Thanks for sharing so honestly about your experience and for all you do for the writing community. I struggled to write over the summer too. I loved the tips you shared with all of us. I can't wait to read your next publication.
Thank YOU, Lisa, for sharing this with me. Thank you for reading my issue and for your kind reflection. It can be really so challenging to create sometimes. I’m grateful to be part of your community and to be able to support one another.
Thanks for sharing your experience with a freeze in creativity and how you came through it. You give us so much with "Let's Talk Memoir" podcast that perhaps it is taking up a lot of your energy? But I don't really want you to slow down. The podcast is such a gift but I loved your memoir, "When She Comes Back" so it's important for you to keep writing!
Lora, what a lovely message to read. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. I always feel heartened by your messages.
It did occur to me that the pull in a few directions is probably not helping the creative process. It’s a funny juxtaposition too because reading lots of memoirs and talking about writing is really good fuel creatively and yet we also want to have energy to dream with.
I will have more writing out soon and more books are definitely on my mind and in the pipeline. Thank you for being there! ❤️
Thank you so, so much for this! I’m emotionally exhausted after a tough summer and am in the depths of this kind of season right now. My shi**y first draft is languishing in the midst of revisions and I feel like I’m slogging through mud to fix it, to deepen it, to find/make all the meaning.
Going to work through (play through!) all of these steps going forward. 🙏🙏
Hi Alexa! The process can feel so grueling at times, I know.
Try to keep in mind that everything you do, even when you take time away from your project and are slowly simmering about it or ruminating, you are making progress. I really firmly believe that nothing is wasted so even when we’re not adding words or having revelatory breakthroughs, we are still getting closer and closer to our project’s ultimate iteration. ❤️
This was perfectly timed for my life! I'm getting back to writing "full force" after a summer of floundering. Asking many of the questions you did in this piece. It's so good to know we are not alone in our struggles, and insecurities. I printed this out to have on my desk as I proceed this fall. Thank you so much for writing it, for the suggestions, and living it! Peggy Cook
This is the exact advice I needed today. I have a memoir that seems particularly relevant to our current political situation, but was completely stuck. Your step by step advice has gotten the wheels turning again. Many thanks!
I'm caught in a time warp of knowing I need to write, but not knowing quite how to with what I want to say. I need a change and it's hard. So I plod along, exploring on the side, and wonder if I'll ever find that magic formula, if there is such a thing.
I journal almost daily. I trial different genres at times, as well. I'm currently looking at letters as a preface of sorts to a creative non fiction piece on a researched person, item or memory, or combination of those and more. Plus a timeline of the person's significant history, compiling all three, and maybe related poems, into one publication.
It's a work in progress.
As for my own memoir...that's conversational. Not sure whether it works, but it's in the overall style of a chat with my daughters. So it's a limited audience. Hence, probably not publication writing.
It's mastering a style I'm uncertain about. Like creative non fiction as a shift from biography.
Writing this response helps me realise it's more that I lack confidence as I've not mastered any particular genre.
What you wrote here “compiling all three, and maybe related poems, into one publication” brings to mind a work that is hybrid, which can be really fun to do and bring together. There are contest and publishers who welcome hybrid works, and that way you could combine the different elements you describe here.
I feel like when it comes to genre I’m a little bit all over the map sometimes. I took poetry classes beginning about two or three years ago and I’ve just now started to feel like I can write poetry… Or at least something that gets close to what it should look like. :)
We have so many different voices and styles within us that it can be really fun to experiment and play.
What you wrote here: “compiling all three, and maybe related poems, into one publication.
It's a work in progress,” makes me think of a hybrid work, which some publishers and contests are actively seeking. If you’re feeling called to create a manuscript made up of different elements and genres I say keep exploring and go for it. You can worry about a label or where it fits later.
Thank you, Ronit. It's a journey, for sure! And one worth having fun with.
Poetry is a wonderful option, I find for self expression, as it can look like almost anything you want! Today's poets seem to have freed poetry from the constraints of any particular form. I find it quite refreshing.
I remember this happened to me after I finished the 3rd draft of my memoir. I got feedback from a few Beta readers and one of them said "Why should we care about this?" After that it took me almost 5 years to get back to it! I think because I didn't have the answer to that question. It also happened to me this past spring when I had to come up with copy for my website. I was so stuck. It was probably the hardest writing I've had to do because it brought up all kinds of "worthiness" issues. When we write we make ourselves vulnerable and that can be hard especially when we are in protection mode, especially when there is so much going on in the world.
I’m glad this was helpful. I think the curiosity and dream like search is really helpful. In these cases.
I had another piece I’ve been tinkering with that I looked at tonight and though I felt stuck again… I made myself associative think/write and extrapolate a bit. I got back into a sense of discovery and that really made me feel better. I think taking the pressure off and remembering why we turned the page can be helpful.
Thanks for sharing so honestly about your experience and for all you do for the writing community. I struggled to write over the summer too. I loved the tips you shared with all of us. I can't wait to read your next publication.
Thank YOU, Lisa, for sharing this with me. Thank you for reading my issue and for your kind reflection. It can be really so challenging to create sometimes. I’m grateful to be part of your community and to be able to support one another.
