  Noticing Newbies
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N0TICING NEWBIES NEWSLETTER
Noticing Newbies Newsletter is geared to help members get acquainted with Writing.com. There are many things to do and learn. Our goal is to help you make your time here more fun and manageable.
Each week we select and showcase new items (poetry, lyrics, short stories, essays, campfires, polls, etc.). Exposure for an item (your writing) helps to bring you more rates and reviews by fellow members and the general public...of course depending on how much exposure you want your item to have. Some writers like to keep their work private. When your work does receive exposure, it helps bring more member interaction, which will give you the opportunity to build new friendships. Remember, it is a two-way street...try to make an effort to reciprocate reviews.
"There's someone that you haven't already met, go introduce yourself to him or her. Walls and labels can't keep you from the people who are so similar to you in spirit. There's a friendly face behind every door if you pick the right moment to knock. Once you start your wave of creative outreach, it turns into a contagious force. People are waking up and smiling at each other, sharing their dreams without hesitation. This community is worth something."
-- Author Unknown
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created by Of Fire Born mourns Mama 
Hey New Members!
Hope you all are keeping warm with the cold weather creeping in, not sure I'm ready for the snow, but have no choice considering I live in Maine. So, I was wondering...how is your voice? The voice that gives you the inspiration to write a story. Most people can learn how to write, but I would say that few people actually find that unique voice that radiates through the story.
Let's say you have an exceptional book outline with an outstanding plot idea...the technical writing is right on...but, if you do not include your unique voice, you can forget about it being exceptional any longer. The story is going to settle in the dust like most stories do.
Okay, so, how the heck do I find my voice? Read more...
I think of it as, talking to my to myself. Listening to what I have to say, really hearing my own voice and enjoying what I say. You have to be your best and worst critic. Challenge yourself! Write a story, put it away for a few hours, or a couple of days and come back to it. Read it and be honest with yourself...if someone else had written it, would you still like it? Exactly.
Do you remember when you were a kid, talking to yourself as you played with your dolls or toy cars...playing pretend. To be a good writer, it is essential to find that kid in you...talk to yourself to get that story on paper, worry about the technical stuff later.
Here are some links on voice:
http://www.efuse.com/Design/wa-voice.html
http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/pagre/zine.html
http://www.write101.com/lethamfind.htm
http://www.hollylisle.com/fm/Articles/wc1-6.html
http://www.hodrw.com/findvoice.htm
http://www.write4kids.com/feature3.html
http://www.monroecc.edu/wusers/csmith/lectures/writingvoice/finding.htm
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/spring96/philbrick.html
http://mla.blogspot.com/2005/05/finding-your-voice-as-writer.html
http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2005/03/06/finding-your-voice-by-les-e...
http://www.writingcorner.com/nonfiction/stronger-writing/skj-voice.htm
http://www.dailynewarticles.com/article/72/70661/Finding_Your_Voice.html
http://www.intuitive.com/blog/how_to_find_your_blogging_voice.html
http://www.informit.com/guides/content.asp?g=webdesign&seqNum=250&rl=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1582971730/002-7717337-6469601?v=glance&n=28315...
Well, that should keep you busy for a while. 
Enjoy! And remember to wear your scarf and practice using your voice!
HALLOWEEN EXTRA!!
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BUBBLE, BUBBLE, BOIL UP TROUBLE!
Round and round the caldron they go
words of poetry the story goes
day and night the members bestow
imaginary characters we come to know
creativity turns and takes shape
in the caldron boil and bake
DOUBE, DOUBLE, TOIL AND TROUBLE!
- Laurencia
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays...an occasion that allows us to have fun and be goofy! I thought it would be interesting to educate all who do not know about the history of Halloween.
