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Sheila Bender's Writing It Real

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Sheila Bender's Writing It Real
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Tag Archives: writing inspiration

Our New Anthology(#3) of Members’ Writing! Holiday Times: The Ones We Like Remembering, Others We’d Rather Forget

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on December 31, 2020 by Sheila BenderJanuary 18, 2021

Here it is in PDF format:  Holiday Times: The Ones We Like Remembering, Others We’d Rather Forget, our third Writing It Real anthology for free download. It features writing by 17 Writing It Real members and altogether has 18 pieces … Continue reading →

Posted in WIR2021 | Tagged personal essay, women's voices, writing inspiration | 1 Reply

On Creative Writing – Four Spotlights

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on December 3, 2020 by Sheila BenderDecember 17, 2020

On Creative Writing “The world — this shadow of the soul, or other me, lies wide around. Its attractions are the keys, which unlock my thoughts and make me acquainted with myself. I run eagerly into this resounding tumult…” –Ralph … Continue reading →

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Posted in Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2014, WIR2020 | Tagged Writing Craft Tools, writing inspiration

4 More Podcasts of Writers in Conversation and 7 More Writer Resource Links Sure to Help and Entertain You in Your Writing Life

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on August 1, 2019 by Sheila BenderAugust 1, 2019

The list is endless, of course, but here are some of my favorites. First, four more podcasts from the Writing It Real archives and then seven more resources I’ve learned about and very much enjoyed recently. My hope is that … Continue reading →

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Posted in Reading for Writing, The Working Writer, WIR2019 | Tagged reading for writing, writing inspiration

Tattle Phone, a Writing Exercise

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on July 17, 2019 by Sheila BenderJuly 17, 2019

A few months ago, I was listening to Ira Glass on NPR while doing an errand. He was talking with David Kestenbaum about a preschool experiment in which kids were encouraged to say their complaints about unfairness into an unconnected … Continue reading →

Posted in 2019, Instructional Exercises | Tagged writing exercises, writing inspiration | 3 Replies

Creative Writing: Carpe diem, quam minimum, credula postera

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on March 7, 2019 by Gary LangfordMarch 7, 2019

I met poet, novelist, and playwright Gary Langford through a long time friend of mine who met Gary years ago in Australia when they were both young men. In the years since, Gary has written in many genres, run a … Continue reading →

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Posted in From Our Contributors, Literary Gallery, WIR2019 | Tagged on writing, writing advice, writing inspiration

A Writing Buffet-Help Yourself!

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on January 17, 2019 by Sheila BenderJanuary 17, 2019

It’s time for some post-New Year’s inspiration so I am reposting a slightly updated article that is full of quotes to inspire and approaches to creating new material from that inspiration. Thirteen years ago, my grandson Toby turned three.  All … Continue reading →

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Posted in Reading for Writing, The Working Writer, WIR2019 | Tagged overcoming writer's block, personal essay, writing inspiration

Author Magazine Editor Bill Kenower Interviews Sheila Bender on Creativity and Writing

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on January 3, 2019 by Sheila BenderJanuary 16, 2019

In this video, I talk for ten minutes with Bill Kenower about my beginnings as a writer and what I know now about the craft and about the value of a life path in writing. Bill asked me some intriguing questions, … Continue reading →

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Posted in Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2019 | Tagged on writing, writing advice, writing inspiration

In a Season of Lists, Write a Litany to Help Yourself Keep Writing

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on December 20, 2018 by Sheila BenderDecember 20, 2018

It is holiday time and amidst the tornado-like whirl of shopping, decorating, traveling, baking, cooking, and gathering with family, friends, colleagues and community, of offering help in shelters and churches, it may seem hard to write. And even harder still … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, Literary Gallery, WIR2018 | Tagged Writing Craft Tools, writing exercises, writing inspiration, Writing Poetry

Taking Inspiration from Allen Ginsberg’s Poems to Have My Say

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on November 8, 2018 by Sheila BenderNovember 9, 2018

Tuesday, as I waited for election returns, I thought of Allen Ginsberg’s poem “Howl,” written in 1955, so full of despair at what he had seen around him. I wondered what I would howl when I found out whether or … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, Revisions - Sample Successes, The Working Writer, WIR2014, WIR2018 | Tagged writing exercises, writing inspiration, Writing Poetry

A Gander at Propaganda

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on November 2, 2018 by Sheila BenderNovember 2, 2018

