My Legacy Exercise

Day Four:

Today, in the writing project, imagine what people will say at your funeral; how do you want to be remembered;  who do you want to remember you; what will be your greatest accomplishments?  Dave Trottier of "The Freelance Writer's Bible" suggest the exercise be done as freewriting for 10-15 minutes.

The older I get, I'm soon to be 67, the more I wonder how I want my funeral conducted, what music should play, do I want burial or cremation?  I've been to funerals laterly for friends and neighbors and I'm always amazed at how good the deceased was.  Pure, altruistic, loving, perfect father and husband, yada, yada.  I can never live up to all that sugar.  I weant to be cremated and my ashes scattered in the warm spots of Mexico,  What will people say?  He saw things in black and white, no gray.  Onece he decided on something he would defend the idea vigorously, BUT he would listen to your side, however he would not put up with faulty pemises or reasoning.  he was a conscious conservative in economics and liberal in social policies.  He didn't care if you were gay or straight, black or white.  He couldn't staND LIBERAL ECONOMIC POLICIES AND WHEN OVER WHELMED WITH SUCH NONSENSE WOULD FORCEFULLY SAY, LET'S GET OUT OF HERE, MORE THAN ONCE.

He WANTS TO BE REMEMBERED AS SOBER ON THE DAY HE DIED, A CHRISTIAN, BELIEVING (IN) A HIGHER POWER HE CALLED GOD.  hE BELIEVED THAT WE ARE ALL CONNECTED, BELIEVED IN REINCARNATIUON AND LOVED BEAUTIFUL WOMEN AND WAS CLEARLY CRAZY ABOUT BEVERLY.

dESPITE ALL HIS FLAWS, HE WAS VERY PROUD OF HIS TWO DAY\UGHTERS gILYN AND eRICA, LOVED HIS DOG, WAS A SENTIMENTAL GUY AND BELIEVED NO ONE EVER LOVED HIM LIKE bEVERLY

wHAT DID HE ACCOMPLISH? hE HELPED SECURE HIS FAMILY'S FINANCIAL(FUTURE) BY BUYING GOLD AND SILVER, hE WAS A PUBLISHED WRITER AND pOET, pOTTER, INLINE SKATER, AND GOLFED IN THE 80S.  rEALLY DON'T THINK I'VE ACCOPLISHED MUCH.  pROBABLY FEEL A LITTLE TRAPPED IN THIS pORTLAND LIFE and want to travel and Live where it's warm  Would like to help kids on the bus to be better drivers using the Smith system.

Michael loved to tell stories appropriate to the occasion, many off color loved to laugh and loved to needle those he loved.  He was curious and an avid reader, Loved a good debate. cOULD SING LIKE ELVIS.

Right now I'm not sure what that accomplished.  I have edited the above freewriting for typos to make the writing understandable.  What does come out is that I have doubts about how I will be remembered and doubts about what I have accomplished in 66 years.

Tomorrow's exercise: a letter to a child.

Freewriting

Day Three:



David Trottier writes in "The Freelance Writer's Bible" that freewriting is a method of writing without restraints that allows our subconscious to push information into our consciousness.  On pages 64-65 writing about generating ideas he tells us about freewriting:

You simply remain open with no expectation.Write whatever comes into your head., no matter how off-the-wall.  Keep writing for ten minute.  Just let whatever is inside you gush out.  Do not evaluate it or correct the spelling as you go.

 So here goes.  I'm freewriting ANND THINKING ABOUT THE MOVIE i SAW WITH MY WIFE ON sATURDAY NIGHT AFTER THE oREGON sTATE F\GAME THAT WAS SUCH A BLOWOUT BY sTANFORD.  #8 04 48 TO NOTHING.  f|dOES IT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE WHAT THE SV\CORE WAS . iT WAS A LOSS NOW INORDER TO BECOME bOWL ELIGIBLE THEY MUST BEAT oREGON IN THE cIVIL wAR.  lIKE THAT'S GOING TOP HAPPEN!  cvRAIG AND cAROL O\PICKED US UP AND WE DROVE TO THE hOLLYWOODTHEATER .  i MENTIONED THAT WHERE WE PARKED WAS WHERE OUR FAmily lived when I was in 5th grade.  I went to Laurel \hurst that one year.  Our landlord lived across the street and one day dad was asked to help her move some furniture.  Under her bed were packages the size of bundles of money .  Dad didn;t look inside but he was sure bothered for the rest of his days that he didn't.  The moviw we saw was Tmara Drewe'  It concerned a writers colony in England where sic\x aetists went each seasi\=on to be in the compoany of this very successful wwriter.  He had published a series of fictional novels.  In the movie was a real looker, her real name is Gemma Aterton,  One i\of the first scenes is Gemma or Tamara climbing io\over a fence in cutoff denim shorts and s\\as she wak\=lks toward our group of writers we see that her very lovely cheeks are hanging down below the shrts.,  Coiurtbey Cox stoler my libido when she appeared in a movie driving a fork lift and saod "Watch our\\t I might Fork you,"  Then thet\re was Michele Pfieffer, who ne3ver returned my phomne calls.  Well anyone who \would matrry David arquette or not return my phome calls needs to be dropped in favor of Gemma.  Great movie, an indie, hasn;t made much at the boxoffice.

