Archive for the 'inspiration' Category

Page 2 of 5

Maintaining Calm in the Chaos

Published on November 29, 2010 in inspiration, Journaling, Journals, Musings, Writing for healing and Writing, journaling.

1 Comment

Last week I returned from a retreat in Arizona with my daughter, Regine. In addition to the joy of spending some time alone together, we took some amazing classes and were exposed to great strategies for coping with the stress of everyday living. Whether you live in a big city, small town or on a farm, at some time during your life you will be exposed to stress in a way where you need to reach out for strategies. It is hoped that this article will provide you with some necessary tools.

Whether you are a full-time writer, mother, wife, husband, educator, artist, care-provider or businessperson, establishing a sense of calm should be a vital part of your life incorporated in your every day. This can be accomplished by engaging in activities such as yoga, meditation, exercise or reading.

During our recent sojourn in Arizona, we did a lot of meditation and yoga. One of my favorite meditations done close to bedtime, was called, “Loving Kindness Meditation.” It is a 2,500 year-old mediation practice which uses repeated phrases of good will to evoke a feeling of friendliness and kindness towards ourselves and others – another good thing to do during this busy holiday season.

There are many mantras for this meditation, to be directed toward to yourself or a loved one undergoing a difficult time. The idea is to recite the words over and over again. The one I like best is from A Path With Heart by Jack Kornfield. It goes like this:

May I be filled with lovingkindness.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be happy.
May (a person I love) be filled with lovingkindness
May (a person I love) be well….

One of the books I bought at the retreat was called Instant Calm by Paul Wilson, which is an absolute gem. It consists of a collection of strategies to use during stressful times. It is a reference book to be kept on anyone’s shelf because it is packed with healing and calming techniques for every day. The book is divided into four sections —“Stress Versus Calm,’ ‘Instant Calm: The Techniques,’ ‘Longer-Term Calm Solutions ‘ and ‘Crisis.’ The book is basically about crisis control and the author’s impetus for writing the book was aspirin, which is something we all might reach for during difficult times, but really it has a temporary band-aid effect and is not longlastting.

Some people might choose to skip around and read the book as needed, but it is such a fast read that my suggestion would be to read it from beginning to end, because there is something to be gleaned from every page. The book is very well-organized and has fabulous illustrations for each particular calming technique.

In summary, the author believes that to practice calm you should master the techniques before you’re confronted with stress. He emphasizes the importance of breathing and knowing how to automatically access the skills he shares in the book. To do this he says, you must: be prepared, be patient, be positive and be practical.

Here’s a link to purchase the book now:

http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Calm-Easy—Use-Techniques/dp/0452274338/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1290463515&sr=8-8

Enjoy and be calm!

(Happy) Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Published on October 4, 2010 in Author Blog, Baby Boomers, breast cancer, cathartic writing, Health and Wellness, inspiration, New Book Release, writer blog, Writing for healing and Writing, journaling. Tags: , , , , , , , , .

1 Comment

Hello Girlfriends – this is your reminder that October is breast cancer awareness month. So if you are due for your self-breast exam or mammogram, now is the time!

Since my latest memoir, Healing With Words was released in June and also because I am a registered nurse, I cannot resist promoting health awareness. For those of you who journal, you might want to pick up a copy of the book, available on Amazon and bn.com as there are many journaling prompts and resources. In addition, the author proceeds are donated to the Mayo Clinic.

