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A 3:00 am thought: I have not stepped into chaos, I have stepped into a story. And without struggle, conflict, and not knowing how things will turn out - you don't have a story. This is oddly comforting to me at 3:00 am. It may even be a book some day. Meanwhile part of the wall between the living room and the kitchen is coming down.
And FYI! Comments are finally reopened on this blog by Typepad.
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Annie Proulx: Brokeback Mountain
The spare, beautiful short story the movie came from.
Zadie Smith: On Beauty
She makes it look easy. It's a page turning novel of ideas and character.
Charles Baxter: Saul and Patsy
A deep, serious, funny novel by a writer who should be better known outside of literary circles.
Karen Armstrong: The Spiral Staircase : My Climb Out of Darkness (Armstrong, Karen)
Articulate and deeply insightful.
Anne Lamott: Bird by Bird : Some Instructions on Writing and Life
A book that truly encourages you to write, understands you, makes you laugh and cry as you read it.
Rollo May: The Courage to Create
To go deeper into the creative process and yourself.
Twyla Tharp: The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use It for Life
Full of inspiration and really practical advice and exercises.
Anne Lamott: Bird by Bird : Some Instructions on Writing and Life
This is my favorite of favorites. Encouragement and humor.
Brenda Ueland: If You Want to Write : A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit
Her 12 things you should know/do as a writer are timeless.
Carolyn See: Making a Literary Life
Such good advice, and so hilarious.
Deena Metzger: Writing for Your Life : Discovering the Story of Your Life's Journey
An exploration of creativity, story and spiritual practice through writing.
Dorothea Brande: Becoming a Writer
Her "artistic coma" is what we're all looking for.
Naomi Epel: Writers Dreaming: 26 Writers Talk About Their Dreams and the Creative Process
Writers reveal all their weird and wise working quirks.
Natalie Goldberg: Writing down the bones
Zen bits of advice, inspiration and wisdom.
Ralph Keyes: The Courage to Write : How Writers Transcend Fear
Like having a funny, smart, articulate friend holding your hand when you start.
Stephen King: On Writing
My copy flutters with Post-its. He writes of the true magic of writing.
Annie Dillard: The Writing Life
“A work in progress quickly becomes ferel,” she writes, and you nod yes, yes.
Donald Hall: Life Work
A poet at work, and living life with poet Jane Kenyon.
John Steinbeck: Journal of a Novel
His daily warm-up letters to his editor while writing East of Eden.
Naomi Epel: Writers Dreaming: 26 Writers Talk About Their Dreams and the Creative Process
Weird and wise ways of writers working as well as dreaming.
Stephen King: On Writing
How it all started, with smart advice for other writers.
Anne Fadiman: Ex Libris : Confessions of a Common Reader
Elegantly written essays about loving books.
Phillip Lopate: The Art of the Personal Essay : An Anthology from the Classical Era to the Present
Great introduction and selection of 400 years of personal essays.
Anne Lamott: Traveling Mercies : Some Thoughts on Faith
From her heart and soul, both funny and honest.
Natalia Ginzberg: The Little Virtues
Brilliant essays to learn from and live by.
Ellen Gilchrist: Falling Through Space: The Journals of Ellen Gilchrist (Banner Books)
Actually from her broadcast NPR pieces. A portrait of a writer in family and work roles.
Andre Dubus: Broken Vessels
Includes elegant pieces full of courage written after his horrific accident.
Joan Didion: The White Album
She's a master of the contemporary essay.
Billy Collins: Sailing Alone Around the Room
Read "Introduction to Poetry". Funny, accessible, and also serious poetry.
Jane Kenyon: Otherwise : New & Selected Poems
Read the title poem first. A poem to live by.
Mary Oliver: New and Selected Poems : Volume One
Read "The Summer Day" and "The Journey" - more poems to live by.
Raymond Carver: Ultramarine
He makes it look easy. It isn't.
Joan Didion: The Year of Magical Thinking
Pure Art. I read it in one sitting.
Ulla-Carin Lindquist: Rowing without oars
Lean and illuminating prose as the author faces her own death. To be published in the U.S. in April ’06.
Carole Radziwill: What Remains
A beautifully written memoir that transcends its celebrity frame of the Kennedys.
Donald Hall: The Best Day the Worst Day
The story of the death of his wife, Jane Kenyon.
Samantha Dunn: Faith in Carlos Gomez, A Memoir of Salsa, Sex and Salvation
The title alone should make you want to read it.
Carolyn See: Dreaming, Hard Luck and Good Times in America
Witty, as well as poignant - and written with abundant generosity.
Genevieve Jurgensen: The Disappearance
The most heart-breaking memoir I've read, written as letters to a friend.
James McBride: The Color of Water
The amazing story of his white Jewish mother who had twelve black kids, all of whom grew up to earn graduate degrees.
Judy Blunt: Breaking clean
Her story of fleeing rural Montana and her family to become a writer.
Katharine Butler Hathaway: The Little Locksmith
Like finding a friend who has a deep and inspiring inner life that she'll share with you.
Kathleen Norris: Dakota
A book not only about her life and spiritual growth, but also the meaning of community and place.
Kathryn Harrison: The Kiss
The true version of her novel, "Thicker Than Water".
Mark Doty: Firebirds
Growing up gay in suburbia - funny, deeply moving, eloquent.
