The Craft of Writing: 10 Easy Practices

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How do you build a writing practice? How do you maintain it? How do you thrive from it?

The daily practice of writing sounds like the easiest thing in the world to develop. But it’s not. We sit down with an idea and motivation, and you write… right? If only it were that easy for the vast majority of us. What many learn, fast, is that the open-ended act of writing is like running wild in a field. If we don’t create some structure to measure and pace ourselves, we will burn out and topple to the ground long before a book, essay, article or other project is complete.

Over the years, I have found 10 approaches that combine to form a solid way to write consistently and productively. Since I am presenting these as part of a workshop Thursday night at the Crittenden County (KY) Library Writing Workshop Series, I thought I would try to stir up some office rearranging, journal writing and brainstorming with you today! These aspects of the craft of writing work for writers of all levels and genres, and are designed to support the writing practice for both the short- and long-term.

1) SETTING: A Writing Environment that works for you
Does your writing office, room or nook work for you? Do you have enough plants, pictures, inspirational sayings, natural light, furnishings and other adornments? Are your key reference books nearby—a dictionary, thesaurus, style manual, maybe a Writer’s Market? Any background music? Do your desk or table and chair work for you? Create an environment that feeds and inspires you.

2) PRACTICING: Turn Your Journal into an idea goldmine
All working writers should keep two journals, or at least be of two minds about their journal: one to recount experiences, feelings and observations of the day; the other to experiment with writing techniques and approaches, perhaps even different genres, and generate ideas. I always tell workshop participants that the journal is the working writer’s “chemistry lab.” It’s also a potential goldmine of ideas.

3) RESEARCHING: Learn It, Note It, Know It, Master It – in your own words
This is key to the writing craft. Research your subject so thoroughly that you can masterfully write about it in your own words. Research different points of view, different perspectives. Read books. Interview experts or knowledgeable people. When you take notes, jot down how this piece of research could work into your narrative, character or subject. Think “applicability” when researching.

4) PREPARING: Your Game Plan
How are you going to write your book, travelogue, essay, story or series of journal entries? After writing freely for awhile, it’s time to create a plan that fulfills your objective of finishing. Which hours work best for you to write? Can you write every day or every other day? How much to write each day? Create an outline or chapter summary that you follow until it’s finished — then pull out the next outline or summary. Break down your work into day-sized pieces.

5) PROCEEDING: Daily writing schedules that leave you eager to continue the next day, and not burned out
Create a daily writing schedule that works for your level of concentration and energy. Some people can write six hours of new material daily; others can only last two or three hours. Set a schedule that is write for you. Take the outline or chapter summary mentioned above, and finish each day at a place where you can’t wait to resume the next day. Author-artist Henry Miller called this “finishing hot.”

6) MAINTAINING: How to maintain Writer’s Mind 24/7 and, thus, momentum when working on particular books or projects
This is my favorite part of the writing process. When I write a book, my mind immerses into that world and subject 24/7. The world seems sharper; my senses are more acute. There is so much you can do with the 18 to 20 hours not spent writing the new material. Edit your past day’s work. Turn post-writing walks or exercise into different workouts, turning over plot or subject matter in your mind. Jot notes in your journal — and work them out with mind-mapping or other brainstorming techniques. Observe the world around you for material you can write. Watch your dreams to see what they might present.

7) TRUSTING: Trust your intuitive writer’s mind to get down the best material every day
Trust is crucial for all writers. We must fully trust what our deeper minds and hearts, and our intuitive faculties, present us as we write. We must also trust ourselves to get everything down and not keep editing and censoring—especially when in a writing session. Most importantly, let your intuitive mind help put your stories together, feed them, and conduct your characters’ “conversations”. This is when great writing happens. It’s like skiing down a hill and resisting all “controlling mind” warnings to slow down—knowing that the faster you go (within reason), the more control you truly have … and the more complete your experience. It’s all about trust.

DEVELOPING: Spin off and develop new ideas while continuing to work on your main project
This step intermingles with Step 6. When I’m writing a book, I put notebooks and note pads all over my home and office. I also tape a sheet of quadrille (small-squared) paper next to my keyboard. Every time an idea pops up for another piece of writing, whether a poem or new book idea, I write it down as an image, note or sentence. At most, I’ll scribble down a paragraph or two. Then back to the project at hand. By allowing yourself those few seconds to honor the ideas, you will always have new writing material for that next project — and you will enjoy a steady stream of ideas, thanks to the law of reciprocity: you reap what you sow. Entertain and jot down all ideas — then sow them later.

Another tip: find blogs in your subject matter, and write guest blogs to illustrate specific areas. Besides keeping you on task, you’ll also be building your all-important writer’s platform in case you want to sell your work — or are selling into an audience different than the one that has read your works in the past.

9) FEEDING: Keeping your mind and body open, energized and flexible
Many writers forget about taking care of themselves. They’re going to dig in, grind it out, throw their sleep patterns asunder, eat atrociously, and fight the ultimate battle to write that book. Writing is more of a marathon than a sprint; pacing and nourishment are vital. But there’s more. When working on a project, feed your mind by cross-reading in different genres, visiting art or sculpture galleries or museums, listening to music that expands and enlivens you, taking long walks, bike rides or runs, cooking new dishes, engaging in rich conversations, going to poetry readings or concerts, and writing letters.

