So I'm on a roll...

We had our March meeting for the Westside Stories just last evening. It was a wonderful meeting, very uplifting.

"Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go."
~ E.L. Doctorow

This was the thought that I brought to share. I really like that quote although I just found it recently online. Life teaches you experience that makes a big impact on your writing if you let it. If you tap into it.

The one bit of information that I want to post really quick, because it is on my mind and the most inspiring thing that was given to us at the ANWA Conference by Tristi Pinkston, is a speech given by an LDS General Authority in 1888 by Orson F. Whitney titled "Home Literature." We could hardly remember it all, because she used so much of the information from that speech, so note taking was difficult. (I was going to email her and get the full text, but the Westside Stories President, Faith, found it for us.)

A most excellent read!

Orson F. Whitney "Home Literature"

Tristi gave a compelling lesson about tapping into our spirituality to became a better writer. She challenged that writing is a deeply spiritual experience and that every good writer taps their spirituality to do their best work. In fact, if we do not tap that spirituality our writing lacks a spark that will make it stand out from just any book, poem, or writing genre.

I will definitely share more of what I learned in her class. Just not right now.

My First Post

So I guess I should write something interesting in this post since it is my "first."

I totally would... but I'm so focused on making the decor look nice, inviting, and unique for my focus in this blog... that I'm using all my creativity to beautify it.

I know, BIG disappointment. But it is what it is. I'm a writer who is also a "SAHM" and I can only do so much in one day at one time. (Heck, sometimes it is only 5 minutes, if that?) I'll probably continue to make little changes as I go.

But I do have time to say just a tad about myself. I just attended a Conference given by ANWA this last weekend on March 1st. (American Night Writers Association) It was amazing. I'll definitely be writing more about that conference in the future as I review my notes and write about what I learned.

I've been a member of ANWA for a few months now, but I've been attending meetings for about a year next month. It is an amazing resource!! I'm really glad that the President of my chapter, the Westside Stories, felt inspired to pass around some fliers at church or I'd never have known about it!

Actually, I volunteered to be the Vice President of our chapter this year. I did that so I'd make myself feel more responsible to come. Motivation. Can't back out now, cause I'm part of the leadership!! (Good thing that no one was really jumping to be the vice president!) That may be a bad reason for the other members to have me as their fearless vice pres, cause I volunteered, but for me it really IS a good motivation for me to be responsible to the rest of the group. Which is also the reason why I'm going to meetings to begin with. To have a group of people that want to hear what I've done for the last month in writing terms, gives you your first audience. Sympathetic ears.

One of the lessons I gave this last fall 2007 said just that. That bit of information came from a book called "Art & Fear" by David Bayles and Ted Orland. Many wise words and great information about why we do what we do and what keeps us from doing it is in that book. I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in any creative medium, as it is about "Art" and "creative individuals" as a whole.