I'm so excited

Looking forward to a fun, dazzling, super, wild, party at the club in warm weather.  I can already feel the warm Florida air oozing through the jet and through the pores of my skin. My thoughts sparkle like a sunset on the gulf waters.

A future author's thoughts on writing and life: Where is the Sun?

A future author's thoughts on writing and life: Where is the Sun?: "Where is the Sun? Is it hiding under the snow? Maybe it's hiding out with a crow. Is it hiding in the North Pole? Maybe it's h..."

Where is the Sun?

Where is the Sun?
Is it hiding under the snow?  
Maybe it's hiding out with a crow.
Is it  hiding in the North Pole?
Maybe it's hiding out with a mole.
Is it hiding behind a cloud?
Yes. Now everyone shout aloud!



Sun, Sun, come out today

So I can run and jump and play.

Life's mysteries

Norm and I went to CRPC to set his parents ashes in the memorial wall. Barbara Jordan, the minister, was there.  Two other people, who are in charged of the garden and the memorial wall, also joined us. It was cloudy and cool out. While Barbara said a prayer that included Joe and Jean's names, a gentle breeze brushed against my face. Shortly after,  a blue patch of sky appeared, the sun's rays streamed around us, and a few sprinkles of snow floated down. I couldn't help but stare at the sky. I asked myself Did this really happen? God planned a beautiful setting for us.

Later I went to the store to buy ingredients for Kibbee-Norm's dad always made it for the Holidays-and when I entered the store there were two musicians-one playing the steel drums and the other playing the marimba-Norm's mom played the marimba. My eyes widened and My body floated as I listened to the Christmas music thinking to myself, this just can't be a coincidence.

Yes Virginia there is a God.

Full moon setting in the morning.

I awoke, peered out the window, and gasped when I observed a full moon in the western sky of Florida.  Grabbing my camera, I raced outside and clicked, clicked, clicked.  God is so creative!!!!! I am so blessed to have the opportunity to witness this.

Conflict, tension, and the unknown future.


I can't believe it's been over a month since I've written in my blog.  Had trouble sleeping last night. Concerned about my dog Kustard. He has been pacing, can't see or hear. Has had a couple of accidents since we arrived in Florida. I'm starting to think about his quality of life. Should he spend anymore time here when his quality of life is drifting away.  He is anxious when I'm gone and also showing signs of senility.  But I really can't do anything until after the Holidays. So I have to leave him here in Florida during the Holidays and spend tons of money to have him kenneled. Will he survive it. Too many changes for him at his age. Too much stress.

I'm also stressed about Norm and the conflict between him and another person. What does this mean. Another job. Will we have to sell our place in Wisconsin. Will we have to move to another city.

I'm also upset because Cindy has been really snotty towards me. Sometimes she is so nice and then when I see her out in public she barely talks to me. I need to stay away from her. I don't know what her problem is.
Well enough negative talk. But it felt good to vent.

Prayer of comfort for a family I know who is hurting

Lord hear my prayer,

Your love for this family is their lifeline during this hard time .Help them see the way through simple, everyday circumstances during this difficult situation. Praise the Lord

Why do I write by JoAnn Early Macken

JoAnn Early Macken said this so well that I had to paste it onto my blog

Why do I write? I often say that I think better with a pen in my hand. Sometimes it acts like an extension of my arm and moves across the paper almost by itself. Thoughts pour out that I wasn't even aware of, as if I’ve turned on a tap that allows words to gush onto the page.

Sometimes my brain gets so overloaded that something has to spill somewhere somehow. Writing makes room for what I take in. My brain organizes the most urgent and/or relevant thoughts in ways I can’t always comprehend, and presto! They land on the page for me to sort through.

Sometimes I find scribbled notes in my own handwriting that I can’t remember writing.

Sometimes I write things that scare me because they are so surprising. I ask myself, Where did that come from? And sometimes what pours out is frightening because it’s so personal and so revealing. But a certain kind of strength comes from opening up and saying to the world, “This is who I am, this is what I believe, this is what I stand for.” I think my sister Peggy coined the phrase we used way back in college to describe that oxymoronic state: “invincible vulnerability.” The term has stuck with me all these years because even though it’s a difficult state to attain, I keep striving to reach it. Staying open requires honesty and attention, and the rewards justify the effort. Writing helps me not only discover what I truly believe but also express my beliefs. It helps me focus, pushes me to stretch beyond what I’ve grown accustomed to, beyond the easy route.

