May 1, 2022 Newsletter

Photo by David Todd McCarty on Unsplash

It’s May. It’s just over one year since I started The Unschool, and June 1 will be the anniversary for “going paid.”

Jolene of Time Travel Kitchen will bake us a celebratory birthday cake for the June 1 newsletter! And I’m so looking forward to seeing what she does…

In this year I’ve written 104 posts, almost 400 comments, and this will be the 13th “1st of the month” newsletter. There are now 491 subscribers, and your have posted stories and poems and feedback, shared questions and writing issues and stories of your creating path—thank you!

I am glad you are all here, and value each of the 81 who have made the further commitment to “go paid,” which makes this sustainable. Thank you so much! I—literally—cannot do this without those who’ve taken this step. I look forward to continuing to grow the community and to post, and to read your words.

As always, let me know your questions! Email: alison@alisonacheson.com

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“The mastery of any art is the work of a lifetime.” Ezra Pound

It never hurts to be reminded of why this is hard work, why it is worthy of our time and attention and care. I’ve been writing with “serious” intent for over four decades, and publishing since 1996. Creating is surely one of the most rewarding choices in our lives. It’s never easy, but its returns are many-fold. For writers there’s no choice: we are writers, so we write.

Here’s to that!

And a few words from Zadie Smith:

“… certain poems of Larkin’s have a way of showing me how to be alive and that is the most important thing a piece of writing can do.”

That too, is the work of a lifetime. We’re here for the duration—long-haulers.

FUN

And that said, I’m working playing with a piece on what it takes brings to find joy, enthusiasm, FUN to/in our work. I’ve talked lately of what it is to be in the last draft stage of a tough novel… and have been hearing about this from some of you, too: seeking how we navigate this.

I have a lifetime of deadly multi-tasking capacity in me. It’s a drag—even as it’s been useful as a parent of three and an academic. As writers, though, if we can compartmentalize when writing—that is, take a breath and lower ourselves into the labour, with four walls around—we’re ahead. Admittedly, I need at least one good window in one of those walls. (Check out The Gift, for Lewis Hyde’s thoughts on the difference between “work” and “labour.” His words are a gift in themselves.)

Soon, more on this… In “comments” please share your thoughts.

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May Prompt

Let’s do a story starter this month. The following sentence could be either the opening OR the closing line. You decide. If you want a different pronoun, change it up. If you have another thought on the verb “to go,” go for it! Post in the “prompt” area that I will set up. Let’s not go beyond 500 words.

The morning after, she went on.

OR: another option would be to write a bit of prose or a poem about this photo of the child on her tiptoes looking out an opened window to her spring-time yard, to feel air and warmth... This photo really caught me.

OR: combine the two above…

Sometimes when stuck, I will browse visuals and be inspired.

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A summary of April posts:

This past month has been busy with setting up a workshop space and getting going with feedback. Two short stories have been posted—one long long and one short short—as well as the beginning of a novel.

By now you know the drill: send any submissions to me to post. Peruse the space, and write feedback on others’ works. Even if you don’t post or write feedback, read what is there and learn. There is so much to be gleaned from this process. I know it can take awhile to feel ready to take part, but my hope is that in the coming months, more and more of you will take this step; I’d like to think this will become a thriving element of the Unschool for Writers.

First, the articles posted around the ways of workshopping:

This piece looked at the positives and negatives—how to make it work, how to find other writers, how to conduct one’s self… how to make this process worthwhile.

This piece has a list of possible notes for when you submit your work to me to post.

And this one, has the “real info” about how to access our workshop space. (It has taken some figuring out on my part, and time! thank you for your patience!)

This is a serious list of questions—some of which come from you, your input, when I asked—to be used not only for offering feedback, but possibly by you on your own, post-first draft or stuck in the middle! (This piece is behind the paywall of the workshop space itself.)

Then:

Our first of the month newsletter featured the usual summary of posts, workshop talk, including the “stoplight” approach to feedback, and revisiting poet Richard Hugo’s The Triggering Town for prompt material. And of course, the prompt! (But no one did it… check it out, and come up with something…)

I did post about other topics besides workshopping. I wrote about the difference between “knowing” and “knowing about,” and the emotional piece that is writing.

And followed up that with a piece about abstraction vs concreteness. So often I move back and forth with ideas here. It’s tough to say what moves or motivates us to do this work—to dive in or to peek around the corner to catch it from a different angle.

What to do with “groups” of people in writing fiction—such an odd little problem when you encounter it. Whether summer camp for children, or in the warfare trenches… sometimes we have to convincingly evoke a number of people that will distinguish themselves as needed in readers’ minds.

And an addition to the grammar/punctuation grouping, with a few thoughts on when to spell out numbers.

It’s been awhile since I posted anything specific to writing for children and young people (though there are threads of such in the “groups” piece). But a piece on what to do with adult characters in work not intended for grown up sorts.

Really? Eleven (11) pieces, including the prompt? Let’s say ten, and spell it out. If you missed any, go back and enjoy. Please share with others, or consider a gift subscription if you have a friend with a birthday, or just to celebrate the fact that they write!

I hope to see more work posted to workshop, and feedback. The work that is there is good to see—thank you for those who’ve made the leap.

Happy writing, Unschoolers! Do please click on the wee heart—it makes mine do some sort of spinny thing in the air, surely.

Peace—

Alison