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So pleased to announce that I was recently interviewed by super talented @gilliancourtneypoetry about my poetry and writing experiences and will be featured this week, along with poetry, at @theporchswingpoetry on Instagram!
Check out the first part of our interview today and return later this week for poems by yours truly. 😊
Read more work at this amazing new poetry venue and return often for inspiring poems, interviews, and posts by many talented poets. 🍁
Photo courtesy of Alex Geerts on Unsplash.com.
Happy Fall! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve leapt onto this blog, and I wanted to pause to share best wishes and some poetry from my latest collection, Does It Look Like Her? as well as some insights and the link to my awesome new online poetry class that begins Friday, October 18th.
Playing with imagery is a must-have when I pen poems.
This poem stacks imagery to create tension, a scene, and to introduce the reader to the protagonist:
Photo courtesy of Ryan Stone on Unsplash.
Art Fair
a barebones cabin
last night was sickle moonlight, I took a drive
I’m just trying to make a concert out of it
it’s very good you are where you are
today: a canopy with paintings in the sun, open-air
I took home the canvas of the floating arm, palm open
I carried it in both hands like a heavy sack of groceries
I wonder if you’d like me here
Making characters is such a fun part of writing linked narrative poems. Here’s a fun one, about my artist protagonist’s son:
Sam Speaks of Demeter, the Famous Portrait of His Mother, Part One
Age 8:
Photo courtesy of Aedrian Salazar on Unsplash.com.
My mommy
is in this picture
in a museum
that this man painted.
It’s kind of a big deal.
He’s a real artist.
Last week, we went
to see it. It was kind of funny
to see Mommy’s face
there on the wall. I waved
when we walked in, and
Mommy said, “I’m the real one,
over here,” and she made
our special scrunched face,
and we laughed about it.
Part of the joy of this collection of poems is that I drop hints about what the painting and the woman may or may not look like, such as in this poem, while giving some wiggle room for the readers to imagine the protagonist in their own ways:
Why You Love Her
Imagine a painting
on a wall above a sofa
where you cannot recall later
if the sofa was gray, bright,
plain or a floral or striped or
Photo courtesy of Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash.com.
if it had any pattern
or pillows. Imagine a figure
so occupying your senses:
a woman, middle-aged, beginning
to soften at the mouth,
her eyelids a little sleepy, her neck
starting to striate with pin-fine lines
you barely notice. Her eyes are alert,
her chin slightly resistant. A woman
prepared.
Design courtesy of Women on Writing. Photo by moi.
Want to read more: get a copy of Does It Look Like Her? today:
or, for signed copies, at my Etsy page: clickety-click
Super excited to be teaching a brand-new, fun online poetry-writing course through Women on Writing. Sign-ups now; class begins on Friday, October 18th!
Learn more at Women on Writing: clickety-click-click
I also wrote a book called Poetry Power with tons of exercises and inspiration to keep your poetry pens moving. Signed copies also available at my Etsy, WritePathProductions.
To autumn and poetry! ✍️🍂
Courtesy of WOW! Women on Writing
Super excited that my article with tips for getting unstuck from a creative slump was published today at Women on Writing Markets Newsletter . Read an excerpt (below), and then clicky to check out amazing literary markets for your latest projects!
My beautiful buttons. 💗
Seek the Superb Small: Years ago, I wrote a poem about a glass jar of buttons I deeply regretted not buying after they were sold. I shared that poem at readings and found that the seemingly effortless poem about the buttons was the one readers connected with most and even asked about later. What is it about the buttons that inspired? It’s sensory: we’d all worn (and lost) buttons, touched their worn or burnished surfaces. The buttons expressed bigger themes of family, care, childhood, regret, hindsight, loss, and much more. Small items carry big resonance. It’s the same reason “Bus Stop” by The Hollies with its umbrella imagery is such a timeless lyric. Take a walk through an antique shop or look through your kitchen junk drawer or boxes in the garage and spot the many ordinary treasures you could write about today. P.S. All’s well that ends well: last week, a canning jar of blue and green beauties entered my writing life via a local consignment shop.
