The People In Your Family Stories

Elizabeth Doonan Studham

Laura Betourne Julien

Family Stories:  Part 3

The past two days, I've featured the importance of saving your family stories and how to prepare to write them. Today, I'd like to talk about the kind of stories you can write and save for your family.

First of all, the two ladies pictured today are my grandmothers. The one on the left is my maternal grandmother and on the right, you will see my paternal grandmother. Two very different women with next to nothing in common.

Grandma Studham grew up on a farm in Minnesota. Her parents had come to our country from Ireland. She married a coal miner and they lived and struggled from pay envelope to pay envelope. They separated when my mother was 12 years old. Grandma supported her youngest child and herself by running a Boarding house and then starting a small neighborhood bakery. She worked hard all of her life.

Grandma Julien grew up pampered and petted by adoring parents who owned a saloon--yes, in those days, it was a saloon. She married the son of French-Canadian immigrants. They had 5 children, the oldest two dying of diphtheria. By the time my dad arrived (#5), they were fairly affluent and sent to England for custom made shoes for the children and had a summer cottage on a lake. This grandmother died before I was born, so the stories my dad told about her gave me a clear picture of the woman she had been.

That's only two of the people in my family that I have written about. There are my parents, my siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I have also written about some of the people in my husband's family. He had one aunt who was the family historian and storyteller. She knew the importance of preserving the past for the present and future family members. When my oldest granddaughter was quite small, Aunt Fannie put together a photo album of her family, including her parents and some of her 8 siblings. At the time, some in the family thought it was an odd gift to give a small child. Now, she is about to turn 23 and that gift has some meaning for her.

Aunt Fannie told me a wonderful story about the way she and my husband's mother got their names. They were the two youngest in the large family. Their parents had come to America from Germany and farmed in central Illinois. Neither of the last two children born were given names. Instead, they were called Big Baby and Little Baby until they went to school. It was then that a name was required. How Papa named them is a wonderful story. I wrote a story for children the way I imagined it happened, in other words, a fictionalized version of a true story.  You can read the story here.

Yesterday, I suggested you make a list of phrases that might act as prompts for stories or to trigger a memory. You might also make a list of all your family members that you know now or can remember from the past, either knowing them personally or hearing about them. Use the list to trigger more memories and to decide who you will write about. There is no rule as to how long or how short the story should be.

Here's a story about my Grandma Studham that is a favorite memory. I was quite young when it occurred but it impressed me so much that I remember it clearly. The story was published in an anthology titled.  Chicken Soup for the Tea Lover's Soul

Everyday Tea

By Nancy Julien Kopp

I learned to drink tea at a very early age. My Scots-Irish grandmother owned a small neighborhood bakery, and for the first five years of my life, my mother and I spent our week-day mornings in the working area of that establishment. I learned early on that I was to stay out of the way of those who worked at the high tables, and that the sales area of the bakery remained forbidden territory.

Many were the times that I crept to the doorway and peeked into the room where glass cases held the delectable treats my grandmother created. Cakes and pies, bread and rolls, coffeecakes and cookies lined the shelves, I watched with interest as a young Czech girl served customers. More than once, a firm hand circled my arm, pulled me none too gently away from the doorway and scolded me on the way to the long picnic table that ran across one end of the workroom. The pale green oilcloth cover served as background to thick white cups and saucers that sat ready to be filled with the strong, hot tea brewed in a plain brown teapot. “You can only make good tea in a plain brown pot,” Grandma remarked on many occasions.

Grandma served the tea, but when she came to mine she poured only half a cup. Then she added a spoonful of sugar and filled my cup to the top with milk. “English tea for you,” she’d say. Never would our tea be savored all by itself. Grandma always had a plate of something fresh from the oven. Cinnamon rolls, or sliced coffeecakes or a muffin. To this day, I like a little bit of something sweet to go with my tea. The scent of yeast and spices surrounded us as we sipped the tea. In wintertime, we enjoyed the waves of warmth from the ovens, and in summer, we put up with the combined heat of the outside temperature and those never-empty ovens while we had our everyday tea.

I lifted my cup with both hands and sipped at my “English tea” and listened to Mother and my uncle chat. I nibbled on one of the goodies Grandma passed to me, and I knew only contentment. I liked sitting at the long table during the tea break swinging my legs, waiting for the time when they would all return to work and I could plan my next peek out front.

One Saturday afternoon after the baking had been done, Grandma came to our apartment. She was dressed in a tailored suit and wore a hat that had big pink roses on it. She carried white gloves and a handbag. She wasn’t the grandma I knew, the one who wore a Mother Hubbard apron over her plain cotton dress every day. “We’re going to Marshall Fields today to have our tea,” she told me. I looked at my mother to see what she thought about this new situation. She smiled and repeated the oft-used phrase of all mothers in the early 1940s, “Be a good girl.”

Grandma and I rode the elevated train to downtown Chicago. The conductor called out the stops, and finally, Grandma tugged at my hand. We stepped out onto a wooden platform where we were greeted by a symphony of traffic sounds. Pigeons strutted nearby, pecking at peanuts tossed on the platform. I was fascinated by the soft, grey birds and would have stayed to watch them, but Grandma whisked me through a set of double doors that led into the famed Marshall Field’s store. We walked straight into the china department. Glorious china, crystal, silver, and linens were displayed on dining room tables. But there was no tea here.

My little-girl legs worked hard to keep up with Grandma as she led the way to the elevators. “Seven please,” Grandma said to the operator, and up we went. The doors opened, and we stepped into the magnificent Walnut Room. Dark paneled walls, soft carpet and potted palms surrounded us. A hostess led us to a small table draped with a snowy linen cloth. Other ladies with suits, hats and gloves sat at similar tables. I felt a tickle in my tummy for I knew now that this would not be an everyday tea. Something special waited for us in this elegant dining room.

Grandma spoke softly to a uniformed waitress, then settled into her chair and graced me with a warm smile. Her face looked softer than it did at the bakery where she spent so many hours. Even at my young age, I knew my grandma worked hard.

