Connections with Authors

Besides being a writer and poet, I’m also a reader.  I have to admit when I get messages or emails from authors of books I’ve read, I get really excited.  I also love signed books!  I could care less about meeting any movie or TV stars or athletic stars or even political ones and I’ve met a few.  Nope, give me an author any day!

I was lucky to have met Maya Angelou because she was a Prof where I went to grad school.  Tom Clancy spoke at my graduation.  I have met several local poets in my area who are well-known.  I would love to meet Ted Kooser, as he’s my favorite poet.  

With social media, it’s so much fun to connect with my favorite writers.  Occasionally, I even get an email or message from a reader that likes some of my work.  

There are so many ways to connect with your readers, too.  I seem to connect the most via my email list (occasionally I send out newsletter like emails of upcoming events or new books coming out), with my website and with Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.  Most of my YT fans, though, like my train videos more than the ones about my writing.  I have written about trains, too!  

How do you or how will you connect with your readers?

A Change of Place

Sometimes it’s good to change places, no matter your daily pace.  See, I had to throw that pace word in there, lol.  

I’m an introvert like a lot of writers and poets, so it’s not my usual thing to want to go out and socialize at any time, and not just during this very unusual one we currently live in.  I am not the writer you will see camping out in a restaurant or coffee shop to write.  I am always curious about those who do.  I am sure it is beneficial to their writing experience and maybe it’s the only way they get the time to write.  I know I have to have my writing time scheduled in my writing nook so that’s what I usually do.

The other evening, though, I left my comfortable writing chair and my computer and instead met some friends to try a new place in town.  It’s not a bar or restaurant, but it serves a specialized type of food and so the atmosphere reflects it.  It was so refreshing to get out of my routine, to be in a different space for a while because I simply can’t achieve that same thing by watching a movie or TV show or putting away laundry for the umpteenth time.  For a few weeks, I had been unenthusiastic about writing anything or working on any of my projects.  But that quickly changed after I hung out for a few hours with my friends.  Now, this place was not crowded - a crowd around here is going to be 30 people or more in once place and chances are if there’s a crowd I won’t be in it unless I have to be.  (Yes, I’m a true introvert!)

This experience was just the jolt I needed to get my ideas churning again and to make plans on the current projects I’d been working on.  Like I like to say, sometimes it’s good to take yourself out of the usual equation and try a new formula.

While I was there, I didn’t think about anything except enjoying the music, the surroundings and the company of my friends. What do you do to get yourself motivated again with your writing?

When is a Poet not a Poet?

I didn’t start out as a Poet.  I started out writing stories.  Later on, I wrote plays, articles, and worked in business writing.  For the past several years, I spent the majority of my writing time on writing poems.  Lately, though, I have gone back to writing more fiction than poetry.

I have several ideas churning around and they take shape as a story more often than a poem.  It’s fun for me to write fiction as there are several ways to write it.  I can even include poetry here and there in my stories as well.  

Many years ago when I was a kid, I was browsing the local bookstore at the time.  Sadly, it closed but we do have a new one back in town now.  Way back then, I came across a book on writing that talked about knowing what form to put your idea in:  song, poem, story, article, script, play, and so on.  That always stuck with me.  

Sometimes, if you’re watching a movie or TV show or reading a book, do you ever think it’s too long, there are too many characters, the setting seems off and so on?  It’s probably because the form doesn’t fit the actual writing idea.

I am a poet and writer.  How about you?

Perspectives

 Have you ever gotten stuck with your writing?  I won’t use those two dreaded words that start with W and B, as I’m not referring to that.  I’m meaning have you ever wanted to write, had things to write, but just wanted to write differently or take a break on purpose or feel like you aren’t writing what and how you want or whatever else might be affecting your writing.

I tend to write in the same vein for a long time.  I started out writing a lot of environmental and social poems.  Then, I turned to place poetry.  I wrote several chapbooks.  I wrote several short stories and put together a short story collection.  Lately, I am writing more fiction than poems.  I use a variety of styles and genres each time.  I’m usually writing about what interests or inspires me.  I don’t want to feel like I have to write the same way with the same stuff all the time.

This morning, I woke up early really early.  I woke up in time to see the sunrise.  I’m a sunset lover and enjoy watching those nearly every evening, but the sunrise is also spectacular.  Because I was up so early, I thought why not go ahead and start the day off writing.  Usually, I write in the late afternoon or evenings.  

