It takes a village to mulch a park.
Pick up a pitch fork and come pitch in.
Bring a rake — we’ll show where to begin.
Bring a wheelbarrow to move stuff around;
there are weeds to pull and mulch to lay down.
From 2 to 4 come down to ONK park.
We’ll work some, but not up to dark.
Stop by on Sunday with your pair of gloves
and show this little park a lot of love.
Filed under Photo by author, Photo Finish Friday, poetry by author
Rain plucks at the soil /
Thunder cackles through the clouds /
Earth’s face awakens.
Filed under Haiku to You Thursday, poetry by author
On Saturday, February 1, 2014, I took a workshop sponsored by the Knoxville Writers’ Guild (www.knoxvillewritersguild.org) and led by nationally published author Pamela Schoenewaldt (www.PamelaSchoenewaldt.com and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pamela-Schoenewaldt/158580547517755?ref=tn_tnmn).
Answering questions beforehand could save you heartburn later.
The workshop was on character development. What you have below is the third of the three handout exercises from the workshop. The first one, “Who are you?” was posted two Wednesdays ago. The second one, “Conflict Worksheet” was posted last Wednesday.
Each previous worksheet / exercise could be done in ten minutes or less, and oftentimes not pondering too long is best. This worksheet may take a little longer, but like the others can be used for the both the protagonist and antagonist of the story or novel you are working on, or just about any character you want to use it on. It might also be helpful if writing a memoir or biography.
CHARACTER SKETCH EXERCISE
Answer without worrying about grammar or logic.
• NAME your character
• LEARN your character by considering these dimension (writing notes on each or most is ideal)
• REMEMBER that your goal is a rounded character (not all good or bad) with a capacity for moving action.
• SKIP dimensions which repeat information.
• BEWARE of main characters who are very young, psychotics, or whose condition severely restricts their capacity for change.
• KNOW everything about this person.
CHARACTER DIMENSIONS
1. Age, physical appearance and attitude to body.
2. Significant health issues.
3. Distinctive physical signs: scars, handicaps, beauties, tics, tattoos, gestures.
4. Manner of speaking (level of language, accent, peculiarities). Manner of dress.
5. Living situation (where, with whom, how living space reflects character).
6. Socio-economic level and attitude to this level (satisfied, indifferent, ambitious?).
7. Work/ profession/ main activity.
8. Performance in Work/ profession/ main activity.
9. Sexuality and relationship to it (fears, doubts, longings, obsessions).
10. Quality of childhood.
11. Current relationship with family – how does it affect the person?
12. Significant intimate relationships and how they reflect the person.
13. What friends does character have? Attitude to friends, their attitudes to him/her.
14. Significant interests, hobbies, passions, obsessions.
15. Religious/spiritual practice and faith.
16. Fundamental belief about life/self (“The most important thing is . . . “)
17. How does the way the character sees him/her self compare to others’ views of him/her?
18. Major strength (include hidden strengths which could be mobilized).
19. Major success/failure or secret of past. (Any significant patterns?)
20. Typical way of dealing with stress or crisis… (Does it work? Should it change?)
21. Major weakness and fear.
22. Ambitions and blocks to achievement.
23. Shaping force/person/event of past.
24. What is not working for your character now?
25. What would your character sacrifice or fight for?
26. Where does your character experience a major conflict in values?
27. Where does your character draw the line: s/he wouldn’t do this….
28. What might push your character up to the line?
29. What conflict, choice or crisis faces the character now?
Filed under Photo by author, writing tip, Writing Tip Wednesday, writing tips
Hope is there, even in the empty dark.
Filed under cartoon by author, CarToonsday
Great Unsung Science Fiction Authors That Everybody Should Read.
Sample:
Science fiction contains more masterpieces of the imagination than anyone could read in a single lifetime. And your local used book store or science fiction bookshop is teeming with great adventures you’ve never discovered. Here are 12 great science fiction authors who deserve more props.
Note: We’re not saying that any of these authors is obscure, or that nobody’s ever sung their praises — we know that they’ve all had their praises sung, many of them on io9 in the past. But these are terrific science fiction scribes, whose work deserves more love and appreciation.
[Editor’s note: One author I would add to this list, Henry Kuttner. He is mentioned in the article, but I think deserves an entry of his own, if for no other reason than his influence on Ray Bradbury.]
Filed under authors, science fiction
30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself. #10 Is An Absolute Must..
Sample:
Marc and Angel, two passionate writers, life-hackers and “admirers of the human spirit,” have come up with an amazing list of 30 things to stop doing to yourself. If you like their list, make sure you check out their site and sign up to their amazing newsletter.
#1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.
Filed under Uncategorized
A poem about writing.
I write and edit, then write some more
Somedays it’s like breathing and others, a chore
At times I force it, a few words on the page
Then it flows in rivers, rapids that rage
There’s never a reason, rarely a rhyme
Most think it silly, a waste of my time
But still I keep writing the words I like best
Because in the end, it brings my soul rest
You don’t have to like it. I don’t need you to care
I do it for the moments that I crave it like air
Filed under Uncategorized
While I don’t think the ground hog’s prediction (at least not seeing his shadow round here) has come to pass, this is an interesting look at the holiday and a few others as well.
Filed under Uncategorized
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