Seek Creative Community. Attending readings, taking classes or workshops, scheduling a lunch out at a coffeehouse with a creative pal to free-write and then sharing: all encourage your muse to get active, pronto. You’re giving the muse a deadline as well as offering it the supportive presence of another maker. Win-win.
Seek a Prompt. Arriving blank to the blank screen can be intimidating; prompts set you up for success. Choices abound: lines from your favorite song or poem, a movie scene, or a quote you find online, such as at Brainy Quote. Or have friends send quotes or photos they like. I’ve also used paintings and figurines as prompts. Respond directly to the prompt—or don’t. You’re allowed to go with first thoughts; veer in any direction you wish. Prompts launch you to where you will do your best work. No need to keep it all. Write now; sculpt later.
Seek Another Medium. My writing has immensely deepened with my photography and drawing practices. Dabbling in other arts has taught me a ton about myself as a creative thinker. Try painting, hand-making paper, or puppetry. Pottery, dance, stained-glass making, or create music. Return to collage or scrapbooking. Start a YouTube channel. Cross-stitch, design a mural, or get an inexpensive sketchbook to fill. Or try a few. Investments in creating in any media enrich our writing and encourage fun and growth.
If you’d like to have fun creating in another medium, check out my new online course that begins Friday, August 2nd. I’d love to work with you and a friend. Art Making for Authors—clickety-click!
Super excited to share my new article that was published today at Women on Writing! Check it out. 🥳
3 Exciting Ways Creating Art Enhances Writing
By Melanie Faith
Have you always wanted to try (or get back to) painting, drawing, making videos or music or fiber arts, dancing, sculpting, photographing, making jewelry, making hybrid work, pottery, or another art form but felt like it was out of your reach, you didn’t have enough time or the right skill level? This article is for you! You have great company. Including me.
As a creative writing teacher and author, I didn’t consider myself a visual artist and I didn’t allow myself the time until recently to explore, dabble, and create the other things I really wanted to make.
It took me a lot of years to realize one of the reasons. Art class in sixth grade was required for all students. How I loved noodling around with the supplies and chatting to classmates at our art tables, making jokes and attaching feathers and sticks and other items to our mobile projects, getting charcoal smears on our hands as we tried our hands at drawing of a vase of flowers and then our classmates’ profiles. It was just like elementary-school art, only better, because the lessons were more challenging and covered diverse types of art. Then something unfortunate happened.
Seventh grade art was an invitation-only club. And I didn’t get an invitation to join. I’m pretty sure that’s the point at which I stopped even trying to just make things for the fun of making them. The exclusion of it settled: art-making is for others.
So for years, I carried cameras and photographed all matter of artsy things without calling myself a photographer or trying to get published. I visited museums and student art shows and doodled in margins of journals but never showed anyone. I never talked about it (like I told oodles of people about my writing), and I never took classes. Sometimes, I grabbed scissors and glue and made collages from old magazines that I put on my door to amuse myself, but I never considered just how happy it made me to create these things, just how contented and relaxed I was in the making process, because I didn’t think I was talented at it.
Eventually, I started to take baby steps. I started to share my photography, first with friends and then submitting to magazines. A few years ago I treated myself to a “real” sketchbook where I could stretch out across the page and make bigger marks. I gave myself more space to make, and it enhanced my writing life.
I’d love to encourage you to explore whatever arts appeal to you as well. Don’t wait for permission or until you feel it’s comparable to a famous artist or even to the quality of something you’ve seen a friend do. Begin now. See what you can do. No stakes, no pressure.
Let’s take a look at how practicing an art—any art—can deepen and inspire your writing process.
It boosts play and discovery.
