by Mia T. StarrOn one of my visits home to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2001, I asked my seventy-two-year-old father to write a journal about his life and days in Viet Nam. I said to him in English and part Vietnamese: "Write whatever comes to mind. Don't worry about time and having things in order. Write from the heart. Write in Vietnamese. Don't worry about the language, or the form. I will figure it out later." My father did not ask questions or why. He simply nodded and said, "Okay." Two years later my father gave me his seventy-five page, handwritten journal and said, "My memory is good ... sometimes too good that it can be bad. My writing is not so good. It can be better." I thanked my father for giving me what will become the voice and inspiration to MORNING SUN, a historical fiction set in Viet Nam from 1944 to 1975—a time beset by famine, sacrifices, doubts, and two wars. It is a story about an ordinary Vietnamese boy's survival, courage, and hope. * Join us each Monday in May and June 2012 for more moments from Mia's journey into writing, including the sharing of a new scene and reading from MORNING SUN. Thank you for being here. * No matter how dark the morning, the sun always rises. -Mia T. Starr
THE BEAUTIFUL PAINTING, Self Portrait of a Bear (featured in the photo above), sits in my home and reminds me I'm on the right path. It was a gift and sage painted by the talented, lovely Jade Webber. It arrived on one of those days when doubts were creeping into my writing, halting my progress with questions. The familiar critic was sounding off, deafening in my ears: Sure, you can write a few good scenes, but it's another matter to be able to write a good story and hold a reader's interest to the end. You already failed twice with MORNING SUN. You know that, right? Two completed drafts, and now you're attempting a third. Can you be taken seriously when you're a woman writing in the voice of a boy, son, soldier, and father? Even with your dad's journal and inspiring life to guide you, do you really believe you can save the story you're trying to write? Save yourself from more failures and put away this work of fiction. The Bear—so regal, wise, and calm—had something different to say. On the other side of him was a note from Jade, bringing me back to a place of trust: Think of this bear as a sage or a guide who will provide wise council at need.On that day I placed the Bear on my desk and in front of the computer screen. His presence, embodying the spirit of a sage and friend, encouraged me to write and not worry about getting each sentence in a perfect state. Keep writing. Keep going. For a long time my fingers remained frozen on the keyboard, my eyes staring at the messy page on the screen. The critic, retreating, was still there. The Bear, a steady force, pushed back the doubts with inner calm and strength. My fingers started to move across the keyboard, deleting the unnecessary scenes, connecting letters, forming words. A sentence appeared, then another. This time I did not judge what I had written. I looked up at the Bear and felt the presence of Jade, family, friends, followers, and readers. I listened to their council and kept going, kept writing. Each day I answered the critic. Word by word. I wrote. -Mia * A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily and VirtualDavis Daily Digest. May 2012. * * For readers interested in purchasing a limited print edition of Self Portrait of a Bear by Jade Webber, follow us here to Etsy. For more paintings from Jade, join us here at Art to Save Trees. Also visit Jade and her husband, Stephen Lloyd Webber, at their Wellness Immersion Retreats in Italy, Bali and the Caribbean, bringing together creative writers, painters, yoga practitioners, and those interested in sustainability, nature and self-development. These wonderful retreats give you time, space, and structure to work creatively. *
The sun is rising.
The ocean is speaking.
The moon is dreaming.