Soon, the waitress returned to our table. She placed a small plate, fork and spoon, a china teacup and saucer in front of each of us. A linen napkin finished the setting. Ladies nearby sipped tea and nibbled at tiny sandwiches and small iced cakes. Oh if only we were to have the same. The tickle in my tummy started up again, and I wiggled on my chair in anticipation.

Sure enough, the waitress brought a lovely flowered teapot and two plates. One held dainty open-faced sandwiches, and pastel iced cakes filled the second one. I waited for Grandma to tell the waitress that good tea could only be made in a plain brown teapot, but she never said a word. Instead, she poured my half cup of tea, added sugar and milk. Then she placed a sandwich and a cake on my plate. I watched her lay the napkin on her lap, and I followed her example. Just as I was to take my first bite, piano music interrupted the sound of spoons on saucers and ladies conversing. Soon, several tall, slender women strolled through the vast Tea Room stopping momentarily at an occasional table. “It’s a Fashion Show,” Grandma whispered to me. The models wore the kind of dresses and hats we saw only in the movies. They glided and pirouetted, faces looking like they were set in stone, but a strange thing happened as they approached us. Each one that stopped at our table looked right at me and smiled. One even winked. Now the tickle in my tummy felt like butterflies chasing each other.

All too soon the Fashion Show ended, and we’d had our fill of the tea, sandwiches and cakes. We rode the train home where I related the events of the day to my mother and father.

I had tea with Grandma at the picnic table in the bakery many, many times, but she never took me to the Walnut Room again. Long after my grandma was gone, I returned to Marshall Fields for tea on my own, and sometimes I’d look across the table and see my grandma in her rose-covered hat smiling at me. She taught me the difference between everyday tea and special tea--that a little something sweet came with both kinds of tea, but sweetest of all were the memories my grandma created. I feel her near each time I pour my everyday tea from my plain brown pot.

Family Stories--Covers and Suggestions For Telling

Family Stories:  Part 2

Before you begin writing your family stories, decide how you will keep them. There is no right or wrong way. Do what works best for you.

The image on the left shows a spiral-bound book filled with blank pages. You can write longhand inside, story after story.

The middle image shows looseleaf binders. With this type, you can punch holes in the papers you want to put inside and insert or remove at will. Dividers can be purchased so that you can keep the stories categorized. Nice but not a must.

The third option is a loose file folder. You can put the typed or written in longhand papers inside without punching holes. The only problem with this is that these folders hold a smaller amount of papers so you might end up with several folders.

Another option would be a large photo album that has plastic over each page. You could put the typed or handwritten story on the page, fold the plastic over it. Nice way to preserve the pages.

I prefer the looseleaf 3-ring binder as it holds more and there is the ease of inserting or removing papers.

You can make a fancy cover or something simple or leave it blank. Again, your choice. Call it something as simple as Family Stories or create a catchy name that might be something your family will recognize.

Next, you might want to make a list of the people in your family and your relationship to them. It would be a nice addition in the front of your Family Stories Book.

Make another list for yourself. This one should have a phrase or two about something you plan to write later. You can add to this as the stories come to mind. It might also include words like our home, schooldays, kind of place we lived, parents--occupation, grandparents, cousins and more. These are meant to be prompts to help bring memories to mind.

And now, it's time to write that first story. Let's say you are going to tell the story about the time your Uncle Oscar hid in the hayloft to escape a girl who chased him unmercifully....and whatever happened as he tried to avoid her. Start by telling who your Uncle Oscar is--your mother's brother or your dad's. Write a little about the kind of person he was--physical characteristics and others. Set the scene where the story happens. Give some background if it helps make the story more interesting.

The story itself is important but the way you tell it can make it one of two things--a lot of facts piled up or something of interest and enjoyment. To bring a story to life, use a writer's tools like these:

• dialogue in some places makes it more interesting
• adjectives to give the reader a better picture
• sensory details like smell, sound, taste, touch and sight
• active verbs, not too many passive ones like is, are, were
• write the story as though you were telling it to someone across a table
• write sentences that are not overly-long

The list above is only a suggestion to help make your story interesting.  When you write family stories, you are in charge, It's your choice as to how you tell it but stay with the truth. Don't add made-up parts, even if you think it might make the story better. Remember that you do not have to be a professional writer to write your family stories. Anyone can do it. Why not you?

The Importance of Preserving Family Stories

The quote above is from Alex Haley, the author of the extremely popular tv series Roots which aired in 1977. The story was based on the author's novel of the same name which had been published only a year or so earlier. Besides being well done, the tv series made people aware of the importance of their own roots, their families.

Many who watched the series began to seek information about their families, both present and generations earlier. Family stories became trendy for a while. I still think they are of utmost importance. Knowing what came before is a help to knowing who we are today

Look at these quotes about the importance of family stories--not just the telling of them but writing them so they are preserved: 

If you don’t recount your family history, it will be lost. Honor your own stories and tell them too. The tales may not seem very important, but they are what binds families and makes each of us who we are. Madeleine L’Engle

“It turns out that sharing family stories with adult children and grandchildren is more than a pleasant pastime. Research has found that a strong narrative helps build strong family bonds. .Passing down lessons and values through stories enhances a sense of well-being.” (Mary W. Quigley)

“The best-loved stories are not from books or films, but those from our own families” Jane McGarvey

“Family stories casually chatted about at the dinner table, or regaled again and again at family gatherings can parallel great epics or notable short stories. The memorable stories of our lives and of others in our family take on special importance because they are true, even if everyone tells different versions of the same event. These tales are family heirlooms held in the heart not the hand. They are a gift to each generation that preserves them by remembering them and passing them on.” (Heather Forest)

I was blessed in having parents who both told us myriad family stories, most often at the dinner table. It was a time when we came together as a family. My parents came from totally different backgrounds. Dad's French heritage family came to Chicago from Quebec and, farther back, from France. Dad grew up in a city atmosphere. My mother was born in a small coal-mining town in Iowa with grandparents who had emigrated from England and Ireland. Two families with different lifestyles but many oft-told stories from both. I learned so much listening to those stories my parents shared with us. Sadly, neither one of them ever wrote one of the stories, so the only way they were preserved is the retelling by me and my brothers. I am the one person in the family who has written some of the stories making sure they will not die.