SOME FACTOIDS

  • If you are 40+ you should have a screening mammogram every year unless it’s suggested more frequently
  • Avoid scheduling a mammogram when you have tender breasts, i.e. the week before your period
  • Do not wear deodorant or powder when going for your mammogram
  • Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam (CBE) as part of a their health exam. This should be done at least every 3 years. After age 40, women should have a breast exam by a health professional every year.
  • Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer
  • The chance that breast cancer will be responsible for a woman’s death is about 1 in 35 (about 3%)
  • About 207,090 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women each year
  • About 54,010 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS) will be diagnosed (CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer)

SOME ORGANIZATIONS AND SUPPORT GROUPS (from Healing With Words)

American Breast Cancer Foundation

(877) 539-2543

www.abcf.org

American Cancer Society

(800) ACS-2345

www.cancer.org

BreastCancer.org

www.breastcancer.org

The Breast Cancer Fund

(415) 346-8223

www.breastcancerfund.org

Breast Cancer Network of Strength

(800) 221-2141

www.networkofstrength.org

California Breast Cancer Organizations

(530) 304-2746

www.cabco-org.us

Cancer Network

www.cancernetwork.com

Cancer Research Institute

(800) 99-CANCER

www.cancerresearch.org

Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Center

(443) 287-2778

www.hopkinsbreastcenter.org

International Cancer Alliance

(301) 656-3461

www.icare.org

Lance Armstrong Foundation

(877) 236-8820

www.livestrong.com

Living Beyond Breast Cancer

(888) 753-5222

www.lbbc.org

Mothers Supporting Daughters with Breast Cancer

(410) 778-1982

www.mothersdaughters.org

National Asian Women’s Health Organization

www.nawho.org

National Breast Cancer Coalition

(202) 296-7477

www.stopbreastcancer.org

National Cancer Institute

(800) 4-CANCER

www.cancer.gov

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

(888) 644-6226

www.nccam.nih.gov

National Cancer Coalition

www.nationalcancercoalition.org

National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship

(888) 650-9127

www.canceradvocacy.org

National Women’s Health Network

(202) 682-2640

www.nwhn.org

Native American Cancer Research

(800) 537-8295

www.natamcancer.org

Office of Minority Health Resource Center

(800) 444-6472

www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov

OncoChat

www.oncochat.org

Patient Advocate Foundation

(800) 532-5274

www.patientadvocate.org

Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation

(866) 569-0388

www.dslrf.org

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

(877) 465-6636

www.komen.org

Cancer Support Community

(888) 793-WELL

www.thewellnesscommunity.org

Young Survival Coalition

(877) YSC-1011

www.youngsurvival.org

Here’s to your health!

Have a great and remember whatever your experience, make sure to write about it in your journals and notebooks!

Cheers,

Diana

Journaling About and Coping With Toxic People

Published on August 30, 2010 in Author Blog, Creative Nonfiction, inspiration, Journaling and Journals. Tags: , , , , , .

5 Comments

“You can either give negativity power over your life or you can choose happiness instead.” Anais Nin

The week of the full moon always brings out interesting stories in my journal. On the morning of the full moon, I began writing about how to cope with toxic people. This is a term I started to use years ago, about the time I turned 45, at time when I decided that life is too short to surround myself with those who bring me down instead of building me up.

For those of you who have read my first memoir, Regina’s Closet: Finding My Grandmother’s Secret Journal, you know that even though my mother was the one responsible for giving me my first journal and who I will forever be indebted, to also put an indelible mark on my life. She was often prone to depression but her refusal to take medication resulted in her  becoming toxic to those around her. Unfortunately, I was one of the victims. Over the years I have learned to accept her and cope by putting a box around myself while in her presence, but there were times when her ways really hurt me.

So how does this affect you, my reader? Over the course of our lives, we meet hundreds or perhaps thousands of people. There are those who we connect with right away and others with whom we don’t. Sometimes there is chemistry and sometimes not. Some people are easy to be around, others you wouldn’t want to touch with a ten foot pole. We all know the feeling, but sometimes we tend to ignore what we are feeling down deep. Ignoring this feeling can get us into trouble or bring on unhappiness.

Those who negatively impact our lives are called, “toxic people.” I don’t remember where I first heard this term, but I understood it right away. They can be seen anywhere—in our local store, on airplanes, in foreign countries or even in our own family, but one thing is for sure – they are easy to spot. In general terms, they are unhappy, dislike their own lives and carry around a great deal of anger, resentment and bitterness. They seem to complain all the time and might even make you feel that it is your fault that things are not going well. Often, they seem happier after making you unhappy. You feel these traits when you are near them and if you are with them long enough, they could rub off on you.

