1 Writerly Thing I Love

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Howdy, Campers!

Happy Poetry Friday! My poem and the link to today's host are at the bottom.

Before we begin, I wanted to let you know about our 30-Day Boost Your Productivity Challenge, which starts on Monday, February 1st.  Read all about it here....and then join us!

Today I'm kicking off our series, Something I Love About Writing.  Our series could also be called These are a Few of My Favorite Things...

So--what is Something I Love About Writing? ...Surprise!  It's you guys! People I meet through this blog, classes, conferences, critique groups...the entire Kidlitosphere.

You're my Writerly Peeps.  You're one of my favorite things about writing. Here's an example of how you duck tape me together when I'm falling apart...

I am mucking through the thick mud of fear again surrounding my verse novel. 

Recently I wondered, What's the worst thing that could happen?  I asked this out loud around Barbara Bottner's magic table (see my poem about her magic table here.)

Barbara and our gang held onto the table (and me) as I swayed under the weight of that question. Then I knew. The worst thing that could happen is that I'll finish it but it will never get published. Or it will get published and go out of print, unnoticed. Or worse, it will be reviled by critics and readers.

Once I put it into words, my fear lost some of its power. Not all of it's power. But some.

I will finish my book, bundle it up, give it a lunch pail and send it out into the world. Then I will have my coffee and not worry about how it is doing out there. That's none of my business.

...with vanilla soy milk & stevia

 My Writerly Peeps. My besties.

Here are two more examples of how you keep me from throwing in the towel; then a poem; then we're done and you may go write for the rest of the day.

Example #1:

As some of you know, I write a poem a day and send it to my best friend. He, in turn, sends me his poem. Bruce can be brutally honest and I am grateful that he is. This week I sent him a poem about driving a truck up a mountain and wanting to park it. Hoping someone will come by to lead me up that dark, winding road. At the end of the poem I make it to the top but no one is cheering.

A poem about my fear, of course.

Here's what he wrote back:

This one is so powerful. It really is terrific.
Well done. 

And you are right in your thinking. What is the worst? It just means you have to do what you have to do. And we told students for a long time that you don't write for money or fame or accolades (though we want them desperately).
I will be at the top cheering for you.

See?

Example #2:

The other night I emailed a picture book to Barbara's group thinking it was pretty good, almost there...and they came back saying,"a mess...not working...unclear...possibilities..." The truly remarkable part of all this is that I could HEAR the rest of the comments. In the past, I would have heard "A mess..." and shut down in fear and shock, taking it as a confirmation that I am [doo-doo].

When I related this to Rebecca Gold, my other best friend and wonderful writer, she wrote back:

I love how you keep going and going and going .....

You're a REAL writer.

See?

So my favorite writing thing? My writerly peeps. Those who support me and tell me the truth.

And here's my poem (first you must sing the Oscar Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers lyrics to Favorite Things)

(Note that the box mentioned in the first verse was actually just delivered by UPS about 30 minutes ago. I got ten copies of New Year at the Pier and a nice note from my publisher saying that it's going OP. It'll stay in print on Kindle, of course, but bye-bye hardcover copies...*sigh*)

FAVORITE THING
by April Halprin Wayland
...with apologies to Hammerstein and Rodgers

Note: you must SING this. Out loud...I'll give you this hint:
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...
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As I am writing this list of my favorites
I hear a box landing out on the pavement.
Is it a box full of butterscotch mints?
No—it's my book that's just gone out of print.
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Five after midnight and I'm full of passion,
writing a book that I know I will cash in.
Next night my teacher says, "This is a mess."
All of the heads of her workshop shake...yes.

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When my brain says, "All your work reeks"
When I feel like [doo-doo]
I simply remember my writerly peeps
And put off the urge...to quit.
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poem and drawing copyright (c) 2016
by April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved.

Thanks for hosting Poetry Friday, Catherine, of Reading to the Core!

posted with love and a little too much coffee by April Halprin Wayland