August 1, 2022 Newsletter
a recipe for hot writing days; prompt (POV and tense); 3 Day Novel; a market call; Unschool archives...
I can’t say this will be the only time I post a recipe. But it’s a first here.
We’re finally getting some heat in Vancouver, and I don’t fare well in heat. Mostly, I struggle to write. My brain boils then shuts down. Yet summers, generally, have been a productive times for me writing-wise. After all, I’d rather be writing than doing anything that causes sweat. So house-painting will be put off until after the heat passes.
But how to stay productive?
Work with it. Spend a few minutes thinking ahead.
I’ve always shifted my schedule in summer. When I had small kids, I’d be up with the sunrise, before anyone else, to write for several hours on my deck, enjoying coffee and the blooms in the garden, the birds, the early morning sounds. My writing would be “done” for the day—what a great feeling.
You might not think of yourself as either “productive” or “prolific.” But if you want to be a writer who writes—even just a bit—daily or close to, then it’s necessary to think ahead and to be willing to shuffle your days and nights around your goal. If you’re someone who needs “schedule” then think of it as “re-schedule.”
Yesterday was so hot it cut short my writing time. Today I woke up thinking to walk to the store, get a bag o’ tomatoes, and make my annual fave cold spaghetti. I decided I would begin my day—post breakfast—with writing and doing the morning email catch-up, until I needed a break. Before it heated up midday.
Note: before I set aside the laptop, I ascertain some story piece to mull over on my walk. I don’t always do this—sometimes I need time to clear my mind. But often, on a walk, I can focus on a story issue. Even if I don’t come to an answer, I ponder, and thoughts take root. When I sit to work again, I’ll find the answer waiting there. Or just around the next corner.
I came home with a box of spaghetti and tomatoes, and blanched them, cut up the basil, mixed, and threw in the fridge to be bracingly cold for dinner hour.
Best: this means that the rest of my day is both errand and cooking-free. This allow my brain to settle into writing.
In the winter, an old-time crockpot does the same: create some meal in the early part of the day, smell it cooking all day, and it’s ready to go when it’s time. This translates to expansive—downright blissful!—writing time.
Do you have days when you need to be free of errands and chores? I need at least two such days each week, and I plan for them. The bit of planning goes a long way. The writing is worth it.
Recipe:
—medium to big tomatoes (you need about three for one meal for two—my most recent batch was eight, and it’s lasted more than two meals)
—lots of basil! Can’t have too much. Maybe half a cup, chopped quite finely. Green onion, also finely cut, if you want
—pepper to taste, and bit of salt (also add some hot sauce chili garlic, or some such, if you need a bit of heat!)
—spaghetti, cooked and rinsed thoroughly in cold cold water (could be cous cous or quinoa)
What to do:
I throw the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water and haul them out as soon as the skin splits. I cut and pull out the core, skin them by hands and pulp by hand too. Get all Jamie Oliver on ’em! Cut the fresh basil—we always have a plant on the window sill—and throw that in. The sauce needs a few hours in the fridge to get really cold. I also make the spaghetti early, rinse, and put in fridge too. If you want some of the tomato juice gone, leave in a colander or dripping through cheesecloth.
Later, you might add grated goat cheese, olives…
Refreshing. You’ll get back to writing all evening.
How do you change up your writing schedule for seasons and holidays? Do you find this challenging? Do you make time to take time off, or do you prefer to continue your writing in some way throughout the year? (Is writing “work” or purely “pleasure” or does it shift?)
~~~
Three Day Novel contest - September 3-5
We’re at that time again, prepping for Labour Day weekend. Last year, The Unschool’s first year, I posted an entire series of posts about this. Check out the 2021 Index, and look for the 3 Day Novel Contest category—they’re all there.
(What is it? You write a novella in 72 hours, starting at Friday midnight, and ending Monday. Check out the links here for the rules.)
You have an entire month to think about your story. You might want to check out past winners, too—take time to read them. The 2021 winner and runners up were from the USA, the UK, and Canada. You can purchase the 2020 winner. Read, get a sense of the length and scope.
