Here's a rough draft of a poem I'm working on.
Blessed is the nation
That sends its boys to war
Who sacrifice their childhood
And often so much more
For unto peace and safety
That nation can then aspire
While their little soldier boys
Battle through the fire
And if a soldier boy should die
On a battlefield far away
As a blessed nation
Let’s bow our heads and pray
And honor those who serve
And fight to bring us peace
Let our gratitude be eternal
And our respect never decrease
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The lost art of letter writing
I was bored the other night and was flipping through the channels on the TV when I came across a program on PBS. It was a documentary about Dolly Madison where actors were hired to speak parts of the letters she and others wrote about her life interspersed with commentary from historians. Now normally this isn't a program I would be drawn to but I couldn't change the channel. I wanted to know more. It took me an hour or so before I realized WHY I was fascinated by this program.
It was the letters.
The way people wrote letters back then is totally different than the way we write letters today (or should I say emails and/or text messages). They did use a lot of big words where more simpler words would do but there was such an evocative air about those words that made them more direct and intimate than the "short" words we normally use today (which seems to run counter-intuitive to writing advice).
I went to bed thinking about the "history" of letter writing and communication. It seems as time has moved on our communication and choice of words gets shorter and shorter. If anyone in today's world used the kind of language Dolly Madison did in her time we would think that person is a loon, snobbish and "out of touch", among other things.
It also seems that changing our language from multi-syllable words to monosyllabic isn't enough. Now we cut out letters in words altogether. Like: "plz 2 met ya" and "WTF?" and "LOL" and "BTW" etc. What does that say about our ability to communicate and level of civilization? Will we get to the point where verbal/written words are no longer necessary? Will we revert back to grunts and gestures?
As a writer (or a writer-in-progress [which sounds better than writer-wannabe]) I lamented the decline of the richness of language. Yes, the language of colonial America was stuffy and roundabout. But the language of today makes me feel like people are throwing pins when they talk. Sharp and direct. And a more shatter shot approach to see "what sticks".
Back when it took weeks, or maybe months for a letter to get from one place to another it seems you had to think of the words you said (and the delay of decoding the message). Today we fire off an email/text in anger because we can immediately send another one to excuse ourself and explain our intentions. A letter written in anger in Colonial times could take months to be explained and apologized for.
Like I said, I lament the lost art of letter writing and feel guilty at the same time that I am not writing letters of my own to keep the tradition(?) alive. Who would I write to that wouldn't say "why didn't you just send me an email or test message?". I wrote letters to my Grandma when I was a little girl that, when she died, I got back. I didn't know she had kept them and I didn't remember writing them. But I was thrilled to relive the life of my past self, especially when memories of forgotten moments came to life on those faded pages. Those letters didn't have the eloquence of Dolly Madison's letters, but they had the history. A permanent recorded of a era in time. Can you get the same things from "c u 2nite"?
It was the letters.
The way people wrote letters back then is totally different than the way we write letters today (or should I say emails and/or text messages). They did use a lot of big words where more simpler words would do but there was such an evocative air about those words that made them more direct and intimate than the "short" words we normally use today (which seems to run counter-intuitive to writing advice).
I went to bed thinking about the "history" of letter writing and communication. It seems as time has moved on our communication and choice of words gets shorter and shorter. If anyone in today's world used the kind of language Dolly Madison did in her time we would think that person is a loon, snobbish and "out of touch", among other things.
It also seems that changing our language from multi-syllable words to monosyllabic isn't enough. Now we cut out letters in words altogether. Like: "plz 2 met ya" and "WTF?" and "LOL" and "BTW" etc. What does that say about our ability to communicate and level of civilization? Will we get to the point where verbal/written words are no longer necessary? Will we revert back to grunts and gestures?
As a writer (or a writer-in-progress [which sounds better than writer-wannabe]) I lamented the decline of the richness of language. Yes, the language of colonial America was stuffy and roundabout. But the language of today makes me feel like people are throwing pins when they talk. Sharp and direct. And a more shatter shot approach to see "what sticks".
Back when it took weeks, or maybe months for a letter to get from one place to another it seems you had to think of the words you said (and the delay of decoding the message). Today we fire off an email/text in anger because we can immediately send another one to excuse ourself and explain our intentions. A letter written in anger in Colonial times could take months to be explained and apologized for.
