writing craft

1000 Words

Posted on by Wendy Kennar

I have a shelf full of writing craft books. 

The newest one to add to my collection is 1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round by Jami Attenberg. 

1000 Words is a collection of short pieces, including “wisdom and inspiration from more than fifty beloved writers.” 

The title of the book comes from Ms. Attenberg’s annual summer event in which writers commit to writing 1000 words a day for two consecutive weeks. There is a whole online community that not only participates but also encourages and supports each other. 

Generally, I do not write 1000 words a day. (That’s about 4 typed, double-spaced pages.)  

Once in a blue moon, the words flow and my body cooperates long enough for me to write four pages in one sitting.

But not usually.

And certainly not this summer, with my world no longer as I knew it since my dad passed away.

Still, writing inspiration never hurts. Especially now when I haven’t written much more than these weekly blog posts and my columns for MomsLA.com . 

Here then are some of the passages that resonated with me:

“Four Truths: 1) We can’t finish what we don’t start.
2) The only way to the end is through.
3) It’s important to celebrate our accomplishments.
4) We must forgive ourselves for that which we have simply not done yet.”

“Your creative self is composed of your brain, your heart, and your time. To protect your creativity, you must tend to them all.”

“Respecting your creativity is respecting yourself.”

“So write the thing that you want to see in the world. You’re the only one who can.” 

“There is only one you, your voice is singular, and if you do not write these 1000 words no one will ever know what you have to say. You absolutely must have faith in yourself, that what you need to talk about is important, and that a reader will care about it.” 

“Above all, do not feel intimidated or discouraged. You have written before, and you will write again. You write because you love it and because it’s important to you and because you have something to say.” 

“Write what you can, when you can.
“Write when the urge strikes you, but also, be disciplined. Carve out time in your day to write. Fight for that time for yourself. You can find holes in your schedule. They exist. And soon enough you will fill them with words.” 

“… making art of any kind is an act of optimism. To make art is to traffic in beliefs. The belief that you have something to say, that it’s important to say it. And also the belief that someone specific might want to witness it in some way and gain something from it.”

“Whatever it is you’re working on, whatever it is you’re dreaming about, whatever path you’re trying to carve out for yourself, whatever electricity you’re trying to generate, whatever voice you’re trying to draw out of yourself, whatever way you’re trying to connect with people, whatever you’re trying to communicate with the world, whatever fire you are trying to start this morning today this week forever and ever, you can fucking do it.” 

Friends, have you read 1000 Words and/or have you participated in the 1000 Words Summer Challenge? I’d love to know.

Please note: I am including a link to buy the book that I’m highlighting this week. If you use my link, I do make a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you. I am working with Bookshop.org which also sends a portion of the profit to support local, independent bookstores.

Dear Writer

Posted on by Wendy Kennar

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about the “pep talks” portion of Maggie Smith’s Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life. (If you missed the post, click here to read it.)

This week, I’d like to share some more, because Dear Writer is one special book. In fact, I think Dear Writer is one of those books that won’t just sit on the shelf with other writing-related books. Dear Writer will be read and re-read. 

The book is organized into “ten essential elements”: attention, wonder, vision, surprise, play, vulnerability, restlessness, connection, tenacity, and hope. Within each section, readers will find craft-centered essays, writing prompts, and suggestions for related reading. 

But, I don’t think this book is only for writers. Or artists. I think the inspiring words found within this book, could really be applied to any area of life.

Here are some of the passages I marked with a sticky note. What do you think — only for writers or all humans?

“Although my work has changed over time, the act of writing feels no different to me than it did five or ten or twenty years ago. I’m still gathering, still collecting, still trying to make a garment from these scraps. The pleasure in the writing is the surprise — having no idea what you’re making as you’re making it.”

“When you try something new, whether it’s writing or baking or running, you’re in a period of apprenticeship to that art or activity. You’re a beginner, a novice, an amateur. But the root of amateur is the Latin amare, meaning ‘to love.’ An amateur does something for the love of it. And when you love something, you stick with it.
“When you stick with something out of love, you grow in it and with it. Each day, truly.”

“I don’t go to literature for comfort, as a writer or as a reader — I read and write to be changed, to see anew, to revise my own thinking. Actually, change is the opposite of comfort. But change invigorates. It stretches muscles you might not have known you had. It might hurt a little, that strain, but ultimately it strengthens. 
“I want to write and read pieces that lean toward wonder and rediscovery — toward questioning rather than knowing, toward authenticity and sincerity rather than irony and cynicism. Art is a site of wonder and discover — or rediscovery. Art is a place where we might learn what we think, not a place where we teach the reader what we’ve already processed.”



