Monday, July 19, 2004
Blue Monday
It's Monday again. Had to face the traffic on 65 this am.
Paul is back home. We're so glad and he seems to be also.
We're all excited about going on vacation this week. Even Doug was so excited he cleaned out the car and the truck over the weekend. We are going to the Tenn Aquarium and maybe to Ruby Falls. We will spend the night in Chatanooga.
I found my Pedometer. Or rather Brandi found it. I have walked 4028 steps today. Big news huh?
The temperature isn't as hot as it was last week. Or it didn't seem so when I went out at lunch. It's probably still in the 90's or at least high 80's but, I could stand it. The airconditioner seems to be keeping up a bit better as well.
I have sent in my final LRWG assignment. I have 2 stories ready to send out. One for True Story and the other I may send to the Sun or somewhere. I also sent two articles to Happy Woman Magazine this morning. I still haven't heard back about the last two I sent. Patience Patiene! I also have 3 ideas for stories cooking in my brain. I just wish I had more time and energy to write.
They are putting the roof on the new building. My blinds are closed so I can't see. Everyone else is watching through the window in the lobby.
There was a fake lizzard behind my monitor this morning. Jim our Savage senior pastor was responsible for that one! It's in Debra's mail box now. I've been waiting all day for her to check her mail, but she hasn't. I bet she checks it at night when there is no one here!
Comments-[ comments.]
Paul is back home. We're so glad and he seems to be also.
We're all excited about going on vacation this week. Even Doug was so excited he cleaned out the car and the truck over the weekend. We are going to the Tenn Aquarium and maybe to Ruby Falls. We will spend the night in Chatanooga.
I found my Pedometer. Or rather Brandi found it. I have walked 4028 steps today. Big news huh?
The temperature isn't as hot as it was last week. Or it didn't seem so when I went out at lunch. It's probably still in the 90's or at least high 80's but, I could stand it. The airconditioner seems to be keeping up a bit better as well.
I have sent in my final LRWG assignment. I have 2 stories ready to send out. One for True Story and the other I may send to the Sun or somewhere. I also sent two articles to Happy Woman Magazine this morning. I still haven't heard back about the last two I sent. Patience Patiene! I also have 3 ideas for stories cooking in my brain. I just wish I had more time and energy to write.
They are putting the roof on the new building. My blinds are closed so I can't see. Everyone else is watching through the window in the lobby.
There was a fake lizzard behind my monitor this morning. Jim our Savage senior pastor was responsible for that one! It's in Debra's mail box now. I've been waiting all day for her to check her mail, but she hasn't. I bet she checks it at night when there is no one here!
Thursday, July 15, 2004
Vacation Time! Whoo-Hoo!
I made reservations for our vacation next week. We're going to the Tennessee Aquarium. I'm excited about vacation now! Check the link above and be sure to watch the web cam.
I went to lunch with my husband today and made him buy me the book, The Stepford Wives. I can't wait to see the movie!
Good news from the Dr. yesterday. I'm stopping the steroids! I'm so glad. Maybe I can lose these stubborn pounds now! AND My BP was definately not high.
Comments-[ comments.]
I went to lunch with my husband today and made him buy me the book, The Stepford Wives. I can't wait to see the movie!
Good news from the Dr. yesterday. I'm stopping the steroids! I'm so glad. Maybe I can lose these stubborn pounds now! AND My BP was definately not high.
Monday, July 12, 2004
Chapter 5 and Chapter 6
Chapter 5: Language and Storytelling:
WRITER BASED PROSE:
Tends to be more spontaneous, less structured. If this is private writing, it doesn’t even need to make sense to anyone else. For example, when I write my grocery list I often use short hand words. The well used TP for toilet paper; HB M for hamburger meat; and plenty more short hand words I use for my own personal list. You might also use short hand and codes when writing in your journal or diary. No one has to understand this writing but yourself.
LANGUAGE AND LINEAR READING:
Writing is linear in that one sentence follows the next.
We speak one word at a time. It is impossible to get an overview of the entire page while reading or while speaking. Contrast this to looking at a picture. You may view the picture one item at a time, but it is also possible to look at the picture as a whole. This is not as possible with writing.
We tend to think of things in clusters. Seeing one thing may make us think of something else, which in turn leads our thoughts into other directions. Seeing a child in the supermarket may make me think of my kids. I may then start remembering what they did last night. I may compare their childhood to my own, which leads me to think of my family of origin. I may then go on to think about my grandparents and wonder what their childhood was like. This is called thinking in clusters. Clustering has also been mentioned here as a way to come up with new ideas.
STORYTELLING – SHAPING IMPRESSIONS:
What is a story? If you call someone up and say, “I got up and brushed my teeth this morning,” you are likely to say either, “So,” or “And then what happened?” Getting up and brushing your teeth is something that happened to you, but it is not a story.
A story is more than something that happened.
What is a story?
A story is a piece of life. A segment that we believe has significance and meaning.
Something must take place in a story. The something must be eventful. Many things happen, and are happening to you constantly but all things that happen are not stories.
An experience that is deemed eventful (whether fiction or not) can then be shaped into a story. The key word is shaped. There must be a beginning and ending. The story must begin at the appropriate place. The ending must leave readers feeling the story was tied up. They should have no questions remaining. Don’t start long before the real beginning and bore the reader and don’t stop too soon and leave them hanging; neither should you go on and on after the action is final.
The beginning and buildup to the climax should be at least twice as long as the conclusion. The conclusion should be wrapped up quickly, not dragged out. Once the tension in the story is over, the reader will become tired of reading on.
GENERAL STORY FORM:
The beginning in the appropriate place.
