Living Life Twice

When discussing writer's notebooks with inexperienced writers, I frequently refer to the idea of 'feeding' them. Smiles immediately appear on the faces of the young writers seated before me. I further explain the notion of feeding the notebook by using the analogy of a garden where the plants are well fed and tended. Plants flourish when their care is made a priority. A garden neglected soon withers and dies. A failure to thrive sets in.  I have seen this in gardens and with writer's notebooks. The enthusiasm that launched these ventures soon fades -and the nourishment required to sustain them falls away. Where notebooks are concerned, malnutrition is more likely to occur where teachers are not actively maintaining their own writer's notebooks.  What do we feed our notebooks? All those small and juicy thoughts, ideas and observations collected as we negotiate our various worlds. This is the rich detail we must gather in our notebooks. Detail that stimulates more gro...

  W riters  N eed  T o  W alk I walked this morning in the autumn sunshine. I walked when the morning air was at its freshest. The world was calm in every direction I looked. I walked keenly. I walked further and faster than I have been walking in recent times.  My capacity for walking is gradually returning after a year of less than optimal health. I am returning to where I want to be. My spirit has been heightened by my actions.    We know when we walk, our hearts pump faster and our brains and other organs get more blood and oxygen. Scientific evidence exists indicating this helps both memory and attention. Researchers have also discovered walking has a positive impact on creativity.  This makes walking pretty important for those of us who need to write. Some people are content to merely walk. I am not one of them. I monitor my walking. Time, distance, speed, frequency are important considerations. I also consciously choose a different route on...