* THE MOMENTS BEHIND THE PHOTOS ABOVE (sun, ocean, moon, and wind from top to bottom)—Mia at the Shadowcliff in Grand Lake, Colorado for the 13th Annual Lighthouse Writers Retreat in 2010. She steps out to meet the sun. * Stephen Lloyd Webber (Mia's fantastic writing teacher at the Writing Immersion Retreat in Tuscany in 2011 and 2012) shares a breathtaking photo of the ocean near Heaven Hill in Big Sur, California, where he and his wife, Jade Webber, are building a private sanctuary for writers and artists. * At night walking with the moon, dreaming and imagining. * Mia remembers the moment from September 2009. She is on the mountains of Boreas Pass in Colorado, holding a prayer arrow. The wind is whispering. Mia closes her eyes and makes her wishes, trusting all will come to be. ** JOIN US EACH MONDAY IN MAY AND JUNE 2012 for more moments from Mia's journey into writing, leading to the sharing of a new scene and reading from her historical fiction in progress, MORNING SUN. It is Mia's intention to complete her revisions to her manuscript by the end of this year, bringing to you a novel set in Viet Nam and inspired by her father's seventy-five page, handwritten journal. The story takes place from 1944 to 1975—a time beset by famine, sacrifices, doubts, and two wars. MORNING SUN is a story about an ordinary Vietnamese boy's survival, courage, and hope. Subscribe and be part of the journey. ** A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily and The Becoming Daily. May 2012. *
ACROSS THE SEAS a daughter, Mia T. Starr, returns to the village of Mong Phu, her father's birthplace in Viet Nam. The true story you read below takes you back to that day, a journey that is now woven into Mia's MORNING SUN, a historical fiction about an ordinary Vietnamese boy who must survive a time beset by famine, sacrifices, doubts, and two wars, if he is to honor his father's last wish and save their family. A FAMILY PASSAGE MONG PHU, VIET NAM by Mia T. Starr In February 2001 our Vietnamese driver and translator, Tuan, said in English, "We are almost there." I was quiet, sitting in the back seat of the car and looking out the window at the peaceful countryside. A foreign landscape of tranquil rice paddies, farmers at work, mountains, and rivers rich with history unfolded before me. My friend, Tom, who had hired the translator and made the trip possible, turned around in the front seat. He said, "Are you okay?" I gave him a smile for reassurance. I said, "Yes." "I'm happy we're here," Tom said and leaned back to give me space. He didn't want to be in the way of my journey home. The car moved forward. The rocks beneath the wheels crumbled, and I thought about my father walking barefoot on this same dirt road sixty-three years ago. That was 1936. He was six years old and in search of work, food, and wood to keep his family alive. [read more to continue the story] __A NOTE ABOUT THE WRITER: Mia T. Starr was born in Vietnam and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her writing credits include published poems, an Honorable Mention for ASPIRING AUTHOR in the New York Stories 2005 Short Fiction Contest, and a Finalist placing for CLOUDS in the 2006 Glimmer Train Fiction Open Contest. Mia is currently working on completing revisions to her historical fiction, MORNING SUN. A NOTE ABOUT THE PHOTOS: Each was taken from Mia's trip to Vietnam on that day in 2001 when she returned to the village of Mong Phu, her father's birthplace. For more photographs and the story behind them, continue here. JOURNEY INTO WRITING: Read about Mia's writing moments through her blog posts at Four Days A Week. She shares excerpts from her works in progress, sharing her experiences as she moves toward her dreams of publishing MORNING SUN and other works in multiple formats. Popular posts include:
ON A SUMMER DAY IN TUSCANY I stepped away from my writing desk inside the villa at Spannocchia. I took a stroll with Casey, one of the participants at the writing immersion retreat, toward the large green gate and into the Secret Garden. Six months ago in a magical place. I sat on one of the stone seats at a table constructed from a tree trunk and rock. Nearby was a keyhole pond and winding paths lined with cypresses. I thought I had entered the world of The Hobbits. Here where the sun and shades danced in a tango with the trees, the birds sang with the frogs, and the soft wind kissed you with a whisper full of wonderful things to come. I looked out into the garden and smiled. Casey snapped a picture (shown above). In that moment, looking forward and thinking about my novel undergoing major revisions, my MORNING SUN, I embraced my fears past my failures and said, "Hello again, my dreams." -Mia _✶A top story in The Becoming Daily and The InterPlay Daily. January 2012. ✶
THIS IS YOUR LIFE. Do what you love, and do it often. If you don't like something, change it. If you don't like your job, quit. If you don't have enough time, stop watching TV. If you are looking for the love of your life, STOP. They will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love. Stop over analyzing. All emotions are beautiful. When you eat, appreciate life is simple. Every last bite. Open your mind, arms, and heart to new things and people. We are united in our differences. Ask the next person you see what their passion is. And share your inspiring dream with them. Travel often. Getting lost will help you find yourself. SOME OPPORTUNITIES ONLY COME ONCE, SEIZE THEM. Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them. So go out and start creating. LIFE IS SHORT. LIVE YOUR DREAM. AND SHARE YOUR PASSION.
