So much has happened to my writing since my last blog, it’s almost like starting over. Last fall I began a writing class with Jack Grapes and his Method of Writing. I was in his class nine years ago but this time around it was much more meaningful and I felt the process more. At the moment, I’m not in a novel-writing frame of mind, now I’ve started doing short fiction and poems. I feel freer than before when I was constrained to a specific story line. I often start with no story line and see where it takes me. I recommend this process to everyone for whatever time period feels good. Writing with freedom can open doors you didn’t even know existed. I wrote after viewing Robert Rauschenberg’s art piece “1/4 Mile,” Edward Hopper’s painting “Automat,” my trip to Morocco, tributes to my parents on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and after reading M.F.K. Fisher’s piece on oysters. I still get stymied for ideas, but if I keep an open mind and both eyes open, who knows where the ideas will come from.
