A sentence here, a sentence there...I'll keep greasing that writer's wheel (lots of squeaks)

Thoreau had the quiet of the woods; I have the dancing of my ravioli in a bubbling, dinner pot.  Hey, I'll take any kind of motivation to write these days.

My mind is "writing" probably all the time in my conversations and thoughts.  Time is not on my side.  I have stretched myself thin with all my volunteer gigs.  It's nice to be busy, but I would love to take a breather more often.  I think that a morning walk has to be squeezed into my agenda.

If only I could drag my clunky keyboard and outdated PC into the truck, I would get so much blogging done at bus stops.  I just have to seriously hunt for an IPad contest.  That's my kind of toy.

I'm happy to report that I have devoured my ravioli without any tomato sauce hitting my clothes.  Things are looking up.

Time to work on my lesson plan for tomorrow's religion class.  My second Daisies meeting is this week too.  I'm drafting a quick little skit for the girls to perform.  Here I go with my out of the box teaching style again.  I hope the other Daisy moms don't raise too many eyebrows at my antics.

Need this mantra

Just write. Don't worry about whether anyone else ever reads it or likes it.


Time to take my own advice.


Goodnight my friends.

Squeeze it onto my to-do list

I have to be committed.  Now don't get scared. I mean that I have to be committed to putting that first word down on paper.  There is a story somewhere floating around in the unspoken parts of this frazzled brain of mine.  Why can't I force myself into this much needed commitment for my restless creative spirit?  I need a push. Will you guys gently push me that way?  Maybe all it takes at first is 10 minutes a day.  Me and a notebook staring out the window.

I'm sure something will start percolating.  I'm usually a "dive head first" kind of girl.  My routine life (which I love in many ways) is keeping my pencil away.  Finding the time and energy is necessary for me. The creative within is getting antsy.  I better let her show her stuff.

My assignment for today:  Think of a few good opening lines.  Start small; think big.

I wrote this post while there was a brewing battle 20 feet from me.  Deep breath Kel.  Time for me to get creative and redirect their battling energy. It's going to be a long winter, I fear.  Maybe we'll just have to unleash all this kid energy by running around outside.  Mama calories can be burned too!

Having the time to write

When I was in college, I would spend a lot of time analyzing and editing my term papers. To be honest, I probably was more meticulous about my papers in junior and senior year. During that time, I enjoyed thinking of myself as a "serious" Literature major. I would spend hours in the library researching a particular author or work and compiling tons of citations. A bunch of drafts could usually be found stuffed in my backpack. I liked the whole idea of working out a paper over time. When it was finally submitted to the professor, I usually felt confident that I handed in a worthy paper for consideration.

I notice that my writing habits have changed significantly now that I'm a wife and mother. Now my poems are written in a period of 15 minutes. Gratefully, the images and phrasing seem to come to me quickly once I get "inspired" to jot a poem down. Since I'm so busy with the kids and the house, I guess I have to be content with these quickie moments of creativity. Overall, I'm happy with the poems and maybe it's better that I don't overwork them. When it comes to novel writing, I know that it will be necessary to edit and revise. If my goal is to complete a novel in the next year, I think I'll have to chain myself to my laptop in the late evening hours. Hopefully, my creative side will be awake enough to put in the necessary work.

Sketch

When I was a kid, I loved to sketch. I would grab the Sunday comics out of the newspaper and look for a new character to add to my sketch books. I could keep busy for hours sketching all kinds of subjects. Before the pencil hit the paper, my mind's eye could see how the lines and dimension of the sketch would come together. My sketching was a favorite hobby. For whatever reason, I didn't pursue my drawing in any formal way. As I got older, I started to devote all my free time to reading. Book after book would impress me with interesting characters, multi-layered plots and beautiful prose. I would be left with vivid visual images after reading amazing passages. Soon, I decided to attempt to express myself through writing. Once I began writing poetry, I would spend my afternoon hours writing in a poetry notebook. My sketch book became part of my childhood. It was not the forum for me anymore.

Now I sketch out my ideas loosely in my head before I craft images and present thoughts into a poem. Just like my early days of sketching, I will sometimes work with a visual cue to serve as a catalyst for my poem. Whether I'm drafting a poem or sketching a picture, I see that those same creative "muscles" are being exercised when I commit to creating something artistically. This kind of sketching may serve me well as I now attempt to venture into novel writing. I can see this is how I approach any new creative project, so I guess I better start with what works for me. I know that I have a long road ahead of me, but I look forward to pushing myself in this new direction. I'm hoping that my reliance on visualization does not limit my ability to fully grow as a novel writer. I wonder if the poet in me will fight the long, narrative form of the novel. Well, I'll soon see if those two sides of me can coexist as I try to write a novel. There are plenty of wonderful books out there to help new writers. I feel lucky to have such great information and resources available on many terrific writers' blogs. It's time to take out my pencil and "sketch" out a novel writing plan.

