The Importance of a Daily Practice

After several fabulous exchanges with successful authors, I realized that one of the things that was missing for me as a writer was a solid daily practice. Since I'm currently deeply enmeshed in receiving my coaching training and certification, my writing has become all business--I'm only writing for the contracts I have, or when I receive assignments. My book projects have stalled, as my agent suddenly turning into a negative Nelly and uncertainty now surrounds how we'll move forward.

On a recent meditative walk, my guidance came through loud and clear: JUST WRITE. And so, I've committed to writing---a half hour every day. My first day (yesterday) resulted in over 5 pages about love and my life. Who knew?!

I am certain that by leaving the "business" of writing behind and instead forging into the daily practice of writing, all of the answers will become clear.

Here are some women who have written amazing books on writing:
-Natalie Goldberg - Writing Down the Bones (or anything by her!)
-Julia Cameron - The Artist's Way & Vein of Gold

Happy Writing!
xoHeather :)

Must-Read for Any Writer: The Geography of Love

While wondering through Wordstock last weekend, I stumbled upon an author reading words very familiar to my heart.

"I grew from a child to a young woman, and the question "Why?" seesawed for dominance within my life with the bleakness of "Oh well." Short on answers but long on questions, I learned to protect myself, to avoid the complicated detours in favor of more well-traveled paths. For me, these paths were particularly barren in matters of the heart...I think back to the sweet high school boyfriend who just seemed to like me, the pothead intellectural in college whose sense of independence taught me to think for myself, the business graduate student from Wyoming who stepped in and kept the world steady after my father died. What was wrong with me? Why were they all so good and so not right?" --Glenda Burgess, The Geography of Love

Weren't those my very same thoughts...just this morning?

Captivated, I sat down and listened to this amazing woman read from her book and talk about her journey as an author--first writing fiction and then this memoir, because she simply had to--her life demanded it.

Later on that day, as I went to leave Wordstock, a voice inside nudged me back to the Powell's booth so that I could buy Geography of Love. I could NOT put it down and finished it this week (despite a tremendous amount of coaching and writing work to do!).

This book is incredible. It gives us a peek into real love, in all it's glory and pain, telling the story of Burgess and her husband, Ken. It's written beautifully, and often moved me to tears (my sign of a truly great book!).

In addition, I just wanted to write after reading this book--with all the eloquence that Burgess writes.

So, pick up Geography of Love today. It is such a gift, in so many ways.

Happy writing!
Heather :)

Must Have Music: The Dimes

I don't know about you, but last week was intense. Did you feel it? Sure, it was full of lots of good things (too many, perhaps--if that's possible!), but it came at such a frantic pace, I found myself wanting to stop and take a break. And so when my good friend, Sophia, invited me out to Portland's Lizard Lounge to see The Dimes play--I was game.

Live music and good convo? You can't go wrong...

If you aren't familiar with The Dimes already, you need to be. Their music is soulful, deep and moving. On top of that, they just plain rock. Even better--the guys themselves are actually really cool people (now THAT doesn't happen very often, does it?).

They are so good, that I became a full-on groupie. And I'm the chick that makes fun of groupies! I hurried to buy up some CD's, and have been writing to their tunes ever since.

Be sure to track down their version of John Lennon's "Watching the Wheels" (my fave JL song, BTW). These guys are going to be BIG.

Happy Writing!
xoHeather