10) FINISHING: Steps to finish — every time
Every year, many thousands of young boys enter Boy Scouts. Most think they will become Eagle Scouts—the highest honor. Less than 2% get there. I would guess that book writing carries the same percentage—2% of all manuscripts are written to completion. The key to finishing is to keep you and your writing fresh, turn each day into bite-sized pieces, and be consistent and disciplined. And be ready to get ultra-focused when you near the end. Write every day that you can. Expand that word “can” into more and more days. Follow the steps listed above. Start by finishing what you set out to do that day. Then string your days together until finished. When you finish the first draft, let it sit for a few days, then proceed to revise and edit it. Give yourself mini-breaks, often. Perhaps most importantly, don’t be too attached to your manuscript. There is a time for it to be done, a time the child becomes an adult and moves out (hopefully!). Finish it, and move on to your next work.

REMEMBER: The Write Time Writing Contest is now underway! $500 in cash prizes, plus publishing opportunities. Deadline is April 15. Check the Word Journeys Website – or the January 22 entry of this blog – for complete details.

Set Your Nets, Capture Your Moments: 10 Tips

To order The Write Time: 366 Exercises to Fulfill Your Writing Life

To order Writes of Life: Using Personal Experiences in Everything You Write

The rains poured down, flooding roads, soaking fields. Then they lifted—and a magical new world appeared on the steep forested hills of my property. Suddenly, eight streams rushed forth, the water pitching over waterfalls that, hours ago, were dry stones and bluff rock. The streams chattered loudly, their fluid voices rising over a land that, not a week before, was locked in a deep freeze.

I raced to my home office, grabbed a pen and notepad, ran up to the hillsides, and quickly scribbled out images. I rushed to describe the way the land looked and sounded as it happened, finding words to show the land’s arterial system coming alive in the dead of winter. I jotted images, scribbled a couple of stanzas, and fleshed out an inspired sentence or two. That was it.

The purpose: to collect raw material to use later. How will I use it? I have no idea, but there are plenty of options: a new poem; an essay; a scene description within a story or novel; an observation from a fictional character; for my next book on writing; a song lyric; maybe as part of a memoir twenty years from now. When I captured these images a few days ago, I never thought of putting them in a blog—but here they are.

Point is, I set my nets to capture the moment. I worry about the writing form later. By capturing the moment as it happens, I forever emblazon that experience on paper, which causes me to recall it vividly when I sit down to write a piece. It all feeds my purpose: to place my readers in the moment with everything I write.

As working writers, it is essential that we capture the moment — all the time. Personal experience provides the most authentic material for our stories, books, essays and poems, because we know it best. It teems with the resonance of being, requires complete presence, and often compels us to make decisions on the fly—all part of what drives characters in novels, for example. We need to become like newspaper reporters, ready for that next lead, “tip,” observation, piece of a dream, experience or recollection that can find a place into something we will write. The more we consciously practice “getting the news,” as we called it in my newspaper days, the better observers we become — and the more raw material we gather. It’s like mining for gold and storing away the nuggets for future use.

Setting your nets to capture life’s moments begins with discipline and commitment. Here are 10 tips on how to cast those nets and fill them up in your daily writing practice:

1. Set lots of nets. I have a journal in my bedroom, notebooks in the living room and office, tape recorders in both locations, and notepads in the kitchen and bathroom. My digital camera is always nearby. So is my phone — to record messages if I have no means of writing down a moment. These are my nets.

2. Cast widely. All you see, hear or do is the potential basis for a piece of writing. Record thoughts, observations, experiences, perceptions, conversations and dreams.

3. Don’t censor yourself. When you see something that captures your eye or fancy, write it down. Don’t grill it with your inner censor. In 99% of the cases, you don’t yet know how and where you will use this material—just that you want to have it available to you. Let it in.

4. Record at the speed of life. As a reporter, I often scribbled down interviewees’ comments as fast as they spoke. Only once in seven years was I accused of misquoting someone. I learned to be deadly accurate. Scribble down the moment as fast as you can while retaining enough legibility to read it. Try to write as it’s happening. Convey the speed of life.

5. Write in notes and images, not sentences. Unless inspired sentences or lines of poetry roll through you during the moment (which they sometimes do—recognize them for the gifts they are!), jot your notes in images and broken sentences. Use keywords and buzzwords; they will return you to the moment.

6. Sit and simmer … and circle back. After you’ve landed the “catch of the day,” sit with it for a few minutes, then circle back and add any images or observations you might have missed. Stay in the moment; don’t be reflective.

7. Organize your notes. Every week, I spend one to two hours gathering all the nets and decoding them, putting my scribble on the computer. I type rapidly, still not reflecting on the material. Then I put date, time and location on the entries.

8. Create a logbook. Gather your organized notes and create a logbook, whether paperless or in a binder. Along with your journal, these logbooks are the most important “research” materials you will keep long-term as a working writer.

9. Get back to your notes — soon. Within a day or two, return to your notes and see if something inspires you to write a poem, essay or vignette. Try to build out your observation in your journal. If nothing comes, don’t worry about it: The material will find its way into your work.

10. Keep casting. Never stop observing, fishing, seeking new moments or ways of looking at things. Allow these moments to visit you. When you set the intention to receive these moments, two things happen: a) Your mind becomes more creative and pliable, able to connect moments and convert them into fine sentences, paragraphs or stanzas; and b) The moments visit you in droves … liquid gold.

Cast your nets and turn every day into a life-gathering and experiencing mission. Then get it down on paper.

REMEMBER: The Write Time Writing Contest is now underway! $500 in cash prizes, plus publishing opportunities. Deadline is April 15. Check the Word Journeys Website – or the January 22 entry of this blog – for complete details.

The Write Time Contest: Where Good Writing Is Rewarded

To order The Write Time: 366 Exercises to Fulfill Your Writing Life

Welcome to the most unique writing contest you will ever enter—one whose subject and content is entirely up to you!

In this contest, you have 366 different topics and approaches from which to choose…

Welcome to the first annual Write Time contest.