I’ve long been a fan of serial cartoons, one-panel comics, and graphic novels. I love the multitude of options for telling a visual story well. As a young kid, I devoured Cathy, Frank and Ernest, Peanuts, Hägar the Horrible, and Garfield in their daily installments in my parents’ newspapers (and made a scrapbook of them one year), and once I started teaching and graphic novels became part of the high-school curriculum, I discovered afresh the amazing story and character possibilities in comics through Persepolis, Maus, and Scott McCloud’s craft book, Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. I began doodling a little caricature of my face and my waving hand that I enjoyed adding to cards for friends and my nieces. This year, I finally gave myself a fun new challenge—to write a 3-page comic I called “I Could Have Been Veronica.”
I worked for about a month, from conceiving the story to hand drawing the panels, to revising the story and drafting twice before the third, final, draft. And had the best time! Is it professional? Nope! I’ve got some (okay, many) slanting lines, and I redrew more times than I’d like to admit (here’s looking at you, waving hand that looked gnarled and pair of tap shoes that were a terror to draw in scale), but did that ultimately matter? Not one jot. I spent many pleasant afternoon and evening breaks with my colored pencils, pens, and notebook, adding to the three-pager until it was time to share at my blog.
It halts perfectionism, the inner editor, and the competition-fair mindset.
The important thing was never that the comic should be perfect or professional quality. The goal was to get lost in the joy of seeing how I would create this three-page comic. To evolve and stretch the limits of what I could draw and say within the tiny frames. To relish the moment of creating for prolonged, short bursts. That is, the goal was not to compare it to anything I’ve read and adored in graphic novels, comic strips, and cartoons, but to make my own something. A pure, untainted, joyous flow of creativity. Making art for the sake of making it. Very satisfying.
It facilitates joy. (Who couldn’t use more of that?!)
It matters less and less that I’m not naturally talented in the visual arts I’ve chosen to enjoy (I will pick up what I need to know through making things, exploring, reading about them) or that I wasn’t seen long ago as a good candidate for art club (that was so 7th grade!). I like to make things now, want to make more in the future, and that’s enough. Whatever I make will encourage my perceptions, challenge and inspire me, and engage the side of myself that likes to reflect and dream. Refreshing.
Join me for my August Art Making for Authors class, which begins August 2nd. You’ll get a chance to break out some supplies and practice the kind of projects you’ve been wanting to make. You can pick any form of art you fancy for each assignment, and we’re not looking for perfection or comparison—we’re looking to savor the making process. Learn more and sign up at: clickety-click.
Free stock photo courtesy of Valentin Müller on Unsplash.
Happy June! I’ve been working on this doodle project for the past month or so, and it feels like the perfect time to share it as the calendar page and summer turn before us.
This 3-page comic/graphic nonfiction piece is far from perfect (see: several leaning, hand-drawn panels), but that is part of its charm. I worked to the utmost of my ability and found its creation both relaxing and challenging—the pitch-perfect blend for a new project.
I hope this project encourages anyone reading/perusing it and this blog to dig into your own projects you’ve long wanted to give a whirl. Removing perfection from the table and just going for it can lead to some very meaningful, pleasant hours of creativity.
I started with a little scrap of paper filled with names that my dad found and gave to me, and I instantly knew I wanted to write about the list in some way.
I’ll share some photos, some recommended reads if you’d like to create your own 3-page comics, and some thoughts about craft and creative process after the piece. Without further ado:
And now, to part the wizard’s curtains for the process-and-resource-recommendation portion of our day🤗:
While it could have easily become a poem or an image in a short story, a different idea tickled my mind. Who knows how genre decisions and project formats land so perfectly, but while holding the uneven-shaped list it ran through me that it would be great for a three-page comic/graphic-prose treatment.
And I set to work a few hours later.
I decided I wanted to hand-draw my panels. I read a fair amount of graphic novels, and I love both computer-program created and hand-drawn work as a reader. I knew I’d share this project, and I wanted it to have a part of me baked into the drawings as much as the diction choices in the writing (like handwriting, hand-drawn boxes are each distinctive, a bit wobbly/crooked, and perfectly imperfect—like a fingerprint). I also wanted to alternate the sizes and shapes of the panels on the second page to switch things up and really lean into the “hey, this-was-hand-created charm.”
