Charlotte Rains Dixon

A Writer Travels

One of the missions of this blog is to write about the writer's life, all of it, and for this writer (moi), travel for work is an integral part of it.

My writing-related traveling began when I was accepted into the brief residency MFA program at Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky, and fell into the flow of flying back there twice a year, in May and October.

It continued when I was hired as a mentor, lo those many years ago, at the Loft Certificate in Writing program in Nashville (well, really, Murfreesboro, but close enough).  For that gig, I traveled in September and January, and for awhile also went to Nashville in December and April when I was on the staff of the now-defunct Room to Write retreat.

Back in the day, I had clients in Los Angeles, and I'd fly (my favorite commute ever--just two hours on the plane, long enough for a good session of reading and voila, you have arrived) down there several times a year.  (Now I just go visit my friend Mary-Suzanne.)

And now that I do writing retreats, I get to head off the exotic locations such as Diamond, Oregon (population, 9, and we meet in a hotel that was once a stagecoach stop), and Ceret, France, where I'm headed the first week of September.

But at the end of this week, I'm heading back to Louisville again, to be a graduate assistant at Spalding after a ten-year absence.  This all started because at the beginning of the year, I started jonesing to be in the MFA environment again.  I wanted to see how different or similar it might be from the kind of teaching I've been doing, both privately and at the Loft.  I longed to be seriously immersed in the world of writing and literature again.

And, well, seriously immersed doesn't really begin to describe it.  The schedule for the 10 days is 30 pages long!  I'll be assisting one of my former mentors, Mary Clyde, whom I adore, in workshops devoted to critiquing student work, recording lectures, running errands, setting up events, attending readings by faculty and students, and soaking in as many words about writing as I can cram into my brain.  (Oh yeah, and there will be lunches, glasses of wine and dinners with old friends and new along the way.)

(I will also be reading from Emma Jean on Friday the 24th, I believe at 6 PM, and selling my book.  So come see me if you're in Louisville.)

I am going to attempt--attempt--to blog from the residency while I'm there. (If Patrick Ross can do it, surely I can!)  But, like I said, the schedule is 30 pages long, with every day packed and lots of duties outlined for me.   I am not complaining, however.  On the contrary, I cannot wait.

Oh, and the best part?  I don't have to take that cursed 6 AM flight to Dallas that I always get booked on.  My plane leaves at a leisurely 8:20 AM.

Do you travel for work, writing-related or other?  What do you like best or least about it?  Please leave a comment!

Photo by Dolphin22.

A Couple of Fun Reviews

It's Friday afternoon and it is hot here in Portland.  I'm feeling pleased with myself because I got a long-overdue pedicure and eyebrow waxing and I'm sitting here wondering why self care is so hard for me.  Which leads me to ponder why it is also sometimes difficult for me to receive...as in receiving love, receiving gifts (I'm always embarrassed to open them in front of people), receiving praise.

And, um, that last part, praise, is what this post is really all about.  You see, I had two great reviews get published this week and I wanted to share them with you.

What this is really about for me is that I want you to visit the sites of the women who wrote (and filmed) the reviews.  Because they took time, first, to read my book, and second, to put together a review and post about it. 

And I SO appreciate that.

The fact that both are glowing reviews is icing on the cake.  Or, since Emma Jean says I shouldn't be using a cliche, an extra present in the pile.  One more day of vacation.  Another glass of wine.  You get the idea.

So here you go:

I've known Samantha Gluck for a couple of years now and always appreciated reading her blog and tweeting with her. (She is known as @texascopywriter on Twitter)  Samantha not only wrote a review, she filmed a video!  It's hilarious, and anybody who has read the book will appreciate it.  Please go and watch it here.  It is worth your time, I promise!

I met Ionia Martin through sheer, dumb, luck when I cold-emailed her to ask if she'd be interested in reviewing my novel on her book review blog, Readful Things.  I've had such bad results in asking reviewers for reviews, I was stunned when she replied--and was gracious and friendly to boot.  She gave Emma Jean a 5 star review!

