Category: Writing

original works by Debra VanDeventer

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The Writing Studio

A Look Behind the Scenes

my studio in its current state

After retiring from teaching 6 years ago, I decided I wanted a space to write and sew. Not a room, but a studio…as in “a place where an artist works.” You can see my original post with a detailed description of my space here. Why was creating a space important to me?

In a recent read from Natalie Goldberg’s book Writing Down the Bones, I came across this thought:

“Creating a Writing space is an indication of your increased commitment.”

I’ll admit, that there are days I don’t feel like an artist. Words don’t come or sewing projects require more seam ripping than seam sewing. But having a dedicated space motivates me to continue. Goldberg goes on to say:

“A little apparent disorder is an indication of the fertility of the mind and someone who is actively creating.”

Whew! Oh good, because I usually work in “a little apparent disorder.” According to Goldberg, my clutter is fertilizer for my creative process…apparently. Let’s take a closer look at my “compost.”

a reading corner in my writing studio studio

My favorite reading spot, journal open, shoes kicked off.

end table in my writing studio

The end table…fertile ground? Hmmm…photo of grandchildren, cup of day old tea, cell phone stand , assorted pens and highlighters, dental floss (pitched from my purse after a recent trip to the dentist), random bead, seam ripper and thread, Kleenex, fabric book mark I made years ago (but it’s too thick and I don’t like it as a bookmark… I don’t really know why it’s still on the table….)

the desk in my writing studio

My desk. Ergonomically lifted laptop open to current WIP, today’s cup of tea, assorted office supplies, post it notes, a note card containing haiku submissions, my hiking journal, Rick Rubin’s book, The Creative Act, sharpened #2 pencil (teacher habit).

All this is well and good, but it the end Goldberg says:

“Finally, there is no perfection. If you want to write you have to cut through and write. There is no perfect atmosphere, room, notebook, pen or desk. Train yourself to be flexible.”

So there you have it. If you want to write, cut through and write from your studio, kitchen table, on a notepad while waiting for an appointment… Simple enough. Let’s go! Just imagine what we can create!

two books against the backdrop of a sewing machine

You can find the recent works from my studio here!

Threads of thought icon

Threads of thought: Tell me something about your “studio.” Do you have a special place that you like to read? Write? Create?

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The Mouse of Doubt

Changing your inner dialog

a tote bag for Debra VanDeventer Author with a mouse
My new tote bag with logo. (mouse added for effect)

Several weeks ago, I designed a logo for myself. Taking advantage of a Shutterfly special offer, I transferred the image to a mug, a notepad and a tote bag. On the morning of my writer’s forum meeting, I packed my new tote with a few copies of my books, a notebook, assorted pens and pencils and my critique folder. “This will be great!” I thought.

I couldn’t do it. I unpacked my bag and stuffed my gear in my old generic tote bag. Sigh.

In my former life, I never hesitated to say “I’m a teacher.” In fact, I was proud to announce this on several tote bags and mugs, many of them gifts from students or colleagues. But now, even though I’ve published two books, have written articles for magazines, and author a bimonthly blog, I often find it difficult to say “I’m a writer” or “I’m an author.”

Self doubt, imposter syndrome. Common, I think for writers and other creatives. Yet negative thoughts can cause one to stall, want to quit, question…”Why am I doing this?!” What to do?

The Mouse of Doubt

Natalie Goldberg, in her book Writing Down the Bones calls this feeling ‘the mouse of doubt’, and offers this advice: “Avoid getting caught by that small gnawing mouse of doubt. There is nothing helpful there. Instead, have a tenderness and determination toward your writing, a sense of humor, and a deep patience that you are doing the right thing.”

Anne Lamott has a more graphic mouse analogy. In Bird by Bird, she says to picture those nagging inner voices as mice. Pick them up by their tails, drop them into a mason jar, put the lid on tight, and “watch them lunge at the glass trying to get to you.” Then, go on with your writing.