Why do I write? I write to remember and to uncover the truth—not only in stories but also in me. I write to learn and to share what I’ve learned, to collect information, to incorporate opposing viewpoints, to organize my thoughts. And a certain kind of joy—or at least satisfaction—comes from watching seemingly random concepts evolve and coalesce into a logical form.

I write for reasons that seem contradictory but connect in ways that make perfect sense to me. And for me, living a meaningful life means making connections: past to present, here to there, me to you.

Prayer of comfort for a family I know who is hurting

Lord hear my prayer,

Your love for this family is their lifeline during this hard time .Help them see the way through simple, everyday circumstances during this difficult situation. Praise the Lord

Going to the writers retreat. I am  looking forward to mingling, writing, and learning.

Noises

My next story is going to be a mystery. It's  going to be based on an experience I had when I was doing a long term sub position. There were unusual noises in the room. kissing. I thought I knew who it was making those noises. She was very noisy. dating. I told other teachers and they just past it off as nothing.  Years later, those noises I heard were real. sex. But the noises really came from the quiet third grade girl. Abuse.

Our neighborhood mourns the death of the accidental death of a 17-year-old girl

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

First I want to send healing prayers to all those who have lost a love one on 9-11 and pay respect to all those who have fought for our safety. God help all the love ones who have lost a family member or friend in the war on terror. And I pray that you can soften the hearts of those that hate us. Amen



Julia said Smith Magazine suggests writing about “a single moment which changed...(your) life in a profound way. Your “Moment” could be a decision you made, something you saw, a letter or email sent or received, a literal or mental discovery. The Moment can be serious or funny, dark or light.”

I have had many pivotal moments.

If you ask, God will help, but not on my time schedule, but his.

It's healtier to focus on positive rather than negative

Changing my major in college

I enjoyed teaching

Quit my job to stay home and raise my children

Realized I didn't have to be friends with everyone, especially ones who were extremely negative

Realized I can't do it all.  I don't have to have a perfect body and clean house

I learned I can't change people but I can change myself.

My favorite part of writing is critquing,  and creating new metaphors and similes. Plot is the hardest part.

I have to lose weight to reduce my knee pain.

I need to start doing  yoga again.

Men are from Mars and Women are from venus

Have to accept that my husband is never going to pick up his clothes

I must have done something right because both my boys have jobs. And they like to return home and cook for me.

Learned it's OK to say no.

Need balance in my life-spiritual, physical, and mental.

I hiked through the park for 45 minutes. These are some of the flowers and landscape I observed. There was a thin sheet of mist covering Lake Michigan. The different shades of gray with the sunlight streaming through the clouds was like seeing my sons after they were born. I felt as though my eyes were addicted to the sky. How blessed I felted to be able to witness this. And how blessed I am to be able to walk for 45 minutes.

5 things I'm thankful for

I am thankful for being able to walk in the park, garden, the blue sky, warm weather,my friends and family

Thank you God for everything

Today’s prompt: you get a choice today.




1) If you have a Work In Progress, interview one of the secondary characters about the main character. Be open to allowing the secondary character to go off on a rant and tell you things you didn’t know before.

Today’s prompt: We often think of what our characters are capable of doing, instead of figuring out what they cannot do. Brainstorm a physical limitation for your character. It could be as simple as not being able to stand on one leg, or a limitation that has tremendous impact on her life. Or it could be a temporary limitation that furthers the plot, like Bethany cutting her foot and needing to use crutches in Twisted. OR write about one of your limitations. When did it start? How does it play out in unseen ways? Will it ever change? Do you want it to?

Today’s prompt: Make a list of ten animals that could be your Muse. Circle the one that evokes the strongest reaction in you; positive or negative.
Write a scene in which you or a character has an interaction with this animal. At some point in the scene, the animal does something to change your emotional reaction to it. Either you first find it cute, and then disgusting. Or at first frightening, and then enchanting.
After the emotional switch, you get to ask the animal three questions. What will you ask? And what are the answers?


