A Morning Job
This is a poem I could probably write on most days ….
Waiting for coffee
a morning job
to shake me loose from
dreams and sleep
inspire action - not reaction -
to start on the list
of chores and should-dos
but instead I sit
pondering the warmth in my cup
the meaning of life and words
and the necessity of
putting life into words
to experience it fully
to live -- or to know
that I am alive
as I sip the bitter
elixir of life
This poem was actually started some time ago. We’d had a sermon or two on Daniel and his friends, and I had jotted a few lines at the time wondering (like I do with most survival stories) whether I would have been able to do what they did. Would I –say in a school shooting situation–be able to stand up for what I believed if it meant death? Of course, whenever I think this, I quickly throw in a “Please God, let me never have to find out.”
But there are all those little moments–standing up to bullies, racists, haters of any sort–or even harder, those who profess to believe the same things I do. Sure, maybe it only involves anger, social disgrace, ostracism–but do I stand up? Small things build, so where do I draw the line? What do I stand for?
Would I, Could I, Should I?
Would I stand up
when all else bowed
legs strong, backbone straight
furnace flames licking heels and thighs?
And when challenged on that upright pose
would I collapse
knees buckling like
a mighty oak
felled with nothing but an axe?
Could I kneel down
when law denied
bow my head and pray to God
while lions roared in nearby den?
Or would I hide my godly pose,
afraid discovery's fangs
might rip and shred
my heart and soul
until I'm nothing, almost dead?
I confess,
I hope I never know.
But should I encounter
no furnace flames or lions' den
but merely tests within, without
and trials in my daily way
Remind me then, oh Holy One
to whom I owe my everything
of Daniel and his mighty friends.
Though knees may quake
and fear course wild through my veins
place Your hand on me
and still my mouth
if that will close the lion's maw,
or help me speak
to put out hatred's fiercest flame
for I am Yours
though small and weak.
Angel Sighting
This poem is essentially a prose poem, but since I’ve never written a prose poem before, I wasn’t sure what the structure should be. When I have more time, I’ll revisit and try it in paragraph form.
The content came to mind during the last several sermons we’ve had in church, where people shared a personal experience they’ve had with God. It reminded me of a time (way back) when I was visited by an angel–or so I do believe.
I met an angel the other day,
downtown, in the rain, by the swollen river.
I was supposed to be scavenger hunting
with a group of teenagers from my friend’s church,
but they were clean and bright, and alive,
—it was April and almost everything except for me was coming to life—
searching for a statue, a stained glass window, a pigeon,
and a playground with a slide.
I didn’t fit in, so I told my friend
—a good, long-suffering friend who didn’t deserve
to be saddled with someone searching for meaning instead of a statue,
for peace instead of a pigeon,
for a window, stained or otherwise, out of the pain—
I had to leave
and that’s how I ended up untethered by all that rushing water
offering peace
—or at least an escape from pain.
I watched a branch twirl,
spin, go under, and re-surface,
dancing in the current that bore it inexorably away
until it was no more.
And it looked easy,
like I could jump in
and disappear,
that water delivering
a cold hard slap to startle in a breath
like a doctor to a new born babe,
but instead of air and cries,
water and silence.
It would be like going backward, I thought,
like being unborn,
taken apart until there was no more known or unknown,
no more pain that ate and ate and ate
chewing through heart and soul until one was consumed alive
but still ravenous.
I thought all these things,
growing numb in the downpour,
leaning a bit farther over the riverwalk edge
to peer at the welcoming waters below.
And that’s when the angel appeared
—although maybe he was there for quite awhile and I just never noticed,
too engrossed in beating back thoughts of failure,
the words never get better
clashing in my head with always feel this way,
supposed to be fixed,
and can’t stand this anymore.
“Whatever you’re thinking,” he said, voice calm and tug-boat steady,
as if we were friends in the midst of a conversation,
“It’s not the answer.”
Solemn faced, brown eyes clear and direct,
he held my gaze.
“Ok,” I said,
nodded and polite smiled,
looking back at the water which churned indifferent below,
wondering what he saw, what my face could possibly have shown.
“How—" I turned back
—whether to plead or question, I’m not sure-
but he was gone.
Not just walking away gone,
—the open area had nothing to block my view, no place for him to hide—
but disappeared.
Gone.
Sure, you might be skeptical
might think I made it up
or maybe even imagined it.
He certainly wasn’t how I would’ve described an angel before
—no wings, no bright light—
but how else might you explain what happened?
Thank God
I sought a different answer
than what the river offered that day.
