L.I.T.E.R.A.L. #6: Whose Career Do You Wish You Had?

L.I.T.E.R.A.L. is an occasional blog meme/writing prompt for authors hosted at Indie Books. Indie Books created it to serve as a support group for participants of the Author at Once workshops, but they welcome all writers (from anywhere in the world) who’d like to respond to their writing prompts!

Here's the question from BronzeAge.ph: When we visualize our success as writers, we usually have "career pegs." Whose career do you wish you had?

My answer: 

Three Js

My first reaction was: J.K. Rowling.

J.K. Rowling reads from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone at the Easter Egg Roll at White House.
Photo by Daniel Ogren. 

Why? Because she's rolling in money due to a fascinating story that she genuinely loves. But then I'll have to recant my choice. Precisely because of her fame and success...I don't want to choose her career as my only peg. I need to remind myself that fame and success are nice byproducts but not at all the motivation for my writing. And I bet...neither was it J.K. Rowling's motivation either. Like many other writers...she probably just wanted to be read. And not just by her kids or her family or her neighbors. She wanted Harry Potter to reach every child. I guess...maybe that side of her career can be my peg.

The next writer that came to mind was Jane Hirshfield.

In "Come, Thief," Jane Hirshfield reflects on the landmarks of a life, including the fact that she found true love at age 49. Photo by VOA - A. Philipps.

Why? Because she's a deeply meditative poet. That's what I want my writing to be: a reflection, a mindfulness of my life, of the lives around me, of creation. She not only has a deep passion for writing but also for biology and physics. While her work has roots in Zen and Buddhism, she doesn't want to be stuck in a label. She has been quoted to say: “I always feel a slight dismay if I’m called a “Zen” poet. I am not. I am a human poet, that’s all.” I truly admire her work and I want that kind of life: a life of writing poetry, studying poetry and writing about poetry. That's not what my life is like right now...but it's a career that I could imagine for myself. From Hirshfield, I take the discipline of mindfulness and craft.

But in the end, I'll have to refer to another writer that I've never read: Julianna Baggott...only because she writes so poignantly about being a writer, a mother, and a professional. She says: "Put your elbows out, protect your time. "

This is Julianna Baggott, pen names: Bridget Asher and N.E. Bode. Picture from www.english.fsu.edu. 

She talks about the brass tacks that come with writing: discussions with a partner, grappling with limited resources, going at it with "efficient creativity" (i.e. writing while nursing while vacuuming). Just because she captures so much of the difficulties that come with writing and bringing up children and working...I think I'll go buy her book, Pure. She admits to raising two children under poverty level at some point in her life. This girl has got guts! From Baggott, I'll take the strength, the perseverance, and the cross between optimism and realism that got her to where she is.

Career....calling...I don't know what the right word is. I look at the lives of each of these women (whose names all coincidentally start with J) and I can see some facet of their writerly lives that inspires me.

Once again...thanks for the question Indie Books and BronzeAge.ph. These are great reflections for me and a good way to inspire myself and others to keep writing.

And a big Thank You to Indie Books for featuring my poetry book in their e-newsletter today! :-)

L.I.T.E.R.A.L. #5: What's Your Summer Story?

Mommy and Me, 1976

The question from BronzeAge.ph: You’re asked to write a story based on the most exciting/happiest/worst summer of your life. What would it be about?

The answer: It would be the story that I haven't written about, the summer that my mother died.

I never really thought about writing a summer story. But now that I think about it...my mother died in the summer. The skies must have been bright. It must have been really hot. It was in the middle of April, nine days after my baby sister was born. Her burial was in the afternoon. People wore shades. I never saw my Dad's eyes in the pictures. He had a good excuse to wear those shades.

It must have been the worst summer of my life but I hadn't realized it yet. I didn't know about death because I was only three years old. When I look at my daughter who's only two and six months...I realize how fancy free I must have been at the time of her death. I must have been worried about outfits and bathing suits and where to go in the afternoon. At the time, the days must have fused together and I had no inkling at all about yesterday or tomorrow. That's how my daughter is...everything is just one fantastic day full of smiles or tears or snacks or playtime.

