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 |   Theses are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call life. |
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These are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call Life. I blog with these groups:     "Blogging Circle of Friends "  [E] 
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Welcome To My Reality - November Prompts. 10. If you could go back and give advice to your fifteen year old self what would it be? I would say 'Get a part time job' and continue to have a steady income from that age on. I am not saying work your butt off but I find the busier you are the more productive your time because you must prioritize and manage your time more effectively. A steady work history also shows employers a good work ethic. If there are large gaps they wonder what you were up to and how you filled that time. I am thinking a work history that involves some kind of day camp work and volunteer work with children would help you get into Teacher's College earlier - that would get your 'career' started sooner. I would also say, Write Freely and don't be afraid to share it. Work on getting things published. Enter contests fearlessly. Find friends in the writing community to get support in this area. I would also say don't settle for just any guy. Learn to communicate what you want and need and have the strength to walk away if you don't get it. Learn to deal with conflict in love relationships. Hiding from your fears only paralyzes you it does not help you grow as a person. It is also okay to stay single. Stay in touch and close to your family and develop your relationship with God. 16. Describe what a day in the life of you is like. These days Nanowrimo is in full swing. It is the first week and I am writing hot. I am already over 14,000 words and it is only November 4! My busiest day was Monday. I supply taught in a special education class with five students who have ASD - Autism Spectrum disorder. There are three Educational Assistants in this class as well so we are almost one on one. The day was glorious so we took the students out for a walk around the neighbourhood. It was not very far when I went from having one student's hand to two student's hands when another student decided to strip.... so two EAs held his hands so he could not do that again. Off we went... no worries. We got back and had circle time with lots of songs and stories. It was really a great day. I really like this class and this school. It is my third day in the last two weeks. After work I worked in a little writing before heading off to a three hour IT workshop at the ETFO office. I learned how to hook up my laptop to the classroom projector and how to use the data projector. All the wierdly wild connections. Then we learned about Google apps for the boards use... that was really interesting,,, but I was fading. By the time I got home I was too tired to do much else... I think I wrote a bit more but I was off to bed way earlier than usual at 10 o'clock. Being a supply teacher, I rarely know when I will be working or not. I try to keep my options open so I can stay flexible and go at a moment’s notice.... but I also have lists of things to do if the day turns into being mine. Errands, cleaning and writing generally fill those days. Like most Novembers, my husband has already picked this month to argue so that is also on my plate... he's knocking my creative buzz. We will see what the rest of the week holds... but I already know I have a Write In at the Starbucks in Cambridge for four hours tomorrow night and the Overnighter starts at 9 pm on Friday night... I will go until midnight or maybe one am, but most people will stay until 9 am. I am hoping to get to 20,000 by Sunday night. |
| Today's Blogs... Blog City – Day 607 Prompt “I feel I change my mind all the time. And I sort of feel that’s your responsibility as a person, as a human being — to constantly be updating your positions on as many things as possible. And if you don’t contradict yourself on a regular basis, then you’re not thinking.” -- Malcolm Gladwell In reference to the above quote, do you think changing one’s mind regularly is a good thing? I think it is good to renew your mind. To stagnate on old thoughts makes you old before your time. I am not saying that you change your beliefs like you change your underwear, what I am saying is that you revisit your thoughts and ideas and make sure they fit with the current day in the sense that you are aware of the changes around you and have made a conscious decision to hold with your views or modify them. If I go back to when people thought the earth was flat... one would hope people would have rethought that after it was determined the earth is actually round. To hold with the the old views was not a good plan in that case. Today, with internet and the information highway being so fast it is a good idea to keep aware of new trends and updates. You don't have to flip flop at every new addition, but you need to consider it. A lot of people do not care for the Doctor Oz show because they say things contradict what has been said in earlier shows... but the thing is, new information is brought to light on a regular basis. The show tries to educate people... give them things to think about and consider so we don't go through this world like blind sheep, never questioning what lays before us. We would not be where we are today if it was not for people changing their minds. Thoughts of the Woman's Movement comes to mind... thoughts of Malasha's bravery to stand up and support education for all girls in her country... we have that here in our own country, but she was shot for her beliefs. Thankfully she survived and continues to speak out. For change to happen and take hold, minds need to be changed. Sometimes change can be scary, but I think not changing and remaining fixated on past views can also be scary. Feel the fear, be brave and consider your options. I try to make decisions based on love and humanity. I want for others the freedom I have, but I also know that some changes in that area will take time... a long time to become a reality.  