The End of National Poetry Month

Today is April 30th, the final day of National Poetry Month. Have you celebrated in any way? Does poetry not draw you in? Do you write poetry on a regular basis? Have you ever written a poem? 

Lots of questions with varying answers. I always encourage prose writers to try their hand at poetry. You might be pleasantly surprised at the result. There are poets who take many courses to help them write poetry and study for years, but there are also a good number who have no formal training but still like to dabble in poetry. It's great if you are knowledgable in meter, rhyme, rhythm, and form, but it's not an absolute must. You can write free verse, even rhymed poetry without knowing all those little intricacies. If poetry interests you, do some reading and learn some of the key points. 

Below, you will find a few poems that I have written. Some were published, others not (yet). If I can do it without ever having taken a class on this type of writing, I'm betting you can, too. In honor of National Poetry Month 2021, give it a try. Jot down memories or things you see that inspire you. Emotion is such a big part of poetry. When you're moved, don't let that feeling slip by. Instead, write a poem. As in prose, there is a first draft and then an editing process. Share one in the Comments section if you like.

(This narrative poem was published in Boys’ Quest magazine)

Chinatown Cat

                                          Ling Po had a ginger-colored cat,

                                          not a very pretty one at that.

                                          Near a window he oft slept by day.

                                          Nights he went out and far away.

                                          Where in Chinatown did he go?

                                           Ling Po really wanted to know.

                                           Night after night Cat went

                                           As if on a mission he’d been sent.

                                          One warm and moonlit night,

                                           Ling Po followed on Cat’s right.

                                           Cat slid by cans for trash,

                                           then Ling Po padded softly past.

                                           He stayed a bit behind,

                                           while Cat continued down the line.

                                           Cat didn’t even seem to slow

                                            when sirens began to blow.

                                            On through dark and eerie streets,

                                            Master and pet moved on silent feet.

                                            Farther and farther, past store upon store.

                                            Ling Po could not take much more!

                                            Now, beyond temple and pagoda.

                                            This Chinatown boy needed a soda.

                                            Then, Cat stopped, looked all around

                                            and crouched down close to the ground.

                                            He lay there, green eyes peering

                                            at an ancient man now nearing.

                                            “There you are, my friend,” he fretted

                                            “Come close to be petted.

                                             Ling Po waited behind a car.

                                             Was this the reason they’d come so far?

                                              The Old One bent, pigtail swinging,

                                              from Cat’s throat, a purr like singing.

                                              Now Cat belonged to the pair,

                                              for Ling Po knew he would share.

                                              This cat who loved both young and old

                                              was surely worth his weight in gold.

                                              With patience, Ling Po watched the two,

                                               no more than that could he do

                                               until Cat turned to take his leave

                                               and Ling Po followed him home with relief.

                                                                                             --Nancy Julien Kopp

            

Darkness

Night shadows shimmer

 across my bedroom wall;

tree branches bend to 

the will of the wind,

reaching for the window.

Moonlight guides my steps

as I pad to the empty kitchen. 

In the lunar-lit darkness,  

more shapes flicker and beckon   

on this well-known path.

A glass of milk to help

me drift into sleep

before too many thoughts

again wrap round my mind

while I watch silent shadows 

dancing through this wakeful night.

                                              ---Nancy Julien Kopp

He Said

Join me for lunch, he said.

I’m doing fine.

He said, I’m ninety-one.

I have no hearing aid.

I use no glasses.

Mary is gone, he said.

She had Leukemia.

I didn’t think she’d die.

The sparkle left his eyes

I miss her, he said.

                                                      ---Nancy Julien Kopp

(a haiku that won first place in a contest)

rolling thunder hums

within dark, ominous clouds

melody of spring

                                                   --Nancy Julien Kopp

(written after a trip to France and Monet's house and garden)

Musing On Monet

 

I stroll in Monet’s garden, mere

steps away from his grand pink house.

I’m in France, Giverny to be exact,

in the heart of Normandy, land

of milk, butter and cheese.

