Writesquared

Soulful Agitation.

2012-01-29T15:31:00.000-08:00

I am lucky to call Marcia Reynolds a colleague and luckier still that she is a new friend.

Her book, Wander Woman: How High Achieving Women Find Contentment and Direction, is resonating with me.

I just celebrated a birthday, I've moved to the Southwest and I am re-evaluating my career direction.

New chapters, all. Plenty of agitation--soulful and otherwise.

Reading Marcia's introduction about how "soulful agitation" leads us to accomplish great things but ache for what's missing, captures what many of us--and not just women--feel.

I look forward to an insightful, inspiring read.

http://www.amazon.com/Wander-Woman-High-Achieving-Contentment-Direction/dp/1605093513/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327870769&sr=1-1

2012-01-19T10:03:00.000-08:00

Did you know that vocation is Latin for "voice?"

A vocation means a calling that one can hear.

But before any of us can respond to our inner voice--whether its writing or preaching or selling or cooking or woodworking--we must listen.

In the listening, we become wise.

And that wisdom, in turn, allows us to listen to others. Actively listening is a gift we can give our family, friends, colleagues and clients.

As writers, we try to ferret out a client's voice with word choices that reflect a company's unique character.

That's why the most succeessful writers are superb listeners.

The Art of Storytelling.

2012-01-10T08:38:00.000-08:00

In a review of director Angelina Jolie's new movie, In the Land of Blood & Honey, Entertainment Weekly columnist Owen Gleiberman praises her diligence in recounting the facts, but writes that "there's still a big difference between telling it like it is and telling it compellingly."

The film earned only a C+ from him.

Even when it is reality-based, the best storytelling is anything but average.

The Power of Intention.

2012-01-03T09:16:00.000-08:00

New Year's Resolutions are so last year.

Wha't current are your intentions.

So, instead of saying "I want to lose 10 pounds," try "I will eat better and exercise more, so I believe I will lose the weight."

It's a small shift in thinking that can make a big difference in results.

Happy 2012.

Once Upon a Sentence.

2011-12-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

"It was a humid afternoon in late September, the kind of weather that makes an apple feel slightly greasy to the touch."

So begins writer John Seabrook's food piece called "Crunch" in the November 21 issue of The New Yorker.

It's a grabber, as we say in the industry.

Don't you want to read on?

The Power of Metaphor.

2011-12-17T08:54:00.000-08:00

Politics aside, in the December issue of GQ writer Drew Magary pens a powerful metaphor about President Obama in a feature called "The Least Influencial People Alive," penning "he wields all the power of a substitute teacher at night school."

You know it's apt because you get an ouch reading it.

Vanishing Points & Creativity.

2011-12-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

In the December 9 issue of Entertainment Weekly, director Steven Spielberg talks about growing up in Arizona and how it influenced his filmmaking:

"We subscribed to a magazine called Arizona Highways. It was always shots of roads going to infinity, going off into the vanishing points. I tried to appropriate a little bit of this lonely road to nowhere for Close Encounters. So the idea of a straight-line highway going to a vanishing point is compelling."

As a new resident of Arizona, I find myself staring and dreaming along these saguaro-studded straight roads myself. I trust it will boost my creativity.

Task Vs. Time Orientation.

2011-12-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

Freelancers, like farmers, artisans and mothers are task-oriented not time-oriented, says freelance writer Dennis Coello.

Having moved my household 2,000 miles in the past month, I agree.

The tasks when moving are many; the tasks when writing are myriad. Time falls away.

Two Adjectives for a Hell of a Film.

2011-11-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

The ferocious John Hawkes and the luminous Elizabeth Olsen give Oscar-worthy performances in this American horror story with a pitch-perfect script.

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/marthamarcymaymarlene/

Gotta a "Great American?"

2011-11-02T07:33:00.000-07:00

November is National Novel Writing Month, so get your write on with tips:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Timing is Everything. (But so is Experience)

2011-10-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

Joe Klein writes about the need for experience.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2096292,00.html

Way Opening and Way Closing.

2011-10-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

This has been an exhausting month.

After moving across country, Iv'e become a renter after nearly two decades of home ownership in a hot market wildly skewed toward landlords (many tenants are the foreclosed, driving up demand for nice homes in great neighborhoods).

I just signed a lease on a wonderful place (though I paid more than the asking price) and I am finalizing the details for the big move.

Throughout this process, when my faith faltered, I tried to think about door closing and windows opening.

Parker J. Palmer writes in the book Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation, that we must "take the no of the way that closes and find the guidance it has to offer, and take the yes of the way that opens and respond with the yes of our lives."

Mid-Week Words With Impact.

2011-10-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

Incorrigible
Audacious
Propulsive
Uptick
Mercurial
Dispense
Grotty

Creative Destruction.

2011-09-28T16:07:00.000-07:00

When market forces upend the traditional order, economists call it "creative destruction."

In the simplest terms, destruction proceeds creation. New replaces old.

As marketers, we instinctly understand this theory. Though it's tempting to hide, it's actually a time to act.

Courage, not cowardice. That's what ushers in creativity.

Shake It Outta My Sleeve.

2011-09-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

That's what legnedary architect Frank Lloyd Wright said when his design came easily.

I had that experience today. And it was glorious.

I doon't usually write in the early morning, but today, up hours before I normally rise, I just sat down. And got to it.

Fueled by several cups of Earl Grey tea, I buzzed through several pages of web content that had been stalled.

Sometimes shaking it out of your sleeve might be a matter of shaking up your routine.

Get 'er Started.

2011-09-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

A fantastic resource to fund and follow your creativity: http://www.kickstarter.com/

The Fertile Void.

2011-09-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

Suzanne Braun Levine writes in Inventing the Rest of Our Lives: Women in Second Adulthood about the fertile void, a bewildering but necessary hiatus.

It's a place of change where women feel stuck.

