The Fabulist Flash

Number 11

Holiday Swag Cards (Package of 6)

In This Issue:

1. This Week
2. The Writer's Bookshelf
3. Naptime Notes
4. Tip of the Week
5. About The Fabulist Flash

1. This Week

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is about giving thanks. Like so many of you, I'm thankful for a great deal. I have many supportive friends who bolster my ego and also keep me humble. I'm also thankful and grateful for my loving family members. They truly add value and depth to my life. With these thoughts in mind today, I've decided to dedicate this week's issue to moms. After all, if it weren't for moms we wouldn't even be here to give thanks.

Are you an awesome mom? If so, then The Awesome Mom's Network is for you. Karen Bianchi, through her AMN website and newsletter, provides tips and information dedicated to helping Awesome Moms. Visit her website for more information: www.awesommomsnetwork.com

Here's a special offer for all readers of The Fabulist Flash. Save $5 on orders over $50 from my Art Cards and Gifts store. Use the coupon code 5CPGIFT at check out. Coupon expires 11/30/04.

The December issues of The Fabulist Flash will focus on annual review and goal setting techniques. How do you review your writing year? How do you plan and set goals for the New Year? Visit The Fabulist Flash Writer Guidelines for more information on submitting your articles for consideration. If you don't have an article you can still share your ideas and suggestions by emailing them to me at: editor@fabulistflash.com

This week's feature article, Naptime Notes: A Writing Mother's Perspective by Janel C. Atlas gives her perspective on the inspiration children provide to writing mothers.

Until next week,

Gregory
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Gregory A. Kompes is a freelance writer and photographer. Learn more about Gregory and his work at http://www.Kompes.com
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What inspired your latest article idea? Email Aha@FabulistFlash.com
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2. The Writer's Bookshelf

The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler

A psuedo review by Gregory A. Kompes

Writers need to read, a lot. Good writers not only read their own genre, but other's, too. There is education and inspiration available to writers in everything they read.

My own bookshelves spill out onto the floor of my office. One of the recent books added to my pile is Anne Tyler's latest, The Amateur Marriage. I enjoy Ms. Tyler. She has a way of caputuring characters that impresses me. A few gestures or a physical trait that recur and recur throughout a story add depth and meaning to her characters.

I also like that Ms. Tyler's works center on normal, average, everyday types of people. I ofent notice my neighbors and myself in the choices and lives of her characters.

And, there's another thing about Ms. Tyler that I like, her style just flows, an "easy read" as the saying goes. It's nice to step away from my own work for a few hours and read something fun, easy, and interesting. To read an author who has mastered her genre and style and makes it all seem so easy is such a treat.

I guess this isn't so much a review of The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler. After all, if you've read Anne Tyler before you already know her style and basic story construct. No, this is just a moment of realization that writers need to read, not just they're own genre, but others. And, that some reading time should be fun and relaxed. Life isn't about working all the time.

For this title and others of inspiration to writers visit The Writer's Bookshelf.

3. Naptime Notes

Naptime Notes: A Writing Mother's Perspective by Janel C. Atlas

Naptime is a special institution at my house. I adore my six-month old daughter, but her naptime is the only block of uninterrupted time I have during the day. After rocking her to sleep, I quietly tiptoe from her room and make my way to my home office, coffee cup in hand. Without my having to think about the action, my feet nudge various baby toys out of the way as I quietly enter my sun-drenched study, avoiding the creaky floorboards. Not a sound emerges from my daughter's nursery, where the teddy bears doze and her blanket softly surrounds her. I cherish these moments when I can brainstorm and write, transforming reflections and ideas into textual reality. But, before I can even get into a rhythm, I hear a desperate wail rise up from my daughter's crib. She sputters for a moment; I hear the tell-tale gasp to fill her lungs again, and a renewed cry. I sigh, put down my pen, and push my chair back under my desk.

The birth of a child has a two-sided effect on the writing profession. That tiny person enters the world as a needy, crying, hungry baby who could care less about my intellectual work. During these first months, I have often sacrificed those things which once were some of the most important parts of my life in order to devote my energies to my precious child.

Time once spent thinking, reading, and writing is spent on less intellectual tasks-diaper changing, feeding, and midnight soothing. However, the arrival of a child also heralds another change, this one positive. It may sound like a cliché, but being responsible for a baby gives you a greater appreciation for life. Experiencing things through my daughter's eyes renews my sense of wonder at the simplest things: the sound of running water, the shadows cast by a wind-brushed tree, the crisp feel of a freshly washed bed sheet. Besides reminding me of the simple pleasures of life, my baby makes me laugh. Her uncluttered joy refreshes my mind and erases my concerns so that I see the good. A day with my daughter is often a miracle. And sometimes it's not.

If her night wakings and patchy nap schedule do nothing for my writing process, I must recognize the fodder life with a baby provides for my idea portfolio. Before her arrival, I had all the time in the world, but I scrounged around for ideas that were fresh. Now, I plead with my husband for just twenty minutes of uncomplaining childcare so that I can hammer out my rough-to put it gently-draft. But my idea list, once rather short, now stretches with enough material on it for me to write an article a day for the next year. For that to happen, though, I will need my daughter to bless me with that sacred hour of writing. Any pediatrician will tell you how important sleep is for a baby's development, but I need that time just as much as she does.

©2004 Janel C. Atlas

About the Author
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Janel Atlas is a freelance writer who lives in Newark, Delaware with her husband and daughter. She has presented papers at several international academic conferences and her work has appeared in regional publications. When Janel isn't spending time writing or playing with her baby, she enjoys reading, hiking, and traveling. You can contact Janel by email at thewriteatlas@hotmail.com.

4. Tip of the Week

Remember those words from your mother: "Did you send your Thank You notes?"

After every interview, send a thank you note. It will set you apart from the pack and if you need to contact the person you interviewed for more information or another story they'll be likely to remember you.

With end of year clearance and holiday sales going on right now it's an excellent time to stock up on Thank You Cards for next year.

5. About The Fabulist Flash

ISSN: 1554-0804

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