Write on Wednesday: Thinking Positive?

In this week's Write on Wednesday (and it's almost NEXT Wednesday -- I'm a tad behind!) Becca talked about the news -- mostly bad or distressing if you listen to network or often even local news.

She discusses an Ingrid Bengis quote - “Words are a form of action, capable of influencing change.” Yet, she acknowledges, it can be easy to sink into pessimism in writing, often asking "what's the point? Who cares?" Then she asks:

How about you? How do you find positive things to write about in these troubled times? Do you think the written word has the power to effect positive change?

Here's my take on that one - My 401 K is taking such a dive that I will probably be working till I'm in "the home." Our pledge drive is tanking and everyone at work is sniping at everyone else - and that makes day-to-day a pretty awful spot to be in. And for a month, my arm will be in a sling and I probably won't be able to write much of anything.

Maybe that last one is a good thing.

Right now the only thing I want to write is Marmelade Gypsy and I'm afraid my lack of desire to do much else will make its way into my finished words.

My mother used to say "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all," and somewhere along the way, I grew up with a remarkable brand of "half-full" optimism that often annoys people around me.

What's the good of bitching about it to the n-th degree if you can do little about it? And isn't it better to do something positive than negative?

I'm always trying to see the good in something instead of the annoying or bad - which totally drives people who are inclined to go the other way nuts.

Here's an example - The wetland area in our subdivision carved out by an extremely expensive sewer project, I tend to think of as a park. It's a wonderful spot for taking a walk, and I often see cranes and ducks.

Rick is more likely to call it a ditch - and with some reason - his tax assessment that contributed to that project was over $14,000.

We don't always agree about that particular area.

And, I could cite dozens more examples from my workplace. Ultimately, I don't find it productive.

I truly believe we get back what we reflect out. If I smile at people - even people I don't much care for - they tend to smile back. They may have a positive conversation with me and that may make me feel better about them. It’s why I end up answering calls and email from angry DTV users and put in the position of being the go-between of the children who don’t like playing with one another at work.

(And yes, one could argue, "well, that's fake and insincere." But I don't see it that way -- I see it as a sincere attempt to make both our lives better and the work we have to do together a little easier.)

And I sort of don’t mind it, because I’d rather deal with them in my happy-pink-cloud way than listen to other people complain about having to work with each other.

I'm not too happy about the market crashing. But it does make me evaluate my priorities somewhat differently. When I'm dining out, it's because it's special, not just that I'm lazy. And we've had some wonderful dinners with some fabulous and inexpensive wine!

I'm shopping less for my wild personal pleasure. I'm using my yarn stash, not buying new. I'm steering clear of Michael's and JoAnn's unless I need something very specific. Apart from buying Tab, I'm really steering clear of more frivolous grocery store purchases. So, when I get something I really love a little over the top - like Kalamata olives - then I savor them.

Becca asked if we thought "the word" brought positive change. I agree wholeheartedly. It’s very easy to demonstrate that with the spoken word.

When I was a theatre major, one of our assignments was reading the phone book. Last name, first name, number - on and on. We'd get a list of emotions and in saying the same words conveyed love, anger, annoyance.

Think about it - say "Thank you so much" to someone. It can be sarcastic, overly effusive (and possibly insincere), flippant and uncaring or genuine and filled with gratitude.

The written word is a little more sketchy. How many times have you sent an e-mail that is taken with offense, when you were merely being concise, not curt? Or received one? More care is required to convey the tone.

"Thank you SO much," she said, accepting the bouquet of roses with a tear in her eye.

"Thank you SO much," he replied, as she shoved a stack of folders in his arms, reminding him of their urgency.

Powerful arguments are written, newspaper stories crafted - all to present a point of view (sometimes objective, sometimes very subjective). I have read articles that have driven me to action and some where I just laugh because they're so awful. (And some where I laugh because they're funny, they make me feel better and that's positive in a different way!)

Lynn Truss' book "Eats Shoots and Leaves" also emphasizes the power of punctuation in writing - it's more than words, folks. And that's important to remember.