What I love about both these women is that, while both are huge readers, neither of them have much of a taste for women's fiction.  I'm so, so grateful that they gave Emma Jean a chance!

10 Ways to Welcome May and Energize Your Writing

What the veggies from my raised beds will soon look like

May is one of my favorite months ever, and here in Portland it is starting out as a glorious month! As new life bursts forth all around us, so, too does our creativity.  It is time to welcome the return of good weather in all its glory.  Sometimes in order to do this, we need to clear out the dregs of the old in order to make room for all the new. 

You'll notice that many of my suggestions have very little to do with writing.  That's because sometimes the best thing you can do for your creativity is to engage in an activity that energizes or relaxes you, and then return to the computer.  I know I'm guilty of spending way too much time in my office, convincing myself I don't have time for other things.  But once I allow myself the freedom to enjoy other activities, I return to my writing refreshed and renewed.

Accordingly, here are some ideas for how to clear out the old and welcome the new:

 1. Organize Your Office—This seems always to be an ongoing project for me.  And, I find that it's worth it to keep up with the constant flow of papers.  I'm happier when my office and desk are clean, period.  And contrary to the popular idea of writers as fueled by angst, a happy Charlotte is a productive Charlotte.

 2. Sort Through Books—Yes, I know, it is hard to let go of our beloved books.  I used to never, ever be able to get rid of a book.  But then I realized that I was simply releasing them into the universe for others to enjoy.  And then, of course, I have a great excuse to buy more….

3.  Buy Something New—I recently took an excursion to Ikea, to look for new office furniture.  While there, I bought blue velvet drapes, the most gorgeous things you've ever seen, for my family room.  And that led to buying a media center to put the TV in, and suddenly I'm in love with my family room all over again.

 4. Try Something New—Earlier this week, I took the day off and with the help of my daughter, nephew, and 17-month-old grandson, planted raised beds full of vegetables on the driveway.  I used to garden all the time, but I've been a gardening slacker the last few years so it felt like a whole new lease on life, especially because usually I grow flowers, not vegies.

 5. Start a New Project—Never written non-fiction before?  Why not try a memoir?  Or maybe you've always wanted to write poetry, or complete a screenplay.  Go for it!  You can dabble and have fun in as little as 15 minutes a day.  Or why not try something completely different, like painting, or salsa dancing, or knitting, or hang gliding. No, that last one makes me nervous.  But you'll find something, I'm sure.

 6. Get a Pedicure—They aren't just for women—c'mon guys, you know you want to try it.  Taking time for a little self-care can be wonderfully rejuvenating.  And that leg massage feels so good!

 7. Buy a New Journal—And then write in it.  Write down all the dreams and goals that this season is inspiring, or use it to start that new project in.  I've heard people say that journaling doesn't really count as writing, but it most certainly does.  Writing in a journal regularly will help you establish an ease with putting words on the page, and it can be the breeding ground for many ideas.

 8.  Do Something for Yourself—Last Saturday, I got my hair cut.  Yeah, I know, normal people do this all the time.  Usually, I do, too.  But for the last few months I've been dithering over whether to keep my hair long or cut it short again.  Finally, I made an appointment and put myself in my hairdresser's hands.  (We chose a middle ground.)  I've been amazed at wonderful it feels.

 9. Take a Walk—It is so simple and so energizing on a fabulous spring day.  The sun on your face, the flowers in bloom....ahhh.  Here in Portland, it seems nearly everyone has a garden to admire!

 10. Invite People Over—Share your joy in the season with others.  Entertaining doesn't have to be fancy.  Ask someone over for Happy Hour, or dessert, thus saving the stress of cooking dinner.  Or order a pizza!  The point is to enjoy the company of others.  My nephew was a recent house guest for a few days and it was so much fun having him around--you get the chance to see life through other people's eyes.