I took the concept through three drafts: the first was for loosely figuring out the story and making loose sketches (practicing compressing large items into small drawings relatively in scale) and sometimes just a word or two of what I wanted to draft in the next draft in my doodle notebook.
The second draft, which (at the time) I thought was going to be the final draft—silly me!—was for further refining my concepts. After I realized the second draft wouldn’t be final, I grabbed an index card before redrawing my panels afresh for the third time. I narrowed down two or three panel texts that just didn’t excite me to draw and replaced them on the card with new ideas. I used the card as a checklist of my panel ideas. Even some of the index-card ideas didn’t make the final cut, as the final comic kept evolving.
Armed with the goldenrod index card, I drew every time I had some spare time in the afternoons or evenings (with grading and tutoring and editing, there was only time to doodle 3 to 4 boxes at a time).
Black-and-white, uncropped version, straight from the scan I made a little over a week ago.
I thought for a while that I’d keep the comic black and white. I really debated for a few days if I’d break out my colored pencils or not. In the end, I decided on adding hue to select panels, creating a smattering of pops of color, and I’m glad I did. Here’s what a page of the b & version looks like, for the curious:
I used a photo of my parents that I love and keep on my dresser to inspire one of the illustrations from the first page. Once all of my drawing of panels and doodles were prepared, I took a break of two or three days and then a few days at the end of the month to color.
Here’s a mishmash sampling of what I learned from drawing my first 3-page nonfiction comic:
*It’s okay to variegate. Some people I drew all of, some were torso up, and some were a face—I intuitively decided how to represent each person. I already knew I’m not great at drawing people, but hey, they turned out much better than I’d anticipated; that is: no matter how much or how little of the figure I drew, they do resemble people. Not too shabby! 😊
Some doodle practice on scrap paper. Seriously, tap shoes are a BEAST to draw accurately—at least, for me. 😂
*Unexpectedly, drawing tap shoes and hands on the drawing of myself were, by far, the two hardest things to draw. I used correction tape (a bunch of it) and drew the shoes and my hand at least five or six times. Starting over and over.
*Colored pencil doesn’t like to color over correction tape. Like, it’s the equivalent of gargling with salt water on a sore throat—it kind of hurts to see how little adheres, but you keep going until a little hue adheres and then stop and repeat…about six times each. Then, it’s stop time. What’s cohered, cohered and what hasn’t—well, I’m not a professional artist, and imperfection just makes it more authentic and fanciful. 😉
*If I had it to do over again, I’d redraw Thomasina (the cat) bigger to fit into the longer box. I probably could have planned that better, but I’d already drawn her a few times and didn’t think I’d do better, so I accepted that good was good enough, and sailed on.
My fancy-pants index card, side two, that I used to outline what should stay and what should go and new ideas before draft 3. Checkmarks signified drawn panels, and the x were ideas that didn’t end up in the third draft.
*The index card helped tremendously in drawing later drafts! I’ll definitely do that again in future projects. I’ll probably make the card first or at least earlier next time.
*That feeling you got as a child when coloring—pure relaxation. It was great to revisit that.
*Planning the ending two or three panels’ text was the hardest part of the story to finalize—working to some kind of a satisfying yet resonant ending both narratively and visually required me to rethink my original draft’s ending at least three times before landing. Admittedly, this might not yet be the very best possible ending, but it satisfies me enough for now that I still feel ready to share the comic. Like with writing or other art projects, some endings feel slightly off, some feel just right, and most others just feel at a point that it’s ready to share and move onward—and that’s all very normal.
A favorite photo of my parents as teenagers that I used as a reference photo for one of the panels. This was one of my few non-phone-retrieved reference photos.
*Even things I thought I wouldn’t be able to draw well (here’s looking at you microphone, cityscape, person shrugging, and ultrasound) turned out better than anticipated when I took the time to use reference photos on my phone. Who knew my phone would be one of my best resources for a hand-drawn comic? I enjoy combining hi-tech and low-tech tools.