Writing family stories is not just a pleasant pastime. Preserving the history of your family for your present and future family is important. Those quotes I shared above are only a few of the dozens and dozens I found when I did a search on google. The numbers alone should tell you the importance given to the telling and writing of family stories.

I'm going to be featuring different aspects of writing family stories the next several posts. I hope you'll join me.

Writing About Your Travels

There are professional writers who spend all their working time writing travel articles or books. Anyone who travels, near or far, benefits from reading them. I doubt any of them are readers of my blog.

What about hobbyist writers like me? Can I write a travel article and submit it somewhere? Of course I can. And I have! You could do it, too, but there are a few things to keep in mind if you want to try this kind of writing. 

Decide if you want to write a travel piece with nothing but facts and figures or do you prefer the personal essay style, putting in your feelings, your experience as well as recommendations. This is the kind of travel writing that I have done. I like to share my experience but also include a reason that I would go to this place, to give the reader the desire to visit the same place at some time. 

I like to tell my reader why I am in this particular place, how it affected me, good or bad, and some little anecdote to make the piece personal. 

Keep a travel journal wherever you go. You'll be glad you did when you get home a week later and need to refer to it for some information you will include in what you write. If you had a strong emotion when visiting someplace, jot that in your journal, too. That is somethng you'll want to include in your article.

Don't wait too long after you return to write the article. That old 'strike while the iron is hot' comes into play here. Write while you are still excited about the place and the memories are fresh. 

Dave's Travel Corner is a website that publishes travel articles. It's been in existence since 1996. If you like to read about travels of other people, it's a super place to spend some time. If you want to submit a travel piece, check the submission page.  Many of the articles there are about exotic places but I don't think it is necessary to write about some foreign port. Places near your own home could offer enough for you to write about and submit. If you went to some really neat spot in Indiana, people from other areas might find it of interest. 

I've had two travel articles published at Dave's Travel Corner. You can read them here and here. The first one is about a hotel in a small town in Germany and the second highlights our visit to the town in Germany where my husband's grandfather grew up. I noticed that the guidelines ask for photos. When I sent my stories, photos were not requested so the photos with the stories are not my own.

I wrote about a special little village in Nova Scotia called Peggy's Cove. That article was published here. After visiting the UK and Ireland, I wrote a travel story about the food in the pubs in both places. It was published twice and also posted at Our Echo, a place where writers can post whatever they write. You can read Pub Fare in the UK and Ireland at Our Echo. I wrote it because the food ion the UK and Ireland has long been given a thumbs down, but we were pleasantly surprised during the time we spent there.

Maybe these samples of a few of my travel articles might give you some thoughts on doing the same and a bit of inspiration. 

This And That In My Writing World--And Yours

Yesterday's post, Why Bother? received a lot of attention and some comments. It confirmed my premise that we have all asked that to ourself at some time or another in our writing life. 

Michelle Monet has started a new site for Memoir writers called Women Writing Memoir. She features articles that pertain to memoir writing. I received an invitation to submit an article, so, since I write short memoir, I wrote an essay on the same and sent it to her. It was published today. You can read How About Only A Wee Bit Of Memoir here. Note there is a place on the left side to share or to clap if you like the essay. If you read it, can you clap for me? It would be appreciated. It appears you can clap as many times as you like. Easy enough to stuff the ballot box!

I received notice of a need for new stories for a new Chicken Soup for the Soul book titled Think Positive, Live Happy. An earlier book with the same theme was so popular that they are planning another. Go to the Possible Books page to read more about the kind of stories they are seeking. There are six books listed with this latest one being at the very end of the page. I like that they give a list of possible topics to give you some inspiration or to trigger a memory. I study that list pretty carefully and hope a memory pops up or an inspiration appears like lightning on a stormy day. The deadline date is not until April 30, 2019, so you have plenty of time to write and submit a story. (And also edit and revise a few times!)

My local newspaper did a story about me this week. The publicists from Chicken Soup for the Soul notify the local media of the writers in the latest book. A reporter called and asked if he could interview me. We spent a half hour together and he wrote a very nice article which appeared on the front page of our local newspaper.

As writers, we should be able to write good book reviews on Amazon or GoodReads or for your local newspaper. When we read a book we enjoyed, do we always take the time to write a review? I think there will be lots of answers like Sometimes, Never, Occasionally. We tend to write a review for a fellow writer who hopes we'll give a 'gushingly good' review. They're hoping to sell books, so why wouldn't they want that kind of review? When I review a book for a writer I know, I always tell them that I will be completely honest. I absolutely cannot give 5 stars to a book that I don't feel merits that number. You can help the writers you know and other readers by writing a review. If I hate a book, there is no way I will bother with it. It's not in my nature to hurt others in any way. If interested in writing reviews, take a look at this article.

Have you done anything about joining a writers' group of some kind? I have gained a lot of knowledge and made some contacts with other writers, some of whom I now call 'good friend.' Don't tell me that you are doing just fine without belonging to any writing organization or writing critique group. I might accept that you are doing alright without them, but I think you'll do even better with them in your writing life.

There are a lot of links for you to check out in today's post. I put them there to give you some tips and encourage you to think about your own writing life, too.

Why Bother? A Question For Writers

Yesterday's post was about getting discouraged as a writer. Late last evening, I remembered a short piece I'd written to submit to a writing newsletter. It seemed to fit quite well with the earlier post.

Why Bother?

Does it sometimes appear that writing is meant to defeat a writer rather than buoy her to great heights? Do you ever wonder why in the world you're beating your head against the writing wall? Have you asked yourself “If it is this hard to become a widely published writer, why bother?”