The typical reaction for Type As is to do more. Women end up spinning their wheels. When, of course, the cure for "stuck" is "still." Saying no and letting go.

Businesses have fertile voids, too.

I know because I am working with a client who is constantly aflutter with the buzz of recreation. She is pushing quickly for a logo, a tagline, web content, seminars, flyers.

She wants to communicate--now.

Yet I have counseled her to to slow down. To observe. To dream. To be patient. To listen.

She's smart and spiritual, so she gets it.

The words can wait a couple of weeks until the message is clearer. And she is more settled.

The fertile void doesn't last. But it must be acknowledged and honored, both personally and professionally.

Indeed, the Sum is Greater Than Its Parts.

2011-09-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

It's slim in size and each story is a sliver: two pages or less. But the impact is mighty.

Truly, the Sum is greater than its parts.

Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by neurologist David Eagleman, is so clever, so thought-provoking, so audacious, I wanted more.

In some tales of life after death, God is a She. In others, you get to be all ages simultaneously. In the aftterlife, he imagines we are all part of a cast, be in Congress, a play or a company.

And then there are the Death Switches that use passwords to help us communicate from beyond the grave.

Far from grim, often witty, this is a wonderfully imagined collection of wistful tales at the intersection of death, hope, love and technology.

http://www.amazon.com/Sum-Forty-Tales-Afterlives-Vintage/dp/0307389936/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315503725&sr=8-1

Some Days You Sweat It.

2011-08-28T23:25:00.000-07:00

I don't usually use this space to write personal missives. I'm on Facebook for that.

But this past week was consumed with buying a car. In 115 degree heat.

I don't advise this. Especially if you are OCD.

After consulting friends and doing all the Internet research, I drove seven SUVs. I paid attention to TV ads. I scoured parking lots for like vehicles. I weighed options, I crunched numbers.

Finally, I made a decision and began negotiating.

I wish I could say I enjoyed the experience, but honestly, I found it mostly tedious, often aggravating and once, infuriating.

Now that the process is in the rearview mirror, so to speak, I am taking my new Forester to The Grand Canyon.

I think the heat and the frustration will fade when Arizona's beauty unfolds in my windshield.

And all the sweat will have been worth it.

Are You Real?

2011-08-17T15:00:00.001-07:00

Authenticity is an experience: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/joseph_pine_on_what_consumers_want.html

Buy This Magazine.

2011-08-13T17:56:00.000-07:00

Found this brillantly written quarterly from the editors of The Economist last month in the Frankfurt airport ...still reading it.

http://moreintelligentlife.com/

Four Words to Kick-Start Your Week.

2011-08-08T12:28:00.001-07:00

Riposte
Snarl
Preen
Muster

Details are in the Dump Truck.

2011-08-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

Economic, but colorful.

In the August issue of Men's Journal, Josh Eels delivers a spot-on physical description of musician Jamey Johnson:

"Johnson is the antithesis of a polished pop star. He has a body like a dump truck and the facial hair of a Himalayan yak."

Tell me you can't picture that.

http://www.zinio.com/article/article.jsp?popularityExcerptId=791000

Get Your Mind Dirty.

2011-08-01T14:20:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of childhood nature-deficit disorder?

Neither had I until I read Richard Louv's article in the May issue of Outside magazine.

Seems the more high-tech our lives become, the more nature we need. Research shows that nature restores concentration, allows for clearer thought and boosts creativity.

But as adults, too many of us are separated from nature.

I believe this.

Having just moved from Atlanta to Arizona, I understand the restorative power of nature.

On a daily basis, I am more connected to the physicality of place. I admire rugged mountains while sipping tea on the patio, breathe in earth before a sand storm, celebrate a stray javelina or lizard. I am riding my bike again.

http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/media/books/Get-Your-Mind-Dirty.html

The Fourth Turning.

2011-07-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

My fellow writer and friend Jake introduced me to the book, The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy - What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America's Next Rendezvous with Destiny by William Strauss and Neil Howe.

Though it was written in 1997, it seems especially prescient in 2011, discussing economic, cultural, ecological, military, and political distress.

The idea that your generation isn’t like the generation that shaped you, but rather has much in common with the generation that shaped the generation that shaped you, seems dead right to me.

So does the labeling of archetypes as nomad, artist, hero and prophet that rise in each generation.

http://www.amazon.com/Fourth-Turning-American-Prophecy-Rendezvous/dp/0767900464/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311879984&sr=1-1

Three Words to Launch Your Week.

2011-07-25T21:03:00.001-07:00

Thrum
Toothy
Feckless

Use them with flair!

Grat Tagline. But Not for Toothpaste.

2011-07-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

Crest's "Life opens up when you do" is a bit Hallmark-ish, even Oprah-ish, but it works on the level of feel good-ity.

Just not for toothpaste.

Damn Fine Writing.

2011-07-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

I have long subscribed to "men's magazines" because the writing is infinitely more intelligent that the pap directed at women.

An article in the August issue of Men's Journal (which I am proud to have contributed a story on Jordan to) demonstrates why.

Even though I wasn't remotely interested in Steelers linebacker James Harrison, writer Paul Solotaroff's opening was a grabber--and not just because I live in the same town:

"Up here, in an end-of-time exurb called Troon, carved high into the bluffs above Scottsdale, Arizona, it's all Charles Darwin and sun-split rocks, life forms baked to the core. Diamondbacks and scorpions slip through the gates of the copper-colored homes in these hills, while wild boar joust with gaunt coyotes over trash cans pushed to the curb. Even in May, the heat is a monster, pressing its breath on you in the haze."

Hooked? Read the rest: http://www.mensjournal.com/jamesharrison

"When in Doubt, Leave it Out."

2011-07-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

My friend Phillippa singsongs that phrase whenever I am waffling about..well, anything.

Coco Chanel famously loved to pile on accessories, but she still recommended that stylish women remove one item before leaving the house.

They are both right.