Welcome To My Reality - November Prompts 1. How do you feel about the premise that everything that happens, just is. It has no meaning until we assign it one. Things are not good or bad until we assign the label and let it permeate our souls. I sometimes find with babies, if they fall they will look to others to see our reactions. If we look like they hurt, then they will cry; if you don't, they get up and try again with no fuss. This does not happen all the time but it interesting to see... the child does not label the action until he or she receives feedback from others. Also how we approach a situation depends on our attitude. Staying positive even in the midst of 'bad' things keeps you more buoyant to the circumstances and the impact is not as devastating. Each experience of life is a learning experience. Each situation teaches you something about yourself - your attitude determines if the learning you take away is helpful or not. 2.We have little control over the things that happen in life. What we do have control over is our attitude. Tell us about a time when you were able to change your attitude about something and the impact that it had. Losing my Dad to cancer was an awful thing. At the time I was twelve and I took it as God being cruel and stealing my father away. I thought I hated God for that and I pulled away from any religious aspects in my life. As I have gotten older my attitude changed. I began to see that losing my father was not such a 'bad' thing. Yes, he died. Yes, he was only 44. Yes, he would miss the milestones in my life, but he was in heaven... he was watching out for me. Through my teen years I would tell myself "If my dad could live through this teenage angst, so could I." It gave me strength to push through some of my more difficult situations. I began to see God differently as well. He was not cruel. This world was... at times. Things happened, but those things made me who I was as a person. God had a plan for me and his plan did not include my father here on earth. It did not have me returning to my hometown... a small Northern Ontario community. It had me living out my life here in southern Ontario where there were much more opportunities. My mother was able to get help for her depression and things for us improved. When 'bad' things happen now I turn to God for comfort, instead of turning away. Turning away is cold and empty. Turning to God allows me to find strength and solace... I am able to believe things happen for a reason... I may not know the why... but I am more accepting. I know 'this too shall pass'. I am also more empathetic to others who have experienced what I have and I think it has made me a better, more loving person. 3. Fact vs. Perception vs. Feelings: How does this combination play out in your day to day life? Discuss how these three perspectives alter your decisions based on which one is dominant in any given situation. Oh these three could also be viewed as Mind, Body and Soul... where body is the physical Facts, mind is the embodiment of perception, and soul is the essence of Feelings. We live in a physical world. Life comes at us in all things. Our preceptions are coloured by what we physically see and what we feel. Our perceptions are the attitudes we hold and how we interpret the world around us... our feelings pull at those perceptions colouring them negative or positive depending on how they are percieved. All are linked and cannot be isolated off from one another. Fear and Love are probably the two biggest emotions we face on a regular basis. If we look at the world through a lens of Fear, we will see a dark forbidding world. If we look at the world through a lens of Love we are more open to the possibility of connection with others and the world does not seem so hostile. The Facts are the same, but our perception interprets and moves us forward. Each of us makes a choice. Our attitude is our perception. How do you want to see the world? I make a conscious choice to be positive. To try to chose Love and am grateful for all I have. 4. They say (ya, I know I would love to know who “they” are too ... lol) that what you focus on you see the most of. So if your focus is on the good/positive in life you are likely to see more of the good than the bad. The opposite of course holds true as well. Do you agree with this statement? Give examples of your own experience with this. I so agree with this. What you focus on brings more of it into your life. It also colours your perception of what you see. My husband leans toward the more negative. He perceives things through that light - so when I go downstairs to collect up his plates and bowls that he has left lying about he'll claim I am snooping. My response... he can bring his own stuff back up. He looses my help. My perception of that same situation is that I am only trying to be helpful and tidy his space of the cluttering dishes. I touch nothing else because I know he will claim I moved something or lost something of his. When I am out and about in public I try to smile and be friendly to everyone I meet. I hope to bring a little cheer into other people's lives and in doing so I feel better about myself. |