“The discovery doesn’t end when the piece is published. Sometimes readers will point things out that surprise you. Sometimes you’ll be reading a piece aloud in front of an audience, and something will strike you differently. The piece isn’t static, because you aren’t static. You change, your perspective changes, your experiences pile up, and you engage with the piece differently because of it.” 

“Creativity is artistic mischief. As writers and artists, our work is play. We come to the page — to the canvas, to the stage, to the studio — with trickster energy and a sense of daring. We’re working, but we’re delighting in the work.” 

“When we create, we choose the openness, the exposure, the risk — and that takes courage and nerve.
“There is no vulnerability without courage. They travel together, and I don’t think you can create without them both.” 

“I got ordained on the Internet for the same reasons I write poems. To marry two people is an act of hope, optimism, and connection. To write is an act of hope, optimism, and connection.”

“I’ve said for years that what every writer needs is a combination of tenacity — fierce, bulldog-like tenacity — and patience. The two go hand in hand. Tenacity is stick-to-it-ive-ness: part perseverance, part stubborn persistence, part fortitude, part endurance, part determination, part mettle (I love that word: mettle), and part drive.” 

“To make things that don’t exist yet — and don’t need to exist, because that is the very definition of art — and to send them out into the world is wildly, impractically, gorgeously hopeful.
“This is my way of saying there is no creativity without hope. Creativity is inherently hopeful, and the reverse is also true: Hope is inherently creative. Hope is imaginative; it allows you to envision what might be up ahead, even when you see nothing.”

“Remember: You are a writer if you write. You’re succeeding if you answer when the idea knocks — if you let it in, and pay attention to it, and see it through. If you don’t half-ass it. WHOLE-ASS IT. Your creative life deserves all of you. The whole you.”

Please note: I am including a link to buy the book that I’m highlighting this week. If you use my link, I do make a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you. I am working with Bookshop.org which also sends a portion of the profit to support local, independent bookstores.

Heart. Soul. Pen.

Posted on by Wendy Kennar

I don’t think I’ll ever “finish” learning about writing. The longer I write, the more certain I am that there is always something new to discover— about the process and the craft, but also, about myself. 

Which is why I enjoy reading craft books.

I recently finished reading Heart. Soul. Pen.: Find Your Voice on the Page and in Your Life by Robin Finn. It’s a great title, because for me, that is what writing comes down to — parts of my heart and soul transcribed onto paper.  

Whether you are a writer looking to get your super personal words out and onto the page, or you are a woman searching for the confidence to speak your truth, Ms. Finn’s book is for you. 

From the Introduction: “Every part of you is invited — the pretty parts and the ugly parts, the happy parts and the painful parts, the noisy parts, and the quiet parts. You are invited regardless of your age, stage, marital status, or any other status. You get an A+ in this class just for showing up. Your writing is welcome here, whether it spills out loud and shouted, or tiptoes forward soft and coaxed. Together, we are entering a safe space where we can fully and radically express ourselves.”

This week, I share with you some highlights from the book:

“The messages we receive as kids get lodged inside of us and become lifelong, limiting beliefs that impact how we live, work, write, create, show up in our lives, and relate to ourselves and others. These beliefs limit us from experiencing who we truly are. They keep us small. They keep us from sharing our full expression in the world.”  (Sound familiar? It did for me.)

“HEART. SOUL. PEN. is a step-by-step process designed to help you reclaim your voice, tell your story, and embrace the indisputable value of your life experience and creative self-expression.” 

“Writing at its best helps us connect to each other and feel less isolated in our individual lives.” (I love this!)

“If you are waiting for someone else to offer you time to write, you may be waiting a long time. Taking time for yourself is not selfish. It is self-honoring. You are worthy of your own time to connect to your voice, express yourself, and process your world through writing.” (I love that term — “self-honoring.”)

“… the success of a regular writing practice is less about how much writing you get done, and more about how you approach your commitment to writing.”

“Writing is a process that takes time and effort. It is important to find moments to acknowledge yourself and celebrate your effort. You can celebrate making time for self-expression when you sit down to write in your journal. You can acknowledge that writing is a form of self-care and a gift you give to yourself. Recognizing your hard work and your commitment may sound easy. But, for many women, it is outside their comfort zone.”

And perhaps my favorite section of the book, something I will return to over and over, are Ms. Finn’s “Ten Truths You Need to Know about Yourself as a Writer.”

A question for my writer-friends — Do you enjoy reading craft books? What was the last writing-related book you read? Please share!

Please note: I am including a link to buy the book that I’m highlighting this week. If you use my link, I do make a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you. I am working with Bookshop.org which also sends a portion of the profit to support local, independent bookstores.