WT knocked over the can of nightcrawlers. Karly watched him pick up  one. It had enough slime on it to fill a cup and looked big enough to feed a family of robins. It slipped out of WT's grip and wiggled on the ground. Karl'ys stomach coiled.

Karly watched a robin struggle to pull a nightcrawler out of the can. With the nightcrawler in the robin's beak,  it flapped it's wings,  but couldn't pull the nightcrawler out of the dirt. It was too long and strong. After several attempts the bird gave up, flew into the tree, began to scold.  The nightcrawler slipped under the dirt.

Today’s prompt: Identify your strengths and weaknesses as a writer. Which is easier for you – plot or character? Dialog or description? Writing about sound or writing about smell or taste? First person or third person POV? Skimming the action along quickly or slowing down to savor the smallest and most significant detail?

Character, dialog, writing about sound and skimming the action along quickly. Those are my strenghths.


Once you have identified what you are good at and what you are not quite good at yet but will be soon, you are going to develop a scene. First pass, use only only your great tools. Revise it using only your soon-to-be-better tools.



Need a scene? How’s this: your teenage character comes home hours after curfew. Everyone is sleeping. Except the skunk that is eating the garbage in the kitchen.

Today’s prompt: Fill out the list of characteristics below. Then write ten questions about your character’s actions and motivations for the actions that you don’t have answers for yet.


Name




Age



High school & reputation



This summer char. has been..



Next year char. will…



Parents



Loves -



Hates



Is afraid of



Worries about



Secrets



Physical quirks, nervous habits



Fav. Phrase



Triumph



Best quality



Dares to



Appearance



Car



Music



Food

Today’s prompt: Create the flap copy for your book. Doesn’t matter if you are writing fiction, non-fiction, or memoir. Write the two or three sentences that convey the essence of your story in a way that will convince someone to read the entire book.

This can be incredibly hard. In fact, I can’t do it in the earliest draft of my book. This is usually because I haven’t yet fully figured the internal journey of my main character. Take a half dozen of your favorite books off the shelf and read the flap copy to learn how the book was distilled into a few lines. Does that flap copy do a good job of it? Would you have written it differently?                                                                            If you are still stuck, ask yourself this: What does your character want? What is the most basic driving desire that compels your character through your story? What stands in the way of that desire?

Today’s prompt: What things does your character believe in so strongly, that she is willing to fight for them? Write a scene in which this belief puts her at odds with someone she cares about. OR What are you willing to fight for? What are you secretly a supporter of, but you are looking for the courage to speak up about?


Karly believes in equality for Blacks and also believes they are basically good.

Talking to blacks
Hanging out with WT
Sitting next to a black hippie on the bus
Wanted to buy a purple outfit.

hummingbird

A hummingbird zips to the feeder

It flys faster than I can wink.

A humming sound floats through the air

As it sips the surgary drink.

The hummingbird makes a high squeaking call

When another one hovers nearby.

A chase begins, they dart over the trees

and shoot up up up into the sky.

                     hum                                           Zig       

            fly,                                            Zag

Zipppppppppppppppp                                    Zig

                                                                                                      
                                                            Zag                                    
       Hover                                                                                      

                                                                                                    

       squeak,                                          Dart                        

                                                                     

  sip.                                                      shoot
                                                                up

                                                           

                                                       

                                                                          and Dart

These are some of the verbs describing that little hummingbird.

Today’s prompt:

1. Pick a color.
2. Write down its name then list ten things that the name or the color itself make you think of.
3. Here’s the tricky part. Write ten verbs that spring to mind when you look at that color or its name.
4. Choose the verbs and nouns that resonate the most with you. Write a scene that uses those things and verbs OR go off on an extended riff about what associations those words create for you.
5. Bonus points: Do the exercise again with a different color. This time, combine the nouns from Color One with the verbs from Color Two.

Blue:  swim                 water
          fly                     sky
          dive                  summer
          freeze                winter
          drink                 glass
           sing                   song
           sick                  shoe
           paint                 Picasso
           walk                  Rome
           wear                  Jeans

If your book doesn’t have a scene of someone eating something, you might want to consider one. Most people eat at least three times a day – often more – and a meal can carry every imaginable kind of metaphorical weight. It’s a great way to show fault lines in relationships or to bring people closer.It is also a wonderful way to avoid the dreaded “talking heads” chapters in which you need to have characters talking, but can’t figure out what they should be doing. The trick is to make the meal fit into the larger story arc naturally. Make sure it is motivated beforehand and that it triggers something later in the story.