“The Institute for Propaganda Analysis: Protecting Democracy in Pre-World War II America,” an article authored by Zachary Reisch and kept in the Bryn Mawr Institutional Library, offers clarification about the exploration of propaganda in our country. “What is democracy?” Reisch … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, WIR2018, Writing Makes a Difference | Tagged writing exercises, writing inspiration

Double Issue: Writing Exercises to Inspire You to Write

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on September 27, 2018 by Sheila BenderSeptember 27, 2018

Here is a collection of writing ideas to keep you going for days as our schedules start to fill with fall commitments and shorter daylight. Let the Seasons’ Personas Inspire You to Write It’s the change of seasons now. Some … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, WIR2018 | Tagged journaling, writing exercises, writing inspiration

Prose Poetry in a Smoky Time

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on August 23, 2018 by Sheila BenderAugust 24, 2018

I was sitting at my dining table this morning with a cup of coffee looking out over the still smoky and haze-ridden sky we had experienced on the Olympic Peninsula for a week because of fires in Eastern Washington and … Continue reading →

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Posted in Reading for Writing, The Working Writer, WIR2014, WIR2018 | Tagged Trusting Images, writing inspiration, Writing Poetry

Patricia Hampl, My To-do List and Fiddler on the Roof

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on July 26, 2018 by Sheila BenderJuly 26, 2018

I am so enjoying reading Patricia Hampl’s The Art of the Wasted Day. Early in the book, page 18, she records one of her many to-do lists. She says first that she admires Montaigne, know as the father of the … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2018 | Tagged reading for writing, writing exercises, writing inspiration

It’s Not that You Make Things Up — You Notice Things, Patricia Hampl in “Timelessness”

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on July 19, 2018 by Sheila BenderJuly 19, 2018

It’s summer, oh, those lazy days. When was the last time you had one of those lazy days? If you are lucky, there were one or more of them and not too long ago. But with the political turmoil in … Continue reading →

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Posted in Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2018 | Tagged writing advice, writing exercises, writing inspiration

A Writing Exercise to Help You Arrive at Deep Material

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on January 4, 2018 by Sheila BenderJanuary 4, 2018

Many say that the hardest part of writing is moving from daily activities to being able to create work that transcends the daily. There are ways, though, to launch new writing that unexpectedly gets you to your deepest material while … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, WIR2018 | Tagged overcoming writer's block, personal essay, reading for writing, Trusting Images, writing inspiration

What is Epistolary Writing? Why Write in Epistolary Form?

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on October 12, 2017 by Sheila BenderOctober 12, 2017

The word epistolary comes from the Greek epistol?, which means “letter.” Writers use the letter form in writing personal essays, poems, creative nonfiction and fiction because the form provides a ready-made container to hold an exploration of events and experiences. Writing in … Continue reading →

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Posted in 2017, Instructional Exercises, Reading for Writing, WIR2017 | Tagged personal essay, reading for writing, writing inspiration

 On Finding Deep Power

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on October 5, 2017 by Sheila BenderOctober 5, 2017

What have writers shared about unleashing one?s best and most insightful creative work? G. Lynn Nelson, a professor of English at Arizona State University believes we must undo some of what we have been taught about language and use language … Continue reading →

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Posted in Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2017 | Tagged trust your writing, writing advice, writing inspiration

Game Stories: A Prompt that Works

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on September 14, 2017 by Sheila BenderSeptember 14, 2017

Two weeks ago, I posted an article with writing ideas for getting started on new material and asked those who wanted to do so to send me accounts of the games they have played and enjoyed, especially in childhood. My … Continue reading →

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Posted in From Our Contributors, Literary Gallery, WIR2017 | Tagged writing exercises, writing inspiration

Admiring and Learning from Flash Writing by Jim Heynen

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on July 13, 2017 by Sheila BenderJuly 13, 2017

I have been an eager reader of flash stories by Jim Heynen for years. I’ve read The Man Who Kept Cigars Under His Cap, One-Room School House: Stories About the Boys, The Boy’s House: New and Selected Stories as well … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, Reading for Writing, WIR2017 | Tagged personal essay, reading for writing, Writing Fiction, writing inspiration

What’s the Writer’s Job? Getting Going and Keeping on Going

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on May 4, 2017 by Sheila BenderMay 4, 2017

