reiki4writers

We're Having a Party!

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Thu, 17 May 2012 02:06:00 +0000

Reikified! is moving offices and we want you to help celebrate our new space with an Open House on Saturday, May 19. Drop by to see our new space, enjoy some good food and good company. I've been spending every free moment getting the new digs ready. I think of it as Reikicave II. Anyone signing up for Reiki certification classes, a Reiki session or for a tarot/mediumistic reading in-person on that day will receive a 10% discount for those classes/services. We hope to have a few prizes and surprises, so stay tuned for further announcements.

The Open House is from 11 am - 5 pm. Our new space is 3003 Wickham Avenue, Bronx, NY 10469. Cross streets are the same as before--between Hammersly and Adee Avenues.

If you have any questions or want to RSVP, please email me at reikifed @gmail.com or call me at 646-355-7934. Hope to see you there!

Toe-dipping and other hazards of the cautious life

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:57:00 +0000

Anybody with even a rudimentary appreciation should know that as a Scorpio I feel a great affinity with bodies of water. As a child, I loved the beach. I loved walking along the shore, finding rocks or bits of shells or even those little crabs that nip at your unsuspecting feet. But I've also been a toe-dipper most of my life.

You know there are two kinds of people when it comes to getting oneself wet--those who run right in, heedless of the coldness or other conditions of the water and then there are the toe-dippers like me, who slowly ease ourselves from the sand to the surf, daintily dipping our toes and retreating if conditions aren't favorable enough. Long after everyone else is splashing in the water, I'm still on the shore, "getting in."

Now it's one thing to be a "chicken" about getting into the swimming pool, but quite another to be that way about life. Recently, a Reiki friend of mine asked me to join in a venture with her, one that could be good for both of us. And I found myself, hemming, hawing, figuratively retreating to my towel rather than braving the ocean. That surprised me a great deal, since I've always thought of myself, oceanfront antics aside, as a bit of a risk-taker.

So I cut that nonsense out immediately. I will be co-hosting an online radio show focusing on metaphysical topics starting sometime in June probably. We haven't worked the kinks out yet. I also took a look at some other areas in my life where I was playing it safe and decided to rev up my life in other ways as well.

I fully believe in that quote from Marianne Williamson that says that the world isn't served by anyone playing it small. Or as they say in other arenas--Go Big or Go Home. We are all on this planet to make extraordinary things happen, particularly now.

So, what have you been putting off or playing small. What big dreams have you stunted rather than risk failure or maybe just looking foolish? Can't think of anything offhand? Then consider what it is you fear. That is probably the thing you should be doing right at this moment. Go ahead. It will be good for you.

What are you brewing?

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:10:00 +0000

Last week I attended a group past life regression in which we were all supposed to return to a Celtic lifetime in honor of St. Patrick's Day. I journeyed to a time when I was a young princess, cast out from my keep for displaying magical abilities at the dinner table. I lived the rest of my life in the surrounding woods, alternately tormenting and avoiding the castle dwellers. I died scrying* my future in a shallow stream. What I saw was myself as a young woman and I knew I was dead.

Now whether you believe in past lives, regressions or that we all invent whatever we "imagine" at such times, it still seems fascinating (in a Vulcan way) that the card I chose from my new deck of Universal Goddess cards was Judgement, which is depicted by Cerridwen** in crone form scrying into the waters of her cauldron.

The cauldron, particularly one filled with water, is a symbol of the womb, the font of creation. As today is the first day of Spring, as well, this seems a particularly poignant time to concentrate on the energy of new life. For us writers, that means our fictional babies. But Cerridwen's message here is one of measurement, so to speak--to examine our work realistically, to plumb its depths to see the truth within.

In many other decks, Judgement is seen as more of a Judgement Day, type thing, where all souls are called to the light of the New Day. There are those who believe that at the end of life there is a review--not a judgment of good or evil, but one that affords the Soul the ability to learn from the current life.

It's important to every once in a while take stock of where you are in your career as a whole and your writing. Are you where you want to be right now? How would you change either your writing or your career path to better fit the trajectory you would like to be on? What allies can you enlist to help you? What do you have to offer others who might want help you? In what ways do you help others (what goes around comes around)?

All in all, Spring, and this first day in particular, is a great time to assess where you've been and to plan for what may come tomorrow.

* scrying isn't what you've seen on Charmed; that's dowsing. Scrying is a means of divining the future by seeing through water, glass, dark crystals, etc.

** Cerridwen is the Welsh goddess of wisdom, intuition and femininity. She is known in all three aspects (maiden, mother and crone), though most often worshiped in the last form. She is the quintessential wise old woman. You would be wise to follow her message.

Uh-humina-humina

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:36:00 +0000

Those folks old enough to remember The Honeymooners will recognize this title as Jackie Gleason's characteristic mumble whenever he doesn't know what to say. These days in the publishing industry, there's a lot of mumble-stumbling going on. Nobody can say what the industry will look like in a couple years or a couple years beyond that. We know where we are heading eventually, but right now it is every author for herself when it comes to deciding what our particular publishing landscapes should look like. Folks on both sides of the indie/traditional divide are both right and wrong about what works for others, regardless of the decisions they make for themselves. Frankly, I'm tired of hearing folks balk at each other. It reminds me of the scene at the dance in West Side Story where one gang and then the other scream mambo at each other. Everybody is doing the same dance, the only thing that matters is which side of the floor you're on. How about all of us making sure that authors have more choices and are treated more fairly no matter which way they decide to publish?

But I digress. I am supposed to be talking about the Buddha, right? In a way, I am. We've moved to the part of the Eightfold path that focuses on Right Action. And, yes, despite what the Supreme Court says, speech is action. What we say has force and consequence. Raise your hand if this sentence sounds familiar: In the beginning was The Word. If you follow the logic (and accept the premise) of this statement, our very existence was brought into being by speech.

Prayer, mantra use, affirmations and the like are all very powerful spiritual means of communication with the divine and our higher selves. Written speech in the form of a novel is also very powerful. The stories we value as a city or nation or as humans defines who we are. As an author, the themes, symbols, characters we choose to include in our work speak volumes about us, and if we are lucky, they reach into the core of our readership to influence their lives as well.

But what message are we bringing? Among the reasons I got into writing romance was the idea of demonstrating the strength of love's influence on the world. Even when I write suspense it is with an eye to showing readers the impact that love, fear, anger, vengeance, joy and sorrow have on us in this world and to ask them to make a choice as to which ones to honor in their life. What themes or ideas do you honor with your work?

On a final note, we are led to one of the most familiar caveats: if you can't say something nice, hush up. Buddhist philosophy warns against deliberate falsehoods, idle chatter, and from being unnecessarily harsh or offensive. Only say that much that needs to be said in a gentle manner and no more. In this age of snark and cynicism and idle celebrity fascination, this is not easy advice to follow. Much of our language has become so coarse that f-bombs and other linguistic faux pas have become common place--even from elected officials. Forget chivalry, even civility is gasping for air.

Maybe it is time to lead a way back to a kinder, gentler form of discourse and dialog. I'm game. Are you?