Complication which create rising tension and action (the main character should act on what is complicating his life at the moment. Don’t just let things happen to him).
Gradually build toward a climax.
Finish with an appropriate conclusion.
Writing Book I’m reading:
Crafting Prose by Don Richard Cox and Elizabeth Giddens
CHAPTER 6 Options for Expressive Prose:
FREE ASSOCIATION & CLUSTERING:
Mentioned before, how one thought leads naturally into others. Focus on a subject and record the cluster of subjects related to that subject. The final product may be a spider web of relationships.
TRANSFORMING TECHNIQUES:
The web of relationships may not be easily communicated to others.
Stream of Consciousness: This is easily my favorite form of writing. This is also a way to transform the web of ideas into a linear form.
The Reporter’s Questions: Who, what, why, where and when; ask these questions and then extract the appropriate answers from what you have so far. You may also pair up these questions to create new angles for a story.
Identity – Particle, Wave, or Field: I don’t quite get this concept. Sorry! If anyone can shed light on this, let me know! Particle means you see an event as a complete unit, separate and distinct from others. Wave means the event is dynamic rather than static, like ocean waves. Seeing it as a field means you can look at the even two ways; one big thing composed of smaller subsystems. Yes, I see all this as a general idea, but have no idea how to put it to use, or how it relates to writing. I think, in my humble opinion, this may be making the job harder than it has to be. Others may find such a theory extremely helpful. To me it just adds confusion.
FOCUS/SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING:
Review your journal for ideas you can return to. Are there emotions or ideas contained in it that suggest they might be described further? (Yes) Do you have several entries describing the same experience or even? (Yes) What is it about the event that caused you to return to it in your journal more than once? (It was something I struggled with or felt passionately about) Can you express your feelings about this event to others? (Yes, because the things I feel strongly about are often the same things others feel strongly about, have gone through themselves, or struggle with as well.)
Cluster technique for “Fourth of July” (I’m choosing this one because it’s almost here)
Fourth of July-hot, fireworks, parade, picnic, grilling, shorts, suntan/sunburn, water hose, staying home, day off, relaxing
Hot-sunshine, sunglasses, air-conditioning, cold drinks, sweating, bees, flowers, bird feeders, humming birds, lawn chairs, the slip and slide, a pool, fishing
Fireworks-night, loud, popping, bright, brilliant, colorful, whistling, pop rocks, sparklers, Star - Spangled Banner, bottle rockets
Parade- band, marching, floats, batons, musical instruments, fire trucks, police cars, throwing candy, kids, high school
Picnic-basket, paper plates, red checkered table cloth, grilled meat, potato salad, home made ice-cream, salads, beer, slushies, shaved ice, lemonade, fresh veggies, fresh tomatoes
Grilling-hot coals, smoke, grilling utensils, kiss-the-cook apron, steaks, chicken, hot dogs, corn on the cob
Shorts-t-shirts, sandals, flip-flops, swim suits, pony tails
Suntan/sunburn-hot sun, sunscreen, coconut oil, squinting in the sun, aloe, coppertone kid, tan lines, burn relief spray
Water hose-spraying the kids, cooling off, squeals, water the plants, water the grass, put out the grill fire, wash the car
Staying home-too much traffic for travel, r&r, marathon movie watching, marathons on sci-fi and lifetime, hubby getting mad when I watch marathons, sleeping on the couch
Writing Book I’m reading:
Crafting Prose by Don Richard Cox and Elizabeth Giddens
Chapter 7: Structures for Expressive Writing:
Reflexive Prose, Narrative Prose, and Descriptive Prose:
Reflexive prose talks about your feelings. Example: A letter.
Our more complicated feelings are affected when we verbalize them… such as talking things over with a friend. Even if the problem isn’t solved, we often feel better about the situation.
Principal behind freewriting: Presumably, your thoughts have a natural direction and coherence, and it is this natural coherence you try to generate.
Narrative Prose
Narrative is the most common form of storytelling. Portrays a sequence of events through time.
Narrative doesn’t need to begin at the “beginning.” It may begin at the middle or at the climax of the story and then the story told through a series of flashbacks. This can help grasp the reader’s interest. (Remember most readers decide early on, in the first paragraph or page whether or not they want to continue reading.) Remember when flashing back or forward, make sure the relationship to the overall narrative is clear. Never digress from the original story.
Narrative should make a point.
Descriptive Prose
Descriptive prose is frequently encountered… It may be literal (realistic) or figurative or metaphorical.
Literal description tries to depict a person, place, or thing as accurately as possible. These are the kind of descriptions found in encyclopedias.
Descriptions should include not only the visual but also touch, smell, taste, and sound.
When describing a person, you should describe their most noticeable feature. This helps make the character memorable.
FOCUS/SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING
Think about the last time you were frightened…
What was frightening you? I was in the hospital and I was all alone.
Have there been other times when you were nearly as frightened? Sometimes when I hear things at night, I have been nearly that afraid. Once I got sick and nearly passed out, that was pretty scary.
What are the similarities in those events? They involved sickness and the fear of possibly dying.
How are the events different? When I was in the hospital, I knew there was help around. When I got sick at home and nearly passed out, I was alone. I didn’t know if I could call for help, of if help would get there in time. Of course, when I heard the sound in the darkness, I could try and convince myself that it was my imagination, or some harmless reason for the night noises I’d hear.
EXPRESSIVE PROSE
Invasive Procedures by Mark Kramer
I’m choosing this essay to read first since it relates to my answer to the focus/suggestions answers from Chapter 7.