When I teach in person, people sometimes show up having purchased a copy of the recently updated edition of my first instructional book on writing: Writing in a Convertible with the Top Down, which I co-authored with Christi Killien Glover. Their interest prompts me … Continue reading →

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Posted in Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2017 | Tagged trust your writing, writing advice, writing inspiration

The Way I See It

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on March 9, 2017 by Sheila BenderMarch 9, 2017

“The Way I See It” is the “Prologue” from Writing Personal Essays: Sharing and Shaping Your Life Experience, Published in print and digitally by Sheila Bender’s Writing It Real, March, 2017 [Note: I wrote a slightly different version of this … Continue reading →

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Posted in Literary Gallery, Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2017 | Tagged writing inspiration

Acknowledging the Value of Your Writing, Part 4

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on March 2, 2017 by Sheila BenderMarch 3, 2017

Creating Self-Understanding Despite Fears of Revealing Your Own Shortcomings and True Experience Before we see what writers have said on the issue of fear about revealing oneself through writing, try this exercise: Select four or so pieces of your writing. … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, WIR2017 | Tagged writers' block, writing exercises, writing inspiration

Acknowledging the Value of Your Writing Part 3 of 4

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on February 23, 2017 by Sheila BenderFebruary 23, 2017

Healing Through the Dark Emotions From journal writing to writing finished plays, memoir, poems and fiction, writers evoke and examine encounters with the dark emotions incited by misfortune, abuse, divorce, severe lack of confidence, fear of difficult and horrifying situations … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, WIR2017 | Tagged writing inspiration

Acknowledging the Value of Your Writing: Exercises for Week One and Two of Four

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on February 9, 2017 by Sheila BenderFebruary 11, 2017

I have been teaching a class called “Writing is a Friend with Extraordinary Benefits” for a couple of years now through Women on Writing. I have been extremely engaged in what my students write and thrilled by the evidence that … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, Reading for Writing, Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2016 | Tagged trust your writing, writing advice, writing inspiration

Toward Beginning A Year of Writing Poetry (Or Improving Your Prose Through Poetry)

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on January 5, 2017 by Sheila BenderJanuary 5, 2017

For January: Dreams and Repetitions In this month of the inauguration of a new president of our country, it seems particularly appropriate and important to study the orators of our great nation who called out for freedoms we enjoy. Reading … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2016 | Tagged Writing Craft Tools, writing exercises, writing inspiration, Writing Poetry

Understanding Your Writing and Your Need to Write

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on December 29, 2016 by Sheila BenderDecember 29, 2016

How does one muster the courage to keep writing even when no one has asked for her to write? How does a writer handle restlessness and disappointment? The author Ralph Keyes writes in The Courage to Write: How Writers Transcend … Continue reading →

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Posted in Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2016 | Tagged writing advice, writing inspiration, writing life

Why I Want to Write

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on December 8, 2016 by Katherine ClarkeDecember 9, 2016

[Editor’s note: Sometimes I teach a class for Women on Writing that I call “Writing is a Friend with Extraordinary Benefits.” The following essay by Katherine Clarke is reprinted with permission of the author, is an example of what happens … Continue reading →

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Posted in From Our Contributors, Literary Gallery, WIR2016 | Tagged trust your writing, women's voices, writing inspiration

A Passion for Writing Might Save Us in These Times

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on November 22, 2016 by Sheila BenderNovember 27, 2016

What are we writers to do in a nation where so many young and old seem to have gone mad, publically shouting and bullying, using crude names for those of the female sex and for people of non-Christian religions and … Continue reading →

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Posted in Literary Gallery, Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2016 | Tagged trust your writing, writing inspiration

Writing Our Own Stories Helps Others Write Theirs: Essay by and Interview with Joan Leof

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on October 20, 2016 by Joan LeofOctober 20, 2016

Joan Leof’s collection of essays Matryoshka: Uncovering Your Many Selves Through Writing Personal Essays and Questions for Reflection is intended to share her personal experience essays in a way that encourages others to write from their experiences. After reading her … Continue reading →

Posted in 2016, From Our Contributors, Reading for Writing | Tagged personal essay, reading for writing, women's voices, writing inspiration | 12 Replies

We Write to Feel and to Make Others Feel What is Genuine

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on September 22, 2016 by Sheila BenderOctober 2, 2016

When someone asks (or you ask yourself) why you write, I bet that many of the motivations you think to cite are on this list: • to understand your experience, • because you have a story in your heart, • because you can’t … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, Reading for Writing, Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2016 | Tagged on writing, reading for writing, writing inspiration