Second, do no harm

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 04:33:00 +0000

The next step on the path is Right Intention. Maybe it is the generation in which I grew up, but nearly every time I hear the word intention I think of the old saw--the road to hell is paved with good intentions. My second thought is: the road to everywhere is paved with intentions: good, bad, misguided and sometimes lack of. The point is to govern what you intend and be more conscious about what truly motivates you.

According to Buddhist theory, right intention refers to an ethical mindset that informs action. Right intention is divided into three strands: intention of renunciation; intention of good will and intention of harmlessness.

Intention of renunciation refers to refusing to succumb to desire's pull. Intention of good will refers to resisting feelings of anger, jealousy or other negative emotions. Intention of goodwill refers to abstaining from hurtful or cruel behavior.

Sounds really good doesn't it? These principles could be summed up as "resolve not to be a jerk." Most people would say they operate under some similar rubric, like the Golden Rule or even the Reiki Gokkai. But I think many folks are just winging it, not really having any philosophy of how they operate in the world.

I know I owe a few folks out there apologies for a bit of bad behavior of my own when I was first starting out in this business. I was coming from a viewpoint of lack: there weren't enough readers out there for everyone to be read; only folks published by traditional publishers had any value; there are so many writers out there that if you make any demands, publishers will just skip over you to the next author; if I helped other people, they would get ahead and I wouldn't; blah, blah, blah. It was the kind of thinking drummed into me by the publishing industry and particularly fellow authors. I can't blame anyone for that since it was the prevailing wisdom at the time.

However, I realize now that this was the pull of desire, the Buddhists were talking about. It really isn't necessary to denigrate others to find value in yourself. Most of the people who I know (or know of) who are happy in this business share with others in bigger ways than I do. When you live in a mindset of lack or fear you become greedy, hording whatever crumbs of success or happiness or goodness that come your way. Hoarding, as anyone who has watched one of those shows, is a disease of anxiety and a means of controlling one's environment--regardless of what is hoarded. If you are unwilling or incapable of sharing your time, money, expertise with other writers without either feeling guilty or put upon, ask yourself why. What would it take for you to feel comfortable enough in your writer's skin to be able to share more freely with others.

Let's face it, we all have negative feelings--we compare ourselves to more successful writers and wonder why our work isn't flourishing as much. We read someone else's masterpiece and think our work sucks. Someone who started writing after we did surpasses us in no time and all our hard work seems for nothing. It's hard not to want to pull out the Voodoo dolls and stab away. However, that never really gets us anywhere. Indulging negative feelings is really a double edged sword--it puts negativity out in the world toward the person you are hating on and it also makes you feel miserable. But it really accomplishes nothing. Holding the intention to resist these feelings, to put them aside when they crop up goes a long way toward keeping peace in your life. Then your satisfaction with what you do or what you have accomplished isn't governed by what other folks are doing.

As I was telling a group I was speaking to yesterday--we are all works in progress. Our work on ourselves is never done. Even when we die we go on to do more work on the other plane. So if you slip up, in whatever way, resolve to do better next time. What's important is the intent--the mindset to act out out of love, kindness, and compassion--even if we don't always succeed. Like Scarlet O'Hara, we, too, have another day.

Awakening to the (Eightfold) Path

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:07:00 +0000

Let me start by saying I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday, whichever one you celebrate (or are currently still celebrating). I had a wonderful holiday with my family. Santa was very good to us this year, even though everyone was pretty broke this year. Every time we gather we tend to find something more to be thankful for and to appreciate in one another. But I digress from the purpose here. Let's get to the topic at hand . . .

So here we are again, discussing the means of ending writer's suffering. Yeah, like that will ever really happen. Well, we can make our lives as ick-free as possible. But to understand the means to the end, we have to discuss a few generalities about Buddhist philosophy.

The Buddhist eightfold path is a way of perceiving, thinking, acting and being in the world. It is not a successive path, as in one step follows another, but all or most steps on the path can be developed simultaneously. Movement in one area leads to advancement in another.

The path is divided into three sections: Wisdom, Ethical Conduct and Mental Development. Wisdom is comprised of Right View and Right Intention. Ethical Conduct is comprised of Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood. Mental Development is comprised of Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.

In many ways, Right View is the alpha and omega of comprehending the Path. The Path begins with the understanding of the true nature of suffering and ends with true understanding of how to transcend such suffering. Right view is not a matter of intelligence or intellect. It is a perspective on viewing the world. It is developed through experience, study, meditation and prayer.

I don't think any writer would argue that viewpoint are one of the most important considerations when composing a story. Who your character is will frame how a character interprets whatever situation he or she is in and the people around them. This is how you can have a protagonist and antagonist at cross purposes, even though neither is really a "bad guy"--each has their own view of what's going on, what's needed and what is the right way to proceed.

In the same way, we create the tenor of our lives by the framework we put around it. When you think of yourself as the hero(ine) of your own story, who are you? Are you the plucky heroine intent on living her dream? Are you the ne'er-do-well finally trying to make good? Are you the plodder who steadily aims toward success? Or are you the flash in the pan who burns out halfway there? Or maybe someone else entirely?

What is your story about? Failure? Faith? Honor? Nihilism? Hope? The futility of life? Redemption?

Your answer to these questions doesn't really matter, except in one regard: are you content to continue this view of yourself and the story you are currently living? If you are, more power to you. If not, nothing but our epitaph is carved in stone. You can always change the story of your life and how you view yourself in the world.

As we head into the new year, it is important to ask yourself what you would like to change, adapt modify or eliminate from the life you are living right now. What are you focusing your attention, your energy, your intention on in 2012? That's what the new year will bring for you.

Are you ready for it? Or are you ready to try something new? What are you hoping the new year brings for you?

There and back again

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 02:17:00 +0000

Good gravy! I'm not entirely surprised that it's been more than a month since I last posted. Some seriously wonky energy came into my sphere on 11/11/11, and I would bet the same thing happened for many of you, as well. Something shifted in the energy of the planet on that numerically significant day.

I was sick for a good three weeks with some kind of bronchial bug that would not go away. I don't think of this as being a bad thing, though. I've seen it happen many times in dealing with Reiki that people's first reaction to a healing can often be to appear to become even more sick. This is referred to as a healing crisis, as the minute energy starts to move more freely within the body, all the gook that has been lying beneath the surface, comes up to be healed. It's like the hacking cough a smoker gets when they give up the nicotine. The addiction was suppressing natural reactions to the harmful chemicals being ingested. Once the suppressing agents are gone, well, you know the rest.

The energy of the lungs is sorrow, so to release physically and energetically from this area can feel like the lifting of a heavy weight off the chest. That's how I'm feeling now--as if I've allowed something noxious to rise to the surface and be released. I use the term allow purposefully, since most often the wisest course is to let life unfold without too much attachment to the form it takes. As the saying goes, what you resist persists. However submitting to the will of the Universe is a lot easier said than done. It's a lesson you have to learn and relearn and relearn some more, which is what I was doing.

So now I'm back, but looking forward to discussing the right way to look at your writing or creative world. Hope you'll be back for the journey.

