Anna Yaphe Levine

Apr 29, 2012 11:38 PM EDT

hey wait, Anne Dillard, had a cabin in the woods and wandered those woods to write. I bet it was pretty nice. True, "Getting set up" making the perfect workspace or NOT working because you have no studio, is a time honored trick of some procrastinators. But I think especially for women who tend to put others needs before their own and don't have a room of their own to work, setting aside space and making it useable in a pleasing way= good light, comfortable chair and NOT for storage and clutter, is a way to take your self seriously and honor the professional commitment of your craft. on the other hand, I've gotten good work done in many odd places, on trains, in hotel rooms even in my car in parking garages between appointments..when the muse wants to chat you want to be there to listen.

Now I carry an extra bag of art supplies and notebook in the trunk of my car and NEVER leave home with out it, just in case some time might open up when I am away from the studio. Come visit me there to see my collages and paintings and books and a spectacular view and spend the afternoon writing or drawing with me.

- Judith Margolis

Apr 22, 2012 4:38 AM EDT

Anna,
Congratulations on your new blog.

Concerning "the end" of a literary work, my experience is that when you have a sense of completion, when there is nothing further to add to the story you wish to tell or the message you seek to convey, you've come to the end. The "natural" life of the work comes to a close and anything you might add would be gratuitous. "Writerly" intuition confirms the end and one hopes that the reader agrees.

Best,

Yossi

- Yosef Gotlieb

Apr 17, 2012 12:24 PM EDT

So Anna, with regard to your question: "I was wondering when you're on stage is every step planned or are you improvising. Do you always know why you're doing something."

When I am scheduled to do a show, I plan as much as I possibly can in advance but once "in the moment", I just go with it, changing and improvising everything to suit the vibe I am getting from the audience.

Otherwise, my set lists are carefully planned to take the listeners on a journey with ups, downs and the occasional left turn strategically placed. These days I also keep lyric sheets (large print!) on the music stand though I rarely refer to them. They're there to deal with the occasional "brain fart". As for the music itself, there is definitely some "play" (this is Jazz, after all!) there but not nearly as much as my talented musicians are comfortable with. As I learn more, I "play" more ("play" in this context meaning straying from the written melody and rhythm). All this "playing around" can result in some lovely new licks and rhythmic ideas the culmination of which you can hear in some of my recordings at www.jazznlaughs.ca and on my upcoming CD to be released this fall.

- Ilana Waldston, singer, entertainer, comedienne, M.C.

Apr 16, 2012 3:23 AM EDT

This is a great exercise! I think too often I attempt to put myself in the character's situation, rather than to figure out what the character would do in his or her circumstances. I think this separation is difficult to make, but the tips you offer here will definitely help.

- AMS