Sonya Elliott

Back on the Court

AUTHOR & BASKETBALL FANATIC

PEN TO PAPER: Fingers To Keys

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It’s been a while since I’ve written by hand. I wrote the first draft of my memoir, Back On The Court, by hand. At least a majority of it. I wrote it in journals, the cheap black and white ones that college students get for class notes. It worked great, because as I transferred the writing from the notebooks to my computer, I edited the work. I even felt that I was more creative when I was writing by hand.

Now I write almost exclusively on my computer. Maybe I’m just lazy, or maybe it’s because it’s so hard to keep up with my thoughts when I write by hand. Or it could be that because my writing is so sloppy these days, I can’t read half of what I’ve written. I’m not sure, but even though I do enjoy writing by hand from time to time, other than some freewrites, I stick to writing on the computer these days.

In the end, I think that you should do what works best for you and which ever helps you to get words on the page.

What method do you use when you write?

WRITING PROMPT 1: put these two words at the top of the page, I WRITE, and then put your pen to paper or fingers to keys and go for it.

WRITING PROMPT 2: Pick the method that you use the least, and write a few paragraphs that might be used in a piece that you are currently working on.

WRITING PROMPT 3: Emily closed up her laptop, looked at her blank notebook and…

 

PEN TO PAPER: The Trash Can Is Your Friend

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Do you ever think, my writing sucks!

Well, you’re not the only one. I think we all feel that way from time to time, I know I do. And sometimes my writing does suck, and that’s okay. You can’t expect your writing to always be perfect, or even good. It is all part of the process of getting better.

I love the quote, “The Trash Can Is Your Friend,” by Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale, because it gives you the go ahead to give up. I don’t mean on your writing, I’m the queen of never giving up when it comes to writing and life, but there are times when what we’ve written, is just there to get us better. It’s our practice.

And just like any other practice, (let me use basketball as an example since it’s my other love), it’s not always perfect. There were practice days, as both a coach and a player, when I was grateful that it wasn’t a game day. Days that were terrible. But you know what? I still learned from those days. Just like you learn from all the hours that you put into writing.

Sometimes our writing just needs editing (actually it always needs editing), and sometimes a piece of work should just be tossed into the trash (like the first two chapters of my novel).

Trash can or not, each minute spent writing means you’re one step closer to being the writer that you want to be.

WRITING PROMPT 1: Write TRASH at the top of the page and start writing.

WRITING PROMPT 2: Take a piece of writing that you are not happy with, toss it in the trashcan and start on something new.

WRITING PROMPT 3: Jacob walked down the alley, kick over the trash can and…

 

PEN TO PAPER: Animal Inspiration

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Today’s writing prompt is an easy one. It’s about animals. Do you have a favorite animal? A favorite pet? Maybe you love going to the zoo and watching the giant hippos glide through the water and then plod across the shore, maybe you are inspired by the graceful neck of the giraffe. Maybe you don’t know what you’d do without your pet tabby cat that you rescued when Covid hit or maybe you are attracted to a dog that sheds non-stop, farts more than your husband and slobbers on your pants every time he walks away from his water bowl and sets his jowls on your thigh. Or maybe you are not a fan of animals at all. Whatever the case, animals can be great writing inspiration.

Pick one or more prompts and let your pen and mind get to work. Write on!

WRITING PROMPT 1: Write about your favorite, or least favorite, animal. Think about why you chose this animal. Maybe there is even more for you to write about?

WRITING PROMPT 2: Choose an animal and then write for a bit from their point of view.

WRITING PROMPT 3: Cassandra opened the door and called for Casper again. It wasn’t like him to…

PEN TO PAPER: New Year’s Goals

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I’ve never been one to set New Year’s resolutions, but I am a goal-setter, which I suppose isn’t so different. I guess my tendency to shy away from New Year’s resolutions comes from my long held belief that they are unsuccessful. In fact, a quick Google search on history.com confirmed my thinking, while as many as forty-five percent of Americans say they usually make New Year’s resolutions, only eight percent are successful in achieving their goals.

Still, setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation, so if a New Year’s resolution does that for you, go for it. Or if you’re like me, don’t put so much pressure on yourself and simply call them goals, that happen to take place at the beginning of the year.

Many wishes for a healthy and happy New Year! Write on!

WRITING PROMPT 1: Write down your writing goals for this year

WRITING PROMPT 2: Write about what you are looking forward to in 2021

WRITING PROMPT 3: Olivia pondered her New Year’s resolutions, then she…

PEN TO PAPER: Be Present, Connect & Listen

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Last Thursday when my friend Jenny and I did our freewrite, we chose three words from her Anchored Card Deck. The words were Presence, Connect and Listen. My fingers flew across the keys, what powerful words to focus on during the holidays, and especially during a pandemic.

It can be difficult to be present. With bills and work, and these days the constant worry about everyone’s health, stress levels are high. And my to-do list seems to get longer everyday. But, this is also when I use my past, my history with loss, to remind myself to slow down, to be present. If you’ve lost people you love, you know what I’m talking about.