Rick told me this morning that he sent his first text message while he was on vacation to his son and another to his niece. He noted the weird phone keyboard and said, "No wonder people spell the way they do."

That worries me. But that's probably another post.

I can tell you that reading the written word can affect change that is very positive. I plan to do that a lot over the next month. I'll let you know how it goes!

Write on Wednesday -- A Healthy Writing Life?

Hooray! Write on Wednesday is back! And, our muse, Becca, opened her post with a wonderful medical analogy, mentioning how WOW had “flat-lined over the past few weeks.”

She continued, explaining how on her part, life got in the way.

And, at the end, she asks our discussion prompt:

How about you? Is your writing life healthy these days? How do you keep your writing life alive? What are some of the remedies you use to revive it?

Gee, Becca, how do you manage to get me where I live with a topic so relevant to me? It’s happened more than once!

Regular readers of The Marmelade Gypsy know that my life has been a bit chaotic over the past month or so.

Let’s see. There was Greg’s surgery, a source of concern for us.

And my impending surgery next month, which is making me a little manic, running about like a crazy lady trying to get everything in its place so when I’m home and operating with one arm, I’m not worrying too much about work undone or an overly chaotic environment in which to recuperate.

And of course, I’m trying to do a hundred things before – finish up some projects, have dinner with friends, tidy up.

There’s that DTV thing and replying to the viewers who are confused, angry and frustrated. (And so am I.)

And the TV pledge drive is a week away.

The thing is, I’m not special here. Every single one of you has a list as long or longer than mine, and it combines family issues, work, your hobbies and interests and much more.

And if you are trying to write along the way – write for yourself, or creatively (not the office writing I do every day) – it’s pretty challenging to make room for that.

It's hard enough to make time to exercise, to do my PT moves, or get to the gym.

I think my writing life goes through fits and starts and occasional periods of sublime productivity. Excluding the blog (and I shouldn’t because it’s probably the one place where I write for myself regularly), I don’t do all that much, really. (Well, of course there is the work writing, and not that it doesn't count, but it's not mine. Not really.)

But when I have a deadline – like Rick’s book – I am awesome. Maybe not good. But when it comes to prolific -- awesome!

Deadlines – we’ve talked about those here on WOW before. Maybe it’s because work demands it so I’m used to it. Maybe I work best under pressure. I don’t know. But I need them.

Every year I make that book for Rick. Every year I write the poems beginning – oh, late January at the earliest.

WHY? I don’t know. It’s not like I don’t have a list or mull over the topics. I could write one in July. Or even April.

It just doesn’t come. And when it does, I can’t stop.

So, since my writing spurt has been so prolific and so intense, I am now breathing. Handling the work stuff. Handling the home stuff. Wrapping gifts that must be posted before my surgery and trying to get a handle on my space.

I’ll try to post regularly, though sometimes I know I won’t be able to – and truth be told, not everyone is stopping by every single day to see if there’s something new because you don’t have anymore time than I do! (And besides, you’ll scroll down past the top post if you really want to!)

But that will help me write.

What are the remedies I use to revive my writing life? Well, certainly friendship. And cooking (huh? Yes, it's a wonderful inspiration for me -- maybe it comes from reading too much Laurie Colwin and other food essays!). Art goes without saying. And of course, there is a healing remedy in the soft purr of the Gypsy.

So many things keep my writing life alive -- not the least of which is The Marmelade Gypsy (the blog, not the cat). I may not have a hard deadline, but there is a soft one – will you come back and visit if there isn’t something new regularly? So, there must be something new!

And even if my motivation sags, a good visit to any one of you will revive it.

You see, it's like being in gym class. You're all together, but unique. Everyone has different skills and abilities. The gymnast and the volley ball player may not be the same person. The gymnast and the basketball player are almost certainly different! But they cheer one another on, support each other's efforts. They offer praise or constructive observations. And together, their skills, unique as they are, make a joyful whole.

On your blogs, and in your writing and art, I see the beautiful diversity and the wonderful things you create – be it in paint, fabric, photography or words. I read about your decorating ideas and recipes -- and every single thing is creative. It makes me want to create, too. Something. Anything. And then, share it with you – with words.