What part of Kramer’s speculations seem familiar to you? The feelings of denial about his illness. He brought a typewriter to the hospital to get work done while he was there and thought this would be a quick thing and soon he could get back to work. I too thought of taking a laptop to the hospital not only to get work done, but to have something to do. After all, I didn’t feel that sick and I thought the doctors just wanted to get all the money they could out of my insurance company or something. I wanted the whole thing to be over so I could get on with my life.
What part seems unfamiliar to you? I didn’t relate to what he said about the time passing while he was under anesthesia. When they put me under, it seemed like I closed my eyes and then opened them. Like only a second passed.
Does Kramer seem to be a typical patient? Yes, I think most of us have our own odd ways of dealing with illness and the possibility of something awful happening to us health wise. Do any seem atypical? The way he didn’t slow down, “except for the hospital food.”
What does Kramer add to this account that detracts from the mystique of surgeons? The visit from the vacationing surgeon.
What evidence suggests that Kramer may be making too much of his experience? He is considering that the surgeons might be lying about the thing they removed not being cancerous. What reaction would you expect? That he be relieved that the tumor is out and that he is out of danger.
Recent trip to the dr/dentist.
I went to the dentist recently to have my checkup and one of my teeth was in such bad shape that the dentist offered to go ahead and work on it. It was a front tooth over to the side and the filling had been loose since my last checkup, which was in November. Since it was right before the holidays, I didn’t want to go through Thanksgiving and Christmas with a temporary crown hanging on my tooth. So I put it off and put it off and next thing I knew it was time for my six-month checkup. I guess during this time the root of the tooth had gotten inflamed because the dentist said I might have to have a root canal done on it. While he drilled, I could feel the drill on my tooth, even after 2 shots. He gave me a third and waited a while and still I managed to feel it. I laid there gripping the side of the chair praying that all the drilling would soon be over. Now I have to wear this thing for six weeks and then go back and have it checked to see if he can put the permanent crown on it or do a root canal on it first. The price of waiting! I keep thinking if I’d gone ahead and had it done then, perhaps it would have been in better shape!
Comments-[ comments.]
WRITER BASED PROSE:
Tends to be more spontaneous, less structured. If this is private writing, it doesn’t even need to make sense to anyone else. For example, when I write my grocery list I often use short hand words. The well used TP for toilet paper; HB M for hamburger meat; and plenty more short hand words I use for my own personal list. You might also use short hand and codes when writing in your journal or diary. No one has to understand this writing but yourself.
LANGUAGE AND LINEAR READING:
Writing is linear in that one sentence follows the next.
We speak one word at a time. It is impossible to get an overview of the entire page while reading or while speaking. Contrast this to looking at a picture. You may view the picture one item at a time, but it is also possible to look at the picture as a whole. This is not as possible with writing.
We tend to think of things in clusters. Seeing one thing may make us think of something else, which in turn leads our thoughts into other directions. Seeing a child in the supermarket may make me think of my kids. I may then start remembering what they did last night. I may compare their childhood to my own, which leads me to think of my family of origin. I may then go on to think about my grandparents and wonder what their childhood was like. This is called thinking in clusters. Clustering has also been mentioned here as a way to come up with new ideas.
STORYTELLING – SHAPING IMPRESSIONS:
What is a story? If you call someone up and say, “I got up and brushed my teeth this morning,” you are likely to say either, “So,” or “And then what happened?” Getting up and brushing your teeth is something that happened to you, but it is not a story.
A story is more than something that happened.
What is a story?
A story is a piece of life. A segment that we believe has significance and meaning.
Something must take place in a story. The something must be eventful. Many things happen, and are happening to you constantly but all things that happen are not stories.
An experience that is deemed eventful (whether fiction or not) can then be shaped into a story. The key word is shaped. There must be a beginning and ending. The story must begin at the appropriate place. The ending must leave readers feeling the story was tied up. They should have no questions remaining. Don’t start long before the real beginning and bore the reader and don’t stop too soon and leave them hanging; neither should you go on and on after the action is final.
The beginning and buildup to the climax should be at least twice as long as the conclusion. The conclusion should be wrapped up quickly, not dragged out. Once the tension in the story is over, the reader will become tired of reading on.
GENERAL STORY FORM:
The beginning in the appropriate place.
Complication which create rising tension and action (the main character should act on what is complicating his life at the moment. Don’t just let things happen to him).
Gradually build toward a climax.
Finish with an appropriate conclusion.
Writing Book I’m reading:
Crafting Prose by Don Richard Cox and Elizabeth Giddens
CHAPTER 6 Options for Expressive Prose:
FREE ASSOCIATION & CLUSTERING:
Mentioned before, how one thought leads naturally into others. Focus on a subject and record the cluster of subjects related to that subject. The final product may be a spider web of relationships.
TRANSFORMING TECHNIQUES:
The web of relationships may not be easily communicated to others.
Stream of Consciousness: This is easily my favorite form of writing. This is also a way to transform the web of ideas into a linear form.
The Reporter’s Questions: Who, what, why, where and when; ask these questions and then extract the appropriate answers from what you have so far. You may also pair up these questions to create new angles for a story.
Identity – Particle, Wave, or Field: I don’t quite get this concept. Sorry! If anyone can shed light on this, let me know! Particle means you see an event as a complete unit, separate and distinct from others. Wave means the event is dynamic rather than static, like ocean waves. Seeing it as a field means you can look at the even two ways; one big thing composed of smaller subsystems. Yes, I see all this as a general idea, but have no idea how to put it to use, or how it relates to writing. I think, in my humble opinion, this may be making the job harder than it has to be. Others may find such a theory extremely helpful. To me it just adds confusion.
