I’ve been thinking about where to take this blog, hence the stretches of silence on my end. Though I’ve missed writing to and for you every week, the time away has been refreshing.
Maybe it’s because it’s winter that I feel the strong desire to pull back and observe. Even though I live in Southern California, land of perpetual sunshine, part of my Midwestern DNA can’t help but influence the urge to hibernate. And so for once, I’ve given in to biology to see where it takes me creatively. Even editors need to recharge their imagination. Get inspired.
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My friend Holiday Reinhorn and I have created a new spot for writers at SoulPancake called The Writers’ Kitchen. It’s our little creative pad. The goal of the site within the site is to serve as an oasis for writers who need a little inspiration, a little prompting, a path leading back to pure creativity. No heavy craft and publishing “how-to” talk – that’s not what the space is for. Holiday serves Word Batter, her fiction writing prompt exercise and I serve an Essential Ingredient in your writing life. Reading the responses to both exercises has left me so inspired!
I asked our readers, “What ignites your creative passion?” We received 60+ “recipes” from readers wanting to share what works for them. Here are brief excerpts from some of their responses.
Humanity
Engaging in other types of art
Reading
Saved conversations and picked up one-liners
Rite-Aid at 4 AM
Music, nature and people
Cooking
Opening the windows to hear the birds
Laughter. Friends. Love. Pizza.
Radiohead and women
Fiction
The production of something tangible
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I feel creatively stoked after speaking with this amazing group of writers I’ve been working with for over a year now. Seeing their work in progress brings such joy to my heart. I can’t stop thinking about their characters, who are very real to us now as are the worlds they’ve created for them. And of course, they’ve become my good friends in the process. One just stopped by this cafe we share a love for – the coffee is amazing and we’re fond of the lavender sipping chocolate. Anyway, she popped over just to chat. I love that. Meanwhile this Ernest Hemingway character is sitting to my right reading a paper while mumbling to himself.
In the meantime, I’m editing and working with my writers, I still do my Q&A column at LitReactor, I’m cooking in The Writers’ Kitchen and I chirp on Twitter (@TheLitCoach) when I have something quick to share. Otherwise, I’m mulling things around, listening and enjoying the last days of winter.
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