Here’s how it works: My book, The Write Time, contains 366 different writing exercises – one for each day of the year. Get the book and choose two exercises: one right up your alley, which serves your strong suit; and one that pertains to a genre, or style of writing, in which you ordinarily don’t work. Write out the exercise, and stick to the word count that it specifies, but write about something that impassions you and brings out your very best. Go for complete excellence. Push yourself. Surprise yourself.

When finished, put your name, address, phone number and email atop the entries, and email them to me at bob@wordjourneys.com. Also let me know how The Write Time is working for you.

There is no entry fee. Obviously, it will help that you have a copy of The Write Time in order to choose the exercises – and to practice new, original material on a daily basis!

Your entries will be juried by two independent judges and myself. We will award a total of seven cash prizes: A $200 GRAND PRIZE for the best combination of two pieces (they must be separate subjects); First, second and third for the best individual entries; and three Honorable Mentions.

The prize breakdown:

Grand Prize (Combination of Two Entries): $200
First Place, Individual Entry: $100
Second Place, Individual Entry: $80
Third Place, Individual Entry: $60
Honorable Mentions (3): $20

In addition to the cash prizes, all winning entries and Honorable Mentions will be published on this blog, and publicized on www.wordjourneys.com and The Write Stuff, the monthly Word Journeys letter distributed monthly to literary agents, publishers, editors, media and more than 2,000 other subscribers. I will also publish the Grand Prize and First Place entries as “special guest” pieces in my next poetry-essay collection, Backroad Melodies, which will be released as part of the NEW Word Journeys Poetry Series in Fall 2010.

The contest opens TODAY. The entry deadline is April 15, 2010. Winners will be announced – and prizes awarded – on May 15.

I look forward to seeing your entries – and to hearing how The Write Time is working out for you!

10 Tips For Submitting Your Book, Story, Essay or Article Manuscript

To order The Write Time: 366 Exercises to Fulfill Your Writing Life

Are you there yet? Are you to the point when you can start planning to send your book, story, essay or article manuscript to a potential publisher?

If so, I’d like to give you some tips on how to get that manuscript into the editor’s hands in good shape — and to greatly enhance your chances that it will be read and reviewed accordingly. It never ceases to amaze me how many writers spend weeks, months or years writing something, only to lose all chance of getting it published the minute they put it in the mail or hit “Send” on their email. The reason? They don’t follow very basic guidelines for submitting manuscripts.

Here are 10 simple tips to properly formatting and submitting your manuscript in such a way that it is noticed, handled with care and given the attention you deserve for all the hard work:

1) Enclose a simple one-page cover letter stating the contents of the package, word count, and that you look forward to their reply in due course. Then sign it. Keep it short.

2) TITLE PAGE:

Name of Book (or Title of Article or Story)
Author’s Name
Address, Phone, Email
Approximate Word Count

3) Double-space throughout (on Microsoft Word, it reads as 1.5 spaces, but that’s the same as old-fashioned double spacing)

4) Try not to end pages with hyphenated words, or single words that carry over to the next page (widows). Also try not to end pages with only the first line of new paragraphs, unless they are single-line paragraphs.

5) Put a header and page number on each page. Header can simply look like: “Name of Book (or Title of Article) – Author Name – Page #

6) Use one-inch margins on the top, bottom and sides of every page

7) Your Table of Contents should also be double-spaced

Be sure to add your Acknowledgments/Thanks and Dedication pages, if you wish.

9) Always mail a hard copy of the manuscript to the publisher — even if they request it in digital form. Mail it in Priority Mail box or large Priority Mail folder, so that you have some basic tracking. Insure it. However, refrain from sending it Express Mail or any other form that requires a signature at the other end unless you are specifically requested to do so.

10) The most important tip of all: Before you send off that final hard copy, print out the entire manuscript. Read it very carefully and very slowly. Correct all typos, grammar and punctuation errors. Make your manuscript perfect. I repeat: Make your manuscript perfect. Nothing sours an editor more quickly than a manuscript riddled with typos and poor punctuation, no matter how good your story or article.

Print out this list and put it on your bulletin board, near your computer, where you can refer to it. Good luck!

(NEXT BLOG: The Write Time Writing Contest – with more than $500 in prizes!!!)

Winter Time is the Write Time

To order The Write Time: 366 Exercises to Fulfill Your Writing Life

Many people have asked me to write about my newest book, The Write Time: 366 Exercises to Fulfill Your Writing Life. I’ve been hesitant, for the same reason that affects so many other authors: it’s much easier for me to promote someone else’s work than my own.

However, I’ve had a change of heart these past 10 days, while ringing in the New Year in one of the deepest freezes the nation’s mid-section has seen since the infamous winter of 1977-78. While stuck indoors, I’ve spent a lot of time writing experimentally, and working on the three books that I will be sending to publishers later this year: my novel, The Voice; a multi-genre book I am writing with literary agent Verna Dreisbach; and my next poetry-essay collection, Backroads Melodies.

In order to get going on a couple of these sub-20 degree mornings, I’ve resorted to The Write Time for warm-up exercises. It’s worked out very well.

Now I’ll share a few reasons why several reviewers, along with me, believe this book might be the most diverse writing exercise collection on the market.

First of all, The Write Time contains 366 exercises – one for each day of the year, plus a birthday bonus exercise. There are a number of series that range from three days to two weeks; however, most of the exercises are stand-alone. For the most part, the exercises are aligned to the seasons, in order to involve the body, spirit and mind of the working writer – not just the mind, a place in which we find ourselves all too often.

