Listen to a writer

UVA dome room, Charlottesville, VA
Photo by Gail Molnar Pfeifer

When I first became serious about wanting to get published, I signed up for a local community college lecture on writing. Lucky for me, the instructor was Robert Santelli, and his advice was simple: start writing and don’t stop. He brought no notes, no handouts, and just spoke about his experience. Already a published author, he told us how his love of music and local history led him to become a freelance music journalist, and, eventually, to write The Big Book of Blues in 1993 (updated since then). He’s also written books on Bob Dylan, baseball, and travel topics. He went on to become an executive at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, the Experience Music Project in Seattle, and he is now the executive director of the GRAMMY Museum.

So I’m glad I took his advice, and suggest the same to you: start writing and don’t stop. No handouts needed.  

A great month to start writing

Nelson House, Yorktown, VA
Photo by Gail Molnar Pfeifer

I used to think that we should find a way to wedge the month of February between November and December, to give us some leeway between that string of end-of-year holidays. But now I’m not so sure I want to give up the respite that February offers before the hurry of spring—it gives us a breather and an opportunity to fill our space (particularly that space away from work) with fresh activities. Here are some ideas:

• Catch up on the Oscar-nominated films
• Read a both-feet-on-the-floor-kind of book (The Lacuna, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Wonder and Terror of Science, etc.)
• Plan your garden
• Research an astronomy app for your computer or smart phone. (These apps identify constellations and outline them for you when you hold your device up to the night sky—and February is a great time to star gaze!)
• Write for publication!