Let’s Start a Nano-Palooza!

Posted on by Ashley Harris

This month I was honored to pen the introduction to the November newsletter for Women on Writing, the prestigious and inspirational writing community. I’m reprinting it here, in the hopes that my fellow writing friends will take advantage of National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo).

I was a skeptic. To put it mildly. In other words, I was the ultimate NaNoNayer (NaNo-Naysayer ☹). The idea had always seemed a little silly to me. Why write my heart out in November when technically I could do that all year long? And what’s with all the badges, tools, and community building? As an adult, I should be able to manage myself without all the hoopla, right? Besides, I wasn’t working on a novel anyway.

The truth is that I didn’t write my heart out all year long. And I couldn’t manage myself. In fact, among freelancing, taking care of three dogs, tending a garden, volunteering at church, and the normal kerfuffle of life, it was all I could do to set aside a few hours a week to finish a single essay. I needed a little push. In fact, I had been talking so long about finishing my memoir that the eyes of my writer friends glazed over every time I brought it up. So, when I found out that NaNoWriMo isn’t just for novelists, I decided to give it a try.

All writers, whether novelists, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, essayists and memoirists, are welcome at NaNoWriMo. In fact, anyone aiming to write 50,000 words toward any project will find something of value at NaNoWriMo, from motivation and accountability to making new friends and gaining new skills.

Last November, I cleared my calendar and finally started pulling together the pieces I planned for my book, which would be a memoir in essays exploring love, faith, and healing. Although I’d already written many of the pieces, I had never seen them all together in the same file. Doing so gave me the opportunity to look at them as a unit, edit and tighten, as well as plan new bridge essays to cover any holes. I also created a framework that tied together the chronological arc of the narrative—my seven years of growing cherries. Before November ended, I even had time to begin drafting a few of the new pieces. Along the way I logged onto NaNoWriMo regularly, joined a regional group, and began checking in, and lo and behold, the word count on my dashboard started to tick up and up and up! It was a true NaNo-palooza!

At the end of the month, the momentum continued. Over the next year, I concentrated on finalizing my new essays and wrote even more, ending up with a total of 22. Later, I turned back to my behemoth of a manuscript, and that’s when I re-discovered my draft framing document. This turned into the four thematic sections of “Plant,” “Believe,” “Pollinate,” and “Love,” and presto, I suddenly had a table of contents and my essays became actual chapters. Thanks to NaNoWriMo, I now have a 200-page manuscript that I’m currently circulating among my writing partners and will be submitting for publication.

Are you a diehard NaNoficionado? Or like me, are you on the fence? Either way, the tips in this column are meant to help you take advantage of NaNoWriMo and meet your own writing goals.

Think big. As mentioned before, you don’t have to use this time to write a novel, but you sure can. This is perfect for writers like me who have a short story that yearns to be a novella or longer. Maybe you have a juicy flash fiction that’s just itching to be part of a collection. Or a poetry chapbook. Perhaps you have an essay collection, or a memoir, or like me, maybe both. Whatever you’re working on, take it to the limit, and imagine what you might do with 50K words. As for me, it wasn’t the writing itself that intimidated me. I suffered from the age-old commitment phobia. But once I gave myself permission to think BIG and actually envision my work as a book, the writing itself was easy.

Go a little wild. Consider your NaNoWriMo experience as your personal sandbox. This is your chance to break personal boundaries and do something new. For example, you could try writing in second person or maybe in present tense. Or perhaps you could branch out and turn a nonfiction article into the background for a novel or short story. Or shift a poem into an essay, one of my favorite “makeovers.” In my case, I literally went a little wild. With the title, that is. Calling my book “Cherry Wild, a Memoir in Essays” sets the tone from the beginning, reinforcing the theme of my reconnection with nature.

Quash the critic. The critic inside my head was NOT invited to my NaNoWriMo. While she will come in handy as I finetune my synopsis and coalesce all the feedback, I promptly kicked her out the door during my brainstorming and writing sessions. During the month of November, make sure that your creative and imaginative writer self is firmly in charge, NOT the critical editor. Send her on a month-long cruise! See ya later, you naughty infiltrator!

Meet a new writer. While you can easily connect with friends who are also part of NaNoWriMo by sharing your usernames, you can also meet new writers. In the “My Community” tab, you will find both discussion forums and regional groups to join. NaNoWriMo also sponsors specialized virtual meet-ups for writers of similar backgrounds or interests. 

Check in. Not only did I enjoy entering my word count into my dashboard and watching it rise, I loved keeping tabs on the progress of my writer friends. Witnessing their successes inspired me to work that much harder, and vice versa. Under the “My NaNoWriMo” tab you’ll see links to “My Buddies.” Here is where you can easily see the word counts of your friends and compare theirs to your own.

