Write Mind

I am writing from the porch of the Smith Library on Bestor Plaza in Chautauqua Institution this early Tuesday morning. The campanile is chiming hymns. Bikes and walkers are all out, birds are singing and people are reading newspapers and drinking coffee on the green. The library is generous enough to provide a Wi-Fi signal so powerful that it can be tapped from any where on the plazai even when the library is closed. I have been out of touch because of lack of connectivity. But I HAVE been connecting with writers! It’s quite an experience to talk plots and publishers at every meal with writers from across the country. I’m rooming with a writer in a small hotel filled with writers, staying in rooms named for writers!

 Yesterday we heard our first speakers–four of them. We had dinner together and heard from Jerry Spinelli about how his childhood informs his writing (as well as life with his 6 children, 16 grandchildren and writer wife). He told us to “write what you care about”. Along with our admission to the conference is a gate pass that gets us into all the cultural events–and there is so much here. I’ve heard a symphony (Shostakovich, whose 100th birthday is this year), an opera (La Traviata), and a choir with massed orchestra (wow!).

 Now I’m off to meet with Eileen Spinelli to have my children’s manuscript critiqued. Time to connect with writers.

If you are a chocolate-holic like I am, the decision between all the chocolates at the candy counter or freezer case can take forever to make. I was faced with a similar decision when asked to choose the workshops I will be taking at the Highlights Writing Workshop. Each afternoon for a week, we get to take three sessions with three choices each. And the decisions are hard!

For example, the first session is a choice between How to Write a Nonfiction Children’s Book, Fundamentals of Plot, or Sequencing Scenes for Maximum Effect. All classes are taught by award-winning authors (including two time Newbery winner Jerry Spinelli), editors or publishing giants. They are spilling their secrets and all I have to do is listen, think, and take notes VERY quickly. For my hand-written notes I found the perfect thing at Half Price Books, a large leather-bound blank book from Portugal. I also purchased a refurbished laptop and a quantity of pens and very pointy pencils.

Now for those tough choices! Check out this incredible faculty.

 My soon-to-be roommate is a fellow Texan, an adjunct instructor at Texas State, and enviably, a grandmother. We have been assigned The Jules Verne room at the historic Victorian-style Spencer Hotel. Each room is named and decorated for a different writer. Our room has a door to the veranda and we can meet in the parlor–a novelty in itself. I can skip my morning water aerobics with a clear conscience since there will be a lot of walking involved. Check out the hot air balloon we have in our room.

Eileen Spinelli, author of 49 picture books, is going to be my reader at Chautauqua. This grandmother of sixteen will give me pointers about the manuscript I’m working on–a sequel to Substitute Groundhog (due out this fall!). I’m bringing a copy of Grandcows for her autograph to my future grandchildren. Working with such a top notch writer like Eileen in the rarefied atmosphere of Chautauqua Institution will, indeed, be something to tell the grandcows and my students at Creech Elementary.

July 15 is the day I fly to New York for a week-long Writing Workshop in the beautiful, historic Chautauqua Institution. This is the lovely Atheneum Hotel, where two of our events will be held. The Institution was founded in 1874 by Lewis Miller, an inventor and manufacturer from Akron, OH and a Methodist minister named John Heyl Vincent. The Institution is founded on four pillars–the arts, education, religion, and recreation. Highlights Foundation is sponsoring the workshop, so I’m sure there will be fun as well as exercise of the mind, body and spirit. I’ll keep my eyes open for Goofus and Gallant!

In the last ten years, I have read countless tips about overcoming writer’s block. Here are ones I remember:

1. Go for a walk, take a swim, do push ups.

2. Work on a different piece of writing.

3. Do something mindless, like housework, after committing your problem to your subconscious.

4. Eat chocolate. Or drink wine. Or anything else that excites your palate and silences your inner critic.

5. I made up that last one. I don’t think I’ve read that anywhere. I made up this tip as well, but it is one that works for me. Get a dog. Get two. Let them keep you company in your writing room. Their breathing assures you that you are not alone in the world of the blank page. When the going gets tough, take a break to scratch ears and rub tummies. The gratitude in their big dark eyes will make you feel capable and loved again and you can return renewed to your keyboard. When all else fails, write about your dogs until the muse returns. You never know when your doggie idea will come in handy. Like this one.

(Thanks, Ruth Ann, for the great photos!)