Food for Thought (and other Creative Work-outs)

My husband and I are vegetarians. Which doesn’t mean we don’t like chocolate, red wine, foreign food, exotic cheese… In other words, we don’t live on lettuce alone, much to the surprise of our meat-eating friends who constantly ask: “But how do you SURVIVE?" 

The whole idea of survival must have been on my husband’s mind the other night when I came home from writer’s group only to be greeted by the words: “You have to save Josh’s life!” After my initial scare (What? CPR? Give blood? Huh??) I learned he was referring to the 12-year-old son of a good friend. Josh has apparently made the decision to go vegetarian (yay, Josh!) but his family has no idea what to feed him. The poor kid is bored to tears for lack of yummy meals, and his mother needed a list of quick and things she could prepare alongside the rest of the family’s meat dishes. 

As I was making my list, I couldn’t help but think about how often I am asked how I juggle writing, work, and cooking dinner every night. One answer is that I keep things pretty simple on weeknights, mostly preparing the meals I suggested Josh’s mother try. Then I thought you might like a copy of the list too. Not only does a vegetarian diet save a ton of time in both preparation and clean-up (thereby allowing for more writing/creative time), but I believe it’s the perfect diet for what is, let’s face it, the writer’s sedentary lifestyle. So here’s what I sent Josh’s mom,   

THINGS FOR JOSH TO EAT: 

1. Salad made up of dozens of things, not just lettuce. In fact, leave out the lettuce sometimes or use spinach instead. Good ingredients are canned pinto, kidney, garbanzo, or green beans (just cold from the can); bell peppers; radishes; cilantro; parsley; celery; roma tomatoes; grated carrot; grated or sliced cheese; walnuts; pecans; raisins; cottage cheese; cooked beets. Use any kind of dressing. 

2. With a main meal salad you can then include: boiled, mashed, roast, or baked potato. Can do the same with sweet potato. French fries (sweet potato ones, too). Hardboiled egg. Fried or scrambled egg(s). 

3. Any kind of pasta with any kind of bottled sauce that doesn’t include meat. There are so many,  from tomato sauces to Alfredo/mushroom recipes, etc. Plain pasta tossed with a little pesto sauce is good. Or gently cooking some garlic in olive oil and then pouring hot oil over the pasta. Top with a spoon of peanut butter (!). 

4. Frozen cheese raviolis or tortellini are excellent to always have on hand. For a change after cooking the usual way, lightly fry them on both sides to turn them crispy. 

5. So many great veggie burger/hot dog brands. My favorites are Morningstar Prime Grillers and Tofu Pups. With the Tofu Pups you can slice them lengthwise and just fry them. They become almost like bacon. (I like to treat all these in the same way you would prepare a serving of meat with sauces, gravy, vegetables, salad, etc.) 

6. Omelettes/frittatas. For one portion, just use 2 beaten eggs with a spoonful of water and dash of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (a healthier alternative to soy sauce). In a small frying pan, stir fry either chopped zucchini, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, spinach, left over cold potatoes (or any combination) until cooked. Then pour the egg mixture on top. Cook until lightly set; top with sliced or grated cheese and put pan under the grill until cheese is melted. If you make a larger portion using more eggs and a larger pan, cold omelette can be kept in the fridge and either reheated or eaten cold, even sliced up for a sandwich filling. 

7. You can add extra vegetables such as carrots, onions, zucchini, or celery to Progresso Lentil Soup for an amazing casserole-type meal. Serve with rice or potatoes. Same with any brand of vegetarian baked beans, or vegetarian chili. Of course, any one of these is just fine on its own without added ingredients. 

8. Quesadillas. I just put salsa or similar on a tortilla, add cheese, any leftovers, top with another tortilla (or fold a single tortilla in half) and cook on hot griddle (no oil).  Take it a step further and you can make any kind of bean/cheese burrito or enchilada depending on your type of tortilla and choice of sauce. (Note: use vegetarian refried beans; the regular ones have lard.) 

