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Friday Forum: 3/5

Roger Ebert. Image from nextmovie.com
Roger Ebert. Image from nextmovie.com

Prolific journalist, film critic and screen writer Roger Ebert died yesterday. Whether you agreed with his reviews or not, somehow we all wanted to know what he thought about the movies we loved. He’s the reason “two thumbs up” is a staple phrase in American culture. What made him unique for his time was how he judged a movie based not only on the basic film techniques and artsy stuff, but also on how it made him feel. If he really didn’t like a movie, he came out and said it! In addition to his journalism  career, he was also a social media pioneer for writers. He has been using a laptop to email his work since the early 1990’s, kept a blog and thrived on Twitter. All this enabled his work to continue even after he lost the use of his voice (to cancer) in 2006. He truly was an inspiration to writers, journalists in particular. We will miss you Mr. Ebert.

You can read Roger Ebert’s official obituary for free online at rogerebert.com. What are your memories or experiences with Ebert’s work?

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Cowboy in the City

Here at Nooks & Cranberries our motto is that “there are plenty of reasons not to write, but we’re here to ensure that a lack of creativity isn’t one of them.”

Lately I’ve had plenty of creativity, but what has kept me from finishing the many projects that I’ve started is fear. It’s a silly fear really, but what it comes down to is that I’m afraid of killing my characters. You’d think the fact that I write thrillers and murder mysteries would have hardened me, but really I’m quite sentimental. In this case however I’m not talking about actually murdering my primary characters (although let’s face it, someone always has to die), I’m speaking to the fact that when we write a story, even a short one, we are committing those involved to a path. A path of identity. In a way, we are locking them in to certain facts. If dear ol’ country boy Mitch has a drawl and a swagger that makes the girls melt, you have just locked that feature into the minds of your readers and now that’s a permanent part of him. Having that as part of his identity is going to forever guide his choices and therefore will determine the road he takes. Now the possibilities of him being anybody else are, in a sense, dead.

Douglas Duncan on the street in NYC
Cowboy Douglas Duncan on the street in NYC. Image from wnyc.org/blogs.

This character killing reality has been a roadblock. Country boy Mitch will never have the street smarts of someone who was born and raised in the city. But then I realized something, just because I’ve used Mitch in one story doesn’t mean he is dead to every other story I write. Part of being a writer means having the liberty of reviving anyone I want and using them in another chapter. And having locked Mitch into his country persona doesn’t mean he can’t change. It’s all about justification. And I don’t mean the ‘excuse-disguised-as-reason’ type justification. I’m talking about authenticity. Perhaps being attached to certain characters and wanting to use them can open up options, not just close them down. Perhaps a certain journey Mitch takes transforms him into a city-wise country boy that adds a depth to his character that wasn’t there before. What we have to be careful of in the long run is making sure our intentions are genuine. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that while our uncanny ability to justify anything and everything can be very useful in the world of writing, it can also bring about some awfully flat and unbelievable drivel.

Here’s my challenge to you: wielding this power of justification, take a second look at some of your characters. Pick one that seems a bit flat and see what changes you can justify in their character that could give them more depth and perhaps some new plot twists!

Cheers and happy writing!

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Writer’s Kitchen: Food Bloggers Getting Book Deals

Books

It’s a pretty exciting week for food bloggers. In the past week two of my favorites have announced book deals! Last Thursday, Hannah Queen told her readers over at Honey & Jam that she is now working on writing and photographing a cookbook of cake recipes, tentatively called Farm to Cake (Spring 2015, Stewart, Tabori & Chang). Then today I read over at Not Without Salt that Ashley Rodriguez is living her dream of writing a cookbook of her own, this one a celebration of her marriage with menus and recipes inspired by her Dating My Husband series (to be published around Valentine’s Day 2015 by Running Press). How cool is that? There’s nothing new about food bloggers getting book deals–it’s been happening for a number of years now–but these two are some of the most deserving and I know their books are going to be gorgeous, well-written, and trustworthy.

One final note: One of the great things about food bloggers announcing book deals is that they often do it by sharing a celebratory recipe. Hannah does so with Carrot Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting and Ashley shares the news with Ice Cream Cake with Chocolate Wafers, Hot Fudge, and Candied Cocoa Nibs. So check out their blogs, salivate over the delicious-looking photos, and drop them a note encouraging them in the process–after all, as all writers know, it’s a huge endeavor and the readers part of what helps keep authors going.

Cheers to you both, Hannah and Ashley!

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Destination Inspiration: Powell’s City of Books & World Cup Roasters

World Cup Roasters at Powell's

The one thing better than a cafe bustling with writers and book-lovers is such a cafe located inside the biggest bookstore you can imagine. Think that place only exists in your dreams? Think again–it’s World Cup Roasters located inside Powell’s City of Books in Portland.