We bother because we enjoy stringing words to make sentences, sentences to make paragraphs and paragraphs to create a story. We bother because there is something satisfying to our soul when we write. We bother because we are inspired by thoughts spinning through our minds, thoughts wanting to be sifted and sorted and put together coherently.

We bother, and I include myself here, because we love to write. We bother because we have something to say. We bother because we may want to prove something to ourselves. We bother because we know that the more we write, the more we grow as a writer.

We bother because we've had positive feedback from readers. We bother because we've had some encouraging rejections from editors. We bother because we've had enough acceptances to know that we are not a washout as a writer. We bother because we have something to offer to others. We bother because we’d miss writing too much if we stopped.

Now, aren't those enough reasons to stay on the writing journey? They are for me, and I hope you feel the same. Just keep in mind that there is no express elevator. You move up one step at a time.

Writers--Look For The Right Key

We in the writing world have plenty of fuel for discouragement. Rejections might be high on the list, but so is writing draft after draft trying to come up with the best writing. Have you ever written a chapter in your memoir or novel and, instead of feeling satisfied, you know something is not quite right but you're not really sure what it is?

It makes you angry at yourself. You might storm away and brood for a while. You'll try again another day. You might end up rewriting that chapter half a dozen times before it clicks. Eventually, you are satisfied with your result.

All too often, we find ourself discouraged with the way our writing turns out. It sounded perfect in our head. Why doesn't it come out the same way in print? We feel down when we submit the same piece over and over and it doesn't get published. Time for a rewrite. Maybe the fourth rewrite will be the key.

Readers have no idea how many times what they are reading has been revised and edited. I think readers have a Hollywood vision of a writer who sits down one day and dashes off a great story or a tremendous memoir or a stunning poem. Maybe writers have a much greater appreciation when they read the work of other writers. I will revise that statement. There is no doubt in my mind that writers do have a deeper appreciation than regular readers.

What about those writers who have written many things, submitted multiple times but have never been published? They know what discouragement is. In their mind, it is spelled in bold and caps! They aren't sure what they are doing wrong, what is missing in their work. One day, they might write a piece that is perfectly publishable. The last key that opens the locked world of publishing.

The message today is to keep trying. Put discouragement behind you and forge ahead. Don't be afraid to ask for help from a writer's group or from a writer friend. They can often see problems that you don't. We writers are often blind to our own errors. 

Becoming A Better Writer

I've been thinking about the beginning days of my writing journey. I was interviewed yesterday morning by a young reporter from our local newspaper. He asked some good questions and I came up with the answers. The article about me and my writing world was in last night's newspaper. Read it here, if you like. Many of the interview questions took me back to my beginning days of writing.

I've been writing for well over 20 years now and I know that my writing is much better today than back in the mid-nineties. That's not bragging. It's a fact. Spiral back to the first years you were writing and then think about what you are writing today. It's almost surely better than those early efforts.

There is no elevator to zip you from beginning writing status to experienced, and possibly published, writer. It might be nice but I think you'd miss a lot. Taking it step by step, learning and growing in your ability is worth the time and effort involved.

How did you accomplish that learning and growing? Most of us did it by reading about our craft, and I mean reading a lot. One book isn't going to do it. Even rereading the ones you like best will help you cement what you learned in the first reading.

We did it by doing writing exercises. Athletes practice regularly and so should we. The more we write, the better we write. That will happen if you practice what you've read in books about writing. Writing exercises aren't just to limber our writing muscles before we begin the 'real' writing of the day. They are meant to teach us something, just like those books.

Some will improve their writing by attending conferences with workshops and speakers who can open myriad doors into the writing world. We sit and listen but must then go home and apply what we've heard.

We improve our writing by writing frequently. Write something once a month and you'll never catch your fellow writer who writes daily.

We become better writers if we join a critique group of some kind. Getting the eyes of others who write on your own work can be akin to taking a college course. Let me qualify that by saying that we will improve our writing if we are open to the constructive criticism the critiquers give us if we're willing to admit our mistakes and work on making our writing better.

No elevator for us, so we must move step by step to becoming a better writer. It won't happen in a flash. Instead, you'll grow slowly until the day comes and you can look at a piece of your early writing and compare it to what you've written recently. That's when you'll see how the steps you've taken have benefited. 

Writers--Venture Into New Territory

If you're a writer, you were once a beginner  If you kept with it and worked at learning the craft, you moved on to being an intermediate writer. Hopefully, you kept going and are a super writer today! 

I was interviewed by a newspaper reporter this morning and one of the things that emerged from our question and answer session was that I originally wanted to write for children. I did that for a few years and then I decided to venture into other areas of writing. I tried writing about writing, which I'm still doing today. I made a stab at adult short fiction and I wasn't very good at it. Then, I tried my hand at memoir and personal essays followed by poetry. It turned out that creative nonfiction--memoir and personal essay--was my strong suit. 

What if I hadn't moved out of the comfort of the first kind of writing I'd tried? I still enjoy writing short stories for middle-grade kids, but now I write more creative nonfiction than anything else. I've had more published in that category than any other along with articles on the craft of writing. 

I would have lost so much had I never tried a different category of writing. I probably wouldn't be writing this blog. Nor would I be teaching workshops on writing at my state authors convention. Nor would I be having as many acceptances after submitting. Probably not as many rejections either!

Many writers write only one kind of story or article. Or only poetry. I think they may be missing something big. We need to step forward and attempt other types of writing. Never written a memoir piece? Why not give it a try? After all, every one of us has memories that can give us the basis for a short memoir story. 

If you've always written nonfiction, what's to stop you from writing fiction? Lack of experience? Lack of self-confidence? Fear? You can overcome all of those. If you decide to try writing personal essays, read all you can about the form. Read examples of personal essays. Educate yourself to give you a springboard.

If you've never written poetry, who says you can't? Anyone can pen free verse. You don't have to be knowledgeable about meter and rhyme and other things.  A free verse poem comes from the heart. It's writing your feelings or describing something meaningful to you. There's no reason you can't give it a whirl. If you find you like writing poetry, start learning more about other forms and keep practicing.

