CREATIVE LEARNING STUDIO

Happy New Year Writers! 2010 Twittter or Blog or???

2010-01-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

So are you going to call this the year twenty ten or two thousand and ten? This is the big debate for the new year. It doesn't matter much to me. This new year is off to a breaktaking start with an orange pink sunset on the beach near where I live. A lot of people were out on the sand snapping pics of the new year display. God granted me a lovely start for this year.

My husband and I just returned from a trip to Colorado---brrr! I've seen enough snow to last me for a long time. We did get a white and very cold Christmas which was fun for a change. We are spoiled by 70 degrees most of the year here in sunny California. I haven't written much for months, but need to get back to it. I am trying to decide whether to Twitter or Blog or ??? What is your experience with Twitter, Blogging? I am on facebook a lot but it is probably a waste of my time, except for catching up with my grown kids and exchanging pics. I snapped this New Year's Day from my cell phone....

Btw--where do you spellcheck this blog? Thanks and Happy New Year

The Johns Hopkins News-Letter

2009-11-05T16:48:00.000-08:00

The Johns Hopkins News-Letter

How cool is this? John Hopkins is getting into herbs.

Live a Little: Break Some Rules

2009-09-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

Break Some Rules? Go Ahead: Live A Little!

I'm a person who likes to follow the rules and have most of my life but, sometimes you can't and shouldn’t follow the rules. Once in a while, you just need to loosen up and get creative! You know, creative license? Like this, see I just broke a rule about sentence fragments, but it worked. Poets are notorious rule breakers. I mean, remember EE Cummings? Come on---EE you rule breaker you! Follow your muse today and let your mind wander aimlessly on the page. Break a grammar rule or two.

Writing Exercise

Try to write without the self-editing in your head; turn off the rule enforcer, and let your creativity out of the cage. Several years ago I tried this experiment for six weeks: to write without stopping, without editing for thirty minutes every day. I was not allowed to stop and change anything or go back. I had to keep going and move across the page. At first it was more difficult than I thought it would be, but eventually my hand would relax and my mind would go into the writing zone. Wonderful poems emerged from those free writes; it was a wonderful time. Try it and let me know how it goes.

Am I a Meteor Blazing Across the Sky?

2009-09-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

Jack London quote

"...stifled by dry rot.."

Ashes or Dust?

“I would rather be ashes than dust. I would rather that my spark should burn into a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent plant. The proper function of man (and woman) is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”

Meteor or Speck?

Am I a meteor or a tiny speck of light? I would have to say a tiny light at the moment. Do I merely exist or do I make each day count?

I Shall Use My Time Wisely

I know I don't use my time wisely and have wasted too many days lately. Again I shall rise to the task of a daily blog. It has been years since I have written on a daily basis. So I shall see if I can do it now. I am a little rusty so bear with me. It's shameful to waste one glorious day that God has granted me. Recently right before a friend died she said she had so much more she wanted to accomplish. It made me think and be ashamed how much time I have wasted on unimportant tasks or meaningless dribble. I commission myself to do more, achieve more, and appreciate more every moment.

Why Do You Write?

2009-05-30T23:52:00.000-07:00

Why I Write

Because I scribble on napkins, ticket stubs, and any other scrap of paper I can find, I write. Because I love the sound of delicious words licking at my ears, I write. Everything, everywhere inspires me to write: nature, God, rain soaked petals, a moment I must freeze into my memory. I write because I must.

Why do you write?

NPR Community for News and Info

2009-05-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

NPR Community Home Page : NPR

My Writing Workshop: Use Prepositions, sensory detail to jazz up writing

2006-02-21T15:22:00.000-08:00

My Writing Workshop: Use Prepositions, sensory detail to jazz up writing

Use Prepositions, Sensory Detail to Jazz it Up

2006-01-07T12:37:00.000-08:00

Keywords:

Prepositions, creativity, question words, writers block, writing tips, poetry, prose, sensory description

Keywords!

I have started a new practice in my writing. I add keywords, a short description, and take a word count. This helps me focus more narrowly on what the message or theme of the piece is, and keeps me more on track. What was I trying to say; can I put it in a few words? An additional benefit is when someone requests a piece, you are ready to submit. It is spell-checked, counted, with a keyword list, and short description.

Sensory Stimulators

Do you need a fun and easy way to stimulate more sensory description in your writing? Are you stuck with writer’s block? Unstick yourself with good ol’ prepositions and question words that you learned in seventh grade English class.

Underneath the Waterfall

You are standing in the midst of a rushing waterfall with your arms open, surrounded by prepositions and sensory descriptors. Remember the preposition and questions words your English teacher told you were so important? Well, they still are. Use them when constructing a poem to bring out rich sensory description.

Water Words

I have a picture of a woman standing under a waterfall, reaching up to catch the mist. As an exercise in a writing workshop I attended, we were instructed to label a waterfall photo with "water words." We began with prepositions-under the waterfall, beneath it, around, through....it was fun. It is a great exercise for sensory description.

Label the Photo with Prepositions

Start with a beautiful photograph of a place you have visited. Label the photo with prepositions. Remember those position words like around, through, and underneath? You can search online by putting in the words, preposition list to stimulate a list to draw from.

Okay, you have labeled the prepositions, now add those question words: who, what, why, when, where, and how? Let’s say the picture is of a waterfall and you are standing in the buff in the photo. Where are you standing? In the midst of the waterfall, behind it, in front of it; are you running through it? Think position. Begin to add sensory descriptions. How do you feel about the experience? What does the water do, and how does it do it?

What Does Water Do?

Create a list of things that water does. It trickles, gurgles, seeps, swallows, evaporates, glistens, wets, and expands; the list is endless. How does it trickle, gurgle and seep? Does it trickle on your face; does it mist you with tenderness or pound you with fury. What is the emotion of it? Think touch and feel.

Use the Senses

What do you hear, see, feel, touch, taste and smell? How does your waterfall flow? With droplets plopping on your face, or like a rushing river over your stomach and past your navel? Does it bubble and splash with joy or roar like a river? Does it lap or trickles and tickle? .Where does it flow? Between your toes, over your breast, beneath the water, or trickle between your toes?

Who, What, Why, Where, When, How?

Why are you standing in the waterfall; what led you to this glorious place? Who are you? What is the season, the weather, the environment around the waterfall? When did this occur in time and place? Using questions words, along with a few prepositions is a good way to arouse the senses to jumpstart your creativity in writing poetry or prose.

Links for Writers

2005-12-28T18:56:00.000-08:00

Where Am I on the Web? Links for Writers

Santa Barbara Writers
http://www.sbwriters.com/resources_directory.php

Constant Content: Buy and Sell Articles
www.constant-content.com/?aref=3309

Poets on the Web (J.P. Brown)
www.poetrykit.org/whoswho/whob.htm

Facebook

Twitter
http://twitter.com/teach1write

South Coast Writing Project
http://education.ucsb.edu/scwrip/