Today I’m excited and pleased to post my recent interview with Nicole Johns, author of Purge: Rehab Diaries.

Nicole Johns lives in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, where she teaches English. She earned her MFA from the University of Minnesota and a BA in English from Penn State University. The summer after starting the MFA program, Nicole went into treatment for her eating disorder. Her first book, Purge: Rehab Diaries, is about the time she spent in treatment after nine years of suffering from the disease. The book was nominated for ForeWord Magazine’s book of the Year Award in memoir. Nicole has also published poems in numerous literary magazines.

Watch the 2-part video of the interview, or scroll down to read the transcript.

AS: Purge: Rehab Diaries came out of the journaling you did while in rehab for eating disorders. I’m curious about how you used your journals to write your memoir. Would you talk a little about your journaling practice then and now? Do you write daily, or at a regular time? Do you have any journal writing rituals? And how has your journal writing practice changed, if at all, between 2000 and now?

NJ: To be honest, I used to write in a journal every day, multiple times a day, but now I write in my journal only if I’m traveling, or once every couple of months. I think I wrote in my journal so much when I was actively eating disordered, because it was an emotional outlet for me. In a way it was a written purge. When I write in my journal now, I like to sit on our balcony, and burn a candle. I used to like to write in my journal at my favorite coffee shop in Minneapolis, because I liked the atmosphere there. My journal writing really tapered off after my stint in treatment, and when I had a few months of recovery under my belt. I am trying to get back into journaling, because it keeps me in the practice of writing, and is also beneficial to my mental health.

AS: How did you use your journals as source material? Can you describe the process for us?

NJ: I kept very detailed journals during my time in treatment, but also for several years beforehand. I looked at them as a primary source for the story I was trying to tell. If I couldn’t remember something off the top of my head, I could always refer back to my journals. Reading them also sparked some memories that I had forgotten. When I first started writing Purge, I took segments from my journal, pasted them on a blank Word document, and just wrote from the segment. It served as a kind of epigraph. So, I started writing Purge by using journal entries, and even specific lines from my journal. They were the seeds for my memoir. Having all those journals was immensely helpful.

AS: I understand you’re in the process of writing a novel. Do you use journaling as part of your writing process? If so, how?

NJ: I am working on a novel (I have 20 pages as of this weekend, yay!) and I am using a type of journaling, but it is different in that I am using this journal to record memories I think might be helpful in writing my novel, and I’m also using it to keep stats and information on my characters, setting, etc. I’m using this journal more as an organizational tool, and as a place to jot down ideas, questions, etc. I do have a more traditional journal, too, that is composed of my thoughts, feelings, etc.

AS: In your guest blog for National Association of Memoir Writers, you wrote that the process of writing Purge gave you insight into your disorder and taught you how to have empathy for yourself—something all writers need, I think. Can you expand on this a little? How has the writing process contributed to your healing process?

NJ: Writing Purge forced me to confront exactly what I had been doing to myself with the eating disorder. I couldn’t gloss over the ugly details, and what I was doing to my body and to my life. But, by writing about my experience, at times I would see myself as a character in the book, and having that distance made me better able to empathize with myself. Writing Purge was cathartic. Writers are often ashamed to admit that writing is (or sometimes can be) cathartic, but I don’t think there’s any shame in admitting that. It doesn’t lessen the value or literary merit of your writing to have had a sense of catharsis when writing something.

I think writing Purge allowed me to move on from all things eating disorder. And I think I had to write it, before I could write a novel. I remember reading something about Alice Sebold and how she had to write Lucky, her memoir about having been raped, in order to be able to write The Lovely Bones. When I read that, it made perfect sense to me. Sometimes you just have to deal with a subject or event before you can move on both in life, and in writing. I think writing and publishing Purge has definitely helped me heal.

AS: Your memoir has the reputation of being “unflinching” and “brutally honest,” as well as incredibly personal. Can you talk to us a little about how did you manage to be both honest with yourself and with your readers? And what compelled you to publish your story instead of keeping it to yourself?

NJ: When I set out to write Purge, I knew that I wanted to be brutally honest about my experience, because I believe it is a disservice to readers to sugarcoat the truth. So my aim was to always be unflinching and brutally honest, because I thought my readers deserved that, the honest truth. That’s what I want as a reader.

I decided to publish Purge, because there weren’t any memoirs about EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified) out there, and EDNOS often gets overlooked. Everyone knows about anorexia and bulimia, but no one really talks about EDNOS. I also wanted to publish my story, because I knew there would be other people that could relate to it, and I wanted to help other people with eating disorders, especially EDNOS, feel less alone, and to give them hope that they could recover. I also wanted to dispel some common myths about eating disorders, and eating disorder treatment.

AS: What kinds of research did you do while working on your memoir?

NJ: I researched other memoirs, self-help books, and scholarly articles about eating disorders. I also did another type of research in that I collected “evidence” by ordering my treatment records, looking at my journals, photos, emails I sent during that time, anything like that. I also talked to people that knew me when I was actively eating disordered and in treatment, and got their perspective.

AS: What would you say you gained most, as a writer, through the process of writing Purge? And how is that helping you as you go forward in your career?

NJ: I gained the experience of writing, publishing, and publicizing a book. Even though I had gone through an MFA program, I was pretty clueless about what happened when a publisher picked up your book. I also learned how to organize a book, and I think writing Purge taught me a lot about perseverance. A byproduct of publishing Purge is that I’ve gotten validation for myself as a writer, and I’ve also gotten the incredible opportunity to help people, and do some advocacy surrounding eating disorders and mental health. That has been tremendous, and I feel very blessed. Purge has been good for my career, in that I’m hoping that selling my second book will be easier because I had a successful first book. Writing and publishing Purge also made me realize that I’m very interested in mental health and psychology, and that I wanted to pursue a Masters in counseling. I don’t know that that is something I would’ve discovered in life had I not written and published Purge.

AS: What is your writing process like now?

NJ: To be honest, I have had a very long dry spell that I’m just now coming out of. I’ve been busy publicizing Purge, working crazy hours, going back to school, and getting married, all in the last two years. But, things have calmed down a bit, and I’m writing again.

I just got back from a self-designed weekend writing retreat on the North Shore of MN, and it really kick-started my novel. I wrote 20 pages and an outline in two days. I needed some solitude, no internet connection and no cell phone service, so that I could concentrate. November and December are crazy, so I’m hoping to establish a writing schedule come January, when I have more free time. I will probably write in the mornings when I’m not teaching or taking class. I like to write at my nice big desk, and have some candles burning, while drinking coffee. I also like to write at certain coffee shops in the Twin Cities. I used to be a late night writer, but since I’ve gotten older I prefer morning writing.

AS: Is there anything else you’d like to share that might interest readers of WritingThroughLife.com?

NJ: Well, I have a website, NicoleJJohns.com, and I’ve got something coming up with the National Association of Memoir Writers, I think in December, but I’d have to check on the date.

AS:Thank you, Nicole. We appreciate you taking time to join us here and share with us your journaling and writing processes.