Today’s prompt:

Do not write about a meal. (Ha! Got you!) Write a scene in which your characters prepare a meal OR write about a memory you have of a meal being prepared. Try to focus in on tiny details in the kitchen that will give clues about the the people in the scene. It is natural to have lots of smells and tastes in a scene like this – remember to add in sound.

      In the afternoon, Karly helped Grandma make brownies for dessert. Grandma got out all the ingredients before they started.  Karly measured the ingredients as Grandma told her what each measurement was for each ingreadient.
     "I'll let you use the mixer, but put the blades in first before plugging it in," Grandma said.
      After inserting the blades and plugging the mixer in Karly stuck it into the mountain of flour, sugar, cocoa  and eggs. She moved the mixer in a figure eight, listening to the buzzing. She manuerved it around the edges of the bowl and through the middle until it looked  like brown silk. she pressed the off  button. "Can I lick the blades?" asked Karly
      "Sure," Grandma said, pouring the mix into a baking pan. She scraped the remainder and then handed it to Karly. "You can what's left on the scraper too."
       The chocolate flavor slid down her throat. "This tastes better than the brownies after their baked. I could eat that whole bowl."
        Grandma closed the oven door. "You're going to have to wait 30 minutes to have a taste."
        "I can't wait," Karly said. "Do we have ice cream for the brownies?"
        "I don't know, why don't you look."
        Karly looked in the freezer. "There's a gallon of vanilla," she said, closing the door. A scent of chocalate produced a pool of water in her mouth.
       "Grandma, I'm going outside. Call me when they're done."
       "Before you go outside, I want you to wipe the dishes first."
       Darn, I thought she'd let me get out of it this time.

A future author's thoughts on writing and life: Congratulations to Martin Kaymer. Congratulations ...

A future author's thoughts on writing and life: Congratulations to Martin Kaymer. Congratulations ...: "Congratulations to Martin Kaymer. Congratulations to Bubba Watson for making the play off. Unfortunately 'The Ruling' took the excitment out..."

Today’s prompt:

1) Make a list of the five things that you or your character are most afraid of.
2) Circle the one that makes your heart race and palms sweat.
3) Write a scene in which you or your character has to confront the scary thing in a very public place – filled with people – so you (or the character) can’t freak out and run away screaming. You have to interact or avoid the scary thing, but in such a way that no one else will notice you are afraid.
4) Do all of the above without using the word “afraid,” “fear,” or “scared.” Show the emotion instead of telling the reader about it.

1.My character is afraid of a confrontation with Grandma.
2.Afraid of getting involved with the Fair Housing Marches 
3.Afraid of standing up for what she believes
4 Afraid of getting caught going to the river
5 Afraid of getting caught spending time with WT
6.Afraid of touching worms.
 
 
Karly got up the following morning. She was still feeling anger towards Grandma because of the way she treated WT. She had had enough. She was going to join WT in the march across the 16th street viaduct. After breakfast she planned to tell everyone what her plans were.
 
She buttoned up her floral blouse and headed for the kitchen. Her entire family was sitting at the dining room table, except Grandma. Karly's stomach felt as though there were frogs hopping around inside.
 
"Morning," said Mom. "Why are you wearing your good floral blouse?"
Dad looked up from his paper. "You look very pretty. Are you going shopping or to the movies today?"
Karly shook her head. Perspiration began to sprout under her arms.
"I'm going to...I going to march over the bridge. She said it so fast that Dad asked her to repeat what she said.
"I said that I'm...Before she could finish Grandma walked in.
Karly's armpits began to feel like a cloud raining on her blouse.
Grandma set a plate of toast on the table. "Anyone care for more scrambled eggs?," she asked.
Karly averted her eyes from Grandma  and grabbed a piece of toast.
Mom and Jack shook their heads.
"They were deliscious," said Dad. "But I already had two helpings."
"I'm going to finish my coffee and then do the dishes," said Grandma, sitting down.
"So, where are you going?" asked Dad
Karly spred jam on her toast  Now her stomach felt as though there were a thousand frogs hopping inside it. I said, I'm going to march across the sixteenth street viaduct with WT and his family.
"What," Grandma raised her voice. "You know I don't want you spend time with that Negro and now you're going with him to a march with those people. I will not allow it."
Now Karly's stomach felt like a thousand frogs were hopping inside it.
"I don't care if you spend time with WT," said Dad. "But I don't think it's safe for you to go to the march."
will finish later.

