the moment.

~

I confess as far as I know, I did not lust for anyone last week, though this sounds a little sad to write.

~

I confess I always partake in sloth, though I do not consider a deadly sin, just a nice way to recharge.

~

I confess the reason my iPhone wasn't recharging is because I somehow got cookie in the space where you plug it in to charge.  Though I don't think this counts as gluttony.

~

I confess that maybe we shouldn't look at the 7 deadly sins as deadly, but  maybe they should carry a warning label: "might cause heartburn" or look at them more as "pesky,"  that has such a better ring to it, the Seven Pesky Sins.

Thanks for listening.  I'm kind of hungry as I finish this up.  September & Apple Brown Betty season is only 2 1/2 months away...

Amen.

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