Write Anyway

Thank goodness it’s Friday!

That’s all I have to say about that.

On to the feast!

Appetizer - When you drink soda/pop/coke, do you prefer to drink it from the bottle, a can, or after pouring it into a cup?

Soda still comes in glass bottles in Australia (plastic, too) which I still think is the coolest thing, so my preference is bottle if it’s glass. Otherwise, in a cup.

Soup - What television show are you willing to stay up late to watch?

Haha. Quite funny you asked. I stayed up late last night to watch Dr. Who. I’d also probably stay up late for a number of shows… If there is a documentary on that I would like to see, I’d stay up for that. It’s rare that I actually do, though, because I highly value my sleep.

Salad - Name one person, place, or thing you think of as brilliant.

I think my husband is brilliant. He knows a little about just about everything and is very good at sorting out problems. He’s quick with wit and solutions as well as patient.

This, of course, is taking the meaning of ‘brilliant’ in terms of intelligence.

Main Course - Would you be willing to work 4 10-hour days instead of 5 8-hour days in order to save gas?

No, but that’s because I work from home and don’t drive anyway. I think, though, that I would start taking the train and other such things before I would start going to an office for ten hours a day. No thanks.

Dessert - If you were a superhero, what would you call yourself?

Silver something or other. Hehe.

Brought to you by Friday’s Feast

Hello everyone!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, if you celebrate. If you don’t celebrate, I hope you had a lovely day off. Either way, I hope the time was filled with love, laughter, presents, and great food.

Given I had the Christmas message up yesterday, we missed our prompt. I’ll be posting the usual Tuesday prompt today along with a few extras, so be sure to check back in here a little later today.

For your prompt today you should have an easy time writing heaps.

Tell me about your Christmas! (If you don’t celebrate Christmas, talk about your other celebration experiences.)

Did you spend it alone relaxing or were you trying to manage a huge family gathering? What kind of presents did you give/receive? Did you have some fabulous food choices or was the turkey a bit dry? Were there any moments you’ll always remember or was it simply a nice day throughout? Did you have a fun holiday tradition to take part of this year?

Tell me about how your holiday(s) went for you and your loved ones. Be sure to include everything from sights and smells to tastes, moods, and the funny things your relatives do when they’re drunk.

While this is a good writing exercise, this is also a good way to preserve your memories. Time tends to make things a bit different than they actually were and also dulls the senses a bit, so it’s great to write while it’s still fresh in your mind.

I would appreciate it if you could take a minute to fill out a survey. I’m trying to figure out which way to go with this site and what will work best for readers here.

Your input it greatly appreciated.

People love telling each other stories about their lives and experiences. Some had a hilarious teacher they could never get along with and others were mischief makers in school. Some people are somehow always in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Our lives are full of stories, both good and bad, and you might be surprised at the number of people who might want to read your story.

However, sitting down and writing your life story isn’t always as simple as “sitting down and writing your life story”. Often, writing about your experiences can send you through a roller coaster of emotion like you wouldn’t believe.

But that isn’t to say it’s not a good thing to get through those experiences. I’ve had my fair share of bad experiences, and while it was hard to get down on paper (on the computer, actually), it was one of the best things I could have done for myself. I’m still working on it because I can’t do much of the bad stuff at one time (it’s good to space these things out), but it feels a lot better having written it. It’s almost the same feeling of telling your best friend a deep, dark secret.

We can’t forget the good times, though! The good memories are what make writing your own story a lot of fun.

So where to start? You don’t have to start at the beginning (your birth) by any means. If you need an easy place to start, write: “On [today’s date] I decided to take a shot at writing my life story.”

See? Easy. Go from there. Tell me about yourself and all the places people in your life.

Get a start on that biography.

Time for another network wide comment contest for the public.

If I had $300 dollars I would buy________.

What would you buy with $300? Or even $200 or $100? Now is your chance to find out! Comment on any 451 Press site during the month of August and you could win! Three comments will be chosen at random to win a cash prize of $300, $200 or $100. The more you comment the more chances you have to win. So start reading and let those fingers fly.

Wrapping up this week of writing about Independence, I think we’ve made some progress. Monday, we started by free writing on the subject of Independence. Tuesday, explored some of the connotations and synonyms associated with independence. Wednesday, we explored some personal memories using independence as a theme. And Thursday, we considered the price of independence.