Today, I have the privilege of interviewing Kate Farrell, founder and editor of Wisdom Has a Voice, a multimedia memoir project in which women write about their relationships with their mothers.

Watch the following video of the interview (in 2 parts), or scroll down and read Kate’s answers to the interview questions.

Transcript:
AS: Kate is a graduate of the School of Library and Information Studies at UC Berkeley, a language arts teacher, author, librarian, lecturer, and storyteller. She founded the Word Weaving Project in 1979-1991, and is author of multiple books and resources for teachers to use and teach storytelling in the classroom. Her newest publication is a young adult novel titled Girl in the Mirror. Currently Kate is a part-time school librarian in San Francisco and lives in Santa Rosa, California.

Now I’d like to welcome you Kate Farrell. I’m happy to have this opportunity to discuss the Wisdom Has a Voice Project with you.

When did you first conceive of the idea for Wisdom Has a Voice, and what triggered the idea?

KF: When my mother died at age 95 in 2006, I felt the lifelong “holding patterns” that had existed between my mother and me simply dissipate. As I let go of these patterns or tensions based on our different expectations of one another, I began discovering who my mother really was in her own right. In reflection and writing, I learned to understand why we were so different, why we had to be different, given our generational influences—from coming of age in the Chicago Depression era to the San Francisco ‘60s.

I wished that I had been able to “separate” and appreciate my mother while she was still alive. But it was only in her absence that I could see the legacy that had always existed between us, how it had defined us, and its hidden power. How much better if I had done so before.

In the months that followed her death, I wrote one memoir after the other about her, about us. Noticing that the in-depth experiences between mother and daughter were not commonly discussed or published, I decided to gather these as stories, as memoirs from many women.

AS: Once you realized this was something you really wanted to do, what was your next step?

KF: In 2007, I began the Wisdom Has a Voice project, first writing a book proposal, then conducting small, local workshops in 2009-2010, just to see what would happen—what insights would emerge.

AS: Your background is primarily in Language Arts education and storytelling. How has this background influenced your approach to Wisdom?

KF: My background as a storyteller was vital to this memoir project. In my decades-long work in education, from classroom teaching at all levels to director of a statewide storytelling project in California, I saw the effectiveness of “story” in learning. But as the cultural context for traditional folklore fragmented, I slowly began to understand that “memoir” was the new folklore. And while the function of traditional folktales was to transmit a cultural truth using metaphor and archetype, the personal narrative as the modern folktale is the same: to tell a truth based on a real experience, a meaningful story.

The problem in our dominant culture is that women’s truths, the feminine voice, women’s experiences and their understandings of life across the generations, are not given the same status as that of men. My work as university adjunct faculty (St. Mary’s College) included research and implementation of adult development theory. In this capacity, I came across the work of Mary Belenky and Carol Gilligan (below) who describe the stunning truth about women’s lack of authentic self-expression.

It was the combination of my work as a storyteller and in adult development work (through teaching reflective essays) that motivated me to begin this project and to name it: Wisdom Has a Voice.

AS: Talk a little about the process of soliciting and selecting the stories in Wisdom, as well as putting together your editorial team.

KF: First, I was determined not to follow the advice of every agent to whom I spoke over the years from 2007 to 2010: that the anthology had to include memoirs written by celebrities about their mothers. This advice, even from New Age editors, was that without “names” no anthology about mother would sell. More importantly, the agents/editors wouldn’t touch the project.

But if these memoirs were to be authentic, real folklore, then they had to be grassroots stories, told by women who were literate (of course), but neither famous nor reputed as authors. It was encouraging to find outlets for women’s memoirs online, groups, networks, associations, e-zines, newsletters, etc. By joining these groups or paying for a Call for Submissions with clear guidelines posted on the website in more detail, I was able to target just that pool of women writers. It was even more wonderful that the final group of 25 authors represented a range of age, ethnicities, races, and geography. That was very exciting. Not only was there an international range among the memoirs, but a variety of mother-daughter relationships.

The editorial team was close at hand: my colleagues who’d worked with me on Redwood Writers anthologies and other Redwood publishing projects over the years. Our relationship was easy, local, informal, and hands-on. However, I maintained all communication with the 25 authors.

AS: What kinds of storytelling and writing touched you the most deeply?

KF: The most touching and most healing memoirs for me were those that describe a nurturing mother. I could experience and recognize in this writing the unconditional mother love that we all hunger. I finally understood that Mother Love is sometimes most present when it is missed.

AS: How did you find this publisher (Unlimited Publishing) and what was the submission process?

KF: After 3 years of struggling with query letters and book proposals, I returned to my friend, Danny Snow of Unlimited Publishing. Danny and I had worked on anthologies for CWC branches and other CWC publishing projects following our meeting at the SF Writers Conference in 2006. Ironically, we had first discussed my idea for a book of memoirs about mother in Fall 2007 at some length. He was extremely supportive of the idea since Mary Belenky had been his professor at Harvard—so he understood the need for women’s voices in contemporary society. He suggested the subtitle (Every Daughter’s Memories of Mother) to indicate that this was not by rich and famous women. In Spring 2010, we put together a production schedule and followed up with a final contract package August 2010.

To this day, Danny is supportive of the mission behind the book and is assisting in its launch and promotion. It is a great benefit to have a publisher partner whose business is based on marketing success.

AS: On the website, it says that Wisdom is a “multi-media project.” Do you have plans for an audiobook or other forms of media?

KF: Yes, I’ll begin with simple audio files, excerpts read by the authors next week, using Audio Acrobat, that I’ll post on the website along with the brief text and a photo. We may have video files as well. An audio book is a perfect idea.

Even better would be a documentary series for cable TV, a concept the publisher and I have personally discussed with a producer in LA, Kate McCallum of Bridge Arts Media: http://www.bridgeartsmedia.com.

AS: What do you see for the project’s future? Do you plan on a sequel?

KF: Because the authors reside throughout the US, Canada, UK, and South Africa, there are many opportunities for their own initiative in promoting the book and the project. We’ll do a local Book Tour locally in the Bay Area at launch and I’m planning a Blog Tour in April prior to Mother’s Day. I would also like to promote use of the Book Club Discussion Guide.
I do plan on publishing another anthology in 2013 and would hope to have explored cross media platforms by then.

AS: What’s on your desk now (any projects, writing, speaking, etc.)?

KF: Promotion: Book Tour with author readings, implementing Social Media tools, attending literary events and conferences, developing concept papers for media properties based on the anthology, query letters out to women’s mags for serialization, etc.

AS: Is there anything else you’d like to share about yourself and/or Wisdom Has a Voice?

KF: I am so GLAD that production is OVER and the print book is due to launch Sept 1st! This was a long journey that I was privileged to make. It may sound strange, but I have felt the support of the “mothers” in this work through the long months of selecting, editing, and production. May they be proud!

AS: Thank you, Kate! To read more about Wisdom Has a Voice, check out the Wisdom Has a Voice website and read Kate’s article at womensmemoirs.com.