 

Monsieur Monet owned

another title—master gardener.

His eye for color, texture and light

stretched from his rainbow garden,

capped by sky, then through his brush.

 

Birdsong and butterflies stir the air,

as I wander among violets and lavenders,

the tawny golds and blush-rose pinks

until his flowers simply embrace me.

 

I stop—pirouette slowly,

revel in the unique spectrum this

gentle summer day. Did Claude

ever do the same, brush in hand?

 

Perhaps he sat at the garden’s edge,

small table at his side, drinking tea

and nibbling a sweet biscuit, while

scanning greenery for the perfect scene.

 

Did he call for his wife or mistress to fill

his cup again? Did one of eight children

he raised bring the biscuit tin outside?

Or did he shoo them all away so as not

to break his lone and pleasant reverie?

 

Maybe he wandered to the nearby pond

where water lilies floated, framed by 

arched, wooden bridges, as a soft

summer breeze caressed the trees.

 

Oh, that I might have walked in this

glorious garden with Monet, sipped

a cup of tea by his side and soothed

my soul with the beauty he created,

splashing vibrant color onto canvas. 

Yet, what incredible joy there is in an 

oft dreamed-of journey taken now

when I have years of living behind

me but many more yet to come.

Monet strolled here and so have I.

                                                          ---Nancy Julien Kopp

     

     

                                       

 

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Attitude Adjustment for Writers

 

Mothers and fathers have been known to tell their children that it's time for an attitude adjustment. It usually happens when the child is pouting or crying about some mishap in life. 

There are times on our writing journey that we need to change our attitude, just like the flat tire our poster today mentions. 

How true it is that you cannot go anywhere without changing that flat tire, nor can you make progress in your writing life without changing any bit of bad attitude that has crept into 

your life. We all have times on our writing journey that reflect our inner feelings, the ones that make us feel belligerent or grumpy or depressed. Is there a writer who has never had any of those feelings? I seriously doubt it. Writers hit highs and lows on their writing path. Hopefully, the highs outrank the lows. 

When we do hit the low points, whether from too many rejections or writing projects that peter out after the first great paragraphs, or a story problem that we can't fix, we surely need an attitude adjustment. And who is going to do it for us? No one but you. If you're heaving a big sigh at that, you're most likely not alone. 

What's the fix? Like that flat tire, change your attitude. Easier said than done perhaps. How about starting by accentuating the positives in your writing life. I can list a lot of them, and so can you. Nix the negatives. They only allow you to mire deeper in that muddy outlook. 

Remind yourself why you became a writer. What made you want to be a writer? What part of the writing life did you like? What drove your passion for writing? Whatever your answers, those are the bits and pieces that made you a writer, and they are the ones that should help you change your attitude if it has gotten you down lately.

Should you be like the fictional heroine, Pollyanna, who saw only the good side of everything? It might not be a bad idea to give here outlook on life a try. 

Changing your attitude doesn't happen overnight. It takes time, and you do it step by step. No magic wand to wave. It's you who must convince yourself a little at a time that a new and more positive attitude will lift your writing spirits and help you become a stronger writer. 

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Develop Your Own Style of Writing

 

Today's quote is attributed to Susana Kearsley, a Canadian author of Historical Fiction and Romance. I beleive her experience as a published author leads us to put some thought into what she's telling writers. It all boils down to two little words--Be yourself. 

Her suggestion that we tell a story, whether it be fiction or personal essay or memoir, as if we were sitting across the table from a friend and relating the story to her. We'd use our conversational voice, not a stilted, formal voice that might not appeal to readers. Tell the stroy as you would to a friend, and you'll draw your readers in quite soon after the opening paragraphs. 

Never try to be another writer. Don't make attempts to write as Hemingay did, or as John Grisham does, or as Louise Penny. Write as the person you are. Write with your own voice, not that of another writer, even though you may admire that person.