*Complicated initial doodle ideas for scenes could most often be better expressed through a simpler, zoomed-in illustration. For example, instead of drawing a table and a whole meal and a kitchen scene, doodling three bright peapods in a row was just as compelling, and coloring in the juicy green was quite relaxing.
*The space outside the panels can be employed sometimes, too. My turn-the-page red arrow and my “Fin” (for the end, in French, as in some old movies) encouraged me to take up space in the white space, so to speak. Next time, I’d love to do some doodling that starts inside a panel and breaks out, so to speak—when I’ve seen that done in graphic novels, I’ve always found it entertaining and meaningful to the story.
*Scanning and cropping from a sketch notebook takes extra time but is worth it.
*My palm trees in my first two drafts looked better. Sometimes, redrawing does not make a more realistic, lifelike doodle—and that’s just a natural part of the process.
*Overall, this was a really fun comic to create—it stretched my imagination and positively tested my ability to tell an ultra-compressed narrative, illustrate the idea concisely, and also to make my handwriting somewhat less rushed and more legible than on the daily. Methinks I’ll make another one of these when the right idea lands sometime.
Want to learn more about creating graphic novels and comics? Some books/resources that I’ve found engaging and encouraging:
Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics is a classic.
Lynda Barry’s Syllabus: Notes from an Accidental Professor encouraged me as both a doodler and an educator. Lynda’s work inspired me that although I’m not a classically trained artist, my art work doesn’t need to be pristine and perfect to be creatable, shareable, and meaningful—this book is packed with unfussy, down-to-earth creativity exercises, too.
I also love her Making Comics.
Lucy Knisley has long been one of my favorite autobiographical graphic novelists. Her work is lively, cozy, candid, and entertaining. Her Relish: My Life in the Kitchen is a feast for the senses for foodies and a great place to start reading her work.
I also enjoyed reading Lucy’s infertility and pregnancy graphic novel, Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos, and (where I started my journey reading her work years ago) French Milk, about a six-week trip to Paris she took with her mother as an early twenty-something.
If you’d rather not spend your precious writing-and-doodling time drawing panels, there are books which have pre-drawn panels you can use, such as this one (along with many others), to skip ahead to writing and drawing.
Kate Bingaman-Burt’s streaming class, Drawing the Everyday Every Day at CreativeLive, is very down-to-earth, entertaining, and start-where-you-are inspiring.
Excited to share this interview with Bold Journey! A bit about the magazine: “Bold Journey is a space to share stories and learn from each other's experiences.”
Melanie, we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?
I’m a professor, tutor, freelance editor, and writer. I absolutely love being surrounded by motivated writers through my teaching and freelancing.
I’m also an introvert. A big part of being verbally connective for hours at a time and sharing what I know in support of others’ writing journeys is also maintaining ways to care for myself to ensure that I bring my best to personalize my responses to students and writers and to connect with my students, friends, and family in meaningful ways.
One of my doodles—another way I rejuvenate. ✍️
A big part of my self-care routine in the past four years has been to support myself in taking breaks. Freelancers tend to work morning, noon, and evening, so I make a point most days to take at least two small breaks. Making mint tea (my favorite), reading a novel, sending my sister a funny meme or gif, or watching a few minutes of a streaming show or movie are all good, quick rejuvenators mid-day or at day’s end.
I’m certainly not perfect, and some days I only get one break…or none at all. I had a day this week with no break. In that case, the next day, I take a whole hour or two off (in the morning or early afternoon, to ensure that I work it into the day) to doodle, write, read, or take a nap to make sure I don’t burn out. The times I’ve gotten very close to burn-out have been disconcerting enough that I want to do all I can to ensure that I have the energy to support my own well-being so that I can give more support to others as well.
I’ve also gotten better over the years at telling myself what I would tell a friend, “You’ll actually have more energy and focus if you give yourself this break. Go for it!” 99% of the time, I’m amazed that, returning from even a 10- or 20-minute break, my thinking is clearer and my outlook is refreshed.
Taking walks, listening to music, and my writing practice are also huge parts of my self-care routine.