| Today's blogs... Welcome To My Reality - October Prompts 31. What is your motto in life? Bonus points if you have a theme song. Life motto, hmmm. I can do all things through God who strengthens me. I remain positive and practice gratitude for what I have. I thank God for my blessings.... all the good and the not so good. It has made me who I am today. Free To Be Me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKSQjSdU8VA&list=RDY5eyoOgZb3A&index=23 This song is good for my current Nano Novel... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5eyoOgZb3A 33. Tell us about something (not someone) that you miss. I miss my father. He died of cancer when I was 12... 36 years ago! I did not know him very well and I miss that I missed out on that. I have recently gotten in touch with some of his relatives... or my relatives too and I want to develop this connection and keep it going. My Dad's mother was one of 12 children. Only one of this generation is still alive. She will be 90 in January - she shares my birthdate (not the year, though). This summer I got together with a friend I hadn't seen in over 31 years. We posted the pictures to our Facebook pages and one of her friends is a cousin of mine. I was able to reconnect with her and she told me that her Uncle Doug (my Grandmother's nephew) was interested in getting in touch - so I friended him on Facebook. He is sending me a copy of the Jelly family tree. I am so excited. Now I will be able to make connections my mother tells me about, but I find overwhelming at times. In all of this I was able to get in touch with my father's brother and his wife. I lost their address and phone number... now I have them back. I called my aunt on Thursday night and talked for over an hour. |
| Yesterday's blogs posted.... Welcome To My Reality - October Prompts 17. What are your biggest pet peeves and/or soapbox topics? Let's see. I will start in the kitchen where dishes don't make it into the dishwasher. Instead they are left piled on the counter on the side closest to the clean dishes. This drives me insane. As is the fact that my husband does what is required only when I am standing in the kitchen. If I leave, this leaving of the dishes is what he will do. I also don't like it when he uses the washing machine as his personal laundry hamper... putting his clothes in there that he plans to wash later... but then I come down, don't look and throw my stuff in to wash and get he** later when his stuff is washed and he did not have it all in there. This is a more recent development... and I have been looking in to make sure he has not done it again. With driving, I get frustrated if people don't use their blinkers. I had one girl say "They are not an option on your car." They are there to be used, so use them. This makes me smile whenever I find myself being frustrated by people's stupidity. People's general stupidity can also get on my nerves. 34. What sports teams do you support, and how passionate are you about supporting them? If you don't support any teams, share a sporting moment (even if it's a horrendous one from high school!). Our house is a football house - NFL football. I may be a Canadian, but I never watch Canadian football - except in high school when school spirit was involved. My husband is a loyal Oakland Raiders Fan. He is not the face painter sort... he would never do anything to make himself look like a true fan, but he does watch their games with the hope that they will crush their opponents. I have bought him lots of paraphernalia - toque, scarf, parking plaque, helmets of various sizes, mugs and glasses. The Toronto Blue Jays did awesome this year! Getting farther than they have since 1993. I will admit I haven't watched a baseball game since the strike... I can't even remember when that was.. but I find watching sports to be... not worth the time. If a football game is on it is background only. I will watch tennis. I have my favourites and I like to see how are Canadians are doing - Eugenie Bouchard and Milos Raonic to name just two. I also like to keep an eye on Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. 40. Give us relationship advice. What's your advice for being a good friend/spouse/child/parent, etc? Given my own relationship with my husband is crumbling these days I don't feel qualified to give advise... but if I had to fix things I would say COMMUNICATION is vital in all things. Don't assume you know what the other person thinks, ask them. Share your dreams and listen to theirs. Be there for each other and let them know you appreciate even the small things. No relationship is perfect because people are not perfect. We all have flaws. I would say focus on the good things, the positive and let go of the hurts and negative aspects - what you focus on will grow. You want to grow the good, positive aspects. |