By the way, if anybody had any funky energy come their way around the 11th, let me know. I'll be sending out some free energy to help folks cope, if need be.

Just a little reminder . . .

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:34:00 +0000

Just wanted to remind you that our Goddess workshop--Reconnecting with the Feminine Divine--is happening tomorrow night at the Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) in Manhattan. If you've got a free Friday night let us help you fill it with guidance from the Goddess.

For more information you can check out the sidebar here. Also it's not too late to save $5. on the registration fee by paying by paypal. Hope to see you there!

Body of truth (hey, that's a catchy title)

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:50:00 +0000

After a relaxing weekend playing dress-up at a Regency Assembly, I am back to writing about Reiki. Frankly, Truth #3 --the cure to suffering is awakening-- is the easiest to write about. It's what I help people do all the time--wake up from the illusion that their life is simply about all the prosaic stuff we worry about every day.

You may have heard the saying, "you are not a human having a spiritual experience; you are a spirit having a human experience" or one of its variations. I really believe this to be true. This physical plane is the least of what we are, but the aspect of ourselves on which we often expend the most time, attention and concern.

So let's talk about some writer's illusions: the most pervasive is "you are lucky to be published" which is often followed by "so quit yer bellyaching." If you are "lucky" enough to get a traditional publisher you should keep your mouth shut and take whatever publishers give you. The boom (and boon) of self-publishing has given the lie to this type of sentiment. And it's about time.

To my mind, writers, more than any other creative profession, have been willing to put up with an outrageous assortment of indignities in order to get our work to the public. There are reasons a publishing contract is a distinct type of legal entity, and not many of them are good. And unlike many other creative endeavors, we lack a strong, well, unified, union to speak for us (though I do belong to the Author's Guild which, of late, seems to be heading more in this direction).

But I also remember my first contract negotiation. The contract contained a clause that was a deal breaker for me. I told my agent to turn down the offer unless this could be resolved in my favor. This was especially risky, considering there was only one publisher of note handling the type of book I was writing. Of course, calmer heads prevailed, all was set right and I signed. However, it's not a negotiation if you are not willing to walk away.

But there are also other illusions we writers are prey to. The illusion that there are not enough sales for everyone; that in order to make a name for ourselves we must tear someone else down; that we are at the mercy of fans, editors, agents, our not-too-understanding families or downtrends in the marketplace.

Publishing is a pretty fear-driven business. No one knows what really, actually works, so there's a lot of hand-wringing when things go wrong and copy-catting when things go right. But there are ways to cast off these illusions and lead a more contented writing life. The answer?

Truth #4

The end of suffering is Awakening to some truths about yourself and your work. We as people, and also as writers are not, subject to the whims of a capricious Universe. We are co-creators of our existence in accordance with certain Cosmic Laws. Most people have heard of The Secret or the Law of Attraction. Both of these are simplified and incomplete visions of how the Universe works when it comes to manifesting that which we desire.

Now I know that last word, desire, must have set off an early warning system for folks that read the last couple of posts. Isn't desire part of the problem? Well, yes and no. The Universe knows we have to feed, clothe, and shelter ourselves and those under our care. But how do you do that? That's where the Eightfold Path comes in: examining your life and your writing path to see that all is in alignment for you to succeed. This will often change your definition of "success" and how you go about achieving it.

I'll give you an example from my own life. I needed a steady part time income to help me pay for college tuitions. I put it out there for the Universe to handle. Within two days I had a job interview and was hired--for a much better position than I would have thought to apply for had I put myself in charge of finding employment.

And on that note, I'm going to stop for today. Tune in next week when I will start discussing the Eightfold Path and what following it can do for your writing and your life.

As always, I love to hear from you. Have you had any experience where Spirit or the Universe just seemed to be there for you?

The truth(s) of the matter

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 09:01:00 +0000

Before we get into it, I'd like to thank all the readers who expressed support for this series so far. I hope to live up to your expectations. What I would like to do first is discuss the Four Noble Writer's Truths then discuss the path we writers can take to reach a greater enlightenment about our writing and our lives.

Truth #1: suffering (dukkha) exists

I don't think anyone would argue that the writing life can be full of pain. Not only is it a solitary profession, but we writers tend to invest very much of ourselves in our work. For most of us, writing isn't what pays the bills, it is our (almost) guilty pleasure, our sideline that feeds and fulfills our creative impulse and gives us one of our most important self-descriptors.

Telling someone you are a writer is likely to inspire awe, reverence, revulsion, contempt, snide comments, adoration and pleas for financial support, sometimes all in the same conversation.

Add to that the fact that everything about writing and publishing seems to be in flux right now. It's hard to determine which houses to write for, when or if to self-publish, which agents have the best interests of their clients rather than their own survival uppermost in their business plans.

It's okay to admit it is tough out there. Many of the familiar guideposts are gone or in unsuspected places. It is easy to succumb to fear-based thinking and action, where we hold a death grip on what we think should be rather than accepting that the landscape is changing in some ways that serve and in others that don't. Which brings us to . . .

Truth #2: the cause of suffering is desire

As writers, we are programmed to set goals. Some folks will go so far as to say that if you don't set the goal of writing every day, you aren't a real writer. I myself have urged writers to make plans for what they would like to accomplish each day, month, year, five years. We all have dreams of landing on the bestseller list of some kind, even if we haven't the temerity to hope for a New York Times placement. We want to touch readers lives with our prose. We want a hell of a lot.

Now think about the characters we write about. Without knowing what our characters want, we couldn't have a story. Goals are the primary axis of the ubiquitous triumvirate of goal, motivation and conflict that provide the engine of the story.

Without wanting or desire at least one of the genres in which I write would disappear entirely. How can you have a romance without desire? Or for that matter, how can you have a good detective who doesn't really, really want to find the mass murderer and bring him (her) to justice?

If we didn't want so much, our lives as writers could possibly be so much easier. If your family's finances didn't hinge on book sales, you wouldn't be under such pressure to produce. If you weren't worried about expanding your readership, you might be more willing to take more risks with your writing. I could go on and on.

So is all this wanting bad? Like most things, I don't see this situation as good or bad; I am only describing what is. Good or bad, right or wrong are subjective distinctions to my way of thinking and on a soul level unnecessary. But that's a subject for another post.

In a recent meditation, this statement came to me: peace is the absence of wanting anything. I really believe this to be true. In an entirely peaceful world we could thrive without the need to be or do or have anything in particular, with the possible exception of the most basic survival needs. However, most people didn't sign on to be the next Buddha; they just want a happier, more productive life that provides a modicum of peace and a change to help their fellow man a bit, if that's possible.

Truth #3: the end of suffering is awakening

My next post will deal with this subject extensively, but let's suffice it so say that illumination of some kind is almost always at least part of the solution to the dilemma. As with many situations, our perception of them is more problematic than the situation itself. Our judgements of the situation, our expectations of what is good or bad about the situation, our attachment to particular outcomes as desirable and/or undesirable may hold us back more than "bad" reviews,"bad" sales, or "bad" whatever else you can imagine.

That's all for now. See you next time when we'll continue with the third truth and get into the fourth. I hope you'll leave me a comment to let me know what you think so far.