Mark Doty: Heaven's Coast
Some of the best writing on grief I've ever read - both spiritual and literary.
Mary Karr: The Liar's Club
The book that started the current popularity of memoir.
Maureen Murdock: Unreliable Truth
Exploration of memory and why and how one should write a memoir.
Vivian Gornick: The Situation and the Story, the Art of Personal Narrative
A writer's writer takes a deep and illuminating look at the genre.
I'm looking forward to reading your story.
Posted by: Debra | May 05, 2012 at 11:39 PM
what profound thoughts we have at 3 am! I hope you write the book. I would like to read it
Posted by: Teresa | May 06, 2012 at 01:31 AM
Huzzah! Barbara, I am so glad that comments have returned and I have also had that feeling that my life is a story instead of a disaster. It is a comfort. Write on, dear friend!
Posted by: Laura B | May 06, 2012 at 06:02 AM
Definitely a book and maybe there will be a tour of the area -- in the footsteps of Barbara. I am sure the house will be gorgeous when you are finished -- filled with you and your wonderful family. Hugs, Loren
Posted by: Loren Stephens | May 06, 2012 at 11:44 AM
Debra - You were the one who got me thinking about the metaphor of house and writing.
Teresa - Thanks for the interest in a possible book. That's encouraging.
Laura - How good to hear from you!
Loren - Yes - more photos, a tour of the cabin before and after (and during.) Thanks for the sweet words -
Posted by: Barbara | May 06, 2012 at 11:53 AM
Cool photo. Cool house. Definitely cool story coming.
Posted by: Bob G. | May 06, 2012 at 03:40 PM
That looks very promising.
Why is 3:00 a.m. the "waking time?" That's when I wake to worry, question, ponder...
Notes from "the beach palace": the wood floors are going to start being installed today. Um. If the guy and his crew gets here....
Posted by: Denise Emanuel Clemen | May 07, 2012 at 08:31 AM
Your new "baby" looks much like a cabin we looked at in 1983, described by the realtor as a "rustic charm." It was too long on rustic and short on charm for us to tackle so we gave it a pass. A new adventure such as this is exciting. All this, and writing too. You're brave. Good luck with it.
Posted by: Beverly Higginson | May 14, 2012 at 05:02 PM
Bob - Maybe someday...
Denise - You seem so wonderfully calm and collected about your house project. Wonderful!
Beverly - How smart you were!
Posted by: Barbara | May 18, 2012 at 12:45 PM
Love that stone wall... an old Arrowhead cabin, eh? How lovely! Used to own one above Blue Jay, but it was the classic A-frame, not an old charmer.
Posted by: Lia Keyes | June 12, 2012 at 10:37 AM
Baie geluk vir die opstel van so 'n nuttige blog. Jou blog is nie net insiggewend nie, maar ook baie artistieke ook. Daar is gewoonlik uiters paar individue wat nie kan skryf nie so maklik om artikels wat kreatief. Hou die goeie skryfwerk! Hey daar! Ek is by die werk navigeer om jou blog van my nuwe iPhone! Wou net sê ek is lief vir lees deur jou blog en sien uit na al jou poste! Bly op die uitstekende werk!
Posted by: shox chaussure | June 18, 2012 at 12:07 AM
This was EXACTLY what I needed to read today. I've been sugrtgling w/ moving on from my first novel (currently querying) and fully investing myself in my WIP. And that Toni Morrison quote really hit home for me. My first book was exactly the book that I wanted to read. This one seems to be turning into what I think will sell. And it's hard to get excited about that. I've gotta do some serious thinking and get back to writing what *I* want to read. Then hopefully some other people will be interested in it too. Thanks for sharing this! :)
Posted by: Tony | July 28, 2012 at 02:52 PM
I recently diescvored you via Twitter, Stephen. Love this post, subscribed! Go search yourself! So funny, so on point, so smiling right now.Looking forward to your prediction for more posts in 2011. Thanks for the brain candy, yum.
Posted by: Nevin | July 28, 2012 at 03:02 PM
Reading the lists of writers’ tips was great. I think the first 6 of Elmore Leonard’s potnis come to one thing: show don’t tell. They remind me of being the 10 millionth person trying to figure out what makes JK Rowling’s Potter series work so well; some of the conclusions I came to were the same as her suggestions.Some of the more practical advice is a curious mix.
Posted by: Wiwin | July 28, 2012 at 07:07 PM
For those who have inquired, Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID is not yet welidy available for license. It will be handled by Music Theatre International, the licensing house that has handled the other available Disney titles. The Disney Company is experimenting with two regional theatres next year, to see what the creative forces of those theatres will do to solve the show’s challenges, and then they’ll decide what the next step for the property is. Those theatres are the Tuacahn Amphitheatre in St. George, Utah (opening in June of 2011), and then Music Theatre of Wichita (August).Thanks again.WB
Posted by: Neaj | July 29, 2012 at 12:06 AM
Very enlightening Suzanne. The new books suonds great and you sound as busy as ever with all your other projects. You remain an inspiration to a multitude of other authors and aspiring writers.I also like the World War Two era myself. The preliminary chapters of my latest novel were set at the end of the war and I'm sure I'll return to that era again at some point with another novel. Do you think you might set another novel in the same time period? Or would you want to explore some other period in history next time?
Posted by: Lone | July 30, 2012 at 07:33 PM