This year I’m giving up Facebook for Lent. With the time I would have spent perusing social media, I’m going to write. My goal is a poem every day for the 40 days of Lent. Mind you, I’m defining poem very loosely here. It might be as simple as a list, and idea, a sentence, whatever. I don’t claim to be a poet–I just like using that format to reflect on life, the universe, and all matter of other things.
I’ll create a page called Poetry for Lent under the Poetry tab, and you are welcome to check back throughout the days leading up to Easter to see how my goal is coming along. It might very well be a bit like wandering in the desert, but hey, I hope to stumble across some new life somewhere in the midst of it all. I tend to find that if I show, my muse will meet me half way.
School’s out, which means I’m able to be more of a writer. This summer, as I revise my novel, I Feel For You, I’m studying how to be a story genius. The “textbook” I’m using is Story Genius: how to use brain science to go beyond outlining and write a riveting novel.
According to author Lisa Cron, a story is basically “about how someone grapples with a problem they can’t avoid, and how they change in the process.” (pg. 30) Story is, therefore, the internal struggle and change–compared to plot, which is the external events. The book not only talks about why our brains crave story, but it also helps provide what the author calls “a blueprint” for your novel. The blueprint talked about in Story Genius “is not a general outline of the things that happen in the plot; it’s a fully realized synthesis of the internal and external layers of your story from beginning to end.”
Throughout the book there are sections the author calls What To Do. I stop and work on those in my IFFY novel notebook — which is just a notebook (see above picture) where I put ideas, thoughts, diagrams, drawings, explanations… whatever has come up in the course of writing I Feel For You. For me, it is easier to allow imperfection when I write on paper. Something about switching to Scrivener (the writing software I use) makes it feel more like it has be to be… well, good. So I do the brainstorming on paper.
Story Genius would be great for those who have an idea, but haven’t started writing yet. 
I’m revising, but it is still helpful for that as well. The shitty first draft has been written, but I knew I needed to ratchet up the tension. Unfortunately, I wasn’t exactly sure how. Working through Lisa Cron’s book allows me to pin-point WHY the lack of tension, the absence of urgency–and it is also helping me know how to build that urgency into my manuscript.
I’m far from finished, but I definitely have a better handle on what my STORY is — and a blueprint for the plot events that need to happen to create that story.
Utilizing setting to deepen your story
Last night I met with my writing group, and it brought home yet again why writing groups are so important. As a writer, I don’t always realize how much is in my head, but not on the page. My writing group is very good on pointing out what is missing–or what is leading them a down a different path than where I’d intended the reader to go.
In our group, the author reads her piece of writing while the others follow along on their own copy. Then the author sits back like a fly on the wall while the “readers” talk about the piece of writing. So last night after I read my scene, the very first comment went something like this: “I can’t see them–I mean, I can’t picture where the characters are–and that makes it difficult for me to visualize what they are doing.”
Oops, I did it again (to quote a popular but definitely not favorite song). I knew where the characters were, but I forgot to look around and describe it for my readers. The scene started with this sentence:
After school, we headed back to what I called the training room, having finished eating hummus and chips in the kitchen. Grandma Lange led us through the practice of Grounding, and I dutifully imagined roots growing into the floorboards beneath me…..
So okay, we have a time of day–after school–and we have a place–the training room. But that didn’t give my readers enough to see what the characters were doing. Were they sitting? If so, on what? Maybe they were standing–and if so, were they close to each other? Far apart? We can’t SEE them, and that makes what follows confusing.
Not only did my lack of description of the setting make the scene confusing, but I missed an opportunity to deepen the story.
So what can setting do for your story?
In The Urban Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to City Space by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi, setting is described as “a powerhouse of storytelling description that deepens every scene.” Not only does it root the reader in the events–or fail to do so, in my case–but it also, if chosen carefully, can “help characterize the story’s cast, deliver backstory in a way that enriches, covey emotion, supply tension, and accomplish a hot of other things to give readers a one-of-a-kind experience.” (p. 1)
In The Rural Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Personal and Natural Places also by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi, setting is described like this:
They’re places that hold meaning for the character and evoke emotion. They provide opportunities for conflict and personal tragedy and growth. As such, birthplaces, bedrooms, schools, workplaces, hangouts, and vacation spots play a pivotal role in shaping who a character is and who he will become. [ ] Written effectively, this emotional connection reaches out to include the reader too.”(p. 1)
Setting, done right, can help a writer:
Let’s look at another example where I think I did a better job making the most of my setting.
After bundling up in winter gear, I stepped into a blinding world. Wherever the sun struck the snow, it sparked a million different colors, like diamonds in the firelight. Wiping watering eyes with the back of a mitten, I headed down the street. My breath plumed out clouds, and the cold air stung the tip of my nose.