✶ This is your life-- MANIFESTO IMAGES & VIDEO provided and written by Dave, Mike, and Fabian of Holstee ~ lifestyle design with a conscience. ✶ ✶ We danced in the delight of inspiration all around and held a raffle ~ giveaway from November 21, 2011 to December 27, 2011. From out of 764 entries, Pam Cooney was randomly selected as the winner. ✶ Pam (@pams_art), a follower of Four Days A Week on Twitter, will receive a print of Rachel Awe's drawing, along with a surprise gift from Mia: a set of Holstee Greeting Cards. ✶✶ In an extended moment of joy, a second winner, Patty, was randomly selected from the readers who posted a comment In The Circle Of Joy. Patty wrote: That is lovely. Light and joy is what I hope will fill my heart!!✶ Patty will receive two mugs (one of them shown below) with the inscription: At our fingertips. An unexpected Place. ✶ Winners (Pam and Patty) will be notified via direct message and tweets on Twitter or by email. ✶ ✶ Thanks so much everyone for sharing your joy and inspiration with us.Thank you for making this small corner of the World Wide Web a special one. ✶ ✶ Here's to doing what we love, and doing it often. We hope you'll join us in the comments section and share your inspiring dreams. Many have said (and we believe it to be true) that in sharing and writing down our dreams, we increase our chances of making them come true. It's also a wonderful way to start the New Year. ✶ :-) _ _✶A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily and virtualDavis Daily Digest. January 2012. ✶
Thank you, Steve Jobs, for your boundless vision and inspiration. Your spirit lives on. ƒ๏ℓℓ๏ωing our ❤ and intuitionƒ๏ℓℓ๏ωing my dreams with Morning Sun -Mia- Don't lose faith.
Connect the dots.
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... Trust that it will all work out. One of the best decisions I ever made. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.
Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something—your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
Find what you love.
Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.Stay hungry. Stay foolish.
Above: Excerpts from Steve Jobs' Stanford commencement speech in 2005 (and as featured above in the video). Photos by Mia, capturing moments from her writing journey, following her dreams. Steve Jobs1955-2011 A Sister's Eulogy for Steve Jobsby novelist Mona Simpsondelivered on October 16, 2011 Steve's final words:OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW. iPHONE PHOTOS ABOVE: Life, vision, dreams, and gratitude. Remembering Steve. Apple. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL. October 7, 2011.
✶ A top story in The Becoming Daily. November 2011. ✶
IT WAS ALMOST TIME TO GO. Michelle, Rachel, and I packed our weekend bags and placed them in the hallway of the hotel Palazzo Rosa. We had a couple of hours in Venice before catching the train to rejoin our writing group in Spannocchia. With little time to take in the last morning of our stay, we returned to a few favorite spots, bending around corners in twists and turns. We said hello and goodbye to the wonderful Venetians we met at the Ristorante Al Vagon, took more pictures, shook hands, and expressed our gratitude for last night's splendid dinner and service. We visited the juice bar, where Rachel envisioned one day of opening her own poetry cafe (naming it after one of her poems and a desire to bring together all that she loved in life). We stopped by the Silvietta, an accessories and clothing boutique, where we met Alessia with her delightful smile and couldn 't help but buy a few dresses to take home. We went to one of the gelato shops for one memorable taste of the sweet, cold cream. We strolled in and out of stores we missed the first, second, and third time around.  THIS TIME I WAS DRAWN TO AN OPEN DOOR ON MY LEFT—to the old-world interior, the leather-bound journals on the shelf, the whispers of something special inside. La Carta.
I raised my hand to Michelle and Rachel, who were steps and shops ahead of me. They hadn't realized I was wandering again. I said, pointing to the door, "I'm going inside. I'll be just a few minutes."
I ENTERED LA CARTA. The owner wearing a green smock smiled as he helped two customers with their purchases. I browsed through the tiny store filled with all kinds of treasures: a red airplane hanging from the ceilings, miniature library desks and gondolas on the shelves, a pair of scuba diving shoes in the corner, a craftsman's tools behind the cash register, photo albums and pens with the markings of having been made by hand.