It’s good, though, to change your writing routine.  It’s good to change how you look at things.  Like with painting, you have a perspective when you write.  How will you write different? 

The Wandering Poet

If you’re a poet, do you look at things differently?  Or do you tend to stay in one place?  Or do you sometimes wonder or wander?

I have always enjoyed traveling whether it’s a day trip or a few days, a long weekend, etc.  But, like most everyone else traveling went by the wayside last year.  This means staying closer to home.  You can still wander, though, if you like. (And, of course wonder, too.)

I’m not a hiker.  I do like walking in the woods, or walking in general but the steep treacherous paths especially in the mountains are not for me.  Yesterday, I was attending an outdoor gathering by a river.  As the sun went down, it started to reflect on the water.  

I decided to take a short walk further into the woods to see what I could see.  I wasn’t going to get in or go through the water — too cold!  

The ground was damp and mushy even with my boots on (these are more like winter or hiking boots and not fashion boots).  The ground dipped in places and there were several steep drop offs.  I made my way slowly and carefully.  

Finally I came to a sort of clearing and I could see the sunset in an orange and red colorful glory.  It made the water seem as if it was on fire almost it was so bright.  

I was glad I took the chance and wandered off.  I was glad to see such a unusual but beautiful sight.

It’s always good to do something different, and the same goes for writing poetry.  Imagine all the poems about rivers, sunsets and walking in the woods.  Then think of how they could be different!

Where will you wander to next?

The Night Sky

 The sky, of course, has served as inspiration for so many things.  The night, too.  What can you really see when you take the time to look up?

It’s a fascinating subject to write about the moon, the stars, the sky, the night, and see what you come up with when you do.  If you’re using the sky in a poem or story, how do you use it?  

It stands to reason the sky does look different depending on the weather and your location.  Time, would play a factor, too.

The night sky is a constant and sometimes that’s needed in a work as well.  These are my pictures from last night.  There was a full moon!  It was definitely a glorious sight.  

When Poetry becomes Art

I was honored to have my poem selected recently as part of an outdoor art installation entitled “Of Earth and Sky.”  It’s currently on display outdoors in Charlotte, NC.  The art project used parts of each poet’s poem in the art.  My part of my poem is at Marshall park in downtown.  It’s white letters on stakes.  Another piece of a poem by another poet is nearby and it’s painted in the grass.  This park is idyllic with it’s reflecting pools, fountain, and curvy walkways amongst the trees.  It’s quite busy.  The day I was there, a model was being photographed, a wedding party arrived in a stretch limo, and there was a group having a picnic.  Plus, there were people exercising and/or walking their dogs.  It’s a popular place!

How different it is to see your words larger than life and outside in a park!  It completely changes one’s perspective on reading and/or viewing the poem.  It’s one thing to read a poem in a book, online or on paper.  It’s quite another to see it on display like an advertisement billboard.

My favorite poet Ted Kooser participated in an E-book of pictures of an artist with Kooser writing poems to go with.  It was really quite inventive.  At the end of the book Mr. Kooser and the artist had videos explaining their creative processes.  

All the arts, in my opinion, go together and complement each other.  I know I learned a great deal about writing dialogue in grad school for Theatre/Communications/Speech. 

A few years ago, I also participated in an art showing of paintings and photos with poems to go with.  That was an interesting experience for me to write a poem to go along with the art.  At my local Arts Council, an exhibit just finished and some of the photos used words as part of the art if not the entire piece.

I love to read words and learn new words!  To me, words are Art.  What kind of art will you create today?

Organic Writing

Organic.  It’s a word that’s tossed about a lot!  But what is it, when it’s applied to your writing?

I know I write that way.  I don’t tend to plot out in detailed outlines, or paste sticky notes all over the wall to work out my stories, books, or poems.  I like to get the idea, and piece it together as I go along.

You might think, well how does that work out for you very well?  It does mean I might begin to write pages, or verses and then have to go back and review to make sure it all goes together.  I like to edit as I write as well - a big no-no for most writers, but it’s the way I’m used to writing and how I’ve been doing it since middle school aka junior high.  