Think back to your high school days when you had something exciting to tell your best friend. You called her on your family phone, or you cornered her in the school hallway by your lockers, to inform her of the latest happening. Did you speak in formal language? Of course not. You used contractions, abbreviations, and slang., even sentence fragmaents. The formal language was saved for writing essays or term papers in your English class.

Write like the person you are. If you do, your writing will stand out because it is not formal and stiff but more to the warm and welcoming side. 

Think about this. If you read four books a month (lots of us do!), every one of them has a different voice telling you the story. The four authors are individuals which makes what they write different from the other writers. 

Develop your own voice, which can also be termed 'writing style.' Your aim is to have a reader think, or say, "I like the way she/he writes.' Be your own writer, one who offers what she/he has to her/his readers in their own style.

Tell the story with enthusiasm and excitement. If you do, your reader will feel that, too. 

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The 'Withouts' in Writing

 

"WRITE WITHOUT FEAR. EDIT WITHOUT MERCY." Our quote for today is short but mighty. Let's look at each part as it stands on its own.

WRITE WITHOUT FEAR. When inspiration hits, and you're ready to write your first draft, do so with no fear whatsoever. Your idea needs to be put into words. Those words are the ones you will read over and over as you seek to polish your story, essay, article or poem. Don't worry about what you've written. It's merely a beginning. It's your platform that you will build on with the next part of the quote.

A house needs a good foundation. That draft you write with no fear is your story foundation. Does it need strength? Yes, if you want the rest of what you build to stand strong. Does it need to be perfect? No. We all know that first draft is nothing more than a beginning. Not perfect, but your idea should have been thought out to the point where you see some merit in your draft. 

You'll write without fear because you know it is not the end product. You'll know that you can edit as many times as you like to make your draft become publication worthy.

EDIT WITHOUT MERCY. The quote uses a period after each admonition. I think I might change this second one to an exclamation mark because it should be emphasized. No mercy when you slash, cut, and slice your original draft. We all know how hard it is to cut precious words we've written, but it is often necessary if you want a strong final piece.

Recently, I subbed a new travel essay to my online writing group. I asked them to let me know what might might be added and what should be deleted. Several people critiqued my submission, and they did exactly as I'd asked. There were a few surprises in store for me. Some of what I deemed important, others did not. Some of what I thought I covered thoroughly needed a bit of clarity. As the person who lived the experience, my mind's eye saw it clearly, but in a few spots, I didn't make it completely clear to the reader. (and this, dear writers, is why you need other eyes on what you write.) Now, I know exactly what to work on when I edit and revise my early draft.

When you edit, remove the personal thoughts. Try to be objective, or at least, as objective as possible. Read your work as if it had been written by Willa Writer down the street. What would you tell Willa to cut or add? Where would you suggest she show rather than tell? Remove as much of the personal you as possible. 

Read your edited copy aloud. You'll catch a few more spots that need further editing. I cannot emphasize enough how much this 'read aloud' exercise helps a writer find trouble areas. 

Take the poster's advice and 'write without fear' and 'edit without mercy.' You'll be doing yourself a favor. 

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Prompts For Family Stories

 

Our poster today tells us that a family is a lasting gift. You can help your family to have that gift by writing your family stories. When those stories are only told around the holiday dinner table, they eventually get lost. Writing the stories ensures that they will live on, that those stories will be a continuing gift to other family members.

So many people tell me they want to write their family stories, but they say they don't know how to begin. There is no set place or time to begin. It's not necessary to start with the first ancestor you remember. The starting spot is anywhere, anyone, or anyplace. Begin with the most vivid memory you have. Once you have a lot of family stories, you'll put them in a binder and assemble them in any way you like. By the person, by the era, by the ones you like best. It does not matter how you put your book of family stories together. What is important is that you do it.

We all like a bit of help when working on a big project. Make no mistake--writing family stories is most definitely a big undertaking. I think that, once started, people get enthused and wnat to keep going. 

Below is a list of prompts to help you get started. You'll note they are questions, and it's you who have the answers. On to the list which is long but not compete:

1. What part of the world did you live in?
2. Did you live near close relatives?
3. Did you see relatives only on holidays?
4. Were grandparents part of your everyday life?
5. Were your closest relatives born in America or somewhere else?
6. What kind of storms did you have where you lived"
7. Were your parents and grandparents strict?
8. Did you have siblings?
   
9. Were you close to siblings?
10. Was there jealousy among siblings?
11. Were any of your relatives mean?
12. Who was the kindest relative you had?
13. Do you know stories about your siblings at school?
14. Did you have cousins who were close to you?
15. Was your family large or small?
16. What were holiday gatherings like in your family?
17. How did you decorate for holidays?
18. What special foods did your family make for holidays?
19. Did you wear new clothes or hand-me-downs?
20. Did you have chores to do every day?
21. Who was the biggest eater in the family?
22. Who made you happy?
23. Who made you sad? 
24. Who taught you to drive?
25. Do you know any weather-related family storiees?
26. Was there anyone in your extended family that scared you?
27. Who had a special hobby?
28. Who was the best cook?
29. What were family vacations like? Or were there any?
30. Did your family attend church?
31. What leisurely activities did your family pursue?
32. Did you have radios, tvs, record players?
33. Who was your favorite relative? Why? 
34. Did your father and mother each have a best friend?
35. How did your parents or grandparents meet?
36. What kind of wedding did they have?

These are not meant to receive one-word answers but to trigger some memories so that you can begin to write your family stories. Pick any one of them and get started. Starting is the hardest part of the project. Once you begin, you'll want to continue. 

There will be parts missing as you delve into your family history. For instance, I know that my maternal grandparents lived in different states. My grandmother grew up on a Minnesota farm, daughter of Irish immigrant parents. My maternal grandfather came to America from England with parents who settled in Iowa and were coal miners. How, I have often wondered in my adult years, did they meet and decide to marry? As a very young person, I never thought to ask my mother. Did she even know? So, it remains a mystery. That story about my grandfather coming to America with his parents? Turned out the man his mother married was not his father. Grandpa was not English but 100% Irish like his mother and the man who fathered him before his mother fled to England in shame. It's the stuff that we read in novels. A great-uncle went to England and Ireland and researched the people involved. It was a true revelation in our family. A family story to be told over and over, but I still don't know how my grandparents met! Or where.

Ask questions of your older relatives. Find out the answers to questions you have before it's too late. Don't worry about where or how to begin writing your family stories. Just start!

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Write that Draft Again and Again

 

The part I like about today's poster is the ...do--do again--and again--keep doing--success. There is a message for all who write in those few words. 

Success in wriitng does not come easily. It's hard work that has to be repeated multiple times until we reach a place where we feel satisfied and and are ready to submit with the hope of success. 

We can all write a first draft and think it's alright. But is it? Beginning writers often feel like their first draft is the finished piece. It takes some time and learning to realize that there is a reason we call it 'first' draft. It could be the first of several. And probably should be. 

That first draft is merely a way of getting your story idea into words. It's mostly likely full of passive verbs and not completely clear in places, lengthy sentences that need cutting, and more. It's a necessity but not a done deal.

The poster says 'do' which is your first draft. Then, there are three more 'do' directions. Should you write the first, second, third, and fourth draft all in one day? (I'm talking about a short piece or a chapter of a book, not a full novel.) No, you should not keep working on those drafts all in one day. You will make the same errors again and again. Your mind is set on that original draft you wrote. 

Take your time. Let a day or three or four go by before you write the second draft. You're far more likely to 'see' the places that need work than if you attempted the rewrite immediately. Let another day or more slip by before you work on the next draft. Cliche or not, remember that 'Rome wasn't built in a day.' 

If you want to be a good writer, a successful writer, you must learn to take your time on each piece you write. If you don't, it will be obvious to whatever editor you submit to. Dash off a story and zip it into cyberspace immediately, and it will come flying back to you in record time. I once had a rejection in twenty minutes! Not the usual amont of time, but telling.

One of my keywords is 'patience.' Writing several drafts does take patience. We're eager to get a story written once we have the idea, but we must sit back and take it a little at a time. Patience usually pays off in the end.

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Try Reading a Poet's Collection of Poems

 

Today, I am reposting a 2017 book review of a collection of poems by Ronda Miller. Ronda is a Kansas poet whose work I much admire. Many poets publish books of their poems, often with a theme to the entire group. I have several poetry collection books like this. They can be read time and again, enjoyed with each new reading. 

The next time you are in a bookshop, hie yourself to the poetry section and spend some time browsing. Treat yourself to a purchase. Or spend a little time in the poetry section of your local library. Check our a few and immerse yourself into the world of the poet who produced the book. Check the online suggestions at the end of my review to purchase Ronda Miller's poetry book.

Here is my earlier review of "Water Signs" by Ronda Miller. The collection was published in 2017 but still popular today.

Ronda Miller's latest book of Poetry has recently been released. WaterSigns follows an earlier success titled Moonstain, a book I read multiple times and thoroughly enjoyed. So, I looked forward to swimming my way through WaterSigns, poem by poem. I was not disappointed. In fact, just the opposite.

In the foreword of the book, Ronda Miller says "...emotion flows like water," and I found it to also be true that her poems have a flowing trait to them. They move fluidly, line by line, bringing the reader much to digest and like. 

A mystery writer, Louise Penny, wrote a piece of dialogue spoken by a poet that I have thought of often. It came to me again when reading WaterSigns. The old poet in the book says "Poetry begins with a lump in the throat."  Many of Ronda Miller's poems must have begun that way. More than one brought a lump to the throat to this reader, as well. 

The book is divided into sections, each one headed by a very fine black and white photograph by Crystal Socha.  Sections are titled Aquifer, Confluence, Raindrops, Mirage and Reservoir. Each section is filled with poems about nature, people and life as seen through the eyes and memories of the poet. She intertwines the high plains of her childhood and memories with raw emotion. Her poems give a sense of place, are visual and filled with sensory details. They are sometimes touching, sometimes surprising but always from the poet's heart.

To conclude the foreword of her book, Ronda Miller says "I don't write poems, they right me." 

I especially liked a poem about her grandmother's glasses and one that shows Grandmother standing against the wind. In "Harvest," we see a hired man who is kind to children but has another side, as well. One titled "In Japan" made me laugh and "The One" wrought sympathy from me. Ronda Miller bares her soul in these and other poems. 

WaterSigns can be ordered from Meadowlark Books with free shipping through July 2017.  Or order WaterSigns at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Kansas readers can find the book at The Raven Bookstore in Lawrence and at Ellen Plumb's City Bookstore in Emporia.

- July 16, 2017  

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Writers Create Something out of Nothing

 

Looking at the poster for today, it occurred to me that maybe writers don't give themselves enough credit for what they do. Think about it. Writers start with a whole bunch of nothing and create something from it.

That's magic, isn't it? Writers don't wave a wand to create this magic. Instead, they delve deep within and bring it forth from past experiences and imagination.

More than once, I have thought about a man like Walt Disney, not a writer, but one who created a wonderful world from nothing more than the ideas in his mind and ionspiration and hard work. Hard to imagine a world without what he has given us.

Writers are the same as they come up with an idea, feel inspired, and spend time seeing it to fruition. 

Is it hard work? It is. Anything worthwhile is going to involve a work effort. 

Do you have a list of publications in your files? Take a minute or two today to read through the titles. You created each one from nothing, made it into something and managed to get it published. Go ahead, pat yourself on the back. You've earned it. 

What about the file that holds all the pieces you've written that have yet to be published.? Take credit for them, as well. Once again, you started with nothing and made something. Not everyone can do that. Are they all perfect? Probably not, but you can continue working on each one and make it better, maybe good enough to submit and hope for publication. 

Start with an armful of nothing. End with a great big scoop of something. That's the writers' own special magic!

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Thoughts on Poetry During National Poetry Month

 

This is a repeat post from 2015 to give some more thought to National Poetry Month of April 2021. 

It's National Poetry month. This time of celebrating poetry and poets rolls around every April and I am always happy to recognize it. So many people shy away from both reading and writing poetry. It's a shame as there is pleasure in doing both. 

One of the things I particularly like about a book of poetry is that it's not a one-time read like many novels. Instead, leave it on your bedside table or by your favorite chair and pick it up now and then and read the book again. I find more in a poem every time I read it. 

The reason I asked my poet friend, Roy Beckemeyer, to do a few guest posts here is to stir up some interest in reading, and writing, poetry. Roy writes wonderful poetry and he's a fine teacher for the uninitiated, as well. 

I have featured a poem from another poet friend, Ronda Miller, in an earlier post. I must ask Ronda to consider doing a guest post here, too. Her poem, Moonstain, left a deep impression on me.

Many years ago, when I was in college, I helped in a fifth grade class in a campus lab elementary school as part of my Junior Partiicpation requirement. The classroom teacher gave me some responsibilites with the class and graded me on how I performed. In November, she told me I would be taking over the Language Arts class for a few days and she suggested I work with the students in some creative writing aimed at the Thanksgiving holiday. The writer in me came to the surface, even though I wasn't writing at the time. We wrote a class poem about Thanksgivng. The kids moved from Oh no! to That was fun. I wish I had saved the poem but I didn't. I had no idea in 1959 that I'd like to have it in hand when writing a blog. more than 50 years later! I didn't know a lot about poetry but I winged it and the project turned out well.

It's the same now. I've never had formal training in writing poetry--have never taken a class. But I've read a few articles and books on the subject and I've tried my hand at writing poems. Some of the results were pretty awful but some turned out quite alright.

Anyone can write a poem that comes from the heart. It may not be perfect in a professional poet's view, but if it pleases you, so be it. For the beginning poet, free verse seems to work best. I don't try most of the many forms of poetry because I don't know enough about them, but free verse is one I can tackle and I bet you can, too.

This is a poem I wrote after I accidentally knocked one of my husband's pottery collection pots off a pedestal. I felt bad that it had happened and the poem came from that. I rather liked it and enterd it in my state authors annual contest. The judge wrote notes all over the paper that had me mystified at first, then sent me into laughter. She thought that the pot signified my marriage, that I was getting a divorce and/or the victime of spousal abuse. Believe me, nothing is farther from the truth but it shows how some interpret the poetry they read. Here's the poem. See if you can figure out how she came to that conclusion. So many poems are metaphorical and she must have been thinking on those lines. This one was just plain fact!

                                                                             Shattered

His treasured pot—art piece

                                                             bought in a gallery on a

                                                             warm winter day in Texas,

                                                            one more for his growing collection--

                                                           now in shards, the tall pedestal on

                                                          which it posed still teetering,

                                                         while my heart stops, then beats,

                                                        erratic but pumping life’s blood.

                                                        I kneel and gather the small pieces,

                                                       place them inside one larger chunk,

                                                      still rocking after its shattering fall.

                                                      A sob catches in my throat.

                                                      I barely brushed the pedestal with the

                                                     empty laundry basket in my hand,

                                                     an accident. Will he forgive me?

                                                     Nearly five decades together, so

                                                     he surely loves me more than this

                                                    one hand-done piece. He has others.

                                                  I want to remind him that he

                                                 once broke my favorite crystal pitcher,

                                                 Waterford that is made no more.

                                                 I want to bring it up, but I won’t.

                                                I will say I’m sorry, and be sincere,

                                               and he will forgive, but will he forget?

                                               My hand slides across the pedestal’s cold

                                               marble top. What will rest there next?

                                                                            ---Nancy Julien Kopp 2011

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Accentuate the Positives in Your Writing Life

 

I received a small wooden block as a Christmas gift this past year. It is painted gray and has two words on it. Be positive. If ever there was a year when those words should be heeded, this past year plus of the pandemic is the one. 

I put the little block on my kitchen windowsill as a reminder to look for the good in each day. I see it many times a day since the kitchen sink is oft visited by me. During the pandemic year, it was all too easy to get to feeling down or negative. Lockdowns, unemployment for many, masks, social distancing, stores closing, illness and death topping the news on a daily basis. Yes, we had to work at staying positive. Believe me, there were days when I could not feel very up, but then I'd work my way back to it. Why? Because I kenw it was better for me as a person to keep feeling positive.

As writers, we should work at being positive. It does take real work when things are not going as hoped, when rejections roll in one after the other, when it looks like publication is moving farther and farther away instead of being within reach. When negatives enter our life, it is not easy to pick up the positives. Some people prefer to clutch the negatives. It's probably easier than working at being positive.

If we want to experience some success in our writing world, we must accentuate the positive, just as an old song made popular by Bing Crosby tells us. The lyrics also tell us to 'eliminate the negative' which we must have strength to do. We can't just say the words. We have to work at it. 

Little reminders like my small wooden block are helpful. Look at it often enough, and  you might start believing it. Some people find meditation to be helpful. Why not give it a try and use those words--Be Positive--as your mantra? Eyes closed and repeating the words in your mind could be of some help. 

If you start piling up the negatives in your writing world, you'll get bogged down pretty quickly. Once you dig that hole, it's not easy to climb out. The writer who receives multiple rejections in a row takes the attitude that they probably shouldn't bother submitting any longer. What's the use? Keep telling yourself that, and you start to believe it. I encourage writers to keep submitting. The day will come when one of your pieces will be accepted for publication. 

Make a side-by-side list of the positves and the negatives in your writing life. Which one is longer? What can you do to stay on the positive side? It's worth pursuing the positive side in every way you can. 

My little wooden block that helps me every day

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Be A Writer Who Stands Out

 

Did you know that the name for a group of penguins on land is called a 'waddle?' They are also referred to as a 'colony,' a 'huddle,' and a 'rookery.' If the penguins are in the water, then one refers to them as a 'raft.' A bit of trivia for your weekend! 

Look at the photo. That waddle doesn't have much individuality to it. One penguin looks pretty much like another. How does that compare to a group of artists known as writers? In some respects, we do all look alike. We have arms, legs, heads, ears, eyes, a nose, and a mouth. As writers, we each have our own characteristics. Maybe the penguins do, too, but we don't see it in the photo. We do see it in us as we produce our stories, essays, articles, and poems.

What if I showed you a photo of a large group of writers standing side by side? Would you be able to pick out the ones that have distinguished themselves by looking at the picture? Probably not, unless we included some famous writers whom you would recognize. 

How are you going to be the writer to stand out among the crowd of people plying the same craft that you do? What are you going to do to make people remember your writing? There are some who would dress in an unusual way to stand out in the crowd. Would that indicate the quality of their writing? No. Some would be the one to monopolize a group conversation. That wouldn't indicate the strength of their writing ability. You might notice one of the writers hiding behind the others, not wanting to be seen. Would that tell you the kind of writer that person is? None of the above will tell you the quality of the person as a writer.

What are you going to do to outshine the others in the group of writers? A writer's goal is to write well enough to be published multiple times. What the guy next to you wears or does is worth nothing for your own writing world. You need to work at being a better writer every single day. Not just on Mondays or Fridays but every day. 

Keep these things in mind:

• Read about your craft frequently
• Write on a daily basis.
• Join writing critique groups. 
• Converse with other writers on a regular basis. 
• Study writer guidelines at many publications or publishing houses. 
• Reach deep into yourself when you write; don't write on the surface and ignore what is within you. 
• Increase your vocabulary. 
• Look for ways to make your writing stand out among others who write in the same genre
• Feed your passion for writing in every way you can
• Do your best every day

If you achieve all of the above, your writing will grow stronger with each new project. Use the above as a checklist. Which ones do you accomplish on a regular basis? Which do you need to work on? 

Do what you can to stand out rather than be a cloned-looking penguin in a waddle, or a huddle, or a rookery or a colony. (How can they have so many names?) 

Writers Who Have Trouble Writing

One of the women in my online writing group subbed a new piece recently. She said she was having a problem because she had too much information to put in the article, and besides that, she thought the beginning was lame, the ending was lame, and maybe it all didn't make sense. She sent it to the group hoping others might see where she can improve. 

It's also possible that those who critique her article will not see the problems she has fixated on. Writers read their own work subjectively while those who critique can be objective. This alone is one very good reason to belong to a critiquing group. 

The writer in question is a very good, often published writer, She is obviously having trouble writing this article. This brings me to the quote for today by Joseph Heller--"Every writer I know has trouble writing." 

That doesn't mean every writer has trouble writing every single story, essay, article, or poem they put their hand to. We all have trouble with parts of what we write; sometimes it's big problems with an entire piece. It's part of the writing world. If it all ran as smooth as rich cream, we'd all be famous and wealthy! Instead, we run into potholes and roadblocks along the way. 

Why do we continue? Because we are people who live to write; we have a passion for writing. We are willing to work through the problem areas to reach the satisfaction of a well-written finished piece. 

I look at those trouble spots as a challenge. They give me an incentive to rework those areas to go along with what turned out well to begin with. Remember the kids on the playground who dared you to do some silly thing? Didn't we always rise to the occasion and take the dare? (Almost always) Dare yourself to rework and finish a writing project.

When you hit the problem areas, sit back and ponder a bit. Remind yourself that you are not alone in getting hit with a piece not working out so well. Give it some time. Take a break of hours or days, then go back and look at it again. Sometimes, that's all that is needed. Other times, that burgeoning problem is still there for you to fix.

Take heart in the fact that having trouble writing is a part of the writing journey. You and every other writer hits that wall now and then. If you're true to your writing passion, you'll work it out and move on. 
 

Writers and Imagination

 

Albert Einstein's quote seems to fit our writing world in one way but not the other. I would expect the first part to be attributed to him--"Logic will get you from A to B." The second part seemed more like a right-brain person. He said, "Imagination will take you everywhere." Then again, he was a brilliant man who probably looked at all sides of a situation.

We writers probably use imagination more than logic in most instances. Imagination and creativity are close cousins. Isn't 'everywhere' just where we'd like to be on our writing journey? We're not a one-stop kind of situation. We'd love to 'go everywhere with our writing.

We want to use our creativity, or imagination, to take us into the land of fiction, then skip on to poetry, move to nonfiction, and more. It's up to us to make our moves, not stay stuck in one kind of writing all the time.

We do find the niche where we excel, and it's fine to concentrate in that area. But please don't close the door to other kinds of writing. Experiment a little. Dabble in this kind or another. You might find something new that attracts you even more than the original.

I started out thinking I wanted to write for middle-grade kids. But as time went on, I moved into other kinds of writing and found that the personal essay and short memoir were exciting to me and was my stronger type of writing. That didn't mean giving up writing for kids. I did continue and still do write in that genre off and on. I moved into poetry, too, letting my imagination lead me. It's not my main thrust but is still something I enjoy writing now and then. 

I've heard writers say they could never write this or that, but how do they know unless they try? Expand your horizons. Puff up your imagination and try it out on different paths. Not once but many times. You'll know when it's time to say that 'this kind of writing is definitely not for me.' The important thing is that you made the effort to find out. Those who remain in their original comfort zone could be missing out.

We all need a bit of that logic to get us from A to B, as the renowned Einstein said, but I like very much that he added the part about imagination. Use it to the nth degree on your writing journey!