A shadow self-portrait I took one day for the fun of making something new. 📸
So is something like painting my nails a bright color or taking my camera out to capture some photos. As an introvert who is also communicative, these little, personal breaks to create something (which gives me renewed energy) often act as springboards to work I wish to share later. There are other times when I write or draw or photograph something just for the sheer joy of expression. Sometimes, I think we put too much pressure on being good at an art rather than practicing it just for our own fulfillment, and I want to tell everyone who is reading this that learning an art or a craft or a sport you always wanted to learn can be a great part of self-care and encourage your path–as well as a lot of fun.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I have been a published author and an educator for over 20 years, and I’ve been a writer since I was a child. I love to challenge and motivate myself to try various forms of creative expression, from writing narrative poems to autofiction and a Regency novella to film photography and drawing.
My most recent meaningful adventure was learning how to design my own book cover and self-publish my latest collection of poetry, called Does It Look Like Her?, about a painter, her teaching journey, and her son. I also love writing craft books about various writing topics, from writing flash fiction and poetry to the publishing process and photography, and Vine Leaves Press has published six of my craft books where I share tips and anecdotes of my writing journey with fellow writers. Motivating and supporting others in their path to creativity and personal expression has been an important part of my journey as a teacher, artist, writer, and friend, and I value and appreciate the writers I get a chance to meet and to share this writing path with as I develop my own art.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
As a writer, perseverance, hope, and determination keep me rolling ever onward on my path. A sense of humor and the camaraderie of fellow authors certainly help as well.
Developing a support network as you practice an art, launch a small business, change careers, or any other venture in life is very helpful and often sustains our creative work as well as a feeling of connection in the literary community. Being a supportive, listening ear to others is also meaningful and a wonderful way to develop as an artist, writer, friend, and/or educator.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
The number one obstacle I face and which my fellow writers and students often mention is time. Our lives are so packed with activities that having empty pockets of time has become a luxury. At the same time, to make art or a good novel draft or other worthwhile parts of life, we need time to daydream, to dawdle, to plan, and to relax. It’s a real challenge and something that doesn’t seem to get easier to solve over time. Squeezing those self-care breaks into each day or a few times a week seems to work best. So does trying new hobbies or even new foods. Reading a book about something new energizes me as well, even if I can only dip into a few pages each day.
Stopping to have gratitude for the small moment and the little things we appreciate each day is also an energizer and helps to combat the frustration of our overly packed schedules.
One of the many meaningful parts of publishing a new book is reading the reviews. Much appreciation to readers and fellow writers who take the time to leave a review.
Stay tuned for some great reviews of my latest book as well as some tips for leaving reviews for your favorite authors. Please check out the hotlinks and support the social media and books of the mentioned authors—they are super talented, riveting writers. 😊
Also, if I’ve inadvertently missed anyone’s post or review: my sincerest thanks for your time and effort on behalf of my writing—writers rock and are so generous!
These awesome reviews might give you inspiration for the many easy ways you can spread the word about your favorite writers as well as the many fun, articulate ways you can describe their books. 😊
Excerpts from What Readers Are Saying about Does It Look Like Her?:
From Martha Engber Reads Reviews:
“Melanie Faith’s Does It Look Like Her? is a narrative poetry book that reads like a novel. But rather than rely on a lot of words as novels do, each of the 26 poems in the three-part fictional story of Alix is a brushstroke like the kind used by a renown artist to render her likeness into fame…
Image Courtesy of Martha Engber.
If you’re new to poetry, this book should be your entry. It’s accessible, but not simple, beautiful, but not “cute.” Best of all, each poem’s ending packs an insightful punch that caused me to think about, and find, new angles to my own life, rendering me to murmur, ‘Ah.’”
Amazon and Goodreads feedback:
From Carolyn R Russell’s review:
“With each reading, forwards or backwards, my connection to this examined life, this character, and the language of this stunning little book intensified. Certain narrative threads receded while others popped. Linguistic phrases seemed to leap at me with new significance as context for them deepened.”