Food and Beverages

First things first when you arrive at the cafe ready to write: Fuel up! Order a coffee or tea–any beverage that suits the mood. While you’re at it, don’t forget the food. You might as well come hungry and give one of the individual savory pies from Pacific Pie Company a try. Selections vary from bacon, egg, and cheese to chard, Gruyère, and egg.

Pacific Pie Company Pastry

Location and Atmosphere

Not far from our first-ever Destination Inspiration profile–Pearl Bakery–Powell’s City of Books is located in the Pearl District, amidst all sorts of stores from Anthropologie to kitchen supplies. With Powell’s labrynth of bookshelves, one could happily and willingly get lost for hours. Few things stimulate the brain of a book lover/writer quite like the smell of books, the feeling of the pages shuffling beneath your finger tips and the endless ideas and possibilities contained inside. Walking into Powell’s will surely have your head spinning and your mind bursting with creativity.

Powell's Bookshelves

Writeability and Purchased Presence

One look as you step inside and you’ll see that Powell’s is a sort of black hole for book lovers, and the cafe is no exception. With shelves of romance novels and paranormal young adult fiction on one side, large windows on two sides, and an entrance to the main part of the bookstore on the other, the cafe is obviously a haven for the many people who sit drinking coffee, reading books, and writing on their laptops in the spacious eating area. The question is whether you can grab the open spot before someone else claims it for the next few hours. Obviously, if you’re planning on sticking around at your seat for hours, please live up to the Nooks & Cranberries Code of Conduct and be courteous and place more orders; if it’s particularly busy, consider giving up your seat and taking a break to browse books for a while before returning.

Powell's Pillar

Price: $$

It’s a coffee shop, and prices reflect that. From coffees for a few dollars to individual savory pies from Pacific Pie Company for about $5, you can fuel up on caffeine and food and still have a budget for the books you’ll inevitably want to take home.

Parking

You’re in luck: Powell’s has a parking garage!

Powell's Banner

Writer’s Tip

Try a new challenge in this unique bookstore. Explore the section of a genre you are unfamiliar with. For example, if you gravitate toward fiction, check out the travel section. Pick out a book and read a few paragraphs or whatever it takes to get an idea of the voice. With that new tone in mind, try rewriting something of your own, gearing it toward that new genre. You might be surprised at the new spin this gives your work!

Find it:

World Cup Roasters Cafe / Powell’s City of Books

1005 W Burnside
Portland, OR 97209
Website

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Daily Writer’s Fix: April 1-5 (Travel Edition)

Water at Kauai Beach

How does vacation–or any type of travel for that matter–impact your writing life? Chances are, if you’re like me, that it can be a challenge to maintain any sort of routine. And to be honest sometimes it’s good to take a break from that routine–if you’re confident you’ll be able to to pick it back up upon returning home. Another challenge is how to balance your typical writing with the journaling or note-taking you may want to do to record memories and moments from the trip. With that in mind, let’s spend some time this week working on travel-writing skills. That way, when you travel next time you’ll have an easier time observing details, taking notice of seemingly small yet important moments, and ultimately letting the words flow on the page. And with that, here’s the exercise:

Every day this week, observe something in your neighborhood or life as though you were traveling and seeing or experiencing it from the eyes of a visitor. What are the sights and sounds of the place (maybe it’s your backyard or your neighborhood park) or the event (it could be a trip to the market or a playdate with your friends) that capture its essence? What do you need to put into words in order to bring you back to this time and place when you reread your writing in the future? Consider each of the five senses. Notice the who, what, where, when, and why. Observe the thoughts running through your head–those that are related, and the seemingly random ones that that are popping up. Jot notes as they come to you, and then when you return to your computer, write a few paragraphs about your experience.

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A Productive March

Is the month really almost over? Wow! It seems that March has come and gone as quickly as January and February. Loss of time seems to be a common theme with writers which is why we like to stop and reflect every month to see where the time went. Here’s a sampling of what we’ve been up to this past month.

We explored of some of the writing nooks of our northwest neighbors with Sterling Coffee Roasters in Portland, and enjoyed some Nordic inspiration at Scandinavian Specialties.

Scandinavian Specialties Smorrebrod

We shared more about our writing retreat to Chelan and dabbled in a game of “what if” at the Barrel Feast at Tunnel Hill Winery. We also discussed what some writers have been doing to possibly upset the world of publishing in our Friday Forum.

Chelan Horizon

In the Writer’s Kitchen, we looked back at some of our favorites and shared a great Post-Flight Dinner idea to satisfy the family after an exhausting journey.

Saffron Risotto

All in all, a very busy and successful March! We hope your month has been just as productive. Cheers and happy writing!

 

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Writer’s Kitchen: Words and Wine During Travel

Harbourside Seafood Grill Bar Area

Developing a writing ritual or routine is a feat to be celebrated. So what happens when one travels, and as a result uproots all of that progress for a moment in time? For me, traveling is a time of suspension, a hiatus of sorts when all of the routines of life get put on pause and one simply focuses on enjoying the experience. Finding time for things like writing becomes a treat rather than a necessity, and as a result those times of engaging in that activity are often more profitable and enjoyable than they otherwise might be.