HALLOWEEN 101
As history indicates, there is much more to Halloween than candy, costumes and so-called devil worshipers. Many individuals identify Samhain as a Celtic Death God, which is one of the most tenacious errors associated with Halloween. Almost all stories about the origin of Halloween correctly state that Halloween had its origins among the ancient Celts and is based on their "Feast of Samhain." But many conservative Christian authors who are critical of Halloween, Druidism, and/or Wicca have stated that Samhain was named after the famous Celtic "God of the Dead." No such God ever existed. By the late 1990's many secular sources such as newspapers and television programs had picked up the error and propagated it widely. It is now a nearly universal belief, particularly among conservative Christians.
History:
The Celts in Britain had festivals for two major gods - a god of the sun (summer) and a god of the dead (winter), which was called Samhain. Samhain is pronounced "sow-in" (where "ow" rhymes with "cow"). Samhain is Irish Gaelic for the month of November. Samhuin is Scottish Gaelic for All Hallows, NOV-1.
A special festival named after Samhain was held each year on November 1st, the beginning of the Celtic New Year. The festival lasted for three days, marked the end of the season of the sun (summer) and the beginning of the season of darkness and cold (winter). The eve of the festival was a time for settling bills. Workmen were given their wages and rents were expected to be paid.
On October 31st, the eve of Samhain, after the crops had all been harvested and stored for the long winter, the cooking fires in people's homes were extinguished. The Druids (Celtic Priests) met on hilltops, among sacred oak trees, where they lit bonfires and offered sacrifices of crops and animals (yes, Priets, not devil worshipers). The Druids would also parade in costumes made from skins and heads of animals.
The next morning, the Druids handed out embers from their fires so people could start new cooking fires in their houses; these fires were meant not only to keep the homes warm, but also free from evil spirits.
The Romans invaded Britain in the first century, brought with them many of their own festivals and customs. One of these was the festival known as Pomona Day, named after their goddess of fruits and gardens, and celebrated around November 1st.
After hundreds of years of Roman rule, the customs of the Roman Pomona Day and the Celtic Samhain festival became integrated. The rituals of Pomona Day included apples, nuts, and a celebration of the harvest rituals, while some of the festivities during Samhain included magic, evil spirits and death (coming of winter).
As Christianity took hold in Britain, the festival of Samhain was gradually incorporated into Christain ritual. In 835 A.D., the Roman Catholic Church declared November 1st to be a church holiday to honor all the saints. It was called All Saint's Day, also known as Hallowmas, or All Hallows' Day: in Old English, the word "hallow" meant "sanctify". Years later, the Church made November 2nd a holy day. It was called All Souls' Day and was a time to honor the dead. It was celebrated with big bonfires, parades and dressing up as saints, angels and devils.
Over time, October 31st became known as All Hallows' Eve, or Hallowe'en; Halloween is the modern spelling of the word.
The history of "Trick or Treat" came about through incorporation of the Samhain festival (explained in 1st and 2nd paragraphs) It was common practice in Ireland to knock on doors collecting money, bread, cakes, nuts and apples. Another Irish custom was to beg for "soul cake" in exchange for blessings and promises of prosperity or protection against bad luck.
The Irish believed that fairies (little people) were about on the night of Halloween, playing pranks and causing mischief; many people would leave an offering of food or milk on their doorstep. This gesture meant they would be blessed with good luck for the coming year.
Emigrants from Ireland and Scotland took these customs across the Atlantic, and today "Trick or Treating" is more prevalent in the United States than anywhere in the world.
References:
Religious Tolerance.org
http://www.encyclopedia.com
The Book of Halloween, Susie Johns
Until next time...
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Hi Laurencia!
I really enjoyed the interview with the songwriter, John Ondrasik. He had very interesting and encouraging things to say. Thank you for sharing this interview with us.
Laura
LJPC - the tortoise
Thank you for highlighting my pieces. I appreciate this newsletter and the resouce you provide Newbies . Write on!
Phoenix
Thank you both for writing into the newsletter.
See you November 11th, 2009!
laurencia
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Noticing Newbies: October 14, 2009 Issue [#3331]
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