What the Teacher Was Thinking

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on September 1, 2016 by Sheila BenderOctober 2, 2016

Whatever our role in life, however well we perform in it, there is always the not knowing if we are doing it right, if what we are trying to accomplish will be accomplished. Sometimes that situation offers us a prompt … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, WIR2016 | Tagged writing exercises, writing inspiration

Excerpt from Richard-Gabriel Rummonds Fantasies & Hard Knocks, My Life as a Printer

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on June 30, 2016 by Gabriel RummondsJune 30, 2016

This book is a big one?in every way. In its 813 beautifully designed pages and over 450 gorgeous photos and images, a story unfolds not only of fine handpress printing but the man who printed works by many great 20th … Continue reading →

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Posted in From Our Contributors, Literary Gallery, WIR2015, WIR2016 | Tagged memoir, writing inspiration, writing life

Clear the Debris of Abstraction and Sentimentality

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on February 11, 2016 by Sheila BenderFebruary 11, 2016

As the Presidential candidates for nomination continue to gather followers with predictable phrases, and pundits attempt to predict who the will be the frontrunners, I am reminded of the importance of writing toward felt insight. We need to leave abstracting and sentimentality behind if we … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, WIR2015, WIR2016 | Tagged Trusting Images, writing advice, writing inspiration

If You Want to Write…

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on June 3, 2015 by Judy ReevesJune 3, 2015

This week, Judy Reeves, author of the new book, Wild Women, Wild Voices, shares her thoughts on writing practice. Here article serves as a good review for all of us who are busy concentrating on revising and publishing and may … Continue reading →

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Posted in From Our Contributors, Instructional Exercises, WIR2015 | Tagged on writing, overcoming writer's block, trust your writing, women's voices, writing inspiration

Carol Smallwood, Poet, and Anthology Creator Extraordinaire, Tells Us How She Does It

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on April 22, 2015 by Carol SmallwoodMay 6, 2015

As both an accomplished writer and a career librarian, Carol Smallwood knows a lot about what women ask when they wish to learn about the writing and publishing process. Over the years, I’ve received email invitations from Carol asking for … Continue reading →

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Posted in From Our Contributors, The Working Writer, WIR2015 | Tagged Informational Writing, Publishing, writing inspiration

Haiku Poets Focus on What Matters Most: An Interview with Robert Epstein

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on April 1, 2015 by Robert EpsteinApril 2, 2015

Robert Epstein has invested years in conceiving and writing books, among them a series of impressive haiku anthologies. This National Poetry Month, I am delighted to post an interview with him that gets to the heart of how haiku connects us to … Continue reading →

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Posted in From Our Contributors, Reading for Writing, WIR2015 | Tagged Trusting Images, writing inspiration, Writing Poetry

Sand Spirit Cards — A Tool for Writers

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on March 25, 2015 by Pam Hale TrachtaMarch 25, 2015

Before embarking on a third revision of A New Theology: Turning to Poetry in a Time of Grief, an intense book-length personal narrative, I worked with writer, photographer and shamanic practitioner Pam Hale Trachta for guidance in knowing what I … Continue reading →

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Posted in From Our Contributors, The Working Writer, WIR2015 | Tagged overcoming writer's block, Trusting Images, writing inspiration, writing memoir

Cognitive Therapy for Writers: Behave Your Way Into Writing

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on February 11, 2015 by Sheila BenderFebruary 11, 2015

When it comes to writing, we so often undermine our efforts by thinking that we are not disciplined enough, educated enough, smart enough, skilled enough, or wise enough to call ourselves writers. We must find ways to change that thinking if … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2015 | Tagged on writing, overcoming writer's block, writing advice, writing inspiration

An Ode to the Author of Blue Willow

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on July 23, 2014 by Sheila BenderJuly 23, 2014

I was reading a magazine article recently in which authors wrote about pivotal books they’ve read. What book would I name, I wondered. Immediately, I saw myself at my fourth grade desk in the 1950’s at Franklin Elementary School in … Continue reading →

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Posted in Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2014, Writing Makes a Difference | Tagged on writing, reading for writing, women's voices, writing inspiration

Writing Prompts To Anchor Summer

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on July 2, 2014 by Sheila BenderJuly 2, 2014