Second, The Write Time includes exercises suited for writers of every genre – unique in the marketplace. Here’s why. In addition to suiting fiction, non-fiction, memoir, essay and poetry writers, The Write Time contains material for screenwriters, songwriters, playwrights, letter writers, journal writers, copywriters, bloggers, graphic novelists and business/technical writers. Everyone in the writing universe is included. I didn’t initially plan the book this way, but after pooling together ten years of exercises I’d developed for my workshops, I saw that nearly every one of these categories was represented. So I completed the circle with the final exercises that I wrote.

Third, all of these exercises are true originals, written from the heart. The vast majority contains mini-stories that lead up to the actual exercise. Of the 366 exercises, more than 250 were “test-driven” by participants at my workshops, and/or clients whose books I have helped to develop, edit and promote.

Fourth, the exercises can be practiced by writers of all abilities, from novices and students to multi-published authors. Some of the best feedback has come from authors who are trying to switch genres, most specifically going from fiction to non-fiction, and vice-versa. Since I’m a multi-genre writer, this transition is of particular concern to me at a time when we all need to be fluid and flexible, whether we are writing personal material or shooting for book contracts.

Fifth, I’ve loaded the book with special features and information that give it an integrated feel. This is definitely the only writing exercise book that provides links to top writing websites and motivational quotes from well-known writers, musicians and artists and the most complete list of author birthdays in the marketplace – online, print or otherwise. For good measure, I’ve thrown in Celtic, Native American and Western/Zodiac sun signs, and space within each day to record your ideas, thoughts and self-prompts.

Finally, and most importantly, is the personal touch: You can re-adjust every exercise in this book to suit your own writing needs. My goal was to provide a single book of exercises that would allow writers of all ages and abilities to attain excellence in their chosen genres while also experimenting with other genres – but most of all, to make writing a lot of fun. Whether you’re a junior in high school, an MFA student, a teacher, journaling practitioner or professional writer, it’s important to always maintain dexterity in style, voice and content.

We’re going to sponsor a Write Time contest, to see who writes the best pieces directly from an exercise within The Write Time. There will be cash and publishing prizes for the top three selections; the cash amounts will depend on the number of total entrants. I’ll have more details in the next blog; the details will also appear on my website, starting the week of January 18.

30 Books Every Writer Should Own: The Other 20

Well, good to see that everyone is looking for fun lists for holiday shopping! The “30 Books Every Writer Should Own” blog entry spiked my average reader count for this blog; it was the highest single-day total yet. I thank you all very much!

I’ve already received some wonderful comments, but this one leads to today’s blog: “What books were hardest for you to keep off the Top 30 list?”

Since I took 50 books that have touched me deeply in my writing career – or life – and pared them down to 30, I thought I’d run out the list of the 20 “Very Honorable Mentions.” Keep in mind: this list is incredibly subjective. All of these books belong on every writer’s short list of titles. They continue the theme of how I believe writers should read – roundly, fully, deeply, and interactively.

The Very Honorable Mentions (again, not in any particular order):

The Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art, by Joyce Carol Oates: If you could mate pure, distilled wisdom and vision with the intimacy of a deep romance, this book would be the offspring. What a treasure, by one of the greatest writers on the planet.

The Artful Edit: On the Practice of Editing Yourself, by Susan Bell: For most writers, the hardest part of the process comes after you finish writing the draft – editing your work. In my opinion, this is the best book on editing. It contains tips, strategies, counsel from the greatest book editors of the past century, and interviews with top-selling authors. The author’s personal touch makes self-editing very inviting … and I invite you in, because these days, books need to go to publishers very well edited.

Zen in the Art of Writing, by Ray Bradbury: Zen connotes space, presence, serenity, succinctness. All of which you find in Bradbury’s prolific writing style. I was at a signing when science fiction’s greatest living writer toured this book 20 years ago … I’ll never forget his encouraging comments to me. This book remain a treasure.

On Being a Writer, Bill Strickland, ed: I kept this in the Top 30 list until the last moment. A great collection of conversations with our finest authors, who discuss voice, technique and process openly, in a way that every writer can absorb.

Prism of the Night: A Biography of Anne Rice, by Katherine Ransland: One of the most poignant biographies of a living literary figure. Ransland’s book itself is art. It also dives all the way into how tragedy, turmoil, deep suffering and vision created the author who did the impossible – rewrote the legacy of vampires.

The Power of Myth, by Joseph Campbell: We need to be in contact with the mythologies that formed the archetypes we use in our writing. We also need to know the art of myth-making as storytellers. This book, first published in conjunction with a PBS series in the late 1980s, brings myth into the present. Worthy companion: Mythology, by Edith Hamilton.

Keeping a Journal You Love, by Sheila Bender: A wonderful friend in the writing-teaching community, Sheila has dedicated the last 20 years of her life to helping writers improve their craft. She’s written several books, but this brings home the essence of what it takes to be a compelling writer: Going deep inside, taking your life experiences and world view with you, and percolating wisdom and compassion through journaling. This book erases writer’s block – fast.

The Poet and the Poem, by Judson Jerome: 35 years after its publication, this Writer’s Digest Book remains a landmark on the craft of poetry.

Writing Begins with the Breath, by Laraine Herring: This new release borrows from William Carlos Williams’ philosophy of poetry, which launched the Beat poets movement. Part Buddhism, part instructional … a fine book.

Dare to be a Great Writer: 329 Keys to Powerful Fiction, by Leonard Bishop: Another Writer’s Digest Book, this is one of the most thought-out breakdowns of the fiction writing technique and process.

The Rise of the Creative Class, by Richard Florida: A sociological book on how society, culture, education, timing and the ’60s conspired to form perhaps the most diverse and creative group of people in U.S. history – us. Invaluable reading for better understanding of the Boomers and Gen X – the core book-buying public.

