Category: Writing

original works by Debra VanDeventer

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Notes from the (Writer’s) Forum

the author sitting on a tiled staircase before the writers forum begins

When writers gather…

the author sitting on a tiled staircase before the writers forum begins

Forum:

A physical or virtual meeting space, platform, or medium designed for open discussion, debate, and the exchange of ideas on specific topics. (Originating from Roman public squares)

The Meeting Space…

Tubac, a town in southern Arizona (once the capital of the Arizona Territory) greets visitors with a sign: Tubac: Where Art and History Meet.” A few months ago, the director for the Tubac Center for the Arts invited me to join a panel of four local authors to discuss the topic “From Idea to Page.” I was honored to be included in this event and excited to have the opportunity to showcase the art of writing.

The Center is located in a beautiful, historic building that serves as the hub of the thriving Tubac artist colony. With over 3,500 sq feet, the center acts as a venue for artistic expression and includes a gallery, performance stage, art library, and gift shop. It is well worth a visit!

When I arrived the director escorted me to the library, a cozy room with bookshelves and comfy leather chairs. The room was set up for our panel discussion with a long wooden table in the front of the room for the authors, a couple dozen folding chairs , and snacks for the audience. Each featured author displayed a few of their books in the back of the room.

Let the Forum Begin…

I put on my Italian, lemon-themed apron (former kindergarten teacher here…I love a good theme) and took my seat at the author’s table. I took a few moments to silently rehearse the section of my book “Until Italy” that I’d be reading from to calm my nerves, I’m always nervous at the start of an event . My good friend and fellow author David Davis was seated next to me. We joked that maybe our spouses would be the only ones in the audience, but by the start time most of the chairs were filled and we had an enthusiastic audience (At least they were smiling, that’s always a good sign.)

After introductions, each author told a little about their author’s journey, then read a passage from their book. I was last to speak. When my turn arrived, I took a breath and with my best teacher voice (hamming it up on the humorous parts) I read a section from the chapter “How to Drink Limoncello.”

An Exchange of Ideas

A lively Q and A session followed the readings. Many in the audience were writers or aspiring writers curious about the panel’s writing and publishing experiences. Two women smiled and nodded in agreement when I mentioned that Julia Cameron’s Book “The Artist’s way had influenced me to write a book and become a self-published author.

One man wanted to know how to get someone publish his books. Each of the four featured authors shared their thoughts on traditional publishing, hybrid publishing, vanity presses, and self-publishing. Here is what I said:

“Of course we all want to get a big publishing contract and make lots of money,” I laughed. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get a rush when I sell a book. But I think that if that is your only goal for writing, you are going to be disappointed. I write because I have a story to tell and I publish my books or blog or magazine articles because I want my stories to reach others.”

At the end of the session we mingled with the audience and answered a few more questions. I was at the snack table helping myself to a bottle of water, when a woman approached with both of my books in her hand. She’d liked my presentation and thought she would enjoy my stories. She was a fellow artist , a painter, whose work was displayed in the Center’s gallery.

Did I get rich that day? Maybe not in the usual sense. But I have stories to tell. And someone was excited to read them.

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Threads of Thought

What creative endeavors do you peruse?

What motivates you to be creative?

Find you next read here!

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Tools of the Trades

Cook, Sew, Write

A sewing serger, writing journal, measuring cups, a cup of pens and pencils, sewing scissors

“The best investment is in the tools of one’s own trade.” -Benjamin Franklin

An Affair with Cookware

A few years ago, I published a humorous story about my husband’s infatuation with top-of-the-line cookware. Ed ,the household chef, spent months browsing online sites and gourmet shops in search for the perfect saute pan. In the end, he found what he was looking for.

My story ends with these words: “She’s a beauty–a sleek exterior with a professional ceramic nonstick, diamond sear coating and a glass lid. The newest addition to our cookware collection now has a place of honor on its designated shelf in the cupboard and I’ll have to say, despite being high maintenance, she outperforms the other cookware in our kitchen. She and my husband make an impressive pair, creating lovely dishes for company or everyday dinners for us.”

New Girl in the Sewing Studio

My husband is right, the correct tools make all the difference. I recently had an opportunity to acquire a new tool for my sewing studio. A friend of a friend wasn’t using her serger ( a specialized machine that finishes the seam edges as you sew), so I offered to give it a new home.