In the neighborhoods closer to Lake Michigan, the houses grew bigger. Not that the Williams lived in a mansion, but it doubled my house. The sidewalk ended, and I headed across the street to where it picked up again on the other side just past the entrance to the Lake Forest cemetery. A blanket of untouched snow covered the ground and tucked around the gray and black tombstones and mausoleums.
Once, I’d admitted to Eva that those little stone houses both creeped me out and fascinated me because I imagined someone opening the door and coming out.
Eva had rolled her eyes and said with mock chagrin, “Only you bleeding heart religious sorts believe in anyone coming out of the grave. Stick to scientific fact, you’ll sleep better, I promise. Cemeteries are a waste, just dead space. I plan to donate my body to science. My mom tells me it’s hard for the university medical program to get enough cadavers for student use.”
That’s Eva in a nutshell, I thought, turning to walk the rest of the way to her house. If she can’t test, slice, dice, or document it in some way—it doesn’t exist.
I’d like to think that in this passage, I used setting (the neighborhood and the graveyard) to do more than just help the reader visualize what is happening in the scene. The description of the houses in the neighborhood inform the reader that Eva’s family is richer than Jane’s family.
Having Jane walk past the graveyard allowed me to practice what Fleda Brown (a poet who was a speaker at a writing conference I attended) called going out from where you are. This means using something in the story (in this case, the mausoleums) to travel somewhere else–or some when else. Think about it–our memory often works by association. So a writer can provide backstory in a way that seems natural by using something a character sees, hears, smells, does, or tastes to trigger a memory. In my example, the sight of the mausoleums reminds Jane of a previous conversation she had with Eva.
Adding this bit of backstory triggered by the setting created (or at least, indicated) a source of tension, setting Jane’s view of the world against Eva’s. That tension hints at the larger conflict involving the struggle to accept that which cannot be scientifically proven.
Could my setting do even more? Maybe. I’ll keep working on making my settings multi-task. That’s the joy of re-writing.
Is your setting doing all that it could for your story?
Distraction is common experience for me. Granted, more often than not, I am trying to write and real life distracts me. The opposite is more rare, but does happen upon occasion. For instance, this Saturday I had every intention of getting many things done, really, I did. I even started off good, getting up early (though not by choice) to drop my daughter off for drama practice.
The writing distraction part happened on the way home. Driving in the car is a little like showering for the writer me–the monkey in my mind is busy, so my other thoughts can be heard. I got thinking about the novel I’m working on, I Feel For You. (maybe because I was listening to the playlist for that novel.) Specifically, I got thinking about the protagonist and the way she views the world. Jane has grown up in an unpredictable home. Because of that, she has developed a fascination of disaster scales and safety rules in an attempt to predict and stay safe from the storms in her house.By the time I arrived home, all thoughts of doing laundry or vacuuming were gone. Here’s what I did instead –
If Jane is obsessed with it, then I need to know enough about natural disasters and storms to be able to use the correct terminology when sprinkling in her examples and metaphors.
I painted the card for my niece and then found the quote in the front of the book The Story of Owen, Dragon Slayer of Trondheim, by E.K. Johnston. I loved the book — the world building and characters are unique. You should definitely get it from your library or nearest bookstore and read it. The sequel, Prairie Fire, came out and is on my pile of books to read. Can’t wait!
Wouldn’t it be nice if there were an app for revisioning plot? Like a map app or something. I could certainly use it right about now, when I’ve been away from my novel for too long (Oh how I’ve missed you, dear Work In Progress!)
Plot Mapping App
Sadly, as far as I know, there isn’t such an app (If you know of one, please share!). However, I bought a couple of books that have helped me to create my own map–albeit, not nearly as fancy as the one pictured. My plot map looks more like scribbles on paper, but whenever I start to get lost, I can refer back to it. plan, a map or sorts, to show me where I am headed. I suppose there are those who map everything out from the beginning, but I didn’t know enough about this world to be able to do that in the first draft. However, in the 3rd…4th? draft, I’m glad to have something to look at when I’ve been away from the novel for any length of time (as I have of late).
So the books that have helped me map my plot are Story Structure Architect and The Writer’s Little Helper. 
Both of these books have some great tips on how to set up the structure of your story. I relied on the Writer’s Little Helper to get me started and then used Story Structure Architect to flesh out my plot and sub-plots.
Here is a picture of what my plot map looks like (messy handwriting and all):
Stay Tuned for more info about how to develop (or revise) plot.
Happy writing!
I recently celebrated my birthday. Now, in general, I don’t go much for big celebrations. This isn’t because getting older bothers me — I find the alternative is not so good. Really, it’s because I’m lazy. With my daughter’s birthday and Valentine’s Day both happening shortly before my birthday, I’m partied out. Enough work. I just don’t want to cook. That’s all. So we play it low-key.