Those with major depressive disease and/or bipolar disorder are more susceptible to toxic people because they are more easily triggered. I learned this in nursing school during my psychiatry rotation when I asked my mentor how I can tell if someone is depressed. She told me, other than listening to what they say, you can just feel it in their energy.  “When you are with them, you just feel down,” she told me. I have carried this nugget of wisdom with me for the rest of my life and it has served me well.

The other thing about toxic people, which my mother taught me through her actions, is that they often fling insults and hurt towards others. They can be condescending without even realizing it. Being with toxic people can really negatively affect your mental well-being, because they have the innate ability to ‘suck the joy out of life.’

One important thing to remember is that you cannot change someone else’s behavior, but you can adjust your own. Here are some possible ways to cope with a toxic person:

1)    Voice your concerns

2)    Avoid or minimize contact

3)    Try to bring joy into their lives

In summary, you can try to help toxic people, but if they don’t want to help themselves, it will be a losing battle and the best solution will be to just stay away. It will be good for your health.

I have done this quite knowingly with a few select people in my life and have never felt better!

TO MY DEVOTED READERS: There will be a blog, hiatus but I will be back on September 20th. In the meantime, be happy!

Writing About Difficult Subjects in Memoir

Published on August 16, 2010 in Author Blog, autobiographies, Creative Nonfiction, General Information, Healing With Words, inspiration, Memoir, Memory, writer blog, writing, Writing for healing and Writing, journaling. Tags: , , , , , , , , .

2 Comments

Writing memoir can be viewed as a sort of literary alchemy. It is one way to transform your unpleasant past into an art form. This exercise can be cathartic, painful and confusing—things to be aware of before setting down this path. Many people believe they have a story to share but have trouble deciding whether to actually write about it. I say, if the story feels like a knot in your stomach, then it is something you should write whether it’s for publication or not. If there is an internal yanking and feeling that you cannot go to your grave leaving this story untold. That’s pretty much how I felt when writing my two memoirs, Regina’s Closet and Healing With Words.

When you finally decide to tell your story, you should know that it may not be easy getting down to the emotional truth of your subject matter. Sometimes it’s much easier to skirt the deep dark traumas of our past and write about the glossy and lighter events which shaped us.

Yet, writing about trauma can be life-changing for both you and your reader. My advice is to be brave and it will pay off.  Your first draft should be raw and long. Remember to be simple in your thoughts. Tell the truth and be straightforward. You can edit in subsequent drafts. If you have endured difficult times, the good news is that you have survived well enough to be able to write about them.

In my reading on how other writers have coped with writing about difficult subject matter. Many writers suggest not to throw yourself a pity party on the page, but instead, focus on writing the facts. Leave the reader to make their own decisions. In general, readers don’t like the narrative to whine. It is a turn-off and ineffective, however, there is also nothing wrong with letting the reader feel uncomfortable. In fact, if they are, they might be inspired to write their own painful story. This would be a plus for everyone involved.

Many people continue to be haunted by painful wounds of childhood and writing has a tendency to set people free from the shackles. Some might try to write their memoir in the third person in an attempt to remove or distance themselves from the story, but more often than not, however, this does not work because the immediacy is often lost.

Some people ask how they can protect themselves and remain ‘sane,’ while writing their painful story. My answer varies depending upon the person. Psychotherapy might be the answer for you or having someone trustworthy you can talk to on a regular basis, whether it’s an editor or dear friend. It’s good to have someone to call in time of need, just for inspiration or to prod you along—someone to tell that you “can do it.” Some people lean towards writing groups for support, although I have never personally found them helpful, as often times instead of supporting one another’s literary works, participants use the forum to  destructively criticize one another’s work.