Welcome To My Reality - October Prompts 37. Share a scene or memory from the house you grew up in. I flicked on the light to the basement and felt my palms sweat with nerves. Kerry, my cat, rubbed against my legs and I picked her up burying my face in her fuzzy body a moment before moving carefully down the steps. I talked to her... nothing memorable, but the sound of my voice added dimension to the dark shadows the light didn't reach. I walked with Kerry in my arms exploring all the nooks and crannies before setting her down. She continued to follow me to the area when my blackboard and two school desks were set up. My dolls were still propped in the desks from when I last played down here. I moved to the blackboard and began to 'teach' my math lesson... a chance to go over what I learned in school that day and be the teacher instead of the student. Kerry would stick around, but after awhile she would go back up into the light of the upper hallway that lead to the basement stairs. I didn't mind. I was not so afraid now. I was even used to the huge oil furnace cranking on. I also knew if I called her she would come running. 38. What books are on your bookshelf? Over the years I have had to scale back my bookshelves... we don't have the room for all the books I by and most of my romance novels get sold to used bookshops or donated. I have kept all my Jill Shalvis comtemporary romances. I love her stories and her style. I find her characters authentic and her story lines worthy of study so that I can improve my own writing. She is joined by a few Carly Phillips and Lori Foster. I have a collection of writing reference books - it is quite extensive but I will list my favourites here: The Gotham Writers Workshop Writing Fiction: The Practical Guide From New York's Acclaimed Creative Writing School. Immediate Fiction by Jerry Cleaver Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron - I have most of her books Writing Down The Bones by Natalie Goldberg - I have most of her books On Writing by Stephen King Writing Tools: 50 Essential Tools for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark Escaping Into The Open: The Art of Writing True by Elizabeth Berg The Kick Ass Writer by Chuck Wendig You've Got A Book In You by Elisabeth Sims I have all but 2 of these: http://toolsandtoys.net/guides/books-to-make-you-a-better-writer/ I also have a collection of teaching resources. I like to stay current... all I need is my own classroom so I can put my readings into practice. My oldest book is a book of hymns that belonged to my Gramzie's brother, Uncle Alec. She gave it to him for Christmas in 1924. I have my mother's copy of The Taming of The Shrew that she read in high school - back in the 1950's. And one book I bought at a garage sale... it was an ABC book that belonged to my Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Barrett. |
| Here are today's blogs... Blog City - Day 592 Prompt: What are some of the ways you make your non-writing time serve your writing? I find I will often work out story issues when I go for long walks. I consider an issue I am ruminating over and while I walk I consider and 'story talk' my way into a possible solution. It also allows me to get up and move around.... because it is not good to sit for long periods of time. I have been known to do this 'story talk' while I do anything mundane, like doing the dishes or having a shower or driving my car. I also go nowhere without a notebook and pen. I will jot notes at the grocery store or at the bank... where ever I may have to wait. I watch people. See how they behave and interact. Eavesdrop on conversations. I have recently walked from where a character will be living to which school she will be working at to see how long the walk is and what she encounters along the way - shortcuts and sights. I need to do this again to gather information on how far it is to her place of work - at a bookshop in downtown Waterloo. This sets the real into my story and gives me a chance to exercise. I listen to music that may possibly inspire a scene or a character. I also go on, what Julia Cameron calls, Artist's Dates. These are jaunts out and about that are by yourself. You can do anything so long as you refill your creative well with inspiration... but you have to do the date by yourself. I have visited museums, gone to small towns to take in the atmosphere, explored a library or university campus. Welcome To My Reality - October Prompts 27. Describe a family member and your relationship with them. I have a lot of interesting family members... deciding who to write about created quite a quandry. I initially thought I would talk about my Gramzie, but I changed my mind... many times. I decided to write about my aunt - Kathleen, or Kay. She is my mother's youngest sister... she is younger than my mother by nine years. When I was a baby she lived with us during her last year of high school. She was twenty when I was born. She had gone to Teacher's College in North Bay and then moved to Guelph to teach. A real trail blazer. In 1972, she married and in 1976 the two of them graduated from the University of Western Ontario. Both of them were the first person in their families to go on to University. As a child she was the person I looked forward to seeing whenever she came to visit. She and Uncle John took me shopping and bought me a red pencil case; I was 7 and I still have it. They brought pizza to our house when I was five. I remember sitting around the coffee table eating this strange type of food... Uncle John is Italian