Like I said, I lament the lost art of letter writing and feel guilty at the same time that I am not writing letters of my own to keep the tradition(?) alive. Who would I write to that wouldn't say "why didn't you just send me an email or test message?". I wrote letters to my Grandma when I was a little girl that, when she died, I got back. I didn't know she had kept them and I didn't remember writing them. But I was thrilled to relive the life of my past self, especially when memories of forgotten moments came to life on those faded pages. Those letters didn't have the eloquence of Dolly Madison's letters, but they had the history. A permanent recorded of a era in time. Can you get the same things from "c u 2nite"?
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Ooops!
Yeah, I'm really doing well on my resolution. I've written a total of ZERO words. Oh, well. There's just been too much stuff going on and not enough energy or time in the day to get to everything. At least I've been keeping up my gaming blog, but that's not the same. And it's not the writing I would prefer to do. Maybe next month.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
2008 Writing New Year Resolutions
So last week I finally decided on a writing New Year Resolution. I'm going to write a poem and short story per month based on challenges from WordTrip.com. I've already written a poem this month so that just leaves a short story . . . and 5 days to do it in.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
How to write a novel in 100 days or less
A friend of mine found this link How to write a novel in 100 days or less and I think the idea is very interesting . . . and tempting. I'm debating whether to try this out.
Of course it helps if you have a novel you're considering writing. So far I've given up on all the novels I've attempted. Even the ones that are still just ideas. You see I'm always thinking "that's not going to be novel length when you're done". Or "that idea has been done too many times before". Or the worst one of all "no one will care about this story besides you". That one's a whopper.
So I think I'll just shift into "Idea Generator" and see if there's something brewing on the back burners I forgot about. Or I'll just have to go out into the world and see if anything new sparks something in my mush of a brain.
Or, on the other hand I just might not do it.
That's me for ya. I get a lot of ideas but have trouble putting them into practice. Ideas I can come up with. Finished stories? Not so much. And with this tempting plan placed before me I also wonder if I should.
Why tackle a novel when I haven't mastered the short story yet? I know the two are not exactly the same when it comes to structure and such, but if I find it difficult to create a well rounded short story why torture myself with writing a novel? But then again I might be one of those writers who struggle with the short story but are really good at writing novels. If I don't write one how will I know? I guess there's only one way to find out.
Of course it helps if you have a novel you're considering writing. So far I've given up on all the novels I've attempted. Even the ones that are still just ideas. You see I'm always thinking "that's not going to be novel length when you're done". Or "that idea has been done too many times before". Or the worst one of all "no one will care about this story besides you". That one's a whopper.
So I think I'll just shift into "Idea Generator" and see if there's something brewing on the back burners I forgot about. Or I'll just have to go out into the world and see if anything new sparks something in my mush of a brain.
Or, on the other hand I just might not do it.
That's me for ya. I get a lot of ideas but have trouble putting them into practice. Ideas I can come up with. Finished stories? Not so much. And with this tempting plan placed before me I also wonder if I should.
Why tackle a novel when I haven't mastered the short story yet? I know the two are not exactly the same when it comes to structure and such, but if I find it difficult to create a well rounded short story why torture myself with writing a novel? But then again I might be one of those writers who struggle with the short story but are really good at writing novels. If I don't write one how will I know? I guess there's only one way to find out.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Is the short fiction market in trouble?
Is the short fiction market in trouble? That's the question posed in the article. SF Signal asked that of authors and printed their take on the matter. Some of them I agree with and some oe them just seem to be out there. What do you think?
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
On the verge of greatness
No I'm not saying I just signed a six figure deal for my first book. Although that would be great. I'm talking about that feeling you get that you need to sit down and write right now. You know that if you do it's not only going to be good whatever you write is going to be great.
But before you do you decide to get yourself something to drink. You wouldn't want to interrupt the brilliant flow of words by a parched mouth. But by the time you pull a glass out, pull the milk out, fill the glass and put the milk away you get the feeling that something is missing and your writing just won't be right until you figure that out. But what could be missing? You stare at the glass of milk and then it dawns on you. What goes the best with cold milk? Oreos. After rummaging around in either the cookie jar or the pantry you finally find the Oreos and head off towards your writing space.
But once you get there you realize you don't want cookie crumbs falling into the keyboard so that when you want to type girl all you can type is gi l. So you pack everything back up and go sit at the kitchen table. You sip your milk, dunk your Oreos and you think.
