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May 27, 2008
Not Counting Crows, but Swooping Crows
can't help it -- I am enamored of the feathered fellowship. I set out feed for the local chickadees and sparrows and finches, and hang hummingbird nectar. It pays off big time: I get more writing inspiration from this chattering chorus than you can imagine.
A clutch of crows has invaded our yard. Even though they are much too big to feed at our feeders, that doesn't stop them from bullying the smaller birds and sending them scattering.
As I watched the drama unfold today, it hit me. Those crows represent all of the things that fly at me out of nowhere: the fear of criticism, the fear I can't write another book, the fear of not being everything I can be. There is nothing in it for those crows: they can't get at the bird seed. And there is nothing in it, ultimately, for those fears and worries that swoop and peck at me. They can't change who I am or what I need to write.
If this sounds familiar, I heartily advise stopping to take a good look at the crows dive-bombing your writing efforts. They are big and blustery and persistent. But they can't get at the seeds deep within you. Let them flap and flutter. Take a step back if you need to.
Then hop right up on that perch and feed the true storytelling self within.
No matter how big, those bullies can't hurt that.
Write on!
Posted by kirby at 09:00 PM | Comments (2)
May 22, 2008
Just Ducky
It turns out the pool of water I kept noticing at the corner of our house was NOT due to typical Seattle monsoons. To make a very long, painful and expensive story short, we had a water leak. (Warning: if you have blue plumbing pipe, installed in approximately 1984, start saving for a new water line).
So, where I saw dollars and mud and mess, an intrepid duck couple saw a potential home. For the past two weeks, this adorable pair has been casing the joint here, and has decided that, even though Larson Lake has pretty much dried up, this is not such a bad piece of real estate.
I couldn't help but think, as I watched Mama slurp up a few slugs this morning, that these wacky water fowl hold a writing lesson. Sometimes we write away, following the "rules" of a particular story and then, splash, a ducky duo flaps in for a landing. We didn't plan on ducks in the story, we don't know anything about ducks and we certainly don't know how in the heck they will fit in.
But against all odds, land they do, waddling around, picking up what they need from your soggy manuscript to make themselves at home.
I say -- you go, ducks. And I say, if ducks -- or something equally surprising shows up on your page, go with it. The lovely and eloquent Susan Patron shared that Franny Billingsley told her to give her characters something to hold. To her surprise, Lincoln held a piece of string, and Lucky held tight to a survival backpack. These were not elements she planned out. They crash landed in her story, just as my ducks crash landed in my yard.
I hereby give you permission to punt. So you didn't plan on your main character learning sign language, or that her best friend would be a boy not a girl or that the lady next door had triplets. Maybe, maybe, maybe these twists and turns don't belong to your story but if you don't let them wander around a bit, you'll never know.
I'm not saying you need to set out duck food, but if a pair of adorable webbed creatures show up, don't shoo them away.
At the very least, they'll make you smile.
Posted by kirby at 07:01 PM | Comments (0)
May 12, 2008
Hattie Bird House
Posted by kirby at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)
Happy Mother's Day to me!
How lucky am I that I not only have the most wonderful children in the world, they are the cleverest, too! Awhile back, I had emailed my adorable daughter, Quinn, a photo of a birdhouse made from old children's books. I asked her if she thought we could do that. She not only said yes, she did it! With help from her equally adorable husband, Matt, and one of her co-workers, Richard (the king of power tools!), she created a birdhouse that elicits nonstop smiles.
Son Tyler said he has a present for me, too, which his dad is going to pick up when he goes to NY for a male bonding weekend of baseball and big steaks over Memorial Day. Wow!
Of course I love presents, but what I love most is being mom to two really great people.
Posted by kirby at 11:16 AM | Comments (0)