I touched the shelf lined with the leather-bound journals, resting my fingers on a cover. I dared to open the book, telling myself I can admire but not buy (I had already exceeded my spending budget). I was in trouble from the very first page, falling in love with the grain, the long, leather string, and the blank pages inviting me to write inside. Imagine the stories. Imagine your ideas coming to life and within reach of your fingertips.
 Vianello Elio. "His work is beautiful," the woman said, ready to pay for her journal. She smiled at me. I agreed and surrendered to the moment, wanting to meet the man wearing the green smock, the owner, who made these treasures. I stayed, listening and learning, spending more than a few minutes with the man full of charm and passion. Rachel came inside, wondering what was keeping me. Did I get lost? Fifteen minutes passed, maybe a half hour or more. Michelle followed in, checked to see. Soon we were all at risk of missing our train. HIS NAME WAS VIANELLO ELIO, born and raised in Venice. He spoke English and told us his family had been in Italy since 950 A.D. He nodded when we raised our eyes in disbelief. He said, "It's true. Four hundred generations." Rachel wrote it down on paper, words committed and etched as proof. She took down the name of the BBC documentary, Francesco's Venice: The Dramatic History of the World's Most Beautiful City, that also featured Elio and his La Carta in an interview. I listened, wondering if something was lost in translation, stuck on the possibility (or impossibility) of four hundred generations in a man in front of me.
 Elio showing us the documentary. Elio showed us an old copy of the documentary, passion and pride in his eyes when he talked about his city, his love of designing and crafting by hand his leather-bound journals and photo albums, all things created with paper and shaped in books to hold and cherish forever.
WE LEARNED HE WAS ALSO A COLLECTOR of great arts, rare finds, and books. His face lighted up when he spoke about the special journal he won at an auction. His smile twinkled. We asked to see. He bent behind the counter and pulled out the aged-old yellow journal, showed us the handwritten, Italian notes filling the pages, passed from priest to priest through Italy.
It was a rare treasure in our hands. Enchanted, we asked him to read a few passages. He did with happiness.
I DID NOT UNDERSTAND A WORD, but I heard the joy in his voice. Then and there my heart skipped, taking a leap. It no longer mattered whether Elio came from a line of Vianellos dating back to 950 A.D., if it was 4, 40, 400, or 4,000 generations of history in the making.
 Elio's treasured journal. Standing before me was a man who loved his treasures, his books, his handmade leather journals, his store (where he also met his wife), his city, his life. It did not cost me anything to believe in him and share in his joy. It was almost time to go. We made our purchases, buying Elio's journals and photo albums bound with love and passion. I asked him if he would sign my two journals. He asked for my name. "Mia," I said. "Mia Starr." "Mia," he said and smiled. He signed my journals and drew the meaning of his name: A window, stairs made of four steps, and stars above. "It's the way to the sky, the way to the stars." "Elio," I said. " The way to the sky." -Mia
✶It was July 3, 2011 when we met Vianello Elio. For more photos and treasures from our travels in Venice, follow us here.✶
VIANELLO ELIO, the way to the sky, the way to the stars. La Carta, S. Marco, 5547/A (S. Bartolomeo), 30124 Venezia. Italy. TEL 041 52 02 325.
BOUND WITH LOVE AND PASSION. Vianello Elio's handmade leather journals inside La Carta. Venice, Italy. Following our bliss.