FOCUS/SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING:
Review your journal for ideas you can return to. Are there emotions or ideas contained in it that suggest they might be described further? (Yes) Do you have several entries describing the same experience or even? (Yes) What is it about the event that caused you to return to it in your journal more than once? (It was something I struggled with or felt passionately about) Can you express your feelings about this event to others? (Yes, because the things I feel strongly about are often the same things others feel strongly about, have gone through themselves, or struggle with as well.)
Cluster technique for “Fourth of July” (I’m choosing this one because it’s almost here)
Fourth of July-hot, fireworks, parade, picnic, grilling, shorts, suntan/sunburn, water hose, staying home, day off, relaxing
Hot-sunshine, sunglasses, air-conditioning, cold drinks, sweating, bees, flowers, bird feeders, humming birds, lawn chairs, the slip and slide, a pool, fishing
Fireworks-night, loud, popping, bright, brilliant, colorful, whistling, pop rocks, sparklers, Star - Spangled Banner, bottle rockets
Parade- band, marching, floats, batons, musical instruments, fire trucks, police cars, throwing candy, kids, high school
Picnic-basket, paper plates, red checkered table cloth, grilled meat, potato salad, home made ice-cream, salads, beer, slushies, shaved ice, lemonade, fresh veggies, fresh tomatoes
Grilling-hot coals, smoke, grilling utensils, kiss-the-cook apron, steaks, chicken, hot dogs, corn on the cob
Shorts-t-shirts, sandals, flip-flops, swim suits, pony tails
Suntan/sunburn-hot sun, sunscreen, coconut oil, squinting in the sun, aloe, coppertone kid, tan lines, burn relief spray
Water hose-spraying the kids, cooling off, squeals, water the plants, water the grass, put out the grill fire, wash the car
Staying home-too much traffic for travel, r&r, marathon movie watching, marathons on sci-fi and lifetime, hubby getting mad when I watch marathons, sleeping on the couch
Writing Book I’m reading:
Crafting Prose by Don Richard Cox and Elizabeth Giddens
Chapter 7: Structures for Expressive Writing:
Reflexive Prose, Narrative Prose, and Descriptive Prose:
Reflexive prose talks about your feelings. Example: A letter.
Our more complicated feelings are affected when we verbalize them… such as talking things over with a friend. Even if the problem isn’t solved, we often feel better about the situation.
Principal behind freewriting: Presumably, your thoughts have a natural direction and coherence, and it is this natural coherence you try to generate.
Narrative Prose
Narrative is the most common form of storytelling. Portrays a sequence of events through time.
Narrative doesn’t need to begin at the “beginning.” It may begin at the middle or at the climax of the story and then the story told through a series of flashbacks. This can help grasp the reader’s interest. (Remember most readers decide early on, in the first paragraph or page whether or not they want to continue reading.) Remember when flashing back or forward, make sure the relationship to the overall narrative is clear. Never digress from the original story.
Narrative should make a point.
Descriptive Prose
Descriptive prose is frequently encountered… It may be literal (realistic) or figurative or metaphorical.
Literal description tries to depict a person, place, or thing as accurately as possible. These are the kind of descriptions found in encyclopedias.
Descriptions should include not only the visual but also touch, smell, taste, and sound.
When describing a person, you should describe their most noticeable feature. This helps make the character memorable.
FOCUS/SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING
Think about the last time you were frightened…
What was frightening you? I was in the hospital and I was all alone.
Have there been other times when you were nearly as frightened? Sometimes when I hear things at night, I have been nearly that afraid. Once I got sick and nearly passed out, that was pretty scary.
What are the similarities in those events? They involved sickness and the fear of possibly dying.
How are the events different? When I was in the hospital, I knew there was help around. When I got sick at home and nearly passed out, I was alone. I didn’t know if I could call for help, of if help would get there in time. Of course, when I heard the sound in the darkness, I could try and convince myself that it was my imagination, or some harmless reason for the night noises I’d hear.
EXPRESSIVE PROSE
Invasive Procedures by Mark Kramer
I’m choosing this essay to read first since it relates to my answer to the focus/suggestions answers from Chapter 7.
What part of Kramer’s speculations seem familiar to you? The feelings of denial about his illness. He brought a typewriter to the hospital to get work done while he was there and thought this would be a quick thing and soon he could get back to work. I too thought of taking a laptop to the hospital not only to get work done, but to have something to do. After all, I didn’t feel that sick and I thought the doctors just wanted to get all the money they could out of my insurance company or something. I wanted the whole thing to be over so I could get on with my life.
What part seems unfamiliar to you? I didn’t relate to what he said about the time passing while he was under anesthesia. When they put me under, it seemed like I closed my eyes and then opened them. Like only a second passed.
Does Kramer seem to be a typical patient? Yes, I think most of us have our own odd ways of dealing with illness and the possibility of something awful happening to us health wise. Do any seem atypical? The way he didn’t slow down, “except for the hospital food.”
What does Kramer add to this account that detracts from the mystique of surgeons? The visit from the vacationing surgeon.
What evidence suggests that Kramer may be making too much of his experience? He is considering that the surgeons might be lying about the thing they removed not being cancerous. What reaction would you expect? That he be relieved that the tumor is out and that he is out of danger.
Recent trip to the dr/dentist.
