I’m happy to report that Leah Maines, my Publisher at Finishing Line Press, posted my book on her Facebook Page as the Book of the Day.
Check it out:
https://www.facebook.com/leahmaines
Thank you Leah.
Book of the Day
Fiction
Amherst Books Reopens
There’s nothing like your local book store for a writer. Here you find worthy books, interesting readings and events, and a place to sell your books.
Amherst Books is located at 8 Main Street in Amherst, MA. New Hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. You can order books online at books@amherstbooks.com) or by telephone (413-256-1547,
They believe, and so do I, that books and bookstores are essential, especially in times of crisis. Support them or your local bookstore.
A Suggestion for Writer’s Block
When I have writer’s block, I sometimes freewrite.
What is freewriting? A writing exercise in which you write quickly and continuously, with a free association of ideas.
Freewriting is a good technique to shut down your “inner censor” and let your writing flow. The idea is to put down your thoughts as they arise, without judging them, or the way in which they get expressed.
According to Peter Elbow, a founder of freewriting:
“If you want readers to breathe life into your writing so that they get a powerful experience from it, then you must breathe experience into your words as you write. I don’t know why it should be the case that if you experience what you are writing about–if you go to the bamboo–it increases the chances of the reader’s experiencing the bamboo. But that’s the way it seems to work.”
The basic technique is to simply write without stopping for a set amount of time, say 10 to 15 minutes. Don’t correct what you write. See what happens.
My latest collection of poetry is coming out soon. Check it out:
Touch My Head Softly by Eileen Kennedy – Finishing Line Press
When I have writer’s block, I sometimes freewrite.
What is freewriting? A writing exercise in which you write quickly and continuously, with a free association of ideas.
“The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” ― Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath
I don’t know how you deal with self-doubt and self-criticism, but I know that loving life helps.
In the midst of a pandemic, I know this is hard. But I have been trying to come up every day with something to be grateful for. I live in Western Massachusetts, which has some of the loveliest landscapes and lakes on the earth. I canoe with my partner often. I find focusing on nature is a great antidote. I have a porch that looks out on a beautiful meadow and even while I’m sitting in my study writing, I’ll go out to the porch and look at a tree or plant or flower.
My latest collection of poetry is coming out soon. Check it out:
Touch My Head Softly by Eileen Kennedy – Finishing Line Press
Do You Use Your Dreams in Your Writing?
I find since the pandemic, I have been dreaming a lot. I’ve been trying to use my dreams to generate new writing. I took a workshop about writing from dreams and it was really interesting,
I think the trick is to tap into that dream state without necessarily writing the dream literally. I may do a series of “dream” poems.
I am doing a zoom reading for the Straw Dog Writers Guild on Tuesday, October 6 at 7 pm as their featured reader. If you’d like to view, email wno@strawdogwriters.org for a link.
Reading September 3 at 6:30 pm
This reading is Arts Night Out for the Emily Dickinson Museum, September 3 at 6:30 pm. I will read with two other excellent writers, Cheryl J. Fish and Kathryn Holzman. I think I’m up third.
The Facebook event is here:
Here’s the link to my new book, Touch My Head Softly
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com
:
https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/touch-my-head-softly-by-eileen-kennedy/
Eileen P. Kennedy Author 