Whether it's holding one's tongue, dressing for success or telling a compelling story, a (little) bit less is often a whole lot more.

Of Self-Possession.

2011-07-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

Watched the new-on-DVD Barney's Version last night. Call it a study in karma, the film is a beautifully caustic and sobering look at the consequences of our choices.

What struck me most was the economy of words that actress Rosamund Pike's character, Miriam, uses to get her point across.

Effective and moving.

So often, less is more in dialogue.

Underused Words. July 4th Edition.

2011-06-29T07:32:00.000-07:00

Create your own verbal fireworks with these dazzlers:

Scrum
Conurbation (hint: most of us live in one)
Mercurial
Gusto
Rubbish
Coddle
Canny
Esconced
Verdant
Sonorous (we'll experience a lot of this over the holiday)

Ask Well & You Shall Receive.

2011-06-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

Speaking up for what you want is hard for many of us.

Check out this four-point plan for ask success: http://l3wilso.wordpress.com/2008/06/25/ask-and-you-will-receive/

A Cheeky Confirmation.

2011-06-18T01:58:00.000-07:00

Sign up for an e-newsletter and you get a confirmation.

But not like this one from Phoenix's 944 Magazine, which is genius:

You have just registered with 944.com. This is the best thing you will ever do. Your whole life is going to change. You just became 48% more popular and twice as good looking.

Congratulations.

Your login information is as follows:

Email Address: writesquared@att.net

Password: ----
To get you started, you may login here - http://944.com/member/.

You can stalk your exes, look for new prospects and totally avoid getting any work done at your job by compulsively checking our website, which is constantly updated with new events and photos from each of our markets.

You can also subscribe to any of our pages' RSS feeds for the latest updates, or find us on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace.

Thank you,

944 Magazine

Never Hire a Social Media Expert.

2011-06-16T22:31:00.000-07:00

Everybody and their brother (and sister) are on the social media bandwagon.

But is it all just smoke and mirrors?

My friend Susan sent this provocative article along with the note: "makes real sense."

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-i-will-never-ever-hire-a-social-media-expert-2011-5

She's Funny, and a Damn Good Writer To Boot.

2011-06-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

In the June 17 issue of Entertainment Weekly, actress/comedian Aisha Tyler chronicles a day in the life of a traveling stand-up.

It's a laugh-out-loud piece of writing.

To wit: "Stand-up is not galmourous. People are used to seeing celebrities on the red carpet, lip gloss poppin' like a backup dancer in a Gucci mane video. They are less accustomed to seeing celebrities in line at Starbucks with a murderous cowlick, or stumbling through the Detroit aieport with a four-alarm hangover, moaning like a zombie on the hunt for brains."

In her essay, Ms. Tyler also works in such underused words as braying and raw boned.

Buy a copy of the mag.

The Tao of Willie.

2011-06-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

Willie Nelson--cowboy, poet, outlaw--is also a philosopher as I discovered reading The Tao of Willie.

Says the singer/songwriter: There is no single definition of the Tao, but I like to think of it as finding a balance between resistance and surrender.

There are many sage nuggets in this small volume such as:

I believe the truth is found in your own heart. The trick is to shut up and listen. The trick is to believe.

There's too much and too little.

Still is still moving to me. http://mayamystic.wordpress.com/2011/04/19/tsalagi-tale-who-wins/

And my favorite:

Ninety-nine percent of the world's lovers are not with their first chocie. That's what makes the jukebox play.

Writing That Transcends the Blues. And Continents.

2011-06-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

I've recently moved to Arizona and have been gobbling up everything I can find on the Grand Canyon state.

While browsing at the Mustang Branch of the Scottsdale library system (shout-out for great architecture and a super-friendly staff), I ran across The Anthropology of Turquoise by Ellen Meloy. Meloy writes that "turquoise is the wealth of the nomad, portable and protective."

She says that if you "Poke a shish kebab skewer through a globe at the Colorado Plateau it will come out the other side on the Tibetan Plateau. More than all others, the cutlures of Tibet and the Native American Southwest have absorbed turquoise into their traditions, ceremonies and folklore."

I know this is true, for I saw women in Tibet--and men, too--with lengths of turquoise braided in their jet-black hair.

Tibet changed my life first. Now Arizona is changing it.

Nearly every page of this extraordinary essay collection slayed me with gorgeous prose like this: "Here I was in Texas, remembering that I was conceived but not interested in Texas and instead was once crazy to go to Egypt or Persia or the Arabian deserts to live on a caravan and how such dreams, as forlorn as they now seemed, were fed by light."

She also references the great female nomad Isabelle Eberhardt who roamed Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria--places I have also wandered and loved--and was labeled for her "radical individualism."

If you love the desert--any desert--buy this book.

http://www.ellenmeloy.com/turquoise.html

When Your Reach Exceeds Your Grasp.

2011-05-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

Newly minted country star Luke Bryan is appearing in print ads for Reach dental floss.

The strained copy tries to liken the proper guitar strings to the right floss. And Bryan as a spokesperosn for oral hygiene?

I'm not buying this awkward overreach.

Though I do love his song "Rain is a Good Thing."

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

The Zen of Living.

2011-05-03T01:47:00.000-07:00

According to my friend Marcie, all one needs to achieve the Zen of Living is: "A cat, a cup and a yoga mat!"

Word Power.

2011-04-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

Here are the latest words worth dropping for your weekend:

Smitten
Bejeweled
Ferocious
Careen
Rapturous
Incisive

Old Rules.

2011-04-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

Researchers has recently discovered ways that older minds hold their own against younger ones, according to an article int he May issue of O magazine.

