Waiting: A Writing Lesson From A Samurai Bullfrog

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Susi Lovell

bullfrog

I should be writing. Instead I’m sitting at the water’s edge of the pond, watching an enormous bullfrog.

He (she?) is sitting there, immobile. He’s waiting. Like me.

Except he’s waiting for insects and I’m waiting for ideas about how to end the story I’m working on. It’s a little story and I’ve spent far too much time on it, but I can’t seem to let it go.

“Better times come to those who wait.” So they say. Not necessarily. It depends on how you wait!

I’ve never been good at waiting. Usually I get too impatient and try push things ahead – which is when something inevitably goes wrong, whether I’m writing or trying to change a hotel room because I don’t like being next to the ice machine. I take the story somewhere it really doesn’t want to go and find myself blocked; I end up in a room with a brick wall two inches from the window.

But there’s waiting…and waiting.

What about active Continue reading →

Need Some Relief for Neck and Shoulder Pain?

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Susi Lovell

Once again I’m having problems with a sore neck and shoulder.

I know this is because I sit at a computer for long hours. I also know it’s because I haven’t worked out the correct ergonomic alignment for my body with my desk and chair. Neither is adjustable so I’m always adding and taking away blocks, books, cushions, Pilates cushions, and back supports. (And I carry around bags that are far too heavy!)

Waking up in real pain this morning, I chose a Feldenkrais lesson podcast* at random. I just wanted to focus on something other than the soreness.

“Covering the Eyes” a short lesson given by Stewart Hamblin of the Feldenkrais Guild UK, turned out to be a real gift.

The movements are minimal so you don’t need much space other than a spot where you can lie on the floor.

I don’t want to describe the lesson in detail as that might take away from the immediacy of the experience, but I will say that the first set of instruction for ‘covering the eyes’ turned out to be quite an – ahem – eye opener!

The directions for the eye movements were very specific and detailed, and the usual ho-hum ‘look right’ and ‘look left’ evolved into a completely new experience. These segued into other eye movements I hadn’t done before – the effect on my eye muscles and my neck muscles was quite extraordinary.

If you’re suffering from sore or tired eyes, or from any tension in the neck or jaw, or in fact any tension, do try the lesson. It takes about half an hour, but I’d suggest giving yourself time for a little contemplative break afterwards to take in and enjoy the full effect and sensation of release.

For those of you who do the lesson, I’m very curious to know how you found it. Could you let me know in the Comments Box below?

* Feldenkrais lesson podcasts are available free on iTunes: Feldenkrais Guild UK on alonetone

You might also like to take a look at 4 Causes of Neck and Shoulder Pain

A Stealth “Won’t You Read-A-Lit-Journal?” Project

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Susi Lovell

Over the years I’ve bought hundreds of literary journals. I try to read a couple every week. I’m always on the lookout for good stories, and for new ideas about how short stories can work. And in the back of my mind is the question: might this journal be a good fit for what I write?

But where to put them all? I read online literary journals too, but I don’t have to find a place to store those!

Grain at Cacao 70, Montreal

In the spring I started a major clean out. I took a batch of older issues to my local library for their book sale.

The librarian on duty that day took the bags with a grateful smile but came over to me a few minutes later as I was checking out the new arrivals shelves. “I’m sorry,” she said, Continue reading →

Staying In The Story – A Look At Orphan Black

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Susi Lovell

Agony, agony! I missed two episodes of “Orphan Black” while on holiday!

Right from the first episode, I’ve been a committed fan. Even though I watch quite a bit of it with my hand over my eyes, asking my husband “What’s happening now?” “Has she got away?” “Have they seen her?” “Ew! Ugh! Have they finished yet? Tell me when this bit’s over.”

Like being pulled into a novel, being held captive by a movie or tv series is a wonderful experience. What fun to be drawn into another world!

How do you hold your viewer or reader captive? Continue reading →

“Eye” in Stand Magazine

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Susi Lovell

It’s always delicious to arrive home and find a new issue of a literary journal has arrived. Especially delicious when your own story is in it!

I’m delighted to have my story “Eye” appear in Stand Magazine (UK).