Art Spiegelman, the author of the graphic memoir, The Complete Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, says to protect himself from the pain of his past, he wears a bicycle helmet so that when he hits his head against the wall it doesn’t hurt so much. This reminds me of a fiction workshop I once took at the University of the Iowa where Jonis Agee suggested we wear masks while writing. This was a great way to become someone else.

In summary, if a subject is scary or feels dangerous the best thing to do is just write and deal with the post-traumatic stress situation afterwards. Sometimes when you write what you remember about an event, it is one way of separating yourself from it. In a way, you gain a sense of control over your old memory.

Blog Tour Exhaustion

Published on June 28, 2010 in Author Blog, breast cancer and inspiration. Tags: , , , , , .

2 Comments

I am on a book tour with my latest memoir/self help book, HEALING WITH WORDS: A WRITER’S CANCER JOURNEY and I am exhausted. But I haven’t even boarded an airplane yet. My state of exhaustion is probably a combination of planning for my daughter, Regine’s wedding on July 3rd and these two blog tours set up for me since the book’s release on June lst.

When the idea of a blog tour was first presented to me by my publisher and three publicity firms, I thought it was a great idea—a book tour from home, how cool, no suitcase, no boarding passes, no security checks or airport transfers.

What I quickly realized was that in many ways a blog tour is more tiring than a traveling book tour. The part I love about in-person book tours is greeting and meeting my readers, visiting interesting cities and writing in my favorite place, the airplane. This list does not include my favorite pastime of people-watching in airport terminals which supplies me with endless story ideas. One major advantage of the traveling book tour is that it gets the writer away from the computer and the seductiveness of the social network scene. Surely, you will agree that we spend far too much time on the computer and it is leading to an enormous amount of stress. In fact, a colleague of mine was recently diagnosed with psoriasis which is stress-related and for this very reason, her doctor prescribed an internet holiday!

During the course of my blog tour, I also realized that in addition to doing my creative work, the blog tour meant I would have to write answers to interview questions and sometimes even craft original material to be posted on the host’s blog site. I was also informed by one blog tour coordinator that many bloggers do not like reprints. I thought to myself—gosh, that’s a big demand of someone who doesn’t even paid for filling up the pages of a stranger’s blog!

Similar to a physical book tour—the blog book can make the author feel special by spotlighting an interview. But in no way does it match up to the charge an author receives by seeing a room full of people keenly listening and enthusiastically asking questions.
All this makes me wonder what the future holds for authors. Are we going to become even more isolated in our writing studios? Are we going to completely forget our social skills?

Does anyone have a crystal ball to provide me with answers? If yes, I would love to hear from you!

Writing About Family

Published on May 17, 2010 in Author Blog, Creative Nonfiction, General Information, inspiration, Memoir, Musings, writer blog and writing. Tags: , , , , .

7 Comments

As it turns out, May 16th is National Biographer’s Day and May 18th is National Relatives Day. I thought combining these two holidays would make a good subject for today’s blog.Ironically, tomorrow I will be visiting my family in New York to celebrate my son’s 21st birthday – so I’m doing exactly what Wikipedia says I should do—visiting relatives!

As a memoirist, the challenges of writing about family are constantly present. Many of my students who write memoir often express their fear of being sued. According to Judith Barrington in her book, Writing the Memoir, the chances of being sued are extremely low. For the most part, suing someone is extremely expensive.  Plus most people w considering the process might not want to bring any further attention to a potentially-embarrassing situation.

The dilemma for the writer is having the desire to do justice to their families, but also wanting to write a compelling story. The fact is, drama sells. A humor columnist friend of mine who frequently writes anecdotes about his wife or married life, clears his short pieces with her first. He is both wise and sensible to do this. It’s good to allow family members to review your writing prior to publication. Not only does it allow you to face your family with peace of mind, but it can also solicit an additional perspective which might also even strengthen your story.