Memory is such a tricky thing. It's especially tricky when you're three years old. There's not much there. So... what I want to do is to reconstruct that summer. The seventies fashion, the stories in the kitchen, the beach trips from the two years before and the surreal day that no one expected. Now that I'm a mom...I see that clueless little girl in an apple cut hairdo, wearing that white dress and my heart goes out to her. Come here, you. Let me hug you. You're going to be all right.

Well, thanks for asking, BronzeAge.ph. Now, I have some fantastic material brewing in my head.

L.I.T.E.R.A.L. #4: What Will Make You Truly Feel That You've Made It As A Writer?

Wow. A book. Does this make me a writer? Truly?

The Questions (from BronzeAge.ph): What will make you truly feel that you’ve made it as a writer? Seeing your byline? Holding the book in your hands? Seeing it climb up the charts? Your first book launch? What will finally get you to tell people that yes, you are a writer?

The Answers: 

All of the above are scenarios that have played in my head. Byline, check (articles in magazines), holding a book my hands, check (self-published two books). Seeing it climb up the charts, not checked (haven't written a bestseller...yet). My first book launch, check (I arranged for the book launch of my self-published books). And yet, I still feel unworthy of the title "writer" sometimes. Actually, the term is "published writer." I technically qualify as a published magazine writer. But because my two books were self-published *and* not bestsellers...I feel like I failed in the arena of "published book writer."

But of course, that type of negative self-talk doesn't help at all.

I'm reading a book on self-publishing right now called APE (Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur) by Guy Kawasaki. And I love the idea that he puts forth: the artisanal publisher. It's about a writer who deeply cares about the writing process that he/she takes care of the book from start to finish. Of course, I didn't heed his advice (I hadn't read the book yet) when I went ahead and self-edited. But it's a great lesson learned. Because of what I learned from APE, I made my two books absolutely FREE on Lulu.com, iBookstore and Nook. Who in heck knows Justine Camacho Tajonera? No one. And why should I expect people to read what I write, anyway? Let's face it: writing is about sharing something that means something to the audience reading it. So...if I would write, anyway, without getting paid...I should thank my lucky stars that I have a tool to actually reach an audience. That's why I gave away my books. I want to be read. That's all.

So...to go back to that question....What will make me truly feel that I've made it as a writer? That I've been read. A writer's lifeblood is to have shared something valuable to others. Truly...that's what it boils down to. At least for me. Will I make a living from it? Maybe not. But I dearly wish it would help pay the bills too. Did Emily Dickinson make a living out of her poetry? Heck no. But is she a writer? No one would debate this fact. Point made.

Writing is a passion that cannot be quenched. It's a blessing and a curse. If the muse has called, she cannot help but be answered. Otherwise, the one who heard the call would be tortured by eternal "what ifs." I love Elizabeth Gilbert's fascinating TED talk about the writing process. I love it so much, I'm embedding it below. I like the idea that writers are vessels. For a few moments we are lit up by genius, by the divine and we cannot help but share it. Let not the idea of individual glory fill our heads.

L.I.T.E.R.A.L. #3: Writer Support Groups

L.I.T.E.R.A.L. is a weekly blog meme for authors hosted at Indie Books. We created it to serve as a support group for participants of the Author at Once workshops, but we welcome all writers (from anywhere in the world) who’d like to weigh in on the topics!

The questions:

Who’s part of your support group? Who knows you’re a writer, and has read what you wrote? How much does their opinion matter, and do you write things specifically for them?

The answers:

I'd say my support group would be my family and some of my close friends. People in my circle know that I'm a writer but I wouldn't say all of them have read my work. Or maybe not all of them would be *willing to pay* to read my work. Haha! 

Their opinions matter a lot to me. I mean, if my own family members and friends think that my writing sucks...what would the rest of the world think, right? But that's the thing. Friends and family, more often than not, tend to encourage me and give me positive comments. So, while I love my friends and family, I also take their comments or reviews with a grain of salt. I have to factor in their love for me. 

The people whose opinions really, really matter would come from fellow writers or editors. It's rare that you get these for free, though. But when I do (like in the case of a poet who edited the content of my poetry book), I feel more than privileged, I feel blessed. His generosity was really inspiring. He gave me pointed critique and encouraged me to evoke, to paint with words and not simply make platitudes, conclusions or descriptions. I am forever grateful for this kind of critique. It means more to me than praise. 