9. Macaroni cheese. Grilled cheese sandwiches with extra things inside like corn or tomatoes, or smoked/roasted chilis. 

10. Pizza without meat. You can make individual ones with a Boboli base from the grocery store—they have small sizes. You can do all kinds of interesting things with them just with vegetables and cheese. 

11. For added texture with all these meals, rough grainy bread can help a lot for something to “bite.” Add cream cheese spreads to make great vegetarian sandwiches, especially when you add sliced tomato, cucumber, or pickles.  

12. For more easy ideas, Sunset Vegetarian Cooking is the best vegetarian cookbook ever written. It’s filled with recipes that are sensible and don’t require difficult-to-find ingredients. 

Tip of the Day: Eat your veggies! I find a meat-free diet helps avoid that “heavy” feeling after eating that can interfere with creativity, making me want to sleep or read instead of write or draw. Even a few meat-free meals a week can make a big difference in your energy levels.

Book Review; The Tropics, by Mary Deal

I love finding books by sheer accident. Sometimes I luck out by focusing solely on the lower shelves at the library, or by hunting up and down the bargain aisles at Borders or Barnes & Noble. But finding a book via the Internet is a new one for me, and that's precisely how I found author Mary Deal. I'm so glad I did. 

I discovered Mary's website writeanygenre.com while I was researching how to write a novella, a form I feel suits my current WIP. When I put "novella" into my AOL search engine, Mary's site came up almost right away. The wealth of information on the site intrigued me. Not only did I learn more about writing novellas, I found all kinds of great pages on poetry, nonfiction--well, any genre! Just as valuable were the links to Mary's books, the first being The Tropics: Child of a Storm - Caught in a Rip - Hurricane Secret, a series of novellas published under one cover. I ordered the set immediately, and then of course had to read them even more immediately. And I haven't been quite the same since.  As a reader and a writer, I absolutely loved these stories for the following reasons: 

1.  Mary Deal writes with an exquisite sense of place. Whether it's Puerto Rico or Hawaii, "I was there." The rain, the wind, the ocean: I lived through these stories so intensely I was truly lost in a storm--for hours, for days. 

2.  If it's true that a novella should be about emotional intensity, then Mary Deal should win a prize. Each of her separate novellas contains a strong core of emotional conflict that is never far from the surface and haunts every line. The sense of dread coupled with hope is powerful. 

3.  The external action mirrors the internal emotion. The stories never go off onto unrelated or unnecessary tangents. Every story event is connected and vital to the overall theme. 

4.  Along with the plot lines, the two main female characters, Ciara and Lilly, are unforgettable. They are such a study in emotional contrasts and needs that I still cannot separate from them. 

5.  A good book should be a page turner and I found myself unable to put The Tropics down. At the same time, I wanted to savor the story, not just gulp it down--but I was so torn. At times I read fast, then slow, then I'd read it all over again. The characters were drawn so well I began to dream about them. 

6.  Alongside the various story events, there were always deeper questions that made me want to journal, collage, and contemplate the answers and apply them to my own life. They were the kind of questions that are also perfect for book club discussion, too. 

7.  When I was finished reading, I couldn't stop crying. Okay, that is a very strange reason to recommend a book. But I once heard someone say that when a piece of art or writing makes us cry, it is because those images or words are true. Mary has written such a profound work of “truth as fiction" I was knocked sideways. The Tropics is a book that is always going to be with me. And isn’t that always the best kind of book? 

Tip of the Day: Check out Mary's website writeanygenre.com for great writing tips and to learn more about her other books. I've just bought two more of her titles: The Ka and Down to the Needle. I can't wait to start reading!

Write Your Memoirs--You're Never Too Young to Start

You don’t have to be famous to write your memoirs. Neither do you have to pass some kind of age-related test that pronounces you “long-lived and qualified to tell all.” In today’s book market where nonfiction sales still outrank fiction titles, there are lots of good reasons to consider writing your life story. Some of these reasons include: 

•  Leaving a record for family and friends.
• Surviving a traumatic experience and wanting to share how you coped or  managed.
• Encounters with fame and/or fortune and the impact that had on you.
• A unique adventure—on the road or right at home (We Raised Lamas in the Bathroom!).
• Self-discovery through a spiritual or creative path.
• Desire to pass on a valuable life lesson.