This has been a good week of writing. Have a great holiday week next week, and though I’ll technically be on vacation, I’ll write anyway. I hope you will, too.

TGIF, independence, week in review, writing, write anyway

Yesterday, I asked you to dredge up some “independence” themed memory to write about. How’d that go for you? Did you write about picnics in the park or a day at the beach that ended in a fireworks show to end all fireworks shows? Did you write about parades and celebrations with family and friends?

Or did you write about the price of independence? Even though the bumper stickers may seem to trivialize the words, freedom is not free.

Regardless of what you wrote, I hope it is a start of something great. And that’s the point – to just write, even when you think what you are writing will end up trashed– just keep at it and write anyway!

anything goes, independence, price of freedom, writing, write anyway

Let’s get over the mid-week hump with some memory writing about “independence” today. Spend about five minutes shuffling through your memory banks until you happen upon a favorite Forth of July memory, then take another 10 minutes or so and write everything you remember about it. At this point, just write. Don’t go back and edit or worry about spelling or grammar. There is time for that later – just get the memory written. (If you are not one to celebrate Independence Day, pick a memory that has to do with independence. Be creative.)

Once you have written as much as you can remember, put it aside for a few hours. When you have a little block of time, take out your notes and start drafting a more refined piece, knowing that the “final” product may take several revisions and/or directions. But as a writer – you know that is the fun part.

We’ll share our memory writing tomorrow. Have fun with it. And remember to just write anyway.

hump day, independence, memory writing, writing, free writing, write anyway

When I sat down to write my 10-15 minute free write/list on the “independence” topic for this week, I had a tough time separating the word Independence from words like Liberty, Freedom, Autonomy, Free Will, Emancipation, Choice, and Sovereignty. Big words, really – with a lot of connotation, depending on your perspective. I ended up with a long list of synonyms with definitions or examples scribbled behind each.

Independence, as abstract as it is, has personal definitions. Some aspects of independence are hard won, personal battles that define one as a person, as an individual. Other aspects of independence – on a grander, more intricately woven scale – impact a nation and her people as a group and are, if not as personal or individual, just as hard won.

The distillation of my free writing exercise, really, showed me once again – but this time in words – how very precious independence is because of all its connotations and synonyms.

What did you discover in your free writing/list making today?

move me, independence, free writing, lists, connotations, synonyms,

Since next week, Wednesday, July 4, marks Independence Day in the United States, and I happen to live in one of the American states, the writing theme this week will surround independence, freedom, and the personal (or political) meanings those words evoke. If you are reading this and not living in America, independence is still a theme that has merit, regardless of the week. Give it a try.

To get us started – and stretch our writing muscles a bit – try to free write on the word “Independence.” Go anywhere you’d like with it – make a list, write non-stop bouncing from one idea to another, whatever. Just don’t edit yourself at this point. The idea is to get as much on paper or on the screen as possible. Set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes, shut your door, turn off your phone and just write. Just write anyway.

BitS, independence, Independence Day, writing, free writing, write anyway

I’ve decided to give myself the week off next week. As long as I don’t hear any gnashing of teeth or see any renting of clothes, that’s my plan and I’m sticking to it. Ok? Ok.

We’ve covered a lot of ground this week – again – or at least I have and I’m feeling pretty good about my writing and where it is going (even though I’m exhausted). I hope the same for you.

A quick review:

Monday got us back in the saddle by making a list of reasons why I love blogging. The first on the list, of course, is all the people I’ve had opportunity to meet through this blog over the past few months and through my personal blog which is almost three years old.

Tuesday I wrote about the number two item on my list, which is learning. I’ve learned a lot about websites, blogs – if you must, by jumping in and just trying it. I’ve also had a lot of great examples to learn from, too.

Wednesday got us over the hump by getting back to basics, which for me is the actual writing. And while I struggle with the process sometimes, it does help to have a deadline hanging over my head. It keeps the creativity flowing, at least.

Thursday discussed the virtually endless variety of topics, even within a structured theme blog like this one. On that same line of thinking, I have to say this “theme” stuff makes for a good plan for the week – and if you know me – nothing makes me happier than a good plan.