 If these ideas don't appeal to you, invent your own!  Just find a way to celebrate this glorious season.  Because, being present and celebrating where we find ourselves is the absolute best way to be grateful for the lives we've been given.  And being grateful for the lives we've been given is absolutely inspiring to the creative process.

 How do you celebrate spring?  How do you energize your creativity?

Photo by levi_sz (my attempts to share a photo of my raised beds failed when my phone refused to send it).

How Words Get on the Page

It's Sunday afternoon, and it's hot here in Portland.  My nephew is visiting on his way from an internship in Washington D.C., back to law school in California.  And he, my husband, and my son, are all at my daughter's learning how to make beer on this glorious afternoon.

And where am I?

Writing this at my computer, obviously.

But the bigger question would be why I'm working on this beautiful afternoon.  Um, that would be because I procrastinated just the wee-est bit on a ghostwriting project and found myself up against a deadline.  I really needed to get my client a chapter by Tuesday at the latest, and I had no other time but today to do it.

Here's the truth: I procrastinated because I didn't know exactly how to do the chapter.  It had to present the themes of the book in the context of the "author's" biography and I was clueless as to how to proceed.

So I procrastinated.

Until I was up against it.

And then came the time when there was no other choice but to start in.  Guess what happened?  Yeah, you're right.  As soon as I actually began engaging with the chapter, the words came.  And I got the chapter (at least a rough draft of it) done and sent off to the client with time to write this blog post, too.  (I'm heading over to my daughter's for wine and a barbecue once as I'm done writing this).

This experience was a good reminder to me that the magic happens when we engage with the words.  That writing gets done when we write.  I know, duh.  But I forget this far too often as I wring my hands and obsess about my WIP.  And I'm certain that it happens to you, too.

So next time, you're stuck, try writing instead of staring out the window.  Trust me, it actually does work.

What do you do when you are blocked or procrastinating?  Do you have anything that helps you get through these states?  We'd all love to hear about it.

An Aid To Kicking it in Your Writing

This is a book review for which I did not receive compensation, but did receive a free copy of the book.

"I would go as far as and I could and hit a wall, my own imagined limitations.  And then I met a fellow who gave me his secret, and it was pretty simple.  When you hit a wall, just kick it in."  Patti Smith

Such is the advice that playwright Sam Shepard gave to singer, writer and all-around awesome person Patti Smith and it is this same advice that inspired Barbara Abercrombie's book of writing exercises and prompts.

The book is called Kicking in the Wall: A Year of Writing Exercises, Prompts, and Quotes to Help You Break Through Your Blocks and Reach Your Writing Goals.  At the top of each page, you'll find an inspirational quote on writing and then two or three writing prompts.  Abercrombie encourages writers to spend five minutes on each prompt.  At the end of the book, she includes examples of exercises completed by her students--which gives inspiration to see how far-ranging you can go in just five minutes.

Here's a sample of some of her prompts:

--Write what you know of your parents' courtsthip.  Is there one common story, or are their two versions?  Or more? Or no stories?

--Write about an apology that failed.

--Write what you are.  Start with "I am..."

--Write about a transformation you once had.  Or need to have now.

--Write an opening of a scene with someone asking a question about a pair of shoes.

As you can see, this book is not a book that you read for information on writing, there's none of that in it.  Rather, this is a book you keep beside your computer and use when you get stuck.  So often we writers tend to stare off into space when we're blocked, when really the best thing to do is figure out a way to get writing again. 

Prompts and exercises can be very useful to get words on the page, and I recommend using them in a variety of ways, which is why I think this book can be very helpful for writers from beginner to professional.  (I have my own page of prompts, which you can access here.  Mine are of a bit different type, simple made-up sentences which encourage creative responses.)

Kicking in the Wall is due out May 13th.

Do you use writing prompts to jump-start your work?