Among the advantages:

* Your hemispheres--left and right--sync up
* Your reasoning and problem-solving skills get sharper
* You focus on the upside
* Your priorities become clearer
* You can see the big picture
* You become an instant expert--even in new situations

Take that, whippersnappers!

http://www.oprah.com/health/Aging-Brain-Facts-Do-You-Get-Smarter-as-You-Age

5 Easy Ways to Snap Out of a Bad Mood.

2011-04-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

1. Watch an episode of Saturday Night Live featuring Molly Shannon as Sally O'Malley or Bill Hader as Stefon

2. Blow bubbles

3. Eat a popsicle

4. Wear something orange or yellow

5. Have a glass of champagne

Happy weekend!

Of Sleeping Children and Glass Hearts.

2011-04-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

Did you know that when little kids get lost in the woods they do something really smart? They find a snug place, curl up and sleep.

Adults tend to keep moving, keep trying to find their own way out. Kids wait for the grown-ups to solve the problem.

I learned this and so much more from a slim, beautiful memoir called Here If You Need Me by Kate Braestrup. Braestrup is a chaplain for the Maine Warden Service, comforting people who have lost a loved one.

Nearly every page caught me with a startling truth: "Eventually, my heart--my fragile glass heart--would again be offered to the mortal hands of another man guaranteed to break it, one way or another, since that is the lunacy and loveliness of love."

Or an observation: "I can't think how many people I've had to tell about a death, how many people have that memory of me standing there, saying those words. It's really something, to be on the hinge of so many stories."

And especially this about moving past grief: "Then light your candles to the living. Say your prayers for the living. Give your flowers to the living. Leave the stones where they are, but take your heart with you. Your heart is not a stone."

http://www.amazon.com/Here-If-You-Need-Me/dp/B0030EG156/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303145448&sr=8-1

The (He)art of Storytelling.

2011-04-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

One of life's great joys is losing oneself in a great story. This is true whether you are 4 or 40 or 80.

That's why storytelling--in both oral and written forms--is common to every culture. It's the oldest form of entertainment, education, illumination and connection.

An article in the March/April edition of Psychology Today called "The Inside Story" explores the powerful link between effective stories and our brains.

As writers, if we can harness that power in authentic ways, we can move readers to action.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201103/the-inside-story

The Value of Editing.

2011-04-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

For the last week, I've been trying to watch the movie Burlesque.

I say trying because it's been so boring. I literally stopped the movie after 10 minutes or walked away for a half an hour while I did laundry or paid bills.

The characters a cliche, the performances are flat (or worse) and the dialogue is banal. But the leaden pacing really did me in.

Let's just say it's no Chicago.

So where was the editor?

Watching bad movies--or, rather, abandoning them--is no fun. But it's a reminder that regardless of the medium, snappy editing gives fizz to your content.

Without it, all that glitters isn't gold. More like fool's gold.

Weekend Words

2011-04-08T09:51:00.000-07:00

Sparkling conversation is a skill. A skill that can be learned. And once learned, must be practiced.

When you can talk with anyone, about anything with charm and verve, you'll be in demand as a companion.

Just for fun, why not drop these underused gems into conversation:

Countermand
Deluge
Raffish
Wily
Decamp
Baraonial
Feckless
Baleful

Dolts, Omelets and the Art of Knowing Oneself.

2011-04-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

When asked whether she would prefer mushrooms or aspargus in her omelet, 19-year old food writer M.F.K Fisher mumbled that she didn't care.

She got schooled by her Uncle Evans during her first-ever train ride.

Evans said she ought to care when offered a choice of any kind of food or drink, lest the "attentions of your host are basically wasted on you."

The exchange is included in the marvelously entertaining book Appetite for America: How Visionary Businessman Fred Harvey Built a Railroad Hospitality Empire that Civilized the Wild West by Stephen Fried.

Evans added that it may "someday teach you the about the art of seduction, as well as the more important art of knowing yourself."

Fisher got the message: "I either care or I'm a dolt, and dolts should not consort with caring people."

http://www.amazon.com/Appetite-America-Visionary-Businessman-Hospitality/dp/0553804375/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1301931246&sr=1-1

What a Poem Can Do.

2011-03-31T12:03:00.000-07:00

I published my first poem as a junior in college. It was a mature work: muscular in its language, with powerful imagery.  I am still proud of it.

That poem came to me in a rush.  I may have tinkered with the line breaks, but the words were perfect on arrival.

Just last week, another fine poem tumbled out of me in the early hours of the morning. Waking me from sleep, every line flowed with ease.

It was a gift.

Prose can be more difficult.  Fretting over every word, every comma. The endless negotiation between sentences. The tug of war between lyricism and pragmatism.

So when my creative batteries need recharging, I often turn to poets: David Whyte, Mary Oliver, Yeats, Dickinson, Rumi, Wendell Berry.

As writers we can became tangled in our thoughts, halting in our words. We often second-guess ourselves.

Poetry has the power to release us.

Impulses are Your Key to the Miraculous. (Welcome to Your Tribe)

2011-03-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

This video eloquently argues that the world's greatest visionaries are moody, addictive and rebellious.

People like Joan of Arc, Richard Branson, Albert Einstein, Amelia Earhart and Leonardo da Vinci are Wayseers.

Are you? Check out this You Tube Video, take the online quiz and take heart that you are changing the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPR3GlpQQJA&feature=youtube_gdata_player.

Hope's Poet.

2011-03-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

I regret not seeing 79-year old Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver when she came to Atlanta last month to speak.

In the April issue of O, Maria Shriver interviews her.

Oliver celebrates the natural world in her poetry, preferring optimism over the darkness of such confessional poets as Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton.

Call her a praise poet.

"I don't usually mess around with what makes me unhappy when I'm writng. I want to write poems that will comfort, maybe amuse, enliven other people. I don't mean that the world is all great and wonderful. But I'm careful to--I try to keep the emphasis on the good and the hopeful."

Start The Thing. Any Thing.

2011-03-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

I've seen this Goethe quote in numerous versions. I like its simple truth.

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back.

Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.

Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!”

Mythic Words.

2011-03-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Phil--who's a hell of a writer--recommended this book to me.

