I know I lucked out in graduate school when I ended up in a seminar lead by Paul Lisicky. The man is not only an exceptional writer, he simply rocks as a teacher. I learned so much from him that I felt it was imperative to note his influence in the acknowledgments when writing my book.
I religiously read his blog because he takes me places that I’ll never otherwise go . . . especially to the streets of New York City and to a music scene that is simply foreign to my ear (except for when he digresses on Joni Mitchell). Recently, he was in the Bay Area and he did a photo collage on his blog of a bunch of Eichler homes that tickled me to death because I dream of having a atrium like those in the buildings this real estate developer designed in the 1950s. Paul is really into buildings which is pretty obvious by the title of his second book, a memoir called Famous Builder.
But what I really want to share with you is one of his recent blog entries called “Alive with Current” in which he addresses the question: why I write! Please go read it . . .
It’s spectacular writing! It will make you feel alive! It will make you want to sit down and write.
Bloggers everywhere having been posting resolutions for 2009 for over a week. This post–eleven days into the new year–and the lack of posts for about 8 weeks, decries the need for a writing resolution, or more specifically a blogging resolution.
I recently worked on the content for my friend Cherie’s business web sit–The Yoga Loft. I gave her a package with edited content for each page as well as suggestions about design. I also suggested that she revitalize her site’s blog and gave her a list of ideas to get her writing. It was a pretty good list, if I do say so myself. Here are the suggestions:
Post at least once a week, preferably 3 times a week.
Write short posts, a paragraph is plenty.
Here are ideas about what to write:
·Recommend a yoga related book you are reading;
·Explain an insight you had from your reading;
·Post a quote, like the ones you read in class, with a citation;
·Write about the focus of your yoga instruction during a week;
·Quote a student;
·Post a link to an Internet site and explain why you think it is relevant;
·Announce an upcoming yoga event, both ones you are going to and ones you wish you could attend;
·Post a picture from class, name the student and describe what’s happening;
·Discuss an insight you got from a piece of music, your kitties, a swim workout, your garden, etc.;
·Write about a trip out of town, a visit to your mother, your nephew, a hike—especially when you have to cancel class, students want to know what you are up to.
·Write about food, the co-op, your chicken’s eggs, the terrific meal you had at someone’s house or a restaurant;
·Write about how eating effects your practice for better or worse;
·Define terms;
·Tell a story about when you were first learning yoga, something you learned from a teacher. Pass on the knowledge (story telling is the BEST tone for a blog);
·Anytime you have the urge to send a message to several friends via email, consider posting it on your blog, even if you are simply forwarding a site, copy the link and explain why you think it’s important, interesting, or funny.
As I was reviewing the list with Cherie, I realized that it would behoove me to listen to my own advice. And though the list was for a yoga blog, it was easily adaptable for my own purposes.
But I still didn’t start posting on my blog again. Then I had one more idea. I’d invite Cherie to be my blog buddy. I’d say:
“Let’s agree to post at least once a week. Then we can encourage/support/cajole/shame each other into posting regularly. What do you say Cherie? Are you game?”
A year or so ago, when I was starting to think about how to promote my book once it was published, I stumbled upon the concept of blog tours. Rather than take one’s book on the road to various venues, the idea is to get it reviewed and or get yourself interviewed on a bunch of blogs. It saves lots of money and works well with the idea of viral promotion, that is passing the word about your book from friend to friend. This method of promotion is supposed to be highly successful.
To that end, I started asking friends if they would be willing to read my book, Between Two Women, and do a post about it or me. Several noteworthy friends responded with a YES! Links to their posts follow.
But first, I’d like to say that being interviewed is a very powerful self-reflective exercise. Each of these writers/bloggers asked different kinds of questions. I think the 3 interviews probe into unique aspects of my process and intention. As such, they opened my Editeyes, demanding that I look at the work in new ways. I hope you will visit these blogs and then come back and comment here. The circular dialogue will certainly benefit all of us.
Keiti Pierce who is currently a student of the Gothic novel at Stirling University in Scotland did a four part interview on Misplaced Misfit.
Kate Evan, interviewed me on Being and Writing. Her book For the May Queen was just published, and I will be interviewing Kate here next week about the book and her approach to writing.
Finally, I’m excited to announce that I’ll be interviewed on Women-Stirred Radio on Thursday Oct. 9 at 4pm EST. You can stream it live at www.wgdr.org by clicking on the “Listen Live” link. If you are in California, you need to check in at 1pm.
Thanks to each of these women writers for spreading a net of support for this writer in the sometimes overwhelming task of promoting a book.
A common practice among bloggers is identifying and annotating the blogs they have been reading that might also be of interest to their readers. Sometimes this is done on a regular basis, say every Saturday, and sometimes it is the feature of particular topic the blog writer is addressing. I love this practice, not only because it extends the conversation but also because it leads me places I might not otherwise have gone. I haven’t yet decided how I will integrate “a carnival” of blogs into Editeyes, for I’d like it to emerge organically as the blog and I grow together.
Today, however, I am pointing directly to Misplaced Misfit, which appears on my blog roll. Keiti, who is Ms Misfit, is a cyber friend who has graciously, and I might add insightfully, interviewed me in the context of a blog tour — a kind of virtual book tour. Keiti, who lives in Florida, has timed the posting of her interview to coincide with the west coast launch of my book which will take place August 23 in Sonora, California.
I religiously read his blog because he takes me places that I’ll never otherwise go . . . especially to the streets of New York City and to a music scene that is simply foreign to my ear (except for when he digresses on Joni Mitchell). Recently, he was in the Bay Area and he did a photo collage on his blog of a bunch of Eichler homes that tickled me to death because I dream of having a atrium like those in the buildings this real estate developer designed in the 1950s. Paul is really into buildings which is pretty obvious by the title of his second book, a memoir called Famous Builder.