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Notes: The seminal work of Belenky (1986) examined “women’s ways of knowing” and found that the first stage in female development was silence. Significantly, women feared self-expression, suppressed through generations of conditioning, and denied a right to an independent voice. Women’s experiences were typically discredited and their constructed knowledge dismissed as “old wives’ tales.” Yet what women have to share through self-reflection, focusing on generational truths communicated matrilineally, is essential to the balance of our contemporary society. Women’s voices, silenced, debased and ignored for centuries, are vibrant, lively, and full.

This is part two of my interview with award winning author Susan Wittig Albert about her book An Extraordinary Year of Ordinary Days.

Read Part One HERE.

AS: Susan, in what ways has journaling affected your growth as a writer?

SWA: I think here, too, about craft. Over the years, my journals have become not just a place to keep track of and record my daily life, but a place to learn how to do that more fully, more fluently, more lyrically, more interestingly. Journaling makes me more attentive to the smallest things (the color of a redbud blossom, the taste of a fresh peach) and more focused on what is actually happening–skills that a writer needs to develop. Even in my novels, I don’t write out of imagination: that is, I don’t make things up. I write out of lived life, and my journals over the years have become a great resource of captured events, people, ideas.

I should also mention discipline: if you want to grow as a writer, it’s important to write every single day. If you sit down for fifteen or twenty minutes (at the same time every day, if that’s possible), the words and thoughts will begin to come, and you will have something to say.

AS: Do you normally keep a separate reading journal or is it integrated with your daily journal?

SWA: I do it both ways. In 2008, I kept it separate, because there was so much other material to cover in the journal. I included short pieces about the reading where it was an important part of my thinking and feeling, and put a reading list at the end of every month, and as a resource list at the end of the book. This year (2011), I’m integrating it into my journal, because the reading I’m doing feels so important that I can’t keep it separate. I’ve even thought of keeping a separate reading journal for publication–not this year or next (too many other writing assignments) but perhaps the year after.

AS: Near the end of your 2008 journal, you wrote that you intended to reduce traveling for book promotion in favor of blog interviews and promotion. How is that working, and do you feel that decision — especially in regards to reducing the use of natural resources — to have been a good one?

SWA: It was harder to do than I expected. Over the years, I’ve made myself available as a speaker, and people naturally expect me to continue to do that. I’ve had to say no far more than I anticipated and refusals haven’t always been comfortable for me. (That’s been an interesting lesson.) I’ll be doing some book travel in April, when the China Bayles book is published, but I’ve restricted that to Texas, and tried to make the most effective use of the miles (scheduling appearances together, for instance). The auto mileage has shrunk radically, as Bill pointed out to me when he was doing taxes this year, and I haven’t been on an airplane since 2007. I have been putting more effort into online book promotion through the social media–but that’s fun, doesn’t always feel like work.

AS: As a reader, I was touched by and identified with your personal struggle to continue to stay abreast and aware of world events while, at the same time, wishing you could just ignore it and live your life. You wrote: “We have to look at everything, the beautiful, the ugly. We have to see it. We have to bear witness.” Would you say that bearing witness has changed you as a writer, and if so, in what way?

SWA: Our journals are a place where we bear witness to the things we care about. Often, these are very personal, having to do with our relationships, our families, our careers, our lifestyles. That’s why it’s right and very natural to be shy about sharing these concerns with others.

But over the years, as our planet’s situation has become more precarious, a great deal of my journal writing has involved bearing witness, in one way or another, to what is happening in the natural world, in our communities, and in our corporate-dominated democracy. I read about these issues, I try to educate myself as fully as possible as science and politics evolve, and I talk with others, in person and online. These issues emerge in my fiction, too, as readers of my mystery series know. For me, it’s no longer enough to write to entertain.

So I would say that bearing witness, for me, has evolved from personal to communal and planetary. Whether that act has changed me, or whether I have changed and this is the consequence, I don’t have a clue. But these are the things I care about now, and these are the things I think are worth writing–and reading–about.

AS: What advice would you give to those who are just starting to keep journals?

SWA: Write. Write. Write. Write every day, as long as you can, in different places, at different times, in different media (pen/notebook, computer, whatever). Write about everything, not just feelings: write about friends, events, books, films, recreation and hobbies, your garden, travel, health issues. Start a blog, so you can get a sense of the difference between writing for yourself and writing for readers. But most of all, be persistent. Keep reminding yourself that this is a lifetime practice. Some day, when you look back on what you’ve written, you’ll realize that you have born witness to your life. You’ll be grateful.

AS: Thank you, Susan, for sharing your experience and wisdom with us.

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READ THE REVIEW of Susan Wittig Albert’s book, An Extraordinary Year of Ordinary Days.

Today, I have the honor of interviewing Susan Wittig Albert about her new book, An Extraordinary Year of Ordinary Days, recently released by the University of Texas Press. A prolific writer, her previous nonfiction books include Together, Alone: A Memoir of Marriage and Place, What Wildness Is This: Women Write about the Southwest
(winner of the 2009 Willa Award for Creative Nonfiction); With Courage and Common Sense: Memoirs from the Older Women’s Legacy Circles; Writing from Life: Telling Your Soul’s Story (Inner Workbook.); and Work of Her Own

Her fiction, which has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, includes mysteries in the China Bayles series, the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter, and a series of Victorian-Edwardian mysteries she has written with her husband, Bill Albert, under the pseudonym of Robin Paige.

She is also founder and past president of the Story Circle Network and a member of the Texas Institute of Letters.
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AS: Susan, thank you so much for joining us. I’m curious — did the University of Texas Press first approach you about publishing a year of journaling or did you propose it to them?

SWA: I proposed the book to the Press. They were publishing Together, Alone: A Memoir of Marriage and Place and had published several of my other books, going back to the early 1970s. For many years, I had wanted to write a “journal book”— that is, a journal for publication, something like the books that May Sarton wrote in the 1970s to early 1990s. My sixty-ninth year seemed like the right time to do this: the end of one personal era, the beginning of another. In fact, when I proposed the book to the Press, I thought that it would be mostly about the process of growing older. Of course, I had no idea how the world around us was going to change in that year, or that instead of growing older, I would find so many new things to think about and consider that I would actually end the year feeling younger.

AS: You mentioned in a recent article on womensmemoirs.com that even though you knew that it would be published, your 2008 journal was not much different than what you usually write. Since I use my personal journal to process emotion, as well as record daily events, I wondered if you held back in any way as you wrote — or if you simply edited out the “non-public” parts later.

SWA: I did a little of both, I suppose — some holding back, perhaps a little editing. I’ve had a lot of practice writing life-story material for readers. I was one of the earliest bloggers (I began posting journal entries on my website in the late 1990s), and by this time, I’m pretty skilled at the fine arts of revealing and concealing. In my blog, I always want to tell people enough so that they get a strong sense of who I am and how I feel, without compromising the privacy that my husband and I need for our own emotional well-being. That skill was useful as I wrote this journal-for-readers, and later, as I revised.