Congratulations to Martin Kaymer. Congratulations to Bubba Watson for making the play off. Unfortunately "The Ruling" took the excitment out of the playoff like a birthday party with the clown not showing up.It's all Herb Kohler's, the golf officials, and grounds keepers fault. I can't believe that anything behind the ropes would be considered a bunker, especially when fans are standing in them and changing their structure. The officials or Herb Kohler should be fined. Now the pros have to take classes on identifying bunkers outside the ropes!!! This golf pro had so much on his mind. a million dollars is at stake, and he had a bad shot into the crowd. The adrenline is kicking in. One thing on his mind-Is he going to get to the green.  Then add thousands of fans surrounding him-I would have felt claustrophobic, and trampled grass mixed with sand-a sand trap never would have crossed my mind. Dustin Johnson you are the real winner of the Whistling Straits tournament. You didn’t shout over the intercom, “everyone, ... you,” slide down a bluff into Lake Michigan with two beers, and take off in a boat. Yes, you showed real sportsman-like behavior and you learned lesson 101-- Life Is Not Fair.

Sights in August

Monarch butterflies fluttering

grasshoppers, hornets and bees.

Queen-anne-lace swaying
coneflowers, milkweeds, and lilies

Humingbirds sipping
bluebirds, crows, and chickadees.

Football players tackling.
joggers, swimmers, and referees.

From LHA BLOG

1. Pick a random name.

2. Write down the name and follow it with this “grabbed the car keys and closed the door quietly so no one would wake up.”
3. Next line write AND THEN
4. Next line write another action that your newly named character did. Don’t overthink this. Just move the story forward by one sentence that has action in it – no internal narrative, no dialog, no long-winded description.
5. Repeat Steps 3 & 4 until you have written 50 sentences of sequential action. The point is to exercise the pure storytelling muscle in your brain (hence the AND THEN) while allowing your imagination free rein.

Lucy grabbed the car keys amd closed the door quietly so no one would wake up. And then she jumped in her fathers car and drove to the river. and then she met her friend Todd, and then they rode on the raft and then they hit a rock and then Todd fell in the water and then Lucy screamed and then the raft hit Todd in the head and then he lost consciousness and then Lucy jumped in and then she grabbed Todds shirt and then she swam to shore with Todd and then she screamed at Todd to wake up and then she tried mouth to mouth resusitation, and then Todd finally began coughing and then Lucy hugged Todd and then Todd said he couldn't remember anything and then Lucy told him what happened and then Todd said his head hurt and then Lucy said they should go to the hospital. And then when Todd had enough strength they walked to the car and then Lucy drove Todd to the hospital, and then they waited in the hospital emergency room and then Todd threw up and then Lucy  had to clean it up and the a nurse took him to a room. and   then Todd layed down, and then the nurse asked what happened, and then  Lucy told the story, and then the Doctor came in and then they took xrays and then the Doctor told them that Todd had a concussion, and then Lucy took Todd home and then Todds parent s were thankful, but upset, and then Lucy left and then the Police stopped her and then asked her for her drivers license, and then Lucy told them she didn't have one because she was only 12, and then the police lectured her and then  they called her home and then her father came, and then he drove her home, and then he made her go straight to her bedroom and he would talk to her later and then Lucy went to the bedroom and them she took off her clothes, and then she took a shower and then she went to bed, and then she fell asleep and then her father woke her up and then he scolded her, and then she cried, and then he said she couldn't go out for a month, and then he left the room, and then Lucy continued to cry, and then her mom came in, and then she lectured Lucy, and then Lucy cried again.  She cried until she fell asleep.

Today’s prompt: Your character finds a box hidden at the back of her closet. Inside it are things from her childhood that someone saved for her. What is in the box? (Hint – focus on the way things smell.) OR If you found a box of items from your childhood, what would it contain?