I recommend The Writers Journey by Christopher Vogler anyone who wants to explore the relationship between mythology and storytelling.

http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Journey-Mythic-Structure-3rd/dp/193290736X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300371909&sr=8-1

Teeth Barred, Lips Pursed.

2011-03-10T10:39:00.000-08:00

I've eaten a lot a mediocre meals and written a lot of restaurant reviews in my career but none as damning as "Tour de Gall" by A.A. Gill that skewers a French institution in the April issue of Vanity Fair.

The withering prose includes passages like the following:

"The cramped tables are set with labially pink cloths, which give it a colonic appeal and the awkward sense that you might be a suppository."

Snort.

Just be glad you didn't suffer the indignity of actually eating there.

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2011/04/lami-louis-201104

I Love This Promotion.

2011-03-08T16:11:00.000-08:00

From Asheville to Atlanta, with love, comes this great marketing campaign: http://www.exploreasheville.com/30days/index.aspx.

A Good Read.

2011-03-04T09:58:00.000-08:00

Interstate 69: The Unfinished History of the Last Great American Highway by Matt Dellinger has it all: heroes, villians, greed, passion, a decades-long struggle over asphalt that, if completed, will run from Michigan to Mexico.

The reprting is first-rate and the writing is unexpectedly colorful:

"I have seen, in the suburbs of Houston, crowded strip-mall parking lots where the unfortunate driver who takes the last spot in a row crowded with muscular pickup trucks and SUVS must shimmy out of her half-open door like Houdini."

Read this because it's about much more than a road: it's about the fortunes of the towns that line it.

http://www.amazon.com/Interstate-69-Unfinished-History-American/dp/1416542493/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1299261213&sr=8-3

Cool Words.

2011-02-27T01:07:00.000-08:00

Crafty
Sheepish
Mien
Brassy
Suss
Outlandish

Netflix for Books.

2011-02-22T15:56:00.000-08:00

Even though I'm a writer, I keep a check on the books I acquire.

I used to have shelves heaving with volumes; but over the years, I've pared down to favorites and frequented the library.

But, in an age of cutbacks, libraries can't keep the newest titles--or most obscure--titles on the shelves. And though it's tempting, I don't own a Kindle or iPad.

Enter Bookswim: bestsellers delivered to your door.

Check it out: http://www.bookswim.com/plans.html.

Cool Words.

2011-02-16T07:53:00.000-08:00

Caul
Lush
Conax
Saucy
Imprinteur

Setting the World Right.

2011-02-12T13:36:00.000-08:00

My longtime pal Annie introduced me to the Fibonnaci Sequence. My newer pal Gordon confirmed it as "math in motion."

It's kinda complicated. Google it.

But in short, it's about aesthetics.

Stuff that adheres to the FS please the eye. That includes many things in nature--spiraling shells, flower petals, pine cones--and in our man-made universe--the layout of a room, the design of a business card, a patterned sweater. Even tattoos.

Things that don't make us a bit squirrelly because they just don't "feel" right.

Then there's the Gruen Transfer. It refers to a psychological phenomenon of how a store's intentionally confusing layout causes us to...zone out. We forget what we came for and become impulse buyers.

Some of us, overwhelmed, simply bolt.

Interesting to discover both these concepts in the same week. Underpins the idea that we are all susceptible to cues and spatial arrangement.

If-Then Solution, Part 2.

2011-02-09T10:45:00.000-08:00

Got an interesting reply to the last post. Here it is:

I concur with you, Suzanne, that the Psychology Today article shed a clear light on a very effective "getting things done" method.

The author, Heidi Grant Halvorstan, is a research psychologist. She has a new book on findings related to goals, setting and attaining.

It is easy to miss the very subtle power of the if-then solution. David Allen, the Getting Things Done productivity guru, makes the same point in his critique of "to do lists," which are generally a accumulations of "amorphous blobs of undoability."

The if-then solution works if we break the "if" down into a specific situation or and exact time/date and we break the "then" down to a specific action.

Oh, but how reluctant we are to take these steps.

Dan Damerville
Professor, English
Communications and Humanities Division
Tallahassee Community College

Creative Mortification.

2011-02-01T09:53:00.000-08:00

In the February issue of O magazine Peggy Orenstein writes about unleashing creativity.

She was struck by the idea of creative mortification, a term "so evocative I will carry it with me to my grave."
I found myself nodding as she described moments when a burgeoning interest and a meaningful insight in music, sports or science were struck down with a too-harsh evaluation.

Such humbling evaluations result in shame, researchers say. Shame that often stops us cold from doing what we loved.

Step one to reclaim creativity? Jettison shame.

Read the story here: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/How-to-Unleash-Your-Creativity/1

Use Your Feeling Words.

2011-01-30T11:07:00.000-08:00

Words are good for shaping feelings, but words without feelings are like clothes with no body inside--cold and limp. (unknown)

The If-Then Solution.

2011-01-27T07:10:00.000-08:00

By now, so many New Year's resolutions are abandoned on the shore of our good intentions.

In the January/February issue of Psychology Today there is an article that suggests a useful technique when it comes to resisting temptations and building good habits.

Why? Because our brain understands contingencies: if X, then Y. The If-Then solution offers greater specificity. And, by extension, greater success.

Regardless of the goal, reserchers say that using If-Then planning boosts success by two to three times.

And get this: it requires less willpower than mere resolutions.

Consider, for example, the resolution to eat less and exercise more.

So, the eat less resolution becomes, When the dessert menu comes, I will refuse it and order coffee. The work out resolution becomes I will work out at the gym for an hour on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays before work.

I've been applying If-Then in my work of late. It's working.

Walk, Don't Run.

2011-01-21T13:37:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, I journeyed to Saigon on a travel writing assignment. I stayed at the luxurious Park Hyatt in the center of the city.   After sleeping off my jet lag, I set out on foot to explore.