and they wanted to share a bit of his favourites - New Liskeard style. I remember not liking it. (I love it now). Many happy memories surround my aunt. The only thing I did not like about her visits home was that she always managed to make Gramzie cry... she would complain about things and upset my Grandmother. She really should have been complaining to my Grandfather who was the source of the issues, but she never did. When I would come and visit her in Guelph, I loved it. I got to visit her special education class. All the students were older than me, but they were a delight to be around. It was a memory that stayed with me... and some twenty years later we were working together in a special education class. Teaching with my aunt was a great experience... she is a wonderful mentor. She is retired now. She encouraged me to go back to school and get my teaching certificate and eventually I did. Her encouragement means a lot to me. We are similar in many ways and for that I am proud to be her niece. 28. Describe the scene as you blog - yourself and your surroundings, so that we can visualise it. Today I am blogging at home. I sit on the leather couch with a blanket folded under my bottom to keep all the heat tucked in and close. My laptop warms my lap and keeps my hands warm as I type. I am dressed in fluffy socks of fuzzy purple, track pants, a t-shirt and my Mountain Warehouse hoodie. Because the furnace is not working today and there is a chill in the outside air, my hoodie is up and my zipper is pulled almost to fully closed. Across the room from me, pointed towards me, is a little space heater pumping out as much heat as it can generate. It is still only 18 degrees Celsius in here instead of the usual 22 degrees. I have a coffee perked on the coffee table before me and I must remind myself to drink it before it gets cold... no doubt I will have to zap it in the microwave to reheat it as I have forgotten it for so long. The coffee table also holds a stack of Coffee Table books.... that nobody ever looks at... except maybe my mother - in - law. I have two green placemats with pale pink flowers scattered over them and a stitched in heart in the center of each of them. At the end oppostite the books it another placemat of blue and white which holds five remotes, my ipod, my fitbit connector and 2 candles. On a side table are the books I have recently finsihed reading and need to write up reviews for them before I can put them away. The dining room table stands across from me. It is covered with boxes which contain bits and pieces of tools, as well as my own piles of paper I have yet to put away. On the floor before it are tools, some are in boxes, some are resting directly on towels put out to protect the floor. There are also planks of lamminate that may or may not be used. My husband has been putting in new flooring and he is still not yet done... when the bathroom is finished, he may put all this junk away. Until then, I must clean around the debris and make due. At least my television is back on its stand in the corner and I am able to watch TV without having to get up and walk across the room. For the first six months of this renovation I had to get up with the clicker and walk over to the other side of the room to change the channel. Yes, I had to do that when I was a kid as well... but there were no clickers then... and also less channels. I lived in Northern Ontario - we had a choice of 5 stations... not today's unbelievable amounts. 32. Who do you admire? I have many people I could choose but I think I will tell you about my mother. She did not have an easy beginning, having to grow up under the shadow of a father who was both emotionally and physically abusive. My mother fought back... and on at least one occasion stopped my Grandfather from becoming too physical with her - apparently they were fighting with pitch forks and she broke his pinkie finger. In her marriage, she was not happy. My father was unfaithful. It was with a woman who was part of their circle of friends... a woman who took a sick sense of delight in breaking up other couples. Mom moved out and found an apartment in town. It must have been difficult being separated in a small town in the early seventies... I was probably one of the only children who had separated parents in my class. She had to be around friends that knew both my parents. Luckily she did have a couple of girlfriends that were her friends - she is still friends with these ladies. We eventually moved to Guelph to be closer to my aunt... my mother transferred. She worked for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and was able to transfer to the Guelph office which was on the University of Guelph grounds. My father stayed in New Liskeard, but he was diagnosed with cancer not long afterward. My mother would go to see him at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. She had to deal with her sister - in - law's vileness.... she had made friends with the B**** that broke my parents up. She told my mother, "she was no longer part of the family" - she herself was only married into the family. My Dad's brother and my Grandma never once gave her that impression, but still that must have been so hurtful. Yet she still went every weekend to see my Dad until he died in February. |
