Alexandra Stoddard was invited to design a room in a showhouse. She used inspiration from Gertrude Steins's atelier in Paris to make it into "a room of one's own," a room where she could write out her books in longhand on her special paper. Her decorating scheme was simple, she says: "I simply filled the room with my favorite things. Everything is immensely personal, including my journals, books, favorite art, porcelain and objects." Warm and inviting would be my description. I could write a book in that room!
This may be my first real blog since I'm not going to teach you anything, but am simply going to tell you what I'm thinking. As I've said many times now, my blogs are much too long...I'm not really blogging, I'm writing articles! I actually like them very much, but I know they're too long for blogs. Slowly, but surely, I've realized that when a person is writing well over 1,000 words in one sitting, she needs to be doing something else for an outlet.
And that reminded me about taking a class with Tom Bird at the University of New Mexico a few years ago on writing and getting published. The class was for a day and a half, and we were asked to bring in an art pad that was 18 X 24 inches. When we got to class, Tom talked a bit about writing and getting published, but we mostly just wrote the whole time. When the class was over, I'd written over 10,000 words! It was all stream of consciousness writing. He told us not to think, but just to breathe deeply and write as fast as we could. Are you getting my drift here?
The result of my blogging for a month and a half, while being frustrated about the length, has put me in mind to write a book. I haven't decided what kind yet, but I'm thinking a novel. The way my brain works is that I begin a project--what I think I'm doing--and it leads me in whatever direction it wants me to go. The important thing for me is to start. And the good thing is that I can blog about my book--an actual blog--and put everything else on paper. Right now it sounds overwhelming. But if you'd asked me a couple of years ago if I could write 80 Bible lessons, I'd have thought you were somewhat off your rocker. But I just finished my 80th lesson last week!
I know that some of you have tried to comment and haven't been able to. I don't know what that process is, but I think you have to sign up for a Google account. I'd love to hear from all of you, if
you can make it happen.
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta ends today. The weather was good and the balloons as always are amazing.
Blessings...Mimi
No comments:
Post a Comment