The magazine is irresistible – it fits just right in your hand with its great shape and size! And it has a gorgeous cover. I can’t wait to read all the stories and poems.

Creating Better Misunderstandings in Dialogue!

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Susi Lovell

Enough of black, I decided. It’s spring – time to jazz up my workout gear.

Off I sallied to my workout feeling upbeat and energized – and more than a little conspicuous – in a fun new bright (very bright) pink and blue top.

“Oh, wow, is that ever bright!” exclaimed a woman in the class, poking a forefinger into my ribs. “My goodness.”

After the class, I stayed to chat with a couple of people. She joined us. “Have you seen what she’s wearing?” she asked the others – as though it was possible for them not to have seen! She jerked her thumb at me and raised her eyebrows. “Isn’t it…” She laughed. “I mean…” Continue reading →

A Smartphone? Waiting Is My Dreamtime!

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Susi Lovell

Central Park in New York City. Pink and white blossom all around us. Yellow forsythia. Brilliant blue sky above. Earlier my husband and I had delighted in all the fresh spring colors. Back home there wasn’t seen so much as a spike of crocus or daffodil to be seen.

But now was no time to admire nature. We had to get ourselves across Central Park to our hotel in time to get the shuttle to the airport. I had the map (a paper map!), I knew where I was going…except we somehow kept finding ourselves back on Fifth Avenue!

For the first time ever, I wished I had a smartphone. I was sure an app of Central Park would be able to get us through the maze of winding paths in two shakes of a lamb’s tail, as my aunt used to say.

My sister is always trying to persuade me to get a smartphone. Think of all the things you could do while waiting in a queue, she says. You can read the newspaper, find a book or magazine to read, surf the web.

But now, I tell her, I can gaze into the middle distance and suddenly realize what a character in my story should be doing, overhear something interesting or notice Continue reading →

Writing Warm Up: Choose A Letter, Any Letter

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Susi Lovell

I love writing warm ups – or any kind of creative warm up – that are fun and a challenge.

My warm up this morning comes from WordPress’ Daily Prompt: Fearful Symmetry: Choose a letter and write with every sentence starting with that letter.

I instantly thought “m”. Of course I then immediately wanted to choose another letter, but I believe (from experience rather than from any supporting scientific evidence) that it’s important to go with one’s first gut response to a creative challenge.

“Should you be writing this sort of stuff?” someone asked me after reading one of my writing warm ups. “Aren’t you wasting your time?”

That’s not the point. The point of a writing warm up is Continue reading →

Writing Lessons From Three-Letter Words

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Susi Lovell

From WordPress today, a challenge to write a post without using a single three letter word.

I am never able to resist a tightly restrictive challenge!

As soon as I start, I find three-letter words wanting to jump into every sentence I write. I have to include them: not but and the who can are all (*numbers below refer to these outlawed words)

Is there a writing lesson in this challenge? What am I to do in my writing today if I want to keep to these designated guidelines?

stay positive (#1*: “I do want to go….”)
agree (#2: no objections)
state things simply, in short sentences. Insert a period where this word might normally go (#3)
give your writing a punch by omitting this word (#3 again). Instead, stack up clauses using commas.
experiment with multiples (#4: some, several, those…)
be vague or personal (again #4: “I tripped over a…” “I tripped over your…”)
go high-falutin’ (#5: “whomsoever aspires to write a post without using…”)
delete whenever it pops up (#6: is it actually necessary in your sentence?)
find those fancy verbs or employ (!) simple forms of verbs (#7)
divide (#8: “everyone except Marianne…”)

Hula Hooping For Creativity

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Susi Lovell

I was in my local Canadian Tire, searching through coils of tubing in the plumbing section. A passing salesperson asked what I was looking for. Could he help?

I told him I didn’t think so as I wasn’t looking for stuff for a plumbing job, but was trying to work out what I needed to make a hula hoop.

“Ah,” he said, nodding. “Hula-hooping! Best thing ever! Five minutes of that every day and you feel great!”

In no time at all he’d helped me find the right tubing and a little connector thingy to keep the tubing ends together, and brightly colored electrical tape to decorate the hoop.

What can hula hooping do for a writer… or any artist… or for any body? Continue reading →