When Karly grabbed a blanket on the top shelf of the closet, a cardboard box fell down. She opened it and inhaled the scent of cardboard mixed with a mustiness. The first thing she noticed was the angel ornament she used to play with when she was around four. It was pink and sparkly. A baby doll that smelled like rubber wearing a yellow musty-smelling dress that was on backwards. There were also pictures that she had drawn for Grandma and Grandpa. One was a self portrait with stick legs coming out of a giant head. Karly chuckled. Another picture she drew was a frog next to a pond. She must  have been a little older because it had a body, but no legs.  Of course there was a thick strip of blue to represent the sky and a sun in the corner of the picture. It was ripped, but there was yellowed scotch tape to hold it together. The next picture she drew was a picture of Grandpa fishing. A sadness bit Karly like a dog bites a bone. Tears filled the corner of her eyes. She turned the picture over. It was still too hard for her to look at any photos or pictures of  Grandpa after he died.

Weather Proverb

mist on the windows during the day, people outside will sweat and sway.

dragonflies catching and eating their prey, means no mosquitos the following day.

Today’s prompt: Craft a scene in which your character is backed into a corner, pushed against the wall, driven to the brink. Force her into an emotional reaction that is the sort of thing she has never done before. What will she do? Why? What does this tell you about her that you didn’t know before?


Karly ran behind WT carrying Jack. When they reached Grandma's, Karly flew up the steps and held the door open for WT and then told WT to lay Jack down on the couch. Jack was moaning. Grandma walked in. "What happened to Jack?"   then she look at WT. What is he doing in here? Did he hurt Jack, Get out right now.  Grandma, he's only helping. He saved Jack from drowning. We have to take Jack to the hospital he hurt his leg. Maybe it's broken.  I'll call Mrs. Sather, she can drive Jack to the hospital. WT sat next to Jack and told  him he was a tough kid. Grandma came back into the room. Mrs. Sather is coming right now. WT began to pick up Jack. I think Karly can help carry Jack. We don't need your help. Grandma, WT is stronger than me so he can carry Jack. Fine, but he has to leave as soons as we get Jack in the car.

Sounds of August

Mosquitos buzzing, crickets chirring, dog barking in the distance, and an excited gold finch singing de de de dee.  Oh, and then there's my crutches clomping on the patio. co lump  co lump

As my husband is driving me to the hospital for my surgery, I noticed the sky was gray. I thought about how in writing sometimes there will be a scene where there is happy moment  or it's a beautiful day and then it is followed by a scene where there is trajedy,failure,etc. I thought to myself it's a cloudy day. Maybe this is a sign that something good will follow. negative/positive               grey,gloomy-looking sky/successful surgery????? Will this happen to me like the same technique authors use? 'Surprisingly, four hours later, I found myself using crutches and walking on my foot with no pain in my knee. NOW that's a miracle.

The day began with a blanket of clouds, and when I left the hospital the sky sparkled with blue. I am blessed and thankful for God to make it a successful surgery.

Welcome to my First Blog

Pam Matar

Welcome blogger friends....I'm trying to be a writer and yes, I have been rejected. I'm currently  focussing on finishing my mg historical novel. It's about a girl, Karly, who moves to Milwaukee from small town Wisconsin, in the late 60's, and lives with her Grandma. During this time the Blacks are fighting for equal housing.   Karly loves her grandma, but dislikes Grandma's fear and prejudice of Blacks. Karly tries to ignore it. Eventually, it begins to bother her, and she finally makes the decision to do what she feels is right.


I have about four more chapters left. Then another one or two go arounds with crits and revisions.

Tomorrow I go in for knee surgery. I tore my miniscus and have been hobbling around the house, yard, friends homes, restaurants, all summer. I missed out on so much, but I also accomplished things that I wouldn't have done otherwise such as, reading, writing, visiting with my parents, and the most exciting thing ......CLEANING OUT CLOSETS. My husband, who was not born to be a homemaker, had been very good about helping. I also have been working on being patient with myself and family. I've had to let things go. It's not in my nature to just sit. Many times I've had to turn to God to help me work on my patience and not to feel sorry for myself. I'm working hard at focussing on my blessings.