Another thing, though, and this is probably important enough to mention: As I’ve grown older, the tumultuous emotions of my younger and middle years have become less volcanic. I am more balanced, more content with what I have, less anguished, certainly, and less anxious and fearful. Maybe that’s a consequence of being on the cusp (as I was in 2008) of my eighth decade. Maybe it’s a result of years of meditation practice, or the happiness of a comforting and rewarding quarter-century relationship with my husband, or perhaps even of good health. Whatever it is, I’ll take it in trade for the hot and trembling anxieties and desires of earlier decades. Bottom line — and I write this with a smile — there isn’t as much to “hold back or edit out” as there would have been when I was 30, or 40, or even 50.

AS: What was the editing process like? How was it different than editing a book such as your memoir, Together Alone?

SWA: Editing was difficult simply because there was so much material. My editor and I decided early to include quotations in wide margins, which imposed one kind of limit — I had to keep the whole thing under 100,000 words. (It came to just under 98,000 words.) I included more news clips than usual in my journals, because there was so much going on in the world and because the process of writing for publication made me pay more attention than I might otherwise have done. And then there were the daily entries, most of which were too long and had to be seriously cut. (It’s very hard for me to write short stuff, as people know who read my blog. I keep thinking of more that needs to be said.)

The layout also created some editing problems for the book’s designer, the layout person, and the managing editor who was involved in getting the book ready for print. The quotations I included when I was writing seemed important to me. I’m intrigued with the idea of inter-textuality, and other writers’ words always spark my thinking and writing. There’s a kind of duplex synergy that seems to occur in my writing when I couple another writer’s words with mine. But the quotations didn’t always fit into the margin where I wanted them, and the layout person, the editor, and I had to do quite a lot of last-minute jiggling. It was a challenge and more work than any of us anticipated, but as I look at the book and think back on the efforts of the “village” that worked on it, I’m delighted with the way it turned out.

AS: Your book has an index. That’s unusual in a memoir, even more so in a journal. Why did you decide to include that? How did you get the job done?

SWA: You’re right, Amber, that is unusual. About halfway through the year, I began feeling slightly astonished by the many topics that were coming up — almost like plots developing in a novel that had no predetermined main plot or subplots. But these “threads” (the writing tasks, the emerging economic crisis, resource depletions, the presidential campaign, food issues, the garden) were definitely plot-like, to the point where I began keeping track of them myself. When the year was finished and the project was edited, I asked a friend (an experienced indexer) to index it. She did a wonderful job. She even indexed all those quotations! I love it, really, truly! Even if no reader finds it useful, I do. It’s a wonderful key to my experiences of that extraordinary year.

AS: As I read your book, I was quite taken with your beautiful descriptions of place and the natural world. Is this something you have practiced consciously as you journal? In other words, do you use your journal as a place to practice the writing craft?

SWA: I believe passionately that we must witness and give voice to what is happening to our fragile planet. We can’t do that unless we can describe the places we live and give voice to our relationships to those places. As time goes on and climate change becomes more pronounced, we are all going to be impacted, and we simply must learn to pay attention to it. I sometimes fear that our journals, in the last three or four decades, have become exclusively places to process emotions. Of course, that’s necessary — we need a place to explore our inner worlds, to understand how we feel and why. But we also need to explore our place in the outer world, to understand how we are impacted by its changes, and how we humans are creating that change.

And yes, I do use my journal as a place to practice the craft of writing. I always feel more free to experiment in my journals than I do in my genre fiction or even my online writing. But perhaps I should also add that every time we put words together on paper (or its electronic equivalent), we are (or ought to be) consciously practicing our craft: revising, enlarging, reducing, practicing precision. I think of a dancer practicing her art alone in a studio: every move becomes an opportunity for her to explore the shape and posture of her body, her movements, her balance. Every piece of writing (and especially the journal) becomes the writer’s studio: a place for her to explore the dimensions of her craft.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the interview, on Friday, the 18th …

READ THE REVIEW of Susan Wittig Albert’s book, An Extraordinary Year of Ordinary Days.

TODAY, I’m pleased to interview, Linda Joy Myers, Ph.D, author of The Power of Memoir–How to Write Your Healing Story, Don’t Call Me Mother, and Becoming Whole: Writing Your Healing Story.

Watch the three-part video of the interview and/or read the written version below.

Linda Joy Myers, Ph.D, is the author of The Power of Memoir–How to Write Your Healing Story, Don’t Call Me Mother, and Becoming Whole: Writing Your Healing Story. Linda Joy has been a therapist in Berkeley for over thirty years, and combines her background in art, clinical work, and writing in her work. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College, and offers memoir workshops in the Bay Area and nationally. She is president of the National Association of Memoir Writers and former president of the California Writers Club, Marin branch, and a member of Women’s National Book Association.

AS What is it that draws you to writing and teaching memoir; how important do you think it is for people to write memoir?

LM My fascination with personal histories and how they shape people and families keeps me always engaged in teaching memoir writing. The process of writing a memoir invites the opportunity to listen to one’s own voice and reach surprising levels of personal growth. I learned so much about myself, my family, and new layers of forgiveness as I wrote my memoir. The memoir can be seen as a journey toward enlightenment, toward deeper self-knowledge. Dr. James Pennebaker, who has presented the writing as healing research says that “stories are a way of knowledge.” This suggests that the memoir can be a teacher, and that writing leads us on a journey of healing, insight, and a better sense of self. I have experienced this and so have my students.

AS Your books say that writing is healing. Can you tell us how writing helps people to heal?

LM The research has shown that writing changes the way that traumatic memories are trapped in certain areas of the brain. The scientists have found that writing helps to heal not only emotionally, as we know from journaling, but physically too, showing health benefit for people with asthma, arthritis, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Writing improves the immune system, and has positive effects on a variety of conditions.

AS How is memoir writing different than journaling memories?

LM When we journal, words arrive spontaneously on the page, a stream of consciousness flowing from the mind/body. A memoir is a story—which implies a dramatic arc and a plot that is crafted and created by the writer. Fiction writing skills are needed to shape memories into a memoir.

AS Do you keep a journal?

LM I used to keep a journal regularly, but now I journal briefly and when I need to capture dreams and feelings. I love writing by hand, as I never quite know what will appear. It feels as if I’m writing from the body more when I journal than if I write on the computer.

AS Since memory is notoriously inaccurate, and we know that no one remembers things in exactly the same way, how do we know what is really “the truth”?

LM All we can do is to write our truths as honestly as we can. There are many windows of perception on any given circumstance, and quite often there is no objective truth. Every memoirist must hold to her own ethics about presenting her story through her own eyes, but if there are objective proofs of inaccuracy as a result of research or other views, the writer can incorporate them. Since memories can’t be proven, we simply write what we know—and all memories are interpreted through our perception and psychology. Just write freely and don’t worry about proof!

AS How can a memoir writer express his or her personal truth and not upset other members of the family? For example, how do memoirists deal with true stories about abuse in their memoirs?