Mice in a mason jar lunging at you. Try putting that image on a mug or tote bag, but hey, it just might work.

So take that, oh Mouse of Doubt! I’m a writer. I’m an author. I am a blogger. And you can’t stop me!

an author's mouse of doubt in a jar on a tote bag

Click here to get your copy of Out of the Crayon Box or Until Italy! (mouse not included) Disclaimer: No mice were harmed in writing this post. The mice portraying The Mouse of Doubt in my photos are Canva images that I superimposed on my original photos. (Creepy, but so fun!. If you haven’t played around with Canva yet, you should!)

Threads of thought icon

Threads of Thought

Your turn….How do you overcome self doubt? What would you say to others experiencing this?

And keep Goldberg’s words in mind, “have a tenderness and determination toward your writing, a sense of humor, and a deep patience that you are doing the right thing.”

Now go out there, make yourself a logo and slap it on a tote bag!

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Making Peace With eBooks

an ebook and a papeback book with question marks

There is a great debate among readers. You know what I’m talking about: eBooks or traditional books. Books you load onto a device to read electronically or books printed on paper.

I’ll admit to being in the later class of readers. I fell in love with books as a child browsing through the shelves of the bookmobile that drove through our neighborhood when I was a child. As a Kindergarten teacher, I found the magical power that a great picture book held over a class of wiggly five-year olds, even mastering the art of holding the book towards the class so they could take in the pictures as I read. And there is nothing, nothing in this world that compared to the feeling of having my children, then my grandchildren, snuggle in my lap with a favorite book.

I love browsing through a bookstore or library, choosing a book, and taking it home with me waiting for that moment when I can sink into a cozy chair and turn the first page. Favorites line the bookshelves in my studio, many dogeared and highlighted.

When I published my books, I formatted each into ebook as well as paperback formats,. More and more of my readers are choosing ebooks, but I told myself I would never ever want to read electronically,

But then….on a recent vacation, I packed two library books. After reading through them quickly, I was stuck with nothing to read. Besides that, when I returned home, I couldn’t find one of the books. Weeks went by, then months. My library is a friendly, no-fee library, but the reminders they sent became increasingly desperate. I was nearly ready to admit I’d lost the book and pay for it, when it turned up in an obscure pocket in my suitcase.

That’s when I decided to try, just try reading on line. I practiced with an older tablet a friend lent me. Not too bad. I decided to commit and purchased a Kindle.

It’s not the same as reading paper books. My Kindle is not cuddly, You don’t turn the page, you tap it. All cover at and illustrations are reduced to shades of gray. It’s kind of creepy how it knows my name and tracks my reading. Although it holds a charge for a long, long time, you still need to “feed” it occasionally and wipe it’s face clean with special cloth.

But then again…I don’t HATE my Kindle. It is concerned about my eyesight, offering a choice of soft background lighting and font size. It’s small enough to slip into a tote bag or purse or carry on, and best of all, I have a library at my fingertips wherever I go.

I still prefer “real books”, but I’ve made peace ebooks. I realize the debate doesn’t have to be either/or. I can have both. My paperbacks for home, my ebooks for travel. Best of both worlds.

I’ll be putting the Kindle to a real test soon as I go on an extended trip and I’ll let you know how it goes. I just need to remember not to lose it in that hidden pocket in my suitcase, though I suspect if I do it will send me threatening emails. It knows where I live.

The author holds her ebook
Threads of thought icon

Threads of Thought

Your turn: Ebooks or paperbacks? Weigh in!

And oh, by the way, you can get both of my books in either format here!

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Legacy

A Six-Sentence Story

moonlight on the water
Moon over Eagle Bay

The announcement came as I was on vacation at the lake house. My writer’s group was having a six-sentence story contest. I love a good writing challenge and this one was fun and interesting. Each sentence had to carry weight. The story needed to grab the reader’s attention, carry through with a story arc and end in a conclusion. All in six sentences. What to write about? Where to get ideas?

