In the spirit of the holidays now upon us, I'd like to offer some fodder for those quiet times you find amid the activities and social life. Reading for me leads to writing, so I often start my writing day by either progressing in a novel or reading several poems. Sometimes digging into a craft book. So here are some recommendations for feeding your head.
Story Genius by Lisa Cron. This is the one fiction craft book you have to have! She's the story whisperer, the one who can help you dig into that beautiful plot and set of characters you have brewing in your brain, but which keeps stirring around in confusing ways. I following the "pantsing" way of writing my first novel, resulting in what Anne Lamott calls "shitty first drafts" -- many of them. I know Anne recommends you give yourself permission to draft without editing, but as someone who spent years writing one book, I'd prefer a more sure-footed approach next time. Here's one of my current favorite quotes from the book: "Don't keep secrets secret from the reader."
Emily Bleeker's When I'm Gone is an engaging love story from a wonderful writer. It touches deeply on themes of
loss, love, and emotional reconnection. While I undergo my own grieving
process, I found this novel healing and uplifting. The portrayal of a
marriage through the process of grieving its loss is poignant and
beautifully portrayed. Bleeker is an author to watch and this novel is one that will keep you turning pages.
I'm in the middle of reading and reviewing The Uneaten Carrots of Atonement by Diane Lockward, poet and author of another craft book I love, The Crafty Poet. The
color red sears the collection, the seethe of articulate anger and outrage over
an undefended childhood and life’s assaults and unfairness. Whether she takes
as her subject nine renegade monkeys escaped from a testing lab or the red
dress (re-dress) of a child dreaming of freedom from abuse, the poet takes
“quick, sharp steps like flint against steel” in every poem. Yet there is
beauty in her boldness and defiance, poetry in the grieving and acceptance.
Hopefully something here will spark your creative juices and give you islands of quiet enjoyment through the hectic social season. Happy and Merry days ahead.
Labels: #amwriting, #fiction, #poetry, craft of fiction, holidays, loss, love story, novel, novel writing, poetry, Writing