The Literary Journalists, Norman O. Sims, ed.: Another book about the New Journalism movement, which launched the personal memoir and narrative non-fiction as we now know it.

The Aquarian Conspiracy, by Marilyn Ferguson: A classic from its publication in 1979, this book breaks out the sociological network of community, technology, spiritual living and environmental consideration that are front-page news items today. I consider it a “must” because it reminds us of our responsibilities to society as creatives.

The Life of Poetry, by Muriel Rukeyser: A beautifully rendered part-memoir, part-instructional discussion of poetry by one of the greatest writers of the mid-20th century.

Journal of a Solitude, by May Sarton: As those who have been in my workshops know, I am BIG on journaling. This wonderful book is best read by a fire, with a cup of coffee or tea, quiet music … and a journal alongside. Because you will be sparked by the writings of the ever-wise May Sarton.

On Death and Dying, by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross: I realize this classic is a very unusual choice, but let’s face it – the vast majority of novels include death, many of us touch the subject in our writing, and we all face it. Why on this list? Because, when I edit books and read end-of-life scenes, it is very easy to see who has experienced them with family or friends, and who has not. This book will bring greater authenticity to your writing. Plus, everyone should read this book.

The Art of the Personal Essay, Philip Lopate, ed.: This should be a staple in every aspiring and practicing essay writer’s home library – from ages 10 to 100. The variety of essays, and informative lead-ins, make this one of the best edited and selected writing anthologies ever.

The Best Writing on Writing, Jack Heffron, ed.: Jack is a former Writer’s Digest Books editor who occasionally teaches writing workshops. He also compiles very good anthologies. This annual release offers plenty of great pieces for writers looking for a tip or some inspiration.

The Alphabetic Labyrinth, by Johanna Drucker: Writing is conveyed by letters. This masterpiece shares the history of alphabets worldwide, how cultures intermingled to create new alphabets, and how the written word spread. The book is beautiful rendered and illustrated, and is one of several wonderful studies of language and the word by this author.

And finally, one of my own:
The Write Time: 366 Exercises to Fulfill Your Writing Life, by Robert Yehling: It’s very hard for me to include myself in any list, but I’m just sharing the vibe I’ve received from readers and reviewers since its publication in September. The exercises in this book are both stand-alone and mini-series pieces that cover every genre and leave plenty of opportunity for personal interpretation. You won’t find a more diverse writing exercise book.

30 Books (Plus One) Every Writer Should Own

Since the holiday season is upon us, thought I’d create a “gift list” to use when shopping for your writer friends – or yourselves.

This list is very simple: 30 Books (Plus One) Every Writer Should Own. I realize this is subjective, but it encompasses the type of material we need when working on our books, articles, essays or other projects. This list is also designed to spark new ideas, or to further exploration of ideas you already have.

In the list, you will find several self-help writing books, collections of conversations with authors, memoirs, technical books, books addressing other creative genres (music and art, specifically), and works written by some of the greatest authors.

While I would love to include my own writing books in this list – Writes of Life and The Write Time … that’s not for me to judge. One day, someone might create a list that includes them.

In no particular order, here is the list, with personal impressions from my experience as an author, poet, journalist, editor and writing teacher. You can order them through Amazon.com or your local bookstore. Take this list with you during Black Friday or Online Monday (or whatever they call it). Also, let me know what you would add to this list – I’ll run your suggestions and any comments in a future blog.

1 & 2. On Becoming a Novelist and On Writers and Writing, by John Gardner. We start with a bang – a two-for-one. No novelist has ever conveyed the craft and writing life better; then again, he was perhaps the nation’s most refined fiction writer and teacher of fiction at the time of his death in 1982.

3. Writers Dreaming, by Naomi Epel. Conversations with noted authors on their dreams, plots or ideas that came from dreams, and how they work with their dreams. A vital read if you, like me, believe the 6 to 8 non-waking hours of the day contribute mightily to the writing process.

4 & 5. Storycatcher: The Power of Story to Change Our Lives, by Christina Baldwin. Reading and working the prompts in this book is like drinking nectar, further flavored by your own words when they spin together perfectly. In other words, this book does magical things to one’s ability to journal, write an essay or story, and heal. Life’s Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest is another Baldwin title worth owning.

6. The Elements of Style, by William Strunk and E.B. White. After nearly a century, this book remains a staple of working writers and teachers. Its greatest value might be in emphasizing the need to write tight – crisp, concise, to the point.

7 & 8. Punctuation for Writers, by Harvey Stanbrough. This book deserves a spot on every writer’s desktop alongside The Elements of Style. It presents punctuation as a timely, valuable asset to every written sentence, rather than the necessary evil we first met in grammar school. Whenever I write a book, this gem sits on my desktop. An alternate Stanbrough pick: Writing Realistic Dialogue & Flash Fiction.

9. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, by Annie Dillard. In my opinion, one of the best memoirs ever written. I’ve read it 10 times, and counting. This masterpiece brings together nature, voice, observation, listening, creating, inner feelings, outer environment, hubris and hope … and every word sparkles with brilliance. What else is there? If you want more Dillard, go with Three By Annie Dillard – a collection that also includes An American Childhood, and The Writing Life.

10. A Natural History of the Senses, by Diane Ackerman. This is a tremendous book on how the physical senses play out in the natural world, and how we can attune better to our own senses … a critical aspect of deep writing. Some of the stories of how animals use their senses are breathtaking – and reminders of how much more sense-itive we can (and should) become as writers.

11. Color: A Natural History of the Palette, by Victoria Finlay. This book contains a history of primary colors, how they were mixed for artists since prehistoric times, and the fascinating stories behind the substances and creators of these colors. A great book of observation, journalism and craftsmanship. Good writers always form close alliances with color and tone; here’s a wonderful map into that journey.