LM In many families, it is simply not possible to keep everyone happy and not upset them, and writers know what kind of family they’re dealing with. Memoirists need to write their truth in a protected way, with a boundary—a safe, sacred space, as I call it. This is important  to protect against the voices of the inner critic and the outer critics.  I don’t think that our writing should be shared with family for a long time, but each person has to decide what’s best. Sharing with family prematurely can lead to worries about other people’s feelings prematurely, or even writer’s block. Write the first draft in secret, write everything out. Keep it private, and when you have that draft done, you can decide how much you want to publish and what you need to change.

AS You have said that “A memoir is a beacon of light sent out to illuminate the journey of life for others” – how do we know if the memoir is just for ourselves or if there is value in it for others too?

LM At first, we are writing for ourselves, but in the later drafts we begin to imagine our audience while still remembering to keep our own voice and counsel. Sometimes we write our stories to understand ourselves better; or we think that we want to leave a legacy for the family, and we start writing as a gift to them. Or, we feel that we have learned lessons that might benefit the world outside the family and we write our later drafts keeping in mind what themes, lessons, and points that we want the reader to take away. Again, it’s a process and we need to allow the stages and layers to flow. The writing will reveal itself to us if we don’t strangle it along with way with too many “shoulds.”

AS If people are drawn to writing a memoir, how do you suggest they begin?

LM Start with journaling the important memories, and making lists of the turning point moments. You can have several lists, as they are fluid and ongoing. Use old photographs to stimulate memories, and be sure to experiment with your voice as you write different pieces that convey different feelings.

AS What kinds of techniques does a memoir writer need to develop to write a publishable memoir?

LM Editors, agents, and publishers expect to see a finely written and edited memoir presented as a story—which means there are scenes, dramatic action, a plot, and well honed language and metaphor. The writer will have healed old issues enough so they are not ranting or out of control on the page. No amount of theoretical learning can convey the process of writing the way that writing a memoir from stark beginning to end will teach. It’s journey to write a whole book. Agents and publishers expect you to have completed the book, and have honed it into a manuscript ready for publishers to take as is. This means that you need to take classes in fictional techniques and be willing to write a lot of pieces that may never be published. Learning the craft and being patient are very important parts of eventually becoming published.

AS How important do you think it is to hire an editor? Won’t a good critique group do the job?

LM A critique group may be helpful, but it has to be the right group with enough training in the area that you’re writing about to be useful. A fiction group combined with memoir does not always work, though it can. Personalities can play a big part in a critique group. Groups can be helpful in the early stages as long as you feel supported and encouraged by the members of the group. But if they slow you down or make you feel ashamed of your story, stop presenting your work. Don’t allow negativity in the group, and discourage extreme subjectivity. After all, it is your story, but they can help you discover if you are communicating what you are trying to say, and give you compassionate feedback. Memoirs are so psychological, it helps to have people in the group who understand family dynamics.
There is absolutely no substitute for a professional editor, but again, wisdom needs to be applied here, and hopefully you will find the right editor. Some editors will correct your work in their voice, not yours, which will not help you. And some editors have biases that you may not agree with. Get a potential editor to give you 5 free pages of edit before your hire them, and be sure to talk to their. That said, my work has always been professionally edited by people that I have hired, and I have learned so much in that process. Yes to editors!

AS It’s been a pleasure to speak with you today. Thank you for for the gift of your time, and have wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!

-

BECAUSE I love reading, writing, and listening to all topics inspirational,  I thought it would be fun to know more about K.M. Weiland, author, editor, and writing consultant. Ms. Weiland writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in western Nebraska and has recently released a CD titled Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration. I am pleased to interview her here today.

AS: Tell us a little about yourself and your new CD.

K.M: Over the last several years, I’ve been sharing tips and essays about the writing life on my blog Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors. Articles on inspiration and fighting writer’s block have always been some of my most popular posts, and I wanted to put together a presentation that shared some of my own tricks for encouraging inspiration. Thanks to the Wordplay podcast, I already had some experience with audio productions and thought it would be an interesting adventure to create a CD that would be accessible and helpful to others.

AS: You mention on your CD that you’ve been writing stories since you were twelve years old. Who was your greatest influence and cheerleader — the person who most encouraged you to follow your heart as a writer?

K.M: I don’t come from a family of fiction readers, and for the most part my family still doesn’t “get” the whole novelist thing. But I was very blessed to have parents who supported my dreams and my gifts even when they didn’t necessarily understand them. When I was thirteen or fourteen, my father—recognizing that my writing was a passion that would likely fuel the rest of my life—sought out the services of a talented author friend to mentor me during those early years. That was a decided turning point for me. My writing went from a fun hobby to one of the most serious pursuits of my life.

AS: How old were you when you first decided to commit yourself to writing as a career, and what steps did you take to accomplish this goal (recognizing that we writers are always in process)?

K.M: I actually came to writing as a career through the back door. For years, I wrote for myself, and I was content with that. My childhood dream was to train horses and compete as a professional barrel racer in rodeos. It wasn’t until my late teens, roundabout the time I graduated from high school, that the encouragement of others led me to pursue publication for my western novel A Man Called Outlaw. Even then, it took me two years and another book (the medieval epic Behold the Dawn) to realize all that a career as a professional author entailed. In the year prior to Behold’s publication, I finally made myself get serious about the marketing end of the business. I joined every social media network in site (most notably Facebook and Twitter), started polishing my blog, and seeking creative ways to catch and hold potential readers’ attention. It’s been a long, difficult journey, but also exhilarating and fulfilling.

AS: What inspired you to create your CD, and why a CD instead of an E-book?

K.M: I wanted to offer something relatively inexpensive but with more substance than an e-book (although, for those who prefer digital media, the album is available as an Mp3 download from Amazon). Plus, I always enjoy dipping my toes in new water, so I was eager to try my hand at a different medium. People have responded positively to my podcast, so I figured an audio production might not go amiss.

AS: To my way of thinking, writing is a process and it’s unrealistic to expect all our writing (or perhaps any of it) to be inspired. Either we sit down and write, or we don’t. Why do you think that so many people believe in “writer’s block?” And what might be some ways to “reframe” the conversation?

K.M: Writer’s block is an easy excuse. If we’re tired or cranky or our stories aren’t cascading off our fingertips the way we want them to, writer’s block is a convenient out. Obviously, if we have writer’s block, then no one can expect us to sit down at the computer and try to get some words down. I’m not mitigating the effects of blockage; every writer comes to a point (for me, it can be a daily occurrence) when he’s just plain stuck. But when we slap a moniker on it—especially one that carries the enormous baggage of “writer’s block”—all we’re doing is beating ourselves at a psychological game.

In my experience, writer’s block can be approached in only two ways, neither of which is improved by actually calling it writer’s block.

1. Simply grit our teeth and keep typing away, even if all we’re producing is junk, until we break through the wall.
2. Realize that our creative brain needs a break and walk away for a while, with the strict understanding that we will be back to hammer that keyboard again soon.