I’d been wanting a serger, the price was right, and it will add a professional touch to my hand-made clothing and craft projects. There will be a learning curve. She has four spools, two needles and and extensive instruction manual, but welcome Vivian! ( Yes, I name all my sewing machines 🙂

For the Love of Writing

So now for my other passion: writing. What are the tools needed for that endeavor? Of course there are the physical tools : pens, pencils, notebooks, journals, computer or typewriter. Each writer will have her or his own preferences here. But there are less tangible tools to include as well.

Stephen King (On Writing) say that every writer’s toolbox should have: vocabulary (voice), a fundamental knowledge of grammar, personal style, and commitment to the work.

Digging deeper Elizabeth Gilbert (Big Magic) says writers need COURAGE (“living a life that is driven more strongly by curiosity than by fear”) ENCHANTMENT (being ready and open when new ideas strike) PERMISSION (define yourself as a writer) PERSISTENCE (hold yourself together through all the phases of your writing journey) TRUST(trust yourself, your process, your work)

So there you have it! Here’s wishing you a gloriously abundant toolbox for your creative life!

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Threads of Thought

What is your creative outlet? What tool (or tools) help you achieve your best work?

Out of the Crayon Box and Until Italy Books

A book is a gift you can open over and over again. Gift yourself or a friend this season. Available now in paperback, eBook, or Kindle Unlimited.

You can get your copies here!

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Reframing the Revision Process

Or: Finding joy in revising

A typewriter with the words "The End" But, is it really? and a pair of cartoon eyes

We’ve all seen it at the movies or in a Hallmark drama. The dramatic conclusion where the struggling writer finally ties up all the loose ends and completes their story. The music swells and, with fingers flying, the actor clacks out those fateful words on the typewriter (it’s always a typewriter)THE END. Whew. Cheer. Roll the credits.

It happened to me last week! Too bad the cameras weren’t rolling, though I was on my computer and couldn’t yank a paper out and wave it in the air like they do in the movies. And, truth be told, I didn’t really type THE END, but I completed the last chapter of my third book! Ta Da! (picture me doing a little dance) Now if only I could put a link at the bottom of this post (along with its sister titles CRAYON BOX and UNTIL ITALY) and send my story out into the world along with its sister titles CRAYON BOX and UNTIL ITALY.

But no. What the movies don’t show is that the writer probably just completed what Anne Lamott calls the “shitty first draft.” I don’t especially like that term, perferring rough, unpolished, first draft, but you get the idea. A year in the making and that’s what I currently have. Now what?

Revision

This used to be my least favorite part of the writing process. When I first began to write, I preferred the start, getting the ideas down on paper, and watching the story unfold, then I wanted to be done. But some famous authors have helped me change my attitude towards revision.

Maggie Smith (poet and author of Dear Writer) reminds us that the word revision literally means “to see again” and it’s her favorite part of the writing process. Once the first draft is done, it’s her chance to look at it with fresh eyes, get at all the essential parts of the piece, maybe even take it in an entirely different direction. Whoa! That has already happened. My story is taking me places I hadn’t expected.

Stephen King (On Writing) explains that when you write your first draft, you are telling yourself the story. When you revise (or look again) your job is to take out all the things that are not the story. A little scary, Stephen. What if there’s nothing left? But I get it. I’m going to trust that my story won’t vanish into thin air and that what is left will be its true spirit.

Thinking of writers as artists, Rick Rubin (The Creative Act) refers to revision as curating your work. As curator, you decide what is included , what is not, and how it is all displayed in the final presentation. A curated work. I love this vision.

And a good friend recently told me “The hard part is done, now you get to play with it.” Perfect! What I once viewed as work can actually be my author’s playground!

So now, to step back, see my work with fresh eyes, take out all the things that are not the story, and curate the rest so my words comes to life just the way I want them to. And play.

Oh, this is going to be fun!

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Threads of Thought

Sometimes authors set a completion goal and announce book releases. I’m not ready for that yet. Be patient with me. I plan to take all the time I need. Thanks to all my readers for hanging in there with me.

Out of the Crayon Box and Until Italy Books

And here’s to the completed stories! If you haven’t had a chance to catch these yet, now’s a good time! Each one sets the stage for what’s to come!

Visit my author’s page here.

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Once Upon a Typewriter

typewriter against a floral wallpaper background

My favorite local bookshop, Stacks in Oro Valley, has a vintage typewriter in a cozy nook. Sometimes people leave a message on it. I wonder who it originally belonged to? What words, reports, stories did it bring to life?