I guess you could equate this kind of exchange with that of the salon of the 17th and 18th century. It's a private gathering (or in this age...a private chat) among two or more (but less than ten) writers, artists, philosophers, etc. It is for the honest critique rather than adulation that this is useful to a writer. 

But do I write for my readers? Right now, I don't think I could say that I do...at least for a particular set of readers. I write what I want. Maybe I haven't figured out yet that common ground between myself (and what I want to write about) and the great majority. It is that wonderful intersection between what deeply matters and excites the author and what strikes a deep chord with those who read the author's work. I haven't found that golden mean. But I'm working towards it. Ray Bradbury put it really well: "I want your loves to be multiple. I don’t want you to be a snob about anything. Anything you love, you do it. It’s got to be with a great sense of fun. Writing is not a serious business. It’s a joy and a celebration. You should be having fun with it. Ignore the authors who say ‘Oh, my God, what word? Oh, Jesus Christ…,’ you know. Now, to hell with that. It’s not work. If it’s work, stop and do something else."

Writing is a social thing, though, that's what I try to remember at the end of the day. It's a conversation. If no one is listening, would it be considered writing at all? I remember Emily Dickinson whose body of works was published only after her death. She was writing to someone. Anyone who writes, whether published or not, is participating in a conversation. I write out of my life so that it might spark something in the reader, some recognition, some understanding. I don't have a particular reader in mind. But I do know that my writing springs from my humanity, my common ground with all readers.

Illustration: D'après Abraham Bosse (Français, 1602-1676): Conversation de dames en l'absence de leurs maris: le diner. This painting belongs to the public domain. 

L.I.T.E.R.A.L. # 2: Thoughts on The Components of Writing Motivation

L.I.T.E.R.A.L. is a weekly blog meme for authors hosted at Indie Books. We created it to serve as a support group for participants of the Author at Once workshops, but we welcome all writers (from anywhere in the world) who’d like to weigh in on the topics!


The Question from Bronze Age Media: Now let’s share how we get things done. What gets you in the mood to write? Is it a deadline, a prize, a pushy editor? Can you recall your most productive writing session ever? What triggered it?

The Answer: 
For feature articles that I write for a local parenting magazine, it's the deadline. First of all, it's a choice to accept the writing assignment. I keep that in mind. When I'm really swamped, I flat out refuse the assignment and the editor understands. But when I do take it on...the next thing that pushes me is the deadline. There's nothing like a deadline. You either meet it or you don't. The hard part is coming to terms with NOT meeting it. But I guess the answer to this is to be in communication with the person who'll be impacted. In this case, it's the editor. I was writing a piece recently and I was still waiting for one of my interviewees to get back to me. As soon as I knew I was going to hit a snag, I alerted the editor and asked for five more days. My request was granted. I realized that they usually work with buffers so it doesn't hurt to ask for a reprieve. But I only do this once in a blue moon. I always stick by the deadline or finish earlier.

For writing in general, I signed up to an online platform called 750words.com. It's a nifty idea. You write 750 words every day, preferably in the morning (your morning stream-of-consciousness thoughts). The site creator cites this book called The Artist's Way which advises artists/ writers to write down morning pages (your first thoughts for the day). Among all the advice in the book, this is the one that really worked for him.

Your entries on the site are entirely private (nothing is published online) but what's so great about it is that the platform analyzes your words and gives you statistics about your writing: in how many minutes did you finish? Were you writing about the past, the present, the future? What was your mood while writing? What were you preoccupied with? For this alone, I think it's worth writing on 750words.com. Now, they have this thing called the monthly writing challenge. When you sign up for it you identify your reward (i.e. spa and massage, a movie, a trip out of town) and you identify your punishment (no ice cream for a month) plus on top of that you either end up in the wall of shame (for not finishing) or the wall of awesome (for finishing). It was grueling! I tried it out for July and I'm glad I finished the challenge. No one had to check. Just me. And it was worth it. I ended up with a lot of material for the book I'm writing plus other stuff, like children's stories, that weren't on my initial agenda. It just got me in the process of writing again. So...now, I think it's time for me to get back on the habit!