Note that I said 'keep practicing.' When you try a new type of writing, it takes some practice to reach a point where you are satisfied with what you've written, where you feel it is of a quality that you can submit it for publication or for a contest, and that you feel satisfied. That goes for poetry, fiction, nonfiction, creative nonfiction--whatever category you want to try. Don't give up too soon unless you know that you really don't like that particular kind of writing. If you don't like it, quit. There's no rule that says you have to keep on, but you'll at least know you tried it.

Even if you're completely happy with the kind of writing that you do now, move into new territory. There is no guarantee you'll like it, but it's worth trying. It could be that you find a whole new part of your writing world like I did. We don't need to be pigeonholed into only one kind of writing. Someone once said Variety is the spice of life and it became a well-known adage still alive today, so there must be something to it. 

You were once a beginning writer; you can be a beginner in a different kind of writing, too.

Practice Writing Descriptions

 We often do photo prompt exercises and sometimes word prompts. This weekend might be a good time to practice another prompt. 

This one will help you practice writing description. What tools do we use when describing a person or place or even a thing? An adjective is probably one we think of first. Colors, textures, aromas--all of these figure into a description. Similes and metaphors help when we are trying to paint a word picture for our reader. Feelings can also be a factor.

Our description brings the reader into the story, essay, poem that you're writing. We give them the ability to look into another realm with the words we use to describe a situation, people, places and more. It would be beneficial for all of us to hone our descriptive ability in our writing.

Choose one or more in the following list. Write a descriptive paragraph. To make it more interesting, choose one and write two separate descriptive paragraphs using a different approach in each. If you like poetry, you might try writing a poem that describes any one of the items on the list. Do as many in the list as time allows. 

The List:

• a summer day
• a thunderstorm
• a scum-covered pond
• a football field
• two boys fishing
• a classroom
• a cemetery
• a carousel
• an apple pie
• a blizzard
• a courtroom
• a cruise ship
• a mountain

What If You Need To Cut Words?

Let's play What if...? What if you have a wonderful personal essay of around 1600 words. When you begin looking for a place to send it, you find that what you've written would be a perfect fit for a Chicken Soup for the Soul book. You are sure your essay will be a winner. You can almost see an image in your mind of what you've written in print in the book. But then you check the guidelines and note that the maximum number of words the editors will accept is 1200. 

Your heart falls right down to the soles of your feet. 1600 vs 1200! That means cutting 400 words. Not possible you think. You call a friend who has been published in that anthology several times. "How serious are they about word count?" you ask. You sink into a chair when your friend responds, "Very serious. I mean--they aren't kidding." 

What if you try to cut the extra 400 words? It would mean you can submit the essay feeling confident because you followed the guidelines. It might also mean a lot of work. What if you lose something big in the story by cutting 400 words? What if you don't want to tackle the job? Not an option? Then, it's time to get to work.

Go through the text and highlight places where you have used more than one adjective to describe a noun. Choose one and toss the other. Now, check for adverbs. Do you really need to say '...he said angrily?' Drop the adverbs wherever possible. 

Go back to the beginning and look for overly long sentences. Ask yourself how you can condense what you've said into a shorter sentence. Sometimes reversing the order of a sentence will allow you to cut some of the words. 

There are many unnecessary words that we unconsciously use when we write. Words like really, very, just, rather, certainly don't add to what you're saying. They only add fluff. The sentence is usually stronger without them. 

You can hyphenate some words and also use contractions instead of two words. Say I'd instead of I would. Try he'll instead of he will.

You can turn some nouns into verbs. Say I decided instead of I came to the decision. In this example, you have used two words instead of five. Do that in many places and you can cut a lot of words.

Watch for redundancy. We can make a point, then tend to repeat the same point in other words in the next paragraph. Cut one of the sentences. It might even be a paragraph. It's a common mistake--repeating the same idea in different words. As writers, we don't always give our readers enough credit for 'getting it' the first time we make the point. 

Next, go through the text again and ask yourself if there are sections that can be taken out that wouldn't affect the story itself. More often than not, you can find whole paragraphs that are not crucial. You might like them but when cutting, be ruthless. 

Stephen King's advice for cutting words is worth reading and heeding. He said: “Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler's heart, kill your darlings.”

What if you follow all this advice for cutting 400 words from your personal essay? It just might allow you to cut those 400 words. I know because I've done it.

Defining Writers

A Family of Readers

This family reads books together. Probably each one is reading something written by a different author. Every member of the family has similar traits, yet is also unique in many ways. It's the same with the authors whose books they are reading. It's possible that one of the people in this family is a writer. He/she doesn't have a label on their forehead defining them, however. 

Ever asked yourself who writers are? If you're a writer, do you consider yourself the same as other writers or do you feel like you're outside looking in? Who are the writers?

At the top of the ladder, we find the professional and successful authors whose names we recognize in a nanosecond. They work at writing on a full-time basis and fit their personal life around their work time.

There are writers who also work full-time writing for magazines and newspapers and other media. They manage to work their personal life around the time they spend writing. 

Next, we might list part-time writers who spend only a portion of their day writing but they are serious about what they do for that part-time job. They write with the aim of being published. Some of them are successful while others struggle.

What about hobbyist writers? They might also hope for publication but they're alright if it doesn't happen. They aren't depending on what they sell to pay the rent. These writers pursue the craft because they love to write. There are some who share their passion with friends and family and others who do it quietly, keeping it to themselves.

Another group of writers is comprised of people who want to write but don't want to share with anyone. They write in journals which they never show to anyone else. They write short stories, perhaps even a novel which no one will ever read. This kind of writer is satisfied with writing only for themselves. And that's quite alright.