12. Library: An Unquiet History, by Matthew Battles. I believe every writer should know basic library science and library history – and this book provides a wonderfully off-beat account of both. From Sumeria to your local library, the adventures of the printed word and its storage – and the wars fought over books – could not be better told.

13. The Browser’s Book of Beginnings, by Charles Panati. As writers, we should know the origins of every subject about which we write – and the etymology of the historical words we use. The incredible material can either be used in your works – or prompt little “archaeological” digs of your own. An alternate selection: The Book of Lists, by David Wallechinsky.

14. Writer’s Market, by Writer’s Digest Books. Between the great articles on marketing, editing and craft, and the thousands of publishing listings, how can any working writer not operate with this book close at hand?

15. 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, by John Kremer. John has been teaching marketing workshops to writers for a long time, and this book has become a staple for working writers nationwide. In this era of online communities and direct author involvement in promotion and marketing, its importance has never been greater. Writing today means doing good business; you will find a number of strong marketing strategies for your book in here.

16 & 17. Dimensions of a Life, ed. Jon Halpern. Written to honor great poet-essayist Gary Snyder on his 60th birthday, this collection of essays, stories and poems by more than 70 contributors focuses on aspects of Snyder’s life, work, personality, cultural influences, and more. It’s like taking 70 gemologists, peeling a diamond open, and seeing how that diamond comes together, one side at a time. Alternate selection for fans of Beat poetry and literature: Lighting the Corners, featuring the works and conversations of Michael McClure.

18. The Language of Life, by Bill Moyers. The subject of a 1995 PBS special, this book features conversations with 25 great current poets. In it, you will see how writers and poets develop voice, and read priceless insights on observation, imagery and craft.

19. Henry Miller on Writing, by Henry Miller. This book changed my writing life; I learned to really finish my book manuscripts after reading it. One of the 20th century’s most prolific writers and artists shares his take on the art and craft of writing – and the insights and tips fall from every page like fruit trees perpetually in season.

20. The Crossing Point, by Mary Caroline Richards. Every writer, teacher, artist, artisan, poet and those concerned with the creative process would do well to own this book of essays, talks, poems and musings by one of the 20th century’s greatest purveyors of personal creativity (and part of the famed Black Mountain literary movement). My copy is hopelessly ripped, underlined and dog-eared from extensive use; I can feel my creative electrons jumping each time I open this book.

21. How To Think Like Leonardo DaVinci, by Michael Gelb. Here it is, in a single hardback book: the visual imprint of the creative mind and creative process. Its exploration of the ultimate Renaissance man brings out the creator in all of us. This book is filled with page after page of creative inspiration; I can’t last more than four pages at a time without putting it down and writing to exhaustion.

22. A Writer’s Diary, by Virginia Woolf. The beauty of this diary is that we truly see the inner triumphs and struggles of a great literary figure – but also how every minute of every day was spent writing or gathering the seeds for future works. A great look at the inner world of the perpetually working writer.

23. The Gang That Wouldn’t Write Straight, by Marc Weingarten. The story of the New Journalists – the writers to whom every current journalist, memoirist and narrative non-fiction author owes a debt of gratitude. Beginning with Norman Mailer and Truman Capote, these were the pioneers of incorporating fiction-writing and deep inner personal feelings into non-fiction work.

24. The Language Instinct: How Mind Creates Language, by Stephen Pinker. During our growth as writers, we realize more and more how vital it is to understand the nuances of language, its im-pressions as well as ex-pressions. This book, written by a renowned linguist, shows the way. Read it, and you will find yourself listening to every person’s spoken word more closely – and capturing it more completely in your next piece of writing.

25. Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg. A modern classic for writers seeking the deeper, inner places from which to write, and the relationships of their feelings and perceptions to the outside world. The vignettes and essays in this book are tight, concise – and built to prompt you to write.

26. Practicing: A Musician’s Return to Music, by Glenn Kurtz. Music and writing are so closely linked, structurally and creatively, that it behooves every writer listen to music deeply, if not play or study it. But this stellar memoir is about more than music: it is about the art and hard work of practice, and how practice creates ultimate attunement with one’s instrument. In the case of writers, that means written vocabulary and voice.

27. Bird By Bird, by Anne Lamott. Anne’s deeply felt, highly observant look at the little things in life – a prime topic of both her fiction and non-fiction books – informs this collections of essays/prompts. In it, she shows how she invents verbs to suit the action of the moment – reminding us that we, too, can invent words.

28. Cultural Literacy, by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. While this book is somewhat limited, in that it spells out “only” 5,000 cultural facts or subjects people should know about, I consider it vital reading to every writer who wants to make an imprint on society – and in particular, younger readers. Due to breakdowns in education, funding and the like, writers are in a particularly crucial position of helping to educate and advance our culture. We can develop a strong base with this book.

29. On Writing, by Stephen King. The man who re-invented the horror genre – in both books and films – wrote this heartfelt, deeply informed book to the writer who fights, struggles, bleeds, perseveres and stops at nothing to write … then comes back for more. In other words, a book for all of us.

30. Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting, by Robert McKee. The author put 40 years of screenwriting experience into this book, which rises far beyond the world of the screenplay into something much more universal – the art and craft of writing a compelling story by visualizing a moment and then drawing it out. This book works for all writers. Alternate selection: The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller, by John Truby.

The Bonus Book: On Being a Writer, by Theodore Strickland. This Writer’s Digest Book Club selection is now 20 years old, but just as much of a treasure as the day it was published. It features wide-open conversations with a number of best-selling authors; between them, they canvass and discuss every nook and cranny of the writing process.