Get support. This year NaNoWriMo offers more support than ever before, from yoga for writers to guidance on all genres, from fiction to memoir. The “Resource Hub” (under the “Writer’s Resources” tab) is your headquarters for support, including pep talks from celebrated writers and links to writing tips and exercises to keep your creative juices flowing. 

Celebrate! Once you begin reaching your writing goals, you’ll automatically rack up badges for important milestones, such as the 5K and 40K word marks. You can also award yourself a bevy of personal achievement badges for efforts such as planning, “pantsing,” and eureka moments. In addition, you may expect frequent kudos from your writing buddies, which will also keep you motivated every step of the way.

Ready to dive in? I hope so! My NaNo handle is “memwarrior” and I’d be honored to be your writing buddy. I hope to get some traction on a couple of new projects, including a creepy seaside novella. But if you’re still not sure, check out NaNo Prep, which offers a crash course in essential elements such as story development and time management.

For more inspiration, including craft articles, interviews and markets for submission, check out the complete WOW newsletter.

No matter where you are in your writing journey, I wish you all the best, and I hope you write your heart out this November. 

Nothing Ever Happens Around Here

Posted on by Ashley Harris

When I first moved from an urban area to the wilds of Randolph County, what I believed was the middle of nowhere, I admit to being a little concerned. Would I make new friends? What about my favorite chain restaurants, not to mention the malls? What about the silence? The scenery? What if the all the green fields just blended together into monotony? And most importantly, what would I write about? What if nothing ever happens around here?

Six years later, I can truly say that none of my worst fears came to pass. I’ve made plenty of friends, many of whom are farmers, and I’ve learned just what these fields can do. One of my friends even raises donkeys, and recently I held my first 5-day old donkey jack! I also keep in touch with cherished friends from far away as New York City through Zoom and other platforms.

Meet Baby Copper–just 5 days old and 25 pounds!

It is not quiet in the country. Oh no. The birdsong here is deafening, from the wood thrush to the pileated woodpecker soaring overhead with his eerie primeval cry. We’re close to the local airport, so there’s always a new whir circling overhead. A special thanks to Mom, who introduced us to the terrific flightradar24 app, so now we know that the Boeing overhead came from Atlanta and is on its way to Liege, Belgium! So much for being in the middle of nowhere. My pilot grandfather would definitely approve.

Meet Max, my new work-out routine!

Boredom remains the least of my worries. In fact, I was more bored in the city! We’ve had at least one fugitive in the woods, two rattlesnakes (this year alone), a stranded racoon, and just recently, a stray Siberian Husky pup came our way.

I don’t miss the malls at all, which is a good thing since the pandemic seriously altered the world of shopping. And nobody here cares about fashion anyway — it’s more about comfort! As for the fancy restaurants, I’d rather live three miles from from my beloved niece, who sends me a text such as “Hey, can I come over and make pumpkin cheesecake cookies with you?”

Cooking is just one of the things I’ve found to write about, and there’s been so many more, from sewing and building to gardening and butterflies. In fact, if there were any more going on around here, I wouldn’t have time to sleep!

For the next few months, I’ll be concentrating on my memoir, a project that I hope will blend together many of my experiences through the years. So for this reason, I hope it slows down here just a little bit.

Clacking Away in the COVID-19 Quarantine….

Posted on by Ashley Harris
Typos? No problem! Just keep writing…..(Pictured: A 1957 Smith-Corona Electric Portable typewriter)

How are you spending your time these days? If you’re like me, you’re alternating between enjoying brief moments in the sun and trying to write your way through this pandemic.

Today, a terrific advocacy group dedicated to redefining narratives around disability, mental health, and chronic illness kindly published “How a Writer with Multiple Sclerosis Finds Unexpected Gratitude with an Antique Typewriter,” which is my story of how I’m using the extra time to find new ways to think, and hopefully improve my writing.

I’ve set a goal of writing two new poems each day on an old typewriter, and I have to say, it’s very refreshing to just clack away and not worry about typos or grammatical lapses. The kind of things best left to my inner critic, who takes an extended coffee break during these times.

In other news, I was recently honored to be asked to write a monthly marketing column for Women on Writing, my favorite writing community. This column is focused on writing inspiration and market listings for writers of all genres, from poetry to fiction to memoir. The newsletter is free, and if you’d like to start receiving it, you can easily subscribe by entering your email address into the box on the right at the top of the website.