No doubt, the most interesting characters are those who are spirited and who are willing and able to create conflict, the essential element that keeps a story compelling.  There are three types of conflict—conflict within the individual, conflict between individuals and conflict between an individual and society. The odds are that if your story doesn’t contain some type of conflict, either you don’t yet have a story or it will be a boring one.

If you are driven to write about family and fiction is not an option for you, then you must know your limits and boundaries within the world of nonfiction. There are three important things to remember: be as honest as you can, fact check, and preserve other people’s privacy. In any event, here are some terms you should be familiar with:

Defamation: This is damage to someone’s reputation, which includes damaging statements that are either slander (spoken) or libel (written).

Libel: This is being accused that a published statement is untrue. This can only be done by a living person. One way to avoid this charge is to alter character name, especially if you are saying something which can embarrass or invade a person’s sense of privacy.

Invasion of privacy: This is writing something about someone which they don’t want published and then sharing it publicly. This can include embarrassing, personal or misleading facts about a person which you might be obtained from a third party.

Copyright: Most writers are familiar with this infringement, but one thing I recently learned was that letters are copyrighted the second they are written, and that you cannot publish a letter without their permission.

Indeed, there are rewards when writing about family. You might have access to fascinating stories and details which could really sell and might not otherwise make their way out into the world. But, it’s important to be cautious and keep the following in mind:

Set boundaries for yourself; allow anyone mentioned in your writing to review the material and honor the fact that people are entitled to their privacy.

Boosting Your Creativity

Published on May 10, 2010 in Author Blog, cathartic writing, Creativity, General Information, inspiration, Journaling, Journals, Musings, Notebooks, Passions, writer blog, writing and Writing, journaling. Tags: , , , .

0 Comments

Whether you’re  a writer, artist or businessperson, chances are creativity is vital to some part of your profession. Some of you may already have tricks on how to tap into your creativity, but what I suggest is to start with keeping a notebook or journal or daybook, whatever you choose to call it. These days many people, especially those in my son’s Generation X, take notes on a computer or iPhone—but what I’m suggesting is to use the old-fashioned method of a notebook.

There are many books with directive learning modalities and tools to hold your hand through the process, such as Julia Cameron’s, The Artist’s Way and Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones, which provide a more in depth immersion into the process—both excellent resources.

However, here’s,  a free crash-course:

Buy a notebook or journal from a book store, pharmacy or grocery store. Choose your favorite pen. Put the date on top of the page. Do some longhand writing. Do some doodling or drawing. Whatever tickles your fancy. Stay in the moment. Write what is on your mind. You can start by writing, “Right now I am thinking about …” Let your words flow and if one thought leads to another or takes you in another direction, that’s fine too. There are no rules and spelling and grammar don’t matter.

It’s a good idea to make this a daily practice. You will see that your ritual will tap into your creativity. Writing is a great way to cultivate a constant flow of ideas. Feel free to include other people’s ideas in your writing. What you are doing is brainstorming on the page instead of in a conference room or sitting area.

Sometimes I journal in this way before beginning a new project thinking it might result in a new opening—but it often becomes what I call my ‘throat-clearing’ section which is typically discarded. It’s akin to piano scales, stretching before exercising or dashes before sports.

This free-writing gets rid of all the junk in your head—the neurosis, the deflating comments, the negativity. It’s difficult to be creative if this junk is kicking around your head creating all this unwanted noise. How can you create with noise, anyway?

Another bonus to writing is that it gives you some down time and quiets your mind—it can be meditative.

The page can also help you try out new ideas. It’s a place to write down the pros and cons. You can write, “What if …” to describe the various possible scenarios.  If you are not happy, write about what would bring a smile to your face and see if you can make that happen.

Most successful writers have ritual/s before they start their creative work, whether it’s getting rid of all the junk, getting a cup of coffee or answering emails. It’s your prep time. It’s a time for your muse to be invited into the wide open green pasture which has been cleared of its weeds.