I've grouped the kinds of writers but who are these people? They are people you sit next to in a movie theater. They are folks you follow down a grocery aisle--both selecting products off the shelf. They are mothers and fathers picking up children from daycare of school. They're an aunt or uncle, maybe even your mother or father. They are someone you sit next to in church every Sunday. They might hold a position in your city government. They could be the butcher who cuts meat for you or your mailman. People from all walks of life can be writers as well as hold other jobs. They are 'just plain folks' in many cases. 

Go to church next Sunday and pay a little closer attention to the sermon. The priest or pastor wrote that sermon and does it week in and week out but do you think of him/her as a writer? Probably not. When you go to a program that a club or church or school puts on, someone wrote it. When you read the newspaper or a magazine, many people wrote the contents. We read blogs but do we consider the people who write them on a monthly, weekly or daily basis as real writers? If you write, you are a writer whether your words reach the public through publication or the spoken word or not at all.

Book Review--A Different Kind of Memoir

After a workshop on blogging that I conducted at our Kansas Authors Convention last fall, a woman approached me and asked if she might give me her book. "I'd like to have your opinion after you read it," she said. Being a lover of books, I accepted happily but told her I had a stack of books to read first. 

When I finally got to Wingin' It Beyond The Veil, I wished that I had read it before the others as it proved to be such a delight. Joan Breit has written a memoir which, in itself, is not unusual. Others have done that. The presentation is what will be remembered as well as the words she penned. Most memoirs read like a book, chapter by chapter with some photos added somewhere. Ms Breit's book offers a series of vignettes that give us a slice of her life at a time. Between the vignettes, she has included scripture verses, poetry (both her own and others) and photos. I found all that is included to be delightful and I thoroughly enjoyed piecing her life together via the individual vignettes. The author has a way with words, both prose and poetry. I'd top it off by saying she has led an interesting life.

The front cover is lovely with its pastel colors, muted view of a veil and butterfly along with interesting and appealing script in the tile.

The back cover of the book states the author's own words that summarize her book so well that I'm going to quote it below:

This book is about veils, the veil between convent life and that of the lay person, the veil between the Divine and human worlds, visible and invisible worlds, the veil of daily life of seeing and not seeing. It is about roads and the 'one less traveled by.' It is about where I began and how I became a writer on the Kansas plains, and who I am at this time of my life. It is about life's experiences and finding the many faces of love. It is about not knowing where my path leads, but, like a butterfly, wingin' it with imagination and intuition lighting my way. It is about living daily in the magic of the present moment of family, friends, and all creation's nature spirits in trees, birds, quiet Kansas creeks, ditches, gardens, house plants, cats, and where the duality of humanity's veils becomes One. 

The book can be ordered through Watermark Books in Wichita, KS. Find the information here.

I loaned the book to a friend. When she returned it, I asked for her thoughts. She felt much the same as I had. She loved the presentation as well as the memoir itself.

Focus Words For Writers

We hear a lot lately about having a focus word that is all yours for the current year. It appears to me to be a better alternative to January resolutions. One word to carry with you for a full year. One word to hold onto. One word to use as your guide for the year.

The poster today has a word that would be a good focus word--grateful. We writers could use that in our writing journey. There are many things we can be grateful for and also some to which we'd find it difficult to attach that word. Even so, since this was the word you chose, you are going to try to find the positive side. 

How about strong as your focus word? If you pledge to be strong in whatever situation comes up, you should come out on top. 

Maybe you'd like to choose honesty so that you can be honest in every part of your writing life, most of all to yourself. We sometimes show a quality to others but cheat ourselves. If this is your focus word for 2019, start with yourself.

Happy would be an uplifting focus word. If you choose to be happy this year, you'll make an extra effort to find happiness in whatever happens. That's not always easy to do when we encounter a major disappointment in our writing life. There should be a tiny corner of happiness in those situations even if you have to search diligently to find it.

Someone might select fruitful as their word for this year. Wouldn't that spur you to more productivity in what you write? 

How about using inspired? If that's your word, you might look harder for the inspiration needed to grow as a writer. 

Along the same line, motivation could be a helpful focus word. If you're concentrating on that word, you are going to look harder for things to keep your writing life going strong. 

2018 was a difficult year in my personal life so I have selected joy as my focus word in my writing life this year. I hope to find joy in whatever way I can as a writer and blogger and in my other life, too. Choosing that word will make me look for the joy in places I might not have done so in the past.

Will your focus word make life perfect? Of course not, but it could make it better.

Here is a list of focus words you might consider for 2019, ones above and a few others. Pick one as your own. 

• grateful
• strong
• honesty
• happy
• fruitful
• inspired
• motivated
• joy
• productive
• mature
• giving
• helpful
• trusting

You might make a sign with 'your word' on it. Place it somewhere near your writing area as a daily reminder to practice it, look for it, or use it.

Guest Blogger Shares A Powerful Tool For Writers

Vickie Guillot

Vickie Guillot, our Guest Blogger, knows a lot about journaling for writers. Today, she is sharing some of that knowledge with us.


Journaling is a powerful tool to help you in the process of creating your poem, story or book. Statistics say if we hear something, we can recall 10 to 20 percent of the information, if we write it, we can double the information we recall, if we re-examine what we write we can double it again.
Journaling helps us to draw information out of our heads, put it before our eyes where we can group it, add to it, re-examine it and change it. Journaling will help bridge what is inside you with what is outside of you. It helps you to see your thinking, your patterns and your desires.
Let’s say you want to write a memoir. Let’s do an exercise that I will call “Own Your Life Journal”. An “Own Your Life Journal” will help you:
• heal the past
• soothe troubled memories
• heal relationships
• dignify all events in your life
• reveal and track patterns and cycles of your life
• capture family stories
• capture your life story
• balance and harmonize
I recently read an amazing memoir called Educated by Tara Westover that did all the above. Westover’s rich prose makes her story about finding herself amidst the pressures her family put on her to obey their nonconformist beliefs and her assertion to be educated an unforgettable and encouraging story. Her story was both startling and yet an ordinary development in most families. I read throughout her book that she kept a journal and referred to that journal when writing her thesis for her Ph.D. The book is a #1 New York Times bestseller. If you have not read it you are missing a beautiful piece of work.

