June 1 newsletter

Happy Birthday to Us -- One Year!

Chocolate birthday cake, made (and photographed) for The Unschool by the amazing Jolene of…

I love the whimsy, the recipe, history, and stories of this newsletter, based in Chicago—check it out!

It’s been quite the year for me—a good growing year—leaving a teaching position after years in an MFA program. For many reasons—too many—it was time to leave, and begin to create more peace, which is why The Unschool exists.

I am grateful for Substack, platform and people, and to you—Unschoolers, Writers, Subscribers—for your questions and the ideas that continue to grow. It’s a task-to-my- liking, to explore the oft-maddening, ever enlivening, of this writing thing we do.

I am hoping that you find your time here useful and inspiring in your writing life, and that you’ll stick around for year two! Know that each paid subscriber really does make a difference; I am profoundly grateful to those of you who have made the decision to support me in this. Please continue to share and ask questions, too!

Email: alison@alisonacheson.com

Happy Birthday, Unschoolers!

and/or:

and/or:

Thank you!

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Prompt

Photo by Mats Hagwall on Unsplash

Basic Elements

Years ago, one of my original Unschoolers in my “Homeschoolers’ Monday-afternoon” group came up with this amazing piece—below. I asked her what got this idea moving, and she responded with some words about “looking up types of fabric on the internet.” (Really?!)

Here’s what she came up with! The rhythm in this makes me want to laugh and dance down the street:

Where art the little zibeline?  He’s

Wand’ring in the silky breeze

And in among the cotton trees

Below the satin moon.

Houndstooth he’s met?

Nay, not as yet - but

Aerophane and windowpane

Go flying past his view.

(* written by Madeline Iseminger—thank you, Madeline, for permission to share here!)

Above is a photo of a second-hand store, filled with knick-knacks, clothing, furniture. I have the title “Basic Elements” above. Look around the room you are currently in. You’ll find fabrics, woods, metals, all manner of shapes, possibly sounds, colours— things that make up our “everyday.”

Look for any one element that catches your eye, that resonates—even if you don’t know why at the moment—one basic element of “every day”—and write about it. Explore it, in poetry or in prose, in some way that reflects its nature—or what you see, or come to see (via writing about it) as its nature.

I’ll set up the usual “prompt thread” so you can share your work, and read and offer feedback on others’ pieces.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

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Contest: Blank Spaces

A Canadians-only online and print lit magazine.

Do check out their contest - max 1000 words, and writing to an image.

Deadline: July 10.

Want feedback? Post your work to the workshop space and let us know what it’s for…

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How to create a personal “course” at The Unschool for Writers

We’ve had a number of new subscribers join us here. I’ve had both old and new subscribers ask about how to navigate the site as a “course,” and truth is, it’s not a “course” per se.

My posts are as eclectic as my publishing, and run from picturebook-creating to adult memoir, and all between.

Even with courses and intense programs, writing will always be a self-motivated act, and learning the how and why of it is, too. Short of being J.K. Rowling, having to cough up book #7, with millions awaiting, no one will demand of you that you sit and create. That piece is up to you.

Key to learning and growing is to create solid work habits, and to be open to what it is that your WIP—work in progress/process (I prefer the latter)—is demanding of you.

I have a theory that the story that pops or fights its way into your mind and heart is the one you are (almost) ready to write. Later, as you learn, other ideas will come to you, each seeming to ramp up the writing challenge, each with its own set of questions and troublesome points. Always—it doesn’t matter how much you come to know about this work—there are new pieces to learn.

You grapple with issues of “craft” as well as with the questions both intellectual and emotional that come with the story-at-hand… and you learn. This process of coming to recognize what are your QUESTIONS is the path to your growth.

When I began to write fiction, after years of journal-writing, I struggled with dialogue. I read about writing dialogue, and I also sought out novels, and studied the dialogue in them, at points even copying it, re-typing it to get a feel for the rhythm, to try to absorb some of the writer’s thoughts in the process (process, not progress…)

From there, once I felt I’d learned something about dialogue, I realized how it is birthed of character, and I spent time studying “character.” I self-assigned myself tasks—like reading through all of Sharon Creech’s works. I made this choice because I loved how she portrays characters on her pages. I decided to start with her first-published book, and work through chronologically, purchasing the books and taking a pen to all note-worthy bits I found in them. Real studying! With this approach, I followed her growth as a writer, too, and I found this allowed me some room for patience with my own growth—it can be overwhelming to begin to read a writer at the peak of their career and knowledge.

Such self-assigned pieces work; they guide you to self-diagnosing and articulating your points-to-grow. They get to you right where you are… and on to that increment just ahead, where you want to be as a writer.

Here’s where The Unschool comes in.

There is an index for each of the two years of this work, for 2021, and this year. These are broken into topics—fiction writing, writing for young people, books on writing, the business of this work… and more.

You can choose a topic or thread of ideas, and begin to read through. You can take your time and absorb an idea. If you are a very new beginning writer, you can check out the “foundational” series, and work from there, with the ideas of keeping a journal, reading as a writer.

If you feel a need for encouragement or a sense of “how does this writing thing function in my life,” then check out the “writing life” pieces. There are also monthly prompts, and these sections do not disappear. You can write to a prompt and post in the the corresponding monthly-prompt thread, and receive some feedback. Even if it was a month in last year!

There is now a collection of almost 200 pieces posted, and I post regularly. If you don’t find a post that helps with your particular question, know that I’m happy to respond and share thoughts and possible answers to any writing-related question! Some of the most useful posts are born of your questions.

Email me: alison@alisonacheson.com.

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Ideas

I’m going to share a “50 Prompts” piece, written by my friend Walter Rhein, and posted on Medium. His categories are broad, and as I read through, many ideas pop into my mind, or tug at my soul.

Begin by scribbling notes to 10-12 of these categories, spending a few minutes with each of those. Narrow down to 2-3 of the 10-12, the 2-3 that really catch you, that you find easy to add more time of writing-exploring.

Then hone in on one, and develop.

Share in our Workshop Area—we’d love to see it.

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Naming Characters

Recently I published an article in The Writer Magazine on naming your characters. I do enjoy this piece of writing, in spite of the challenge of it—maybe because of the challenge. Check it out here. What do you struggle with in naming? Is there a name/character you have grown particularly fond of? Or had to change after some time? Let’s hear about it:

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Quick Re-cap of May Posts

The 1st of the month post, of course, with details on the prompt. (Do revisit these, for the writing challenge, possibly on a ‘dry’ day, and some feedback.)

The ‘Colour code approach for feedback’ was posted in the Workshop Space. (Paid-only folks.) Several pieces were posted for feedback. If you have something you want posted, please email it to me to start a thread.

Also for paid -only-s was a piece on the “flip-sides” of character traits (with a lengthy list of!) as well as two pieces on giving presentations and reading of your work, for adults, and for young people.

For all subscribers, a duo of posts on knowing when to begin your next project, and knowing when to walk away (this one had a LOT of comments—worthy of a look. It’s a significant topic.)

And a piece on those who collaborate with you on your work—in my case, with my memoir being re-released as an audio book, the process of seeing an actor secured for narrating (and the joy when the Perfect One is found!) And thoughts on all the Others—from editor to illustrator…

To close, again, thank you for being here this past year!

These coming warmer and brighter months lend themselves to early rising to write, and to getting out and exploring the world around, to seeing in renewed ways, with different light—literal or metaphorical.

Happy summer writing, Unschoolers—

Peace—

Alison