I also recently joined the Poetry Group on goodreads.com and I love posting a new poem in their "I am open to critique" forum. I get a thrill out of getting comments from other more experienced poets and I like finding out how they think. I get exposed to other people's ars poetica...and learning has always been a strong motivator for me. So, when I do get some valuable feedback, I edit the poem with those comments in mind.

My most productive writing sessions were probably in coffee shops when I gave myself several hours to finish a chapter or two...or compile several poems into a theme. Maybe it was the caffeine (haha!) or maybe it was the momentum. I don't know. A self-imposed deadline that I meet makes me feel really triumphant. The only thing that beats it is getting feedback from someone who was touched by what I wrote.

The idea of finally finishing something gives me a thrill. Even if there's no monetary gain, no one to push me, or no prize to win...I love the feeling of closing off and finishing a story, a poem, a blog. Closure might be what some people call it. Or completion. For this to happen, there are equal parts of discipline and inspiration that work together for me.

L.I.T.E.R.A.L. #1: Two Books, One Burning Desire

Two Books, One Burning Desire

by Justine Camacho-Tajonera


The Questions (from BronzeAge.ph): Has your book/story/epic been published? If yes, how was the experience, and where can we buy your book? If no (or not yet), why the delay? Is there anything you know you should be doing to make it happen?

The Answers:

 I self-published two books last year, Artemis Lets Go (a novel) and Gift (a poetry book). It started out as a project while I was attending a seminar on producing breakthrough results. I wondered if it was possible to finally publish a book, something that I'd been wanting to do for a long time. I ended up with two published books!

I started doing some research and that was how I discovered Lulu.com. While doing my own editing and figuring a little code, I published my novel and my poetry on the Lulu.com platform and then I discovered Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing Platform as well. Apart from that, I went through the thrill of getting the actual proofs of my books all the way from North Carolina (Lulu) for less than 1,000 pesos each.

I'm not implying that it was easy to actually write the books. That was a totally different process. My novel had been rejected already by a local publisher and I just didn't want to leave it in my proverbial baul. The manuscript was done. It was just a matter of exploring other avenues.

My poetry book came after another project wherein I challenged myself to write a poem every day (back in 2010). I ended up with tons of poems and I just had to sort through them, put them together, and edit them. I was very fortunate to have found a fellow writer, all the way in South Africa, who generously edited my work. I also asked a former professor to write the foreword and he graciously accepted. I asked a good friend of mind to do all the illustrations and the cover art.

Seeing the actual books for sale, online, made my heart skip a beat! Every time I saw them out in a new online store, I had to pinch myself.

I found a local printer and put together a launch for family and friends last November 13, 2011 at Fully Booked, BGC. It was an exhilarating experience (especially getting the stacked books wrapped in brown paper). It was a lovely way to celebrate my writing and a venue to sell the books as well.

These books are definitely not my bread and butter but they taught me a lot. I'm actually still learning until now (for example: it takes a lot of marketing to actually get your published work off the ground). It was a wonderful journey, for sure, one that I'd gladly go through all over again. If you're determined to have your story heard, nothing will stop you. It's just a matter of time.

I'm working on a new book and I'm excited to get it out there to readers. I realize that I'd still do this (writing) even if I didn't get paid. :-)


Artemis Lets Go is available on:

iTunes (U.S.) - http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/artemis-lets-go/id453223514?mt=11

Lulu.com - http://www.lulu.com/shop/justine-camacho-tajonera/artemis-lets-go/ebook/product-17977574.html

BarnesandNoble.com (U.S.) - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/artemis-lets-go-justine-camacho-tajonera/1105797728?ean=9781257937776

Amazon.com - http://www.amazon.com/Artemis-Lets-Go-ebook/dp/B005GOPVRM


Gift is available on:

iTunes (U.S.) - http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/gift/id466799387?mt=11

Lulu.com - http://www.lulu.com/shop/justine-camacho-tajonera/gift-poems/ebook/product-17977602.html

BarnesandNoble.com (U.S.) - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gift-justine-camacho-tajonera/1107391966?ean=9781257947911

Amazon.com - http://www.amazon.com/Gift-Poems-ebook/dp/B005NYK98G