Let’s jump right into a journaling exercise. There are no rules to journaling (except to be consistent).
BLINK. Take a deep breath and write today’s date. Take another deep breath and think about the development of your life thus far.

THINK. Be clear about the story you want to tell. Pick one major event or person from your life. If clarity is not there, wait on it and continue to find your breath. I am going to ask you a question and you will write your answer in your journal. (You can ask yourself a question when doing this exercise on your own) Don’t write what you think is politically correct, or what you think someone would want to hear. This writing is for you. How did the event or person affect your life?

INK for five minutes. Write a bit faster than normal. Don’t worry about spelling, how it sounds, or how it looks. Set your phone stopwatch on 5 minutes and do not stop writing until it goes off. If you’re stuck just make something up or keep writing to the question. Keep writing to tell your truth as fast as you can,

LINK. Now, here is the power in journaling. Read what you wrote. Examine it and write two sentences on what you wrote. You are on your way to using journaling as a tool to open your creativity. Your journal can become a friend available to listen and always remembers what you said.

BIO: Journaling is a passion project that Vickie Guillot loves sharing with others. She has used journaling for her own self-healing.  She is a journaling facilitator and a lifetime member of Higher Awareness. Check her website (linked below) for more information on journaling.

Vickie Guillot
Writing Matters

Chances For A Writer

I should have used this poster on New Year's Day but it still works today if you subtract 10. Consider that you have 355 more new days in this year of 2019 with 355 new chances to enrich your writing life and to move rapidly along your writing journey's path.

Think about one of those children's board games where you toss the dice, then move your marker the same number of squares or spaces. If that is your writing path, how quickly have you been moving? Are you moving at all or do you find yourself stuck in one spot slowly sinking into the mire?

Long lulls without writing can dull the passion and motivation. The longer you do not write, the easier it is to continue in that vein. It's why writing book upon writing book will urge you to write on a daily basis. I concur wholeheartedly.

You don't have to write an entirely new story or poem every day. Just write something! Do a writing exercise. They are easy to find through a search engine or on blogs like mine or in a reference book about writing. Even ten minutes of freewriting counts as writing. Revise something already written. Work on editing a first draft. You could also write a full story or the first draft of a poem. It doesn't matter what you write, only that you write.

Every new day of 2019 offers you a new chance to write something. Writing in a journal counts. So does writing the Morning Pages that Julia Cameron suggests. (She says that they are not even considered 'writing' but I disagree. Write 3 pages in longhand about anything and that's writing.) 

When the morning dawns, you have a choice. You can either allot some of your day to writing or you can push that thought aside and do everything but writing. But be aware that if you do that one day, it is easier to do it the next day and the next and... 

Am I being unreasonable? I am well aware that there are days in our lives when we absolutely cannot write. Illness, family problems, trips and more can hinder our writing daily. The main thing is to get back to daily writing as soon as the situation allows. Create a habit. Once you do, writing every day is not so difficult. 

You have 355 chances to write in this year. Just for fun, you might keep track of what days you write. I have a calendar on my desk with all my appointments, engagements etc. All I'd have to do is place a check mark on the square for the days I write. Or a big W. It would be easy to see at a glance by month's end how well you did. 

One way I am assured of writing almost every day is by posting on this blog five days a week. Do I manage to write something every single day? No, but it's pretty close. 

Write daily to keep your skills sharp and to move regularly on your writing journey's path.

My Newest Chicken Soup for the Soul Book

Yesterday, Chicken Soup for the Soul, released a new book titled Messages from Heaven and Other Miracles. I have a story in the book about a message I received from my mother the night she passed away. The 101 stories in the book are uplifting and can be a help to the renewal of one's faith. 

A page near the end of the book mentions that the editors were overwhelmed by the thousands of stories submitted for this book. That little fact is certainly uplifting to the 101 writers whose stories were selected to be included. 

The Chicken Soup anthologies started 25 years ago. A passing fancy? Surprisingly, no. Readers enjoy being able to read a story or two, put the book down and return later for more stories. The editors select only the best submissions so that the result is a quality anthology. The themes chosen for the books are ones that appeal to readers. Some themes, such as mothers, angels, dogs, and cats, have had multiple books. There have books to honor teachers, getting in shape, teens, sports and more. To see a list of the 250 different books published, check here. Note that you can move from page to page at the bottom right of the first page. 

Many of the stories in these books can be considered short memoir pieces or family stories. The stories must be true and they need to be a full story with a beginning, middle and ending. Stories that are selected are usually ones that amuse or elicit emotion of some kind from the reader. The guidelines are explicit in what the editors are seeking. Follow them to the letter and your chances of getting accepted are greatly increased. 

If you're interested in submitting, read some of the books to get a feel for the type of story chosen for publication. So often, magazine guidelines state that the writer should read a copy or two of the magazine before submitting. It's worthwhile for a writer to follow that advice. It would also benefit you to check out the facts and figures and other parts of the anthology website.

It pleases me a great deal that I have been published in this anthology series 22 times. If I can do it, you can, too. Maybe the first, second or third story you submit won't make it, but be persistent and it might pay off. 

The book can be purchased at Amazon or found in bookstores.

January Cleaning For Writers

Someone has to say it so I might as well be the one to tell you that it's time for the annual cleaning of your writing world. If you're like me, the area next to your computer tends to get a bit cluttered. Maybe more than a bit. It doesn't take too much time to sift through and see what can be discarded and what must be kept. I also have a small three-tiered shelf unit next to my computer desk. Things tend to pile up there. January is a good time to sort through the accumulated items and either toss or file in the proper place. 

What about your computer files related to your writing? I'm talking about your submission records, the unfinished writing projects, the first drafts that have been left to simmer. Anything related to your writing life. Even your email address book deserves a cleaning. I noticed the other day that mine had names I never use anymore. Time to delete them! 