From Laurie’s @lauriemiller2015 [Instagram]’s review:
“This collection is passionate, melancholy, loving, and to me, an homage to artists who may struggle with their writing, painting, or creating their art. My favorite pieces were the three in which Alix’s son, Sam, speaks about a famous portrait of his mother—the first at age eight, the second at age 20, and the third at age 39. Through those three poems, the reader sees Sam’s perspective, and his relationship with and understanding of his mother, evolve. As the mother of a grown son, I related to the changes in their relationship, and it was beautiful.”
From an Etsy review by Janessa Haley @janessahaleyauthor [Instagram]:
“Melanie's book is so inspiring! This lovely book of poems has been added to the special place on my bookshelf full of Melanie's other books :) If you love beautiful words and poems that tell a story, this book is a must for all poetry lovers!”
From an Etsy review by Jessie Carty:
“So excited to read Melanie's newest poetry book!”
From an Instagram post by Ian M. Rogers:
“Psyched to get Melanie Faith’s new poetry collection, Does It Look Like Her?...If you haven’t already, check out her new innovative, story-based poetry book and her first foray into independent publishing, the latest of many new endeavors—she has signed copies available on her Etsy store (just Google Melanie Faith Etsy), or you can buy it from the Big A (Amazon). Here’s to more creative adventures, and I can’t wait to dive in!”
From a Goodreads review by Terri McCord:
“This book rings true as not only an inventive tribute to creativity and family, but also to the rich history of art and artists. Does It Look Like Her? is also a wonderful collaborative chat with art-makers, past and present, and shaped with such great care by this writer/poet, and art-maker herself. The language is musical, and the relationships are tender, and the portrait that emerges is well worth reading.”
***
If you’ve ever thought about reviewing anyone’s book, here are 5 helpful ideas:
*Don’t have much time right now? No problem—click on the number of stars you wish to give a book at Amazon, Goodreads, or another site. You can return later to write your review, and in the meantime, you have contributed to a better rating for the book. Win-win.
*Unlike formal reviews, you can literally leave just a sentence or two. [See “running short of time” above.]
*Not sure what to say? Here are a few options. Compliment:
characters you connect with
good pacing
funny passages or passages that made you think
a resonant line or two you liked
the conflict or main goal of the protagonist
how this book compares to others in the same genre (you can even name-drop a book or two it reminds you of)
your favorite chapter/poem/essay/line
what you like about the dialogue
POV or alternating POV in the book
what you like about this author’s writing style
*In addition to the book sites listed above, some writers (like myself) also sell their books through an Etsy shop or a personal website. Etsy, in particular, has a feedback box which is another great place to reach readers who are interested in the book.
* Post a few words about a book you love at your own socials and tag the author if you’d like.
*There were also many generous Facebook posts and Facebook replies that I deeply appreciate. Facebook and Facebook Groups can be a great place to share reviews.
To writing beautiful book reviews that make a difference to readers and authors alike!🥳
***
Would you like to read a copy of Does It Look Like Her?:
Signed copies of Does It Look Like Her? available at my Etsy store: clickety-click. Also, available (unsigned) through Amazon: clickety-click.
Cover design and photography by moi 😊
It’s been a hot minute since I shared some doodles, so I felt like a post would be in order.
I’m not above using erasers or cover-up tape to make my drawings better if the first try goes awry. 😉
For my birthday last year, my awesome sister got me a doodle journal. I’ve had lots of writing journals over the years, but never one specifically to encourage my development as a visual artist.
Each page has a prompt. They range from very broad and easy to interpret to real headscratchers that make me amp my creativity and test my sketching abilities, like the day it suggested drawing the final scene from a movie (gulp!).
I spend just ten to thirty minutes on each drawing (the shortest sketch was my Easter tulips), often in-between grading and making a snack or at the end of the day when I’m wide awake but too mentally tired to dig into a draft in-progress.
I find I care much less about whether the sketches are realistic enough to satisfy my inner censors and much more about the fun of using the art supplies.