The traffic in front of the hotel was dizzying: cars, pedicabs, bicycles, motorcycles, mopeds, trucks. And a few brave (crazy?) pedestrians.

I'm pretty fearless, but this looked daunting.

As I hesitated on the steps of the hotel, the doorman offered this sage advice: "It will be safe if you walk slowly. That way everyone will see you."

Counterintuitive, isn't it?

So much in our world encourages us to hurry up.   But when we act deliberatively and calmly, others see us. And we see others.

My heart pounding, I crossed that Saigon street. Not once, but dozens of times during my stay.  All without incident.

Not only did I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment, I learned something valuable that informs my relationships and my work.

Two Words That May or May Not Be Used Together in a Sentence.

2011-01-18T13:37:00.001-08:00

Indelible.
Cocksure.

The Clank of Narrative.

2011-01-14T10:03:00.000-08:00

In a review in Entertainment Weekly of director Mike Leigh's new (and critically acclaimed) movie, Another Year, writer Owen Gleiberman praises the movie as free of "the clank of narrative."

He's talking about a loose style of filmmaking, driven not so much by action as by observation.

But this applies to writing as well. If words clank, then they clearly don't work.

My advice is to loosen up. Listen to each word and determine if it dances on the page, on the tongue, in the ear.

The Battle Over Huck Finn.

2011-01-10T11:13:00.000-08:00

NewSouth Books has released a tidied-up version of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, sanitizing the classic by removing the “n” word.

The tweaking is an attempt to reinstate the oft-banned book, first published in 1885, back into curriculums. Incidentally, "injun" has also been replaced.

Writers are truth-tellers. The "n" word in this story is honest and appropriate. The censors, who have replaced the offensive "n" word with "slave" have completely destroyed the book's rhythm.

As a writer, I find the reworking of a book without the author's permission disrespectful.

More than a century later, race remains a hot button issue in America. But instead of evading it, wouldn't we honor Twain--and readers--with an honest discourse?

Check out Harvard University professor Randall Kennedy's book for a contemporary take on this controversial slur: http://www.amazon.com/Nigger-Strange-Career-Troublesome-Word/dp/0375713719/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1294686639&sr=8-2.

Splendid Beginnings.

2011-01-05T16:35:00.000-08:00

Great opening lines are known among writers as "grabbers."

Beause a reader, once hooked, hungers for more words.

I was reminded of this as I read the opener of the book Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century: "I am forever punished by the gods for being given the fire and trying to put it out. The fire, of course, is you."

Tell me you wouldn't want to read more.

I did.

New Words for the New Year.

2011-01-04T04:09:00.000-08:00

After the sluggishness of December, January sure comes off the block in a hurry!

Here are a crop of cool new words to consider using this year to enliven your writing:

Discomfitted
Blistering
Goad
Lassitude
Plangent
Breezy
Ensnare
Sumptuous

Happy! New! Year!

The Book Chelsea Wish She Wrote.

2010-12-28T06:17:00.000-08:00

Chelsea Handler has been a permanent fixture on the New York Times best seller list with her humorous essay collections.

Trouble is, they are just aren't that funny.

Samantha Bee, correspondent for The Daily Show, has written a truly funny book called i know i am, but what are you?

I could quote her all day, but here are a few examples of excellence in the category of humorous non-fiction, which may be the toughest genre to write:

"One day, I walked into class, and all these formerly fresh-scrubbed girls were wearing shimmery pink lip glosses in various shades of whore."   (from Man-Witch)

"Most of the time I'm simply sporting mom jeans and a scowl, trying my best to get from one place to another without encoutering any brazen genitalia along the way." (Penis Envy)

"If I could, I would spend all of my remaining days taste-testing chocolates, while a team of six-year-old girls gently brushed my hair." (from Sailor Moon)

Bee is the funnier blonde, no doubt.

Choose Joy.

2010-12-21T18:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!

Writing (Un) Self-Consciously.

2010-12-16T16:11:00.000-08:00

Today I was sitting in a doctor's office, skimming an old magazine (is there any other kind?!) The cover story was a celebrity profile (is there any other kind?!)

I was about a half a page in when a reference was made to "Clark's nucleus."

This stopped me cold. And not in the good kind of "Let me Google that way."

The phrase took me out of the flow of what was otherwise decent prose. It made me think the writer was a smarty pants trying to show off.

As readers, all of us like a well-turned phrase. Some of us even like to be occasionally challenged, scurrying for a dictionary.

As writers we must stay out of the way of words. We must not interrupt them with our own ponderous self-awareness. That's a disservice to the reader.

So when in doubt, use an authentic voice. Your readers will thank you.

The Time Before Texts.

2010-12-12T11:02:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time--before email and texting--I received letters. Love letters, letters from my mother, letters from friends.

And it must be said: an e-card doesn't replace the real thing.

I recently wrote a 20-page letter to my newly discovered half-brother. At some point it became a stream of consciousness. I lost myself in the joy of communicating.

Revive this endangered art. Make someone's day. National Letter Writing Week begins on January 9th so you've got plenty of time to practice. And to buy some pretty stationary.

The 5 Percent Area.

2010-12-09T08:06:00.000-08:00

Ninety-two year old magnate Sidney Harman is interviewed in the January issue of Vanity Fair.

Seems people think he is nuts to have bought Newsweek. The publishing industry just isn't the money printing business it used to be.

Here's what Harman says: "I see Newsweek as a serious undertaking with a decent shot. Let me tell you something. I've made a living working in the 5 percent area."

What's your 5 percent?

Nurturing Creativity.

2010-12-07T17:06:00.000-08:00

I am working on an especially challenging assignment right now. It is challenging and draining in equal parts.

Add the hectic holiday season to the mix and my creativity--the very thing I am paid for--suffers.

Besides the occasional glass of wine to cope--okay, a stiff gin and tonic (or two)--it helps to hear how other creative types cope. And how they reignite the flame.

