Baby steps. Not giant steps, but baby steps. In my family Giant Steps could mean one of two things: something to do with my brother's band or a natural rock formation leading from the land down to the sea on Bailey Island, which is actually called Giant's Stairs.
But this is no world tour announcement or conservation trail walk invite, this is me, myself and I taking a different kind of journey.....the writing kind.
All day long I help students write: complete sentences, fiction, non-fiction, memoir, chapter books, college essays, 5 paragraph essays of all types and more. I help them focus on a topic, prompt, obstacle, issue, thesis, argument or phase of life to build a narrative. It's often arbitrary which they hate, so I've learned to try to make it as meaningful to their daily lives, goals or desires as possible. I try to impart why it's important to write clearly, whether its about an imaginary world or the history of a mad scientist or cover letter. I've been doing this for 15 years.
Before teaching students to write, I used to help authors shape books: from the proposal to the finished book; both fiction and non-fiction. I worked at agencies, writer's conferences, books festivals, author's guild seminars and conventions. Combining my work in NYC at Raines & Raines and Curtis Brown Ltd, and running my own agency in SF, the total amount of time was roughly 20 years.
There was an overlap, as I started Grad School and teaching while I wound down my stable of authors. Thus, as I stated the other day, it's been roughly 30 years of helping other writers to write.
Now I'm finding it hard to focus on just one topic and idea I want to convey. I feel like one of my students who wants to show me everything they've learned on a given subject, but can't arrange it simply enough to make their point.
Topics: Love, Loss, Nature, Family, and Choices.
Love: childhood, teenage, young adult, adult, middle aged...
Loss: ditto; family, friends, critters, places, self
Nature: ditto; reefs, dark, silence, animals large and small, "extinction tours"
Family: framing is messy at best; only one frame could work, but which one?
Choices: We are our Choices; right down to the stories we tell and the way we choose to tell them, revise them, forget them, shade them and inflate them.
The power of suggestion has always directed me to write about living on the boat or people and places I've lost. Events and places that are permanently and safely in the past, yet have also left an indelible stamp upon my character: Maine, Pinion, St. Croix, NYC of the 80's, SF of the 90's, Craig Dempsey, Peter Frankham, Carolyn, Rosette, John Preston, Alton, and David Rakoff.
Then the agent in me says, write about what you've learned from all the above. What I learned in all those places and the people who have taught me lessons along the way. How I fortunately had mentors at each abrupt and startling turn. Each choice seemed dramatic, and yet each organically made sense at the time.
Then I think, the lessons might be easier to show in fiction. Like the short story I began last December, before everything fell to pieces (see archive). The lessons, loves, family and choice can be shown more easily in fiction, yet I want to try to remember, recollect and recreate moments from my life that mattered. To make sense of them for myself and those I love, and by extension, perhaps impart a connection or bridge to other readers going through similar phases of life.
Other times, I feel like I did at Radcliffe, an impostor, who has no right to write. Who am I to espouse on lessons or insights that I've picked up along this journey called life?
But I've learned some valuable things:
When you're young, surround yourself by older people.
When you're old, surround yourself by young people.
If you don't use it, you lose it.
Life is messy, and so is love.
Children and travel are the two best gifts you can give yourself.
Animals are Us; We're human animals and should never forget it.
The only permanent home you'll ever have is planet earth and your body; be respectful of both.
People who have the least are the ones who tend to give the most.
Music and nature calm the spirit.
Nothing is constant except change.
Life long learning is a must (see "if you don't use it, you lose it").
Shared history with friends and siblings is treasure for the soul and a lifetime.
Where ever you go, there you are (no such thing as a geographical solution).
Power of suggestion is strong; be careful with what you suggest.
Drama obscures reality; say no to drama at every turn.
When one is in a flow-state the world becomes more open; strive for flow time.
Time is far more valuable than money when you're given the choice.
Health is wealth (cliche and true).
Cooking for others is an intimate offering of self, never apologize and do so freely.
Prejudice can't survive proximity.
Doing things that scare you will slowly, but surely, make you fearless.
Making small achievable goals, and allowing for refinement, will bring success.
Letting go is never easy but often necessary in life.
Embrace change and surrender to the pain of learning curves...it prepares you for parenting.
So does surrendering control....
However with writing and art, one has to set a structure to create the work that has meaning.
Archetypes and creation myths make for good universal readership; singular and true is better.
Thank you for indulging me with my topical baby steps and toe dipping. I could keep on going, but then dinner would never be made...Good night dear reader, G'night!
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