Comments for The Eloquent Author

Comment on Is Your Writing “Sense-able”? by thriftynaturalist

thriftynaturalist — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:52:16 +0000

Thanks for the interesting comments!
Marie

Comment on Is Your Writing “Sense-able”? by objectwriter01

objectwriter01 — Mon, 26 May 2008 22:31:38 +0000

I try to write everyday using the 7 senses… did you know there were 7?

Taste
Touch
Sight
Sound Smell
Kinesthetic[movement- like a plane dropping i turbulence]
Bodily [i.e a heart beat]

Berklee Music school Professor Pat Pattison advocates doing daily ‘object writing’ based around a key word where you try to enegage all these within a ten minute writing period - almost stream of consiousness, but driven by your awareness of what you are sensing. I’v been doing it for almost a year and have certainly become more aware of what’s going on around me… check out objectwriting.com or my blog at http://dailyobjectwriting.wordpress.com/

Comment on Reactions by thriftynaturalist

thriftynaturalist — Sat, 03 May 2008 14:38:01 +0000

I SO agree with your observations, R.D.
I have said way too often we have been creating “sheep in a box” for way too long. It is very scary that not many people notice it. Maybe, partially because not enough people read the older books; many of those sci-fi tales have come true.

I am working on changing that so we don’t end up as the robots we are being groomed to bee. I call to writers to speak of these observations and help wake up the sheep.

Comment on Reactions by R D Koval

R D Koval — Fri, 02 May 2008 10:15:51 +0000

I have had the good fortune to retire young. I am now age 52. I recently entered college.
I can relate to the reactions you get when you reveal you are a writer. I get similar reactions from friends and others when I tell them about college.
I have made many observations about people since I retired. One of my conclusions is that because the educational process really does not inspire people to think independently, the masses are in effect cloned for the sole purpose of keeping “the man’s” machine running. Most people do not question anything. You can see this behavior throughout our culture. Too many chickens that need to peck. I see it as an externalization of their own insecurities.

Comment on Bits & Pieces by thriftynaturalist

thriftynaturalist — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 22:41:01 +0000

That’s what I mean- you never know…

Comment on Bits & Pieces by Christy

Christy — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:58:10 +0000

Marie,
The funny thing about this was that I had literally shoeboxes full of napkins, bits of paper, index cards (all sizes and colors)etc etc. I decided when I was building my first list to get them out and go through them for old contacts, people to market to, old friends that I hadn’t seen in awhile. Those shoeboxes had over 1,000 contacts in them and were worth alot of money to me.
I put all the names, and bits of information in CRM.zoho.com and made my first mailing list for Coach Mom.
I had also written little ideas and thoughts, cute things the kids said. Funny situations that had happened that were to be long forgotten until I found those boxes.
I am currently working on a book with those lighthearted ideas in it.
Amazing what you find when you bloom where you are planted.
Christy

Comment on On Being Idle by thriftynaturalist

thriftynaturalist — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:15:01 +0000

That’s great that you have been able to live some of your passions and take care of yourself! You should find that that brings you more of what you truly want out of life. I’d love to hear how things progress, and if you can continue to recognize the things you need to say no to. Have you read, “How Did I Get So Busy?” by Valorie Burton? It has some great tips.

Marie

Comment on On Being Idle by danielgtaylor

danielgtaylor — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:19:15 +0000

It’s so tempting to be busy. Us writers come to writing with skills in so many areas - areas with high demand. It’s so easy to say yes to every community project that commands our attention.

Since a business venture I attempted to launch last week didn’t go as planned, I’ve had the luxury of sleeping in every day, of going to bed early, of spending leisurely time with friends.

And, most important, in over the past 8 days I’ve managed to take 40 steps toward completing my memoir, something I’d let slip between the cracks of a self-imposed busy life.

Comment on On Being Idle by S'zanne M'Chel

S'zanne M'Chel — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 04:13:11 +0000

Roger Housden makes similar observations in his book “Seven Sins for a Life Worth Living” (Chapter 5, The Pleasure of Doing Nothing Useful). He quotes Franz Kafka: You need not leave your room. Remain seated at your table and listen. You need not even listen; simply wait. You need not even wait; just be quiet, still, and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked. It has no choice; it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.

Carl Honore addresses this in his book “In Praise of Slowness: how a worldwide movement is challenging the cult of speed”. We’ve all over scheduled our lives, and search for faster ways to accomplish these multiple takes. It has become a fast food drive-thru mentality to living. A family member once pointed out that I thrived on the chaos a “full plate” of activities gave my life. He was right. I seemed to always take on just one more thing. But eventually, I had to shut down and withdraw just to find balance.

We have become a culture addicted to busy and hectic schedules. Ask anyone to take out their calendars, and you’ll find them chock full of “important” dates, obligations, and appointments. Does anyone just make time to listen? To contemplate? To relax? To enjoy a sunrise or sunset? Or even to let themselves fall in love? Is it any wonder that writers question why we never have the time nor energy to write?

Comment on Reactions by S'zanne M'Chel

S'zanne M'Chel — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:50:02 +0000

I have many friends who are artists, and will often say that I am not one, because I don’t draw or paint or sculpt. But I write. And, is not my “art” my words, and my words art?
I have a writer friend who will say to me in converation “people like us”, and it always takes me a moment to realize he means “writers” and that he is including me in this statement. He is a published author pursuing his dreams and I find it hard to see myself in the same light. But he sees me as a fellow writer; a compatriot. It is about time I see myself as one.