Nathalie's Notes

Mining gems

 

For years I’ve been working on getting the right title for Ani and Izzy’s story. This morning, as I’m mining my journals—in Volume 49—I found a chunk of notes for the book and this little gem: “…This should be called ‘Coming Clean.’”

In one way or another those two words describe every major and minor character’s journey. I can’t express how thrilled I am to know I’ve finally, finally nailed it.

(Past working titles included: Pants on Fire, Breaking Branches, Truth be Told, The Secrets we Keep).

Finding that felt like when I discover the sunglasses I tore my house up looking for were on my head the whole time.

I’ve been putting off this mining project for years and finally must do it to make forward progress on finishing this book and developing my journaling curriculum. More on both of those soon, no really- I’ll be back soon. I’ve had plenty to say lately but been sick (AGAIN?!) as well as very “mentally jumbled.”

Soon, I promise!

Meanwhile … here’s another random gem I found in this journal that describes a bit of what’s happening in this story (and, you know … life):

Life is not an after school special where interventions always work, friends and family come around and every apology is forgiven, amends neatly made, the past tidily in its place.

Real life, real addiction, real recovery, real people are messy.

People get hurt and bad things happen.

But people also heal and Grace happens.

If we let it.

And what ought to be universally known but (we each must learn alone) is that self help, healing, finding, and allowing Grace is up to each of us individually.

And even if someone you love doesn’t arrive at the same time as you, it doesn’t have to hold you back.

Yes, everyone winces when you turn the light on in a dark room, but you have a right—a responsibility—to shine your light and to not shrink from its brilliance.

Reporter’s Notebook

- This is from a few scraps of paper I found tucked in one of my journals from shortly after I started working as a reporter covering the North Coast of Tillamook County. I don’t understand all of it, I’m sure I thought I’d remember the cryptic notes to self forever, but no. I truly loved being a reporter and even though I don’t have deadlines every day, I still ask too many questions, eavesdrop over the din of two toddlers and take notes as often as I can. The goal, for me, continues to be to understand others, and in doing so, myself.

 

Keeping Secrets

Being in the position of choosing what readers need to know from reading my story – until just now I didn’t get that I should read what I write from the reader’s perspective instead of the people who might clip the article.

I believe I’m a good reporter. I care about what it means – I want to be among the best – It’s fun to meet a community this way. In my third month at the Headlight-Herald things are coming full circle – it is tough to remember not to participate. I am curious to know the real work habits of other successful reporters. Successful meaning they enjoy their work most of the time and have healthy contacts – a big exercise in boundaries. In many ways the staff works independently but we are impacted by what each of us do. Integrity is the key, more so than even accuracy because the obvious attachment to accuracy is assumed. Integrity in reporters isn’t as rare as the public image machine declares – but it is essential to my understanding of success as a journalist.

K. gets the award for media mute. And I’m trying not to take it personally- because it isn’t. He didn’t return phone calls before I wrote a single story about Wheeler. It’s strange to be putting myself out there and it feels like the right path for me right now. They suggested it might which is different than saying it would.

It’s also interesting and tough to understand and just ride out the reality that one morning you’ll be thinkin’ you forgot how to write – the next you’re writing one tight lead after another – catching the beat of your own voice – and dancin’.

Thursday – 4 p.m. – check out house?

“I remember leaving the till open at closing – might as well not have the insurance company buy a new cash register too.”

You never know when a big story’s going to break, but you don’t have to be hunched over the scanner waiting for it. So often, they come to you. 

Life in progress

Growing up I wanted to be like Jane Polly, and later Oprah. I mean I really, really wanted to be a news anchor and have my own talk show. I keep waiting for the day that dream seems silly and dies … but instead it gets stronger and more vivid.

I talked myself out of pursuing that goal professionally for two reasons 1) I knew I’d have to get up super early. Pre-kids I considered 8 a.m. to be waking up very early and dropped classes scheduled before 9 as a matter of course. And 2) I learned that I wouldn’t be able to write my own material and that was more important to me. Now I’m not sure that was even true!

Flash forward … As I’ve mentioned, I’m working my way through a “rough patch” and am identifying areas of personal responsibility and how much I truly am in control of my own happiness.

That’s why I love Becky Higgins’ motto: “Cultivate a good life and record it.”

First because it is absolutely our right (and responsibility) to cultivate our own good and secondly, documenting life as we live it is something I am most passionate about.

Because my next goal is to teach journaling classes and because I still dream of having my own talk show … welcome to my homegrown version of Nathalie’s Notes Live!

 

p.s. Mom, I’ll clean up in here and tour the studio very soon. Dad, I know the quality sort of stinks and will keep learning! (Mam tam “Rec”!”)

 

 

~ Write as you go, learn as you live.

Tagline? Input?

Write as you go … learn as you live.

I just came up with that as I was closing my website entry for the day http://blog.nathaliesnotes.com/

your thoughts?

I need a tagline and they are trickier than you’d think ..

So, what's your story?

One of my professional goals this year was to get another magazine publication credit under my belt, and I did it in the final month of the year when Metro Parent published my article: "What's Your Story?"

The backstory: I sent a copy of my Baby on Board column to the editor asking if she'd consider running it as a reprint. I think this is a good story of pursuing your passion instead of focusing on the money first. It wasn't that I thought running a reprint would be lucrative. It was that I loved the message in that particular column and wanted to share it with as many people as possible: Your stories matter - share them.

She sent me back a kind, thanks but we don't publish personal essays. I thanked her for considering it and asked her to keep in mind for future assignments. And moved on to the next thing.

Months later I received an email from this editor wondering if I'd be willing to re-work the article, keeping the spirit of it while turning it into a feature article about local parents preserving their family histories in unique ways. I said, "Nah." Just kidding. I did the dance of joy and got right on it.

Earlier this year I worked on clarifying my writing platform with the help of Christina Katz' book "Get Known Before the Book Deal." This assignment was ideal. I love seeing things coming together with some hard work, putting myself (and my dreams) out there and, of course, patience.

If you're interested in reading it and can't get it through the link above, let me know and I'll gladly post the clip.

Also, let me know if any of you are even the least bit curious about the Project 365/Project Life idea. I'd love to know if anyone else is inspired to try something like that. Or even think about trying it?

The Journal Project - Work in Progress

Most of you already know I'm kind of a nerd ... just more proud of it at 34 than I was in middle school. I started writing about The Journal Project on my writing site Nathalie's Notes. Click over if you're interested. As of late it seems like I'm doing more starting than completing but I can live with having a few works in progress since that seems to be the way of life anyway, right? For the record, I'd like my gravestone to read: Work in progress.

I decided to just begin after reading an article by my favorite author in April's Sunset. Time Lost and Foundby Anne Lamott.

What would you like to "find" more time for?