Here is the registration link.
Questions? Post them, please!
August Prompt
Thinking about POV—point of view—and tense use.
Try this:
Start writing the beginning of a story—flash fiction, let’s say. No longer than seven minutes of work—yes, use a timer. And start with this sentence:
At the stroke of midnight, I go to the old bridge. (first person, present tense) Continue the story.
After seven minutes, change it up. Re-start the same story—try to stick closely to the original BUT change the POV/tense. So start with:
At the stroke of midnight, she/he/they (your choice) went to the old bridge. (So third person and past tense)
Third step is to begin all over again, again staying with the same story opening (though do note where and why you feel a real urge to change it up!) and start with:
At the stroke of midnight, you will go to the old bridge.
You are now working in the oddity of second person, and in future tense.
Share all three, and your thoughts on how these shifted: what did you notice? If you continue the story with one of these three, which do you choose and why? What do you feel is “closer” to the main character—first or third? Why do you think that is? If you started with third, then switched to first, what might be different?
How does second work? What is the tone of it? Is it useful? When might it be?
What was useful? What was cumbersome? Or… ?
Post your work on the prompt thread.
~~~
July posts re-visited
In case you missed something.
Of course there was the July 1 newsletter along with the “prompt” post for you to post your own work in response to the monthly. I feel badly because someone posted, and several days later took it down. That might be because they wanted to continue working on it… but I do hope it wasn’t because no one (and I!) did not respond quickly. I was dealing with health at the time, and when I came back to offer feedback, the piece was gone.
It’s always best not to assume the worst! And yet it’s so easy to do exactly that with this matter of creating. And I don’t want to assume the worst either. I do know how challenging it can be to post things for others’ eyeballs to see.
The prompt circled around what it is to be back in the peopled world. So maybe we’re not ready for that yet. (Please remember that you can revisit even the oldest prompts and post work, and at the very least I—possibly others—will take a look and offer some thoughts. All are listed in the Indexes.)
I posted a series of pieces that were very much “process journal” posts as I took a solid week to try to being my current project, a novel for adults, to completion.
And of course, the follow-up piece, once I’d made the decision to send the completed manuscript to my agent: what goes into acknowledging that a piece is ready to send out into the world?
I think writers are hungry for info about where to send work, and what contests might be solid possibilities, so I created a post with a half dozen options, and will post one of these every couple of months.
The most noteworthy post for the month—to my mind—was on a subject I’ve been grappling with, John Keats’ negative capability, and what we can do to inject, sustain, and nourish the “mystery” in our work. And even in our selves.
It’s been a busy month. Thank you for your curiosity about my process, and the sharing of your own. I am so grateful for the growing community here. We had weekly posts and feedback in the picturebook workshop group—inspiring reads. I am so grateful to see the generous and respectful thoughts shared on each others’ work.
Again I so appreciate those who have chosen to “go paid,” to join in this community and who support this work—thank you. It means so much.
Thank you too, to those who are recommending The Unschool.
From the archives
Each first of the month newsletter, I’ll add a link to a piece from The Unschool’s archives. This month, a piece I wrote last year about how to get back into a project that has been set aside for some time. This applies to getting back in after a first complete draft too, if you’ve let your work “cool” for a bit.
Market Note
Chicken Soup For the Soul is looking for both cat and dog stories, with an extended deadline of August 19. I will post a piece on writing a Chicken Soup story in the next few days—keep an eye out for it.
Enjoy the rest of Summer.
Peace—
Alison
p.s. I’ll be away hiking until the 4th — I’ll catch up with any comments and messages then!
Love a good hot-weather recipe, Alison! 🍅 🌿 🍝
I've always found the 3 Day Novel contest awkwardly placed, which is why I've only done it once (though I got a handwritten scribble on the letter they sent out afterwards saying I had made it a couple rounds!). We often only get two warm and dry long weekends a year and Labour Day is usually one or them so I prefer a last hurrah before the cool air of fall.