Originally published in in the summer of 2005, this article is filled with writing exercises inspired by the summer holidays. I think they will come in handy again to help you keep on writing, even though summer is loaded with traditional holiday social demands … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, WIR2014 | Tagged writing exercises, writing inspiration

Digesting World News

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on May 14, 2014 by Sheila BenderMay 14, 2014

This essay originally appeared in Writing It Real August 2006. The question I was exploring is still one many of us ask when we consider the world’s situation: Where is our writing in all this? How should it matter? Every time … Continue reading →

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Posted in Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2014, Writing Makes a Difference | Tagged trust your writing, writing advice, writing inspiration

Celebrating and Learning from Three More Wonderful Poets

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on April 16, 2014 by Sheila BenderApril 16, 2014

We present three poets, offering one of their poems along with words about its creation. My writing ideas are each based on one of the poems and are useful whether you are writing poetry or prose.

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Posted in From Our Contributors, Instructional Exercises, Reading for Writing, WIR2014 | Tagged trust your images, writing inspiration, Writing Poetry

On the Courage to Create

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on March 19, 2014 by Sheila BenderMarch 26, 2014

Creativity in one’s thinking and in one’s art is unsettling, both to the artist and to audiences. The courage to create must be born again and again.

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Posted in Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2014 | Tagged on writing, writing inspiration, writing life

Where Does Creativity Start?

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on March 12, 2014 by Sheila BenderApril 24, 2014

You may think that being creative requires that you have an idea for a finished product. But an important attribute of creativity is that it produces what it will, not necessarily what you were thinking it ought to. You may … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, Sheila Bender On Writing, The Working Writer, WIR2014 | Tagged overcoming writer's block, Trusting Images, writing advice, writing inspiration

What I Was Thinking

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on January 22, 2014 by Sheila BenderJanuary 22, 2014

This article first ran January 24, 2008, after a visit from my grandsons. Their visit over this past Martin Luther King three-day weekend had me thinking again about the way watching children’s reactions to our adult judgments and commands can … Continue reading →

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Posted in Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2013 | Tagged memoir, on writing, overcoming writer's block, personal essay, writing inspiration

Our Writing Minds Depend on This

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on December 11, 2013 by Sheila BenderDecember 11, 2013

Writing depends on our willingness to observe closely and our ability to allow ourselves to engage emotionally with what we are observing. So often, though, we don’t remember to take time to look around rather than look only at our … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, Sheila Bender On Writing, The Working Writer, WIR2013 | Tagged on writing, overcoming writer's block, Trusting Images, writing advice, writing exercises, writing inspiration

That Crazy Little Thing, a Novel that Tackles What’s Big for a Writer and Her Characters

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on December 4, 2013 by Kate M. BracyDecember 4, 2013

That Crazy Little Thing a debut novel by Kate Bracy has garnered wonderful reviews from readers and critics because of the author’s writing, the way she has developed her characters and how they explore issues of love — between friends, … Continue reading →

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Posted in From Our Contributors, The Working Writer, WIR2013 | Tagged writing advice, Writing Fiction, writing inspiration

On Writing for Weddings

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on October 9, 2013 by Sheila BenderOctober 9, 2013

In writing a wedding speech, we reflect upon our lives, our hopes and dreams and the hard work of relationship.

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2013 | Tagged speech-writing, wedding speech, writing advice, writing exercises, writing inspiration

A Keynote Address Using Personal Experience

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on September 25, 2013 by Sheila BenderOctober 8, 2013

As the writers among our circles of family, friends, colleagues and associates, we are often approached to write addresses and eulogies, toasts and speeches. On September 19, 2013, I presented the keynote address at Providence Hospice of Seattle’s annual Pediatric Luncheon. … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, Literary Gallery, Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2013, Writing Makes a Difference | Tagged memoir, personal essay, writing advice, writing inspiration, writing memoir

Writing Important Life Occasions

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on July 24, 2013 by Sheila BenderSeptember 12, 2013

Our lives present us with births, deaths, marriages, anniversaries, and other beginnings and endings. The following prompts excerpted from A Year in the Life: Journaling For Self-Discovery can help us focus our attention on our joy or grief and keep us … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, The Working Writer, WIR2013 | Tagged literary journals, trust your writing, writing exercises, writing inspiration

The Practice of Productivity

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on July 3, 2013 by Priscilla LongJuly 3, 2013