You think about what you're going to do with your characters or the plot or the setting. But you also start to think about how you're going to do that pile of laundry in the corner while trying to cut your electric bill down. You don't want to think about the laundry, you want to think about the story you're about to write. But you have to think about the laundry because you don't think going into work tomorrow half naked is going to compile with the dress code. Once you tell yourself that you'll get up and start a load of laundry before you write to avoid any disciplinary actions at work you start thinking about the bathroom sink that is still slow to drain even though you've used a whole bottle of Plumper on it. Or the fact that you haven't done your taxes yet and you wonder if you're going to get anything back and what you'll spend it on.
Next thing you know you either out of milk or Oreos and you've got a whole list of things you need to do. Do you do everything now or do you sit down to write? When you think about it you realize the moment has past. Everything you would have written if you had put your put in the chair when you first got that feeling would have been good. Anything you write now is going to be terrible. Your hearts not in it because your mind is working on other things. You were on the verge of greatness but now it's past.
I don't know how to get past this other than not fixing a glass of milk before I write. But if it's not the milk and Oreos it'll be something else. Like laundry or taxes. Something small that you think you can do before you sit down to write and yet still have that feeling that's telling you to write right now. And sometimes that feeling comes when you can't do anything about it. Like at work. Or driving.
I know a writer should be able to write in any circumstance or condition and not just when the urge to write comes on. And I'm trying to do that. But it's hard. Especially when you feel the universe aligns into perfect writing conditions and don't want to be unprepared when your throat gets dry. It's a good intention to grab a glass of milk. It just doesn't always have the best results in the end. So if you ever find yourself on the verge of greatness just sit down and write. You'll be so caught up in the flow of writing you probably won't even notice your throat is dry unless you try answer the phone. But you wouldn't do that now, would you?
But before you do you decide to get yourself something to drink. You wouldn't want to interrupt the brilliant flow of words by a parched mouth. But by the time you pull a glass out, pull the milk out, fill the glass and put the milk away you get the feeling that something is missing and your writing just won't be right until you figure that out. But what could be missing? You stare at the glass of milk and then it dawns on you. What goes the best with cold milk? Oreos. After rummaging around in either the cookie jar or the pantry you finally find the Oreos and head off towards your writing space.
But once you get there you realize you don't want cookie crumbs falling into the keyboard so that when you want to type girl all you can type is gi l. So you pack everything back up and go sit at the kitchen table. You sip your milk, dunk your Oreos and you think.
You think about what you're going to do with your characters or the plot or the setting. But you also start to think about how you're going to do that pile of laundry in the corner while trying to cut your electric bill down. You don't want to think about the laundry, you want to think about the story you're about to write. But you have to think about the laundry because you don't think going into work tomorrow half naked is going to compile with the dress code. Once you tell yourself that you'll get up and start a load of laundry before you write to avoid any disciplinary actions at work you start thinking about the bathroom sink that is still slow to drain even though you've used a whole bottle of Plumper on it. Or the fact that you haven't done your taxes yet and you wonder if you're going to get anything back and what you'll spend it on.
Next thing you know you either out of milk or Oreos and you've got a whole list of things you need to do. Do you do everything now or do you sit down to write? When you think about it you realize the moment has past. Everything you would have written if you had put your put in the chair when you first got that feeling would have been good. Anything you write now is going to be terrible. Your hearts not in it because your mind is working on other things. You were on the verge of greatness but now it's past.
I don't know how to get past this other than not fixing a glass of milk before I write. But if it's not the milk and Oreos it'll be something else. Like laundry or taxes. Something small that you think you can do before you sit down to write and yet still have that feeling that's telling you to write right now. And sometimes that feeling comes when you can't do anything about it. Like at work. Or driving.
I know a writer should be able to write in any circumstance or condition and not just when the urge to write comes on. And I'm trying to do that. But it's hard. Especially when you feel the universe aligns into perfect writing conditions and don't want to be unprepared when your throat gets dry. It's a good intention to grab a glass of milk. It just doesn't always have the best results in the end. So if you ever find yourself on the verge of greatness just sit down and write. You'll be so caught up in the flow of writing you probably won't even notice your throat is dry unless you try answer the phone. But you wouldn't do that now, would you?
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