I went to the dentist recently to have my checkup and one of my teeth was in such bad shape that the dentist offered to go ahead and work on it. It was a front tooth over to the side and the filling had been loose since my last checkup, which was in November. Since it was right before the holidays, I didn’t want to go through Thanksgiving and Christmas with a temporary crown hanging on my tooth. So I put it off and put it off and next thing I knew it was time for my six-month checkup. I guess during this time the root of the tooth had gotten inflamed because the dentist said I might have to have a root canal done on it. While he drilled, I could feel the drill on my tooth, even after 2 shots. He gave me a third and waited a while and still I managed to feel it. I laid there gripping the side of the chair praying that all the drilling would soon be over. Now I have to wear this thing for six weeks and then go back and have it checked to see if he can put the permanent crown on it or do a root canal on it first. The price of waiting! I keep thinking if I’d gone ahead and had it done then, perhaps it would have been in better shape!
Friday, July 09, 2004
Ten things I wouldn't miss
Ten things I would never miss if I got rid of them right now:
1. Several pair of shoes and some cowboy boots in my closet
2. The clothes way in the back of my closet
3. The weird seasonings in my kitchen cabinet that I bought on a whim and never used.
4. Things lurking hiddeously in the bottom of my refrigerator.
5. The non-stick skillet that had the teflon scrubbed off ten years ago.
6. The oil-absorbing lotion I bought from Mary Kay a couple of years ago.
7. The weight bench my husband bought and never used.
8. The exercise wheel I bought and couldn't figure out what the heck to do with it.
9. The big round wire thing under my kitchen sink, in with the pots and pans. What is it? I don't know. What is it used for? Looks like you strain something with it. How I don't know because it's flat and everything would fall off of it.
10. About 10% of my body fat! Also, dust bunnies under the bed and the cobwebs in my corners.
Comments-[ comments.]
1. Several pair of shoes and some cowboy boots in my closet
2. The clothes way in the back of my closet
3. The weird seasonings in my kitchen cabinet that I bought on a whim and never used.
4. Things lurking hiddeously in the bottom of my refrigerator.
5. The non-stick skillet that had the teflon scrubbed off ten years ago.
6. The oil-absorbing lotion I bought from Mary Kay a couple of years ago.
7. The weight bench my husband bought and never used.
8. The exercise wheel I bought and couldn't figure out what the heck to do with it.
9. The big round wire thing under my kitchen sink, in with the pots and pans. What is it? I don't know. What is it used for? Looks like you strain something with it. How I don't know because it's flat and everything would fall off of it.
10. About 10% of my body fat! Also, dust bunnies under the bed and the cobwebs in my corners.
Thursday, July 08, 2004
Finding a little star
I got my pedometer back from Brandi this morning. She was watching Swan Princess Barbie movie when I left the house. I got to work to check the step counter on it and her little cardboard star fell out. Seeing it was almost like seeing her. I felt this warmth fill my heart the way the warmth from my coffee mug fills my hands. It was almost like a little bit of her is right here with me today. I am keeping the little star in the pedometer all day and giving it back to her this afternoon when I pick her up.
I watched most of "The Butterfly Effect" last night. I stayed awake for most of it. It's a good movie. I'm going to watch it again. Maybe tonight.
Comments-[ comments.]
I watched most of "The Butterfly Effect" last night. I stayed awake for most of it. It's a good movie. I'm going to watch it again. Maybe tonight.
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Update
The weekend went fairly well. We grilled steaks Friday and shot fireworks. Then Saturday morning, we went to Georgia to drop Paul off. We stopped at Sonic on the way. I wanted some ultimate tater tots. Brandi wasn't too happy with my choice of restaraunts. Oh well.
We rented and watched movies on the fourth and shot some more fireworks. Brandi lit some and scared me half to death. She loved the bottle rockets though.
Sunday and Monday I did a lot of writing. Finished one story and began another one. I need to do a bit of re-working on my last LRWG writing assignment and finish the story to send to a confession magazine. I am not sure which one I will send it to. I practiced with some story writing software. I think it's a bit overkill for short stories, but could work wonderfully for books.
My diet was shot all to heck over the long weekend. I am now back to where I was before starting the horrid cabbage soup fiasco. I just don't think I can do sugar busters. Maybe back to low-carbing it? How bout just old fashioned starving it off? Lord, I dunno.
I am going out at lunch, to get another travel drive and a spy ware program for one of the ministers.
Yesterday was a rough first day back. All the computers were mad at me for leaving for four days. They all got sick and I had to call in a puter doctor. He took one of them with him.
It's so quiet without Paul here. I think about him everytime I go by the Youth Room. I miss him when he's gone.
School will be starting soon. I have to get the kid's shots and get them registered for school. Brandi starts kindergarden and Paul starts eighth grade. Hard to believe he has only five years of school left. And Brandi is just starting. I think she will be a fast learner though. She will probably breeze through kindergarden and first grade. She's been in pre-school for four years now. She could probably teach kindergarden.
I fixed Brandi's hair with a curling iron this morning. I hope she gets over this idea that she wants to cut her hair short again.
I got a pedometer from McDonald's the other day. I was going to keep up with how much walking I do each day and then try to add to it each week. Brandi had to take it to school today to show the other kids. Looks like I may have to get me another one... the Princess rules!
Comments-[ comments.]
We rented and watched movies on the fourth and shot some more fireworks. Brandi lit some and scared me half to death. She loved the bottle rockets though.
Sunday and Monday I did a lot of writing. Finished one story and began another one. I need to do a bit of re-working on my last LRWG writing assignment and finish the story to send to a confession magazine. I am not sure which one I will send it to. I practiced with some story writing software. I think it's a bit overkill for short stories, but could work wonderfully for books.
My diet was shot all to heck over the long weekend. I am now back to where I was before starting the horrid cabbage soup fiasco. I just don't think I can do sugar busters. Maybe back to low-carbing it? How bout just old fashioned starving it off? Lord, I dunno.
I am going out at lunch, to get another travel drive and a spy ware program for one of the ministers.
