I started keeping a journal around the age of 12. I used to lay in bed at night and write in my journal almost every evening before I went to bed. I filled notebook, after notebook, after notebook. I kept up with this practice for almost 10 years until my (now ex-) husband decided to read my journal, wasn’t happy with something I wrote, and then proceeded to burn my journal and forbid me from writing anything anymore. Needless to say, it was not a happy marriage. Continue reading “Why not evening pages?”
Tag: Writers Resources
The writing process: A reflection
Today marks the first day of the last week of the fall semester. I just finished grading a huge stack of essay booklets from my written communications course and will be grading research papers next weekend. I also just submitted my final poem of the semester for the course I’m taking on writing poetry for children and young adults. And now, it’s time to write my final reflection paper of the semester. The topic for this paper is the writing process.
So, what have I learned about my writing process? For one thing, I can now boil it all down to a few simple steps: Continue reading “The writing process: A reflection”
Writing to Right the World at Mount Mary College
Last night was the second installment of the Fall 2011 Writers on Writing series at Mount Mary College. I so love these writer’s discussions. It is a privilege to hear published, award-winning authors read their work and have the opportunity to meet with them in person. Not to mention the fact that there is always food (but someone forgot the lemon bars this time. *tear*)
Last night’s author panel, entitled, “Writers Writing to Right Their World,” included:
- Laura Schaefer, author of Man with Farm Seeks Woman with Tractor (Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2005), The Teashop Girls (Simon & Schuster 2008) and The Secret Ingredient (2011).
- Tom Mathews, Mount Mary College graduate writing program alum, grant writer for COA Youth & Family Centers and, freelance feature writer for Milwaukee Magazine.
- Christopher Mohar (Mojar? I’ve seen it spelled both ways on several different websites,) recipient of a Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellowship, The Southwest Review‘s McGinnis-Ritchie Award for Fiction, and the Council for Wisconsin Writers’ Sternig Short Fiction Award. Christopher also teaches creative writing for UW-Madison‘s Division of Continuing Studies.
Christopher Mohar is such an inspiring speaker, I can not wait to find the piece he read and share it with my written communications students. Continue reading “Writing to Right the World at Mount Mary College”
The writer’s life on Poetry Friday
9:47 a.m.
This is this writer’s life today on this beautiful Poetry Friday:
- Kids dressed and fed and off to wherever it is they need to be today: Check
- Morning walk and shower: Check
- Breakfast and coffee: Check
- E-mail reviewed and inbox somewhat emptied: Check
- Facebook caught up on for the moment: Check (BTW, go check out my Facebook Fan Page and like me.)
- Morning pages written: Check
It’s already almost 10:00. So much yet To-D0:
- Write a poem for my poetry class and get it done quick enough to share on Poetry Friday, hosted today by Random Noodling, thus killing two birds with one stone.
- Write and post this blog post, which will not be complete until I have that poem ready to add. Continue reading “The writer’s life on Poetry Friday”
Writers on Writing at Mount Mary College
Last night began the Fall 2011 Writers Series sponsored by the English department at Mount Mary College. I had the pleasure of joining many of my classmates for this event in Mount Mary’s beautiful Stiemke Hall. Milwaukee Magazine editor, Bruce Murphy, spoke at length about his own freelancing experiences in the Milwaukee area. Murphy, who was instrumental in breaking the Milwaukee County pension scandal a few years ago, shared some interesting insider stories, along with tips for working as a freelance writer in the area.
In his discussion (and in his online bio,) Murphy refers to himself as a “fiscally conservative liberal contrarian.” I took this to mean that he likes to play the devil’s advocate, a favorite role of my own, so I enjoyed the talk. And, who can complain about the free food Continue reading “Writers on Writing at Mount Mary College”
Poetry Friday: “Rules for the Dance”
This week’s KidLitoSphere’s Poetry Friday Round-up is brought to you by Jama’s Alphabet Soup.
11:37 a.m.
Friday rolls around once more, and once more, I am attempting to participate in KitLitoSphere’s Poetry Round-up. If only I had a poem ready to share this week. But alas, I have yet to look at my homework for my kids and YA poetry class. I did just check out my syllabus, and it looks like I need to read pages 87-99 in Mary Oliver‘s Rules for the Dance: A Handbook for Writing and Reading Metrical Verse. So, I think I’ll talk about this for now instead of trying to pop out an off-the-cuff poem that will likely just fizzle and flop.
In addition to Rules of the Dance, we are also reading Mary Oliver’s A Poetry Handbook. Each week, we must read a selection from one or both of these books, and then write a poem based on the reading. For example, last week I had to write a metered poem (didn’t go so well, in case you’re wondering.) This week’s reading will require even more metrical verse, and this is why I’m not in a hurry to try to pop out my poem for the week. This is going to take some time and thought. Continue reading “Poetry Friday: “Rules for the Dance””
How do you spell that sound?
Is it hot out this week, or what? I wrote another poem for my poetry class and was thinking I’d have to hang on to it for a few months since it has a summery feel to it. But with this weather, I’m thinking, “Why not share it now?”
I got the idea for this poem one morning while out on my morning walk. Our reading for the week, from Mary Oliver‘s A Poetry Handbook, was focused on sound. So, I was trying to decide how to start writing a sound poem.
While mulling this over, I began to think about the challenge of spelling out sounds without using the same old boring cliches. You know, “Boom!” “POW!” “THWACK!” That kind of thing.
Hiding from the Creeps
This semester, I’ve been taking a course on writing poetry for children and young adults. I’ve never really thought of myself as much of a poet, but I thought it would be good to push myself out of my comfort zone and give it a shot.
As it turns out, I’ve learned quite a bit about language and words that will probably help me in my other writing. I would recommend at least one poetry class for every aspiring author, poet or non.
And as long as I have to write a poem every week, I thought it might be fun to share my poems with you. So here’s a Halloween poem for you, inspired by my childhood fear of catching a glimpse of my own reflection in the window at night: Continue reading “Hiding from the Creeps”
Farewell September
It’s October 1, September is done. We took a nice little walk downtown this morning… Probably one of the last nice weather days we’ll have this fall before we’re buried in snow.
To commemorate the passing of time, here’s a little poem I wrote recently for the poetry class I’m taking this semester:
September Walk
Chipmunks chatter
on their branch above,
teenagers gossiping
of homework and love.
Silver bullet slash
of a passing car,
dry leaves skittering,
scattering far. Continue reading “Farewell September”
Write on the World 