I love what author Elizabeth Gilbert says in her TED lecture on creativity and clarity about having a "divine cock-eyed genius assigned to your case."

She should know. She had to top her massive international bestseller Eat Love Pray.

I believe my "genius" wears red shoes. And drinks G&Ts.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

Food For Thought.

2010-11-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I have written food reviews for more than a decade.

Newsweek has an interesting cover story this week called "Our Dinner Divide" on how our "food obsession is driving Americans apart."

It's really about the growing class divide, who's "food insecure" and who has access to nutritious food.

Check it out at: http://www.newsweek.com/2010/11/22/what-food-says-about-class-in-america.html

Way to Recast Grandma's Jewels.

2010-11-23T07:20:00.000-08:00

Rose gold used to be the futsy (and undervalued) tone your grandma wore.

But in a clever new campaign in collaboration with Macy's, Le Vian is marketing chocolate diamonds with "strawberry gold."

Taking something old-timey and turning it into a trend from Hollywood to the local mall?

Marketing gold.

Not Bored (Yet).

2010-11-19T07:23:00.000-08:00

On HBO's first season of Bored To Death, Ted Danson's weathly, pot-smoking character drops such bon mots as "martinis heal all wounds" and dubs a dull party as "death by a thousand conversations."

His dry, sardonic delivery and that silver mane: comedic genius.

And a reminder of how to improve on a good line.

Rescuing Obscure Words.

2010-11-16T08:05:00.000-08:00

Did you catch this report on NPR a week ago about what you can do, as a word lover, to rescue arcane words from being forver lost?

The website, http://www.savethewords.org/, was created by an ad man.

Listen to the story at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131194735.

Don't Give Your Dog a Dumb Name. (A Cautionary Tail/Tale).

2010-11-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

While walking in the park yesterday, I heard a man shouting for "Trouser" while chasing after an unleashed pooch.

Wouldn't you run?

Naming--whether a car, a prescription medicine, a lipstick or a restaurant--is critically important to how the product is percevied in the market. The right name can mean the difference between failure and success.

As a writer, I am often asked to help name a product or service. More often, I am asked to ignore a bad name. Unlike Trouser, I can't actually run away.

Incidentally, Carlos is a good name for a dog.

I'm Lovin' It. (McDonalds, 2003-Present.)

2010-11-12T06:32:00.000-08:00

Admittedly, McDonalds has had better taglines over the years; You Deserve a Break Today comes to mind.

Sometimes clients ask me to write (or just tweak) their taglines. Problem often is, they aren't willing to go quite far enough to yield something that connects with consumers.

Just saw this tagline for The Cosmpolitan, an upscale hotel in Las Vegas: Just the Right Amount of Wrong.

Cheeky. Effective. Memorable.

Bingo!

Big Three.

2010-11-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

In the past week, I've heard or read these three $10 words and wanted to share them with you:

* Maw: informal for mouth
* Brio: the quality of being spirited, vigorous
* Self-Abnegation: renunciation of your own intersts in favor of others' interests

Copywrapper.

2010-11-01T16:05:00.000-07:00

Grabbed lunch today at Chipotle Mexican Grill (carnitas burrito) and was surpised--and impressed!--to see that they are touting the benefits of their "Food With Integrity" (i.e., the role of farmers and responsibly sourced ingredients) on the brown wrappers that line the plastic baskets and the to-go brown bags.

Talk about maximzing your message on available space!

How To Restore the American Dream.

2010-10-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

While at the airport this week, this cover story for Time caught my eye.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2026776,00.html.

Editor Fareed Zakaria discusses how the twin threats of technology and globalization are squeezing the middle class--and what to do about it.

Waiting for Superman.

2010-10-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

That's the title of a sobering new documentary indicting the deplorable state of our public schools.

I was especially struck by Oscar-winning filmmaker Davis Guggenheim's assertion that it's "bad" schools that make for "bad neighborhoods"--not the other way around.

You'll be shocked and outraged to see "bad" teachers sleeping in "detention hall." While collecting full salary.

See the film, talk about it. And ACT. We all have a vested interest in educational excellence.
http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/action/?gclid=CKH-tdGl7qQCFQm87QodRiMB1Q

Our Funny Planet.

2010-10-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

Jon Stewart's new book, Earth (The Book), a Visitor's Guide to the Human Race, is expectedly hysterical.

To wit: bamboo is the world's fastest-gowing plant, surging skyward at up to 30 inches an hour--40 inches, if you're willing to rub the shaft.

I won't tell you here, but flip to page 42 to learn what a "sin pebble cozy" is.

Finally, someone has recognized gaydar for the rare sense it really is.

I'm laughing aloud on almost every page.

http://www.amazon.com/Daily-Show-Stewart-Presents-Earth/dp/044657922X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1287590158&sr=1-1

Underused Words. Weekend Edition.

2010-10-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

Supine (thanks, Erin!) and Salient are my Saturday and Sunday underused words.

Enjoy the sight of autumn leaves swirling and crunching.

Is Sexuality Taboo for Female Policitians?

2010-10-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

Twenty-eight year old Krystal Ball (dumb name, smart woman) is a Democrat congressional candidate in Virginia. If elected, she will be the youngest member of Congress in history.

Of course, she has a sex life. Of course, she's taken racy photos. Naturally, they've surfaced online.

Did I mention that's she's 28?

Why is any of this surprising? Worse still, why is any of this relevant to her qualifications (or lack of) for public office?

Disappointingly, the double standard for women is alive and well.

What's refreshing is that the younger "Facebook" generation is challenging the tired Madonna/Whore complex.

Ball wrote a long (too long, actually; I wish it were better edited) treatise about the campaign to discredit her--and why she's staying the course. Read it on her website, http://www.krystalballforcongress.com/.

Hers appears to be a single lapse of judgement in a private setting. Politicians of the future--both men and women--will likely share her youthful history of hijinks.

