writer at play
Posted in reading on Jan 31st, 2010
January reads:
The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu (Cool premise, but not as good as I’d hoped. Every question was answered with more mysteries and more strange characters showing up. Definitely a Book One.)
Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb (my review here)
Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath (my review here)
The Name of [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Jan 31st, 2010
I love how writer Megan Payne turns failed short stories into a learning experience. I wish I were that analytical–maybe my short story success rate would be higher. *grin*
Debut Analysis for Aspiring Writers: After two and a half years of reviewing debuts, Tia Nevitt shares her thoughts on writing to fit trends, complete with marine [...]
Posted in friday fun on Jan 29th, 2010
Snow is…
feather-flakes spiraling through the air
mashed, broken, crumpled, crushed, miraculously whole flakes on my black gloves
a soft silent assault on the sleeping world
wet clumps falling–plop!–on my windshield as I drive under trees
a white coverlet under which roofs slumber
windblown powder on cheeks and in eyes
scrunch-squish-scrunch under my boots
crusty, ugly, dirty piles around the driveway
I love the [...]
Posted in creativity, kids at play on Jan 28th, 2010
1. Read winter poetry (like this lovely illustrated version of Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening) and paint winter landscapes.
2. Catch snowflakes on your mittens. Read books about snowflakes. Cut, draw, or make some of your own.
3. Go outside and make snow angels, snowmen (or snow dinosaurs) and ice sculptures. Have fun! My older [...]
Posted in reviews on Jan 25th, 2010
Why do some ideas go viral while others disappear with nary a ripple? Why do urban legends and conspiracy theories make it halfway around the world before more worthy messages can even get their boots on? In this offering, brothers Chip and Dan Heath unpack what makes some ideas memorable, or “sticky”.
The authors found that [...]
The Blogging Edition
Do you have blogger’s block? Been a couple weeks since you last posted? Feel like you’ve said it all before? Check out Paperback Writer’s Blog Blocked post to jumpstart your blog.
And for those trying to stand out of the pack, Darren Rowse offers up a list of ways to make your blog unique.
The [...]
Posted in friday fun on Jan 22nd, 2010
Ideas come to me at the oddest moments. I was passing a truck on the highway about a week ago, did the quick sidelong glance at the monster beside me, and my brain flashed “turtle!”.
Maybe it was something about the angle, the curve of the headlights, the positioning of all the parts you find on [...]
Posted in motivation on Jan 19th, 2010
Blog reader Megs introduced me to the blog Procrastinating Writers, which is full of tips to help overcome that particular demon. It’s a smart idea to blog on this topic–there’s quite an audience for it–but it makes me a laugh a little, too. And think.
Why am I (and presumably hundreds of other writers) so prone [...]
Posted in kids at play on Jan 18th, 2010
Recent highlights from our homeschool:
* We read an illustrated version of Robert Frost’s Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening, and painted snowy trees afterward. This was the kids’ first introduction to spattering paint on purpose.
* After reading several books featuring knights, the kids designed their own coats-of-arms and put them on posterboard [...]
Posted in creativity, inspiration, kids at play on Jan 16th, 2010
The tagline of this blog is “writer at play”, but my attitude towards my literary endeavors is more akin to steely-eyed clenched-teeth fortitude these days. I was eyeball-deep in one set of revisions for a couple months; I have since waded into yet another novel revision. While revisions do have their moments of mountain-high elation, [...]