Yesterday was a rough first day back. All the computers were mad at me for leaving for four days. They all got sick and I had to call in a puter doctor. He took one of them with him.
It's so quiet without Paul here. I think about him everytime I go by the Youth Room. I miss him when he's gone.
School will be starting soon. I have to get the kid's shots and get them registered for school. Brandi starts kindergarden and Paul starts eighth grade. Hard to believe he has only five years of school left. And Brandi is just starting. I think she will be a fast learner though. She will probably breeze through kindergarden and first grade. She's been in pre-school for four years now. She could probably teach kindergarden.
I fixed Brandi's hair with a curling iron this morning. I hope she gets over this idea that she wants to cut her hair short again.
I got a pedometer from McDonald's the other day. I was going to keep up with how much walking I do each day and then try to add to it each week. Brandi had to take it to school today to show the other kids. Looks like I may have to get me another one... the Princess rules!
Evaluating and Revising
Writing Book I’m reading:
Crafting Prose by Don Richard Cox and Elizabeth Giddens
Chapter 4: Evaluating and revising:
Evaluating and revising is shifting from writer based to reader based. I find it easier to revise work when I have put it away for a while. The longer I go without looking at it, the more distance I can get and more objective I can be.
Remember everything you write will make sense to you. You will tend to have a predetermined belief that is says what you mean. It helps to have someone else read what you have written and find out if something is unclear to them.
The writer must pamper the reader. It is your job to win the reader over, not the reader’s job to read/like/understand what you have written. Now is the time to decide what you need to change during revision.
Now (when you have a finished first draft) would be a good time to outline your draft and make a note of what each paragraph say/does. Evaluate if it fits in with what you want to say. The outline can help you decide what to keep, discard, and change or clarify.
Options for evaluating:
Take a break so that you are reading as if you are seeing the draft for the first time.
List the drafts strengths and weaknesses.
Get help from a friend. Ask the friend questions and see if they understood what you tried to say.
Outline the draft.
Read the draft aloud.
Get a critique from another writer.
Reading a draft critically (for someone else):
1 Remember you are helping someone find the weaknesses in the draft
2 Don’t be too nice or too cruel.
3 Don’t say it’s “okay” or “pretty good.” This is the worst thing you can say.
4 Identify areas that don’t follow the main idea.
5 Identify areas that are hard to understand.
6 Is it organized?
7 Does the beginning draw you in? (Most people decide to read or stop reading in the first paragraph. It should be the most intriguing part of the story.)
8 Is the ending satisfying and does it complete the story? Are you left with questions hanging?
9 Suggest ways to improve the conclusion by adding something memorable at the ending.
REVISING:
This is what I refer to as “deeper work” that makes a good story great.
Revising means “seeing again.”
You may:
Find a whole new idea about your story
Make the story more accessible to the reader
Add to the story to make it more interesting
Cut out everything that adds nothing or is irrelevant to the story
Refine the story
Revision won’t be as difficult if you have not struggled so much with the first draft. It is hard to cut out words, sentences, and paragraphs if you slaved to get the perfect word down during the first draft, or if you worked hard to get the punctuation just right.
Early in revising, look at the big picture. Get near to a final draft before you start using your thesaurus or correcting grammar. “Polishing” should be the last thing you do.
Start out revising by thinking big, considering the reader, make the story interesting, support your ideas, trim out dead ends, discover if there are new questions arising from your changes. Then move on to phrasing of sentences, word choices, note fuzzy spots, look out for clichés and get rid of those, clarify vague terms such as loyalty (what that means to you may be different to someone else), choose a title, polish, read backwards, look for your most common errors, prepare your final copy.
Don’t let this process go on forever. You must find a spot where you are happy with what you have written.
WHAT IS SUCCESS?
This could mean many things to many people. I am not going to note what the book says but present my own ideas…
To me success can be just finishing a story. It can be having someone read it and enjoy it. It can be an acceptance to a magazine.
Or it could be none of those things. But I feel I succeed every time I finish a story. For every one I complete, I have learned a great deal about writing. I have heard that every writer must write one million words before they get to their own “great” writing. I hope to get finished with those million words someday and begin writing “great!”
FOCUS/SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING:
What is the percentage of time you spend prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing?
Prewriting (10%) drafting (30%) revising (20%) editing (40%)
These numbers are approximate!!
Writing Book I’m reading:
Crafting Prose by Don Richard Cox and Elizabeth Giddens
Part II: Crafting Expressive Prose
I am hoping this section will be more interesting and more relative to fiction writing than the first four chapters!!!
Concerns in expressive prose: Remember expressive prose is writer oriented. Not because it is written only for ourselves, but because it is written to express our feelings, thoughts, and emotions.
Comments-[ comments.]
Crafting Prose by Don Richard Cox and Elizabeth Giddens
Chapter 4: Evaluating and revising:
Evaluating and revising is shifting from writer based to reader based. I find it easier to revise work when I have put it away for a while. The longer I go without looking at it, the more distance I can get and more objective I can be.
Remember everything you write will make sense to you. You will tend to have a predetermined belief that is says what you mean. It helps to have someone else read what you have written and find out if something is unclear to them.
The writer must pamper the reader. It is your job to win the reader over, not the reader’s job to read/like/understand what you have written. Now is the time to decide what you need to change during revision.
Now (when you have a finished first draft) would be a good time to outline your draft and make a note of what each paragraph say/does. Evaluate if it fits in with what you want to say. The outline can help you decide what to keep, discard, and change or clarify.
Options for evaluating:
Take a break so that you are reading as if you are seeing the draft for the first time.
List the drafts strengths and weaknesses.
Get help from a friend. Ask the friend questions and see if they understood what you tried to say.