Memoir styles vary from the tragic to the humorous and anywhere in between. A good memoir, however, goes beyond “I remember…” Rather than looking solely into the past, the well-written memoir propels readers into the future, inspiring them to change or live in a new and meaningful way. For me, the best memoirs celebrate life—no matter how difficult that life may have been or will continue to be. If you’re interested in sharing your life story, here are some tips to help you get started:

1. It’s never too early to begin writing. If you have something important you want to say, start writing in your journal as soon as possible. You can always edit, revise, and change your point of view later on. The thing is to get your first thoughts and fresh impressions down on paper, even while events are still happening.

2. Age has nothing to do with memoir or autobiography. Look at Miley Cyrus and the dozens of other young people who have written about their journey onto the world stage. Young lives, big challenges.

3. Sometimes the best place to start is from a particular memory—not just the date of your birth (and how many of us really know what happened that day?) How about your first memory? Your favorite? Your worst or most embarrassing?

4. Rather than explore and divulge your entire life, choose a theme: holidays; recipes; travels; movies; books; cars you’ve owned, clothes you’ve worn; classes you’ve taken; people you’ve met.

5. Employ fiction techniques and strategies to enliven your story. I’m not suggesting you make things up, but that you simply look at events through a novelist’s eye. For instance, how have you changed from the events in your life? Looking back, how did Event A create Event B and so forth? Pretend that your story is fiction and you are the main character: What did you want more than anything; what prevented you from achieving your goal; and what did you do about it? How does that angle change your viewpoint?

6. Before you begin writing, decide what it is exactly that you want readers to know, learn, or feel when they are finished reading. Do you want them to be uplifted, more careful, or motivated in some way?

7. A “memoir” doesn’t always have to be about you. You can always write about someone else, even using that individual’s voice with first person point of view.

8. Break the mold: a memoir doesn’t have to be in the form of a book-length work. Perhaps all you truly want to write is an essay, a series of vignettes, or a children’s picture book. And who says you have to go to print? A memoir blog or website could be the perfect medium for your message.

9. That said, why limit yourself to prose? Memoir poetry could open an entirely new perspective for you and your voice.

10. Stuck? Don’t know where to start? Take an object that you have had for a while, ideally something from your childhood or an ancestor, or a special gift you received. Hold it in your hands. Close your eyes and sit with it for several minutes. When you are ready, start writing about that object. First describe it in detail. Then try to recall everything about where it came from and why it has significance for you. Capture the feeling associated with that object. Try this several times with various items.

11. Another way to tackle the memoir is to intentionally embark on a fresh adventure or experience you have never had before: travel to a foreign country; going back to school; starting a new career; becoming an empty-nester; experimenting with a new diet. Take detailed and daily notes as you go along. These will become the foundation if not the entire manuscript of your memoir.

12. While you’re writing, don’t overlook the importance of collage and other forms of artwork when trying to gather and collate your memories. Family photos and documents creatively arranged on a board or a wall in your writing room can be a constant source of inspiration. Having them close by can help you to stay focused, and who knows—they may even spark a new direction for yet another type of memoir.

Tip of the Day: Read a few memoirs to get a feel for how other authors have attempted the genre. Then explore your own background and see if there is something special and/or unique for you to focus on and write about. It may help to start in small segments rather than attempting a book-length piece.

Review of Zigzag Paz, A Memoir

My favorite books share two essential qualities: they make me feel “I was there” and they make me feel I’ve been changed in some meaningful and important way when I’m finished reading. The new memoir, Zigzag Paz by first time author, Pamela Anne Zolkov, is no exception.

There are so many fine points to Zigzag Paz that I hardly know where to begin and I don’t want to spoil the story by telling you too much. What I can say, however, is that the book is about a journey, but it’s not just any old travel story; it’s about a mystical journey of the mind and soul and heart, leading ultimately to the synchronizing of those three entities. Perhaps more importantly, the book as described by one of her earlier readers is “a love song to life,” and according to Paz it is the ultimate spiritual and mystical love story. 