Sometimes I have to have a little conversation with myself. Sonya, who cares if the house is a messy, hang out with your son, he will be back at college soon. Enjoy walks with your husband and watching basketball when there are dishes in the sink. Forget about the other stuff, be truly present.

Yes, presence is worth writing about and thinking about and doing.

And who doesn’t need to connect right now? Most of us are living within our bubbles, working to keep others safe. So for ourselves, and others, we need to look at how we can connect with our friends and loved ones, and maybe even people who we don’t know as well. Set up a zoom meeting, text or just pick up the phone and call. These are difficult times, look at how you can connect.

Listen. Ah, what a word (And it fits so well with the other two). A reminder to listen, just listen. Listen to your spouse, listen to your friends, listen to your kids, listen to the teller at the grocery store, listen to your favorite music, and listen to the rain on your rooftop. There is so much to the word. A perfect word for writing inspiration.

When pulling cards from the deck of inspirational words, Jenny often says that you pull the words you need most (even if you don’t realize it at the time). I can tell you one thing. These three words were not only great as a writing prompt, they were definitely ones that I needed to be reminded of.

Try putting these words to work with the writing prompts below, and think about how they can enrich your life as well… Presence, Connect and Listen.

WRITING PROMPT 1: Use one or all these words, and start writing. Presence. Connect. Listen.

WRITING PROMPT 2: incorporate presence, connect and listen into a poem

WRITING PROMPT 3: With his airbuds jammed into his ears and the hood of his black AC/DC hoodie drooped across his forehead, nearly covering his eyes, Adam sat in the corner…

PEN TO PAPER: Food For Thought

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I love food. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just good. Still, as I write this blog I realize that I’m known to take pictures of my food. Do I just want to remember how good it was? Do I want a picture to remind me of that time and the experience? I’m not sure, but I do know that food is a huge part our lives and that’s why it can be a great starting point for writing.

Our meals not only give us nutrients but they become a bigger part of our lives in different ways. For some people, one of the best parts of a meal is putting it all together. I enjoy cooking, but I certainly don’t love it. My friend Kathy, on the other hand, loves to cook and bake (Instagram @lick.the.plate). She baked the beautiful Bolo Polana cake in the photo above (Recipe from “In Bibi’s Kitchen” by Hawa Hassan and Julia Turshen). I’m inspired by all the amazing food and drink recipes she makes and shares. I’ve made several and have a list going for future endeavors.

Along with cooking the food, there’s the savoring of it. How it touches our senses as well as our hearts and souls. Past meals bring memories of sadness, laughter and pure joy. Meals are a part of us and make us who we are. Think about the foods that you love. Does a ripe mango make your mouth water or do you dream of fillet mignon? What are some of the best meals that you’ve experienced? Are they quiet meals alone or have they been giant spreads shared with extended family and friends? Consider your meals and your relationship with food and then put your pen to paper, and go!

WRITING PROMPT 1: Write about your favorite, or least favorite, meal. Describe how the meal looks, tastes, smells. Where were you? Who else was there? How did the food, the environment make you feel?

WRITING PROMPT 2: What does food means to you?

WRITING PROMPT 3: Louisa set down her fork and…

Photo credit: @lick.the.plate – recipe from “In Bibi’s Kitchen” by @hawahassan and @turshen

 

PEN TO PAPER:  Mining Memories

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When I was working on my memoir Back On The Court: A Young Woman’s Triumphant Return To Life, Love & Basketball, parts of my life that I had forgotten, came back to me while I was writing. For example, while writing a scene that took place in my roof top studio apartment near Green Lake, I was transported back to that time and place, and then remembered talking to my mom about getting engaged that day. I had totally forgotten about the conversation, but the memory just moved through my fingers and onto the page.

It’s interesting how the mind works. How it store memories, good and sometimes a little scary, in its nooks and crannies. Below are a few simple writing prompts to work from, to see what you might discover. Fiction or nonfiction, let your mind have some fun.

WRITING PROMPT 1: I don’t remember when…

WRITING PROMPT 2: I forgot…

WRITING PROMPT 3: Tanner relaxed on the bed, closed his eyes and let his mind wander until…

 

PEN TO PAPER: Plotter vs Pantser

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Have you heard of Plotters and Pantsers? Well, I’m a Pantser, with a touch of Plotter. A Pantser is a writer who flies by the seat of their pants, just sits down and writes without much detailed planning. A Plotter is a writer who plans out their novel before they start writing it. Most people fit more into one category, but really both processes take place during the writing of a novel.

For example if you’re a Pantser, you normally have at least a vague idea of where you’re going before you start. With my current novel, I was driving home from a writing conference when the concept came to me. I imagined the storyline, and made a storyboard with pictures that I cut from magazines and pasted along a timeline, to help me see where the story was going. So you might call this some minimal planning, but when I started the novel, I just sat down and wrote, unsure of where it would take me.