I do take notes when I write.  A lot of times I doodle!  I do imagine where my characters are, what they are doing.  And,  I do sketch out general ideas, and a few plot points here and there depending on what kind of story I’m writing.  I like to let ideas sift and gel in my head, too, and then get them down on paper.  I have some very strange voice memos in my phone, if you know what I mean.

To me, writing organically means that it’s all fresh.  It’s real.  Oftentimes, I will observe or overhear something I need for my poems or stories and I use it.  Once in a while, if I get stuck a lot of times someone tells me a story or I read something that makes me figure out where I need to go next with my work.

I believe that organic writing gives you that sense of real that makes a story or poem memorable, readable, relatable, and more.  So how do you like to write?

Poetry Pen Pals

Have you ever had a Pen Pal?  If you don’t know what that is, people actually used to write and exchange letters with one another whether they knew them or not.  You could find someone to write to in advertisements in magazines or newspapers.  Or, perhaps you did stay in contact this way with someone you actually knew.  I used to write letters to my Grandmother and some friends I had in Germany at one time.  I lost touch with the friends and my Grandmother passed away many years ago.

Now, we can stay in touch with social media, emails, texts and yes even letters!  Over the years, I have critiqued and reviewed the works of many poets with my Poetry Critique Service.  I also published a monthly free ezine, The Poetry Market Ezine, for 20 years specifically offering poetry resources just for poets.  I have made the acquaintances of a few poets this way keeping in touch with them not with letters but usually via email and sometimes even mail which usually involves exchanging poetry books and the like.

Of course as a Poet you should read the other works of other poets.  Usually that’s going to include classic poets and the contemporary famous poets.  But, you should also read work of your contemporaries.  And by that, I mean fellow poets publishing in the same magazines you are or simply publishing elsewhere.  It truly will give your own work a new perspective.  I also enjoy finding out what my poet friends are working on and/or reading.  It’s quite inspirational and also fun to chat or email with them about it all as well.

Next time you are looking for poems to read, why not try reading the works or touching base with a poet whose name you recognize or maybe one who has published your own work.  Or, if you read a poem you like by a fellow poet, shoot them an email and let them know your thoughts.  

It’s a super way to connect through poetry.  Plus, Poets supporting Poets simply means that poetry will stay alive and carry on!

Ah, Inspiration!

I am a big believer in inspiration.  I have always subscribed to the philosophy of learning by doing.  Same, with being inspired to write a poem or story.  

I never quite know when an idea might strike!  I have to tell you I have some rather odd memos in my phone.  

The other day I was in a bank checking something and they left me alone for a while to get a key and because the service was s l o w all I could do was look around and imagine all the possibilities for this, that or the other happening in a story or maybe poem set there.  I refrained from taking pictures or a memo while there because how might that look?  Being in a new setting can really get your writing juices going.

With inspiring thoughts, it’s better if I get struck by one during the day or at least when I’m awake.  I do keep pen and paper nearby if I need to jot something down in the dark.  I have done that before and most of the time I can translate my handwriting at night.  

When the moment comes, I will write on wrappers, scrap paper, napkins if I can’t get to my phone depending on where I am.  Sometimes, you can’t have your phone with you, etc.

An inspired piece to me has such a better flow than something that is forced.  What experiences have inspired you lately?

Read to Write

 If you’re a writer/poet, do you also like to read?  I do!  I read all the time.  I read books, e-books, articles, newspapers, magazines, practically anything I can get my hands on.  I enjoy going to book stores and wandering around!  I enjoy finding books for sale in boutique stores or even used book stores.  What fun!  It’s even more fun, to discover a book I really want to read.

I read a variety of types of writing:  non-fiction, biographies, mysteries, thrillers, adventure, sci fi, fantasy, and poetry.  Besides liking to read, I find that reading all these different things helps me to be a better writer/poet.

I can’t imagine trying to be a writer/poet and never reading anyone else’s works.  I can imagine you not reading something similar to your own so you don’t inadvertently get lost in their storyline instead of your own.

Reading makes me a better writer and poet.  If I read something written in a new way (for me) that gives me permission, so to speak, to write that way, too.  You can also learn technique this way - it’s great for people like me who like to learn by doing and not by reading endless textbooks, attending endless classes or taking endless tests (I’ve done all of it for College and Grad school and didn’t particularly like any of it especially if it had to do with Math!).  

It’s so easy to obtain materials to read:  online, library, thrift store or from sharing books with friends.  What kinds of books do you like to read?  How does reading make you a better writer/poet?

