Writing Pearls

Illinois Women’s Press Association (IWPA) hosts a contest for writers, both professional writers and beginning writers in high school. I became a member after re-reading Natalie Goldberg’s wonderful book, Writing Down the Bones, and realizing that I too might call myself a writer even though I had only “morning pages” under my writing belt. Goldberg received sage advice from a Zen master: “Why do you come to sit meditation? Why don’t you make writing your practice? If you go deep enough in writing, it will take you everyplace.”

Yes, writing takes one everyplace. In 1995 I fell down steep stairs in Chicago on the eve of taking my firstborn to college. Unable to hobble much in my cast, I slowed down. I began writing “morning pages” according to journalist and film/TV writer Julia Cameron’s inspiring book, The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. I did not imagine that later I would publish three developmental psychology books and create a weekly blog, Pearls of Peace. The word “blog” was not invented until Jorn Barger coined “weblog” in 1997; Peter Merholz reduced the concept to “blog” in 1999.  

Goldberg is strictly a pen-and-notebook (of a special kind) writer. She prefers writing in a café. I can take notes and write poems with a pen, but I prefer the keyboard at my desktop computer for books and blogs. Classical music is my companion when I write, not extraneous conversation. Reportedly, Ernest Hemingway wrote naked at a lectern. He used a pencil but switched to typing for dialogue. Each writer develops their own writing style.

Cameron wrote her “morning pages” for decades; in a lecture she commented that writing is a way to “zip up a concern.” She believed she was writing her 1992 Artist’s Way for “about 5 people.” She was shocked when 5 million copies sold! I do not have this following, but the people who do read my writing give me compassionate feedback. However, we writers are most in need of saying something when we take our pen or keyboard to hand. Among others, Cameron believes that we teach what we need to learn ourselves.

I feel lucky to discover the stimulation of writing in an encore career. I feel lucky to receive awards from my two submissions to the 2024 IWPA Mate E. Palmer Communications Contest:

• First Place in Web & Social Media Blog, Nonprofit (Government or Educational), IWPA 2024 – “Banned Pearls” (online 10-2-23) 
• First Place in Non-Fiction Books for Adult Readers, IWPA 2024 – Transforming Retirement: Rewire and Grow Your Legacy (published 2023)

The best part of the Award luncheon was hearing high school writers’ enthusiasm for their craft! I recommend writing at every age. Take Hemingway’s advice: “All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” My advice? Write a second sentence. Keep writing.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

295. What kind of writing engages you?

296. Is there a type of writing you would like to begin?