Throughout Zigzag Paz, Paz shares the many experiences she has gone through to understand and accept the challenges Life wants her to learn from; things that are often just as beautiful, glamorous, and exciting as they are disappointing. But rather than accept defeat from her setbacks, Pam tells her story in such an optimistic way you know this is a person who will always conquer rather than be defeated by obstacles. Pam’s journey is honest, inspiring, and hopeful. While reading the book I constantly had the impression that she was speaking directly to her readers with compassion and kindness.

Much of the writing and especially the descriptive passages of Africa in particular read like poetry. On just about every page I could hear, taste, and feel the various countries or cities Paz has either lived in or visited. I’ve always enjoyed the classics Out of Africa, West with the Night, The Flame Trees of Thika. Zigzag Paz definitely follows in this line-up. Five stars from me!

Tip of the Day: Get a copy of Zigzag Paz today! Ordering information can be found at Lulu. While you’re reading, consider attempting your own memoir. Next post we’ll explore some suggestions for getting started.

12 Reasons to Try Script Frenzy

Today marks the start of Script Frenzy, another 30 days of nonstop writing fun and madness, only this time the emphasis is on screenwriting. Unlike National Novel Writing Month (the inspiration behind Script Frenzy) and its required 50,000 words to "win," Script Frenzy asks only that you write 100 pages of movie, television, or theater script.

This is my second year of going for 100. My first year was also the year Script Frenzy launched and back then it was held in July. Regardless of the season, I loved meeting with my writing buddies and staying up late as I drank one ice coffee after the other and plowed through my first attempt at romantic comedy, a genre I had never tried before. This year I'm looking forward to much of the same except this time I'm writing a suspense-drama with the working title, "Day Moon." I'm also a lot more prepared than I was several years ago. Besides having already made my story boards to illustrate the various scenes I want to write, I've also got an outline and some character bios pre-written to help keep me on track. So I'm ready to go--all that's missing is you! Here are my 12 top reasons of why I think you should join me for one of the best writing months you'll ever have:

1. This is your big opportunity to write that screenplay you've always had in the back of your mind--whether it's adapting your latest novel or fleshing out an idea you've had since 12th grade.
2. Even if you have no interest in screenwriting, this is a chance to re-envision your WIP and give it an entirely new twist.
3. Script writing can give you a brand new perspective on what Beginning, Middle, and End really means when you write strictly to a 3-act structure.
4. Scripts teach you to write tight. Screenwriting is lean.
5. Your WIP can benefit from a visual storyboard and outline.
6. S-T-R-E-T-C-H! Trying a new genre or form builds creativity muscles.
7. You might discover a whole new interest and talent you never knew you had. One you absolutely love.
8. And you might even be able to take that talent to the bank. Sure it can seem difficult to catch an agent or producer at first, but you can't sell what you haven't written. "Luck" awaits those with product.
9. No matter what you write--good, bad, or indifferent--there's nothing quite like being part of a world-wide writer's group of 16,000+. And you can have all the ice coffee you want.
10. You only have to write 3.33 pages a day for 30 days. 3.33 pages with lots of blank space on them!
11. Get new respect from your peers. For the entire month of April you can tell everyone you're a screenwriter.
12. At the end of the month you can consider yourself a success. You can be proud to have another full draft under your writing belt. Hurray for you!

Tip of the Day: What are you waiting for? It's not too late; sign up for Script Frenzy today.

Writer's Groups, Part II

Last week I wrote about choosing the “right” writer’s group. This week I want to talk about how to start and maintain a group of your own.

Before you begin, however, the first thing you’ll need to figure out is whether you want a critique or a support group. A critique group meets to help members achieve excellent writing through editing. While it can be invaluable to know you’ve named a character “Zena” on page 17 but then her name changes to “Drusilla” on page 24, or that your sentence structure in Chapter 10 is just awful, you and the others in your group may not be ready for—or want—this kind of editing. You might still be in the rough draft stage, or still finding your voice and style. That's when a support group can be more helpful, encouraging members to freewrite or experiment without fear of failure. If you do choose a critique group over a support group decide early on what kind of critiques you will give: line by line (time consuming); general warm-and-fuzzy (can be vague and not very helpful); or no praise at all (I belonged to this kind of group only once and it was the least successful).

