Tag: Writing 101

If I had more time…

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…I would actually get some writing done. 🙂

…I would even get those bookmarks designed that I need for next week.

…I would probably get my office completely organised.

…I would train myself to stop spelling things the British way.

…I would perfect my photography skills.

…I would brush up on the flute.

…I would learn to speak Spanish fluently (cuz I’ve forgotten most of what I knew).

…I would read all the books I own from cover to cover at least once (but probably more).

…I would travel.

…I would finish that degree I started thirteen years ago.

…I would take up piano.

And if I sat here thinking for long enough, I’m sure I could double the length of this list. 🙂  How about you – what would you do, if only you had the time?

(c) 2015.  All rights reserved.

A letter to my son

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Today’s Writing 101 challenge was to reinvent the letter.  The last letter I wrote was to my husband when he was away for work, so today I decided to write a letter to my son in the future.  He may not be a man yet, but he will be one day, and I hope that, on that day, he’ll read this and smile.

leiabowsDearest Bubbles,

My goodness, how quickly you’ve grown!  It can’t be possible that you’re a man now, instead of the tiny little baby I brought home from the hospital.  Surely that was only yesterday?

Oh, who am I kidding?  It was last month.  I knew I should have tied that brick to your head sooner. 🙂

When I look at you, I still see the happy little boy you used to be.  I suppose I probably always will, no matter how much taller than me you are.  I hope that someday, you’ll have a house full of happy little boys (and girls?) of your own, but first, some advice:

Writing is hard, yo

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So I saw this on Twitter, thanks to today’s Writing 101 assignment post:

And I have to say that it’s like Mr. Grossman was reading my mind when he wrote it.  Sometimes it’s really nice to know that you’re not as alone as you feel, especially when your favorite pastime is a solitary one. I’m terrible about comparing myself to other writers – for the most part, I come away from books feeling that other authors are much better/faster/more talented than I am and that I’ll never reach the heights I aspire to.

Then I read something like this, or I listen to songs like “Keep On Movin’,” and I feel a little bit better.  I just hope the feeling will fade as time goes by (and hopefully, as contracts come my way).

What about you – do you have a passion that this tweet could describe?  Tell me what you’re passionate about in the comments!

(c) 2015.  All rights reserved.

A lovely little space

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2015-05-13 11.41.03

Lunch breaks are best when spent writing. 😉

Much about the way I write has changed considerably over the years.  When I was a teenager, I often wrote with my friends (several of whom also enjoyed writing), and we wrote anytime, anywhere.  I wrote stories during free time in class, at lunch, during pickleball tournaments, and at home after school.  Often in the summers, I’d stay up half the night working on a story.  Whether with music and conversation or without, in the living room or my bedroom, my ideas flowed freely.

riss

Hot tea makes great writing fuel, especially in the winter.

In my twenties, it was much the same.  I had a small office space, but it shared room with my washer, dryer, deep freeze, and litterboxes.  With four cats and one litterbox, you can bet it wasn’t long before I needed to take a little writing break, so back to the living room I went.

My twenties actually saw the greatest upheaval

Making a difference

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Just because you can’t see how far your reach spreads doesn’t mean you make no difference.  –J.C. Rutledge

But wouldn’t it be great if we really could see how far our reach spreads?  Because I’m an overly morbid worrywart type, I often wonder about the kind of legacy I’ll leave one day.  I think I think about it so much because my mom died so young, and I’ve always assumed (don’t ask me why) that the same fate waits for me.

Happily, fate seems to have other plans in store for me, because I’m still here, creating worlds and refereeing my kids.  I’m so very grateful I have the chance to watch them grow up, and I can’t wait to see what kind of people they’ll become.

(c) 2015.  All rights reserved.

Things I Like

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2015-07-08 13.18.58It’s another list today. Why? Well, because I’ve been reading Things We Like I think it’s pretty cool. Also? I’m in the midst of revising not one, but two WIPs, and my brain is a little fried. Also also? Life is crazy right now, and a list of things I like seems like something I can manage.

Short, sweet, and to the point. At least that’s the theory.

So, without further ado, here are some things I like:

  1. Writing. I love to write stories. I love to write poems. I love to write anything and everything under the sun.
  2. Reading. I love books. I loved reading them as a kid, I love reading them now, and I love writing my own.
  3. Music. I used to spend hours playing my flute, but I haven’t practiced regularly in a very long time. I should get back to that.
  4. Photography. I come from a family of shutterbugs. When I was growing up, Grandpa didn’t look quite right unless he had a camera up to his face. My childhood was very well documented, and my children are growing up the same way.
  5. Video editing. I like making home movies out of the many video clips on my phone. It’s a fun way to spend an afternoon, and a great way to look back on things I’ve forgotten.

How about you? What things do you like?

(c) 2015. All rights reserved.

I write because…

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nostalgiaI write because…

  1. I have a story to tell.
  2. I want to discover what and how and why I think.
  3. I need an adventure.
  4. I crave an escape.
  5. I can’t not write.

What about you – why do you write?

(c) 2015.  All rights reserved.

Memory alpha

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The story of my most prized possession is a difficult one to tell because there are many things I prize quite highly.  I’ve never been able to choose a single thing I love more than all others.

As a kid, whenever someone asked what one thing would I grab if my house were burning and I was forced to flee, I always answered, “Puppy and Blankie.”  (They’re exactly what they sound like – I know, I was so creative as a kid.)

bffsPuppy was a gift from my dad and I’ve had him for longer than I can remember.  We share a telepathic connection, and he has always been there to comfort me when I needed it.  Despite his advanced age – 210 in dog years – he doesn’t look half bad.  Oh, sure, his hat is missing, and he’s had a few surgeries over the years (he’s had several nose jobs, plus open heart surgery and a spinal fusion)*, but his heart is as big as ever.  And even though he no longer goes everywhere with me…

I am enough

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MNO_OfficialPoster_HighRemember a while back when I reviewed Moms’ Night Out?  I went to see it again, this time with my mother-in-law, who’d had a very stressful day and needed a good laugh.  I’m so glad she went with me, because we don’t see each other as often as I’d like and we had a ton of fun.  We definitely need to do things like this more often.

Anyway, as we watched the movie, I got to thinking (a dangerous pastime, I know) about why I related so much to Allyson.  I mean, I’ve been there – I stayed home with Bubbles till he was two and now that I only work part-time, I’m home alone with Cricket and Thumper two or three days a week.

It’s hard!  It’s so hard.  Like Allyson, I wanted to be a mom.  Of course, I also wanted to be a world-famous author, but let’s just take this one dream at a time.  Her reasons for wanting to be a mom are never mentioned – it’s simply her dream, and she’s lucky enough to be living it.

As for me…