Lisa Tener

Book Writing Coach

creativity

How Creativity, Journal Writing and Nature Shaped This Writer

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Dad, Mom and Me

When my client, now-friend, colleague and soul-sister, Dr. Randy Kamen Gredinger, invited me to be profiled as one of her inspiring women, I was blown away. I’d read the hugely inspiring stories in her newsletters and on her website and didn’t know how she’d be able to make my life sound so interesting.

But she did it.

And it’s an enlightening process–to have someone take a whole bunch of quirky details about your life and weave them together in a way creates sense out of the seeming chaos of one’s life.

Regina Brooks, me and Randy Kamen Gredinger at the Harvard Medical School publishing course this April

As a seasoned therapist, writer and speaker, Randy has a talent for seeing the patterns, purpose and meaning in the stories of people’s lives. In this article, she wrote beautifully about my experiences growing up and my creative inclinations, showing how they influenced my life path. I’m absolutely thrilled to share her article with you. You can read it here.

Writing in the Zone…Again

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Are you writing in the zone?
Are you writing in the zone?

Last week in book writing class, management coach and HR consultant Carrie Beers shared how she found herself amidst intense turmoil at a time when she needed tranquility to foster her creative process. While having her home re-done, she’d temporarily “stored” boxes and piles everywhere, particularly in her office which seemed an uninviting place for inspired writing.

Carrie Beers finds inspiration through meeting her muse
Carrie Beers finds inspiration through meeting her muse

She remained determined to meet her commitments and work on a chapter of writing, but the environment seemed unlikely to support creative flow. And then…in the middle of all the chaos, she came upon her notes from my workshop “Writing in the Zone” which she had taken last year.

Carrie read through her notes and reconnected with her muse–that creative inner energy that seems all-knowing, wise and abundant. In the first workshop, her muse had seemed a bit more distant–vague–just a feeling and colors. But that subtle connection alone helped her to get in touch with the sense that it was finally time to begin writing her book.

cropped-road
Carrie took this photo on the way to class (though I can't seem to crop it right and do it justice)

In her office, surrounded by boxes, Carrie realized she needed to find a calmer space in her home to write. She retreated to her sun room and connected with her muse, a now familiar figure  in white, “always waiting for me, never walking away or towards me.”

Her muse encouraged her to quiet her mind. She handed Carrie a sea shell

a message in the sand from Carrie's muse?
a message in the sand from Carrie's muse?

and encouraged her to listen and let the book unfold.

I’m always impressed with the clarity and simplicity with which our muses convey information. Somehow, when the answers come, we don’t just get the understanding in our minds. Our hearts and very souls begin to own the answers. They become real, tangible and, therefore, easy to take root in our lives and our writing.

If you’re local enough (Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut), I hope you’ll join me for a half day of inspired writing, learning my 5-step system for inspired writing, connecting with your muse in new, powerful ways, and making headway on a project or embracing a new project–maybe one you don’t even know about yet.

I’ll be teaching writing in the zone at All That Matters in Wakefield, RI on Sunday, February 28 from 12;30-4. If you can’t make it, feel free to ask any questions about writing in the zone on this blog–or tell me your writing challenge and I’ll suggest a solution!

Book Writing: Insights on Voice, Humor and Flow

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On the path to writing your book? Here's the view out the window from book writing class
On the path to writing your book? Here’s the view out the window from book writing class

Truth is, half the reason I started this post is to share the beautiful photo Carrie Beers took from book writing class last week. Can you imagine a more inspiring setting for book writing?

The other, more important half, is to share some of the insights that come up in class–and the great ideas that people share.

During a discussion on finding your voice as a writer and striking the right tone, Rudy Wilson Galdonik shared her secret for writing with humor. She goes to bed reading a book by a humorous writer whose tone somewhat matches what she’s going for.  In the morning, Rudy gets up at [gulp] four or five in the morning and just writes.

Rudy Wilson Galdonik shares her secrets as a humorist
Rudy Wilson Galdonik shares her secrets as a humorist

“It’s always funnier when I write immediately upon waking, after having read something funny the night before.”

You might worry about taking on someone else’s tone, but–in my own experience–it more tends to spice up your writing–it will still sound like you, only funnier (or sassier, more playful, wiser…whatever tone it is you’re going for). Try it and let me know how it works for you…

Several people in class decided to try this trick and Marjorie Foer reported that she immediately went to the library to get some before bed books to inspire her tone. The librarian  recommended Studs Turkel, but, “His books are still sitting on the floor waiting to be opened.”

Marjorie Foer Turned to Her Intuition for Guidance on What to Read to Inspire her Writing for the Next Day
Marjorie Foer Turned to Her Intuition for Guidance on What to Read to Inspire her Writing for the Next Day

Instead, Marjorie, whose book is about speaking naturally and ending stuttering by using intuitive techniques, found herself returning home to trust her intuition. Bye bye Studs.

“I felt drawn to Judith  Orloff’s Positive Energy. The first chapter is on intuition  which is a huge part of my work. The interesting turn in this little story  is that I decided to listen to my intuition for inspirational
sleeping. I got quiet and centered, asked for clarity regarding how to write my next piece and then wrote in my journal just before closing my eyes to go to sleep.”

“BOOM! My reception  was clear and the next day the information came  through. Today I wrote the piece that came through first, and I have other
ideas to work on after being stuck for weeks.

“Even though I knew  which story I wanted to share, my writing flowed like molasses. I  stuck with it and finished that story but tonight I’m  adding a clear request for the writing to flow, for me to get out of  the way and just let the writing download through me.

“I could see  myself making the request tonight before bed and as I saw this, I got  feedback about my need to walk, do yoga and eat healthier to clear my
channel.  Pretty cool.

“Remember how I lost weight in the early part of  your last course because writing and health were intertwined? Now  I’ve entered that part of my learning spiral again, but with a  different level of consciousness.  Writing in my journal is the key, I can’t lie to  myself there and I feel it’s becoming a sacred place for me to meet  with my Higher Self.”

So, what do you do just before closing your eyes at night? What will you do? Please share your intentions and results with this community of writers by adding your comments below. This is an exciting experiment for us all!

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