Your Poem Editing Process

 Okay, so you’ve written a poem.  So, what’s next?  Do you immediately type it up and mail it out or upload it for submission?  Or do you take it to a writers group for feedback?  Do you print it out and frame it on your wall, or give it to someone as a gift?  Once the poem is written, what exactly do you do with it?

For me, unless I’ve written a poem for hire or I’ve written it to enter in a contest or to meet a publication deadline, I let it sit.  Yes, sit!  It sits in my notebook if it’s hand written or it sits on my computer if I typed it.  I then move on to something else.  

It may be months or even years before I get back to that particular poem again.  Yes, really!  I suppose I love to write (almost as much as I like to swim) so I write a lot.  Once I get back to the poem again, that’s when I edit it for typos, subject, line spaces, line breaks, word count, form, style and so on.  I dissect it, I suppose, at that point.  After that, I polish it up and then and only then is it ready to send out into the world if I find a place where I want to send it or a book I want to include it in.

There really is a process to writing poems.  It’s more than just jotting lines down on a napkin or memorizing verses!

How do you work up your poems?  What’s your poetry editing process?

Poetry on the Road

Do you travel?  Go places?  Run errands?  

I find I enjoy reading and writing poetry on the road, or on the go.  If you write place poems, you can certainly gain from being out and about for ideas, etc.  And traveling or moving about is a great way to find time to read poetry, or whatever else you like to read.

Poetry on the Road, to me, is like carrying around that battered book of poems you simply cannot leave home without and reading a few lines, verses, or pages as you travel.  Or it is like carrying that device, notebook, however you write, with you so you can jot down your thoughts, ideas, and turn them into a poem, or two or three.

It could also be if you attend open mics, or attend literary festivals, book fairs, or other art events.  You can take your poetry “act” on the road so to speak.

What do you take with you on the road or even around town?  What do you write as you move about your day or week?

Go ahead and get out there and take your poetry on the road!

Acting Can Make Your Character Writing Better: Live Your Writing, Dream Your Poems

 When I went to acting school in Washington DC I was taught there are two kinds of acting - technique or method.  My school employed technique but we did study method as well.

Later on, I went to Graduate school and earned my degree in Theatre and Communications.  I always preferred writing over acting.  Studying acting, participating in plays and even writing them helps me now with character dialogue.

I always found that experiences helped me with acting.  It also helps with writing.  

Yes, you can research things you write about and never go and do them, etc.  But, how much more real is your writing if you are able to actually do some of the things, go to some of the places your characters do, within reason, of course.  I think it adds that terrifically special element into your works.  

For instance, I wrote an award nominated mystery series (The Glass River and A Sunless Sea) that each time included local history and real places in the community where I live.  People were excited to have been to the places in the books.  In “A Sunless Sea,” I went up the mountain, Hibriten Mountain, where it is mostly set and that way I could include very real details in my story.  I know that what I learned in Acting has been beneficial to the way I write!

Whatever I do during each day, whatever I get to do, I’m always trying to pay attention to specific details (the man in the tank top, with round holes in his ears filled with green rings, his companion a preppy dressed lady in a fancy designer coat) and I make note of them for later use.  I read a lot, watch a tiny bit of TV, and I pay attention in conversations or around me to absorb all these goings on.  As a result, if I fall deeply asleep I often have very vivid dreams.  My dreams could be movies, I sometimes say and laugh about later.

Take aways from them often help me get through a stuck plot point or give me an idea for a poem. You can dream your way into a good poem, ask my favorite poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge!

Have an adventure when you write!  And pay close attention to your dreams … a special verse may await you!

Writers Gonna Write, Poets Got Poetry

Have you ever heard a Writer or Poet or maybe a Teacher say something about the volume of another author’s work and perhaps mention the lack of their own works in the same sentence?  You know it’s the Quality vs Quantity argument.  And of course it does make sense in most everything.  However, if you are living your life as a Writer or Poet along the lines of say Rainer Maria Rilke’s “Letters to a Young Poet” where you cannot live pretty much if you cannot write, then are you not writing most every day anyway?  And if you are writing every day, what are you doing with your works?

For a long time, years probably, I ran a few of my own zines and such and I would have a few things published here or there.  I would write mostly on the weekends.  Later on, I shifted to writing most evenings and on Saturdays, sometimes on Sundays.  I feel better if I write, and I do have something to say and loads of ideas.  It depends, though, how often and how much I write at a time.  