Working your Writer's Dharma

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 06:09:00 +0000

I can see the brows knitted now. You've heard of karma, but what the heck is dharma (other than a darling sitcom character from a few years back)? The simple answer is, depends on who you're asking. Dharma is a sanskit word that literally means that which holds or supports. However the word can be taken to mean anything from one's religion to divine order. In this context I refer to dharma as one's spiritual path.

Whether we realize it or not, we are all on a spiritual journey since each of us is a spirit experiencing a human incarnation on this planet at this time. We are all on a path to find love, purpose, healing, self-actualization and completion. The point is to be more conscious about how we go about seeking and finding them. How do we become more conscious? By monitoring our path and choosing our steps wisely.

According to Buddhist philosophy, the road to enlightenment starts with following the eightfold path and acknowledging the Four Noble truths. These are:

suffering (dukkha) exists
the cause of suffering is desire (thirst--samudaya) which originates through ignorance of the true nature of self
The end of suffering (nirhodha) is awakening (bodhi)
Awakening, end of suffering come from the eightfold path

I am by no means a practicing Buddhist, but I believe you can find illumination just about anywhere. In the next few posts I will be discussing how these tenets can help us improve our writing life. Hope you'll stick around for the ride.

Mythic Proportions

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:53:00 +0000

The other night in one of my classes, I asked my students to name all the variations of the Romeo and Juliet story. Or rather I asked them to name examples of the following story:

two young lovers fall in love over objections. The relationship ends tragically.

Romeo and Juliet was the most obvious answer. Other answers included Pyramus and Thisbe, Tristan and Isolde, West Side Story and the more modern Spring Awakening (a great production of which I saw a couple weekends ago). It seems folks of all stripes resonate with the tragic young lovers story. We refer to this recognition of a story motif as an archetype, but on an energetic level it is more than that.

Psychologically and sociologically, an archetype is like a placeholder, a familiar theme, character, situation that crosses cultural barriers to elucidate a given situation. The reason these stories "resonate" with us is that they occupy a certain energetic vibration that is naturally familiar to us. That's what we mean when we talk about something "resonating" with us--we are literally vibrating on the same frequency as the energy we feel in sync with.

What does that say for our writing? For one thing--there's no need to reinvent the wheel, so to speak. There's a reason that there are only about 20 or so Master Plots to stories. They work. They deal with human emotions and situations that have deep roots in the human psyche. If you are familiar with the concept of the hero's journey (first promulgated by Joseph Campbell and revamped for fiction writers in The Writer's Journey and other books on craft), you know that particular elements, character archetypes and events can run through almost any story. If you check out just about any blockbuster movie or bestselling book, you can find bits and pieces of the hero's journey evident (if it is not incorporated whole hog).

I am not advocating surrendering originality for structure, but what you want to do is catch the energy of the plot or archetype to give your story extra depth. The archetype serves as an underpinning readers vibe to on an unconscious level.

Consider what's hot in your genre right now. What types of characters, settings, events, themes are prevalent right now? This represents another type of energy, as well. Right now, all things paranormal and sci fi are commanding attention. But the field has also matured. You can't just throw in a vampire of some sort and call it a day anymore. Stories have gotten more sophisticated and varied.

When I wanted to sell my first book, I read every romance that the house I wanted to publish with had put out in the previous six months. I wanted to make sure my book was similar enough to what was out there that it would fit in with the rest of the stories, but different enough that my book stood out. This definitely paid off, since the book sold to that publisher and they picked up ten or so more.

And I'll tell you a little secret--that first book, Spellbound, was a modified Cinderella story. The one after that was my take on Sleeping Beauty. Next up? Beauty and the Beast, maybe.

How about you? Do you find the hero's journey or archetypes helpful in your writing? In what ways do you use them?

A little bit of this, a little bit of that

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:41:00 +0000

For some reason the title to this post reminds me of Fiddler on the Roof when Tevye and his people are forced to leave their homes. I guess because I've been thinking a bit on what to do with this blog. I used to love Blogger, until they started "fixing" it. Now the new blogger has eaten three or so blog posts that I literally spent days on but for some reason refused to save, or they disappeared into the ether or whathaveyou. I am not so brilliant as to be able to reconstruct stuff word for word once it is lost, so I just forget about it. I try to tell myself the Universe really didn't want me to put whaterveritwas out there. That works--sometimes.

Well, I gave up dwelling on the negative for Lent a few years back and I don't want to pick it up now. Even Reiki Masters get severely ticked and have to start reciting the gokkai--just for today, I will not anger . . . I figure a little more vigilance is warranted on my part to ensure posts don't go wandering awry, I suppose. (just saved, just saved, don't rely on autosave anymore).

Anyway, I know I haven't posted in a wee bit (or rather haven't published a post for a while) but most of that was due to good news not bad. I am now an adjunct professor at my local community college in the education department. I teach child development and creativity in the early childhood classroom. I am absolutely loving it. It is however, quite time consuming to put together two courses in a couple weeks. Due to personal considerations, as well as time constraints, I will be cancelling the online writing workshop.

Our past life regression workshop went really well. So we're putting together one for Reclaiming Goddess energy. This may actually turn into a series of in-person workshops the way it is going. If you are in the NYC area and want to keep apprised, email me at deesavoy@gmail.com.

Also, I will be hosting the Carnival of Healing on my Reikified! blog. If you or anyone you know blogs on healing issues (or has a post on healing on any kind of blog) and would like that post included in the Carnival (which gets a lot of hits), please email me at reikified@gmail.com with carnival of healing as the subject so I can include your submission. The deadline is September 30.

Finally, I have just acquired a new deck of Shamanic oracle cards and need some help attuning myself to them. So on Friday, I'm offering free readings to the first ten takers. How it works is that you call me at 646-355-7934. We set a time on Friday for the reading which is conducted over the phone. You call me when you are ready. You don't need a particular question or any question at all. Just an inquiring and open mind.

Now I'm off to get some writing done. Wishing all of you a happy writing experience today and every day.

I will be gentle with myself

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 03:19:00 +0000

The title here is the title of one of my favorite Karen Drucker songs in which she pledges to treat herself with all the care of a "newborn baby child." I repeat it here because my experience of people tells me that we are all doing the best we can at the moment. It may not always look like it, but on a soul level I know it is true. So that requires each of us to have a little patience with each other, to help each other as best we can, many times when it doesn't appear that they deserve it.

When we vow to be kind to every living thing, the final reiki principle, it goes beyond not squishing bugs unnecessarily or not mistreating puppies. We are talking about honoring that energy in each of us that is doing its best.

Looking back over my writing career, I know I am no longer the writer I was when I started. Honestly, I started writing my first book when I was 16--many many years ago. I didn't publish it until twenty years later. While I am not advocating such a long gestation period, being kind to yourself as a writer is giving yourself enough time to develop yourself as a writer, not rushing to publish until you have mastered the basics of craft, found your voice, and honed your message.

Despite the fear mongering in the industry now, traditional publishing is not coming to an end anytime soon, though it may morph into something more agreeable to writers. Self-publishing is no longer the scourge it was, so you always have options. There really is no rush to get out there. The market will be ready for you when you are ready.