Additionally, I’m taking a training course on the technicalities of teaching online classes, something I’d like to try in the future. As much as I adore leading in-person classes at Central Carolina Community College in Pittsboro, these times cry out for a new way for people to learn from the safety of their homes. And I’m all for that. It might be a stretch for me, but as I’ve learned by experimenting with my typewriters, it’s always good to branch out in some way.

Please stay safe (and sane), and of course, keep telling your story!

Biscuits Help Each Other Rise!

Posted on by Ashley Harris

biscuit1On Saturday, I had the pleasure of spending my morning with an enthusiastic and especially curious group of women writers at Charlotte Lit. What a vibrant organization! I can’t say enough about the leadership and students at Charlotte Lit. They have built an enviable powerhouse of writing, and are truly dedicated to helping each other succeed.

The topic of our discussion was how to share your writing with the world. While self-publishing continues to be a vital force in the writing world, no question, I believe it’s still worthwhile to submit your writing for publication by others–whether to contests, commercial or literary magazines.

Why? First, you’ll get to know so many other wonderful people, whether at public readings or just by getting to know them by reading their work. You’ll also meet talented editors, who will happily help your shape your work and promote your writing. And among all your new writing friends (at Charlotte Lit and beyond), you can help each other. As Martha Stewart once said, quoting another baker whose name escapes me, the reason we put biscuits together in a pan is because they help each other rise.

Second, and equally important, is that when you write for publications and contests, you also grow as a writer. Yes, you have to be brave enough to stand the occasional rejection, but you can learn so much about yourself and the wider world of writing, that it’s well worth it. The motivation to improve will invariably result in acceptances, I promise, and by sharing your words and experiences with the world, you’ll expand your community that much more. And, ahem, at the risk of repeating myself too much, we know that biscuits help each other rise, right? 🙂

Have you submitted yet? If you haven’t, give yourself a New Year’s goal of submitting one piece of writing at least once every month in 2020. And remember, in the words of Harriet Beecher Stowe: “Never give up. Because that is just the place and time where the tide will turn.”

In the meantime, I encourage you to lean on each other for help and accountability. Choose a “submission buddy” and check in with that person regularly just to make sure you’re meeting your goals, if nothing else. Share your writing with each other and ask for suggestions on where you might submit your work. Most importantly, celebrate each other’s successes.

And if you missed Saturday’s workshop, no fear, I’ll be offering an extended version of the same one (with even more writing time and new markets for publications!) at Central Carolina Community College in Pittsboro on April 25.

Remember, I am rooting for you. Because, okay, last time, I promise. Biscuits help each other rise. 😊

 

Wobbling the World at Charlotte Lit

Posted on by Ashley Harris

charlotte litIf you felt the world wobble on Saturday, October 12, you may have felt the reverberation of laughter, tears, even the tiny buzz of collective endorphins circling the table at the Charlotte Center for Literary Arts, Inc. (or Charlotte Lit).

This was the third time I’ve had the pleasure of leading a workshop on flash essays, (previously at Central Carolina Community College and the Joyful Jewel, both in Pittsboro) and Saturday brought a special delight. The cheerful space at Charlotte Lit (a former school), the hospitality of our hosts, and the enthusiasm of the writers who attended brought a vibrant energy that continues to inspire me in my own work.

But it doesn’t end there! On January 4, 2020, the momentum continues, as we explore the submission of our writing (whether essays, poetry, or fiction) to contests and publications. There are still a few spaces left, so I hope you join us and learn more about how to Share Your Writing With the World.

Nothing makes me happier than being around other writers and encouraging them to find their voices. I’m currently polishing up a busy spring schedule of other events, so please continue to visit my Events page for the very latest.

And I’ll share a secret. Shhh….on March 7, I’m doing a brand new workshop at Central Carolina Community College on the most radical technique I’ve ever shared. (Hint: Ever wanted to write a complete short story in just one day?) You might just feel an earthquake with this one.

 

Hello July: Berries, Weeds…and a Lunar Eclipse!

Posted on by Ashley Harris

blackberrySummer is here. No question. The dog days of August arrived early this year. Trust me. With two canines lying flat on their sides on the cool concrete of the porch, too enervated to even wag their tails at me, I know it’s true.

I can’t complain too much. After all, July is my birthday month (the 6th!) AND our anniversary month (the 7th!) and…. the month of berries and freestone peaches. Hurray! July also brings back that cherished, although awkward, memory of the lunar eclipse of 1982. Anybody else remember that? I boiled down that long-ago experience into an ultrashort flash essay that Mental Papercuts just kindly published in their Issue 1.5, Weird Summer Vibes. If you’re hankering for wildly creative, off-the-wall summer stories that may bring back memories of your own, please check it out.

