A new year beckons /
Our chance to begin again /
wearing our old scars.
Filed under Haiku to You Thursday, poetry by author
6 Tips for (Really) Finishing Your First Book in 2015
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carrie-visintainer/6-tips-for-really-finishi_b_6392358.html
by Carrie Visintainer
It’s that time of year for New Year’s Resolutions. Love ’em or hate ’em, they come up in all kinds of conversations. Maybe one of your big goals is to publish a book. (Possibly, this has been a resolution of yours for several years, and you just keep transferring it forward.) So in 2015, why not commit? Make it a priority and knock out that first novel, memoir, or story collection. Here are six tips for making your book happen this year.
1. Choose a writing space: This doesn’t have to be an entire room of your own, but it does help to have a designated area just for you, just for writing.
2. Carve out time: This is a challenge for pretty much everyone, no matter your life circumstances. … But you can control this, and you can start by setting realistic goals. Maybe you shoot for an hour every day, or ten pages, or 1,000 words. Do this for a month, and you’ll be amazed: The pages will begin to add up.
3. Turn off your inner censor: We all want to write things that sound beautiful and intelligent; rivaling literary greats and authors we admire. … Be easy on yourself (which is very hard). Commit to the task of putting words on a page without judgment. There’s plenty of time to go back and revise later.
4. Stop at an energetic place: During each writing session, it might take you a while to get warmed up, but then words will begin to flow. Keep going with this, and then do something key: Stop writing for the day when you’re still feeling energized.
5. Join a writers’ group: Critique groups are useful for several reasons. Accountability and camaraderie are but two reasons. … If you don’t know of any critique groups in your area, try posting an ad in a coffee shop or café and see who replies.
6. Reward yourself: Because the act of writing isn’t particularly glamorous — it might even be the hardest thing you’ve ever done — it’s important to celebrate.
Rest of the article at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carrie-visintainer/6-tips-for-really-finishi_b_6392358.html
Filed under writing tip, Writing Tip Wednesday
An alien crash lands on earth, wanders into a small town, finds the only house with a novelist in it and knocks on the door.
The novelist answers and after the initial shock of seeing such a strange creature, the creature hands him a note. It reads: “In your language, I have come to invade and conquer.”
The novelist scribbles something on a piece of notebook paper, tears it out, and hands it to the alien: “Why?”
The alien types in something on his keyboard and out prints his response: “Because you are weak and we are strong and this world has many things to offer us.”
“Does that include the asteroid on a collision course toward earth?” the novelist asks.
The alien thinks about that. After a moment, the alien turns and leaves.
The novelist turns back to his writing, knowing nobody would believe him if he put this incident in his novel: an alien with good grammar. Unbelievable. After all, fiction had to be believable.
Filed under Monday morning writing joke
It is the first or second weekend of the month and time, once again, for a new word to live by. This is a word or phrase not currently in use in the U.S. English lexicon, but might need to be considered. Other words, such as obsurd, crumpify, subsus, flib, congressed, and others, can be found by clicking on the tags below. Today’s New Word is a compounding of two words sheep and donkey. Without further chattering, shonkey is the new word / phrase for this month:
Sheep, n. a ruminant mammal related to goats, of the genius Ovis and the family Bovidae, often domesticated for is hair and sometimes for meat.
Donkey, n. domesticated ass. Also a ruminant, though nor related to the sheep.
How about Shonkey?
Shonkey, n. An animal in a manger scene or other situation that you are not quite sure what it is. Is that a sheep? No, it’s a donkey. You sure? Could be any animal of the manger scene, or any animal in any other situation. For example, hunting: Bill, what was that animal? It was a shonkey, Ed.
Shonkey is the animal equivalent of doohickey, which is an informal word for a part, a tool, a gadget, a dingus, or a thingumbob.
Filed under New words to live by
Big Love Bus
On a cold winter’s day
what can I say?
Take the Big Love Bus.
During a gray, rainy snap
put on your raincoat and cap
and ride the Big Love Bus.
Tell it where to go.
Sit back and enjoy the show
on the Big Love Bus.
Even if the sun should shine
the ride will still be fine
on the Big Love Bus.
The 1970s didn’t die, they got bussed down memory lane.
Filed under photo, Photo by author
[Editor’s note: we interrupt the regularly scheduled Haiku to you to present this bit of rhyming poetry for the new year.]
by David E. Booker
New Year’s Eve and me
Aggrieved I must be
Because you won’t hear my plea
And let me be free.
Be free on this last day
This last day I must here stay
Trying to “make hay”
While others are out to play
Out to play and party
I must be here and be not tardy
I must work and be not lardy.
O’ why am I so dumb and not a smarty?
Not a smarty and be not free
Not free and here I must be
Must be here, being me,
Being me, being me, o’ woe is me
The not-so-life of the not-free party.
Filed under poetry by author
Booker's Blog 