Being kind to yourself means being true to your writers vision rather than the hot topic of the moment. That doesn't mean you can't modify your work to fit trends; it does mean that you shouldn't abandon what you feel you should write without a damn good reason.

Being kind to yourself is not giving naysayers, critics, reviewers, or pain-in-the-neck family members power over your opinion of work. That doesn't mean you discount all criticism, but that you take from any comment that which will improve your writing or how you work. Even negative comments can have a positive result if they point out flaws that you can fix to improve your writing. But allowing others' opinions to send you into a funk or worse is not good.

How kind are you to your characters? Do you invest them with as much life as you are able or as you are comfortable? Do you tell their stories or do you attempt to get them to meld into the story you want to tell?

How kind are you to your readers? Do you offer them chances to glimpses into the human condition in ways that help them see themselves or others more clearly? Do you offer them chances to experience authentic love, fear, joy, despair, and, most of all, redemption through your story?

Just a few more things to think about while writing your opus. I hope you all found something worthwhile to take away from this series. If you did, please be kind and leave a comment.

Workshops afoot!

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:53:00 +0000

Just wanted to give you a little reminder about two workshops I will be giving soon. One is in-person and the other two are online.

The first workshop is in-person at the Edgar Cayce center in NYC. A friend and I will be offering a Shamanic healing journey to a past life utilizing our power animals (mine is the bear) to resolve forgiveness issues in the past and in the present. The workshop is on August 31 from 6-9 pm. For more information and to register, visit my Reikified! website here.

The next workshop is an online writer's workshop to begin in September. Here's the description:

Polishing your novel to make it sparkle for agents, editors and other readers.

National bestselling, award winning author Deirdre Savoy will be facilitating this six-week long workshop set to begin the week of Sept. 18.

The publishing industry is in a state of flux. With the rise of ebooks, indie publishing and the consolidation of legacy publishers into a select few, the likelihood is less and less that many of today's authors will be published the traditional way. Whether you plan to submit your novel to agents and editors or publish your work yourself, you owe it to yourself and your readers to make your work as dynamic, exciting, readable and error-free as possible.

To that end, this workshop will help you do a final edit of your work, examining each aspect from theme and premise to writing the satisfying ending. This six-week course will provide you with the tools you need to assess your work for cohesiveness, clarity of plot and characterization, and appropriate resolution for the type of story you are writing.

Topics include:

Week 1 9/18: Theme, Premise and Conflict
Week 2 9/25: Characterization
Week 3 10/2: Plotting
Week 4 10/9: Keeping it Interesting
Week 5 10/16: Happy Endings
Week 6 10/30: Wrap-up

This course is conducted online using this yahoo groups list. Each week, a lecture and assignment will be posted. Completion and posting of assigned work for peer review is not mandatory but advised to get the most from the course.

To register for this class, go here. The registration fee for the course is $30. Once you have remitted tuition, your membership will be approved. Registration will be open until Friday, September 16.

The final workshop will be a free Meeting Your Muse workshop and meditation that you can download. It should be ready within the next couple of weeks. I will announce when it is ready. I would really love your feedback on this.

Please feel free to pass this information on to anyone who might be interested. If you have any questions about any of these workshops please feel free to comment here or email me directly at deesavoy@gmail.com

Counting Your Writer's Blessings

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 04:45:00 +0000

Just in case you didn't notice, reiki4writers has a new, easier to read look! Please drop me a line and let me know what you think.

Photo by Colleen Benelli

And onto our post for today. The fourth line of the Reiki gokkai is I will count my blessings. Even though it seems easy to recognize how fortunate we are, sometimes this can be the most difficult principle to follow. We look at others' careers that are soaring wildly and wonder why that couldn't be us. We think others have an easier time with creativity, writer's block or whatever. Others seem to excel at characterization, plotting, world-building, drawing in readers . . . The list could go on and on. I believe the saying goes the grass is always greener under someone else's keyboard.

I remember when my second book came out. I was at a reader's conference a couple of months after pub date. Many of the readers complained because my book wasn't available in the bookstore and the hardcover edition that came out from Black Expressions was in the process of being reprinted. I was a bit dismayed that no one seemed to be able to get a copy of this book. A more experienced writer looked me in the eye and said, What are you complaining about? Your book has SOLD OUT! Half the writers here would kill to be in your position. Now shut up and have a drink." (Thanks, Margie--especially since I know my memory has taken a bit of liberty with your words).

So, instead of appreciating how well my book had done, I was upset it couldn't do better. Oy!

Let's face it--how bad off are any of us, really? We start off with the benefit of having a dream--being published. We have enough talent and facility and wherewithal to be able to make use of language in a way people enjoy (or might enjoy one day). If you're living in the US or another first world nation, it's more than likely you have somewhere to live and something to eat. As for me, life may not be perfect, but I know I am better off than most of the other people living on the planet.

It really doesn't hurt for us to remind ourselves of this often. Or to take stock of what we do have as writers from time to time. The same way that we look at other writers and admire their strengths, we should do the same for ourselves. What do you love about the way you write? What about your writing makes you feel proud to be a writer? What successes have you had with your writing, even if it is only continuing to make progress on your work? What is the nicest thing anyone ever said about your writing? What is it about your writing that keeps you coming back to your writing (aside from the usual creative compulsions)?

I bet when you think this through, you will find a lot to be happy about in your writing and writing career. But counting your blessings is best done with an attitude of gratitude for said blessings, as well. None of us is owed anything in this life, not even life. Operating from a position of gratefulness acknowledges that TPTB (the powers that be) are working in our life for our betterment and keeps us in the flow to receive continued blessings.

Keep in mind that not all blessings come looking like blessings. Every time I think of this concept I am reminded of a time I was driving to work. Some jer--I mean, nice person, cut me off just as I was heading toward my exit. He forced me to slow down, which proved fortunate. Otherwise I would have been going too fast to stop before hitting the police car stopped in the exit to warn motorists of an accident on the exit ramp.

Sometimes blessings look like curses. You experience a dark night of the soul regarding some issue in your life or your writing and it seems like everything you have worked for turns to dust. Sometimes we need to lose what we have to gain something even better. We need to get out of our comfort zone and when we don't do it for ourselves, the Universe does it for us. Suddenly opportunities dry up, people disappear, everything that made one path seem clear now muddies the road ahead. Many times this signals that a new way is being made for you --if you can see it and appreciate it for what it is.

For me, every day I wake up and have the opportunity to hug my loved ones and work on my writing and help somebody else in some way, is a blessing. And for that I am truly grateful.

Hopefully devoted (to my writing). Are you?

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:14:00 +0000

First, I want to welcome anybody new to this series on writing and the Reiki principles. Please catch up on the first two posts here and here. Thanks to the folks who have been here for the whole series. I hope it continues to inform and enlighten you. I have also added a list of books in the sidebar that should help you familiarize yourself with Reiki if you so desire. Just click on the cover to go to the Amazon page. Now onto today's topic:

In contemplating the third Reiki principle for this post I came to a decision I'd been contemplating for a while. As I said before, each of the principles has been translated a variety of ways. This week I decided to change my personal principles to accommodate this translation: I will devote myself to my work. Formerly I was using the translation: I will do my work well.

