Writing to No Music #nablopomo

Today's NaBloPoMo Prompt: Can you listen to music and write? What song did you hear today?

I prefer to write in quiet. Not necessarily silence, but a quiet and still atmosphere. Pretty music is nice to listen to, but when I write it is just a distraction. I've always been this way - even preferring to do schoolwork or run long distances without music.

Last month I went to a writing workshop at UCONN on a Saturday morning. It so happened it was also parents weekend, and a huge BBQ was going on outside our classroom window. Complete with a melange of party music. Hearing other words while I was trying to write my own words made thinking and writing next to impossible. As I'm trying to create lines, I'm hearing another writer's ideas mixed in with my own thoughts. I think this can affect the originality of my piece.

I also tend to lose my inner rhythm when music is playing while I write. My natural speech/writing rhythms start to flow with the music patterns I'm hearing. If I'm writing poetry, this is particularly detrimental. It's hard to stay on one particular meter/beat when you're listening to another.

Now, that's not to say that music can't be a starting point for inspiration. I definitely like to listen to music if I'm just daydreaming or brainstorming ideas. And some music is less intrusive than others - classical or music with no words is preferable if it has to be on.

But really... just give me the sound of silence...oh, wait... isn't that a song lyric? See, music affect my writing even when I'm not listening to any!

Do you write to music?

Eat Your Words...a writer's last meal #NaBloPoMo

Keep your words sweet, you may have to eat them!

Today's NaBloPoMo prompt is: If you knew what you ate next would be your last meal, what would you want it to be?
A writer would start with an appetizer of light introductions. The move on to a salad of little-known words. Perhaps a soup of rhetorical questions.

A main course of hearty verbs and specific nouns would follow, served with a side of prepositions. And just a small bit of adjective as a garnish. Nobody wants a plate full of garnish, after all!

The meal would conclude with a sweet serving of imported words, like creme brûlée and latte!

What would your last meal be?

My Favorite Thing About Writing #nablopomo

Last year I heard about National Blog Posting Month through BlogHer, and wanted to take part but I was too late. This year, I had totally forgotten about it... until today! I saw some bloggers talking about it online (see how great blogger connection groups are!), and decided that although I was getting in under the wire, I would do it.

Every day in November I will (attempt) to post on the topic given by #NaBloPoMo. Feel free to comment or link up your own post of the day in the comments!

PROMPT: What's my favorite part about writing?

This is like asking "How do I love thee, let me count the ways!" So many aspects of writing are enjoyable for me... but a few parts I love the most are :

• Pairing my ideas with a pleasing combination of words.
• Delighting the reader with sensory details.
• Writing furiously with energy and inspiration.
• Finding editing mistakes BEFORE someone else sees them!
• Revising - I truly do love revising to become more concise and clear.
• Hitting the publish button. (This is what makes blogging my favorite writing outlet because a writer can go from blank page to published piece within a short time frame. It's very gratifying!).
• Getting comments from readers. Okay, this isn't really a part of the writing process, but it certainly does keep me motivated! 

What are your favorite parts of writing? Do you write better when you have a prompt to get you going?

I'm a Bananagram Maniac! #imabzzagent

Know what I'm good at? Words. Word games.

Scrabble is my playground. But who has TIME for Scrabble anymore? The whole taking turns, waiting for someone to ponder the meaning of Q, or debate about using proper nouns... snooze fest!

That's why my new mania is BANANAGRAMS! I honestly don't think I've ever been beaten at this game. I don't know what it is, but when those tiles spill across the table, I get into a frenzy making words, yelling "Peel" (okay, it's sad to hear everybody sigh as they have to pick another tile while I yell "Peel!" again!).

But hey. Some people are good at skiing, volleyball, card games. Me, I'm good at Bananagrams! It's nice to find my calling in life!

I'm so in love with this game, I'm even creating still art photographs...

What's your favorite word game? Think you can beat me?? Let's see!!

Don't Peek (at) My Interest

Okay so the English teacher in me cannot. help. it.

I have to address some common errors I see all the time in blogging. Egregious spelling and usage mistakes. Mostly these are homophone errors, which are easy enough to make.

I don't like to interrupt reading blogs (which I find enjoyable) to be the grammar police. I do NOT comment on every blog post I read telling them all their spelling and grammar errors (although many blogs do need to utilize the spell check more than they do!).

However, since I am seeing some of the SAME errors over and over, I thought I'd write up some instructional blog posts that might be helpful. If the shoe fits. Wear it. If the spell checker is on your toolbar. Use it!

First up.

PIQUE

Pronounced: "peek"

Definition: To excite (interest, curiosity, etc.): Her curiosity was piqued by the gossip.

Usage Error: Instead of pique, I often see writers use the incorrect spelling "peek" or "peak." All three words have the same exact pronunciation.

Let me help you out.

• PEEK = a brief look or glance. Can be a noun or verb. (Take a peek. She peeked at the book.)
• PEAK = a sharp or pointed end, highest level, summit of a mountain. (A widow's peak. The peak of his career. The peak of Mt. Everest).
• PIQUE = to excite or stimulate interest or curiosity. (Have I piqued your interest?).

Keep them straight with these tricks:

• Peek = involves looking with your eyes. You have two eyes. There are two e's in the word. Imagine those e's are little eyes looking at something sideways.
• Peak = means the tip or high point. There is an A in the word. A capital letter A has a high point just like a mountain.
• Pique = has to do with getting someone interested. There is an I in this word. I for Interest!

Got that? Hope that helps you discern between these three commonly confused words!

Don't be peeking (at) my interest anymore. That brings me to the peak of frustration, grammatically! But I love to have my interest piqued!

Are there other words that you have a hard time remembering how to use? I'd be happy to write a post about them! Just let me know!