After choosing your group type, your next job is to find members. This really isn’t as difficult as it sounds. Placing ads at your library or local bookstore can work well. Many of the professional writer’s organizations will give you free space in their newsletters to advertise your group needs. If you’re enrolled in a writing workshop, ask the others if they’d like to continue meeting after the class is finished. Or simply ask your friends. You’ll be amazed who is secretly writing and never told you.

Deciding where you will you meet can often be your biggest dilemma. Meeting in your own home may not be the smartest choice, at least not until you get to know the other members. My favorite meeting places are the same as those where I’ve put up notices seeking other writers. One drawback to the library, though, is you must be willing to let in the general public. I once had to contend with someone who insisted on barking, as in, “Woof, woof,” for no apparent reason. (Yes, it was very disrupting.) If the thought of strangers and their quirks makes you nervous, a bookstore café can be a nice mix of both private and public space.

When will you meet? Meeting at a set time every 2 weeks or similar lets people know when the meeting is without you having to remind them. If one or more members have to miss a meeting, it’s never a good idea to try to accommodate their schedules—all you’ll do is confuse everyone else. Just keep to your regular date and time even if only two of you show up.

Belonging to a group can be one of the most fun experiences of your writing life. A group can help you write better and more often, and with more enthusiasm. But to really work, the most successful groups agree on the “rules” from the start. For instance, if you only want to critique westerns, or screenplays, or narrative poetry—say so right up front. Don't set people up for disappoint down the road because they love science fiction pantoums and you don't. Personally I like groups that allow all types of writing, but I’ve also belonged to groups that kept to strict genre lines and they were some of my favorites.

As fun as groups are, though, it's important to recognize when a group is in danger of falling apart. A toxic group wastes and drains everyone's time. Signs of trouble and how to fix them include:

The Dominator. This is the member who believes the meetings are all about and only for her (or him!). She brings 12 pages instead of the agreed-upon 4; talks off-topic; is catty in her critique style because “she knows best.” Solution: If the rules are 4 pages, she can only read 4 pages. It’s never okay to read more. Don’t make exceptions “just this once.”

Going off topic. Influenced by the Dominator, other members also talk about work, their family, and social life. Solution: Rather than singling anyone out, set an established time for “personal news.” For instance, everyone gets 3 minutes each at the start of the meeting to share whatever they feel is important.

Unhelpful critiques. “I like it,” “I don’t like it,” without explanation. Or critiques are based on personal taste: “I hate cats!” “I can’t stand war movies.” Or “critique” is confused with “attack and shame”: “Oh my God, that’s a perpendicular parallel past tense modifier split invective! And you didn’t even notice? What’s wrong with you?” Solution: Remind members that critiques are based on opinion—the same yardstick most agents and editors rely on as well. To keep critiques helpful and on track, ask that they be based on at least these 4 questions: What would I like to see more of? What would I like to see less of? What is just right? And why? Ask that any copyediting or proofing be done on the actual manuscript and given back to the writer later without needing to discuss as a group.

The Rule Police. “You can’t start a mystery without a dead body.” Many times the police are right, but not always. Acknowledge that their information is correct, but it’s up to the individual writer to decide how creative he or she wants to get with established precedents.

Crazymakers. “This would be so much better without Chapter 7.” Next week, “Why did you take out Chapter 7? Now the whole book falls apart!” Solution: Let members know they don’t have to take every piece of advice they hear. If Chapter 7 is disliked by 4 out of 5 members, then there might be a good reason for making a change. However, if only one member continues to go back and forth, I’ll bet she’s the dominator too, and it might be time to ask her if she’d like to join another group.

Scary as the above pitfalls might sound, I can’t stress enough that they are rare occurrences. If you do come up against one or more of them, don’t think the only solution is to give up. A much better approach is to ask group members to write down what they want from the group and why. Before you know it you will have a mission statement that everyone has participated in and will want to keep.