Outline the draft.
Read the draft aloud.
Get a critique from another writer.
Reading a draft critically (for someone else):
1 Remember you are helping someone find the weaknesses in the draft
2 Don’t be too nice or too cruel.
3 Don’t say it’s “okay” or “pretty good.” This is the worst thing you can say.
4 Identify areas that don’t follow the main idea.
5 Identify areas that are hard to understand.
6 Is it organized?
7 Does the beginning draw you in? (Most people decide to read or stop reading in the first paragraph. It should be the most intriguing part of the story.)
8 Is the ending satisfying and does it complete the story? Are you left with questions hanging?
9 Suggest ways to improve the conclusion by adding something memorable at the ending.
REVISING:
This is what I refer to as “deeper work” that makes a good story great.
Revising means “seeing again.”
You may:
Find a whole new idea about your story
Make the story more accessible to the reader
Add to the story to make it more interesting
Cut out everything that adds nothing or is irrelevant to the story
Refine the story
Revision won’t be as difficult if you have not struggled so much with the first draft. It is hard to cut out words, sentences, and paragraphs if you slaved to get the perfect word down during the first draft, or if you worked hard to get the punctuation just right.
Early in revising, look at the big picture. Get near to a final draft before you start using your thesaurus or correcting grammar. “Polishing” should be the last thing you do.
Start out revising by thinking big, considering the reader, make the story interesting, support your ideas, trim out dead ends, discover if there are new questions arising from your changes. Then move on to phrasing of sentences, word choices, note fuzzy spots, look out for clichés and get rid of those, clarify vague terms such as loyalty (what that means to you may be different to someone else), choose a title, polish, read backwards, look for your most common errors, prepare your final copy.
Don’t let this process go on forever. You must find a spot where you are happy with what you have written.
WHAT IS SUCCESS?
This could mean many things to many people. I am not going to note what the book says but present my own ideas…
To me success can be just finishing a story. It can be having someone read it and enjoy it. It can be an acceptance to a magazine.
Or it could be none of those things. But I feel I succeed every time I finish a story. For every one I complete, I have learned a great deal about writing. I have heard that every writer must write one million words before they get to their own “great” writing. I hope to get finished with those million words someday and begin writing “great!”
FOCUS/SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING:
What is the percentage of time you spend prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing?
Prewriting (10%) drafting (30%) revising (20%) editing (40%)
These numbers are approximate!!
Writing Book I’m reading:
Crafting Prose by Don Richard Cox and Elizabeth Giddens
Part II: Crafting Expressive Prose
I am hoping this section will be more interesting and more relative to fiction writing than the first four chapters!!!
Concerns in expressive prose: Remember expressive prose is writer oriented. Not because it is written only for ourselves, but because it is written to express our feelings, thoughts, and emotions.
Monday, July 05, 2004
Drafting
Writing Book I’m reading:
Crafting Prose by Don Richard Cox and Elizabeth Giddens
Chapter 3: Drafting:
Guide to Drafting and Revision:
First you produce writer based prose to get your ideas on paper; then you alter that draft until it becomes reader based prose, or a clear and effective communication of your own ideas, polished and ready for a reader. Remember that your own writing will usually make sense to yourself. Draft, then shape ideas afterwards. It may take more than a couple of drafts before you find your focus.
Don’t put off starting a draft just because you are not sure what you want the finished project to be like.
Finding a Purpose:
Sometimes you already know your purpose when you begin writing. At others, you may discover your purpose after a process (invent, research, and draft).
Thinking about Organization:
Organization is the process by which you determine when to say what.
Remember “form follows function”: Don’t have rigid ideas about the organization. The structure of the work should emerge from the ideas. Don’t force the ideas into a preordained outline or formula.
Tips for organizing:
Jump into drafting to see how you naturally select and organize the ideas.
Group and shuffle note cards.
Fit material into conventional ordering patterns (general to specific; specific to general; order of importance; chronological order; spatial-regional or national; narrow to broad or broad to narrow)
Find a movement for your writing. Consider where you want to begin and end.
Scratch out notes and rough outlines.
Drafting:
The quality of the first draft is not as important as its existence!!! This is not the time to work hard. It is the time to let your mind take your writing where it will. Drafting is discovery.
Drafting quickly and steadily:
Write the easiest or hardest first. The easiest if you need momentum to get going. The hardest if you will stop dreading that and get on with it.
Pace yourself and settle into the project. Set reasonable daily goals.
Expect a draft to be a mess. By having low expectations for it, you won’t resist the changes needed later.
Be critical AFTER the draft, not before or during.
Refer to notes you have made to remind yourself to stay on course and to remember key words.
End drafting when you are at a spot where you know where you want to begin the next day.
FINISH the draft no matter how bad you think it is.
When you begin a new drafting session, read over what you have done before to get you going or spark ideas.
FOCUS/SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING
What are some of your writing problems?
Getting started is my biggest writing problem. I usually won’t boot up my computer if I don’t have at least an hour or two to devote to writing without interruptions or distractions. I think I would do more writing if I were willing to spend fifteen minutes doing it. I fear that if I did that, by the time I “got going” I’d have to move on to something else, non-writing.
What makes writing rewarding?
I have to say, having someone else read my work. I love positive feedback. Sometimes I even get a kick out of negative feedback if it is presented in an intelligent way. But, having someone say, “I really loved reading that,” is what makes writing rewarding.
Who has influenced you most as a writer? There have been so many wonderful people who have influenced me the past 2 or 3 years that I would find it hard to pick one. Fortunately, they have been very positive. I would have to mention Yahoo! Writing groups; LRWG instructor, Lou; Bea my confession writing teacher; Xanga readers; of course Pat B. who bought my story for True Confessions. I don’t know what was the biggest influence.
