Encouragement is powerful. It lifts sagging spirits, nudges one to action, and is a great motivator. This past week has been difficult for me. I’ll spare you the details, but it involved a family member and memory care. Even though the week was full of challenges, it was full of compassionate, wonderful people and that is what I choose to focus on today. Sagging Spirits Whether in your writing practice or in daily life, a little encouragement goes a long way. Pressure to perform, indecision, and a feeling of worthlessness dampens the spirit. A kind word, a suggestion that leads to solutions, or a gentle reminder that, as Jesse Jackson…
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Satire
Satire pokes fun at the truth. Think SNL or The Onion. In this post I’ll talk about the purpose, style and some techniques to use to create believability in your satire. Satire Purpose Generally speaking, satire is a vehicle for humorous ridicule. It highlights the absurdity of an action or government policy. SNL’s opening regularly skewers the news of the day while driving home the outlandish claims and actions of those in power. The Onion’s article Everything You Need to Know About President Trump’s Board of Peace included this line regarding membership requirements: Pay the $1 billion fee for permanent membership and submit letters of recommendation from three different war…
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Quiet Writing at the Library
A dense freezing fog painted the trees white. Even though the thermostat read 70 degrees, a simple look out the window gave me a chill. At the end of the day, I crawled into bed and nestled under the covers expecting a reprieve from the dreary cold. Sleep Socks I lay there, as I often do, impatient for sleep. I plumped my pillow and closed my eyes from the bedside clock’s illuminated display. I turned on my side and waited. Sleep didn’t come. I tossed. I turned. My toes were icicles that refused to warm up. I rose, careful not to wake my softly snoring husband. Rummaging through my sock…
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Unclutter Your Desk
Is a cluttered desk a sign of a cluttered mind, as the saying goes? I can tell you I’m more productive when my desk is uncluttered. I have a habit of starting on something, printing it, then setting it aside. Pretty soon I have random piles of unfinished work. Today’s post on organizing your space is as much for you, dear reader as it is for me, so here goes! Organizing Your Space You must develop a system that works for you. Perhaps you clear your desk at the end of each writing session. Or at the end of each week. Or season. No, that won’t work. The point is…
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Poetry is Therapeutic
Poetry is therapeutic. I’m closing out Poetry Month with reflections on the power of poetry. Stress and Duress Words flow out of my pen (or keyboard) during times of stress and duress. Vulnerabilities are exposed and I am eager to explore them. Raw emotion bubbles to the surface. I am forced to deal with difficult and persistent problems. Whether health, family conflict, or financial woes, poetry helps put them in perspective. Poetry gets at the root of a problem with a minimum of words. Finding the perfect word to express an idea, an emotion, a feeling, drives me to explore the depths of those ideas, emotions, and feelings. It compels…
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Diamante and Haiku
There are more than a hundred different poetry forms. Today I want to introduce you to diamante and haiku. Diamante The diamante poetry form is a relative newcomer. It was invented in 1969 by an American poet and educator named Iris McClellan Tiedt. The rules for this form are very straightforward. There are seven lines. The first and last lines have a single noun. The second and sixth lines have two adjectives. The third and fifth lines contain three verbs. The middle-or fourth line is made up of four nouns. When centered on the page this poetry form is diamond-shaped. That’s where it gets its name. Diamante is Italian for…
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Poetry Month 2025
April is Poetry Month. What makes poetry different from other forms of writing? Poetry uses an economy of words to paint a picture, amplify an emotion, or provoke deep thoughts. Word Pictures Some poems use words that create a visual representation for the reader. Color, shape, and texture portrayed in fresh ways help the reader experience what the poet sees. These poems plop the reader into a setting, as if they are there. Poets carefully select their words to bring a specific place or landscape to life. Nature often figures prominently in this type of poetry. Emotion Another type of poem is one that amplifies an emotional event. It tugs…
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Two Voices
The two voices in writing belong to the author and their characters. An author with a distinct voice is recognizable across their many works. This may manifest thematically, stylistically, or in their tone. Conversely, the voice of characters the author creates will reveal their personality through word choice, attitude, and emotion. Author Voice You pick up a book. The author’s voice jumps out at you. Perhaps they always write about the environment. Or their stories always explore relationships. Maybe every story or essay has a political bent. Themes play an oversized role in an author’s voice. Another marker of author voice is their writing style. Do they use flowery…
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Cultural Appropriation
When writing a dialect it is important to be aware of cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is the arrogance of writing characters outside of your own background without personal knowledge or research. While this sounds harsh, a movement has sprung up to bring attention to the practice. Originally called Own Voices the movement is now referred to as We Need Diverse Books. Today’s post will look at three aspects of cultural appropriation: whose story is it, harmful stereotyping, and lack of respect. Whose Story? Can an able-bodied person write a disabled protagonist? Should they? In this case, I’m using disability as an example of a culture. I could just as easily…
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Phonetic Spelling and Dialects
Phonetic spelling and dialect often go hand-in-hand. It’s a way to capture the genuine sound of language but it can be challenging for your reader. When to Write in Dialect Let’s say your character is a Scottish immigrant. In order to establish his unique sound, phonetic spelling is your best bet. This will not only give him a voice distinct from his fellow characters, it will introduce challenges of interpretation. Down becomes doon, no becomes nae. Some characters will be unable to understand a heavily accented Scot, while others will misinterpret his words completely. Why Phonetic Spelling? You want your reader to ‘hear’ the words as your Scot pronounces them.…