AS: I understand that you primarily write fiction, is that correct? Do your techniques work equally well with someone who writes nonfiction and/or memoir?

K.M: As a fiction author, my view of writing naturally leans toward my own experiences and perspective. The CD does contain references and exercises specific to fiction authors. However, the ideas and suggestions, in general, span the gamut of writing genres. The panic welling in the backs of our throats, the taunt of the blinking cursor and the blank page, the frustration when our words don’t sound the way we want them to—these feelings are universal to writers of every stripe. And the ideas I discuss for combating them should apply equally to all of us, no matter our chosen brand of wordcraft.

AS: Have you ever used a journal to help you with you write more productively or keep track of your writing process? If so, tell us a little about that.

K.M: I keep a writing journal for each novel I write. I use it to record my feelings about my story and my creativity in general (it’s very comforting to look back at old journals and realize that I fought and overcame the same obstacles previously) and to gather my ideas before diving into the actual fray of my stories. The one thing I don’t use my journals for is creative exercises and writing prompts. I’ve never had good luck with either, mostly because I feel my writing time could be better spent working on the writing projects that count: my novels, short stories, and blog posts.

AS: In the CD, you talk about the importance of daydreaming. If someone isn’t a natural daydreamer, how can he or she cultivate this skill?

K.M: If you’re a writer, chances are you know how to daydream. Cultivating the skill is really just a matter of learning how to be still, absorb the world around you, and communicate with yourself. I recommend lots of alone time for writers. Long walks are a favorite daydreaming activity for me, but I also utilize mental downtime when my hands are busy on mindless tasks (washing dishes, pulling weeds, scooping snow) that leave my imagination free to roam. Also, if you’re in a place where it’s possible, don’t be afraid to verbalize. Crazy people talk to themselves—but so do creative people! Verbalizing thoughts and trying out the weight of words in our mouths can solidify our dreams into memorable ideas.

AS: What is your favorite way to jump-start your own creativity?

K.M: I try to live in a zone where creativity is always accessible. I don’t want to let the creative well run dry; I don’t want to ever reach the place where I have to jump-start it. For me, inspiration isn’t so much about seeking, as it is about living. As the CD’s subtitle “nurture a lifestyle of creativity” suggests, I want to find creativity at my fingertips every moment of the day. In large part, living this kind of life is about being centered, at peace, and open to new experiences. For me, it also means surrounding myself with an atmosphere of beauty and order, as much as possible. Also, because creativity is a river that must flow in if it’s to flow out, I devour the creative output of other people: music, books, movies, art, you name it.

AS: How do you go about balancing instinct and intuition (art) with craft? Do you have recommendations to offer your readers and listeners?

K.M: I’m a decidedly left-brain person, so the craft part—the technical, structural side of writing—comes naturally. For me, the difficulty is keeping my perfectionist tendencies in check and allowing my rowdy, untamed right brain to take over, color outside the lines, and generally make a beautiful mess. Over the years, I’ve learned to listen to my gut. If my body is telling me something is wrong with a story, something’s probably wrong. And vice versa—when my chest “collapses” and I literally can’t breathe, I know I’ve hit upon something good. We’ve all heard it before, but it bears repeating: Give yourself permission to be awful in the first draft; don’t try to control your subconscious creativity. The left brain will get its chance in the later drafts.

AS: Is there anything you’d like to add?

K.M: Thanks for hosting me today, Amber! I would add that along with the CD (which is available, this month only, in a great special offer), I’m excited to announce the launch of my newly redesigned website. Other than the spiffy new look, it also features lots of goodies for helping writers along the road to publication and fulfillment in their writing.

Probably the most exciting additions are the Helping Writers Become Authors Network, which offers an excellent package deal on some of my best writing programs and products, and the First Chapter Story Consultation service.

You might also be interested in links to my blogs, podcast, monthly e-letter, and my free e-book Crafting Unforgettable Characters.

AS: You’re welcome, and good luck with everything!

Yesterday, it was my privilege and pleasure to interview guest author, Cendrine Marrouat. Cendrine was born in southern France. A French-English translator and former teacher, she immigrated to Canada in 2003 and, since then, has concentrated on writing poetry and plays, as well as developing her skills as freelance writer and photographer.

Watch the first part of the interview:

Following is an abridged version of our interview on Skype. To watch and listen to the full interview, scroll to the movie at the bottom of this post and press play.

AS: Cendrine, you’ve written five books of poetry and created one spoken word album. The first of your books was published in 2006, is that correct? Your website says that you began your writing career in 2005. What, exactly, do you mean by that, and when would you say that you actually began writing?
CM: We all start when we are teenagers, in our youth. We all write sappy poetry, or whatever, so I really started writing in 2005. One night at the beginning of the year, I grabbed a pen and paper and just started writing. I wrote my first poem in an hour. I hated poetry before that, so that’s really interesting. So I had my first poem written in one hour, and then all of a sudden the bug hit me, and I started writing like crazy. That’s how I started.

AS: I often talk to my students about writing from their heart, and by that I mean writing with honesty and vulnerability. What does writing from the heart mean to you, and how do you use the poetic form to achieve that?
CM: I see poetry more like a language of the soul and of the mind. It’s really a journey of the mind and the heart. When you write poetry, you share your essence, your self. That’s why I agree with you that when you write — it doesn’t have to be poetry, it can be short stories or novels — whatever you do, you have to pour your heart and mind into what you do and be very honest.

AS: For you personally, why poetry? Why do you think that was the form of writing that spoke most to you?
CM: What I love about poetry is that poetry and music are very similar in that you can take any topic you want and turn it into anything you want. What I found about novels and plays and short stories is that you have to delve into details that can be kind of complex and confusing for some people. With poetry, on the other hand, you don’t have to tell much. People can understand the story you are trying to describe through their own feelings and their own experiences. For example, in my poetry, I have talked a lot about death. I talk a lot about topics that people are sometimes afraid to talk about.
Through poetry I was able to spread my messages without it bothering people in the way it might bother them if I was writing a novel or a play or short story, because I appeal to their imagination through poetry.

AS: How have your books been received so far?
CM: I would say that, in general, my poetry has been well received. People feel that there is a message in my poetry that is different than most people write because of the topics I deal with. I would say that the book that has received the most interest is my collection of poems on death.

AS: What brought you to that place in your life where you wanted to write about death?
CM: My mom committed suicide in August of 2005, and I was ready for it because she had tried to commit suicide many times before. So I was kind of ready for it, which made the process of grieving much easier for me, which doesn’t mean that I don’t miss my mother, it just made it easier on me. I realized that I had something I could do for others, that her was something I could do. And I wanted to offer my own vision of what death may be. I wanted to offer something positive for a change that would give hope to as many people as possible.