Why the change? Anyone can do their work well. Anyone can take pride in a job well done, regardless of what that job is. However devotion to one's work adds another layer to this scenario. Devotion supposes the belief that the work one is doing is important, fulfilling and necessary, otherwise why be devoted to it? Devotion assumes that one's best effort be given, not that one be the most talented at it. Devotion requires that you enrich, enlarge, engage yourself in whatever ways necessary to improve your abilities. In other words, to be devoted is to delve deep into oneself for the benefit of the work done. Isn't that exactly what we must do as writers?

There can be no doubt that writing is a worthwhile art. Story telling has been one of the valued arts of shamanism since the most ancient times. Shamanism, arguably the oldest form of connection with Spirit had as it's hallmark the journey--into oneself, into alternate and non-ordinary realities, for healing, for divination, for inspiration and connection with the divine.

What kind of journey do you bring to your readers? What do you have to say that is new? fresh? exciting? inspiring? Even commercial fiction must have at its heart your heart, your insights, your truths, to be a satisfying read. Is your heart in your book or do you hold back? Are you willing to dig deep into your love, your pain, your disappointment, your heartache, your joy to bring authentic stories to life? Do you speak your truth or make do with platitudes for fear your readers (including editors and agents) will find what you have to say wanting? Are you protecting yourself rather than your story?

Have you taken every opportunity to hone your craft? If you are devoted to your writing, you want to strengthen it as best you can. There are a plethora of books and websites and courses offering writing advice. Take what you can from them to improve your writing skill and confidence. Study other writers you admire and analyze what makes their stories so enjoyable for you. Stea--I mean borrow as much as you like in your own writing (though no plagiarism, please).

Have you set aside time for your writing, time that is inviolate? When my kids were little, they knew if the house wasn't burning down or someone wasn't actively trying to break in at the moment or no one was dead, they were not to disturb my writing time. You have to carve out your time mentally and psychologically, as well. Understand that even if you are not published yet, you have the right to demand a bit of time and space in your life and in your psyche for your work. It may not be every day. You may only get to your writing on the weekends or a couple of mornings or evenings. But the thing that makes the difference between the published author and the unpublished writer are most often consistency and perseverance.

As always, let your inner wisdom guide you. I am a firm believer that you should take all advice, including mine, with a grain of salt. Reiki, and Shamanism, for that matter, are all about direct contact with helping energies. We mere mortals are imperfect helpers for one another. If you want more expert guidance, you've got to go to the Source. That's my take on it anyway. I'll post more on how to connect with writing guides once this series is over.

And again, if you have enjoyed this post, please leave a comment or pass it on if you feel guided to do so.

Two-two-two reiki principles in one

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:38:00 +0000

First, I just wanted to remind you that if you want to see the reiki principles in their entirety, you can go here. I have to also state that this translation from the original Japanese is the one that I favor. There are quite a few other translations but this is the one that suits me. I like it because each line focuses on what I am going to do. It is a truism that you can't change anything in the world but yourself, so that is what I focus on. How am I going to operate in the world? If I am faithful to my principles, then any greed, selfishness, meanness, or worse that I encounter can't shake the framework on which I live my life.

Anyway, getting to the principles themselves, here are the first two:

Just for today . . .

I will not anger.

I will not worry.

I group these two together because both worry and anger are lower emotions that bring down our vibration rather than elevate it. Most often we become angry when our egos are challenged. Someone doesn't respect our position in society or our views of ourselves. We don't get what we were expecting or what we think we deserve. Someone hurts us or someone we love. We respond with anger.

Worry, on the other hand, comes from focusing on the future and what might or might not happen rather than on the present. If I had my druthers, I would insert not to regret either, since regret is really worry about what has already happened and is just as useless.

For the reiki person, adhering to these two gokai do not mean one never gets angry or never worries, but it is our intention not to dwell on these emotions. When we find them creeping in we deliberately take steps to cease focusing on these feelings. We breathe deeply and try to get back to a point of equilibrium and calm. I know, beyond any question of doubt, that all I need will be provided for--not necessarily in the way I want or the way I think things should go--but either way I will be okay. So I don't need to be so attached to a particular outcome or fuss over every little detail. Things will work out fine. I am a firm believer in the saying, "let go and let god (goddess, the Universe, Source or even karma) take care of the rest." Or in more commercial terms--"set it and forget it." Do all you can to put your plans in place and then step back and see what happens.

When it comes to writing, same rules apply. You do as much character work, plotting, world building or whatever and then let your creative mind fly. Leave some room for inspiration as well as perspiration. Raise your hand if some of your best writing has come from out of the ether somewhere, from a source you had no idea was influencing your work. I bet there are a lot of hands raised. I can remember working on one of my last stories where I wasn't sure what one of my characters full motivations might have been, but hey the best way to find out your characters is to write them, so I did. He throws something in the mix regarding my heroine I would never in a million years have considered putting in there on a conscious level--okay he blurts out that the heroine had once been pregnant with his child. My first impulse was to say, "no she wasn't" and start deleting, but I left it in. For me it made the story, because it deepened both his and my heroine's motivations for what they were doing, made my heroine way more sympathetic to the hero and added another layer to a complex story for the reader to digest. Fun stuff!

But if I had been attached to getting the words on paper exactly as I had imagined them--to suit my ego rather than my muse--I would have missed out on exciting possibilities for my story. This is to some degree why characters behaving badly is a good thing, since it shows you are leaving yourself open to whatever results from your characters energies getting stirred up.

Anger, worry and regret are major components in that blasted internal editor droning in your ears. They feed our fears, increase self-doubt and keep our minds whirring with needless agitation to no purpose. When you find your mind or your heart being taken over by these emotions, remember your intention to keep these emotions at bay. Take several deep breaths, inhaling light and energy into your tanden (or second chakra area just below the navel). Quiet the thinking mind and let the gut brain take over.

If you have enjoyed this post, please leave a comment.

The secret art . . .

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:32:00 +0000

As this is a site about both reiki and writing I thought I would offer a series on how each of the five gokai works with our writing. First off, I'd like to take note that each principle begins with the words Just for today. This reminds us that our focus should be on the now, which really is the only moment that matters. What went on before is over. What will happen in the future will unfold whether or not we spend our times worrying about it beforehand. What can we do at this moment to honor ourselves, our work, our commitments our lives? This has got to be what we devote ourselves to.

Think for a moment, what is your highest priority right now? Is it something that bears on the present or on some future goal? When you are writing, are you focused on completing your book or working on the page in front of you? While you are writing, are you actively engaged in writing or are you dodging the internal editor who drones in your ear, dogging your creativity.

The most potent tool writers have for boosting the quality of their work is the ability to get "in the flow" where words just trip off your fingers, the thinking mind is silenced and the energy of your story carries you along to greater productivity and creativity. That requires the writer to really be "in the now" focused on the work by also in some ways detached from the outcome. You take your "self" out of the equation and let your Muse do her thing.

