Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category

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“The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium.” ~Norbet Platt

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I never thought I’d be old enough to write a memoir, but that has recently changed. Now I realize that I have an important story to tell at any age, and I started writing it.

Three months ago I took a writing workshop with Natalie Goldberg, and I’ve been consistently working on my book ever since. Yesterday I recorded 25,835 words with NaNoWriMo and I’m still working on my book.

The Galveston County Daily News did a story that includes my participation in the writing contest. The newspaper also mentioned my upcoming writing group that begins on 1/1/11, and they included a link to my web site for more information. Hats off to GCDN.  See details on the Power of Writing Practice at www.janetcohenconsulting.com.

My memoir will be published in 2011. On the surface it looks like a book about Hurricane Ike, but it is more than that.  Though Ike is the throughline, it’s not just another timeline with stories about how awful the storm was.  My book is more about the generosity of the human spirit and the silver linings that arise when people are genuinely evoked to do something for others. It is a story about philanthropy, community building and hope. At times you’ll laugh and at times you may shed a tear or two, especially when you read how the storm impacted my daughter.

A second throughline in the book is the relationship between loss and prior losses.   This will be rich with information for people in helping professions who counsel people in grief.  More to come.

Years ago, I wanted to write a memoir about AIDS/HIV because I was so impacted by it in the 1980’s and early 1990’s.  By the time I was 35 years old I had lost more friends than I had years in my lifetime, so I stopped counting deaths.  It’s been nearly 20 years since then.  I’m still impacted, but to a lesser degree.  And yet, I publish this post on World AIDS Day.

So I ask you.  How old do you have to be to write a memoir?  And if you are courageous enough to write one, what would it be about, besides your life?

Just returned from a writing and meditation retreat/workshop with Natalie Goldberg and Wendy Johnson at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY.

It’s been a dream of mine to meet and study with Natalie, after reading everything she’s published and listening to all of her audio recordings. This workshop was a delightful combination of studying different authors (Patricia Hampl and Chang Rae Lee, to name two), writing (solo and in groups), reading our writing aloud (with guidelines for listeners), meditation (indoors and out), and learning techniques that aren’t usually taught in traditional classrooms.

Goldberg, best-selling author of Writing Down the Bones and several other books, has a way of teaching people how to follow the author’s minds, be natural about when to follow and when to crack structure, and when to be still enough to let the writing settle.

Goldberg’s work is pure pleasure. My favorite of her books is Long, Quiet Highway; at this point, I’m re-reading Thunder and Lightning. I highly recommend her work.

Johnson, a Zen teacher, master gardener, and author of Gardening at the Dragon’s Gate, led some meditations (both indoor and outdoor) to help ground us in our writing. Her book is a deliciously rich combination of memoir and gardening, but it is oh-so-much-more than that.

Join me for a regular writing practice group in Galveston.  This may be for you if you are at any level of writing, from beginning journal writer to published author. Only a desire to write freely and unleash “Wild Mind” is necessary.

The small group will meet for a series of eight Wednesdays, September 29 through November 17, from noon – 2:00 p.m. in Galveston.  Please pre-register by September 24 and read Writing Down the Bones prior to participating. Cost for the eight weeks is only $120.00.  Are you in?

Just returned from a writing and meditation retreat/workshop with Natalie Goldberg and Wendy Johnson at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY.

It’s been a dream of mine to finally meet and study with Natalie, after reading everything she’s published and listening to all of her audio recordings. This workshop was a delightful combination of studying different authors (Patricia Hampl and Chang Rae Lee, to name two), writing (solo and in groups), reading our writing aloud (with guidelines for listeners), meditation (indoors and out), and learning techniques that aren’t usually taught in traditional classrooms.

Goldberg, best-selling author of  Writing Down the Bones and several other books, has a way of teaching people how to follow the author’s minds, be natural about when to follow and when to crack structure, and when to be still enough to let the writing settle.

Goldberg’s  work is pure pleasure. My favorite of her pieces is Long, Quiet Highway;  at this point, I’m re-reading Thunder and Lightning. I highly recommend her work for writers of any level.

Johnson, a Zen teacher, master gardener, and author of Gardening at the Dragon’s Gate, led some meditations (both indoor and outdoor) to help ground us in our writing. Her book is a deliciously rich combination of memoir and gardening, but it is oh-so-much-more than that.

Join me for a regular writing practice group in Galveston.  This may be for you if  are at any level of writing, from beginning journal writer to published author. Only a desire to write freely and unleash “Wild Mind” is necessary.

The small group will meet for a series of eight Wednesdays, September 29 through November 17, from noon – 2:00 p.m. in Galveston. Please pre-register and read Writing Down the Bones  prior to participating. Cost for the eight weeks is only $120.00.  Are you in? 

I’ve been wondering…

How often do you feel a moment of pride and forget to mention it to anyone, especially the person you are feeling it about?

With Memorial Day just yesterday, I’ve been pausing to remember. Not only those who have gone before us to fight for our freedom, but those who live with us every day, inspiring us to be all we can.

Today I am proud of Georgia Sherrod, my daughter’s fifth grade Language Arts teacher. She inspired the children to write a fairy tale for four year olds. Her students became authors and illustrators on this project, both in and out of class. A large part of their grades this quarter depends on their work.

In the spring, when so many teachers are winding down after “the test,” Mrs. Sherrod fired up her students to try something creative. She did it at a time when the weather warms up, when the days are sunny, and when the kids would rather be outside than doing homework. She pushed the envelope and got great results. In my book, she gets the award for Best Teacher as well as the award for Best Role Model for Other Teachers.

And yes, I am proud that my daughter, Joy, wrote one of the seven winning books that will be given to the four year old class library. (Believe me, it was hard to stay out of her project. At most, I asked her to check the spelling on a couple of words, hung out with her while she glued her pages down, and formatted the page so it would print correctly for the size of the book.)

Joy did a terrific job. At age 11, she formulated the story line, the conflict, the resolution, the color. She “owned” the project as hers, and it shows in the results of her work. Look for copies of The Quest of the Missing Gem sometime in the future.  She’s got some talent!  And yes, I’ve told her how proud I am of her. 

So, I wonder… who have you forgotten to tell that you’re proud, or that you remember something that mattered to you? 

I’d like to hear your stories, too.