When I started getting into place poetry, I wrote quite a few chapbooks of poems.  The poems simply flowed.  I write more poems than fiction.  I write non-fiction, too.  I do take time to Edit and Revise most everything multiple times.  Sometimes, my works sit for years before I actually do anything with them beyond editing.  So as it stands, once I achieved a level of writing I was comfortable with I began to get more and more things published, without submitting as much. (I did go to Graduate school for Theater & Playwriting, Speech, and Communications.)

I do write to be read.  I don’t write to take the work and leave it hidden on my computer.  I can do that with my journaling if that’s what I choose to do.  

So if you are any of the words bandied about so often and not necessarily in a nice way:  well-published and/or prolific, does that make you any less of a Writer or Poet than someone who maybe writes one story a year, one or two poems a year, and so on?  It can go the same way in reverse, are you any less of a Writer or Poet because you don’t write very much or it takes you a long time to complete something?

Walt Whitman kept on writing on his book “Leaves of Grass” adding and adding to it until he could not.  You can read it in the Deathbed edition.  It took me two years to read it all.  

How you write is up to you.  How much you write is also up to you.  If you want to share said writings with the world, also up to you.  

My thinking is this:  Write Without Ceasing!  It is the writer’s way.  (You can find a home later for your work, if you so choose!)  

The Tools for Writing

What is in your writer’s tool box?  You do have one, right?

You don’t literally have to have a tool or tackle box for this, but then again you always could.  It depends on if you write full time while on the go, or maybe you write only at home or at a desk or you rent studio space (or maybe you simply utilize a table at your favorite coffee or dining spot.)

It’s probably good if you have a routine of sorts when writing, so that you know exactly what you need to do so.  Also, a certain time of day or days when you plan to write would also help.

Here is the ideal writing tools I’d have (or have) when writing at home or on the road:

1) flat surface like a desk

2) pen and paper

3) notebook

4) small note book

5) scrap paper

6) self-stick notes

7) tablet

8) laptop, smart phone

9)Thesaurus 

10) paper clips, envelopes, stamps

11) stapler, stapler remover, staples

12) self-address stamp with ink

13) printer

14) blue light glasses

15) back scratcher

That’s pretty much it!  Of course you can see I use a mixture of off computer means to write as well as on computer.  I prefer to submit by email or online these days but some places still prefer mail.  To me, being a writer means you need to be versatile in your work, and of course to always be prepared to get that idea down by any means possible so you don’t forget it!

Almost Heaven for Writers

 Although I’m not a writer/poet who enjoys participating in writing retreats, I have found that in order to further my craft I do need to get away from my every day once in a while.  I’m fortunate to live near the mountains or the beach and to one of my favorite places, West Virginia.

In just taking a weekend away, I came up with several new ideas and started on a new poetry manuscript.  Plus I completed a couple of pages for a new short story.  The ideas and inspiration kept on coming.

For writing, you do need to get out there and participate in life or simply get away from your regular routines to help your creative flow and perhaps give more authenticity to your works.  It certainly helps me.

I also came up with another manuscript idea, and a few marketing ideas.  If you’re an indie writer/poet, you of course have to do your own PR most of the time.

It takes time to plan a trip.  And it takes discipline to work on your art as you do.  For me, though, it’s worth it!

Where do you go for your retreat?  Where do you find your inspiration?

(These are pictures I took from a recent trip to West Virginia!)

The Secret Life of Poets

 Do you live and breathe poetry?  You at least read it, don’t you?  How do you live your life as a Poet?

There are so many things that can influence how you write.  Plus, there’s another big I word when it comes to writing:  Inspiration.  What motivates you to write your poems?

For me, I like to take walks in the woods aka forest bathing.  To me, though, it’s really a walk in the woods.  And I like to read - I read poetry almost every day.  I also enjoy talking about poetry with other poets via poetry events, open mics, or when I teach poetry classes.  I read many other things as well:  books, newspapers, ebooks, magazines, billboards, etc.  

For inspiration, though, it’s something entirely different.  Sometimes, I cannot work on my writing and poetry during my normal hours I do so for whatever reason.  It’s then that I look for inspiration at maybe a sporting event, a movie, an art gallery opening, a doctor’s appointment, sitting in the car and waiting, etc.

