Tag: writing

creativity

Wonder: Write one word at a time

Christa Avampato

“There’s only one way to write a book: one word at a time.” ~R. Edward Freeman

It took me two years to write my book, Where the Light Enters. Books have a long life, in their creation and, hopefully, in the hearts and minds of readers. Two years can feel like a long time to work on one single project. Even at my most frustrated times, I was determined to push through and finish. During that process, I often thought about my professor, mentor, and friend, Ed Freeman, the author of many books that have influenced how I see the world and my role in it, as a writer and as a business person. In every moment, all I had to do was write the next word. That mantra helped me keep going.

You might be in the middle of a project now. Maybe you’ve been working on it for a long time. Maybe you feel like you’re spinning in circle, going nowhere fast. These are the times that require more attention, not less. These are times when we must double down, not run away. I know it’s tempting to chase the next new thing. I know the exhilaration born of a new start and a blank page. Don’t quit now. Don’t throw in the towel. Resist the urge to run. Sit. Breathe. And see what happens. Let your drive to tell a story as honestly and clearly as possible be greater than your fear of falling short. Just take it one word as a time.

creativity

Wonder: Check out my Lit to Lens podcast interview about my YA novel, Where the Light Enters

Christa Avampato

So excited to share this podcast episode that I did with the Lit to Lens podcast team about my book, Where the Light Enters.

“Podcast Season 1, Episode 4 – SPECIAL EDITION: Interview with author Christa Avampato”

Hello there LTLiens,

This post is a bit late, but exciting nonetheless. In case you aren’t up to date, about a month ago we interviewed the author Christa Avampato about her debut novel Where the Light Enters.

The novel is about a young teenage girl, who goes by the name Emerson Page, living in New York city on a mission to find out who killed her mother. The young adult genre novel covers everything from magical libraries, the power of manipulating light, to the struggles of growing up without a mother.

In the interview Christa covers everything from how she became such an avid writer, who inspires her, to what it’s like trying to get your first novel published and pushed out to the real world.

Take a moment to listen to Christa tell her exciting story.

Listen here, or subscribe to us on iTunes.

L2L

*We will provide updates to this post once more good news is heard…fingers crossed!

Source: Podcast Season 1, Episode 4 – SPECIAL EDITION: Interview with author Christa Avampato

creativity

Wonder: Turning a story into a piece of art

Christa Avampato

I’ve been working on a paper collage – my largest piece yet – that depicts the story of my book, Where the Light Enters. I spent yesterday immersed in tiny bits of colorful paper while binge watching This Is Us. Sometimes the best thing we can do for our writing is to make it visual for ourselves and for the world to see. Now when I’m busily writing, editing, and revising Emerson’s story, this collage will be there pushing me forward.

screen-shot-2016-11-27-at-10-33-25-am

creativity

Wonder: And there is the first crack in the economy post-election, right at my doorstep

Christa Avampato

The first economic casualty of this election found me yesterday. My favorite staff member in my apartment building told me that my landlord is outsourcing the staffing of the building in preparation for a recession that they think will hit in the coming months. The staff is being offered the chance to interview for the outsourced company, though there is no guarantee of a job and even if they do get a job, their pay will be cut and their housing subsidy will be taken away.

“Even if I get the job, they’re going to cut my pay by $3.50/hour,” he said to me. “And that’s going to hurt a lot. My last day could be November 30th if I don’t get this job. I was wondering if you could do me a favor, Christa. Would you write a recommendation letter for me that I could bring to the interview?”

My eyes teared up. This man has been a good friend to me, and really makes my building feel like home. He’s professional, kind, and caring. He loves his job and the people who live in my building. I’d pay double my rent to help him and the rest of the staff who do such a wonderful job helping all of us. I was prepared to take out my checkbook right there, and instead what he asked for was a letter. $3.50/hour is a lot to him; it makes the difference between being able to pay his bills and not being able to pay his bills. Let that sink in. He lives in D.C., a very expensive city, and makes less than $35,000/year before taxes, and that could drop to $27,000/year. That’s what he’s fighting for. That’s what he’d be grateful to get. This is the working poor. Right. Next. Door.

The President-elect, ensconced in his 3-story, 24K gold penthouse on Fifth Avenue, doesn’t care a lick about people like my friend. But you know what? I care. I can do something, and I will. I wrote my heart out in that reference letter for my friend. I’ll be writing a lot of letters in the coming days, weeks, and months. I’m not going to standby and watch our economy and our country go to hell in a hand-basket at the hands of an inexperienced madman and his cabinet of ignorants. Deplorable? Yes. Unstoppable? No.

creativity

Wonder: NaNoWriMo starts today

Christa Avampato

National Novel Writing Month starts today! I did this two years ago and it helped me write the first draft of my book, Where the Light Enters, in 30 days. This year, I’m adding further refinements to that book, and working on the outline for the 2nd book in the series. Excited for this next 30 days of writing, creativity, and connecting with other D.C.-based writers through meetups and write-ins.

creativity

Wonder: Recording an episode about YA literature with the Lit to Lens podcast

Christa Avampato

I’m so excited to head to Georgetown today to record an episode about YA literature with the Lit to Lens podcast team. I’ll be talking about my book, Where the Light Enters, my creative process for writing fiction, and why I think YA literature is such an important genre for all readers and writers. When the episode goes live, I’ll be sure to let you know!

creativity

Wonder: Taking action to get more kids into and through college at 826DC

Christa Avampato

Last night, I volunteered at 826DC to help teens with their college essays. It turned out that the essays were the least of their issues. The student I was helping turned to me at one point and said, “I’m so overwhelmed. I know I need to do this and I don’t know what I’m doing and I don’t have anyone to help me.” She’s the first person in her family to go to college, she doesn’t have a guidance counselor who cares, and she feels a lot of pressure from her family to make this happen.

