Lizbeth Finn-Arnold

Realizing Life While We Live It...

"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it-- every, every minute?" (From Our Town by Thornton Wilder)

I turned 46 yesterday.

Where has all the time gone? Seems like yesterday I was graduating college (1990), getting married (1994), running around Philadelphia all night as part of an independent film shoot (1995), having babies (1996 & 1999), watching the Twin Towers fall (2001), adopting my dog (2001), moving into a new house (2005), burying my dog (2013), moving into another new house (2013)...and doing a heck of a lot of writing about the life I was leading in between it all.

Thank god for the writing (mostly blogging since 2003) because, to paraphrase Thornton Wilder, "writing helped me realize life while I was living it."

Writing Advice from...Author Alex Lukeman

I was writing random book titles today and then googling (to see if they are already taken) because I'm still trying to find the perfect name for my debut novel. Interestingly enough, while doing this, I discovered author Alex Lukeman. I haven't yet read any of his books (although I went ahead and downloaded several) because they are conspiracy thrillers, which I admit I love, LOVE, love. My novel is in the New Adult paranormal genre but also has elements of a thriller and deals heavily in government conspiracies (primarily Project MK-Ultra and other mind control programs) so I think Lukeman's stories will captivate me.

I also discovered Lukeman's blog which included what I think is some rather great advice for writers who want to make money through writing, called "Go Forth and Prosper."  I think it's pretty cool Lukeman only wrote the first book of his PROJECT series five years ago and now is on Book 7. That's the type of prolific writing career I'd love to have.

His advice is below, with my personal commentary on each item in red. Enjoy!

Let's Talk About It, Shall We?

Some authors and other creatives, like Steve Pressfield (author of The Legend of Bagger Vance) say you should never talk about a project until it's done and out there in the world or else you may jinx it.  Steve wrote a post on his blog about a month ago advising writers to "keep your mouth shut" and "don't talk about it." Superstition aside, the belief is that you weaken, rather than strengthen a project when you discuss it before it's ready to be birthed.

Remembering Dad

My father was a monk, an aeronautical engineer, and a poet...an interesting and complex combination for sure that may explain my own fascination with theology, science, and art.

I remember my dad this Father's Day by pulling out an essay I wrote exactly 10 years ago. Not much has changed throughout the years, as I still don't really feel like I knew my father. However, I did become aware that I was protecting my heart for many years, unwilling to risk loss of this magnitude again. Over the last year, I've learned "with love, comes loss". I cannot protect my heart, not if I want to experience life to its fullest. And so, I am learning to open it wide and accept all that comes with it. Even loss.

Review from Hormone-Colored Days

As a regular visitor to the Literary Mama Web site I was pleased to find some of my favorites like Andi's "The Plant" and Nicole Cooley's "Thirteen Ways of Looking at Being a Mother and a Poet" in a conveniently portable book. I also enjoyed some new essays like Lizbeth Finn Arnold's take on a visit to Walden Pond, "Out of the Woods". I even liked the poetry- something I never bother to read online.

Read more at Hormone-Colored Days.

Review From CarolineAndTony.com

Lizbeth Finn-Arnold’s encounter with Henry Thoreau in Out of the Woods (an essay which is inspiring some thoughtful discussion over at Midlife Mama and at ReadingWritingLiving) starts bitterly:

Thoreau may advise “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity,” “But Thoreau wouldn’t have lasted ten minutes in his tiny cabin with my two tots.”

But a visit to Walden Pond with those rambunctious kids helps Lizbeth figure out how to create the solitude she needs to write in the midst of her chaotic life.

Review from Arch Words

Another essay that drew me in was "Out of the Woods," by Lizbeth Finn-Arnold. The author engages Thoreau's words in a dialogue that questions what his ideas about solitude can mean for a mother-writer. I could identify with her struggle to combine writing and motherhood; during Ben's first year, I found myself angry with the male writers of the past who could go into a room and close the door while someone else cared for their children. But Finn-Arnold discovers her own sense of solitude and her own voice as a writer--paradoxically by realizing "my children were my greatest inspiration...my Walden Pond... a mirror into my very own soul."

Review from Mommy Blogger

My first question is about Lizbeth Finn-Arnold’s piece, “Out of the Woods,” where she wrote about being overwhelmed by the 24/7 demands of parenting young children. ... Do you think that her sentiments are shared by other parents who may be afraid to talk about being overwhelmed for fear they’ll be labeled as “bad” parents.

Review from Mother in Chief

In her essay, Out of the Woods, Lizbeth Finn-Arnold found a way out of a nurturing rut and ultimately rediscovered herself, her interests, and her passions. She wrote: "I had become stuck in a maternal pattern of nurturing others before myself...It has become easier to reclaim some of my former self, as my children get older, become more independent, and spend more time at school. I have also learned to take the time to nourish my soul, mind, body--without feeling guilty."

Read more at Mother in Chief.

Review from Jabberlingual

From Jabberlingual: "Out of the Woods" by Lizbeth Finn-Arnold is another favorite of mine. It made me want to get out my own copy of Walden and ponder about the role of solitude (or lack thereof), writing and motherhood:

I write while there is chaos swirling around me. I write in fits and starts, between making lunches, wiping butts, getting drinks, kissing boo- boos, folding laundry, playing basketball,cleaning up broken glass, giving baths, checking homework, feeding the dog, and breaking up fights between two stubborn siblings.