Torschlusspanik (German)- the anxious, claustrophobic feeling that opportunities and options are shutting down; you have missed the boat, you have to get a grip, you are getting too old. (Untranslatable Words -writer prompts)
If you’ve been in Writer’s Flow Studio for any length of time, or even if you were a newcomer with high hopes, you may be feeling a bit of torschlusspanik as we move toward Sept. 30.
Several of us have discussed where we’ll go from here. I’ve been in Writer’s Flow since the beginning, over 5 years ago. It’s been highly worthwhile. I confess I am just now, even this week, putting some of the principles of focused writing to work. But where do we go from here?
I’ll continue to employ the lessons from this journey with Rhonda in my writing life ahead on my blog. I want to take a quick moment to encourage you, writer-woman, in your own journey.
Some of you are going on to First Book Finish- a great choice. I wish I’d jumped in to the first round of FBF, but I didn’t. I had a draft, actually several drafts of novels needing revision. And I have a Masters in Literature/Writing; I’ve taught college composition and research writing, plus I’ve led several creative writing groups, all reasons why I let the gate close without me inside. Still, I wish I’d jumped in on the ground floor. Rhonda gives a lot of value, especially when she is doing something for the first time. I will always volunteer as her guinea pig.
For example, in March 2020, Rhonda hosted a writer’s weekend in Manchester England. Torschlusspanik sent me flying from Portland, OR, along with my 14 year-old writer-daughter to attend this awesome event. At $95 it was an incredible value. All other attendees were in FBF. I was the lone outsider (along with my daughter).
But onward. I’m finally working in a focused fashion, reading through my overly long, dual timeline novel. In the past, my efforts at revision have bogged down, rearranging words and polishing scenes, caught in the weeds, as Rhonda says. It’s an addiction.
Another addiction–workshops. I miss grad school, the assignments, the deadlines, the mentors. But in our last session Rhonda said No. More. Workshops. I know what I need to do and now I just need to do it. She’s said the same to many of you.
But workshops are a great place to network and create community, activities I love. During Covid, while taking an Iowa Writer’s Workshop, I met a writer who seemed trés compatible, so we became writing partners, meeting monthly online for accountability and encouragement, plus some prompt writing. My writer friend teaches Greek and Latin Literature at La Sorbonne in Paris. Last summer I went to her home on the coast of Brittany where we did a 10 day DIY Writing Retreat (Rhonda’s free handout on the subject is what first reeled me in). This past summer my French friend came to my home in the Pacific Northwest. I’ll be blogging about this casual way of networking and creating community for yourself.
In the spirit of mutual encouragement, I’d like to invite you to stay in touch so that we can help each other along as we continue this writing journey. My way of encouraging other writers is through my blog and Facebook pages. I’m not good about sending out newsletters (I’ve only ever sent one), but I’m turning over a new leaf. I’ve nothing to market- no program or course, just occasional words of encouragement as I go about life.
On my blog I write about living an active, adventurous life in the midst of raising a family. Five of our six children are grown and have flown, but one late-life surprise remains. She’s in her senior year of high school, so we are almost… done? Or at least entering a new phase. My hub just retired for the second time, first as a fire captain for 30 years, and now as a cargo agent with Alaska Air Group, so we have flight benefits, which means lots of writing research adventures!
I write about the process of writing, often using my background in art, employing ekphrasis, Greek for art that speaks out. I used ekphrasis in teaching college composition and many students said they enjoyed writing for the first time in their lives. Something as simple as a leaf or a photograph can lead into a story with amazing depth and meaning. If you’d like to know more about how ekphrasis helps writing and see some examples..: https://lorilyngreenstone.com/what-is-ekphrasis-how-can-it-help-my-writing/ and here: https://mamomemo.com/2024/05/the-ekphrastic-letter/
I also write about my journey to make writing a healthy pursuit, rather than sedentary… and more on those DIY writing retreats: https://lorilyngreenstone.com/health-walking-the-diy-writing-retreat-bootcamp/
Sometimes, I write about my dead mother, and other mothers..: https://lorilyngreenstone.com/are-you-my-mother/ and https://mamomemo.com/2023/05/paper-doll-mom-2/
Often I write about the novel and all it entails, the other worlds it opens. Part of the novel is set in Paris during the Belle Epoch, and in Arles, France. Rachel, my main character, is the woman to whom Van Gogh gave his cut-off ear. Over a hundred years later her great-grandaughter inherits the sketchbook-journal she created, but he needs help translating it… As I’ve written this novel I’ve used scenes for flash fiction and developed essays based on themes like mother-daughter-madness, then entered them in contests. You can see some of that writing here: https://pasadenaliteraryalliance.org/open-book/essay-contest/ (scroll down), and here for flash:https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/downloads/printable/102-FE1-Fall21Contest-Lori-Lyn-Greenstone.html
I’m currently in LitMagLove with Rachel Thompson, which Rhonda highly recommends https://rachelthompson.co/. I’d already signed up when she said no more workshops. In my blog I’ll write about how to change an excerpt, or use an outtake from the novel to make a strong submission for a contest or magazine while building your platform and helping get an agent.
You can join this journey for free.
So, Torschlusspanik aside, as the gate closes on Writer’s Flow Studio, let’s stay connected. If you haven’t yet, Like either Facebook page- Mamomemo or Ekphrastic Mama, and/or subscribe to my newsletter–I’ll try to be more faithful and let you know when I post.
I’m consolidating my two blogs–Ekphrastic Mama with MaMoMeMo, (a bit like NaNoWriMo), May-is-Motherhood-Writing-Month–you don’t have to be a mother to have a motherhood story- it’s where you begin! I encourage women to write their own mythology- the story of where you began, whatever that means to you. I’ll be at Mamomemo.com this year as I continue revising the novel. I’d love to have you join me on this journey. Many thanks.
Continuing with the flow,
Lori
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