Then…

I’m old enough to remember taking a mandatory typing class in high school. Rows of desks lined up edge to edge facing the front of the room where Mrs. Brown held court. We memorized “home row”–that strip of keys (A to : ) where fingers hovered , eventually learning how to navigate the expanded array of letters and symbols without looking at the keyboard.

“Repetition is the key to success” was our mantra. We trained our eyes on our workbooks and typed ” The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog.” over and over to practice all the letters of the alphabet. Day after day, the fox jumped and the dog remained lazy as a room full of adolescent fingers danced to the rhythm of clacks and dings.

I typed my college papers on a Smith-Corona, a graduation gift from my parents. Oh, the nightmare of having to use the ‘correction tape’ or that bottle of White Out with its tiny paintbrush when I made mistakes. Then there was the impossible task of trying to guess and leave enough space at the bottom of each page for the required footnotes.

Of course, it didn’t help that I had waited until the last minute and was usually typing into the wee morning hours. I filled trash cans with botched and blobbed pages.

Famous Typewriters

I can’t imagine writing a book on a typewriter, though some authors prefer it. Something about the satisfying clacking sounds and the carriage return “ding”. Reportedly Douglas Adams wrote The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy on a Hermes Standard 8, Danielle Steele uses a 1946 Olympia Manual, and J K Rowling, lacking access to a computer in the beginning, crafted the first book of the Harry Potter series on a vintage Olympia.

Actor/author Tom Hanks collects typewriters. In his collection of short stories Uncommon Type, a typewriter appears in each of the tales.

a picture of a laptop showing a picture of the author
A laptop named Dash

And now….

Though I complained about it, I’m glad I had the keyboarding experience in high school. It made the transition to computers much easier for me. No more White Out. With the click of a button I can delete letters, words, even whole sections of work. I can save, file, print, and send copies to my critique group, editor, and formatter. My computer files are a mess, but my trash can is empty.

Interestingly enough, the keyboard on my cellphone is a miniature version of the typewriter keyboard I learned on. Now I’m texting, answering emails, and composing facebook and instagram posts on my phone. Of course, I can’t fit all ten fingers on my tiny device. I used to do the ‘index-finger pecking’ technique. These days I’ve (almost) mastered thumb-typing, but I’m still a bit clumsy. Please excuse any typooos or autocorrrrrects you may receive from me.

I’ll close with this words, forever embedded in my memory. I imagine the clacks as my fingers fly over silent computer keys.

The quick brown fox jumped over a lazy dog.

Try it someday. (the typing, not the dog jumping)

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Threads of Thought

Your turn! Share your typewriter tales in the comments!

author holding two books, Until Italy and Out of the Crayon Box

Lots of words were typed into these titles!: OUT OF THE CRAYON BOX and UNTIL ITALY are available here!

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What is Your Creative DNA?

a three picture collage of creative outlets, writing, sewing, crafting

Creative DNA

I first came across this term in Twyla Tharp’s book “The creative Habit”. She says each of us has a creative DNA–our creative hardwiring, the way we see the world and express ourselves. She imagines that we have strands of creative code that govern our creative impulses. Tharp goes on to say that though she can’t scientifically prove it, you might sense this when you try to understand, why you’re a photographer, or a writer, or a dancer, or a singer or…any combination of these. Why you are drawn to express yourself in some ways, but not others.

And even in a specific creative field, one can narrow it down. For example: a writer might prefer a particular genre…poetry let’s say. Then within that genre does the poet compose beautiful nature poems with flowing stanzas, or deep introspective pieces using sharp, crisp language?

Your Creative DNA makes you unique

For me, this is the key. Just as our genetic make up makes us unique individuals, our creative “dna”, how we view the world and express ourselves, makes us uniquely creative.

In describing my creative DNA, I would say that I see life through a positive lense, finding moments and turning them into words, stories, and images that others can relate to. I express myself through a blend of writing, sewing, and photography, with a few threads of music and art tossed in.

No one else has my exact creative code so whatever I create–a book, a story, a garment, a photograph–it will be unique. And here’s the exciting part: whatever you create with your unique mix of creativity is unique as well! With this in mind, we can celebrate each other without envy. We should no longer say “I want to write like you, or cook like you, or sew like you, or sing like you, or….”

You be you. I’ll be me. And together we will fill the world with amazing, glorious things!

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Threads of Thought

Describe your creative DNA. What types of creative expression are your drawn to? What is something you would like to try?

I recently had a chance to meet authors and readers at a book event in the presence of an entire bookstore of creativity!

You can find my titles here!

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