The 5 Ws and an H of Telemachus Press Author
Winslow Eliot
www.winsloweliot.com
Who I am as a writer?
In one of my WriteSpas I offer a writing practice I call Where Did I Come From, Who Am I, Where Am I Going? The intent in the exercise is to discover what is most important about your life. Is it birth date, hair color, job? Is it a formative experience? Or might it be something you believe in?
What do you want people to know about you? Here are my guidelines:
“Come up with an over-arching theme rather than a time-line of your life. What inspired you to leave your home or to sing in that first coffee house? What is a secret longing you’ve never shared? Your theme might be a great obstacle, a true love, the onslaught of sickness, impending doom, joy, a sea change. As you write, locate what the theme of your biography is, and when you title your piece, try to net that theme in the title and, perhaps, a subtitle.
Use this writing method to free up your writing muscles. When you exercise, you strengthen and shorten a muscle, and that’s why it’s important to stretch and flex before and after. So start writing at the bottom of the page and work your way up. Or begin at the end of the notebook, or turn it upside down. Write in different shapes each day, or use bubbles for each phrase. Or create a sun in the center of the page and have words and images raying outward. Use colored pencils and be random and creative: Don’t always use red if you’re recalling an angry or passionate mood. What does it feel like if you use green or a peaceful blue?”
I still haven’t finished this writing practice – it keeps changing. Maybe who I am as a writer is changing too.
What motivates me to write?
Not ‘what’, but ‘who’ – it’s Claudia Jackson, of course, of Telemachus Press. When I first met Claudia back in 2009 I was in the throes of despair regarding my publishing career. My agent had pretty much given up on me, and I was at a crossroads, and had to decide where, after a lifetime of writing and publishing, to go next. Claudia gently encouraged me to trust myself, to invest in myself, and to publish myself. She promised she would hold my hand through the whole adventure.
Because of her – and other self-published authors’ – support, I was motivated to write – and write – and write. No longer did I have to wait months – sometimes years! for an editor to respond with edits or rejections. I was free. Now, six books later and another on the way, I can also say I am a successful writer, and success is definitely motivating.
Where do I write?
In bed! Where I’m comfy, cozy, with no distractions, and nothing separating me from sleep-to-waking-to-writing except a delicious cup of coffee silently brought to me by my kind husband. When I’m on a writing roll I don’t get out of bed till noon or later.
Why do I write?
All my life my passion has been fiction – great stories – I love getting lost in novels – and I’ve always written what I love to read: page-turning, romantic, suspenseful, plot-twisty, engaging, likable, fun-yet-deep, slightly mystical, edgy, beautifully written stories. More recently I have become engaged in writing my WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers newsletters that aim to encourage and nourish writers who need a rest in their writing journey.
When do I write?
I think that if you are a real writer, everything you do is writing – whether it’s looking out of a train window, or talking to a friend, or taking a siesta. Observe, notice, feel, love, give … it’s all part of Writing. So, the answer is “always.”
How do I write?
Well, that being said, there is actually no such thing as writing – there is ONLY rewriting. I write everything over, and over, and then rewrite. It is like carving a sculpture out of wood: I am finding the piece of wood, then sawing it, chiseling, sanding, buffing, and finally polishing….
About Winslow Eliot
Eliot’s novels have been translated into eleven languages and published in twenty countries. She’s the author of Bright Face of Danger (originally published by St. Martin’s Press 1993; revised and re-released in September 2010). Bright Face of Danger was published in four separate French editions: as Fatale Vengeance (Harlequin) and, most recently, as L’Innocence du Mal (Mira Books and Harlequin Bestsellers 2009).
Heaven Falls was published in March 2010 and won first place in Reader Views Awards—romance category. A Perfect Gem and Pursued followed in 2011. The Wine-Dark Sea, Painted Secrets, Red Sky At Night, A Distant Light, and Roman Candles were published under an earlier pseudonym (Ellie Winslow) by Signet/NAL. The Wine-Dark Sea was bought by ITC in Hollywood, and made into a screenplay.
She’s the author of numerous articles, she was a contributing author to Area, the Oriental Rug Magazine for many years, and a reader for the Independent Film Project in New York City. She also writes poetry, and she cofounded the celebrated Saturn Series Weekly Poetry Readings in New York City, now in its nineteenth year.
She’s a writing coach, mentor, and editor. Her online “WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers” welcomes visitors from all over the world, and a compilation of writing practices called Writing through the Year, including a Workbook, is now available. She’s also written a motivational self-help book called What Would You Do If There Was Nothing You Had To Do?
Besides writing novels and managing her WriteSpa, she teaches high school English and creative writing to teenagers. She belly-dances, sings and plays guitar, she has visited most sacred places in the world, and she loves people and the tarot.
Links
Author website: http://winsloweliot.com/
Facebook personal page: https://www.facebook.com/winslow.eliot?ref=tn_tnmn
Facebook author fan page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Winslow-Eliot-Author/135916149893918?ref=tn_tnmn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/winsloweliot
Google+: https://plus.google.com/108855771322927272374/posts
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/winsloweliot/
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=33259760&trk=tab_pro
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1361082.Winslow_Eliot
Upcoming Events
The publication of WRITING THROUGH THE YEAR
And WRITING THROUGH THE YEAR – WORKBOOK
Your life is an adventure. Every morning you wake up and anything at all might happen! You can set off on a journey, speak your mind, buy something, sell something, look at a painting, take a walk and see a wild boar … As a writer, you know this is true. You create things. You cast a magic spell and a world is manifested. A person is developed. A story unfolds. The possibilities are endless.
The adventure is thrilling – but it can take its toll. Rest, pleasure, enjoyment in the journey is as important as charging into the fray. You need an oasis. WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers is a place where you can feel rejuvenated and encouraged. It’s a place that’s fun, fulfilling, and will inspire serenity and nourishment in your writer’s soul. Writing through the Year is a compilation of WriteSpas to carry you through fifty-two weeks of writing pleasure.
Starting in January, we’ll begin our year-long writing journey with a weekly half-hour radio show on Blogtalkradio. Check my website for details
Praise for WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
“Winslow Eliot knows a writer's soul intimately because she herself is a writer, and a fine one at that. She has used this first-hand knowledge and her considerable creative gifts to bring forth an oasis for each season, where wordsmiths can nourish and revitalize their relationship with Writing. It's a synthesis of poetry, useful information, and highly effective exercises for the writer— beautifully crafted and wonderfully inspiring.”
“An accomplished author in her own right, Winslow Eliot has created a perfect oasis for improving and enhancing a writer's skills. Well-crafted, WriteSpa motivates a writer to push beyond their comfort zone with valuable information, engaging prose, and relaxing mental exercises in improving their writing skills. These mental workouts are simple and easy to follow.”
“I have always found Eliot’s WriteSpa newsletters to be refreshing, reflective, and grounding. Her writing hits upon the soul and spirit of us all.”
“The practices and exercises are fun, challenging, creative, and engaging—you'll be surprised at how much your writing improves. I've been subscribing to the WriteSpa newsletter for years, and it's great to have all these practices and musings in one place.”