Three poems of mine also appeared today, more writing inspired by the summer. “What the Weeds in My Yard Taught Me About Social Justice” and “September Raspberry” bloomed in the Summer 2019 issue of Gyroscope Review. And “Pulling Up the Wild Blackberry Bushes” just unfurled in the July issues of the gorgeous O.Henry and Pinestraw magazines, both of which are distributed in locations across the state.

As a reminder to all my writer friends, July also marks the halfway point for what we hope will be a productive year of writing. Now’s the time to start penning, gulp, other seasonal pieces (think: Halloween and Christmas) and most importantly, setting goals to improve.

Chinese fortune cookies are fun, not always prescient, but they can be surprisingly profound. Here’s one just for you. Of all our human resources, the most precious is our desire to improve.

So what are you doing to get better? For me, it means leading two workshops this summer at The Joyful Jewel because I learn as much, if not more, from my fellow workshop participants as they do from me! It also means taking a memoir class led by Dorit Sasson through Women on Writing, my favorite space for online writing classes.

I’m a little nervous because I’m new to the field of memoir (and a beginner in the world of creative nonfiction) but the good news is that I’ve got lots to learn. This means I’ll never be bored!

Stay cool, eat your berries, and set your own improvement goals!

Ashley

 

 

Enhance your writing with cherries

Posted on by Ashley Harris

cherries.jpgJust today I learned that my flash fiction “Aunt Zelia’s Untested Wild Cherry Love Potion” earned honorable mention in the Fall 2018 Women on Writing Quarterly Flash Fiction Contest!

In this tale of “love gone wrong-maybe gone right-with a little magic”  I tried my best to infuse the language with highly sensuous details. It helps that the story includes cherries, my favorite fruit.

When you want to enhance your own writing with lush details from all five senses, try to include references to things that already inspire you. And when you need to add emotional tension, draw from circumstances that stir up your own angst. It’s easy for me to write about young love because I remember those times so vividly and it’s cathartic (at least now!) to return to that highly charged state of passion and bewilderment.

It’s a little early for fruit, but my fledgling cherry trees are getting ready to unfurl new leaves, which hopefully bodes well for this year’s crop. As they fortify themselves, I’ve been planning an exciting lineup of new workshops this spring and summer. With offerings from poetry to flash essays, I’m hoping you’ll find something to stoke your own imagination. Each workshop is designed to help you cull sensory details from your own lives.

Friday, March 15 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Jumpstart Your Poetic Imagination at The Joyful Jewel in downtown Pittsboro, N.C. You can find inspiration for poetry everywhere—from the news to artwork to your daily life and memory. We’ll study sample poems and then participate in fun exercises meant to spark your own imagination. Not only will you end up with three new poems of your own, you’ll leave with an inventory of ideas for future works. You may even pen a poem inspired by the stimulating art work on display in The Joyful Jewel and participate in the Visions and Voices Reading on April 14! To register, call The Joyful Jewel, 833-2775, 10:30am-5:30pm Monday through Saturday or Sunday 12pm-4pm. Cost: $50.

Saturday, April 13 from 9.a.m – 3 p.m. – Flash Fiction Bootcamp II. Think you don’t have time to write? Anybody has time for flash fiction, and by the end of this workshop, you’ll have five finished stories. (This workshop is a continuation of the popular Flash Fiction Bootcamp I) but is open to new as well as returning students and features entirely new prompts and readings. Atten-hut! Central Carolina Community College Creative Writing Program in Pittsboro, N.C. Register here. or by calling (919) 545-8044. Cost $50.

Friday, July 12 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Flash Fiction Bootcamp I. The Joyful Jewel in downtown Pittsboro, N.C. Think you don’t have time to write? Anybody has time for flash fiction, and by the end of this abbreviated workshop, you’ll have at least two finished stories. Bring your favorite writing gear (notebook and pen/pencil or laptop) and get ready for new prompts, new inspiration, and instant feedback. Atten-hut! To register, call The Joyful Jewel, 833-2775, 10:30am-5:30pm Monday through Saturday or Sunday 12pm-4pm. Cost: $50.

Friday, July 26 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Flash Creative Nonfiction and Essay. The Joyful Jewel in downtown Pittsboro, N.C. Interested in turning your life experiences into flash memoirs or short essays? Explore this exciting  new creative form that brings your experiences to life in a variety of dynamic formats. By the end of this workshop, you’ll have two finished short essays. To register, call The Joyful Jewel, 833-2775, 10:30am-5:30pm Monday through Saturday or Sunday 12pm-4pm. Cost: $50.

Keep checking my events page as I add to this list throughout the season with even more workshops. In the meantime, surround yourself with the things that inspire you the most. Life is short so go ahead and pluck that cherry off the top of your sundae!