Meanwhile, I’ll panic. And then I’ll “think” my writing. And maybe at some point, it will make it from brain to page!

Write on Wednesday: Revision Redux

This week’s Write on Wednesday prompt focuses on revising our work to make it the best it can be. I read it at a timely moment, as I took a break from revising an article for our magazine on digital television. (Frankly, that whole digital transition should be revised, but I’m grousing and I digress.)

Becca had some wonderful words on revision from many well-known writers and then asked if any of us were in the process of revisions and how it was going.

Well, apart from the previously mentioned article, revising is what I do. Revising work by others. Revising my own. And sometimes I do it with a more enthusiastic voice than at others.

The post I had about my dad’s service in India comes to mind. I had that post going in draft form for several weeks before I posted it. I fiddled with wording, flow, and just my thoughts. What did I want to say – and how could I say it in fewer words than a novella?

That’s not the first post where that has happened. After I wrote about ideas in a WOW post several weeks ago, several of you told me you would like to hear more about my friend Patricia.

Well, I’ve been working on the Patricia post probably longer than the one about Dad in India. And in that case, it seems even more meaningful. Patricia, after all, was a wordsmith, and if I am going to write about her, then I want to write it as well as possible.

The thing is, I like revising and editing. I love looking at something that’s really lacking and seeing what I can do to “fix” it – sometimes a rewrite, sometimes gentle modifications. And I much prefer having the time to do it, rather than have to rush it under deadline.

And ultimately, I find myself a far better editor than writer.

Now, if only I could “edit” my linen closet (recent site of a linen closet accident, in which a large candle fell from the top shelf and hit me on the head!) or “edit” my art supplies or book collection or CDs or…

Write On Wednesday -- By Sunday!

Write on Wednesday's Becca is on a break, but she gave us these writing questions to ponder while she's gone!

Well, it's Saturday night and I'll give you a break from my recent posts (mainly, I need to load photos and it's faster to do those at the office after work). If you want to read about my homecoming, though (another great day flying the friendly skies), you'll find it at Chopsticks and String.

What’s your favourite genre of writing?

To write, essay. To read, mystery.

How often do you get writer’s block?

Not often.

How do you fix it?

A good walk or break will help. Sometimes just writing something, anything, will get me rolling and it's easier to get back to business.

Do you type or write by hand?

Both. Depends on where I am.

Do you save everything you write?

Not so much anymore. I used to. and I save the good stuff. Or the important stuff (even if it's not all that good). But not everything.

Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you abandoned it?

Sure do!

Do you have a constructive critic?

Yes.

Did you ever write a novel?

No.

What genre would you love to write but haven’t?

Mystery.

What’s one genre you have never written, and probably never will?

Sci-Fi.

How many writing projects are you working on right now?

One. Poetry.

Do you write for a living? Do you want to?

Yes. Public relations writing. Do I want to? Yup.

Have you ever written something for a magazine or newspaper?

Yes.

Have you ever won an award for your writing?

Yes, but it was in high school!

What are your five favourite words?

Joy. Peripatetic. Exhilarating. Undulating. Effervescent.

Do you ever write based on your dreams?

I don't think so.

Do you favour happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers?

Happy.

Have you ever written based on an artwork you’ve seen?

Yes.

Write on Wednesday: Fresh Start

Becca's Write on Wednesday is back! If you're not familiar with this site, stop by. Our muse, Ms. Becca, offers not only a wonderful post on the topic of the day, but gives her followers a starting point so we can share our thoughts on the topic.

Today she asks: How about you? What fresh new ideas do you have for your writing?

As the new year has started, I've been woefully neglect in establishing "resolutions," though I do have some goals I haven't quite written down. But one is to do more "writing for me."

I mentioned in an earlier post that Rick gave me a scanner for Christmas and I've been scanning photo after photo -- mostly family pictures, and those of some good friends. It's not surprising, then, that looking at these photos offers some thoughts for writing topics.