The slowdown is very rejuvenating on my nervous system—almost like swimming, I can feel the languid time opening up. I was thinking about that a lot this week, as I paged through what I’ve doodled so far and treated myself to a box of soft oil pastels, which are new to me.
This has also given me a chance to practice doodling people, one of my weakest skills. I gave it a whirl on a doodle of a Jane Austen book cover as well as my version of The Bard.
I used a variety of colored pens, colored pencils, gel ink, whatever was handy on these sketches.
Sometimes, I accompanied the sketch with a short sentence or two reflection, almost like a journal, either in answer to the prompt or just a thought on my mind, such as the day it was 18 degrees outside.
Enjoy this medley of doodles from my sketchbook, and may you continue to find enjoyment and inspiration in your own writing and artistic journeys! Create on. 🥳
Thanks for taking a look at these sketches and for all of your support of my books and teaching. Signed copies of my latest poetry book, Does It Look Like Her? , available at my Etsy store: clickety-click. Also, available (unsigned) through Amazon: clickety-click. 📔
This prompt asked doodlers to draw a self-portrait of themselves from another era. I drew myself in an 1860s tintype. My 1860s self is not as smiley. 😁
So excited that my article about the perks of freelance editing was published at The Muffin. 🥳
My webinar on this topic this Friday, April 12th is also sure to share even more perks to freelancing. To learn more: clickety-click! ✍️
My article:
Do you love to read? Have you participated in a writing workshop or beta read for a friend? Or taken a creative writing class to learn the building blocks of prose and poetry? Have you offered suggestions for a friend’s essay or creative piece? Are you a creative writer? Are you a fan of precise or beautiful language? Do you love talking about the writing and revision processes? Do you enjoy discovering an individual author’s voice and offering encouragement?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, freelance editing may very well be a wonderful fit for your natural skills, bring enjoyment, and offer some spending money or a helpful additional income to your household while doing something you already love—communicating and developing fun-to-read, page-turning literature for fellow readers.
Let’s look at just a few of the many perks of becoming a freelance editor.
1. One of the best parts of freelancing is working directly with a motivated writer who is open to suggestions for making their manuscript clearer and more gripping to readers. We all know how hard it can be to spot errors or inconsistencies in one’s own writing, and as a freelance editor you get the privilege of offering feedback that the author may be too close to the manuscript to notice while self-editing. You work as a team to sculpt the work to optimal length, genre specifications, literary devices, pacing, character and/or plot development, and so much more.
2. You also will likely expand your network and build a bond or a friendship with authors whose manuscript you have the chance to review. It’s a sacred, meaningful honor to be entrusted with a writer’s work, and while bringing out the best in the writing, editors and writers work towards the same goals. Once you have offered supportive, clear feedback to an author on one project, they often return when they have other manuscripts they’d like constructive, helpful suggestions on in the future.
3. Freelance editors have freedom of time and freedom of project-choice. Freelancers set up a schedule and a deadline that mutually work for both writer and editor. Freelance editors also enjoy the freedom to pick the kinds of projects and the genres of writing that most excite us. Do you love reading thrillers and fantasy but dislike mysteries and dystopian work? As a freelancer, you can pick and choose the projects that you feel most excited to offer feedback on and that most inspire you.
4. Most freelance editors begin their small businesses as part-timers, so whether you are working another job, serving as a caregiver, raising a family, running another small business, or juggling multiple life stages and vocations, freelancing offers the flexibility to work from home or a café or shared office space at times that work best for you, your schedule, and your life circumstances. I’ve worked with freelance editors and students of all ages—from their twenties through their retirees—who start editing, and these editors have found that freelance editing fits into their lives around other life events and responsibilities with a little organization and planning.
5. You can work with clients from your local neighborhood or from all around the world at a time that is best for you and your clients’ needs.
Clearly, freelance editing offers countless perks and the satisfaction of adding quality, entertaining, meaningful books to the literary landscape. If you have any interest at all in this exciting, flexible field, it’s well-worth looking into and giving it a whirl.
Image courtesy of WOW! Women on Writing