A Writing Curriculum For Today

To purchase The Write Time: 366 Exercises to Fulfill Your Writing Life

Once in awhile, a writing project comes along that requires us to marshal all of our resources, knowledge, contacts, experience and, it seems, everything good to which we were exposed about the subject. In other words, it requires the skills and tools developed over the course of a career. Such a project has come my way.

The other day, I presented an outline and was green-lighted to produce a K-12 pilot writing curriculum for a school district. There is an alluring proviso: if it makes the impact anticipated by the superintendent, it could be adopted on a more widespread basis.

You can only imagine how I feel about taking on this project. For the past 20 years, I have moved through my careers as a magazine writer and editor, book author and editor, and writing workshop teacher, while concerning myself greatly with literacy in America – in particular, writing literacy. Our students’ ability to communicate through effective literary, transactive and/or expressive writing has plummeted since my school years – when teachers issued writing assignments in conjunction with every subject we took. It is no coincidence that, as writing was de-emphasized or diluted in education, our overall intellectual prowess as a nation started slipping. You can teach facts, figures, concepts and memorization all you want, but nothing creates lasting comprehension better than writing a paper or essay about it – and thinking through what you write.

Thanks to the No Child Left Behind Act, schools and teachers have been so consumed with “teaching the test,” as it’s known, that such “soft” subjects as writing have been de-emphasized. While curricula are extensive and miss nothing in the grammar and punctuation requirements they spell out, the fact is harsh and clear: Writing has been de-emphasized because of all the testing.

There are many teachers, administrators and individuals working very hard nationwide to reverse that trend. I know teachers that are openly defying the approved curricula to present writing in the way they know best. How would they know best? In all cases, because they are also writers.

I’m a huge supporter of these teachers. They’ve got it right: If we teach writing from the perspective of a writer, then kids are going to ignite with their natural creativity. They’re going to feel the passion that pours through their teachers’ eyes, and they’re going to have fun with it. And “it” includes grammar and punctuation, believe it or not.

The perilous decline in writing proficiency is what prompted me to start teaching summer writing programs for kids, which led to presenting writing workshops to aspiring and professional writers of all ages. My passion for bringing the fun and mind-opening promise of writing back into young peoples’ lives has prompted me to join and participate in several vital organizations: 8-2-6 Valencia, the collaborative author-student writing mission fostered by Dave Eggers, author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius; the George Lucas Educational Foundation (publishers of Edutopia, the most progressive public education magazine in the U.S.); the Institute for Dynamic Educational Advancement, which produces outstanding web-based exhibits that contain related curricula; and Capitol City Young Writers (I am a board member), founded by my friend and literary agent, Verna Dreisbach.

More recently, I’ve created systems of facilitating writing that have resulted in an award-winning book, Writes of Life: Using Personal Experiences in Everything You Write (winner of the 2007 Independent Publishers Book Award); an award-winning website presentation with accompanying curricula, Poetry Through The Ages; my latest book, The Write Time: 366 Exercises to Fulfill Your Writing Life; and a book that Verna and I are getting ready to write (you’ll hear about it soon).

Now, a full-bodied curriculum, complete with explicit marching orders: “Show us how a writer would present and teach writing.”

First off … I hope to convey the spirit and approaches to writing that have been conveyed by the six greatest author/teachers to whom I’ve been exposed in this life to date: T.C. Boyle, Joyce Carol Oates, Jane Smiley, Annie Dillard, the late John Gardner, and American haiku master Don Eulert. Between them, this group has written more than 200 books, including some of the best books on writing available. Gardner’s The Art of Fiction and On Writers and Writing are masterpieces. I’ve been to some of their workshops, I’ve taken private classes with a couple, and I’ve spoken with a few after their readings. These people comprise the Mount Rushmore (plus two) of modern writing instruction. I share their purpose: to create a society of great writers.

One thing this curriculum will feature, above all: the sense of adventure and discovery that I recall my earliest writing teachers instilling in me. Furthermore, those pesky thorns in every student’s side, grammar and punctuation, will become allies in a curriculum that makes them co-participants in a sentence – not the necessary evils. I will weave copious amounts of library science and online resourcing and writing into the mix; after all, if our kids can’t combine these two skills and understand how to write on and through the Internet, what chance do they have in the interconnected 21st century world? Bearing that in mind, the curriculum will focus on the two most important aspects of writing anyone can carry into their adult lives: transactive writing (especially when it concerns business communication), and creative/expressive writing.

I’ll write more about the project as it develops, but my overarching goal is that it triggers the love of writing in one student, then another, then a few more. I fully believe that my generation, the latter-stage Baby Boomer Generation, is the most highly educated in U.S. history for two reasons: 1) Because we were afforded the most opportunities by our parents’ generation in a world that opened up academically and economically for us; and 2) Because we wrote, and wrote, and wrote in class for all 12 years from Kindergarten through High School.

I’d like to see writing become central again. That is why this project takes on the importance of a life mission for me. Because, it is.

This Is It – A Writer’s Perspective

To order The Write Time: 366 Exercises to Fulfill Your Writing Life

One of the most exciting aspects of the writing life is to seek out sources of inspiration. They can come from nature, other people, or other forms of creativity. Sometimes, we not only find something, but are so surprised by the content or message that it spurs us to stretch our boundaries of creative expression.

I experienced such a moment Tuesday night, when I went to see the movie, This Is It, the rehearsal footage from what was to be Michael Jackson’s last major set of performances (or so he said). Even though I am not a Michael Jackson fan, his music has been on the radio since I first heard the Jackson 5, so I decided to see what the final act was going to be. After all, he has broken boundaries for 40+ years; virtually every pop star of the past four decades owes their existence in the public eye to him.