Sauvignon Blanc at Harbourside

While traveling to New Zealand earlier this month, I found little time to write. On a whirlwind trip for a travel story I’m working on, there was little opportunity to open my laptop for any purpose aside from planning the next day’s schedule. However, I did manage to slip away to a lovely little bar attached to a fancy seafood restaurant in Auckland’s Viaduct Harbor area for some wine tasting and writing. It was totally by accident; I had caught a cab to the area to meet up with the group I was traveling with, but finding that the event had been canceled due to weather, I found myself with a free hour and a half until dinner. I climbed the stairs up to the Harbourside Seafood Bar and Grill and settled in for some reflection. Harbourside Sign Harbourside Seafood Grill

I always carry a notebook and pen with me, which is a practice I’d encourage every writer to do without fail. Because of that, I was able to find what felt like stolen moments in which to write. I opened the notebook with no expectations other than to allow words to flow freely onto the paper. I chatted with the bartender about New Zealand wines and ordered a Sauvignon Blanc to try. He brought out my glass plus a sample of another of his favorites, and noting my interest in the wines he printed out for me a guide he uses for training the staff on the country’s grape-growing areas. I made notes of the Sauvignon Blancs I had tasted thus far in the trip, marking them on the map the bartender had given me, and I wrote in my notebook.

Harbourside Seafood Grill Stairwell

Nothing I wrote that day–neither the wine notes nor the words that flowed on the pages of my notebook–will make it into published works. Rather, I took the opportunity to synthesize thoughts that have been swirling around in my head and I processed them through the act of writing. The result was the beginning of a weeks’ long journey into discovering my ideals of the writing life and how I might begin to execute them upon returning home.

Those unanticipated moments can be as productive as the ones that are scheduled, if the writer allows him- or herself to take notice. The time I spent that afternoon are still guiding my thoughts as I work through how I want to orchestrate my schedule and time this spring.

How do you utilize those unanticipated moments when they occur? What comes out of them as a result?

Harbourside Seafood Grill Bar

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Destination Inspiration: Chocolati Café, Greenwood

Chocolati Croissant

With tasty food and plenty of nooks to tuck away into with a book or laptop, Chocolati is like a home away from home for writers. Take your pick of a large table and chairs by a window or overstuffed chairs by a little fireplace, with plenty of space and an outlet around just about every corner, it’s easy to nestle in and get to work. You may find several hours have passed before you know it!

Food and Beverages

While most people probably come for the chocolate, it would be a shame to stop there. From filled croissants to a delectable zucchini tart, the savory items should not be overlooked. That said, do feel free to order a cayenne hot cocoa or any of a number of artisan truffles. They are, after all, among the items that make this café worthy of its moniker.

Location and Atmosphere

Set on a corner just south of the major intersection of 95th and Greenwood, this café in the heart of North Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood is easy to get to, and it’s in a neighborhood that’s extremely walkable. Chocolati has an atmosphere of a study group taking place in a friend’s apartment. It’s not uncommon to find small groups meeting for business or students gathering to study, in addition to the lone writer or friends chatting over their warm mugs.

Chocolati Zucchini Tart

Writeability and Purchased Presence

This place seems made for writers. Having undergone an expansion in the past few years, Chocolati is like a really big apartment with an open floorplan that’s somewhat segmented. The main room is where you’ll order and perhaps grab a window seat if you’re only sticking around for a few minutes. But keep walking through and you’ll find more seating than you ever would have expected just walking by the storefront.

Price: $$

In addition to the usual $3 latte, you can also find a variety of wines for $7 a glass. On the sweet side, truffles run from $1.45 and up and savory treats starting at $6.

Parking

Between a major neighborhood road and a residential area, you’re bound to find street parking within a block or so.

Writer’s Tip

Bring your laptop and a charger and plenty of tip money–you’re going to want to stay here a while. Before coming, make a list of projects to work on, in order of priority, and start writing!

Find it:

Greenwood Chocolati Café
8319 Greenwood Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98103
Website


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Daily Writer’s Fix: March 25-29

Powell's Bookshelves

Did you enjoy the Daily Writer’s Fix from a few weeks ago when we encouraged you to go digging in your beloved writing books? We’re doing it again this week!

Do you ever read through books about writing and dog-ear the pages with writing exercises, telling yourself you’ll go back to them soon and actually complete them? If so, do you return to them? This week is when you will. Each day this week, work through an exercise in one of your favorite writing books. If you have a vast collection of books, try one exercise in a book, then move on to the next book. Or if you have a particularly inspiring book, work solely with that one’s exercises. Finally, if one exercise particularly speaks to you, consider repeating that one with different topics or themes each day. Finally, if you have a particular favorite among the exercises, make a note of it and return to it whenever your writing or idea-generating needs a boost.