Lean, Mean, Writing Machine

Just for fun you have got to do this Writers Diet Test.  You paste in a snip of your work and it tells you if you're lean,  trim and fit, needs toning, flabby, or heart attack territory.  Plus it breaks it down into verbs, nouns, prepositions, adjectives etc.  Not only is it fun it really helps show you a few weaknesses.  I was mostly lean or fit and trim.  I had a couple things that got into the needs toning section but overall my writing is healthier than I am. 

So hows your writing diet?  

Save it for Later

Do you have a file or a folder where you put your bits and pieces of writing to save for later?  Amazing first lines you thought of, a character sketch, an emotion you want to explore? A lot of times I put something in there and forget about it.  I suspect most of them will never get written because if it isn’t shouting down the roof it gets moved to the back of the queue.  The loudest idea gets written right?   

Every now and again I read through my file.  It’s always a surprise.  Some things I don’t remember.  At all.  I would suspect someone else put them in but most people know not to mess with my writing.  Some things I wonder why I bothered saving.  Some things I get excited about all over again.  The only consistent thing is that it’s interesting.  Like an outside view of how my mind works.  

 Not that I want to know how my mind works.  It’s kinda scary. 

That Time of Year

We're getting into my favorite time of year--school supply time!  With schools in the area starting in just a couple weeks every store I enter is filled with isles of pencils, glue, markers, staplers and notebooks.  Even though my kids aren't in school I wander up and down each isle.  I bought each of them a notebook of their own.  Truck Boy carried his through the whole store.  Pretty Girl sat on her perch in the shopping cart and looked through the whole thing page by page.  On each page she would point and say "ABCs, ABCs"  no matter how many times I tried to explain that there were no ABCs, and that we had to put the ABCs in.  I think if I can teach them to love school supplies and libraries I will have been a good mother.*

Even though most of my writing is done on the computer now my favorite are still notebooks.  Followed closely by finding the perfect pen, black and thick and liquid. What I love most about notebooks are the possibilities.  It's empty and expectant.  It can't fill itself.  It's up to you.  The good, the bad, they ugly--you put it in. It will hold your failures and your successes.  But it's waiting just for you. 

What's your favorite school supply and why?







*I do know I need to teach them a few more things to really be a good mother but it's a start.

DL Hammons is hosting a write club.  Be sure to hop over here to find the rules and guidelines for this friendly competition. Not to mention the amazing panel that will judge the winner. It sounds pretty exciting, I hope to see your name on the sign up list. 

Over here is an article about how to make sure your blog or website is one people will return to.

And here is an post by Jody Hedlund titled:  There is No Elevator to Success. You Have to Take the Stairs. It's a very good post, one that can bolster your spirits if you're a little discouraged. 

Writing from Life

Life is the inspiration of all stories correct?  I often hear writers telling each other that, and to step out and enjoy life so we’ll be ready to write.   How close to your life does your writing get though?  Do you write about the people you overhear at the grocery store?  Neighbors? Friends? Your kids, hubby, parents?  Yourself? 

I know that once you start writing the characters take on their own personality, and are no longer the person from which you developed your idea.  But how close to your own life are you willing to go?  I know I often write out my emotions.  It helps me calm down and deal with things I don’t want to face.  But most of those won’t make it into a story.  Sometimes they do.  But usually I take an emotion that bubbles up and write about that emotion rather than the situation I’m in.   While my stories are neither me nor my life they do have aspects of me and my life in them.  In some ways everything we write is us, our lives, our hearts, because we live it all while we write it.  Yet how often are we writing of things we’ve lived or experienced?

Where do you draw the line between life’s inspirations and your personal life?  Is there anywhere you won’t go? And no I don’t want to hear your personal stories, there’s a reason you won’t write them.  I’m just wondering if people  have found a line they won’t cross and how you knew you shouldn’t go there. 

So Long and Thanks for all the Fish

No this post doesn't actually have anything to do with the title.  I was just thinking of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.  Anyone seen the movie?  



We've got some great family time planned this week so I'll see you all next monday!

Until then I'll be pondering this.  Why are pants plural?  Think about it: trousers, knickers, breeches, leggings.  All plural.  There are two legs, but they're all in one piece of clothing, yet we still say "a PAIR of PANTS" I get why glasses are plural. They have two separate lenses.  And we don't call them a pair. Is there some obscure, half forgotten, grammatical excuse anyone knows about? 

Hope you all have a great week!

To Dad

Tomorrow is my father’s birthday.  What can I say about my dad?  He’s amazing, he’s awesome, he’s the best dad ever. He’s always the one who does what needs to be done quietly then slips back into his seat.  He’d dedicated his life to serving others.  Even when it’s made his life harder and he had to put aside personal goals. 

He’s tough.  He worked on a ranch growing up and is still strong.  Even though he’s in his mid 60s he can lift an 80lb sandbag and throw it OVER a fence onto the bank of the creek to help prevent erosion during run off.  I’m not sure I could do that. 

He’s the hardest worker I’ve ever seen.  We really like to work on our family.  He’s taught me everything I know about dedication, organization and work, even though I don’t accomplish near as much as he does. I hope someday I can be half as amazing as he is.

Happy birthday, Dad.  Thanks for your example and your light.