Aug31
Video of the Week #113: Jack Storms, Glass Sculptor
Monthly Archives: August 2017
Aug31
Guest Post: Bottle Boys
If you’ve never heard these guys, you’re in for a treat. Many thanks to Donna of MyOBT for this guest post.
Aug30
Blue
Aug30
Enamored
My husband, Greg, and I
I feel an attraction
To a man of action.
He charms me to distraction.
I watch for his reaction.
I have a major crush
On a man who wields a brush.
His glance gives me a rush
And his wink makes me blush.
I had never ever dated
A man more infatuated,
And though I long debated,
I am so glad that he waited.
Greg and I have been married forty-three years.
This is my offering for The Daily Post prompt, enamored.
Aug30
Wordless Wednesday: Persistent Palms
Aug29
My Favorite Mug
In Spring of 2012, I won a Triple A award (I forget what the three As stand for), an honor bestowed twice a year to a different teacher in each of the schools in the district where I worked. The award recognized a teacher for going “above and beyond,” and was voted on by the staff. It came with a certificate at a district ceremony, and at my school was also celebrated with a dinner out and a gift basket with goodies contributed by anyone who so desired.
I was deeply touched by the kind words and wonderful gifts given to me. This mug was one of them. I used it to make a cup of tea every morning, which I sipped at my desk as I prepared for the day.
I resigned from that job three years ago. But every time I see my mug, I remember the amazing people I worked with at Weinberg School.
This photo is my offering for the 52 Week Photo Challenge.
Aug29
Review: Crank It Out! by C. S. Lakin
I’m a long-time fan of C.S. Lakin’s website, Live, Write, Thrive, where she shares helpful articles about the craft of writing. Her book Writing the Heart of Your Story is one of the best writing books I’ve ever read. When I saw she’d written a book about productivity for writers, I knew I must buy it.
In Crank It Out! The Surefire Way to Become a Super-Productive Writer, Lakin identifies the Productivity ABCs: attitude, biology, and choices. How you handle these three factors determines how much you can accomplish. She says, “Time does not equal productivity. The trick is to get the most ‘productive’ bang from each minute you write or engage in any writing-related activity.”
Lakin cautions that if you don’t have the skills necessary for writing, you can’t be a productive writer, but you can apply the productivity tools to mastering the craft.
In regard to attitude, she recommends you examine your mindset. If you have excuses for your current lack of results, if you’re casting blame on the other people in your life, your attitude is causing your low productivity. She tells the stories of people who managed to write and publish books under less than desirable writing conditions. She quotes Yoda (from Star Wars): “There is no try. Do.”
In her discussion of biology, Lakin asks you to take cues from your body and also to enhance your health. If you always crave a nap at 3:00, that’s not your best writing time. She explains how to track your energy levels to find when your most productive time is. And she provides evidence about how good sleep, diet, and exercise habits impact your output.
In talking about choices, Lakin encourages you to retrain your brain for optimum focus. She suggests some habits that will boost your enjoyment of life and also make you more productive, such as journaling and reading for pleasure. She also suggests streamlining your routines to help raise your productivity. I especially like her Chapter 10 on combatting distractions and Chapter 11 on self-sabotage.
I have over-simplified the scope of Crank It Out. It is full of helpful information to help you accomplish more in your writing and in life in general. It is well worth reading, and I know I will be rereading it every few years.
Aug28
Monday Morning Wisdom #117
Aug27
From the Creator’s Heart #113
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:38 NLT).
Aug27
Weekend Writing Warriors: Snippet #69
Every Sunday, the Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday participants share 8-10-sentence snippets from their works-in-progress on their blogs for others to read and comment on. Join the fun! Click on the links to see the full lists.
Mine! Six-year-old Buddy terrorizes the playground, appropriating everyone’s toys. How can the kids teach him a lesson and get their stuff back?
In last week’s snippet, Buddy had just stolen a Frisbee. In the final snippet of Mine? Buddy rests at a picnic table with all his illegally acquired goods spread out around him, watching what the other kids are doing.
A boy fished a section of newspaper out of the wastebasket, unfolded it, and crumpled the pages into a tight ball. He threw it to another boy, who kicked it to another. More children joined them. They ran and laughed and fell down and giggled and got up and ran again. The crumpled paper ball passed from child to child. Soon, every kid on the playground was involved in the game—that is, every kid except Buddy.
Buddy longed to hold that ball in his hands. When he could bear his envy no longer, he screamed, “Mine!” and pursued the object of his desire.
The ball changed hands repeatedly, always remaining just beyond Buddy’s reach. He ran farther and farther, not noticing that, one by one, the children dropped out of the game, retrieved their stolen toys from the picnic table, and walked home.
We’re stopping about five minutes before Buddy finally receives his epiphany–his realization of what his horrible behavior has cost him.
Next week I’ll share a snippet from Lottie Loses the Lottery.
I know it’s short, but what do you think of this small excerpt? Any suggestions on how I can make it better? Please comment below.
ARHtistic License 