Thanks again, Jennifer, for the tag – even though a week long series of posts probably wasn’t what you were thinking of when you tagged me, it was therapeutic for me to look closely at what I do and why. I hope you and anyone else out there reading did the same and had a similar experience.

So think, read – and even when it seems impossible or too difficult – remember to write anyway. I’ll be back in the saddle next week with a new theme and some writing ideas that will get you (and me) writing. Have a great weekend.

TGIF, week in review, why blog?, writing, write anyway, tag

Staying with the theme of the week, Why I Love Blogging, brings me to the fourth reason on the list I made Monday: Topics.

If you spend any kind of time online reading the millions (billions?) of blogs out there, it seems no topic is off limits. However, this blog has a theme, and if there is any kind of a readership, they are expecting to read something about writing when they come here. That’s cool – and I know it is important to market to targeted readers.

But blogs in the general sense are all over the place, and I like that. It is inspiring to bounce from blog to blog and read all kinds of posts about a virtually endless myriad of topics. Inspiring – yes. Also a little intimidating. A lot of fantastic writers are out there in www-dot-land howling, virtually, into the void.

But topics – and the unending supply of them – were fourth on my list of why I love blogging. Do you stay with certain topics? Why? If not – also Why?

(Tomorrow: The week in review and one last reason why I love blogging. “See” you then – and remember to write anyway.)

Side note: I’ve been trying to work with a theme this week and also preview the next day’s “topic” by mentioning it at the end of the post. (I’m rather non-committal, thought, because one never knows what will come up in the 24 hours between postings.) How’s that working for you?

anything goes, topics, writing, blogging, write anyway

The theme for this week (why I love blogging) has me thinking about writing in different ways. Writing – even if just for the sake of writing – is always something I’ve believed important. Like breathing.

I read somewhere, and I apologize if this offends readers, that a writer needs to write everyday, just like a person needs to…um…poo everyday, or you tend to ‘back up.’ I’ve never heard a better analogy for how important it is to write every day, no matter what. Having a deadline helps. (For blogging, having regular comments helps too.)

So part of the reason I enjoy blogging may have to do with the people, and learning new things like html, but a huge advantage to having a blogging gig at 451Press is a deadline that I have to meet at least five days a week. It keeps me “regular.” And it helps me warm up for writing in general, which is a big part of what I do beyond blogs.

Do you write under deadline (self imposed or otherwise)? Even if you don’t use a deadline, do you find writing everyday helps keep things “moving” – creatively speaking, of course?

(Tomorrow – “topics,” maybe.)

hump day, writing, write anyway, deadlines, blogging

Going with the theme of the week (why I love blogging), I’d have to say the second reason why I enjoy this medium so much is because there is always something new to learn. When I first started almost three years ago with a personal blog, I had no clue what “html” was or how to use it. It was intimidating at first.

No stranger to wandering out to the deep end without much concern for life or limb, I rolled up my pant legs and waded in; I’m self taught and still learning. I’m also self aware enough to know that I’m NOT an expert, which is why blogging here at 451Press is so easy. I don’t have to think about the codes, or worry about tweaking this or getting that to read right in different browsers. I just write my posts, hit publish, and the people behind the curtain do all the heavy lifting.

Nice, eh? And, of course, I watch to see the improvements they make on the blogs here at 451Press, and learn from them. I can’t lose.

(Tomorrow – the actual writing part of blogging, sorta.)

move me, learning, why blog?, writing, write anyway

Last week, Jennifer tagged me to write a post about five reasons I love blogging (and blogging here at 451Press). I thought that was a fantastic theme for the week, and since themes seem to go over better than just my random randomness, that’s what we are going with this week. Great tag, Jennifer!

So to get Back in the Saddle this morning, I wrote for about 10 minutes on everything I like about blogging. The reason that I kept coming back to was the many people I’ve met through the computer. That may sound a little strange, especially to people who don’t blog, but the people I’ve (virtually) met have made it worth spending time here or at my personal blog for as long as I have.

So now Tag! You’re it! What is the number one reason why you blog?

(Tomorrow – “html” or something like it.)

Remember to write anyway!

BitS, writing, blogging, theme, write anyway