Linda's Write Spot: Linda's Write Spot: They Stepped Up To the Plate

Linda's Write Spot: Linda's Write Spot: They Stepped Up To the Plate: Linda's Write Spot: They Stepped Up To the Plate : https://www.facebook.com/CityofRochesterNY/photos/a.117376782620.110013.114192652620/...

Push "Start" by Jerry Schutz

Last spring, I purchased a book called 642 Things to Write About; a book of writers’ prompts. The book was written in an amazing 24 hours, by a team. The writer of the introduction, Po Bronson, received a call from an editor asking for a book with 642 writers’ prompts. She accepted the challenge, and asked for help from 34 other members of the San Francisco Writers Grotto. She was hoping to have it done in 30 days. Twenty-four hours later she delivered a printed copy of the manuscript to the editor, in person. Some examples of prompts are: I can’t go into this right now, but if I could, I’d tell you this…; Write the lyrics of a catchy jingle--for a plumbing service; and Never underestimate the lives of old men sitting on park benches. The pages are variously divided into quarters (quartered?), thirds, halves, and full page.

               After I had done about 50 of these I decided I wasn’t getting the full potential out of them. It seemed to me that the responses should lead somewhere; not be complete ideas. I then started writing my responses as if I were starting a larger work. Here is an example:

“The toy you most treasured.” My answer: I was at a cocktail party talking to a tall brunette when she asked me what my favorite toy had been as a boy. I couldn’t tell if this was supposed to be a conversation starter, or if she really wanted to know more about me, but it took no time for my response…my Lotus Ford pedal car. Little did I realize what that response would yield.

I never had any such toy, in fact, I doubt that I ever had a pedal car, and I don’t remember any of my toys. As far as I’m concerned, that’s not the point. I thought of a pedal car and looked it up on E-Bay. I scrolled through the innumerable offerings until I found the Lotus Ford, a formula one car. It fit my own history and evoked many memory threads, almost like going through a class annual. My junior year in high school I took a class in journalism. I was interested in writing. My class mates were interested in partying. The teacher had a reputation for liking parties and football players. This eventually got her into a lot of trouble.

Meanwhile, I became a member of a small group within the class interested in sports cars, which became a life-long passion. The following year I was invited to be a member of the pit crew for an older friend of theirs who raced a Porsche in amateur races. I was really hyped about this opportunity. When we got to the track, I stood around waiting for someone to tell me what to do. No one ever did. Afterwards I was told I would not be invited back because I didn’t contribute. This was a lesson I learned over and over in the work world and other places. Do I have enough here to start a novel? I think so. I thought of the title “Sink or Swim.” I looked it up on Amazon. Unfortunately, it has been used over and over by many authors. How about Fish or Cut Bait? Lots of those too. I guess I’ll have to think of something original.

               If you are having a difficult time getting started on your next writing project I recommend you get a copy of 642 Things to Write About, promptly!

Websites for Writers by Mary Lou Moran

Every year Writers' Digest magazine comes out with their list of websites for writers. It's a pretty long list and includes everything from resources to publishing in every genre.

• What is your favorite or go-to website for writers?
• Where do you go for research, grammar, writing prompts, and story ideas? 

Linda's Write Spot: BookMarketingBuzzBlog (useful websites)

Linda's Write Spot: BookMarketingBuzzBlog (useful websites): BookMarketingBuzzBlog 83 Websites For Authors, Publishers & Book Pros Posted: 08 Sep 2016 05:02 AM PDT There are many web...

Blogging Along by Mary Lou Moran

Blogging Along

by Mary Lou Moran
 
In my quest to understand the blogging world, I find I have questions--serious questions. And I need your help. So please read this and answer the questions below.

1. Do you write your own blog?
2. If so, why do you blog?
3. Do you read other peoples' blogs?
4. What kind of blogs do you like to read? Example:  funny, informative, everyday happenings, specific topics etc.
5. What kind of blog makes you groan painfully and click to another website?
6. Do you enjoy discussions started on blogs?
7. If you are an author, do you consider blogging a part of your platform?
8. And finally, if you do not blog - why not? 

William "Youngblood McCrary former Negro Baseball League Player of Kansa...