Finding my novel

There must be a novel in me somewhere. I've always considered myself a storyteller. Having an active imagination as a child, I would invent all sorts of tales to entertain whoever was interested. I need discipline to try and reign in my ideas into one cohesive storyline. I've made an attempt at a novel recently. I'm happy with my first two pages, but I put it on hold once all of us started battling colds in my house. I guess I'm scared that my story will fall short somehow. Do I have enough material to write a novel of decent length? Or should I take a shot at short stories first? My poems are usually short and filled with compact images. I wonder if writing a novel is the right medium for me. The best way for me to find out is probably to start writing and see if the novel grows page by page and starts to bear fruit. Maybe tonight after the kids go to sleep, I'll try and work on page 3. Writing something of substance is worth the effort. I'll make the time.

One of my favorite movie scenes

I love that scene in Love Actually when Colin Firth's character jumps into the lake trying to retrieve the typed pages of his novel. He jumps in after his beautiful housekeeper goes in without any hesitation or reserve. Up to this point, his character is emotionally frozen and spiritually broken. The developing relationship with this beautiful woman, who doesn't speak any English, turns out to give him not only the inspiration to write, but also the inspiration to live again. You can see how these two dripping wet strangers connect in a very human way as they laugh about grasping at the floating wet pages of the novel. It is a memorable scene filled with moments of human integrity and abandon.

Spontaneous fun has a place at the writer's desk. I know that I sometimes get too serious when I sit down to write. Trying too hard to get inspiration can really backfire on even the best writers. A writer can benefit from living in the moment and hopefully the words will start to flow with ease on the page. I would love to write more but my three year old daughter is not too happy that mommy is blogging right now. Maybe I'll watch that movie tonight when I'm all alone after doing the dishes. Those are the little luxuries for mommies : )

My Young Son, The Writer

My five year old son just asked me for a pencil and paper to practice writing his alphabet. Writing is one of his favorite activities in his kindergarten classroom. He runs to the "writing center" even when his classmates zoom off to the art and play centers. At the writing center, he will sit quietly and thoughtfully as he attempts to write a sentence or two. He works hard trying to hear the letter sounds as he stretches out words. After writing a sentence, he will often add an illustration and proudly write his name on top of the paper. I know that he feels such a sense of accomplishment when he shares his ideas and thoughts in writing.

When he gets home from school, he can't wait to show his writing to everyone. He especially likes to share his writing with his older brothers. I think he feels more part of their world now that he is beginning to read and write. Something truly does click inside of young children when they start expressing themselves through writing. You can see how their self-confidence soars as their writing skills grow. Teachers must feel enlivened each time that spark of recognition and inspiration bring out the writer in a young child. What a grand sense of accomplishment!

My five year old son just finished a few sentences about his family and a trip to the zoo. His smile is priceless. His excitement is inspirational. Maybe his brothers will put down the video game controller for a minute and grab a pencil : )

Finding a Poetry Publisher

I like to write poetry at times. For me, I think that poetry is a good medium for my creativity. My two or three free verse poems often start with a sharp visual description which hopefully sparks some kind of intuitive response in the reader. I like to explore the power of a single word or string of words to give the reader an impression or personal recognition of an emotion or event.

Publishing my poetry does not come as easily as composing my poems. Even though I'm not sure if there is a definite audience for my poetry, I would be curious to venture out and see if there is any interest. Poetry is so subjective. I fear that each poetry editor can't help but evaluate poetry submissions through their own "poetic taste" lens. I know that I would probably fall into that trap too.

I joke with my kids that at least they will have my little book of poetry even if the rest of the world never sees it.

But I'll continue to try and find a magazine, periodical or editor who may see what I'm trying to convey in my poems. I hope to find other aspiring poets who can share their experiences and frustrations with publishing poetry.

A poem breathes even if only for the poet.

Kids Need to be Writers

Writing well is such an essential skill for personal and professional success. I am afraid that today's kids are not practicing writing enough or building on their creative writing skills. Texting has become kids' main way to communicate these days. This shorthand approach to communication is probably going to have a significant effect on their ability to clearly communicate in writing not only in school, but also in business. There are so many great teachers who work diligently to get kids excited about writing. Wouldn't it be great if a collaborative writer's workshop period was added to each student's school day? All kids would benefit from the daily opportunity to express, create and communicate. A dedication to writing can lead a student writer's confidence soaring in both the classroom and social life.

I think that parents have to strongly support, encourage and praise their children's writing efforts. In partnership with creative, enthusiastic teachers, the involved parent gets the chance to "hear" their children's voices in sharing and discussing writing.

Even though I love to write, I know that my older children write only what is necessary to pass an assignment. I hope that some of my excitement about writing rubs off on them someday. We'll see!