This interaction brought back all those feelings for me. I was incredibly fortunate to have a guidance counselor, Mr. Weary, who did so much to help me. I knew he was in my corner and he was rooting for me every step of the way. (When I didn’t get into Princeton, my first choice school, he called their admissions office and gave them a piece of his mind. That’s how invested he was!) He was a gift and I knew it.

Not everyone has a Mr. Weary so in that moment at 826DC, I decided that I needed to play that role for this student. We each took a deep breath, and we went through the online application step by step. It wasn’t difficult to explain the parts of the application; this student just needed someone, anyone, to be in this with her.

Then we got to the financial section and she got really nervous. She doesn’t want to take loans. To her, debt is a frightening prospect. And I get that, too. I started working at 14 to help my family, and then I put myself through college and grad school thanks to financial aid of every conceivable kind and a lot of part-time jobs in college. I know debt is scary though when it comes to college, it seems to be a part o every solution in which parents aren’t paying outright for college. I don’t know if I convinced her to reconsider this idea, but at least I could offer myself as an example of someone who was in her shoes and worked hard to get into and through school.

As I walked home, I thought about what I could do to help more students and parents, particularly ones who feel overwhelmed by all of it. And then I got myself caught in the train of thought that senior year is too late. Student need to have their eyes on the prize of college in late middle school and early high school. They need to learn about how to get in, how to stay in, how to graduate, and how to pay for all of it while keeping themselves healthy and sane during an insanely stressful time in their lives. Education, writing, yoga and meditation, finance, technology, and healthcare. I have all that professional experience, and I’ve been where those students are. And I know what it’s like to climb the mountain and then enjoy the view you never even dreamed was possible.

If you have ideas of how I could do more for students like the one I helped at 826DC, I’d love to hear them.

creativity

Wonder: Writing my second book about Emerson Page

Christa Avampato

“We read to know we’re not alone.” ~C.S. Lewis

This is also the reason I write. A few days ago I mentioned that I was in a bit of a writing funk and now I know why. With my book, Where the Light Enters, I created a whole cast of characters set in a whole new world. Now that I’ve finished the first manuscript, I really missed them the way I miss people I love when I don’t see them as often as I’d like. It’s strange to think that we can invent something that gives us that kind of emotion, but we can. I guess it is a great blessing and curse of our imaginations.

And so today I started sketching out ideas for Miss Emerson Page and the enormous task she takes on at the end of the first book. I don’t know where she’s heading yet, how she’ll get there, or who she’ll meet, but I do know this—it’s wonderful to see her again.

creativity

Wonder: My writing totems

Christa Avampato

I was in a little bit of a funk with my writing. I am working on a big freelance project right now and I just couldn’t get in the right frame of mind. These are times when writing totems are especially handy. A writing totem is an item (or in my case several items) that inspire me and get me in a writer-like state of mind. Here’s my list:

  • Coffee – I believe all good things come from a little kick-start.
  • 2 inch picture frame – I keep this in my writing area and it reminds me that I only have to write one word at a time. All big projects are completed by completing a series of small pieces
  • Robin Williams remains my favorite actor of all-time. I love this quote by him – “You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.”
  • Funny, poignant pictures – I love this one of a goldfish wearing a shark fin and a kitten looking in the mirror and seeing a lion.
  • Dark chocolate – See the same reasoning for coffee.
  • Phineas – Everyone needs a writing buddy.
  • Joan of Arc quote – “I am not afraid. I was born for this.” Writing is a battle.
  • Picture of the fan that was charred during my apartment fire – it reminds me that life is short and we must use our time wisely to do something good with our lives.
  • Here’s to the Crazy Ones commercial by Apple – To be a writer, you’ve got to be a little crazy.

What are your writing totems?

creativity

Wonder: Finding your way forward thanks to Edward Albee

Christa Avampato

“Sometimes it’s necessary to go a long distance out-of-the-way in order to come back a short distance correctly.” ~Edward Albee

Yesterday when I learned about the playwright Edward Albee’s passing, this is the first quote of his that came to my mind. Maybe you feel like you’ve taken a step back on some area of your life. Maybe you’re frustrated because you don’t think you’re making the progress you’d like to make. I understand. I’ve been there so many times. And I can tell you this: life often takes us the long way around because it has something to teach us that we can only learn by taking a journey. The only way I’ve found to survive this without losing my mind is to make every effort to learn as much as I can wherever I am. That perspective has made all the difference for me, and I hope it will for you, too. And Mr. Albee, thank you for teaching all of us about finding our path, boldly, bravely, and honestly.