But this year, my friend came up with an awesome gift that I have to share with all you writer types — or those who have writers in your life. Because it is SO cool. My friend gave
Writer’s Inspiration Package
me a Writer’s Inspiration Package. A very heavy basket, which, when I opened it, proved to be filled with all sorts of goodies –all wrapped of course, so I couldn’t guess what they were ahead of time. “You have to open them in order,” she instructed me. On the top was a sheet of paper, 10 Steps To Finishing Your Book. Each package was numbered to go with one of the steps.
Inside the basket
10 Steps
Here are the 10 Steps To Finishing Your Book — along with corresponding gifts.
1. Get Rid Of Your Gremlins For Good.
Gremlin Killer
Whew! Does she know me or what?! Gremlins are those voices in your head telling you that your writing sucks, and why are you doing this anyway? Somehow, no matter what I do, they creep back in and get noisy every time I write. But now, they’d better watch out because I’m getting rid of them. For Good. I’ve got a pink hammer (so my husband doesn’t take it) and I’m not afraid to use it.
2. Get The Creative Juices Flowing.
Thinking Putty
I don’t always have the chance to write every day, so when I do sit down to write, I have to prime the pump a bit. Music helps — I create playlists to go along with each novel, so my brain associates that music with the contents and emotions of that particular novel. But now I have another way to get thinking. Sometimes keeping my hands busy with a simple task (I know someone who draws spirals) frees up my brain to think, create. Showers work really well too.
3. Remember You Have Many Of Us Cheering You On.
It helps to let people know you are
Go Writer, Go!
writing. It holds you accountable. It makes you embarrassed if they ask how the writing is going and you have to admit that you haven’t been writing — so that helps you to sit your butt in the chair and write. I love it when I know people are waiting to read what I’ve written. Inspires me to write even when I don’t feel like it. Nothing like a deadline to make me productive!
4. Set Time Aside Every Day To Write.
This can be hard. But even if you only have ten
Time Every Day
minutes, it adds up. The more consistent you can be, the less “getting into it” time you will need when you do sit down to write. It’s like how when you get used to waking up at a certain time for school each day, you often wake up at that time on the weekend too. Same thing with writing every day. If you do it on a regular basis, your brain starts to expect it. You might even find you miss it when you don’t sit down to write.
5. Take Your Medication To Prevent Writer’s Block.
Writer’s Remedy
Of course, if you write every day, you might find that writer’s block doesn’t exist. And it does depend on what you mean by writer’s block. Maybe you mean you don’t FEEL like writing — write anyway and you often find that you do feel like it. Maybe it means you don’t have any idea what to write about. That’s where using a prompt can come in handy. (Check out the list of writing prompts on the links page) Or just set a timer and write whatever comes into your head. That’s the idea behind Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages.
6. Write, Write, Write!!!
Fun Journal and Pens
Doesn’t get any clearer than that. Butt in chair. One letter, one word at a time. Write. On paper, on the computer… whatever works for you. When I get stuck in my novel, I’ll switch to journaling and it often helps free things up again. But nothing gets on the page unless I sit down and take the time to WRITE.
7. Make Sure You Are Well Nourished.
Usually this isn’t a problem for me. Although I have been known
Nourishment
to get so caught up in the writing that I forget to eat. (That doesn’t happen often.) Chocolate and Peanut Butter — what’s not to like? Even has protein. Of course, my number one writing candy is… SKITTLES. It’s something about being able to arrange them by color… Not that I’m ocd or anything… : )
8. Stay In Your Seat And Write Some More. This Should Help Keep You There.
Writer’s Helper
Yup, it always comes back to sitting your butt down and writing. Duct tape = love. And now it comes in all sorts of awesome colors and patterns so you can be stuck in your seat but still coordinate.
9. Print and send it off to the editor and agent.
At some point, you need an audience. Join a
Send it out.
writing group, blog, send your awesome story/poem/novel off to a contest. Query an editor or agent… Get it out there. It’s scary, but the writing process isn’t complete until you have a reader. Otherwise you could just keep it all in your head — that would be a lot easier. But not nearly as rewarding as connecting with someone using your written words.
10. Celebrate!!! 
And finally, take time to celebrate. Finish a rough draft? Great job! Celebrate. Got through a first edit? That took some hard work. Celebrate. Shared your poem with an audience? Super! You are brave and you should celebrate. Recognize that even though writing itself is a rather solitary occupation, you can have a community to support you, encourage you, and celebrate with you. And for those of you who know a writer — this Writer’s Inspiration Package is a great way to help.
Thanks Betty Jo. You Rock!