Writing Motherhood

A Stimulating Prompting from an Experienced Writer, Mother, and Teacher of Writing (2010-07-11) : 5/5
I could not put down my new copy of the book Writing Motherhood by Lisa Garrigues. I got it on Thursday and finished it Saturday. I read it while my daughter played on the playground, while she took baths, and while she was napping. It was a thoroughly fun read, and I will keep it on the shelf as a reference for many years to come.

The book centers itself around the very practical "how-to's" of making your own "Mother's Notebook." And yes, we are talking about a hard copy, real deal notebook in the 3-dimensional category. Not blogging, or typing in Word. I was excited to start working on my writing more in the hard copy way after reading this book. I plan to continue to pursue the blogging medium, as I think it has a lot to offer that writing for yourself cannot offer. But keeping a real journal can also serve as a scrapbook or a list-book, and as she points out, holding a pen marks your hands as writer hands. The physical mark of a writer's callus is symbolic for the significance of the writing life and the way it marks us.

The book gets better as you go along. Part One is about the seven ways to start writing your journal, or Motherhood Notebook. Part Two is how to write your "Mother Pages," as she calls them. She encourages you to try to write two "Mother Pages" a day and gives lots of prompts for how to get started. Each chapter in Part Two serves double-duty by giving her example of writing about motherhood- she fills the book with her own stories and collections of memoirs from motherhood. Then she includes examples written by her writing students from the past. Very clever and inspiring methodology, if you ask me, that she demonstrates each exercise (one exercise is "I never thought my husband would be this kind of father..." and she writes her own essay in response to the prompt) as an invitation for the reader to follow suit.

Part Three is a section on what to do after the journal has been written. She offers ideas for sharing your writing, ways to publish your writing, or ideas for why and how to join a writing group. She also includes "inspiration" from her favorite writers about writing at the end of each chapter, and there is an appendix with writing prompts and one on recommended reading.

I liked that the book was written from the perspective of a writing teacher with grown children and many years of experience in writing, mothering, and teaching. She comes brimming with ideas for just starting to write (throw the rules away, she says), getting past your inner critic, and practical "starts" to get you going, such as using objects in your home, smells, places, your parents, your memories, etc. to get you started. She is very specific in her prompts, and they are all very stimulating and inspiring. She also gives great advice for improving your writing (such as reading your writing out loud), and she just so happens to like several of the same authors as me- Anne Lamott, Chaim Potok, Thoreau, Virginia Woolf, etc. After reading the book, I'm excited to find some time to write more intentionally about motherhood.

All in all, I say: read it!

Christmas presents for all! (2007-07-19) : 5/5
I am loving working through this book and intend giving it to several 'Mothers' for Christmas this year! Along with a blank notebook and a pen of course.
Exceptional Guide for the Journey to Being a Mom-Who-Writes (2007-06-25) : 5/5
I walked through my local Barnes and Noble recently and, as always, headed for the Writing Books. It surprised me, although I don't really know why, to find a couple brand new books written specifically for Moms-who-are-writers as well as another title for "busy women."

Intriguing.

Of the books I read, Lisa Garrigues "Writing Motherhood" is the most in tune with what it means to "be" a writer, not someone who is obsessed with publishing or looking for a recipe book to achieve this or that in 7 hours or 14 days or instant-success, this is a book that is realistic, heartful and a powerful guide for mothers who want to write motherhood and so much more.

She gives specific tips and techniques as she shares stories of how these tips and techniques have worked for herself and others, including a section on "Mother's Helpers" and 7 Building Blocks for Success.

She also pays respect to the concept of having a Writer's Notebook that serves a dual purpose as a Mother's Notebook. I am a longtime fan of folks who write in notebooks like Julia Cameron and Natalie Goldberg, so this struck a significant cord for me as well. We Moms-who-write need to train ourselves to write in small, heartful chunks.

Garrigues is an able guide for us along this journey.

This is a book to have on your shelf, to pick up and use - to refer back to regularly.

For Mothers Who Love to Journal Their Way to Self-Discovery (2007-06-13) : 5/5
Mothers have always written about the experience of mothering. They've written letters to other mothers detailing the complex blend of day-to-day minutae and big-picture thinking that go into raising a child. They've recorded the journey of their days in their diaries. They've captured these moments in poetry, fiction, song lyrics, and movie scripts (to say nothing of countless other art forms). And, more recently, they've been inspired to hit the blogosphere to chronicle their lives and experiences and create a community of mothers online.

Writing about motherhood is a proud tradition and one that many mothers are drawn to, both to make sense of the powerful, life-changing experience of becoming a mother and because they want to capture moments of this journey, perhaps to share with their child, another friend, or the broader community of mothers.

WRITING MOTHERHOOD by Lisa Garrigues reads very much like SIMPLE ABUNDANCE FOR MOTHERS in that it is a guided journey to greater self-discovery and creativity as a mother and a writer. The book is inspiring and encouraging, and the techniques suggested will work well for mothers who are primarily interested in journalling (what Garrigues refers to as keeping a "Mother's Notebook"), but who may also be interested in other types of writing. In a short section entitled "Coming Out of the Notebook," pages 253 to 254, Garrigues discusses first steps to pursuing publication and other means of sharing your work with the world (reading your work, starting a blog). There is an additional section on online options for writers (pages 289 to 294), which will primarily be of interest to the mom who is new to the online world.

The book is peppered with encouraging quotes from other writers and Garrigues has included enough resources and writing ideas to provide creative inspiration to keep any mom writing non-stop. I love Garrigues' advice about the need for a holistic writing schedule for mothers -- "one that takes into account your whole life." She argues that your writing schedule should be nonnegotiable, individual, reasonable, resilient, and compassionate." Very sensible advice.

The only suggestion I would make to a reader of this excellent book is not to get too caught up in the formal writing exercises and writing prompts that are provided. Use them to jumpstart your creativity on days when your muse has gone AWOL, but don't allow them to drown out the ideas that are perculating inside your own brain.

What you want to be writing (and what the world wants to hear) are your own unique ideas; your own unique experiences; those raw moments of motherhood that are so fresh and dripping with truth that you have no choice put to reach for your Mother's Notebook and write. That's what motherhood writing is all about and where Garrigues ultimately wants to take you. Enjoy the trip.
Writing is a gift you give yourself (2007-05-22) : 5/5
If you are a mother who has ever thought of writing, I highly recommend that you treat yourself to Lisa's book. Developed after years of experience teaching writing classes for mothers, "Writing Motherhood" is original, well-crafted, and beautifully written in a manner that evokes the same deep truths as "The Artist's Way." A writing practice can be a private pursuit, the nexus for a group of kindred spirits, or something you eventually pursue for publication. But I can testify to the fact that the process is worthwhile, independent of the product.

Writing is a vital creative outlet for any mother. To write is to stake a claim for time, creativity, and energy that is just for you! "Writing Motherood" is full of practical exercises and guidelines, and Lisa's evocative writing is an inspiration in itself. She's written the guide creative moms have been waiting for.