River Rafting and Gnats

So what the heck do river rafting and gnats have to do with writing? A lot. Words are like that, you know. Sometimes they flow at 13,000 cfs and sometimes they hover in the air and bite once in a while. I find each day is new when I pick up my pen. Somedays I get muscle cramps because the words come so quickly I can't hardly keep up and other days I am struggling to pick them out of the air and have them take up residence on the page. What is that all about? Is it hormones, biorhythms, lunar cycles, a bit of undigested beef???? Who knows. It is what it is, so go with the flow so to speak. On days that you are plucking them out of the air like an amateur guitarist, don't get frustrated, just let them come in fits and starts and when they are flowing, well happy days! I believe every book writes itself and so the its rhythm may not be your rhythm, relax and let it happen. Happy days!

Writing Backwards

It's weird to think about aging. Instead of a biological clock ticking it's our lifespan clock taking pieces of us and scattering them to the winds. In my case they are adding to the sandstone of the Colorado National Monument in my backyard. I've read about the insidious nature of time passing but the reality is so much more, well, real. My neck is crinkly, my eyes can barely been seen beneath the droop of the lid, I can't go 24/7 like I used to (this, I think, is a positive), and my feet are trashed. I was a runner, 5ks, 10ks and a couple of short court triathalons - now I'm happy to walk. So what's the point of all this whining, you ask? I can think of a million reasons - seeking wisdom, advising the young to appreciate youth, accepting my aging body, gaining a sense of humor, looking for grace, honoring all women of age but I think really it comes down to mortality. I am and you are - Finite! We, like a good story, have a beginning, a middle and an inevitable end. Stephen Covey said "write your epitaph" if you want to know how to live your life. Start with the end and work backwords. What do you want to be remembered for - this changed my life because I didn't want to be remembered for being a good project manager. So I quit and wrote a book and am working on two more. Think about it - it might just work for authors. Start with your last chapter and write in retrograde like running a movie in rewind.

Happy Writing!

Survival

I am a member of the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) and Director of the Western Slope Chapter in western Colorado. Last Saturday we had a panel discussion with bookstore buyers and librarians. It focused on how small press/self-published books can get on the shelf. The panelists were great and had lots of good information for us but the thing that struck me the most was the difficulty independent bookstores have maintaining a stable financial picture. Every book counts and if they are not selling they can't keep them on the shelf - makes sense. Competing with the big box stores is a full time job for these shops. We lost our only independent bookstore in Grand Junction and it was a sad day.

What does the independent bookstore offer? For me they offer a chance to browse shelves in comfort, a friendly and familiar face, and conversation . There is just a different atmosphere. I am far more likely to engage another customer in a small bookstore as opposed to a big box customer - this may be idiosyncratic. I love the smell of books which is missing from corporate stores which have been sanitized. I like the feeling of community that permeates the air. I have also found that as a self-published author, these bookstores are far more welcoming. I had a book signing in Ridgway, Colorado at the Cimarron Bookstore and Coffee House and it was wonderful. Priscilla, the stores owner, is kind and encouraging, and her store is a delight.

I think there are a few things, we as writers, can do. First, don't shop the big boxes either in person or online. I learned that most independent stores now have an online presence and you can order through their website and support their independence. I had not thought of that and have decided that going forward, I will buy books only from independent stores. I encourage all in the book community to do the same. You can also "adopt" an independent store and refer all your book sales to them. One writer is doing this and is refering business to Off the Beaten Path in Steamboat Springs and it is working well. Leslie and Dick Ryan own and run this well-known independent store and were part of the panel previously mentioned. The Tattered Cover in Denver is also a good choice. Whatever store you choose, make it an independent one.

So, I would love to hear other ways in which we can support independent bookstores. Please send your ideas by commenting on this blog.