It is the same way that Reiki masters ask for their personality and ego to step aside and let the energy flow in whatever way is necessary to aid their client. It is a very powerful thing to let you intuition rather than your mind or your ego guide you.

Set your intention when you sit down to write. Ask your Muse to guide you. Take a few deep breaths and imagine that the breath you exhale forms a cocoon of white light around you. Take one last deep breath and put your hands on the keyboard. Now write.

The back to school workshop is on!!!

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 05:17:00 +0000

Well folks, things have calmed down enough here for me to set a definitive schedule for the Righting Your Writing workshop I've been threatening to give for a while. Righting your Writing is a six-week workshop that focuses on ways to really polish your work for agents, editors and other readers. This workshop may be of particular importance to self-publishing authors who want to ensure their work is as reader-ready as you can make it without a line editor getting her hands on it.

Focusing on the big picture--theme, premise, characterization, conflict, characterization, plotting, fixing meandering middles, perfect endings, and more, this workshop will help ensure that the broad strokes of your novel paint a complete and compelling fictional world your readers will love.

To find out more about the workshop, you can go here. It is only $30. for the full six-week course, which begins September 18. Each week a lecture is posted along with an assignment to help you master the subject matter in relation to the novel you are working on. Feel free to email me at deesavoy@gmail.com for more information or for help in registering.

Fear and loathing in the publishing world

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:58:00 +0000

I've made the critical mistake as a writer of paying too much attention to what is going on in the publishing world. Borders has gone down, BN needs a buyer. Agents are now publishers and everyone and his mother is suddenly an Indie author. My head is spinning. Somebody, stop the madness!!!

Actually, that's not the part that has me flustered; it is all the conflicting advice from the "experts" in the field. There's the indie-only camp that claims that only a blockhead would sign with a major publisher now. Then there's the traditional/legacy/whatever-you-wanna-call-it camp who thinks self-pubbed folks are setting themselves up for an eventual fall.

Either or both sides may be right, however what truly bothers me is the unspoken undercurrent often inherent in both arguments. If you're not doing it like we're doing it, then you are not cool enough, hip enough, worthy enough, whatever enough to endure past this current publishing hiccup. There's absolutely nothing wrong with gathering information, inspiration and advice from all the din in the publishing arena right now, but as always it's best to do your own thing and your own thinking. As clever as I find the meme, should you really do what JA (as in Konrath) or JK (as in Rowling) or even DS (as in me) does? Could be, but only if it suits your goals, your plan, your idea of what your writing or your career should be like.

I have to admit here also that I am also a recovering tradpubaholic. I admit I have been known to say "if you ever see me self-publishing anything you can know for sure that the podpeople have gotten me." Okay, not my best prognostication of what my future in publishing would be. It was also fear speaking, as in I couldn't consider myself truly published unless someone outside of me (agents, editors) found me worthy.

Now, aside from a couple bad covers and other minor indignities, my experience with traditional publishing was a very good one. This is also not to say that I wouldn't accept another legacy publishing contract if it were offered. What's changed is my belief that that is the only valid means of being published. So I will be bringing out some of my backlist and a couple other projects indie. What can I say? Times and circumstances change and what may be right at one time may not make sense later on.

So here's the upside of all this publishing hooha--in times of flux it is possible to really carve out something new and exciting in the midst of chaos. Where there is crisis there is also opportunity. And with any decision being made, you have the opportunity to move forward in love or in fear. Do you subject yourself to all the hype on either side, threatening doom or at least a poor result for your writing career if you don't do it their way, or will you follow the call of your own inner drummer leading you your own way? How do you decide what's right for you?

As always, I advocate thinking of the most loving thing you can do in a situation and choosing that. What is the thing you would love most? Which makes you feel best about yourself and your writing? Which adds to your feelings of worth, power, contentment, creativity, love, joy? What does your intuition rather than your logic guide you toward? What would __ (insert your own initials) do? Do that.

The Wounded Writer

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:25:00 +0000

I had spent the better part of the day writing a beautiful blog post for you guys. It was lovely, I tell you, all about being an active dreamer in your writing life. It had anecdotes, iy had quotes. You would have laughed, you would have cried. It was a work of art. I was reading it over one last time before hitting the send button and . . .

MY COMPUTER DIED!!!!!

One minute I was listening proofing and grooving to some Native American chants. The next, dead silence and the screen went black. This is never good unless you have actually turned the machine off. Turns out I had inadvertently let my finicky battery run dry. As soon as I plugged the power cord in I could turn it back on and . . .

MY POST WAS GONE!!

Okay, one paragraph was still there, the one I'd written like two days ago when I wanted to leave a marker reminding me what I wanted to post about (middle age memory, don't you know). But all the other paragraphs were gone! What the hell happened to autosave? Ever since google fu--I mean switch the editor for Blogger, all kinds of crazy crap has been happening to me.

I was all set to be unhappy, until I happened upon the video below. I know a little about being the wounded healer, as in practicing reiki I have cleared a problem that plagued me nearly since birth. By helping others, I helped myself.

It's the same thing with writing. We all have setbacks. We all have failures. We all feel inadequate or hurt at times by how our writing is going or how our work is received by others. We can either wallow in self-pity or we can pick ourselves up and learn to see the lesson inherent in our situation, not just the disappointment when things don't go well. We can reach out to other authors who have not known the trials we have and try to smooth their path. I am a firm believer that there is enough success, enough glory, enough fame, enough accolades--enough, for all of us to help each other without the fear that we will somehow be diminished.

So, enjoy the video. I hope it will speak to you on some level and show you that no matter what stage you are on this writing path, you have something to offer others even if it is only to set a shining example of what they too might become.

And in case you didn't notice, I changed the divination in the sidebar and you can now + me on google+. If you need an invite, let me know.

Ego Slip

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 05:17:00 +0000

According to a recent study, creative folks really are a breed all their own. An egocentric breed. Really? It took a study to determine this?

Whenever I think of the obnoxious creative type I am reminded of this amateur production I got roped into during college days. One of the lead actors let it be known that he was working with a big name director on a big name production and on and on. I was inclined to believe him until we all got on stage for our sole performance. Every line he knew must have fallen out of his head since none came out of his mouth. Good times.

We writers can be full of ourselves. I know I've been guilty at times. And these days, with the necessity for author self-promotion its easy to become self aggrandizing, constantly pumping up yourself and your work to whoever will listen. Some would argue that this in your face approach is necessary to sell your work, particularly if you are self (or indie) published. Who will toot your horn if you don't?

To me, there are few things more fascinating than an excited author talking about her work. I find this fascination comes from the fact that more than likely she is speaking from her heart and not from her ego. When you engage others from this perspective, your enthusiasm, your love can be contagious. That's because you are working from the heart chakra not the solar plexus (power) chakra. You are more centered in building relationships and less focused on yourself and more focused on what you bring to your (potential) reader.

Being truthful, do you fit the profile of the egotistic author? Is a certain amount of hubris needed to be successfully published?

The Shadow Knows!

