I pulled a blackberry off a vine while on a walk, popped it in my mouth. The nickel-sized berry was so ripe, it melted on my tongue. The taste right on the edge of sweet and sickeningly. One berry like that will do. I had just crossed the bridge from downtown to the west side of Olympia, paused as usual to count seal heads bobbing in the water, herons standing on the shore. I live in a place of incredible beauty with a stunning view of Mt. Rainier on clear days and the Olympics visible on the horizon from my favorite spot by the window in the coffee shop (writing spot) closest to home. We are a short drive from beach or forest.
As I mentioned last month, I’ve been re-reading Writing Down the Bones, the book that set me on the writing path. It’s been such a delightful way to reconnect with my core values as a writer during a summer I knew I wanted to show up fully for my work. Goldberg writes, “There is a thin line between writing and experience—let it get thinner”, and asserts, “We are writing because we love the world.” And perhaps one of my most treasured reminders this summer has been related to that idea, that blackberry. The writing does not begin at the writing desk. Writing begins in noticing the details, in paying attention, in staying curious and attentive. The title comes from a line from Ada Limon’s poem “The Other Wish”, part of her wonderful collection Bright, Dead Things. The poem is a feminist reimagining of the Icarus myth focusing on the moon.
My summer writing routine typically looks like waking at 5:30 to do stretches while I make coffee and feed the dogs. While stretching and making coffee, I run through the lines of the poem I am memorizing now. This summer I’ve set four poems to memory. I have a little book I paste poems I want to memorize, and I’m making my way through them one at a time. When I first sit at my writing desk, I place a small weighted blanket on my lap, then set a timer for five minutes of meditation. I read a few chapters of Goldberg and make a list of goals for the day, then I walk the first dog (they need separate walks now, since our eldest dog won’t go very far these days). I walk the second dog, then get down to work. I often use timers and noise-cancelling headphones to focus.
Somewhere between 10 and 11, I take a break, usually to work in the garden or do a workout (weights/ run/ yoga). Yoga on the front porch has been one of my favorite practices this summer. It’s just private enough, and the way the light filters through the elderberry leaves and the wind chimes jangle provides such a peaceful ambiance.
I get back to work around two and go for a few more hours, using this part of the day for the business side of writing (submissions, editing, writing groups, etc). Later in the evening I spend 20-30 minutes of freewriting.
The next day I wake up and do it all again. This has been the content of most of my summer days, and it has reminded me that I am here because I love writing, and I love the world. It’s always that, though it’s easy to make it about more.
I know that I’ve only got a few more weeks of this blissful routine where there is only one practice really, because all of it is the same practice in creative expression, the living and the writing both. I’m inclined to say the best thing to do is to make teaching as much a part of that dance as I possibly can, which is something I am working on. I figure since I’ve got at least another decade of teaching left to go, I want to make it as blissful as I possibly can.
There are also some exciting events coming up this fall. I’ll be teaching a generative writing workshop at Breitenbush at the end of September. I will post a virtual version of in my October newsletter. For this, I’ve dipped my toe into hand book binding, and I plan for every participant to take home a collaborative book on handmade paper, sewn together by me. I’m also going to do a practice version for my 12th Grade Literature classes the week before. Stay tuned for the report on that! Red Dress Press (book editing and design company I run with my spouse and sister ) will be at Arts Walk. While we won’t yet have our first issue of Generation Gap (literary magazine coming soon!), we will have some flyers for the second edition to distribute, some client books on display, and newly designed editions of Hallelujah and Linger, Love (my self-published books).
Small Things That Have Been Bringing Me Joy
- yoga on the porch
- purple asters!
- the evening light through the elderberry
- taking time for healthy, balanced meals and sitting down to eat them together
- our daily trivia calendar
Found Sentences from What I’ve Been Reading
“Gentian and delphinium hues, with fire in them, lurk in the folds.” The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd
Books I Read in July (One sentence review)
The Friend by Sigred Nunez: Picked because it was the shortest of it’s kind to cover a book bingo square, and wound up adoring this quirky little metanarrative about loss and loneliness and dogs.
The Future by Naomi Alderman: I wanted to love this book as much as I loved The Power, and I did have many moments of delight, but the end strained credibility.
On the Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle (translated by Barbara Haveland): Totally mundane and totally captivating and imaginative—must read more!
The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd: Incredible nature descriptions from a lesser-known writer—adored!
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane: There is a hopeful book about alcoholism and mental health in families, and it’s not bad.
Julia by Sandra Newman: Still processing this version of 1984 from Julia’s perspective and how truly badass and feminist it was.
Whistler by Ann Patchett: These characters have earned a permanent place in my regard, and as a bonus—we got to hear her talk!
The Vacationers by Emma Straub: Pushed the limits of how light I can go, but it made the chores mroe fun!
A Writing Prompt for August
Write about a moment you felt crushed by shame or heartbreak. Write in the third person. Write it straight through without editing or stopping. Write it fiction or non-fiction. In both cases, lean into the details that evoke how you felt at the time. You don’t need to share this unless you want to. Go ahead and burn it if that feels right.
July/August Goals
- Aim for 70/30 in honor of many tai chi moves in terms of success in showing up to write every day (weekends included) from 6-10 am and then again from 2-5.
- Finish a chapbook of poems and start sending poems out
- Three queries every day
- Timed writing on Rose novel
- Lean into the ritual without shame. Palm a crystal. Pull a divination card. Light a candle. Breathe.
Reflection Question for Your Creative Practice
What parts of your writing routine bring you joy?
I also work as a writing coach and love helping writers gain confidence, set goals, and develop their work. I was a writer first, but I’ve been teaching for over twenty-five years. Coaching weaves those two skill sets in a way that I love, love, love. I work with writers locally and over Zoom. For more information on coaching, email me at eatyourwords.lizshine@gmail.com or see my website.
You can see my books here and read some of my short works here.
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