The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Monday, January 26, 2015

Editing and Performing

       Yesterday I saw an interview with Jodi Picoult. Her newest novel (number 22) is Leaving Time. It has two storylines--one about a missing mother and one about elephants. Picoult traveled to one of the two elephant sanctuaries in the U.S. (Tennessee; the other is in California) and she also went to Botswana to work with a woman who studies elephants in the wild.

       If you know Jodi Picoult's books, you know there is going to be some twists and turns, and you also know you're going to learn something--in this case, a lot about elephants. In her past books her readers benefitted from her research on the Amish, wolves, and various medical conditions.

       In the interview, she said "You can edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page."  She also talked about the limited amount of writing time she had when her kids weren't in school yet. She learned to write in spite of it. When her kids were all in school, she had most of the day to write--it was such a luxury--and now doesn't consider "writer's block--a valid thing, since she became so adept at writing in small snatches of time.

       As far as performing... It might not be too late to submit to the Listen to Your Mother show that's nearest to you. The St. Louis show's deadline for submissions is February 16. They are looking for stories that fall under the "motherhood" umbrella, so even if you don't have any kids, you have/had a  mother, and they might even snap at a story about your four-legged babies. If you're not in the St. Louis area, find out where the nearest show is going to be (it's always around Mother's Day) and submit...

         How about you? Do you have lots of bad pages now or lots of blank pages? And are you going to submit to your local Listen to Your Mother show? If not, why not? Pushy minds want to know...

14 comments:

  1. What a great quote! I have several new pages this month. Counting all poems and stories I have about 15 submissions made including a brand new war poem written this month. I hope I get some validation. Money would be nice too though!

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    1. Claudia--15 submissions? Wow! (Money's always nice. :)

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  2. I don't buy "writer's block" either.

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    1. Shay--Well, I like to blame something--blame anyone but myself.

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  3. Writer's block isn't my problem, it's making myself sit down and work.

    I've never submitted to Listen to Your Mother and still am not planning to do it. However, I'm looking forward to hearing all about your successful story!

    Pat
    Critter Alley

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    1. Pat--I have the same problem. Once I get my rear end down and start working, I'm usually in fairly good shape.

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  4. Ten submissions and I am now taking a break. I like to reenergize. I have lots of bad and blank pages also and a few poems I am toying with.

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  5. Lots of blank pages. Not from writer's block. From writer's clock. Not enough time, what with listening to my own mother when I visit her four times a week, now that she's out of commission. I figure that's something I will never regret.

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    1. Val--You are right. Time spent with your mother will never be something you regret. Enjoy her while she's still here...

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  6. Never met a blank page I didn't like. (But I've got a ton of stinky pages I'll probably kick to the curb.) :-)

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    1. Cathy--Be careful. I did that and got a ticket for littering. ;)

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  7. Writer's block was something I assumed was a real thing, and then I read the Stephen King quote, "Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration. The rest of us just get up and go to work." I won't speak for anyone else, but for myself, that was a major mental head slap. I looked at my own writing habits and realized that by King's definition I was an amateur. I didn't want to be an amateur, I wanted to be a pro. So I quit waiting for inspiration and just went to work. And an amazing thing happened. No more blank pages, but lots of writing, which ultimately spelled "opportunity." (But as Cathy said, plenty of stinky-and-must-be-revised pages.)

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    1. Said Lisa, who has the first of three books coming out this Spring...

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