The other great thing about having a notebook is convenience. How many times have you had ideas at the most unexpected times—walking the dog, working out, driving or at a dinner party. That’s the muse visiting you and even if you think you will remember the message, chances are you won’t. If you don’t have a notebook available, that thought will be a fleeting one.

Some other creative exercises:

1) Write about your most creative challenge. 2) Write about where you want to be in five years.

3) If you could be doing one thing now, what would it be? 4) Write a letter to someone who passed away.

The most important tip is to do is to write for at least 20 minutes. After you invite this routine into your life, you will see that it becomes sort of like an addiction – a healthy one. Imagine that!

The New Journal – Author Blogging

Published on April 26, 2010 in Author Blog, inspiration, Journaling, Journals, Musings, Passions, writer blog, Writers and Their Notebooks, writing and Writing, journaling. Tags: , , , .

2 Comments

Dear Reader ~

The art of being an author means that it is no longer enough to craft a compelling manuscript and submit to an agent or publisher. We are now told that no matter what the size of our publishing house we need to do our fair share of marketing.  We must now be excellent promoters of their work and with this revolution comes the relatively new interface of the author blog.

Over the years, my journals have been a conglomeration of personal and impersonal—

scribblings which sometimes lead to published work, but other times include lists of things to do and books to read. Now that some of my scribbles have gone public, I find myself a little more reflective. I try to keep my blog entries general enough so that those who are not authors will also find them stimulating, but those particularly interested in the writing life will gain some personal insight into their chosen field.

In general, there continues to be an intrigue and mystique associated with the writing life. I learned this while editing my last book, Writers and Their Notebooks (The University of South Carolina Press, 2010), and how fascinated readers are to hear about how the writer’s mind works. Even though we don’t get paid much, many people still say they would love to be a writer if they had time. In fact, yesterday I had lunch with a dear friend whose son asked her, “Mom, if you could be famous for anything what would it be?” She turned to him and in spite of working in a completely unrelated field, said, “I would want to be a famous writer.”

Surely everyone else’s grass looks greener, but if you love to read you probably would be proud to call yourself a writer. OK. I’m veering from the subject of blogging, but also making a point that there are different types of author blogs and it’s beauty is that it gives you a chance to ramble and muse. Alas, I have made a promise to my readers that my blog will never exceed 1000 words, and most often they hover around 700. Long blogs will loose readership. We simply all have too much to do.

Many authors already have blogs, but if you are considering one, here are some things you should know about the different types of blogs:

Daily Blog – Even though at first, this may seem like a wonderful idea because it inspires regular writing, these types of blogs are very difficult to maintain over a long period of time. The idea is that writing your blog should not be a chore, but something you actually look forward to doing. You also want to make them stimulating and interesting to read, unlike the journals you kept as a young child. In your first draft, you can start by writing, “Dear Diary,” and write from your heart, write about what really interests you and chances are it will also interest your readers. Then go back and cut what might not be interesting.

Weekly Blog – This is what I do, because a week’s time frame presents itself with enough material to filter through and find something captivating to write about. If nothing happened or sparked your interest in the past week, then write about something in the news which interests you. Write about what you’ve read. Write about a movie you saw.

Subject-directed blog – This is a good type of blog, particularly if you are a nonfiction writer who specializes in a particular topic, whether you’re a politician, scientist, activist, photographer, fashion designer, medical practitioner, painter or filmmaker. These types of blogs stir up the most controversy and will probably get the most comments.

Group Blogs – This is a good way to go if you are unable to make the commitment to a weekly blog. You might want to gather a group of authors together who write similar books and take turns blogging. If you choose this route, make sure you have a list of guidelines laid out in the beginning. In addition to my personal blog, I am a guest blogger and columnist on a few other blogs and I enjoy the occasional and refreshing nature of this arrangement.
What makes a powerful blog? This is an important question because unlike diaries, there’s really no use for a blog without readership. I suppose we should ask our readers, but many of mine have told me that they were just thinking about the subject I blogged about, which I guess means that my blogs are very timely. So here are some tips I live by which might help you:

1 – Have your finger on the pulse on the times.