AS: You have a new collection of poetry, Five Years and Counting: A Journey into the Mind of Soul Poetry. Is there a theme to this collection?
CM: Five Years and Counting is a very special collection. First of all, it’s only out for members of the Facebook fan page, so it’s not really out yet. When I started writing, I knew I wanted to publish books. I was reluctant, but I knew I should try. It’s a book about growth and evolution. Over the years, I began to see poetry as a reflection of the human mind, and I realized that the topics I dealt with in my poetry were a reflection of my own evolution. So I gathered the poetry I had written over the years and grouped them in the order to show the basic evolution I went through as a human being and as a writer.
There are more than 150 poems in this book, classified according to four chapters: Birth and Childhood, The Teenage Years, Adulthood, and Elevation. Elevation is about when someone finally grieves well and understand that life and death are kind of intertwined and can actually grieve in a very healthy and start enjoying life, despite the pain, the grief, and the sadness.

AS: In a way, it really fits with the theme of Writing Through Life, because you are writing through the evolution of a life. It is a kind of memoir. In a recent review of Five Years by Randi Flynn, she quotes you as saying that one of your greatest wishes is that, “people realize the greatness in trials. We must embrace pain and joy alike to be able to experience life fully.” I completely agree with this statement and often encourage people to write about their emotional responses to experiences as a way of processing, healing, and finding the gifts in those experiences. Additionally, I find that people often have a more difficult time writing about joy than pain. Would you say that is correct? And what would you add to that?
CM: Yes, I totally agree with you, about the fact that people find it easier to write about pain than about joy, because we live in societies that are emotionally stifled. In other words, it’s bad to say that we are happy because there are so many people who are sad around us. It sounds almost selfish to say I’m happy. It’s interesting how shy people are when you ask them to write something they are happy to write about. We have lived for generations where it is politically correct to feel pity for others. That is why I try to focus on the positive in my poetry because I think there is enough negativity in this world. I don’t need to add to the pile.

AS: Tell us a little about your writing habits. For example, do you write every day, what times of day do you write, and where do you like to write?
CM: These days, I’m extremely busy because I write for Examiner.com. I’m the Winnipeg Spirituality Examiner and the Winnipeg Art Examiner, so I mostly write articles for them, as well as others. So the time I dedicate to poetry is minimal these days. But I write every day. There’s not a specific time of day that I write. I’m writing all day long. I work in my dining room, usually, but I work wherever the fancy takes me.

AS: Do you keep a journal of any kind? If so, how do you use it?
CM: I used to. Not anymore, because I have my poetry!

AS: In my experience, many people think that their stories are to mundane and boring to write about. Do you have any advice for them?
CM: As I mentioned earlier, we live in societies that stifle our emotions, and we believe that we’re not interesting because we’re not Miley Cyrus, not famous singers and actors, so we’re not interesting. But we all go through life, and we all have issues, and no matter what the issues are, we deserve and have the right to be in pain, the right to have a mundane life. It’s all right to be like everyone else and all right to be different from everyone else.
But I would say.. that though it seems that I have a mundane life because I’m writing a lot, my mind travels a lot. So if everyone in this world allowed their minds to travel the way mind does, then they wouldn’t have the mundane lives they have. They would have so much to talk about and to write about. I believe in God, and this in itself gives me so many things to talk about. The problem for many people is that they haven’t found their passions. That’s why they think their lives are not interesting. But as soon as you have a passion in your life even the mundane becomes interesting.

AS: I asked if you would bring one of your poems to read to us today. Would you like to begin?
CM: This is from the new book. My poem is titled “Death Unleashed.” It is also on my spoken word CD.

Listen to Cendrine read her poem:

Download the full 20-minute interview: Author Interview with Cendrine Marrouat

To learn more about Cendrine’s work, visit her website at www.cendrinemarrouat.com.

JORDAN E. ROSENFELD is a freelance journalist, editor, and fiction writer. She is a contributing editor & columnist to Writer’s Digest (WD) magazine. Her journalism has appeared in such publications as AlterNet.org, the Marin magazine, the North Bay Bohemian, The Pacific Sun, Seattle Conscious Choice, The San Francisco Chronicle, The St. Petersburg Times, Times, The Writer and more.

She is the author of two books, Make A Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time (Writer’s Digest Books) and Write Free! Attracting the Creative Life, with Rebecca Lawton (BeijaFlor Books).

I became interested in Jordan’s most recent book, Write Free, because the concept of attracting the elements of a creative life appealed to me, and because I am always looking for ways to encourage writers and artists to follow their hearts deeply into the path of their craft. As I learned more about Jordan, I was impressed both by her early success and her positive attitudes toward life and art. She responded warmly to my request for a blog interview, which follows.

AS: When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer? And who influenced and supported you in your decision to pursue writing as a career?

JR: I’m one of those irritating, knew-from-birth that I wanted to write types. It was the only thing I ever wanted to do. My parents were incredibly nurturing of this in me (even when they weren’t very nurturing in other ways), and in reflecting on my career, I realize that so were my teachers, friends, mentors and just about anyone in my life. I can’t help but wonder if they were keeping the criticism back, because I got so much encouragement I never even thought to doubt I was on the right path. I never really “decided” to pursue a career—it was just the path I always walked. I leaned toward those things that fed my soul as a writer and they led to opportunities, to which I always said yes. Saying “yes” is a big part of success…I’ve led literary salons, hosted/produced a literary radio program, started a women’s magazine, all for no money, but love.

AS: Did you have a mentor or someone who you feel played a big part in your success as a writer? If so, who was it (or they) — teacher, friend, etc.? And how did you originally make contact?

JR: Oh, I’ve really been lucky. I’ve had so many mentors. My parents ran with some intellectual/artistic types as a child so there were always people asking me about my writing and buying me Rilke and blank journals. In college—both undergraduate, and my grad degree from the Bennington Writing Seminars—I absorbed all the advice that published writers could give me. But I take inspiration and advice from anyone who has it to give. I believe that success comes from staying open to all sources. I do also really love social networking now. I wish I’d had it like it exists now ten years ago, though!

AS: How did you break into publishing and how did you get involved with Writer’s Digest magazine?

JR: Gosh, how did I break in? I co-edited/published a women’s magazine just out of college that gave me some clips. From there I heard of an opportunity to freelance write for my local paper. That was probably my most distinct break-in moment because I didn’t have a journalism degree. It was sort of a jump in and prove myself moment. From there I just kept expanding my freelance writing circle to the regional and to the national. I’m a big proponent of “what do I have to lose by trying?” I pitched Writer’s Digest cold, like all their writers, and happened to get a lucky pitch plucked from the slush. Then I kept pitching like mad, and my editor (Maria Schneider, who has since left), rather than being irritated, apparently saw a workhorse in me and offered me a position as a contributing editor. I was just burning up with ideas at the time, and she let me run with them. Ah, the glory days.

AS: You’ve published two books—Make a Scene: Crafting A Powerful Story One Scene at a Time, and Write Free with co-author Becca Lawton, both published within a year of each other, which must be a story all its own. Were you working on both books at the same time? Or did you complete one before the other and it just happened that they were published in the same year?