Too many of us are voyeurs, hypocrites wagging fingers. Too many of us stand silent. Too many of us are unwilling to expose our often foolish actions to scrutiny.

Regardless of your politics, applaud Ball for having the--well, the balls--to fight this sexism. She could be your daughter, niece, cousin, friend.

I say hooray for her sexuality. It's not incompatible with intelligence.

Apple-licious.

2010-10-10T23:02:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I--and everyone else from Atlanta, apparently--headed to the North Georgia mountains for the Ellijay Apple Festival. The traffic was heavy, but my heart was light.

Actually, I wasn't headed for the festival, but rather for Mercier Orchards, about an hour and a half north of Atlanta in Blue Ridge.

Trust me, it's worth the ride.

The place was pleasantly abuzz with tractor rides to the fields for U-Pick apples. Inside, I made a beeline for the apple cider, apple cider donuts and pimento cheese (with the surprise of corn and pimento peppers).

I can also report they've added refrigerated gourmet products including cave-aged feta chese, tasso ham and French sea salted butter. Perfect fall picnic fare.

They are open 7 days a week. Log onto: http://www.mercier-orchards.com/.

The Power of the Unexpected. Or Why I Want to See Katherine Heigl as a Hooker.

2010-10-07T20:33:00.000-07:00

Actrss Katherine Heigl's new movie, Life As We Know It, opens tomorrow. The advertsing budget must be enormous, as it seems every other ad is for this apparent twaddle.

Snore. Wake me when it's on DVD--not.

Why pick on the lovely Ms. Heigl?

Because she is predictable and boring. So, naturally her commericals are, too.

Even before the inevitable publicity deluge, I know what movie she will make (derivative rom-com), what role she will play (sunny but brittle singleton), who her co-star (interchangeably bland but handsome) will be.

She needs to bust an unexpected move. Fast.

Maybe play a blue collar mother fighting a good cause in a gritty drama (a la Charlize Theron) or make a self-deprecating guest appearance on a popular prime time sitcom (a la Amy Ryan).

Then, I might just tune in or shell out.

The unexpected is what keeps us hooked, in life and in movies. And in marketing, too.

Charisma = Success.

2010-10-04T16:50:00.000-07:00

It's that something special that magnetizes people.

You know it when you meet someone who's charismatic. Their charm is infectious--think Bill Clinton or Oprah--and mightily contributes to their success.

According to Ronald Riggio, PhD, professor of leadership and organizational psychology at Claremont McKenna College, charisma has three main ingredients: expressiveness, emotional control and emotional sensitivity.

The latter--the ability to pick up on other’s people’s emotions--is key to forging both personal and professional connections.

If you already possess charisma, congratulations. If you want to hone yours, check out Riggio's book, The Charisma Quotient: What It Is, How to Get It, How to Use It: http://www.amazon.com/Charisma-Quotient-What-How-Get/dp/0396089631/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266244419&sr=8-13.

Underused Words.

2010-09-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

Today's candidates include:

Spellbinding
Mouldering
Distraught
Cock-eyed

Go forth and use these under-spoken gems!

Two Three Word Movie Reviews.

2010-09-26T17:35:00.001-07:00

The Town: Bloody Boston Valentine.

Winter's Bone: Kickass Hillbilly Heroine.

Tooting My Horn.

2010-09-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled to pen a cover story on Charleston, South Carolina (pg. 52) in the October issue of National Geographic Traveler. It's one of my favorite cities.

I've added the PDF to my travel website, http://www.wanderwomanonline.com/.

Check it out! The issue is on newsstands now.

Appetite Suppresant?

2010-09-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

It may kill your appetite, but Diet for a Hot Planet is fascinating reading:
http://www.amazon.com/Diet-Hot-Planet-Climate-Crisis/dp/1596916591.

Rockin' at The Boulders.

2010-09-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

Just back from four days at The Boulders, an iconic resort hideaway north of Phoenix in the Sonoran desert.

The landscape is singularly stunning: think Flintstones gone glam in private casitas hugging the rock piles with giant saguaro cactus reaching for the cornflower blue sky. Saw a rattlesnake, cottontail rabbits, quail, lizards and piglike javelinas.

Fred & Wilma would be jealous: the food, the drinks, the spa! Oh, and the hot air ballooning, Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West, The Heard Museum North, shopping, hot air ballooning.

There's a reason the town is called Carefree: http://www.theboulders.com/.

A Great Question for our Times.

2010-09-13T07:31:00.000-07:00

Katie Byron, author of A Thousand Names for Joy, asks, Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?

Is America Angry?

2010-09-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

There's a man I've known for a long time, a man who people say looks bad.

Folks are right: he does look bad. Anger has settled in his face. He looks calcified.

When I read Graydon Carter's column in the October issue of Vanity Fair it struck me how angry many of us are.

http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2010/10/graydon-201010

Things are tough, true. But anger is toxic. And deeply unattractive.

Aaaah, the Smell....

2010-09-04T13:26:00.000-07:00

...of green chiles roasting.

Just back from ABQ, New Mexico. My pal Phil took me to Corrales, a quaint rural community just minutes from the city, for the real deal.

Then dinner at Indigo Crow Cafe, http://www.indigocrowcafe.com,/ for a phenomenal meal including charlbroiled quail in a mint balsamic sauce, oven roasted duck breast with a cherry zinfandel sauce and New York strip with gorgonzola green chile sauce.

Land of Enchantment, indeed....

Memory loves to go hunting in the dark.

2010-08-24T15:57:00.000-07:00

"I am interested in knowing the secrets that connect human beings," writes David Shields in Reality Hunger, A Manifesto. "At the very deepest level, all our secrets are the same."

Shields maintains that all the best stories are true. But how we tell them is changing. He packs a lot of contemporary wisdom into his pint-sized essays.

"We all need to begin figuring out how to tell as story for the cell phone. One thing I know: it’s not the same as telling a story for a full-length DVD."