We Prevail

The English language attempts to thwart writers' efforts; but, with determination, we overcome its challenges. We prevail!

to set (an object) down	DEFINITION	to rest or recline
lay	PRESENT TENSE	lie
laid	PAST TENSE	lay
laying	PRESENT PARTICIPLE (with am/is/are)	lying
laid	PAST PARTICIPLE (with has/have/had)	lain

L'Audible Authors!

Thanks to the writers who offered selections of their work to be read for L'Audible Art on May 9. The authors who will read and those who submitted work to be read by Carousel Theater volunteers should take rightful pride in sharing their creativity with the Hot Springs Village Community. Following is a list of the authors, their titles, and the genre of their work.

First	Last	Title & Genre
Charles Heately	Allen	Chapter 26 of Living Nightmares, Excerpt from novel
Suzanne	Bratcher	Guardians of the Canyon, Excerpt from Chapter of romantic suspense novel
Jerry	Davis	It's for You, Humorous essay
Nancy	Foris	Regrets, Poetry
Elizabeth	Foster	Husbands Are Handy, Essay
Neala	Gunderson	Children Are Gone, Poem written for grandchildren
Charles "Chap"	Harper	Jungle Jane & the Diamond Cave of the Naked Pygmies, Action/adventure
Marlene	Kloack	The Old Pear Tree, Poetry
Mary	Laughlin	An Ode to the Hot Springs Village Firemen, Humrous essay
Mary Lou	Moran	Back in Time, Personal story
Carole	Ohlsen	Hamburg's Fish Market, Travelogue/memoir
Myra	Rushtin	All About Joy, Ruthless, Promises Kept, and Be My Best Friend, Poetry
Carole	Sjolander	Title to be determined
John	Swinburn	Translucent, Short fiction
John	Thorpe	Leo and Louise on the Flying Trapeze, Excerpt of novel
Joanna	Williams	The Street Car Ride, recollections as a five year old
Madelyn	Young	Hot Pink, personal essay

L'Audible Art

We hope you will join us on May 9, 2016 for L'Audible Art!

A DIFFERENT WAY TO BLOG

Serious about Blogging

When my agent said, “If you’re serious about publishing in the traditional market, you’ve got to get serious about social media,” I was uneasy. When he added “especially blogging,” I was dismayed. Then he told me “serious” meant blogging weekly. I panicked. I’d had a blog (Suzanne’s Scribbles) since 2008. In seven years I posted a total of thirteen entries. My silence must have cried “Help!” because Jim immediately gave me a list of articles to read about blogging. Oh my…

Value Added

I started reading. The consensus of the authors was that successful blogs can be summed up with the phrase “value added.” I was vaguely familiar with the term from discussions with my CPA daughter about the “value added” by her company’s products in foreign markets. As I puzzled through the connection, I began to understand that successful blogs offer content valuable to their readers. Travelers, for example, read blogs written by other travelers offering information about out-of-the-way restaurants, reasonable hotels, and little-known side trips. Quilters read blogs about fabrics and new tools. Cooks read blogs filled with recipes. Hmm…

Audience and Theme

I looked through Suzanne’s Scribbles and found entries ranging from anecdotes of my trip to Australia to reflections on Multiple Sclerosis fatigue to directions for making a batik scrap quilt. So who was my audience? I might assume my family and friends would be interested in these mildly entertaining ramblings, but the real truth was that I was my own audience. I wrote and posted on the topic I was interested in at that moment. Oops…

A Different Way to Blog

I began to consider the audience I wanted to attract to my blog. Because my fiction is romantic suspense for the Christian fiction market, my readers are primarily women and predominantly Christian. I needed a theme this audience would consider valuable, content I could offer from my life that connected with their lives. I puzzled for several weeks. Then one Sunday evening as I was preparing reflection questions for the verse-of-the-week Bible discussion I lead on Mondays an idea popped into my head. Maybe…

TwitterBible

Could I blog on one Bible verse a week?  My daughter liked the idea, my online writing partner liked the idea, and, best of all, my agent liked the idea. But there was still that pesky issue of social media. What if I posted the verse to Twitter on Monday and the reflection questions Tuesday through Thursday? Friday my blog would appear. I breathed a prayer and launched TwitterBible.

By the way, this morning I posted the thirteenth blog entry—not in seven years, in thirteen weeks. Besides that, I the next three entries are ready to go. Imagine that…