2 – Let your personality shine through. Readers are attracted to passion in writing.

3 – Write well and compelling text. Sometimes a good writer can make an uninteresting story or life sound very interesting. It’s all in the writing.

4 – Update regularly. My readers expect my entries on Monday.

5 – Stay ahead of yourself. Typically I am one week ahead, just in case and I cannot blog on a Monday, I always have an entry in the hopper.

And the best news of all, (before this blog entry gets too long), is once in a while we hear that blogs can sometimes lead to a book contract – now wouldn’t that be a perk?

Typewriters, Then and Now …

Published on March 29, 2010 in Author Blog, General Information, inspiration, nineteen sixties and typewriters. Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

5 Comments

Ever since childhood, I have had this deep adoration and affection for typewriters.  Perhaps I owe this to my maternal grandmother who taught me to type on her Remington typewriter perched on the vanity in her room. Twenty years later, my first book was typed on a Smith Corona which sat on a homemade desk my husband built for me during my bed-ridden pregnancy. I can still feel the residue on my fingers from the little white out sheets used to correct my inevitable typos.

Those of you who have visited my website, know my splash page features a typewriter and if you’ve visited my writing studio, you cannot help but notice the assorted collection of retired typewriters. At a recent meeting with a colleague in New York  I learned that there are others with this deep-seated affection. My colleague directed me to a website called, “The Classic Typewriter Page,” http://bit.ly/9rKFR3. The site states that typewriters in their original form date back to 1714, however, the actual concept of the writing ball dates back to 1870 when the pin-cushion-resembling ball was released by Malling Hansen.  In 1873, the Sholes & Glidden typewriter was launched  resulting in capital letter typing and the introduction of the QWERTY keyboard which we are still familiar with today.

As a writer, it’s fascinating to hear about other writers and their typewriters. I recently learned that Mark Twain claims to have been the first well-known writer to have submitted a completed typed manuscript to a publisher. Hunter S. Thompson used a typewriter until his death in 2005. Some writers, such as Cormac McCarthy still use a typewriter. In fact, he’s written all of his novels on an Olivetti , which he has been using since 1963. Supposedly in 2009, his original typewriter was auctioned at Christie’s for $254,500. He ended up buying a new one for a mere $20 to continue his writing. David Sedaris is another author who still uses a typewriter, up until the release of his essay collection, Me Talk Pretty One Day (2000).  Isn’t it interesting that my research has revealed only male writers? If anyone has any insight into this phenomenon, I would love to hear it!

Happy International Women's Day !

Published on March 8, 2010 in Author Blog, General Information, inspiration, Uncategorized, writing and Writing, journaling. Tags: , , , .

3 Comments

Today, we celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women and  indeed, we have so much to celebrate.

First and foremost, how wonderful it was to see Kathryn Bigelow make history last night by being the first female director in the 82-year history to win the Academy Awards and on top of that it was for a war movie. Bravo Bigelow! Yesterday also marked the death of the oldest living person in the United States, Mary Josephine Roy, who was a sports-loving, card-playing woman and if you can imagine, was born before Henry Ford built his first car. In the end, she outlived her husband by forty years, had two sons, eight grandchildren, thirteen great grandchildren and five great-great children. Now that is quite a legacy, don’t you think?

International Women’s Day has been celebrated since 1911—even  before women were allowed to vote.

Today, in my journal I am going to take some time to reflect on the most influential women in my own life, both alive and dead.

TO ALL YOU MALE READERS– I just read that in Great Britain, male cosmetic sales are growing at twice the rate of those in the female market. There has been talk about males wanting to keep up and keep young. Perhaps you are all getting ready for your big day – International Men’s Day to be celebrated November 19 — so don’t fret, you will have your turn!

Namaste!