Weekends are for free writing during National Blog Posting Month. Great. My least favorite form of writing because I can never think of topics. Or I find I write about the same things over and over.
I read somewhere that writers have three main topics they return to again and again in their writing. So I'm sitting here trying to figure out my three topics.
Writing - I write a lot about writing. Much like meta-cognition (thinking about thinking), this has always seemed a bit redundant to me - writing about writing. But I do love the process of writing, and like to mull over how it works, and pass along grammar tips, or comment on the evolution of our English language. See... I'm writing about writing right now! (I hate it when "write" and "right" appear in the same sentence, much less next to each other!).
Family - The personal narrative / memoir type writing has been a favorite of mine these past few years. Ever since I learned more about this genre from teaching it in writer's workshop, I see the value of mining the small moments of our life to find seeds for writing. I still struggle to get down to a super small moment and to find the meaning in it, but writing about my life and family is a topic I return to time and again. I even started an entire blog about my family, parenting and family friendly product reviews and giveaways.
... hmmm... topic three.... it's not coming...
Maybe I only have two topics at this point in my life. I have some minor topics, like education, politics, product reviewing, and miscellaneous opinions that I write about but nothing that sticks or raises a passionate voice in my writing. Well... chocolate, yes, writing about chocolate might be my third topic!
I'm starting to think there's a reason writers have THREE topics not just TWO! It's good to have variety in your writing! I can't wait until topic three shows up...
Saturday, November 05, 2011
Friday, November 04, 2011
When the Pen Isn't Mightier #NaBloPoMo
Today's NaBloPoMo post : When you are writing, do you prefer to use a pen or a computer?
I learned to type early, thanks to a mom who taught high school typing class. I would sit in her classroom after school typing up library cards for my own books!
By the time I went to college I was a fast touch typist, often hitting over 100 wpm with accuracy in the 90%. (note, this has decreased as I have learned to incorporate the backspace key into my typing, and touch screens slow me down considerably).
Still, I type much faster than I write by hand, so I prefer to brainstorm and draft right on the computer, where my hands can actually keep up with my thoughts!
I'm also the kind of writer who likes to throw down thoughts on the page and work and rework the as I go. My revisions on paper turn into a mass of arrows, cross-outs, inserted lines...a mess. Another reason typing as I write works better for me, because I can edit and revise as I go. So far as being neat, prolific, and finishing work on a deadline go, computer drafting is mightier than the pen!
The drawback to typing my writing is I never have a record of my path to a final draft. Every file could represent hundreds of revisions, stops and starts forever erased. A somewhat sterile piece seemingly springing fully-formed off the page. It's for this reason that despite my preference for drafting on the keyboard, I also keep a writer's notebook for jotting ideas, and sometimes will handwrite a short piece or two in a writing workshop.
No question, the computer offers writers distinct advantages, yet I still believe there's an important writerly connection to be found in the act of putting pen to paper.
What do you think? Prefer to write by hand/pen or on the computer?
I learned to type early, thanks to a mom who taught high school typing class. I would sit in her classroom after school typing up library cards for my own books!
By the time I went to college I was a fast touch typist, often hitting over 100 wpm with accuracy in the 90%. (note, this has decreased as I have learned to incorporate the backspace key into my typing, and touch screens slow me down considerably).
Still, I type much faster than I write by hand, so I prefer to brainstorm and draft right on the computer, where my hands can actually keep up with my thoughts!
I'm also the kind of writer who likes to throw down thoughts on the page and work and rework the as I go. My revisions on paper turn into a mass of arrows, cross-outs, inserted lines...a mess. Another reason typing as I write works better for me, because I can edit and revise as I go. So far as being neat, prolific, and finishing work on a deadline go, computer drafting is mightier than the pen!
The drawback to typing my writing is I never have a record of my path to a final draft. Every file could represent hundreds of revisions, stops and starts forever erased. A somewhat sterile piece seemingly springing fully-formed off the page. It's for this reason that despite my preference for drafting on the keyboard, I also keep a writer's notebook for jotting ideas, and sometimes will handwrite a short piece or two in a writing workshop.
No question, the computer offers writers distinct advantages, yet I still believe there's an important writerly connection to be found in the act of putting pen to paper.
What do you think? Prefer to write by hand/pen or on the computer?
Thursday, November 03, 2011
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?
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?
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
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?
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?
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
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.
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 :
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!
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