Ah, yes!  Have you figured it out yet?  

The secret is to my life as a poet, at least for me, is observation!  I am constantly watching, absorbing, experiencing everything.  To me, it’s a key to my writing and realness I wish to convey.  

For you, though, it may be something entirely different.  So if you’re a poet, like me, what’s your secret writing life like?

Poets Who Teach Poetry

If you’re a poet, you probably love poetry, right?  I haven’t come across any poets who don’t seem to love it, but I’m not thinking of casual poets, I’m thinking of ones who read and write it all the time.  

In the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to teach poetry to students in elementary and middle schools.  It is so rewarding!

I taught a class via Zoom last week and it included not only me reading my poems to them but also talking about why I write poetry.  Plus, the kids also had questions for me.

These were very well-thought out questions, too.  For the first time I was asked Who is your favorite poet, What’s your favorite poem, Do you write other things beside poetry, How long have you been writing poetry, How do you get inspired to write, and so on.  Their teacher had obviously done a great job in teaching them various forms of poetry as well as introducing them to mine using a couple of my place poetry books, “Poetry in LA,” and “Poetry in LA, 2” from my Facebook page @poetryinla. These are local area poems for the most part so the kids find them relatable.

It’s so inspiring to me to see how intently they listened when I read and also how the questions they had of me were so they could learn more about poetry.  They were a wonderful audience!

Since I’ve developed my love of poetry, my goal has always been to encourage others to like it, too.  I enjoy writing so I have a variety of poetry books available as well as poems in a wide range of publications.  I feel this way I can reach a lot of folks with my poems.

Teaching poetry is necessary so that it continues to live on.  Poets are some of the best teachers of poetry there can be!

Creating Through Experiencing

Lately, I haven’t been writing as much as I have in the past.  No, I don’t have writer’s block.  I don’t have anything in particular, aside from a book mystery series sequel that I’m working on, that I want to write.  I have several poetry books in the editing stages, so I certainly have plenty of material.  I always have several projects I work on at once anyway.

I have become interested in experiencing different kinds of art and sometimes nature to fulfill my creativity that way.  I imagine it will flow into some sort of writing project sooner or later.

For instance, I went to an art museum (in a small city so there was one other person there besides the friend I went with and the 3 emps) exhibit a few weeks ago.  Before that, I visited a historic grist mill which was super scenic especially on a beautiful day.  A couple of months ago, I went to a different art museum, much larger than the other one in the small city which is odd because this one is in a tiny town.  It had an exhibit of drawings by a fresco artist in North Carolina.  I also went to a local sculpture center.  I’ve gone to see a restored submarine (viewing only) and visited a lighthouse (didn’t climb it).  All those experiences really add up for me to fuel my ideas.

The other thing I like to do is to sit and enjoy nature.  By that, I’m watching the trees, listening to all the sounds, and soaking up a little sun (not trying to tan or anything).  Usually, I’m reading something when I do this, too.  

To be a good writer, you really should read something.  Same with most any of the arts, I suppose.

Experiences become memories.  Experience helps you to create.  Experiencing can give you the tools to write with realism.  

So get out there, experience and then create!

It’s all in the View You Find

Okay, here’s where I admit I have always been fascinated by View Finders.  I even enjoy the small ones, the kids toy which you can now customize with photos of your own.  Yes, really!  

There’s something magical about being able to drop in a quarter, sometimes two, and see the world out there up close.  It’s nice, too, that you can actually do something for a 25 or 50 cents as well.  

Whenever we come across one, we always stop and take time to look.  We’ve seen some really neat ones, too!  

Before the ones in the picture shown here, we last took a moment to take a view from one at the top of the Incline Railway in Chattanooga, TN.  Also a fun spot to visit - there’s an outdoor large sculpture park, a train museum and so much more.

View Finders, though, are probably like pay phones and becoming harder to find.  There’s a local train theme park that has one and we’ve looked out of it several times, especially in the Fall when the leaves turn so many different colors.  

You also see them along boardwalks, piers, at mountain attractions.  Of course, you can use your camera or smart phone probably to see the very same thing.  But as a child, you may not have all that so it’s fun to step up those metal steps, drop in your quarter, and twist the view finder around and see what you can see. And as an adult, it’s good to do something a little bit different, to take a look from a completely different view.