I showed you the little girl on the snowbank a couple of days ago -- here she is from a different view. Definitely a story there.

And what's going on here? Oh, I think there is mischief afoot. (This is my cousin David. Since my cousins call me "Deet," the photos of us together I call the "Deet and David" series.)

And this one... a boy and a car. Where was he going? And why?

And then there are the Patricia stories -- my dear friend who died several years ago, but whose influence on me was powerful and lasting. There are stories about or inspired by Patricia that need to be told.

There are more -- the tale of the Giant Gingerman, the Sisters (my mom and her siblings), The Snowflake Angel -- all of these need to be something more than a jumble of thoughts, even if they go nowhere further than a file in my computer.

And then there's Rick's annual poetry book -- always presented on Valentine's Day. And time is running out.

So, I think my ideas are getting in order -- a fresh start! Now if I can just put them in the queue with all the other things (like taking down Christmas, for example!)

What about you? Do you have a creative fresh start in view?

Write on Wednesday: Life In General

Today the wonderful Becca offered us a beautiful post at Write on Wednesday...

...and this prompt:

So tell me, what are the areas closest to your heart?What aspects of your life in general do you find yourself sharing in writing? Do you enjoy reading/writing personal essays? Who are some of your favorite essayists?

I doubt it comes as a surprise to anyone who reads the Marmelade Gypsy that the area closest to my heart is my family (my three guys below, as well as my relatives!) and friends.

(That includes the Gypsy!)

I love writing about the things I enjoy doing with all of them -- and the places we love to share. The Lake comes to mind...

And all the things related to it -- like farm markets...
...and sunsets.

I love writing about the things that I'm passionate about, like art and creativity...

Homekeeping...

And cooking.

And I much prefer writing an essay or opinion piece related to these things than something longer or more plot-oriented. Perhaps that's why I fell so comfortably into blogland. I'm able to share family, friends and home with new people.

I like recounting stories of my youth...

And my parents, aunts and uncles and grandparents.

I will venture into things that make me sad, make me think, or (dare I say it) philosophize (Is that a word?)...

And nostalgia.

And sometimes, I simply wonder...

I enjoy reading essayists. (And I don't know if this category covers humorists or personal short story writers) Anne Lamott comes to mind as one whose work I genuinely love. Calvin Trillin is a favorite. Anna Quindlen. I know there are more!

Becca also offered us an extra credit. I won't bore you with my list -- once I make it. But perhaps you would like to try this one yourself. Couldn't we all use the boost of confidence?

Extra Credit (from The Right to Write): In your journal, list 50 things you’re proud of about yourself…what does this list tell you about the things you value most?

Write on Wednesday: Warm-Ups

Why is it I always seem to do my “Write on Wednesday” on Thursday?!

In today’s inspiration post, our muse Becca talks about “warm up exercises,” equating those important musical drills with corresponding drills for writing. She offers several excellent exercises to get you on your way! (So go to Write on Wednesday and see what they are!)

Then she asks: How about you? Do you do writing exercises or warm-ups? Do you think they could be valuable? Have you found warm-up exercises helpful in some other area of your life, like art, music or athletics.

I don’t do writing exercises as often as I should. (For that matter, I don’t do a lot of exercises as often as I should!). Generally, I simply plow in and start to write.


But then, when I think of all these books at Loganberry Bookstore in Cleveland's Shaker Square (photographed by my cousin David), I have to acknowledge that all the words on those pages didn't get there because someone wrote on a whim. They honed their craft and they probably did that by practicing.

Becca mentions “Morning Pages” which I used to do regularly while following “The Artist’s Way” program. I don’t do it so often now, and my journal has more or less ended up being The Marmelade Gypsy, which I suppose is an exercise in itself.

But I have found warm-ups very useful in a number of ways. When I was singing, it was almost a requirement to warm up. Rick practices his classical guitar scales and bits and pieces for hours. (Have you noticed it’s fun to listen to people play and less fun to listen to them practice?)