Welcome To My Reality - October Prompts 22. Many people associate smells with memories. Tell us about one smell that triggers a memory in you. Who or what does it remind you of, and why? I don't smoke but the smell of Players cigarettes been lit brings back memories of my Dad. He smoked those... probably a pack a day. He died of cancer when he was 44 and I was 12. The smell of cigars reminds me of my great Uncle Fred. He was married to my Dad's youngest aunt who is still living in New Liskeard. She has the same birthday as me but she's older at 88. The smell of a pipe reminds me of my Grandfather. He was forever having to stop and relight that thing. I remember walking to the plaza with him one time and he stopped to light it 4 times. It should have been a 15 minute walk.... with all the stopping it was closer to 30 minutes. 23. Tell us about a time when you quit. I worked at WalMart many years ago. I had been there over a year and I was starting to get a lot more shifts. The problem was I had asked to only do one evening and one weekend shift because I was also doing a full time long term occasional teaching position in a special education class. I was also still working one evening a week with a special services at home client. I had to keep giving up shifts every time I went into work. That part I didn't mind... the part that got me was that it was getting close to Christmas and customers were getting kind of nasty. The bitchiness factor was climbing. The Christmas schedule had me working Christmas Eve until 4 pm and Boxing Day at 1 pm. I didn't mind having one but both of those days was a bit excessive - particularly when my own family Christmas starts Christmas Eve afternoon... at my place and goes to Boxing day. I had asked for Christmas Eve off so that I could tidy and organize my house for our guests... my husband's family, who were to be arriving at 4 pm. I decided I had had enough and quit a day or so after that schedule came out on December 18. To my frustration the teacher I was replacing decided he would be returning after Christmas break.... I had been hoping for full time for the whole school year. I contemplated going back to WalMart but decided I wouldn't. I managed to get another long term occasional teaching position after March Break - that one went to the following March Break the next year. |
Welcome To My Reality - October Prompts 16. Make a list of interesting facts about yourself. I am a seeker of spiritual connectedness. I find peace in nature. I write to find out who I am and what I want, as well as to tell myself stories... that I hope one day to share with others. I am empathetic and caring. I am in tune to my mother's emotional compass... more so when I was a child, but I find high emotions scare me - so I stay aware of them. I have always wanted to be a teacher. I am an introvert who has learned to be outgoing in social situations to 'fit in', but I need to recharge with moments of quiet. I am comfortable with being alone and doing things on my own. Anxiety often stops me in my tracks, unless I push through it. I am a only child of separated parents. I am the daughter of a mother with some depression issues - that are better now - thanks to medication that helps her synapses to fire properly. I love my family and friends and am blessed to have them. 19. Tell us about a belief or opinion you've had that has changed as you've got older. When my father died I was very angry with God. I believed in God, but I saw Him as unfair and unfeeling. I have since learned that God has a plan for me and that things may happen that I don't like, but I will be a stronger person for having gone through those experiences. I have come back to God. Writers, like Julia Cameron, helped me see God as Good Orderly Direction and as a loving God. People like Oprah Winfrey have opened me up to spirituality and connectedness. I am a Christian. I see the whole world as His and I see myself as His hands, feet and voice here in this world of ours. My job is to connect to others and spread goodness and love. I don't preach... because I find others don't want or need a preaching... they want a connection and they want to know they matter. I can provide that in my own little corner of the world... in my teaching and all my interactions. 20. What cheers you up when you're sad? I find I enjoy listening to music and singing. Dancing and singing like I don't care who is watching. I also enjoy going for a walk/ The best ones are along nature trails. I find I often think out loud about things that are bothering me or some aspect of a story I am working on. I also enjoy walking at night... but I know that is not the safest thing in the world to do... but it gets dark earlier these days. I don't like feeling trapped inside as the days get darker. Talking to my mother or one of my friends cheers me up. I am reminded that I am loved by just being with them. My extended family is also a blessing. I try to stay positive and see the good in things. |