The view finder we looked out of yesterday was at a state park.  The overlook was river channels, marshes, and the park.  I kept saying, “Look, there are boats in the channel, and see those boat docks.”  I am very fascinated by anything to do with the water.  And, yes I was smiling and laughing the whole time.

View finders are for any age.  To me, view finders are magic.

So what’s your view?  What do you see when you stop and take a moment to look around?

(Photos taken by LB Sedlacek from the Tower in Palmetto Islands State Park)  

I Don’t Need Prompting to Write (Then Again, Maybe I Do)

April is poetry month!  In celebration, there will be a flurry of poetry events, poems published and of course prompts.  

Do you use prompts to write?  Do you need them?

I’ve noticed a writing publication I read regularly includes prompts in a column.  But it doesn’t stop there, they are everywhere especially if you read non-fiction books on writing.

I use them sometimes, but generally I don’t.  I’m not one to write themed poems, either so I rarely submit anything to a publication that has one.  It’s not how I write.  But how I write and how you write are certainly different!  And for good reason!

What is your favorite prompt to write?  What kind of prompts do you like:  fiction, non-fiction, poetry?

The other way to take prompting in writing is do you need something to get you started or to remind you to take time to do it?  I’ve noticed after a flurry of activity with writing poetry, mostly place or travel poems, I haven’t been writing nearly as much.  I’ve spent more time lately on the sequel to my award nominated mystery series as well as with an idea I’ve been knocking about for several years for a short story - I keep telling myself it’s not something I want to write, but yet there it is.  Some ideas simply won’t leave you alone until you explore them.

Whatever prompting you may need, well it is yours to decide.  It’s your story, in whatever form it may take.

Master Class and Martian Poetry

Have you ever taken a master class?  How about one for writing?  

I took one this morning on the creative process.  I have signed up for another one next week on writing.  Do I think master classes are beneficial?  It depends on the class, of course!

So far they have been for me because they make me think in a new way and also think of things I haven’t ever tried so that’s good for my process.  Part of being a poet and writer is perseverance and if you have these positive experiences with other like minded professionals then it should help.

When I have a chance, I also join in with some virtual poetry workshops and/or open mics.  It is good to hear from other writers and poets and to see their perspectives as well.  

At the same time as I decided to try these master classes, I discovered Craig Raine and his Martian poetry. It’s writing from the point of view of say a Martian who experiences things for the first time.  What an interesting concept!  I like the poem that started it all, “A Martian Writes a Postcard Home” too.  

With the creative writing process, it’s good to try something you have never tried.  Experiences are key for any kind of creativity, imho!  

I wonder if there may be a master class in being a Martian one day?  With all of the new exploration on Mars, maybe so.  One of my favorite poetry books I have out (it was funded on Kickstarter) is “Mars or Bust.”  I would love to see that translated into Martian one day!

How To Buy a Poetry Book as Easy as POETRY!

 If you’re a poet, you read poetry, right?  Of course, no matter where you get your poetry books there are quite a number of them.  

First of all, you should probably know the difference between a Chapbook and a Poetry Book and even a Poem Novel, a Poetry Booklet and a Broadside  A Chapbook is a shorter book of poetry, often produced by the Poet themselves and contains probably around 20 poems or more.  A Booklet of Poems would probably contain around 8 or so poems and be a smaller version of a Chapbook.  A Broadside is a one sheet of one poem and can be artistically presented or simply just have the poem only on it.  A Poetry Book is going to be your longer book of poems with at least 70 or so pages or more.  A Poem Novel is a fiction like tale told via the way of verse.

Does length of the book truly matter?  It depends on what kind of poems you wish to read and how much time you have to spend reading it and also who the author is.  You also won’t find too many Chapbooks for sale in a bookstore.  You will find a number of any of the above for sale online.

Here’s a simple way to pick out your book or chapbook, etc:  P (personal interest), O (originality), E (eagerness to read), T (time you have to read), R (reading preferences such as style, form, author, etc.) and Y (You, why do you want to read it).  Price too might matter!

Have fun selecting your next book of poems.  Happy reading!

Sculptures on Super Bowl Sunday

 I like modern art.  I like sculptures.  I don’t make that kind of art, I sculpt & paint with words!  I live in an area where we have several outdoor sculptures all around plus an outdoor sculpture center.  

