Ask the Author: Lea Page
Answered Questions (6)
Lea Page
The central foundation of Parenting in the Here and Nowhere is a practice, or philosophy, that I call "Ho Hum." This idea grew out of my experience, observation and reflection.
But the idea of putting it all together into a book was not mine at all. A wise friend of mine suggested it and kept suggesting it until the possibility gathered enough momentum.
But the idea of putting it all together into a book was not mine at all. A wise friend of mine suggested it and kept suggesting it until the possibility gathered enough momentum.
Lea Page
I am inspired by questions.
Parenting in the Here and Now was born out of my work and involvement with other parents who were seeking answers to the simple and complex conundrums and challenges that parents face. The book is a continuation of those conversations and my reflections on them.
At their cores, both memoirs have had deep, driving, haunting questions that I had to answer in order to sleep, in order to understand the meaning and purpose of events, dynamics and experiences.
My essays often begin by retelling a little story-- something that just happened or something that happened long ago but somehow has jumped into the present and presence of my thoughts. And as I write, my thoughts make connections, ones that I wasn't aware of before.
I write to know. I write to understand. I write to learn. I write to answer-- although that never really happens because I end up with way more questions than I do answers, but I like it that way.
Parenting in the Here and Now was born out of my work and involvement with other parents who were seeking answers to the simple and complex conundrums and challenges that parents face. The book is a continuation of those conversations and my reflections on them.
At their cores, both memoirs have had deep, driving, haunting questions that I had to answer in order to sleep, in order to understand the meaning and purpose of events, dynamics and experiences.
My essays often begin by retelling a little story-- something that just happened or something that happened long ago but somehow has jumped into the present and presence of my thoughts. And as I write, my thoughts make connections, ones that I wasn't aware of before.
I write to know. I write to understand. I write to learn. I write to answer-- although that never really happens because I end up with way more questions than I do answers, but I like it that way.
Lea Page
I am working through the umpteenth--and final!--draft of my first memoir (working title: Something About You: Bullying and Belonging on the High Plains of Montana). And I am nearly done with the first draft of a second memoir, this one taking place largely in rural Greece, where as a teenager, I went on an epic horse-drawn cart trip and unwittingly broke an ancient covenant (working title: Remaining A Stranger).
Lea Page
In my parenting book, Parenting in the Here and Now, I talk about fear because it is lurking behind so many of our struggles. I write that fear says to parents, “You are not enough,” but what fear means is, “This matters. You are the one. Have courage.”
Many aspiring writers don’t write or stop writing because of fear, which is also known as the “inner critic.” Fear says, “This is no good. You are no good. Nobody wants to hear your story,” but it means, “This matters. You are the one. Have courage.”
So you have to learn to live with fear, and carry on in its presence. And one of the best ways to do that is to find a writing support group so that you have people to encourage you. Note the "courage" in encourage. We all need that. Even if you want to hole up and write all on your own. It helps to have someone who asks how the writing is going, and who is genuinely interested in your answer.
Many aspiring writers don’t write or stop writing because of fear, which is also known as the “inner critic.” Fear says, “This is no good. You are no good. Nobody wants to hear your story,” but it means, “This matters. You are the one. Have courage.”
So you have to learn to live with fear, and carry on in its presence. And one of the best ways to do that is to find a writing support group so that you have people to encourage you. Note the "courage" in encourage. We all need that. Even if you want to hole up and write all on your own. It helps to have someone who asks how the writing is going, and who is genuinely interested in your answer.
Lea Page
getting to know other readers and writers!
Lea Page
I tend to work in blocks-- perhaps that is left over from our home schooling days. When I am writing, I give myself a daily word quota. I set it as low as I need to go so that I can meet it every day. My highest has been 500. My lowest so far is 150. On good days, I exceed the quota, sometimes wildly, but on bad days, I claw my way through and call it good. And every once in a while, I just get tired of it all and so I stop for a while and do something else: read, knit, etc. Whenever I finish a draft, I am always convinced that I will never write anything ever again. I am not one of those people with a million stories crowding my head, waiting to be told. I only know what I have to say after I have written it. So for me, I have to maintain a practice of sitting down to write. I have done it enough now that I know this. And because I do sit down regularly, something always comes. So far, anyway. :D
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