What came across the screen was something wonderfully different: An intimate, behind-the-scenes two-hour presentation of how a great musical performance is assembled, directed, choreographed and scored. And it all revolved around “the man in the mirror,” whose dance moves and voice at 50 were not much slower or lower than the Thriller years. No question about it: This Is It was going to anthologize his four decades of musical greatness, with stage sets for every era and the songs that made MJ second only to The Beatles in creating frenzies of screaming girls.

I watched the movie from a writer’s perspective, and what I saw was just as impressive. No matter what you think of him as a person (and I know from my late friend, the great golfer Payne Stewart, that MJ sought above all to be the best father he could be), Michael Jackson was an auteur. He was an absolute genius at receiving and hearing the music with his inner ear, visioning the physical movement of that music, and bringing it out with a combination of voice and dance moves we may never see it again. He did it as artist, director, choreographer and singer. Furthermore, every minute of This Is It showed the glue, the uniting aspect: everything creative that moved through Jackson was touched by his heart and soul. I felt like I was watching a soul on film that knew, at every moment, that this was truly it – and he was bringing his entire life force into each song, each performance.

A great example (and this is the only piece of the movie I’ll reveal) came during the rehearsal for “Beat It.” Jackson worked out all of his moves, positioned his guitarists on stage, made sure the lighting crew knew how he wanted the lights to fall, then sang. When it came time for the late solo, he stood next to one of his guitarists, Orianthi Panagiris (a 24-year-old Australian; she’ll be a star after this debut). When she stayed with the solo we all remember from Thriller, MJ stopped her and said, “This is your time to shine,” then instructed her to cut loose – to burst with what she felt inside her heart. The result …

… well, see for yourself. If you are a guitar fan, then the next three minutes are worth the ticket price. No wonder country superstar and fellow striking blonde Carrie Underwood dueted with her earlier this year!

Receiving the music. Hearing and feeling it deep within. Visioning the physical movement of the music. Bringing it out with every tool and talent always available, at the ready. Listening to the beat of his heart at every moment. Honoring the vision. Inspiring others with it. Delivering the goods in full force to the audience.

Sounds like a winning recipe for great writing, doesn’t it?

So today, I find myself moving through my book ideas, and the books with which I am helping my clients, with a slightly different emphasis – a more holistic emphasis. I never expected This Is It to dance a path through my own creative process, but it reminded me of just how genius and greatness are attained: through vision, courage, plenty of skills and tools, but most of all, hard work that results in an expression of near-perfection.

That is our constant goal as writers: to imagine, envision, observe, write, then polish until every word resonates with the precise reflection of what moves through us, what scene or dialogue we first pictured. Then we put together the whole story, the whole performance, and our subject matter or characters carry out the telling.

On his final day of life, eight days before he was to open the show in London, Michael Jackson gathered the entire This Is It ensemble into a circle. They held hands. He said to them, “Show the audiences talent they’ve never seen before. Show them your greatness.”

You have your opinions of MJ’s choices in life, and I have mine. But there is no disputing the wisdom of this advice when it comes to our writing.

20 Tips for Successful Writing

To order The Write Time: 366 Exercises to Fulfill Your Writing Life

During the past 30-plus years of professional writing, I have tried many approaches to writing – just like every other writer. Some have worked for periods of time; others lay discarded on a back trail of earlier development, or sitting inside my trunk full of journals.

Through the years, I have found 20 approaches to writing to be particularly successful. These get the job done for me, expand creativity, and keep writers excited and eager to write something new every day (see Tip #19). I originally presented 12 of these in September during my keynote speech at the Write Time Teens ‘n Twenties Conference.

I’d like to share my list of 20 tips for successful writing, and invite your comments and tips, which I will guest publish in a future blog – with a credit to you and link to your email address or website.

1) Make Every Sentence Your Best Sentence.

2) Write What You Know.

3) Write What You Feel

4) Write What You Think

5) Write What You Love. Deeply.

6) Expand Your Writing Muscles – Daily. New observations. New experiments. New dialogue. Experiment with what you don’t know, or are learning, until you know it. Then master it and write it.

7) Be a Voyeur. Hang Out At Parks, Gatherings, Clubs and Coffee Shops. Listen.

Cross-Read. Read three to five books simultaneously – preferably in different genres, with both male and female authors. Develop the cross-connections that create magical metaphors and similes.

9) Be Comfortably Uncomfortable. Read out of your genre. Write out of your genre. To paraphrase former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins, give yourself permission to write the things you would never say out loud.

10) Let No One Define You

11) Silence Your Inner Censor – Forever!

12) Explore. Experience. Emote.

13) Drive into Your Heart & Soul – Then Up to the Heights of Ecstasy. Live in the middle, but be willing to venture to your emotional and intellectual extremes to write the sentence that changes your reader’s world – and yours.

14) Center Everywhere, Circumference Nowhere. Write with you, the narrator, subject or character in the middle of every observation, movement and feeling. Take this statement from wise Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore into your work.

15) Write Sense-ually. Employ the five senses – and a few others, such as the senses of movement, balance, temperature, thought, ego/other, life/well-being, and speech/language.

16) Enliven Places. Make your settings and locations living, breathing participants of your stories, essays and poems,

17) Hide Nothing. As poet/warrior Robert Bly said, “stand before your audience naked.”

18) Read Your Writing Out Loud. Always.

19) Finish HOT. Leave a juicy paragraph open and exposed until the next day – then run with it.

20) Finish What You Start (whenever possible). It is very easy to start a work, but if you do not get to “The End,” the finish line will appear further away with your next writing project.

See how these tips work for you. For me, they condense more than 30 years of trying to find the right approach. I swear by them.