To me experiencing other kinds of art is necessary to help foster your own.  Art is a way of life, in my opinion.

The setting for the sculptures I saw on Friday is an old school out in a North Carolina valley near where the real life story of Tom Dooley and Laura Foster took place.  It used to be a private boys school then a private school, a science center and now an Arts Center.  

It was inspiring to me to walk around the setting, to enjoy the great outdoors and to see how each sculpture was enhanced by their surroundings.  I’ve always believed that place does shape how you live, how you see the world and also if you make art it affects that, too.

Here are a few of the sculptures I saw.  They are located at the WNC Sculpture Center in Patterson, NC.  Some are permanent, some are from an exhibit.  I’ve just included a few of them here.  They are all spectacular because like I said Art = Life.  

The New Book Review: LB Sedlacek Earns Prolific Poet Designation

The New Book Review: LB Sedlacek Earns Prolific Poet Designation: Four New Books: Chuck Town, Suicide Pumpkin,    The Blue Eyed Side, The Poet Protection Plan Author: L. B. Sedlacek Publishers: See author b...

Book Signing of “The Blue Eyed Side” new poem novel

 Book Signing of my newest book “The Blue Eyed Side” on Feb 20th from 11am-2pm at Tybrisa Books. The book is a poem novel murder mystery set in Hatteras and Plumtree, NC.  The book is published by Cyberwit.  

The Magical Realism of Writing and Art

Do you ever come across that moment, you know the one where the flow just overcomes you and you can’t write or type fast enough to get your thoughts and ideas down?  Does that come to you only when you’re writing, or do you find it in another art form and then it inspires your writing?

Ah, inspiration!  Seems we’re fresh out of that these days, or can be if we aren’t watching or looking hard enough.

I’m the visual type so I’m always looking around for something interesting to see.  With smart phones, what do I do but snap a picture or two or three or occasionally a burst.  Usually, though, I take only one shot.  I try to get the focus, the view right the first time.  I’m a no filter needed one photo will do it no editing needed type of picture taker.  

I created a local poetry book and FB page and often times if I take a picture of something local then I might write a poem about it, too.  (See @poetryinla on FB or Insta.). Those picture taking moments are magic to me - a magical realism where real life and art blend together in a fantastic hopeful joyous and yes inspiring way.

Moments of magic infiltrate moments of every day each and every day.  You have to pay attention, though, to the act, to the magician behind whatever it is you’re seeing so you don’t miss it - that sunset, that view, pouring rain, a neon open sign in an otherwise shutdown shopping center, that quote, that book, - whatever crosses your path.  

The magic is real so don’t blink.  Take it, and make it your own.  

Organic Inspiration

I am not one of those people who follow a routine.   Yes, I have them, but I don’t do the same things the same way every single day.  I eat breakfast, but never the same thing and usually not at the same time.  I write almost every day, but some days I focus only on one aspect of my work and sometimes I focus on several.  

I am not afraid to try new things, but if it includes socializing (even online) I am not jumping up and down with glee ready to take take part in said activity.  I truly do not mind and prefer to be by myself most of the time.  (Since nearly everyone in my family including the dog is extroverted they don’t mind this one bit, lol).  

Yesterday was one of those days involving not one but two activities that included other people.  The day before yesterday I ran an errand that involved seeing other people.  This doesn’t mean I’m never around people or talk to anyone - I usually talk to several people each and every week and I luckily have many friends.  

Each time I was rewarded with inspiration with these activities.  I wrote a poem about something I discovered at one of them.  I took pictures I’m going to use for a new book cover at another.  I made an artist connection with another.  I have to go through life like in the book “The Celestine Prophecy” (remember that one?) and be open to the idea of organic discovery which leads to inspiration and creativity.

These days that’s harder than ever to achieve because of the pandemic.  That leads to more online events and so because of that I’ve attended way more poetry readings, workshops and open mics than I ever have in the area where I live.  There are only a few opportunities for these type of live events and activities around here anyway.  

I like getting in that head space of flow from hearing other poets and authors read their works or simply talk about their process.  It’s like being in a room full of knowledge and kinship except you are in your own space sitting at or with your electronic device watching and/or listening in.  

It’s like bringing chaos to its knees.  It’s like shuffling ideas and thoughts into a kaleidoscopic mix of ideas.  

It’s simply creative organic magical realism flow.