How do you go about drafting? I have several different ways of drafting depending on how inspired I am about a particular story. Sometimes I just start writing. These times the entire story is pretty clear in my mind and I know what I’m going to say and where the story will wind up. Other times I use a loose outline, which I, of course, wind up deviating from. Other times, I just write out how the story begins, ideas about the middle, and how I want the story to end. I also know I may wind up deviating from these plans as well. Sometimes just having a general plan or idea down gets me going.
What generalizations can you make about your moods, thoughts, and habits during drafting?
If the story is clear in my mind, I may start writing very quickly as if I hope the ideas won’t just fly away and never return. I think of nothing but what I’m writing. I get grouchy if someone interrupts me when I’m writing this way.
Other times, I don’t know exactly where I’m going with a story. I may be typing or writing slowly and leisurely, staring off into space frequently and thinking on what I want the next sentence or scene to be like. I may consider all the different possibilities for each scene. If this happens what might come next? Or, what if something else happens, what might be the result. These are good times to distract me. When I walk away and do something else for a time, the perfect answer usually comes to me when I am away or when I sit back down to write.
Sometimes when things aren’t flowing at all, I get very frustrated. I usually quit then and come back later. I have problems then, because sometimes it’s either a very long time before I go back to the project or I just forget about it.
Comments-[ comments.]
Crafting Prose by Don Richard Cox and Elizabeth Giddens
Chapter 3: Drafting:
Guide to Drafting and Revision:
First you produce writer based prose to get your ideas on paper; then you alter that draft until it becomes reader based prose, or a clear and effective communication of your own ideas, polished and ready for a reader. Remember that your own writing will usually make sense to yourself. Draft, then shape ideas afterwards. It may take more than a couple of drafts before you find your focus.
Don’t put off starting a draft just because you are not sure what you want the finished project to be like.
Finding a Purpose:
Sometimes you already know your purpose when you begin writing. At others, you may discover your purpose after a process (invent, research, and draft).
Thinking about Organization:
Organization is the process by which you determine when to say what.
Remember “form follows function”: Don’t have rigid ideas about the organization. The structure of the work should emerge from the ideas. Don’t force the ideas into a preordained outline or formula.
Tips for organizing:
Jump into drafting to see how you naturally select and organize the ideas.
Group and shuffle note cards.
Fit material into conventional ordering patterns (general to specific; specific to general; order of importance; chronological order; spatial-regional or national; narrow to broad or broad to narrow)
Find a movement for your writing. Consider where you want to begin and end.
Scratch out notes and rough outlines.
Drafting:
The quality of the first draft is not as important as its existence!!! This is not the time to work hard. It is the time to let your mind take your writing where it will. Drafting is discovery.
Drafting quickly and steadily:
Write the easiest or hardest first. The easiest if you need momentum to get going. The hardest if you will stop dreading that and get on with it.
Pace yourself and settle into the project. Set reasonable daily goals.
Expect a draft to be a mess. By having low expectations for it, you won’t resist the changes needed later.
Be critical AFTER the draft, not before or during.
Refer to notes you have made to remind yourself to stay on course and to remember key words.
End drafting when you are at a spot where you know where you want to begin the next day.
FINISH the draft no matter how bad you think it is.
When you begin a new drafting session, read over what you have done before to get you going or spark ideas.
FOCUS/SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING
What are some of your writing problems?
Getting started is my biggest writing problem. I usually won’t boot up my computer if I don’t have at least an hour or two to devote to writing without interruptions or distractions. I think I would do more writing if I were willing to spend fifteen minutes doing it. I fear that if I did that, by the time I “got going” I’d have to move on to something else, non-writing.
What makes writing rewarding?
I have to say, having someone else read my work. I love positive feedback. Sometimes I even get a kick out of negative feedback if it is presented in an intelligent way. But, having someone say, “I really loved reading that,” is what makes writing rewarding.
Who has influenced you most as a writer? There have been so many wonderful people who have influenced me the past 2 or 3 years that I would find it hard to pick one. Fortunately, they have been very positive. I would have to mention Yahoo! Writing groups; LRWG instructor, Lou; Bea my confession writing teacher; Xanga readers; of course Pat B. who bought my story for True Confessions. I don’t know what was the biggest influence.
How do you go about drafting? I have several different ways of drafting depending on how inspired I am about a particular story. Sometimes I just start writing. These times the entire story is pretty clear in my mind and I know what I’m going to say and where the story will wind up. Other times I use a loose outline, which I, of course, wind up deviating from. Other times, I just write out how the story begins, ideas about the middle, and how I want the story to end. I also know I may wind up deviating from these plans as well. Sometimes just having a general plan or idea down gets me going.
What generalizations can you make about your moods, thoughts, and habits during drafting?
If the story is clear in my mind, I may start writing very quickly as if I hope the ideas won’t just fly away and never return. I think of nothing but what I’m writing. I get grouchy if someone interrupts me when I’m writing this way.
Other times, I don’t know exactly where I’m going with a story. I may be typing or writing slowly and leisurely, staring off into space frequently and thinking on what I want the next sentence or scene to be like. I may consider all the different possibilities for each scene. If this happens what might come next? Or, what if something else happens, what might be the result. These are good times to distract me. When I walk away and do something else for a time, the perfect answer usually comes to me when I am away or when I sit back down to write.
Sometimes when things aren’t flowing at all, I get very frustrated. I usually quit then and come back later. I have problems then, because sometimes it’s either a very long time before I go back to the project or I just forget about it.