This week, I am pleased to re-post an excerpt from writer Priscilla Long’s excellent text The Writer’s Portable Mentor: A Guide to Art, Craft, and the Writing Life. I heartily agree with the many readers who find the book one … Continue reading →

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Posted in From Our Contributors, The Working Writer, WIR2013 | Tagged writing advice, writing inspiration, writing life

He’s Over Sixty and He’s a Rapper! Interview with Robert Komishane

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on April 3, 2013 by Robert KomishaneApril 4, 2013

Robert Komishane is a Port Townsend, WA poet who turned in middle age to rap and hiphop for inspiration when he wanted to switch from writing free verse to writing in form. Four and a half year’s later, he’s still … Continue reading →

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Posted in From Our Contributors, The Working Writer, WIR2013 | Tagged writing inspiration, Writing Poetry, writing rap

Five Tips for Inspiring Quality Writing from Life Experience

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on March 13, 2013 by Sheila BenderDecember 13, 2018

Tip #1 — Find An Occasion Poet Stanley Plumly says that poems must weigh more at the end than they do at the beginning. As with poetry, the personal essay and memoir supply a vehicle for writers to find out what … Continue reading →

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Posted in Sheila Bender On Writing, The Working Writer, WIR2013 | Tagged on writing, writing advice, Writing Craft Tools, writing inspiration, writing life

Interview with Poet and Memoirist Kim Stafford

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on January 9, 2013 by KimStaffordJanuary 15, 2013

Memoirs are high on my reading list. Memoirs that tell authors’ stories of grieving and healing are at the top. This week, I am posting an in-depth interview with writer Kim Stafford, whose brother committed suicide. As a writer, Kim … Continue reading →

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Posted in From Our Contributors, WIR2013 | Tagged Kim Stafford, memoir, on writing, writing advice, writing inspiration, writing life

Our Dreams Choose Us

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on January 2, 2013 by Sheila BenderMarch 6, 2013

After I began studying with poets at the University of Washington in the early 80’s, I had a closet in my bedroom under my house’s eaves converted into a writing nook with a skylight. Sitting there at night, I could … Continue reading →

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Posted in Literary Gallery, Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2013 | Tagged on writing, writing advice, writing inspiration

You Are My Heroes — A Letter to Writers

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on December 26, 2012 by Sheila BenderDecember 26, 2012

You may have taken time away from writing while preparing for the holidays, but now’s the time to jump back in to reach your writing goals. This week’s article from the Writing It Real archives first appeared in 2006. If … Continue reading →

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Posted in Instructional Exercises, Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2012 | Tagged on writing, writing advice, writing exercises, writing inspiration

Community “Book-Excerpt” Book Club – Considering the Work of AE Russell

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on November 28, 2012 by Sheila BenderDecember 17, 2012

Once a month, we’ll post selections from an author’s work for the Writing It Real community to contemplate, consider and remark upon as writers. I’ll follow each month’s excerpt with questions to spark comments from Writing It Real readers. We’ll … Continue reading →

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Posted in Book Club, WIR2012 | Tagged reading for writing, writing advice, writing inspiration

Some of My Favorite Answers For Writers

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on July 18, 2012 by Sheila BenderJuly 18, 2012

A good interview calls forth the best from an interviewee, and I am pleased that I have had such opportunities to articulate the thoughts and experiences that shaped me as a writer and writing teacher.  Here are answers I’ve reread … Continue reading →

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Posted in Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2012 | Tagged on writing, overcoming writer's block, writing advice, writing inspiration

To Write is to Observe: Learning This Again on a Trip to Turkey

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on July 11, 2012 by Sheila BenderJuly 11, 2012

To Write is to Observe: Learning This Again on a Trip to Turkey In Mid-May, I took a trip to Turkey with 11 women writers. Susan Bono and I gathered participants who met together for four days of touring Istanbul. Our … Continue reading →

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Posted in Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2012 | Tagged Trusting Images, writing inspiration

Four Tricks that Keep a Writer Going

Sheila Bender's Writing It Real Posted on April 18, 2012 by Sheila BenderApril 18, 2012

Don’t Think. Write! Many authors who write about writing say, “Don’t think. Write!” I am one of them. But I also think it is fair to say to those who write, “Don’t think. Play!” If you allow yourself to play … Continue reading →

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Posted in Sheila Bender On Writing, WIR2012 | Tagged trust your images, trust your writing, writers' block, writing inspiration

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