Tip of the Day: The best thing you can do to start a group is to commit to a group of one—yourself. You don’t need numbers to make a group work; you just need to show up and on a regular basis. Remember that even if it’s only you and one other writing buddy meeting over coffee to write together and share market news, you’ve laid the foundation for a great and productive group. Good luck!

Choosing a Writer's Group, Part I

Hi Valerie,
I took your writing class a few years ago and was working on a children’s book at the time. I’ve finished that book and now am writing a YA. I’d love to join a writer’s group. Do you have any suggestions of where I should start? Thanks so much.
Terry H.
Thanks, Terry, that’s a great question. Joining a writer’s group is an excellent way to keep on track with your writing. Groups can provide you with feedback on your manuscript progress as well as help you maintain a consistent writing schedule.

The first thing I can tell Terry and anyone else in her position is that there are essentially three distinct types of groups: professional organizations; critique groups; and writing “support” groups (for lack of a better term). Professional groups are organized somewhat along corporate lines with a president, a board of officers, bylaws, and the range of the group can be state- if not nation-wide or even international. In Terry’s case I would recommend she join up with a group such as The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. If her YA is perhaps a romance, joining Romance Writers of America would be a smart move too. And because Terry lives in the Atlanta area, she might like to also become a member of Georgia Writers.

The wonderful thing about these organizations and others like them is there really is at least one for every genre or region you can think of. The only possible drawback to joining might be the membership fees. That said, dues often include a subscription to a newsletter or magazine, and members should receive discounts to conferences and other events—events with editors, celebrity authors, workshops, and all sorts of good things only available through that particular organization.

Critique groups are frequently made up of members who belong to the same pro organizations described above. Not only do members hold a common interest in a particular genre or theme, but they probably all met each other at a conference or regional meeting to begin with! However, it isn’t necessary to think you have to belong to the larger group first. The most important criteria is whether you feel you can receive a helpful critique of your work from the group and you feel comfortable with the other members.

Critique groups work best when they are based on the premise that members will bring a certain amount of unpublished manuscript pages to the meetings and everyone participates equally in the critiquing. One of the best critique groups I ever belonged to met every two weeks for an 8-hour session (we brought our lunch). We were all writing novels at the time so members brought copies of their current chapter to each meeting. The person being critiqued read his or her manuscript pages aloud while the others followed along, pen in hand, making notes on typos or awkward sentences or just things that drove them crazy. When the reading was finished, we went around in a circle and discussed our notes. Then we gave the marked-up copies back to the writer being critiqued. It was a long day but oh, did we learn. And write. The screenwriting group I belong to now doesn't have the luxury of an 8-hour day and we meet in the evening. To save time we email our manuscripts to each other for critiquing at home. Then we bring our notes to the meetings for discussion.

My freewrting/support group is a whole 'nother kind of animal. Not only do we forego critiquing, we use the meetings as a time to experiment. Our format is simple but effective: as soon as we’re settled with coffee (we meet at a local bookstore cafe), we choose a writing prompt from whatever’s handy, e.g. a book title, a mood, or something already selected from a magazine cut-out. We then write on that topic in silence for 20 minutes. When the time’s up, we go around in a circle and read our pages. After that we spend a few minutes sharing personal or professional news, followed by the reading and sharing of our bi-weekly “assignments.” These are based on a prompt or theme chosen at the last meeting. Topics range from the philosophical, “What is art for?” to the evocative, “Into the woods…” We limit ourselves to five pages each so our meetings don’t go on too long.

Lately we’ve had the wonderful idea of including illustration to go with our writing. Members have been painting, collaging, drawing, photographing…it’s been thrilling to see how far we can go beyond words. We also welcome any genre or form of writing, from screenplay to poetry to personal essay. This year we’re doing most of our work in art journals to more easily accommodate both writing and artwork at the same time. I love it!

But what if you’re thinking, well, this sounds very nice but I don’t live anywhere near other writers, or, I’ve tried a couple of critique groups and just didn’t feel “right” about being there. I hear you loud and clear. Next post I’ll address these concerns and discuss how to start a group of your own while avoiding that great time and energy drain: the toxic group.

Tip of the Day: If you haven’t already, do consider joining a writers’ group. The most important thing is to decide which type is best for you.