Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.
~ Rumi

Why “Don’t Fence Me In”

I have adopted the motto, “Don’t Fence Me In,” to remind myself to take risks, to do what is in my heart, and to expand my world when old habits take over. It is also to remind myself NOT to build fences in my own life that constrict creativity and transformation.  And, I want to be aware of the fences other people build that influence my life.

I have written a special blog post about the name of my site, Why “Don’t Fence Me In.” Take a look and enjoy the music and video links I included for your enjoyment.

What I Post on my Blog

The Writer’s Life (@Writers_Life and #Writers_Life) is my regular series that looks at the life of writers from a personal angle; our challenges, our quests, and what drives us to create.

I draw from my psychotherapy background and my own writing life, to write posts to inspire us to unleash our creativity. I will wave my magic wand to…

~Amaze you with explorations into the mysteries of the creative process,

~Inspire you with ways to animate your inner muses, or at least throw a lasso around ‘em when they try to run away, and,

~Excite you to embrace the wild, wacky, scary, bizarre, frustrating, blissful, ecstatic experience of being a writer, as I try to do the same.

I created a hashtag group on Twitter, #writerlbsOff, which is a community of writers connecting for the first four months of the year. This is a wonderfully supportive group of writers who are committed to meeting their New Year’s Resolutions for improved health and higher creativity. I posted every Friday in the first four months of 2010 as a place for the community to meet (We may just try it again next year).

Fiction & Poetry. I also post some of my writing on this blog including fiction, poetry, memoir, creative inspiration, and anything else that I think might be of interest. I’m a genre fence-jumper; I like humor, romance, suspense, horror (but not too scary), slice of life (love family drama), historical (1930s-60s intrigues me), spiritual (Buddhist influences) and memoirs.

Found here are fictional stories and poems about…

Personal angst, disintegration, evolution & creativity

Family drama, trauma,  joy & connection

Cultural clash, communion, expose’

Spirituality, awakening, inner experiencing

And, sometimes just fun or things that scare us

Go Confidently in the Direction of Your Dreams!
~Henry David Thoreau

Current Projects

Tyler Corner is an historical novel about the lives of two women who were cousins growing up on Iowa farms in the 1920s – 1930s. It is based on the experiences & artifacts from my own family. I am currently researching this novel to begin writing during NaNoWriMo 2010.

I am creating ebooks and courses for writers, and anyone who wants more creativity and transformation in their lives through writing. The courses are based on Narrative and Poetry Therapy & Humor.

Frostbite: A Mafia Family Christmas is my first fictional series. It is followed by a sequel series titled Twisted Family Bonds. It is a dark humor soap opera about the Kaszinovs, a Russian Mafia  Family.

R-Evolutionary Nights is a novel of romance and suspense set in Prague, Budapest and Wisconsin.  Alex and Jack are in love, but must escape the influences of the Russian mafia that has infiltrated Jack’s family. I began this novel during the 2009 NaNoWriMo. And, I won.

RedFlame DeepWater is a collection of spiritual poems about the agony and ecstasy of the spiritual journey. RedFlame describes the experience of the Dark Night of the Soul.  I will continue the collection in 2010 with DeepWater, illuminating ecstatic spiritual experiences.

War in Resolution Galaxy is a humorous science fiction series about the war between the homeostasis (STASIS) Republic and Evolution (EVOLVE) Empire designed to entertain the #writerlbsOff group I created on Twitter as we work on our New Year Resolutions during the first four months of 2010.

About Anne Tyler Lord

I am a forty-something living in Minnesota, a wife of 24 years, a mother of nine-year-old boy/girl twins.  I go to soccer games and own a mini-van, but fit no cliche.  Inside lives an Integral, Bohemian, Poetic soul. I am a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) and an INFP (Myers-Briggs). I’m one of those sensitive, self-revealing, introspective, life-embracing, rebellious Type 4 – Individualist, for all the Enneagram fans.  In other words, I have a rebellious, albeit sensitive & spiritual inner child wrapped in a Midwestern Mama package. I am all those types and no type at all.

My Writing Life

I write under the pseudonym, Anne Tyler Lord. Tyler is my mother’s maiden name (from England) and Lord is a surname originating from my father’s family living on the Isle of Man in the 1700-1800s.  My family moved to the United States a few generations ago and became Iowa farmers.  Changing my name signifies a time of radical departure in my life both spiritually and creatively.

I am compelled to write to explore the inner reaches of my soul, discover the collective energies we all share, and to seek a transformation in my life that I can’t get any other way.  I have recently committed to writing fiction and poetry.  I find great joy in the creation of new places and characters.  Actually, when writing fiction, I feel a collaboration when discovering my characters and listening to their stories.

My Personal & Professional Life

I have spent the last several years at home with my twins. We have had a wonderful time with homeschool, but they have now entered school.  I am resuming my professional career as a family therapist in private practice very soon. I plan to work part time and continue to develop my writing career. I live with fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivities and episodes of chronic fatigue, so I hope to create more work from home, as time goes by. Even with my physical limitations, I have created a life full of passion, joy and seeking.

It will come as no surprise to know my favorite mode of therapy is using Narrative Therapy.  I listen to the stories of people’s lives and together we re-author the ones that aren’t working for them.  It is a form of therapy that works through strengths. I love the way Narrative Therapy instills hope, confidence and resilience in myself and my clients. I also love to do Play Therapy with children (and adults love it too).  It is such a joy to listen and watch children communicate their stories in their own language. Poetry Therapy is also a strong interest of mine. It is much more than just poetry, it involves all types of writing designed to transform lives.

Buddhism

I’m a real geek when it comes to eastern spirituality, philosophy, practice and meditation.  I swim in both Zen and Tibetan Buddhist contemplative practices. I love to follow Buddhist’s who are taking their spirituality into interesting cultural avenues and those who are really intense, independent ‘thinkers’ in addition to being committed practitioners. One of my favs is Stuart Davis, an amazing musician, singer and actor.  Listening to one of his songs, you can go from shock, to awe, to inspiration in under four minutes.  Check out his TV show called Sex, God & Rock and Roll (illicit warning!). And, I love the Buddhist Geeks. They have an amazing podcast that always features great interviews and a magazine that publishes thought-provoking content. The Elephant Journal is another source I visit regularly for great articles that are culturally relevant.

Want to follow me?

Follow @AnneTylerLord on Twitter. I love Twitter and it keeps me connected to an amazing group of writers, Buddhists, artists and creative folks!

Follow @Writers_Life I have a Twitter account devoted to providing information about how to enhance our creativity and aspects of our Writer’s Life.

Anne Tyler Lord is on Facebook. I post announcements from my blog and personal life stuff.

View my YouTube channel You can see my first video poetry called, Suspended in Thin Air. I hope to do more in the future.

View my photos on Flickr I don’t have many photos on yet, more to come.

Every time you don’t follow your inner guidance, you feel a loss of energy, loss of power, a sense of spiritual deadness.
~Shakti Gawain

One Last Thing