You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘write’ tag.
It’s summer—long hot days, nights blinking with neon fireflies and the sounds of crickets lulling me to sleep. But it’s also a time to slow down and perhaps tackle a long-ago shelved project. I always try and accomplish something in the summer that teaches me something new. Sometimes it’s a trip to a country I have never seen, other times I read a book that I have been avoiding or I finish a story or rewrite chapters. Last summer I spent the entire summer rewriting my book and sending out queries to literary agents. Finding an agent is a full time job—trust me!
This summer I have an opportunity to take an eight week screenwriting course in NYC at the NY Film Academy. The course is quite intense; I attend class Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM. When I registered for the class, I was told I would be required to produce writing every evening after class. I am looking forward to this not only with great anticipation, but also a healthy amount of anxiety…What if I can’t write on demand? What if my story collapses under scrutiny? What if my characters have no depth? What if I find out I have no writing talent at all? All these ask the real question: What if I fail?
When I was younger, the fear of failing kept me from pursuing my dreams. Age has taught me that Franklin D. Roosevelt’s adage; “There is nothing to fear but fear itself” has never been truer. By pushing through and facing my fears I discovered I could do much more than what I believed. By organizing events and fundraisers, I realized that have excellent organization skills. After I learned that a woman had stolen an entire book from me, I was afraid that I would never be able to write again. I was wrong. Eventually, I forgave her (even though she never asked for it) and started to write once again. For quite some time I believed I was too old to begin a new career and was afraid to take a class to earn my MFA. But I soon learned that age is a distinct advantage and now I take great satisfaction when I am the oldest one in the group.
But most of all, I feared that I would fail at the only thing I wanted to do: Write. For most of my life, I never let anyone read my work because I was afraid of the reaction. When I finally got enough courage to take my first creative writing course, on the day on which my short story was to be read and critiqued, I stayed at home—sick to my stomach. I will never forget when my story was finally read aloud. I received some criticism, but to my joy, I also received accolades! It was a day I will always remember; because it was the moment I faced and conquered one of my greatest fears.
This summer I challenge you to do something that would normally cause you anxiety. Read a influential or classic book you have never read before. Take a course in a subject that is out of your comfort zone. Apologize to someone you have wronged. Take a trip somewhere and avoid anything touristy. Introduce yourself to someone new and make a friend. Spend the summer writing letters instead of emailing or texting. Make a goal to face and conquer something you fear. Without a doubt you will uncover a new talent, skill or passion.
Veggie Barn, 2010
My mother did much of her schooling in the UK and taught me excellent etiquette. Good manners are disappearing faster than Ted Danson’s hairline, but even so I have taught my sons to write (not email!) but—write-using-pen-and-paper-envelope-with-address-and-stamp, thank you cards for each and every present, bring a hostess gift when going to a dinner or party, offer a small token of appreciation to those who write recommendations or referral letters, take a house gift when staying the night, and to always write a thank you note after a dinner out.
A host or hostess must abide by certain manners as well. Simple rules—for instance, a good hostess should make sure she has prepared food when giving a dinner party or she should remember the names of the people she has invited. Nothing very complicated. Or so it would seem.
A friend of mine recently asked me to her home for dinner. After I accepted she proudly exclaimed, “I can’t wait—I love throwing vegan dinner parties!” While I appreciated her enthusiasm, my eagerness to attend her party quickly waned. Vegan? No meat, no cheese? Really, why even bother with dinner? Better to just “throw” that dinner party right out the door. I checked off all the items that would not be included on the menu—meat, eggs, seafood, fish, dairy products, chicken, butter…what would she serve?
Tofu prepared Three Ways! Lentil Patties! Grass Shakes! Soy and Broccoli Ice!
Because I knew she was also a No Carb girl, before heading out I ate a bowl of Cheerios, wrapped up a couple of vegan candles, donned my vegan shoes, 100% cotton drawstring pants, and decided to make the most of the evening. The most interesting thing about eating a vegan or vegetarian meal are the absurd comparisons that are made between “real” food and vegetables. “This is Buddha’s Delight. It’s a wonderful seafood flavored tofu. It tastes just like shrimp!” Shrimp? It looks like a maggot. No wonder you swore off seafood, this smells like chum! “Uhhh, thanks. Looks interesting, but I think I’ll just stick to these delicious BBQ veggie dogs on millet chips.” Most of the energy in preparing a vegan meal is spent trying to get a particular vegan item to resemble it’s much more flavorful and genuine two and three times removed cousin—salami, brie, salmon or chicken curry. If you want these, why not just have the real deal?
I wonder what my mother would think if I invited one of my vegetarian friends to dinner, and served only a huge rib roast, simply because I like to eat meat. Isn’t the main point of having people over to share a meal to make the guests feel at home? When I have dinner parties and I know vegans or vegetarians are attending, I always make sure to have plenty of dishes that accommodate their dietary restrictions. Why don’t vegetarians or vegans do the same when they invite those of us who consider meat, fish or poultry essential to a meal? It seems a bit selfish and frankly rather rude, to force a guest to comply with meal preferences that are not their own, but are based on the host’s personal choices.
Last year I was invited to a vegan wedding. The invitation informed me that the entire wedding would be vegan, so the menu had already been preselected for me. The bride also felt that flowers should not be needlessly cut for something as mundane as a wedding, so she had chosen to carry a huge battery lit torch in place of a bridal bouquet. Apparently leaking chemical toxins into the earth and looking like an albino Statue of Liberty did not cause her concern. I wanted to send this bride packing, straight to my mother’s school of etiquette. The bride and groom hosted a wedding, invited guests, registered for gifts and then completely decided to disregard the comfort of their guests. For them their wedding day was not a day of love and commitment shared with family and friends, but a day to send a message about their oh-so-healthy-and-moral lifestyle. I declined the invitation and sent gift—but I never got a thank you note.
what people are saying