Friday, September 13, 2019

Letters from Marilyn - Update 29


It's September, babes!

I adore this time of year, with the cooler temps and hint of autumn on the way. I love my weekend mornings. The lounging around leisurely in my pajamas, sipping my tea, and having uninterrupted hours to nerd-read manuals and science books. Current selection: The Man Who Caught the Storm: the Life of Legendary Tornado Chaser Tim Samaras by Brantley Hargrove (I am finding it a riveting nonfiction read!). The light sweater dresses and slip-on shoes - easy fashion for my "always on the move" lifestyle. The crisp air, starry nights, and country drives.

I had intended to write this summer, but it went by so fast! It's hard to believe school has already started. Of the 30 days in June, I spend 19 of them on the road. Those days were filled with driving, many states, music jam sessions, coffee, new people, good friends, and lots of exploration. 

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Letters from Marilyn - Update 28


Happy May, readers!

It has been a couple of months since my last entry, which means it is time for a new post! With it comes a life update, a writing update, and a Letters from Marilyn update.

To be honest: I'm exhausted. I love education, but these past few months especially have worn me out. I've spent the past thirteen straight weeks implementing brand-new units. As a surprise to no one, I took on too much, put in a lot of evening and weekend hours, and thus upset my work/life balance. The end result: yes, I'm tired.

But onward and upward, loves. I promise I'm taking some time to slow down. While my extroverted self enjoys all the busy-ness, my introvert heart needs time to rest. Come find me at the end of June, whether you're family, friend, or acquaintance. With the school year done in 13 days and a few roadtrips planned for the start of summer, I know I'll be much more relaxed.

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Letters from Marilyn - Update 27


Hello readers!

It has been a while and yes, I have missed you all dearly. You have asked, so I will certainly give a life update since last June's post.

July was hard. One of my dear friends died unexpectedly. When someone you have known for 24 years of your 29 years of life is suddenly no longer here, it really hurts

August and September brought the return of a new school year. I have new curriculum, even more students, and have encountered many changes as this academic year has progressed.

In October and November I was taking two online courses to gain credits for educator license renewal in my state. They were sleep-deprived months, as I was also deep in preparation for musical auditions and rehearsals.

December and January were wonderful months. It was an equal balance of life and work, something I deeply appreciate. February, however, was a bittersweet month. You know how the saying goes: when it rains, it pours. But onward and upward, readers. There are always silver linings.

Saturday, June 30, 2018

Letters from Marilyn - Update 26

Two things have been on my mind this past week: time and causality.

Time, in the purest sense of the word, is defined as the system of those sequential relations that any event has to any other, as past, present, or future; indefinite and continuous duration regarded as that in which events succeed one another.

In connection, causality is defined as the relation of cause and effect. 

When I was in college, my writing professors would have us participate in various freewriting techniques. The one I remember the most is called loop writing, in which the writer engages in a topic of choice for a timed interval. When the timed interval is up, the writer goes back to underline three or four key words, or even phrases, in their writing. One underlined segment is selected, and it becomes the starting point of the next timed interval. In essence, the writer is writing in a loop, a continual chain of ideas that are the result of the previous.

If we could describe the way our minds work, 90% of the time I would state that mine is in a loop. One idea is a result of another, and so on and so forth.

Saturday, June 23, 2018

Letters from Marilyn - Update 25



Do you ever wish you could freeze time? Just to hold onto a moment for a little longer?

I have been re-reading M's letters, trying to find the words to launch her story. I have written middle chapters and end chapters, but no beginning chapters. When I place the cursor at the very start of that first page, I find myself staring at it, watching its pulsing and blinking like the ticking of a metronome. It feels like the cursor is waiting for me. Waiting for me to give it letters to form words, and words to form sentences.

Beginnings are the hardest. In writing, in starting over, in taking a step forward into an uncertain future. It is hard to change beginnings, after all. You can alter your path, change your steps, erase your words, create a different ending. But that first moment, it can never be taken back. And since my last post, I have felt without words, stuck staring at a blinking cursor on a blank page.

I have had this mental block for months. I have spent hours, days, weeks pondering how to find the words to lift the fog. I have been on countless drives to nowhere, hoping that the clear roads and skies would somehow clear my mind. I have read dozens of books, believing that immersing myself in a story would perhaps spark ideas for Marilyn's.

Friday, April 20, 2018

Letters from Marilyn - Update 24

Good morning from Montana! 

I promised myself I would take one morning to write while I was on vacation, so here I am, typing away at City Brew Coffee. 

Many of you have written to inquire how I am and how the Marilyn project is going (my last update was March 25, yikes), so I'll take some time to fill you in.

If I am being 100% honest, the last 2 weeks have been rough. I had injured my hand, which came with the frustration of canceling a piano lesson and finding two vocalists a new accompanist. A former student of mine died, too young, too soon (a death I am still processing as I try to find the words to write to her family). 

Meanwhile, my current students have been especially challenging as summer vacation draws nearer. I was in technical rehearsals for our play, which was giving me some serious sleep deprivation. I woke up at 4:00AM the night before performances with the nightmare that my entire set had disappeared, no joke. During this time, a friend had mentioned an email correspondence I sent, in which I had signed off as simply "Liv." She stated that when I don't take the time to type the remaining 3 letters in my name, it is apparently a sign I am losing my marbles. Needless to say, I am going to be more mindful when sending emails from now on!

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Letters from Marilyn - Update 23


I have a love/hate relationship with my writing process.

Once I get an idea, I cannot let it go until I have furiously scribbled it on paper. In fact, I think I may have reached a new level of madness recently: inspiration struck, and the only paper on hand was the back of a few old receipts lying neglected in the bottom of my bag. 

That inspiration? In the form of a novel I had loved as a child. I received a pristine copy of Little Women from an old writer friend of mine, who knew it was one of my favorite books. "Perhaps rereading it will get you out of your writer's block," he had said soothingly. My scholarly friends have always heard me vehemently claim that writers are influenced by the literature they have read, and I am certainly no exception to that. Sidebar: don't believe me? J.K. Rowling stated in an interview after the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that her tale of the deathly hallows was based on "The Pardoner's Tale" from Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Harvard has a nice translation from the Middle English here.

I couldn't remember the last time I had reread Little Women. "When am I going to have the time to read this?" I had whined. I needed to make headway on my novel, not reread old literature! "Just try it," he had coaxed. "Take a break. Read a book. Heck, read a few! What harm could it do?"

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...