CHERISHING THE MOMENTS. AN IMMERSION INTO WRITING, BLISS, AND THE ARTFUL LIFE. On June 24, 2011, a Friday, I arrived at the estate of Spannocchia, seeking time and space to write my MORNING SUN in a beautiful, supportive setting. I stepped inside with a group of ten writers I had never met, stepping into the light of the Tuscan sun. I hummed with the birds singing their songs from morning to night, took flight with the orange and yellow butterflies. I drew in the scent of fresh herbs and flowers meandering in the air. I touched the sun. Danced in the delight of inspiration all around. And when we strolled through the Secret Garden, I dipped my hands into the leaves, tipped my face to the skies and said, "This is happiness." This was bliss, carrying me around the grounds of Spannocchia. Magic continued to unfold when we came together, a circle of eleven writers and two teachers from California, Canada, Dubai, Illinois, New Mexico, New York, and Oklahoma. Together in the kitchen, in the living room, in the library, on the terrace drinking, out on the lawn, and in the gardens. Something special was stirring during our two-week stay. We cooked, ate, shared our dreams (quieting our fears), read and wrote our stories and poems, played storytelling-drawing games. We laughed and cried, the sound of joy and hope deep in our souls, going beyond the rolling hills of Tuscany and into the heart of our lives. When the hour came for us to leave, we embraced one another and rose with the sun. In Tuscany. In Italy.-MiaWRITERS, ARTISTS, AND DREAMS IN TUSCANY. Summer 2011. PHOTO CREDITS: All from members of the 2011 Tuscany writing group. The Tuscan sun by fellow writer, Rachel Gellman. Click on any photo above for a full view. ✶ For more photos and moments from our time in Tuscany, follow us here. Grazie mille.✶ Click here for more information on how to apply for next year's Writing Immersion in Sustainable Tuscany, July 3 - 17, 2012. ✶✶ A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily and Discovery Tuscany. September 2011. ✶
UPDATE: See photos and other highlights from Tuscany »». An immersion into writing, bliss, and the artful life. ON THE PATH OF POSSIBILITIES. In a few days I will be on a plane to Florence and onto Tuscany. It will be my first visit to Italy and a dream come true: time and space to write in a beautiful, supportive setting. Before I go, I'd like to share with you below the Application (BIO, HOPES, AND DREAMS) that is sending me to Tuscany. Thanks so much for being part of the journey, for being an inspiration bringing out my best. Have a wonderful summer; may it be filled with many special moments and dreams coming true. Will be thinking of you. Always. -Mia P.S. I will return with a new post here on September 19, 2011 (but if you need to reach me, please feel free to contact me, or follow me on Twitter, alongside amazing people from around the world). BIO, HOPES, AND DREAMSAs submitted, along with my writing samples, for the Application to the Writing Immersion in Sustainable TuscanyNovember 11, 2010 I was born in Sai Gon, Viet Nam and fled with my family from war to America in 1975. I grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan. My writing credits include published poems, an Honorable Mention for ASPIRING AUTHOR in the New York Stories 2005 Short Fiction Contest, and a Finalist placing for CLOUDS in the 2006 Glimmer Train Fiction Open Contest. I am presently revising MORNING SUN, a historical fiction inspired by my trip to Mong Phu, Viet Nam and my father's journal. It is my goal to continue the extensive revisions of my novel at the Writing Immersion in Sustainable Tuscany. It is my hope to be with a group of dedicated writers in a place and space to share, discover, and bring clarity to our writings. It is my dream to leave the retreat farther along with my revisions to MORNING SUN, possibly even hold a completed, new draft in hand to send back out into the world. When I am not writing, reading, or at Four Days A Week, I love to travel, watch sports, take long walks, and get together with families and friends. With warmest regards,Mia ✶ On November 16, 2010, my Application was accepted. And last week here I shared an excerpt from my historical fiction in progress, MORNING SUN. ✶ ✶ A NOTE TO READERS: CLOUDS (as referenced in my Application above) originally appeared as Chapter Four in my historical fiction, MORNING SUN. At the suggestion of the great Alan Rinzler, it has since then been revised from a third-person to first-person voice, giving the narrative a chance at achieving the depth, pace, and plot it lacked in the previous drafts. THE HEART OF THE STORY REMAINS: A Vietnamese boy who must find the courage to live with hope, if he is to honor his father's wish and save his family. He grows up to be a man, taking us on a journey through family love and sacrifices, heroic deeds, and boundless hope during a tumultuous time from 1944 to 1975 in Viet Nam. No matter how dark the morning, the sun always rises. ✶✶ THANK YOU, READERS, for your comments and emails letting me know I am on the right path with my novel. The time you took to share your thoughts on my writing and MORNING SUN means the world to me. Thank you for your tweets: @thebluemuse ☼ @anitabondi ☼ @virtualDavis ☼ @ElizJohnsonSays ☼ @lindaAWI ☼ @drpoojaa ☼ @softypaws ☼ @sacredcake... ✶ Honored and touched.✶ A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily, The Play-Making Daily, and Discovery Tuscany. June 2011. ✶ TOP PHOTO by Stephen Webber: One of many paths in and around Spannocchia, the home of the Writing Immersion in Sustainable Tuscany, June 24 - July 8, 2011.
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