What about your documents file? Do you have outdated pieces resting there, gathering dust? I noticed that there are many photos in my Documents file that are repeats of ones in my picture file. I don't need them in two places. Delete them in one place or the other. For me, the photos belong in the picture file, not my Documents. 

I try to make hard copies of everything I write, even though saved on my computer. January is a good time to skim through and find any that I have missed this year, then print and place in my large binder. It never hurts to have computer files and hard copies, as well. 

This month is also the time to total your earnings related to your writing life. Make sure you have some written proof such as the bottom section of the checks editors send. Tax time is upon us. Whether you are a part-time writer or write for a living, records to complete your tax returns are absolutely necessary. If you're not sure how much you need to earn before it's necessary to report your earnings, check with a reliable source. 

This time of year, I like to go through my files and see what stories, poems, essays etc are ones that still need more revision and editing before I can submit them somewhere. Gather them in one folder and attack one at a time.

I can promise you one thing. Once you have done your January cleaning, you'll feel good. You'll know you are ready to move on in your writing world of 2019. 

Does anyone have other suggestions for January cleaning related to writing?

Gourmet Touches--Titles and Quotes

This is an article I had published a few years ago. Sometimes we are so wrapped up in the main part of our manuscript that we skim past the small detailed things that are also important.

If you invite someone to dinner, you’re apt to add some special touches to the food and table décor. As a hostess, you try to make a dinner party special for your guests. Stories and articles deserve to be dressed up, too.

 Let’s take a look at two items that add gourmet touches to a story—titles and quotes.

 Titles

 The title of a story, article, or book draws the reader’s attention. It gives the reader a reason to read. Have you ever gone to the fiction section of the library or a bookstore and scanned titles? A few cause you to stop and pull the volume from the shelf. Something in the words on the books’ spine called out to you. Ever wonder why?

 When you meet someone new, they make an impression of some kind. Sometimes it’s positive, and other times not. The title of a book or story also makes a first impression, and it either creates further interest or moves us to pass on by. So, it’s important to find a title that is creative or catchy in some respect. That doesn’t necessarily mean it should be outlandish. Some writers think an outlandish title will catch an editor’s eye, and it may. It might also make the editor pass it by in a hurry.

 When Margaret Mitchell finished her epic Civil War novel, she played around with several titles. Among them were Tote The Weary Load, Milestones, and Not In Our Stars. Her final selection, Gone With The Wind, turned out to be perfect. In four little words, Ms. Mitchell let you know that her story dealt with loss and starting over.

 The title can be taken from the meaning of the story, a comment made within the text, or a strong image the story projects. A proper name can serve as a title, too. If the book or story is a success, the name will live forever. Don’t we all know and love a boy and a book named Huckleberry Finn? The unusual first name piques interest.

 A title should intrigue the reader, but it must also use the same tone as the story. After all, the title is an introduction or a preview of what is to come. If you write a story dealing with a tragic accident and death, you wouldn’t use a title laced with humor. On the other hand, when you write a humorous story, you want to reflect that, as well.

 Some writers add the title last, and others begin with a working title. After the story is complete, the writer plays around with titles until the most satisfying one emerges. It’s the frosting on the cake, the dressing on the salad. It finishes the story.

 Quotes

 Quotes are used within the text to support an argument or to illustrate a point being made. Articles that offer advice or are controversial will benefit from quotes. Showing the words of an expert in the field further enhances the argument being put forth.

 A quotation is a reference to an authority and should be used when accuracy is essential. That authority should be named. Quoting someone, without giving them credit, verges on stealing their words. Beginning writers sometimes are not aware of this.

 Quotes should be kept to a minimum. Quoting long, rambling paragraphs does not serve any real purpose other than adding to your word count.

 There are two types of quotations—direct and indirect. A direct quotation uses the exact words, and an indirect quotation paraphrases the thought expressed by someone. Both should make reference to the person who originally made the statement. Take a look at the example below which shows a statement made by mystery author, Agatha Christie.

 A.     Direct Quote:  Agatha Christie says, “The best time for planning a book is while
you’re doing the dishes.”

B.     Indirect Quote:  Agatha Christie thinks a writer can plan new books while doing
mundane tasks like doing the dishes.

When using a quote, set it off by placing quotation marks at the beginning and end of the statement quoted. The final punctuation mark, whether a period, question mark, or exclamation mark, is placed inside the final set of quotation marks. (See sample above)

 In closing, I would like to quote an English author, William Makepeace Thackery, who wrote: “There are thousands of thoughts lying within a man that he does not know till he takes up the pen and writes.” If you hope to pursue a succes

Three Photo Prompts For Writers

The weekend is upon us. The three photos below are meant to inspire and 'prompt' you to write whatever each brings to mind. Take a little time to study each photo; look for details as well as the main part of the picture. Then, start writing.

Use your imagination. Use sensory details. Use active verbs. Use emotion. Be creative. You could come up with the beginning of something bigger. Or you might find a finished piece that you can submit somewhere. Little golden nuggets often emerge from a writing exercise. Most of all, have fun!

Wise Words From Successful Writers

We learn a great deal from the experience of successful writers. It's up to us to pay attention and put their Wise Words to good use. I'm sharing a list of quotes by published writers whose names may be familiar to you. Use 3 steps to absorb the advice--read, ponder, apply.

“When I graduated from high school I couldn’t go to college, so I went to the library 3 days a week for 10 years.”
—Ray Bradbury

“The character that lasts is an ordinary guy with some extraordinary qualities.”
—Raymond Chandler

“Easy reading is damn hard writing.”
—Nathaniel Hawthorne

"We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect."
--Anaïs Nin

"Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very;' your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be."
--Mark Twain

"No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader."
--Robert Frost

"Read, read, read. Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it's good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out of the window."
--William Faulkner

"Writing is its own reward."
--Henry Miller

"You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page. Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write."

--Annie Proulx

There are hundreds of quotes on writing that you can find with a search engine. Look for them to motivate you, help you understand the process of writing, to be amused and to learn.