There is something magical about walking in an autumn wood, and recently, I discovered there is a name for what I have been doing. They call it forest bathing, forest therapy, or Shinrin-Yoku in Japanese. It doesn’t involve actual “bathing” it is more about “taking in the forest.” They say forest bathing has multiple benefits, including reducing stress, elevating mood, lowering blood pressure, and increasing feelings of connection. Apparently, some doctors are writing prescriptions to take walks, and there are groups meeting for guided hikes.

I don’t know if any of those reports are true. But strolling among trees, inhaling the aromas of an herb garden, noticing developing rose hips, I feel the day’s pressures fade away. My focus extends beyond the range of my screen, and I breathe deeper. My steps lighten, and soon, I find I am kicking leaves and smiling like a fool. The best thing about trecking through the woods is when I get home, the muse finds my fingers and the words flow.

How do you inspire your muse?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

While I didn’t grow up in San Antonio, I spent most Friday nights at high school football games. Tucked into my jacket, I kept a paperback handy for the boring parts. Our team was not very good because I recall starting and finishing plenty of volumes while they competed.

Kerouac and Wilde weren’t on my list, but I remember many stories as being bleacher reads. They evoke the aroma of fall leaves and bonfires. Touring my bookcase, I pulled titles with an indelible link to the gridiron. To Kill a Mockingbird, Animal Farm, The Great Gatsby, Death of a Salesman, 1984, The Catcher in the Rye, Of Mice and Men, Heart of Darkness, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, remind me of homecoming games and referee whistles. A few stories create a visceral reaction, including the Lord of the Flies, Frankenstein, and Macbeth which I read around Halloween. Who needs scary movies when you have diabolical books?

Then there is my all-time favorite, Fahrenheit 451. Besides being assigned reading, the teacher treated us to the 1966 film adaptation. They remade the movie last year, and I have yet to see it. I enjoyed the old François Truffaut movie and loved the final scene with the book people reciting their memorized novels. Somehow, I don’t want to disturb the poignant ending.

Do certain books, conjure the place and time when you first met them?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I love poetry. There is nothing I enjoy more than reading a sonnet aloud, preferably while walking around the house. Some words are whisperers begging for a voice, while others emanate from the depths of our souls. I stand in awe of the poet’s skill to evoke a symphony of emotions. I can’t write anything worthy of inflecting on my worst enemy. The rigorous structures of syntax, couplets, and quatrains stifle my ability to compose.

However, I find the constraints of flash fiction a challenge which begs me to step up to the plate. Telling a satisfying story with a beginning, middle, and end, while adhering to a strict word count of 100, 250 or 500 words requires some tricks. Selecting words which capable of doing double duty help convey a uniform message through the piece. Do you want to amaze, alarm, or surprise your audience? Precise word choice can establish or ruin the mood. While the final sentence is technically the story’s completion, it should also encourage the reader to consider implications beyond the writing.

At first, Marge’s comparison of poetry to flash fiction intrigued me, but as I analyzed the two, similarities emerged. Prose poetry often has either technical or literary qualities of a poem. But defining differences with flash fiction are less clear and the forms seem to intertwine. Perhaps, I allow my favorite poets to influence my writing and creating within stringent limits hones my craft further. It is great practice for my novels.

Do you prefer long or short-form writing?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer