May 3, 2012 |
This month’s theme for NaBloPoMo at BlogHer is “Play”. The writing prompts so far have included questions along the lines of “Who Did You Play With as a Child?” and “What Was a Favorite Childhood Toy?”
I’ve been having a few playful days recently. I’ve been keeping up with my writing; more than I used to. And it feels really great. The more I write, the more I want to write. It often brings to mind my favorite quote from Isaac Asimov: “I write for the same reason I breathe: Because if I didn’t, I would die.”
For me, writing is both work and play. It’s play, because I love doing it. It makes me laugh. It makes me creative and thoughtful and imaginative. It’s something I can do alone or with friends.
But it’s also work. It’s work, because I need it to be good enough to pay the bills. I need to work at it, edit and refine every word, until it’s acceptable enough to be printed, published, or otherwise distributed.
I write poetry, prose, journal entries, short stories, and am working on a book series and full length movie script. But the one thing I have never attempted to write is a play.
So does that make my play oxymoronic, because I won’t play with a play?
Just curious. What things do you do that you don’t do?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Don’t forget to link up your favorite posts of this week on yesterday’s What’s the Word? Wednesday. You can link your posts up ’til next Tuesday!
Apr 12, 2012
Today’s prompt from BlogHer.com is “Which poet do you wish was also a blogger?”
I’d have to say… I’m not sure. Because I don’t read tons of poetry, so I’m not well-versed (pardon the pun) with poetic artists.
But I keep thinking of one. A man who’s writing style is so glorious, so creative, so inclusive and amazing that if he were a daily blogger, I’m pretty sure I’d be speaking in rhyme far more often than I do.
I am, of course, talking about non other than Theodor Geisel; better known as Dr. Seuss.
Can you imagine the possibilities that man could offer on topics like cooking in a plastic bag, or the political climate under the ant hill, or even nine ways to wink at a cat? It’s endless, I tell you! Positively endless!
If it were up to you, what topics would you like Dr. Seuss to blog about? If not Dr. Seuss, then who?
And Franky, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Mar 28, 2012
This is not to be confused with my own personal NaNoWriMo for April, in which I’ve committed to adding 50,000 words to the first novel in my and Megan’s nine-book series.
As if that’s not enough, I’ve once again committed through BlogHer to join NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month – every month!) for April.
I guess that’s not really a big deal, since I’ve been posting every day for the last seven months. But April’s theme intrigues me.
Poem.
I don’t typically take writing prompts from BlogHer. They’re only there if you don’t know what to write… and when do I never not know what to write?!
But still.
Poem.
I might follow the prompts this time. At least now and then. I might just try my hand at being a part time poet.
As if I don’t have enough writing projects on the board. Literally. And literally!
This is my other commitment: that I’ll post my attempts, finished or not. [Unless they are really, really bad. Then you get nuttin’.]
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Nov 25, 2011
I “met” Jenn from …so this is love… through BlogHer and NaBloPoMo. I love her writing style. I love her stories. I love that she loves my blog back. It’s a mutual admiration society between the two of us.
A few days ago, she posted this great little essay she titled “Free Falling”. With her permission, I’m sharing it with you because, well, because it’s just worth sharing.
*** *** ***
The other day, I took a kid that I work with to the playground.
I promptly challenged him to a swinging contest.
As my legs started pumping, and I gained speed and height, I begin to feel that feeling.
The one just as you are swinging high. The wind is blowing through your hair making your cheeks red and your eyes water. And you stop for a split second before you come back down. The drop in your stomach. The lump in your throat. The pulsing of your heartbeat, felt in your brain. The silmultaneous feeling of excitement and dread.
The feeling that you are about to plummet. The wondering if anyone will be there to catch you, if the chains on the swing will hold you. The excitement of the unknown. The free fall. The leap.
I remember days when I was younger. The leaps I took off of the swing from that very moment, at the highest point – pretending that I could fly. The forward rolls into space, perfecting the landing.
I am far too adult to try such a thing now. Fear has replaced much of that adventurous spirit. Some would say common sense, but I believe it’s mostly fear. Because of all those times when I fell perfecting the landing, both literally from swings and figuratively from other life experiences – they have left me cautious about much of the world around me.
But those times when I landed perfectly? The times when I closed my eyes and jumped, believing that I would be okay? They stand out in my mind, my heart, my soul. They are the most important times.
They were so worth facing the fear, letting go, and free falling in the unknown. I need to do more of that.
As for the swinging contest? I let him win.
*** *** ***
Click here to check out her blog. Sometimes her husband posts too. Their stories are real, honest, heartfelt. Sometimes fun, sometimes deep. Always worth reading!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Nov 18, 2011
I originally posted this last week but am thrilled to announce that right now it’s being featured at BlogHer.com. You can check it out on their website by clicking here.
Rita Arens, one of the Money Editors on BlogHer.com, has been extremely helpful and communicative. I must say, this is not what I expected. I honestly expected BlogHer to be a website where contributors posted our own links and hoped with fingers crossed that some other blogger might find our post interesting enough to leave a comment.
I didn’t really expect to be featured so soon, and I didn’t expect the response to being featured. In the first two hours, the BlogHer post has received over 600 readers, been shared on twitter and facebook, and, yes, commented on.
I. Think. I. Have. Arrived.
And it wasn’t even my best writing. So, wow.
Just. Wow.
And Frankly, My Dear… That’s All She Wrote.