While doing grief facilitation at Ele’s Place, we often would have our middle schoolers do writing exercises. And warm ups were essential. (Don’t tell a middle schooler he or she has to write about something! You trick them into it!)

For example, as we were trying to have them focus on memories related to their parent or sibling who died, we would have them free associate as many things as they could think of related to the person.

They would come up with lists that ranged from entries like “chocolate chip cookies” to “braided my hair” to “pretty” or “good cook.” We would give them 90 seconds and the lists could get pretty long.

Then we’d have them circle three that were especially meaningful at that moment in time.

And then, we’d ask them to pick one of them, and write a little bit about it. Prose, a poem, whatever they wanted. Then we’d talk about it, if they wanted to share. And they usually did.

As an exercise, it’s a good one because it helps us focus and narrow down the most critical points.
Here’s another exercise I sometimes do: Look at something right in front of you (for me, it’s my computer stand at work or the wall above it, and being the pack rat that I am, it’s always got lots of stuff on it!)

Write about something on your desk. It may be the framed photo of Rick and me when we went to visit Kevin his first year away at college.


Or I’ll use as inspiration the photo of my dear friend Patricia, with whom I used to work and turned me on to so many wonderful things in life. She died about eight years ago, I think. I miss her more than I can say.

It could be the rose on my desk, the stuffed Abby Cadabby that sits by my lamp, or the pile of Tab cans wedged between the computer station and the filing cabinet.

Finally, today I just checked in on Mama K's blog and she had another funny post about a notebook she and her friend Sharon share. All ideas that might someday be a novel. I won't tell you more here -- you'll need to visit Mama K! But, when I read it, I thought it was a GREAT idea for triggering writing thoughts!

Write away! It could be fun!

Write on Wednesday: Staying On Course

Today's Autumn Image is another from that glorious red maple!

(Isn't it pretty with the ivy?!)

This week’s Write on Wednesday deals with “staying the course” and working toward the writing dream.
Becca talks about staying on course with our goals and fulfilling our dreams. She asks:

How about you? Are you having a hard time staying the course toward fulfilling your writing dreams? What are you doing about it?

This is a tough one for me to answer, because I’m not sure what my writing dreams are. To do more?

I’m doing that, thanks to the blog.

Am I doing my cookbook and family stories.

Well, that course is on hold!

But right now, I’m OK with that. I think when you are creatively schizophrenic, you have to pick your activities carefully, and I decided that apart from the blog and work, I’m not going to deal with writing for awhile – at least till after the holidays.

Till then I’ll deal with getting my act together.

Will I do a spur-of-the-moment show/sale? Probably not.

We all have our holiday tasks... Finishing the cards and getting the gifts in order. Trying to figure out when I’m going to get up decorations when I can’t quite plan my schedule! We're mid-November and I suddenly feel frantic and stressed, worried about how to get everything done at work and at home with an impending holiday in Vegas on the scene. (not really a holiday -- Rick's trade show, so we work, but at least it's in a fun spot!).

Right now, I don't even have time to write to Santa!

Maybe after the new year...just maybe I’ll try to write a little more. Just for me.

Write on Wednesday: The Novel Within

Today's Autumn Image brings us closer to Halloween! Meow!

In today’s Write on Wednesday post, our muse Becca tells about NaNoWriMo – or National Novel Writing Month, an internet-based writing venture whose participants pledge to write 50,000 words (1 175-page novel) between November 1 and midnight, November 30.

Interestingly enough, NaNoWriMo is about output – quantity, not quality. Becca says the kamikaze approach forces one to lower your expectations, take risks, write on the fly and give yourself permission to make mistakes. By forgoing “endless tweaking” and editing, you are creating.

Becca has done two of these, and you can find more about it at her post. Today she asks the WOW group if we’ve done this, what the experience was like and if we haven’t done it, do we think we could. “Do you have a novel residing in you somewhere, waiting to get out?”

The easy part of this answer is “No, I haven’t done it, so I don’t have an experience to share.”

The harder part is “Do you have a novel residing in you somewhere, waiting to get out?”

Since plotting (or rather, getting out of them) is my weak point, I can say I have a novel in me – in my brain, I’ve started two!