JR: Hmmm. Well, Becca and I were doing Write Free workshops at the time that I sold the proposal for Make a Scene to Writer’s Digest Books. And yes, I was definitely working on both at one point. But Write Free was this gorgeously effortless collaboration that sprang out of this wonderful work we were doing together; it never felt like I was writing two books at once. Make a Scene was a very intense process, one I’m grateful for, but it was like being back in graduate school, in a way.

AS: Regarding Write Free! Attracting the Creating Life: the title of this book..well..attracted me, and I’d like to know more about it. What’s your story behind writing it, and how did you and Becca Lawton decide to work together as co-authors?

JR: The basic concept of the book is: your feelings are your guides to what is and isn’t working in your life. Feeling sad/discouraged/bummed about your writing? Your writing life probably reflects that, for example. And where you place your attention, so you focus the events and opportunities that come your way. Start to focus your feelings differently (through various exercises) and open yourself to opportunities. It’s simple, but super powerful.

Becca is someone I knew through writing friends when I lived in Sonoma County. I hosted a literary salon, LiveWire, and a mutual dear friend, Susan Bono, brought Becca in to read from her book of essays, Reading Water. I instantly adored her. I was also looking for a job at the time and she pretty much got me hired at a wonderful environmental organization. We both discovered on our lunch breaks that we were feeling “stale” around our writing and got together, bringing our shared ideas to “juice up” our writing lives. We got turned on to The Law of Attraction (long before The Secret even existed), and realized there was no book out there that helped writers look at how to create a thriving writing life with this set of concepts. We held an amazing retreat in Philo, California at the Wellspring Renewals Center one weekend, and the response was so profound we knew we were onto something. Becca’s publisher of several of her other books, Arthur Dawson of Kulupi Press, believed in us, and we knew not to turn down this wonderful chance. We still co-edit the Write Free e-newsletter together, too, (it’s free to subscribe), which offers tips, insights, and resources on how to attract the writing life you desire.

AS: As noted earlier, you’ve been a radio host, editor, journalist and book author. How has your career progressed and what are you working on currently?

JR: I give this talk I call my “Wild and Wooly, Stumble and Bumble My Way To Success Story.” My career is completely a result of taking every opportunity, creating them where there were none (the literary salon, the radio show) and not believing the myth that if you’re “nobody,” nobody wants to publish you. I throw myself at things. I don’t take rejection personally. I persist, and when I hit low points, I turn to my writer friends who prop up my ego until I can go on.

AS: What’s your favorite type or genre of writing?

JR: Hands down, fiction. I’m a novelist at heart. It’s work that I both loathe and love. It tests me, challenges me, and makes me feel alive. I’ve written many novels, had one come very close to being published, and am at work on a new one right now, called Little Alien, that I’m very dedicated to and am determined to publish.

AS: What does a typical day look like for you?

JR: Well, I have a nearly two-year-old son, which changes everything. This new life looks like: Drive him to daycare at 8:00 a.m., and from 8-12, edit and critique manuscripts (this is what I mainly do for a living), respond to student assignments for my online classes, and any other business, such as putting together the Write Free newsletter, writing articles, blog posts, etc. One day a week I ONLY write fiction, and in between the cracks of the week, as well. That’s all I really have: from 8-12 every day, and occasionally his naps, though I tend to take “down time” then, and of course the weekends, when my husband is home, though I tend to engage in more family time then. This is a marked difference from before, when I had all the time in the world to myself.

AS: I’m personally amazed and inspired by your ability to get so much done in such a short amount of time. How do you do it?

JR: My secret is simple: Waste no time. Prioritize projects. I have to work far more efficiently than I used to, so it means no time dawdling on email or Facebook (though I do dawdle other times of the day); know what projects I am going to work on every day, and for approximately how long. So if I have two large edits, I’ll give each one an hour per day, for instance. I also make my commitments based on how long it takes me to do something. So my contract with new editing clients makes it clear how much time I need, and that I may need to ask for an extension should anything come up. “Anything” being that my son gets sick and can’t go to daycare.

And I also secretly think I have a guardian angel who turns back time for me, because sometimes I’m amazed at what I can get done in four hours that I couldn’t get done in eight before.

Also, the way I motivate myself to work extra hard is that I give myself one whole writing day, usually Thursdays, so I have to get my work done Mondays through Wednesdays (and Friday), or I don’t earn that day to write fiction.

AS: Your combination of focus, discipline, and motivation is a model of encouragement for those of us who struggle with time. What do you enjoy most about your life as an artist and what do you enjoy least?

JR: I love my life. I have this great freedom and I’m my own boss. My work never gets boring because it’s always transforming. I love teaching lately. I’ve been teaching my own online classes for about a year through www.jordanrosenfeld.net, as well as starting with Writer’s Digest University last month, and I love how much I learn from my students. I also have a deep love of analysis—I love breaking down the elements of craft into digestible parts.

But personally, I’m furiously working on my novel, and hoping to pitch another writing book to WD shortly.

AS: If you had the opportunity to do anything over again what would you do differently?

JR: My only one major regret is that I didn’t work harder on the novel my agent attempted to sell. Even though she loved it, I sort of knew deep down that it could use another pass, but I rode the bandwagon of her enthusiasm…and it didn’t sell (not her fault, by the way, if it sounds like that). The book wasn’t ready, and then it was too late—22 publishers had seen it and said things like, “I loved it, but…” Those buts did me in.

AS: If you could only offer one piece of advice to aspiring writers and artists, what would it be?

JR: Don’t get discouraged and don’t give up. At every turn in this business there is a chance to feel as though you are just one among millions all trying to break into the same game. Writing is a craft. You can only get better at it if you read and study and practice, which you must do.

AS: What are you attracting into your life right now?

JR: I’m attracting a host of enthusiastic students/writers who want to do what it takes to get published and wonderful support for helping me revise my novel.

AS: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

JR: Yes: If you want to write or publish, then WRITE. Don’t wait, don’t save it for someday. Don’t let the competition overwhelm you. Write what you have to write and do EVERYTHING you can to get better. Revise your work. Take feedback. Stay open. Network. I get a little bit tired of hearing about people who shelve their dreams and then find themselves looking back with regret. Have no regrets!

AS: Jordan, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day for this interview.

Now, for our readers, we have a special offer and BUZZ CONTEST: WIN a copy of Write Free or Make A Scene! Here’s how:

• Write a comment below, share this blog on your Facebook and Twitter pages, blog about attracting the creative life, and share the URL for this interview with as many of your friends as possible. (Tag your blogs with “Write Free” and “Writing Through Life”)

• Send me the links to your blogs, social network pages and places where you’ve made comments about this interview.

• The FIRST PLACE prize (your choice of Write Free or Make a Scene) will be awarded to the person who creates the biggest buzz about this interview and the concept of attracting a creative life.

• The SECOND PLACE prize (the other book) will be awarded to the person who creates the next biggest buzz …

• Deadline for all buzz submissions is Tuesday, May 18th. Remember, to participate, start by writing a comment below, then send me the links to all your social networking buzz about Write Free and Writing Through Life.