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 19:48:00 +0000

Who knows what evil lurks in the minds of men? This question, asked on the popular '30s radio show was answered each time-- the shadow knows! The superhero, who started out as a comic character who could confuse the minds of men into not seeing him properly or not seeing him at all. In many ways our Shadow Self is like this character, using tricks to disguise itself and the true effect it has on our lives.

I mentioned the Shadow Self briefly in my last post, but I wanted to explore it more fully here. To understand the Shadow Self, first contemplate what a shadow is. It is a dark reflection of what is there in the light. Details are hidden; only the outline can be seen. But dark doesn't mean bad or evil. Its contents are only obscured and easily misinterpreted or misunderstood.

Unlike a real shadow, it is possible to shine a light on the Shadow Self, to understand what it is composed of, and how to bring the shadow into the light, to make it a healthy part of ourselves.

As I discussed before, all the parts of ourself that we wish to either downplay or eradicate collect in that shadowy part of ourselves that we disavow. If we are told we are too loud, we stuff down that impulse for noise into our shadow. If we come from a family that is unemotional, we tamp down on those sentiments we know will not be acceptable. If we are the fat one, skinny one, funny one, athletic one, brainy one or whatever one, we may dismiss qualities in ourselves that do not jibe with the image we or others have built up of us.

These parts of us don't go away, they go underground, into the subconscious. They become part of that internal voice that tells us we are not good enough, that we are frauds or fakers, because that unwanted part of us is there to tell the tale. It is said that we attract to ourselves that which is like us (see Law of Attraction). That doesn't mean just the parts of us we accept and admire, but those parts we dislike as well. So when you find yourself falling into old patterns or never seeming to move forward in the ways that you would like, or in general feel that your life is not going the way that you feel it should, it may be time to examine what's been hiding out in your Shadow Self.

Now, remember, the Shadow Self, doesn't mean you any harm. It is simply a part of you that you don't acknowledge. It might be misunderstood, but it does want to help you. It is attracting things into your life for a reason. Like everything else hidden, the Shadow seeks the light to help bring forward that part of your personal power that abides with it.

Here's a simple meditation you can try to meet your Shadow Self:

Sit in a comfortable chair with your back straight and your feet on the floor. This ensures your chakras will be aligned physically if not energetically and that you will have a connection with Earth energy. Place your hands palms down on your thighs. Close your eyes, breathe deeply and begin to relax your body from the feet up. Relax your legs and thighs. Relax your back and abdominal muscles. Relax your chest, your shoulders and your arms. Relax your neck, your scalp, your facial muscles.

Inhale deeply and imagine yourself someplace familiar in nature, someplace wooded. Imagine yourself walking on a winding path that leads down into a valley. As you walk down and down. As you walk, you notice one tree up ahead that is more prominent than any others. You feel it calling to you as you walk toward it. Behind that tree is your Shadow Self waiting to meet you.

Understand that your Shadow Self may look like you or another person or a baby or an animal or an inanimate object. Your Shadow Self might be a cartoon or a character from a story or any other form one might imagine. How your Shadow Self presents itself to you should tell you something about its nature.

Now ask the Shadow Self to come out from behind the tree. What does the Shadow Self look like? What does it remind you of? Ask the Shadow Self what it wants and what it has been trying to do to help you. Ask your Shadow Self if it has a message for you. Ask your Shadow Self if there is anything you can do to help it. Let your Shadow Self know that you want to bring it into your life in a conscious way. Hug it if you want to (or if you can) and let it know you appreciate what it's been trying to do for you.

As you do this, relax and let your intuition guide you. This is not an intellectual exercise but one of letting go of control. Follow where your subconscious takes you and listen to whatever your Shadow Self wants to share with you.

Then slowly bring yourself back. Focus first on your breathing. Inhale deeply and open your eyes. If you keep a journal, write an entry about this meditation and what you have learned from it.

To really benefit from this meditation, however, you need to focus on bringing those parts of you contained in the Shadow Self out into your consciousness. If your Shadow contains painful memories, for instance, you will want to examine them, work through the emotions related to them and release them. You will be surprised how freeing it is to let go of issues that no longer serve you.

If you try the meditation (or even if you don't) let me know what you think.

Thematic analysis--careful, your unresolved issues are showing

noreply@blogger.com (dee savoy) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:51:00 +0000

They say that every writer has one overarching theme that they visit with each work of fiction they create. In this way seemingly diverse or divergent stories by one author are held together by this theme. For example, Jane Austen, who I have grown to appreciate even more after attending the JA festival in Bath last year, was ostensibly a writer of romances. However her commentary on social mannerisms and hence women's sublimation to the societal strictures of the day are quite apparent in all her works. But on an even deeper level, much of her work addresses the idea of looking beyond outward appearances to gain a deeper understanding of people. This thematic backdropping is especially significant in relation to her work, as, unlike many other writers of her time, her stories relied on complex characters and situations rather than obvious plot twists and drama. Her theme fit her work.

But her theme of looking beyond the surface also fit her life. It wasn't revealed until after her death that she was the infamous "A Lady" who had written the popular works. To those outside her immediate circle she was merely a spinster living on the largess and wherewithal of her family, particularly her brothers.

For myself, I think my theme is taking a change--learning to risk in order to find happiness and fulfillment. In most of my stories, the characters have a chance to play it safe or to leap out of their comfort zones. They always pick the latter-eventually. But before they get there, there are false starts and wrong choices. I, too, would rather have the complexity of my characters' beliefs and motivations provide the conflict in the story rather than artificially created dramas.

So, by now you are probably wondering why, when this blog is devoted to energy and writing, am I talking about themes. Well, I believe that our fiction mirrors us in many ways, particularly those things we choose to write about. Those themes, particularly the less obvious ones we pick, are in all likelihood the very things we need to work on in ourselves. The deeper we bury them in our stories, the deeper we have buried them in ourselves.

In metaphysical circles there exists the idea of the Shadow Self, the place in our psyches where we bury all those parts of ourselves that we find wanting--all those parts that others have told us are bad or inadequate. For instance, if as a child you always got in trouble for being too loud, you probably began to try to reign yourself and your undesirable trait in, to stuff it down inside yourself, to bury it. As an adult, you might to some degree conflate loudness with disobedience or shame or guilt of some kind, even though it is probably not on a conscious level. But no trait exists in solitude, so when we banish our loudness, we might also steal the power of our ability to communicate or to sing or to express ourselves freely. Our loud extroverted nature may turn to introversion to avoid confrontation.

But these parts of ourselves still exist in the subconscious. So, as writers, we try to work out these issues that we repress through our fiction. Our characters and their conflicts become those scenarios we haven't resolved in our waking life.

But do we ever really resolve issues we don't consciously take by the horns and wrestle?

How do you know if your own issues are showing in your work? I didn't really recognize mine until I asked a friend and fellow writer what she thought the underlying theme of my work was. However, if you examine the internal motivations of your main characters (as opposed to the external motives--tangible things like getting a new job or learning how to dance) and you might get a clue to your own subconscious conflicts.

And just like your characters, the only thing to do is face the Shadow. More on this next time: what the shadow self is and how to make it your friend. In the meantime you can answer these questions:

What is the overarching theme in your work?
How do you think this relates to your own life?