So not only did you teach me about writing memoir, you also taught me about reading and thinking about how others write memoir. Thank you so much! Rebecca

Accepting what is to come

You can’t change the direction of the wind, but you can adjust your sails.
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Reading and Writers

I was very happy today to get a good report from my favorite doctor, my cardiologist. I have been a bit depressed due to my chronic pain in my hip and leg, but I was told that I am physiologically younger than my chronological years, and while I might need to slow down my intensity, I should not stop doing what I enjoy. I can do that. 

As a senior adult with the usual stresses, I was thinking about making major changes and walking away from writing, Netwest, Writers Circle around the Table, and teaching. But today I decided to rethink my future. 


A writing class at Writers Circle around the Table

In the past week, I have received calls and emails from local people who want to know when I will teach again, where can they go to take classes in writing.
I am reminded of why I began my Writers Circle studio. I like to take writing classes and I like to teach beginning writers. I like to give them the chance to see what they can do, to instill confidence in them, to give them the opportunity to pursue their dreams in a safe environment where they cannot fail.

I was reading a post on the site of Progressive Rising Phoenix Press,

about the benefits of reading for older adults. Writers are important to society in general, and often they don't get the respect that visual artists and musical arts receive, especially in their local areas. How we would miss writers if they were not working all the time to bring us books, stories, facts and news we want to know about.

I have been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. My house is filled with books, so many I don't have room for all of them and I am giving away books all the time. I subscribe to a couple of magazines also and enjoy browsing through them. 

Reading takes us out of our present and puts us somewhere else for a time. The writer on Progressive Rising Phoenix Press explains this in the quote below:


The Health Benefits of Reading

Life of a senior can indeed be stressful. Health problems and family worries wear a person out. And at an advanced age, stress can be costly. To the rescue comes the book, which is a real treasure during difficult times. 

A good novel can take you to different places and different times and distract you from your worries. It helps you to take a deep breath and face problems calmly.

Many studies have shown a connection between reading and mental health. Reading as an everyday activity can reduce memory decline by 30%. The scientists have also discovered that brain stimulation provided by learning or solving puzzles minimizes the probability of having Alzheimer’s disease

Another excellent benefit of reading is that it improves the quality of sleep. Anxiety, pain, and side effects of medications can make falling and staying asleep very difficult. Reading before bedtime is a perfect way to help your brain slow down and tell your body that it’s time for its well-deserved rest.
We writers must continue with our work, our passion, to write the words that others need to read. 
We don't have to write the next great novel or the most praised play or memoir. We can write whatever pleases us and share it with the world. A book of short stories, a poetry book, a self-help book---someone out there wants to read what we write. I enjoy writing for my blogs. Some people leave comments and some write emails to tell me how much it means to read my blog posts. My page views are often from foreign countries. And many people read what I write but never tell me. 

I would love to hear from you whether by comment or by email. See the Contact Form on the sidebar of this blog. Go there and follow directions to write your thoughts and send them to me. Let me know you read this blog. 

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Maren O. Mitchell, NCWN West member, popular at reading Friday night


Maren O. Mitchell, author of the self-help book, Beat Chronic Pain, an Insider's Guide, captivated her audience at Brother's Willow Ranch Restaurant Friday night. Maren's poetry is popular and she is published in excellent journals, but this intelligent and charming writer impressed me with her book based on her own experience. Unwilling to become dependent on narcotic pain prescriptions after debilitating spinal surgery, Mitchell researched other means to deal with chronic pain. In her book we see her quirky sense of humor and her determination and strength of character.

Last night, she stood holding lightly to the backs of two chairs while reading and seemed to have no pain at all. But she says she fights it every day and she shares her methods in her book.

Beat Chronic Pain, an Insider's Guide: Ways to Confront and Relieve Pain Through Avenues Other Than Drugs
Publication Date:
Nov 10 2012
ISBN/EAN13:
0985311908 / 9780985311902
Page Count:
152
Order from www.amazon.com 

Friday, December 9, 2011

See you at City Lights on Thursday, Dec. 15

I'd love to meet you.


I will be at City Lights Books in Sylva, NC, Thursday, December 15, at 10:30 a.m. with other writers in the anthology Women's Places, Women's Spaces. Others who will be reading that day are Beth Moore, Jennifer McGaha, and Susan Lefler.

Contact Celia Miles for more information. http://www.celiamiles.com/


I'd love to sign your copy of this lovely book.