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Gad!  I can't type worth s--t!  My mind was racing while I was typing and I didn't look back to correct my spelling or punctuation or to uncap the CAPS.

I think this is a great idea and will help me with a story I was trying to write.  I was trying to imagine why my character would do the things he did.  The story is based on a real life situation.  I think if I freewrite on the subject, get out of my logical brain into my right brain, I could come up with reasons for his actions.

Tomorrow I write about "my legacy."

Do you have any stories about freewriting?  Would you share them with us?

My Safe Harbor

Day Two:

Today we are asked to think of a "safe harbor." It's an imaginary or real place; "a place where you can be completely safe and relaxed."

Retreating to your safe harbor is a mental device that will calm your thinking mind and summon your subconscious mind to bring forth insights and push them into consciousness.  The truths oof your soul and the source of your creativity are inside you; they just need a way to reveal themselves.

I believe that all ideas are like radio waves outside our body in the ether that we can tap into when we know how to manipulate the figurative radio dials.  This meditative safe harbor is where I turn the dials and focus on the solution I'm seeking.

Here's my description of my safe harbor.

I'm warm, dressed lightly with nothing on my feet to bind me. I'm tan, lying in a white, woven hammock or a webbed chaise lounge and the Sea of Cortez is in front of me.  It is a peaceful ocean, no big waves, just ripples caused by a warm breeze.  The sun is low on the horizon spreading its golden rays and the birds are chittering, gently flitting from palm to waving palm. I can smell the red bouganvilla. I close my eyes remembering the view and thank my higher power for all my blessings.  My eyes well up as I'm filled with emotion.  I slow my breathing by taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling. Again and again and relax.  I'm not sleepy.  I'm aware of everything around me, yet continue to breathe and relax with my eyes closed.  I have no expectations.  I'm just being, alive and connected to all that is alive around me.  Grateful for this moment.

Tomorrow: Freewriting!

"The Freelance Writer's Bible" By David Trottier

I am following the words of author David Trottier because he has made his living as a freelance writer and writing teacher since 1988.  He may not be aware of it, but he is now my writing mentor.

I graduated from Portland State College in 1968 in Political Science and Economics.  I have no MFA and no formal education in creative writing aside from poetry classes here in Portland from Doug Marx.  I am an avid reader and have been since sixth grade when my teacher, the late Evelyn Dickson, encouraged our class to read.  Every time we read a book and completed a book report we received a gold star.  Most had enough gold stars to stretch about 12 inches along the classroom .  Robert Schuyler and I had gold stars that stretched from one corner of the classroom to the next corner.  We were always reading something.

I started blogging in 2004 with Mover Mike and added Landfair Furniture (Blog) in March, 2005.  The furniture blog was one of the first in the country to use blogging as an inexpensive marketing tool.  One day I received a call from Susan Dickenson, Retail Editor, Home Accents Today.  She wanted to know if I would like to write a blog for the online magazine.  Home Accents Today agreed to pay me $500 a month plus a share of the ad revenues if I would write a minimum of 12 posts a month.  So began The Landfair Retail Focus in July, 2007.  That blog was oriented to retailers of accessories and home accents written from a retailer's perspective.  I started with zero traffic and by the time the blog was cancelled in March, 2010, I was getting 10,000 and 12,000 visitors a month.

I miss the $500 to $600 a month.  

Trottier writes, "You are a writer if you write."  I love writing. I am constantly amazed at the magic that is picked up by my brain and flows through my fingertips onto the printed page. Now to be a successful writer, to supplement my income, Trottier asks how much time I'm willing to commit to write for the next 30 days.  I am willing to commit five hours a day, seven days a week to writing.

Then  Trottier writes, "The firstborn child of discipline is persistence. ...Persistence is more important than talent."  I believe I have proven persistence by being a prolific blogger.for over six years.

Tomorrow we discuss the "Safe Harbor."

Mike Landfair
The Freelance Writer
Follow me on Facebook at: facebook.com/mike.landfair.
Follow me on Twitter, too! https://twitter.com/#!/Movermike

My Journey Begins

Day One:

So begins my journey to become a freelance writer.  My bible is The Freelance Writer's Bible and I will begin with the first chapter and follow the suggestions seeking an income of $40,000 per year that can be earned from anywhere in the world I choose.  Hopefully, in a warm sunny climate south of the border where I can write from the edge of pool.

Mike Landfair
The Freelance Writer
Follow me on Facebook at: facebook.com/mike.landfair.
Follow me on Twitter, too! https://twitter.com/#!/Movermike