They both have intricate plots, because I like mysteries. So darned intricate, that without doing a ton of research (oh, that pesky research!), I sure don’t know how to solve them! And frankly, if I could that easily, I’m not sure it would be a very good book!

So, I don’t think I’ll be doing the novel-in-a-month challenge this year. Or probably not next.
But I do love the idea of the freedom of it all. Permission to make mistakes is not a bad thing to grant oneself!

So, maybe I’ll do something risky today – and who knows? When I screw up, I won’t be so hard on myself. (Well, actually, I’ve already done that today, and now excuse me, but I have to go wriggle out of a bit of a mess!)

Write on Wednesday: Writing Every Day

Today's Autumn Image is from Uncle John's cider mill in St. Johns, MI. Boo!

In this week’s Write on Wednesday, Becca asks:

So, how about you? Do you make time to write everyday? Don’t you think everybody should?

This is an interesting thought, because it really makes me look back at myself and the past near-year of blogging.

Yes, I’m inclined to write every day, just because of work. But, as I’ve mentioned before, much of that is editing other work and adding transitions. Or, writing press releases – all very formula.

But since I’ve been writing The Marmelade Gypsy, I’ve found that I am writing my own stuff – almost every day.

When I started the blog, I didn’t know what it would “be.” An online journal? An art journal? A way to keep in touch with people? A spot to share ideas, recipes, photographs?

It has been all of those things. But by and large, they don’t write themselves. I have to “think” about it. What do I want to say and how do I want to say it? Is it fanciful, like Gyppy’s Halloween house? Is it pretty straight and to the point? Am I talking about something deep, that requires more words or explanation?

Sometimes, I don’t even know when I start what’s going to come out of my fingers – and sometimes I’ve thought about it, perhaps too much.

But I’m writing. Regularly. And it feels good. Very good.

Do I think everybody should? Well, it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but doing something everyday – and writing is pretty universal, as Becca points out in her prompt post – is certainly something we can all do. (I know many of my art friends are doing art everyday; it’s the same concept.)

Maybe that writing is in a blog; maybe in a journal. Maybe it’s more detailed – the future novel or non-fiction tome. Maybe letters. But something.

Try it. A day, a week, a month. Just try it. I will, too.

Write on Wednesday: Dare to Dream

Today’s Autumn Image is Wah Wah Soo Drive, on Otsego Lake, near Gaylord, Michigan. It’s a spot I walk often in the summer, and where I “think” my writing and stories.

In today’s Write on Wednesday, Becca offers us a dare to write. “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?,” she asks, continuing to ask about our wildest writing dreams and what’s stopping us from achieving them.
I know what stops me. Creative ADD.

I love the writing, but I do it all day. I don’t always want to “work” again when I get home.

So, I do my art. The ATCs, journals, mixed media pieces.

I’ll go on a photo field trip and shoot whatever is drawing me. (I have a fondness for farm markets...
... and flowers!)

I’ll knit. I have projects stacked up and holidays impending. I’m knitting a lot these days.

I’ll cook and play with recipes. Gotta eat – and it’s fun to be creative in the kitchen.

I’ll work on the yard or see a friend or just go do something altogether different.

Sometimes, I write.

What would I do if I knew I couldn’t fail? Maybe I’d do a better job pulling together my family book (cookbook, photos, stories). Maybe I’d even finish it. Maybe.

Telling my story, the family stories – that matter to me. Oh, sure. I would be wonderful if it was of such scope as Roots or so immediately personal as the autobiographies I enjoy. My life’s not that interesting, and posting what I do on The Marmelade Gypsy probably already extends everyone’s patience!

But as I tell people who share their grieving stories with me – in talking (or writing) about them, the people, animals, events continue to have a life. That’s why I want to do it. To continue a life.

And maybe – on a good day – I tell that story in the art or photos. And sometimes, I even add the words! (It's hard to tell, but the little girl on the left edge of the collage is my mom!)

Can I make my dreams come true? I think, yes. I think, every day. One word, photo or collage at a time.