Goal setting.

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The focus in 2016 is to not allow my intermittent trickle of creative work get subsumed under the rising tide of other things – the day job and other general life stuff that inundates my existence.

To continue doing what makes me happy in terms of writing and creativity, and not what I feel like I should or shouldn't be doing…according to writing world, academia, friends, family, or others. I finally found my voice in 2015, and I don’t plan on shutting up just because that voice doesn’t match what’s popular in modern writing.

To create with purpose and goals, but not to let them become the master of me.

What are your goals – creative or other?

About Online Writing Courses.

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On her blog, Christi Craig offers some thoughts on choosing online writing courses. I have been thinking about taking some online writing courses to jumpstart my literary workrate...so these five points to consider are helpful and timely...hopefully you find them useful as well.

http://christicraig.com/2015/12/16/5-elements-to-consider-in-choosing-an-online-writing-course/

Productivity.

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Secondhand Inspiration: Writers of the World

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Check out bestselling novelist Warren Adler’s new website Writers of the World, an archive of personal essays from different writers about their creative processes. It is sure to inspire and motivate. And if you are so inclined, you can also submit your own personal story about why you write.

http://www.warrenadler.com/writers-of-the-world/

Kansas City Voices.

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Volume 13 of the literary journal Kansas City Voices is available for purchase. Kansas City Voices’ mission is to support artists and inspire new voices to contribute to the growing cultural conversation. They publish an annual eclectic mix of fiction, essays, interviews, articles, poetry, and art.

Among the works included in Volume 13 is my prose poem “No Black People Were Harmed in the Making of this Poem,” a poem touching on past and present day atrocities that America has inflicted on African-Americans. This is my second appearance in this journal, and I appreciate the chance to contribute. Thanks to editor Jessica Conoley and the staff at Kansas City Voices for deeming my work worthy of publication.

Apathy.

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Writing when you feel like…meh.

It is something all writers face - what do you do when it’s time to write and you just don’t feel like it? For those moments when you just aren’t feeling motivated, here are seven remedies for writer’s apathy, from a posting on the BookBaby blog. I plan to use this advice for my own writing endeavors – maybe you can, too.

http://blog.bookbaby.com/2015/09/7-remedies-for-writers-apathy/?utm_campaign=BB1546&utm_source=BBeNews&utm_medium=Email&spMailingID=49982702&spUserID=MTQyNDU5NjkyMzI5S0&spJobID=801389160&spReportId=ODAxMzg5MTYwS0

Flame: The Lost Art of Listening

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“The word listen contains the same letters as the word silent.” –Alfred Brendel

I am usually a decent listener. But yesterday I missed a statement by a co-worker that could’ve saved me two extra hours of work. Which would have translated to more time to write, workout, do errands, etc. I will never get those two hours back.

People don’t listen. They fail to keep their ears and eyes open, and this can leave them out of the game. Listening is like intelligence; everyone thinks they’re above average, even though that’s impossible.

We focus on formulating their response rather than listening to someone’s complete thoughts. Or fidgeting with smartphones instead of committing to conversation. Or passing judgement on the front end of a compound statement, not letting a person get to part where they agree with our sentiments.

I’m not pretending that I’m a perfect listener – as admitted at the start of this post, I fall into these traps, too. But I see this whole thing as the biggest bit of folly in modern society.

I get it - life is busy. It whirls by faster each day, and we never have a chance to catch up. We try to accomplish a billion things at once, and sometimes it works out. But active, effective listening isn’t something you can do on the fly. It requires a devoted, conscious effort.

The point of this rant - I am rededicating myself to shutting up and listening. I believe it will help me in my daily life, as well as enhance my writing. Will you join me on this endeavor?

The Talking Stick Volume 24

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I wanted to mention that my poem "On the Occasion of My Untimely Demise" has been published in this year’s volume of The Talking Stick. I was also blessed that this piece won first prize in the poetry category this year. Many thanks to the staff of The Talking Stick and also to judge Laura Hansen for this treasured opportunity.

Published by The Jackpine Writers’ Bloc, The Talking Stick is a Minnesotan collaboration of poetry, creative nonfiction and fiction and awards a cash prize in each category. It is written and entirely produced by writers who at least have close ties to Minnesota.

Also included in this volume of The Talking Stick is my short story called "Brandy and Merlot." I'm proud of this piece because it's a big departure from what I usually do in fiction. The story is primarily dialogue driven and is much quirkier than my usual...especially since it features a talking pet as a major character.

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend The Talking Stick 24 book release party on September 19, 2015 near Park Rapids, MN. I enjoyed the energy of the sixty or so people there and the chance to read my prizewinning poem, as well as listen to all the great work of the diverse contributors to the journal.

It doesn’t look like Volume 24 is available yet for purchase online, but it will likely be soon. If you are looking for a good read, it would be worth checking out.

http://thetalkingstick.com/

http://www.jackpinewriters.com/