Leonardo da Vinci had a term for his visualization process: Saper Vedere -Knowing how to see.

Rick Rubin, in his book The Creative Act says “The ability to look deeply is the root of creativity. To see past the ordinary and mundane and get to what might otherwise be invisible.”

Seeing, really seeing the moonlight shine across the bay one night was the inspiration I needed. Here’s my story, in six sentences.

Legacy

The moon woke me in the middle of the night as it shone through the bedroom window of the lakeside house I’d inherited. It’s all that’s left of my parents. I stepped outside and saw its half-face, bright enough to spin silver ripples across the dark water and cast lacy wicker shadows on the deck. I remembered my mother told me that once, after we’d scattered some of Dad’s ashes into the bay, she’d gotten her pillow and blanket and had slept on the porch on a night like this. Because her fading memory often blurred the lines between fantasy and reality, I didn’t believe her then. Now, I do.

Where are inspirations and ideas? All around us if we open our eyes and really see.

Threads of thought icon

Threads of Thought

Your turn. “Know how to see.” Find a small moment, thought or idea and try your hand at a six sentence story, or a poem, or a painting, or a sketch, or… Live life creatively!

2 Books, Out of the Crayon Box: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and Life...and Until Italy: A traveler's memoir

Fun summer reads are only a click away. Out of the Crayon Box: thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and Life, and Until Italy: A Traveler’s Memoir are here!

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How an Author Defines Success

Announcing my new book!

the author holding her book Until Italy: A traveler's Memoir

It’s here! I’ve published my second book Until Italy: a Traveler’s Memoir! A long journey to be sure…nearly two years in the making. (Learn more about my indie-author path to publishing here .)

 It’s exciting! I check my sales report daily (ok, maybe twice…or that one day it was every hour or so…) and I rejoice when a book finds its way to you. My heart skips a beat when one of my readers leaves a review on Amazon and I know that my work has made an impression. Yet I know from experience the initial rush will pass. Life returns to normal. 

So… What does success mean to me? What does success mean to any writer? This is what I’ve been thinking about all week. I turned to my author “friends” for inspiration and here’s what I found:

Writing is the Best Part

From Anne Lamott (Bird by Bird) :

“Publication is not all that it is cracked up to be. But writing is. That thing you had to force yourself to do–the actual act of writing–turns out to be the best part….The act of writing turns out to be its own reward.“

Quiet Glory

From Elizabeth Gilbert (Big Magic):

“There is a quiet glory in merely making things and then sharing those things with an open heart on no expectations.“

Pure Joy

From Stephen King (On Writing):

I have written because it fulfilled me. I did it for the buzz. I did it for the pure joy of the thing. And if you can do it for the joy, you can do it forever.“

Success Occurs in the Privacy of the Soul

And from Rick Rubin (The Creative Act) comes the definition of success that rings truest for me:

“How shall we measure success? It isn’t popularity, money, or critical esteem.  Success occurs in the privacy of the soul. It comes in the moment you decide to release the work, before exposure to a single opinion. When you’ve done all you can to bring out the work’s greatest potential.  When you’re pleased and ready to let go.“

Have I been successful? Having done all I can to bring out this book’s greatest potential, I’ve let it go. I feel pleased, successful, where it matters. In the privacy of my soul.

What’s next for this author? Again I turn to Rubin’s words: “Once the work meets your highest standards, you sign off on it, let it go, and begin the next chapter of your life’s work–whatever that may be.“

 Another book in the works? We’ll see. For now, I’m going to bask in the glimmer of this one for a few more days.

Book Cover for Until Italy: A Traveler's Memoir. A bright turquois cover with a wild yellow suitcase erupting with travel accessories

INTRODUCING!

Until Italy: a Traveler’s Memoir is the story of an ordinary woman transformed by an extraordinary country. A fun, quick read, perfect for a cozy evening at home, a beach read, or tucked into a travel bag for your next adventure!

Click to find your copy here.

(So fun to put a new title in this space! )

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