Welcome To My Reality - October Prompts 11. There are three months left in this year. Do you have any outstanding goals that you want to complete before the year ends? Nanowrimo is hot on our heals. I am doing the October Nano Prep that Brandiwyn🎶   kindly organizes... a new story this time - so her prep is really helpful. I am getting ready for Nano itself. December... I may try the Construct Cup again if Ren the Klutz!  decides to go for it... but we will see how I feel. I am also doing I Write - September, October, November... and I expect I will sign up for the next session as I find it keeps me writing and entering contests and reviewing... all good things. Beyond my writing I have a few other goals... in the areas of fitness and work. For fitness: Walking 10,000 steps each day and a few yoga sessions to keep limber. For work: supplying and looking to get on the LTO list so I can get my own contract teaching position some day. I may need to look for part time work to supplement the lack of supply days! 12. What's your opinion of Halloween? If you've ever had an interesting Halloween experience, share it. I have never been a huge fan of Hallowe'en. I hate dressing up... but I do love seeing what other people come up with and I like giving out the candy and seeing the children enjoy themselves. My own childhood memories of Hallowe'en are not great. I was usually going out with my mother... she would stand on the sidewalk as I would go trick or treating... I hated that. It was more fun to go with a friend. I did go once with my friend Vicky the last year I was in New Liskeard. By the time I moved to southern Ontario I was getting a little too old for trick or treating and I was too young for the parties. I did go to one with my mother... I was the only kid - thirteen, I think... but I was welcome and did enjoy myself. For me, Hallowe'en got better as an adult... but I am still not a fan of dressing up. |
Welcome To My Reality - October Prompts PROMPTS FOR OCTOBER 2015 1. In your opinion, what tools and traits does a writer need in order to be good at their craft? I was listening to an author speak at Word On The Street in Kitchener last weekend... I believe it was Andrew Pyper, and he was saying what a writer needs is TIME. Sure there are other things, but making time and committing to your project is the only way you are going to get it done. You can talk about wanting to be a writer all you want, but unless you carve out the time and put your but in the chair and do the work, it's not going to happen. He mentioned a man he knew with all the time in the world - a guy with a trust fund and no need to work beyond writing and still the guy 'did not have enough time to write'. Other writers carve out bits and pieces writing in the cracks of their life - while waiting for their children to finish dance practice, while doing the laundry... you have a five minute gap... you write. Don't go anywhere without a pen and notebook... I have even been known to talk into a phone app to save an idea when I am walking or doing something... heck, I have jotted notes while walking behind my client on our trail hikes... his cerebral palsy used to make him slow so I would let him pick the pace and follow his lead... sometimes I would have to jog a bit to catch up - good thing the trails I did this on were long and straight. Now that he walks faster, I find I have to say things into my phone... my client is also deaf so he does hear me story talk... and he also has autism so he doesn't care so long as we are hiking. So beyond that what other tools and traits... a need to tell story, a fascination with other people so far as 'what is their story', curiousity to ask 'what if' questions and see what comes from that, being comfortable with being alone and working alone, and possibly a persistence to stick with a story until it is done. Tools... you need to be able to get your story down... now-a-days that could be as writing, typing, recording... so long as you can get your story down.... Once its in black and white you need to be able to revise and edit to make it better You need to be able to share the story once it is down on paper... to get feedback... this requires a kind of confidence to let it go and be open to other's opinions. Then you need to take that feedback and see if it can work for you... remembering that your work is ultimately your own and you don't have to take everyone's feedback to heart, just the stuff that makes sense to you. Having a community like Writing.com has really helped me with this last aspect and I am so grateful for my friends here. Beyond all that is it boils down to write, then write some more... you will only get better if you keep at it. 3. What do you think are the benefits of blogging, or writing in general? I write to know what I really think. If I let my fingers type away or if I put pen to paper and just let the words fall as they may, I am able to access an inner knowing that is very good at guiding me... so long as I follow. Blogging is a bit more focused in that a prompt sets your thoughts in motion, but writing in general - particularly free writing or stream of consciousness writing lets you tap into that inner guide. It is that Good Orderly Direction that Julia Cameron talks about in The Artist's Way - when she talks about doing three long handed written pages a day to access that part of yourself that can help you over the hurdles of life. If certain things keep coming up it often forces you to deal with those issues - face them instead of hiding and letting them sap your power as they drain your energy with worry. I have also chosen to write about a character who is going through a rough patch with her husband... it reflects my own concerns but with a fictional distance to help me work through my own issues. My characters may start out being like me and my husband but will be bent into something different so that I can give a necessary distance to the work. |
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