Thanks for sharing your experience with a freeze in creativity and how you came through it. You give us so much with "Let's Talk Memoir" podcast that perhaps it is taking up a lot of your energy? But I don't really want you to slow down. The podcast is such a gift but I loved your memoir, "When She Comes Back" so it's important for you to keep writing!
Lora, what a lovely message to read. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. I always feel heartened by your messages.
It did occur to me that the pull in a few directions is probably not helping the creative process. It’s a funny juxtaposition too because reading lots of memoirs and talking about writing is really good fuel creatively and yet we also want to have energy to dream with.
I will have more writing out soon and more books are definitely on my mind and in the pipeline. Thank you for being there! ❤️
Thank you so, so much for this! I’m emotionally exhausted after a tough summer and am in the depths of this kind of season right now. My shi**y first draft is languishing in the midst of revisions and I feel like I’m slogging through mud to fix it, to deepen it, to find/make all the meaning.
Going to work through (play through!) all of these steps going forward. 🙏🙏
Hi Alexa! The process can feel so grueling at times, I know.
Try to keep in mind that everything you do, even when you take time away from your project and are slowly simmering about it or ruminating, you are making progress. I really firmly believe that nothing is wasted so even when we’re not adding words or having revelatory breakthroughs, we are still getting closer and closer to our project’s ultimate iteration. ❤️
Dear Ronit,
This was perfectly timed for my life! I'm getting back to writing "full force" after a summer of floundering. Asking many of the questions you did in this piece. It's so good to know we are not alone in our struggles, and insecurities. I printed this out to have on my desk as I proceed this fall. Thank you so much for writing it, for the suggestions, and living it! Peggy Cook
Peggy, thank you for your message. ❤️
I’m so happy to hear this was useful and helped you feel supported. Writing is haaaaaaaaaard sometimes. I needed the reminder myself to keep going.
This is the exact advice I needed today. I have a memoir that seems particularly relevant to our current political situation, but was completely stuck. Your step by step advice has gotten the wheels turning again. Many thanks!
I’m so happy to hear you found my post, Susan! Thank you for letting me know it was helpful for you today.
I'm caught in a time warp of knowing I need to write, but not knowing quite how to with what I want to say. I need a change and it's hard. So I plod along, exploring on the side, and wonder if I'll ever find that magic formula, if there is such a thing.
Hi Eileen Susan, i’m wondering if you are thinking about different genres and what the best container/structure is for what you’re trying to say?
Have you done some free writes or associative thinking/writing?
Hi Ronit
I journal almost daily. I trial different genres at times, as well. I'm currently looking at letters as a preface of sorts to a creative non fiction piece on a researched person, item or memory, or combination of those and more. Plus a timeline of the person's significant history, compiling all three, and maybe related poems, into one publication.
It's a work in progress.
As for my own memoir...that's conversational. Not sure whether it works, but it's in the overall style of a chat with my daughters. So it's a limited audience. Hence, probably not publication writing.
It's mastering a style I'm uncertain about. Like creative non fiction as a shift from biography.
Writing this response helps me realise it's more that I lack confidence as I've not mastered any particular genre.
What you wrote here “compiling all three, and maybe related poems, into one publication” brings to mind a work that is hybrid, which can be really fun to do and bring together. There are contest and publishers who welcome hybrid works, and that way you could combine the different elements you describe here.
I feel like when it comes to genre I’m a little bit all over the map sometimes. I took poetry classes beginning about two or three years ago and I’ve just now started to feel like I can write poetry… Or at least something that gets close to what it should look like. :)
We have so many different voices and styles within us that it can be really fun to experiment and play.
What you wrote here: “compiling all three, and maybe related poems, into one publication.
It's a work in progress,” makes me think of a hybrid work, which some publishers and contests are actively seeking. If you’re feeling called to create a manuscript made up of different elements and genres I say keep exploring and go for it. You can worry about a label or where it fits later.
Thank you, Ronit. It's a journey, for sure! And one worth having fun with.
Poetry is a wonderful option, I find for self expression, as it can look like almost anything you want! Today's poets seem to have freed poetry from the constraints of any particular form. I find it quite refreshing.
Thank you for this message. Yes, I love how poetry helps me get to the heart of what I want to say.
Glad to have this glimpse into your thoughts -- as always, thanks for the gift of the podcast.
Thank you, Mary! I really appreciate it.
I remember this happened to me after I finished the 3rd draft of my memoir. I got feedback from a few Beta readers and one of them said "Why should we care about this?" After that it took me almost 5 years to get back to it! I think because I didn't have the answer to that question. It also happened to me this past spring when I had to come up with copy for my website. I was so stuck. It was probably the hardest writing I've had to do because it brought up all kinds of "worthiness" issues. When we write we make ourselves vulnerable and that can be hard especially when we are in protection mode, especially when there is so much going on in the world.
I’m glad this was helpful. I think the curiosity and dream like search is really helpful. In these cases.
I had another piece I’ve been tinkering with that I looked at tonight and though I felt stuck again… I made myself associative think/write and extrapolate a bit. I got back into a sense of discovery and that really made me feel better. I think taking the pressure off and remembering why we turned the page can be helpful.