Now that I’m nearing the end of the book, I’m starting to look at what’s missing and am beginning to weave bits and pieces back into the writing. Last week I decided to make changes to the first chapter, so I went back and edited and edited and edited. Now I need to make adjustments throughout the book. It’s the first draft, so it’s simply part of the process. I worked this way when I wrote my memoir too. Of course I had a basic understanding of what was going to happen in the story, it was a memoir after all, but there were a lot of different directions that I could have gone, so it took a lot of writing and editing and reworking to get the story the way I wanted it.

When I’m writing, I see the story happening like a movie in my mind, but the details don’t always make it onto the page. My finger’s don’t seem to be fast enough to keep up with the story that is traveling through my head. In my novel, what I missed in world building and character development the first time through, is getting filled in during edits. And in both my memoir and my current novel, I eventually cut the first few chapters and the books started in totally different places than I first envisioned. As a Pantser, the writing process needs to be fluid.

If you’re a Plotter, you know what direction you’re going. You have a detailed plan. You’ve charted out plotlines, developed characters and designed and built the world where your novel will happen. Still, once it’s time to write the novel, Plotters are Pantsers too, because when they sit down to write, they have to do just that, write. And whether your book is all planned out or not, when the writing actually begins, all kinds of ideas and twists and turns take place that you may never have expected. So even most Plotters allow themselves to go down side roads along the way, because that’s when the magic happens.

In the end, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Plotter or a Pantser, what’s important is to simply write.

WRITING PROMPT 1: If you’re a Pantser, take a few minutes to look closer at where your book is going as far as the storyline and plot, or write a character sketch of one of your main characters. If you’re a Plotter, just sit your butt down and write and see what happens.

WRITING PROMPT 2: Can being a Plotter or a Pantser help you in your daily life? Maybe writing down more goals (Plotter) or being more spontaneous (Pantser). Write about it.

WRITING PROMPT 3: Lilly never broke the rules, and she was afraid of heights, so as she stepped to the cliff’s edge, where she was now trespassing on the Anderson’s property, and looked to the water below she…

PEN TO PAPER: Audio Inspiration

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I’ve been re-reading, or should I say listening to, my favorite books on writing. When I take my pup on his daily walk I put in my new AirPods  (No more fighting with my tangled ear buds as I head out the door), load my audio book and go. While I stroll the sidewalks, the red and orange leaves that scatter my path help transport the words and their inspiration into my mind. Thoughts on how to establish a more consistant writing schedule, how I might make adjustments to a character, and even thoughts on a new twist for my ending, drift around in my head. I always walk away with new tidbits to chew on.

I’ve got three books going at the same time right now (probably not a great idea, but they’re all quite different), so I just continue on with whichever I’m in the mood for that day. One that I love is On Writing by Stephen King (I’m not into horror novels, but I totally connect to King’s thoughts on writing). I’m also listening to Save The Cat by Jessica Brody, which is helpful to me because I’m not a planner, I don’t start with a tight structure in mind. I started my novel with an overarching idea, wrote a lot of scenes and then brought them together. Her book is helping me, by getting me to look closer at the structure. And the third audio book that I have going is This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley. It’s got me putting my butt down in front of my computer more; hence my novel is into its final chapters.

I plan on listening to the rest of the books from my list throughout 2020. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve read some of them but I’ve kept them around in paperback for a reason. They inspire me. I hope you find inspiration in some of them as well, and I would love to hear about writing books that you might recommend.

Write On!

WRITING PROMPT 1: Write for 5 minutes on how you will commit to your writing.

WRITING PROMPT 2: Candice set her book, If You Want To Write, on her milkcrate side table and…

Books On Writing

PEN TO PAPER: Deep Kindness

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I recently read the book Deep Kindness by Houston Kraft. It made me think about my life and how I can be more kind. It made me look at what real kindness means and how it can effect others and the world. What a great concept to write about…

WRITING PROMPT #1: What was the last kind thing that you did? Write about it. How did it make you feel?

WRITING PROMPT #2: Put the word KINDNESS at the top of a blank page. Start writing.

WRITING PROMPT #3: The second Daniel sat down at his desk something was wrong. Every morning for five years now, a note from Ellie had greeted him. The swirly heart dotting the “i” in her signature always made him smile, but this morning there was nothing. Daniel looked around the room and…

PEN TO PAPER: Missing You

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With Covid-19, many of us can’t be with the people we love. And if we do get to see them, we need to be careful. My daughter is safe in Taiwan, but she is far away. And I’ve only seen my parent’s twice in the last eight months, at a distance. Today’s wiritng prompt is for those who we miss. It can be kept to yourself, or better yet, mail it.

WRITING PROMPT: Write a letter to someone you miss right now.

PEN TO PAPER: Costume Craze

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Halloween is my husbands favorite holiday. I don’t love it like he does, but I do love putting together costumes. We don’t usually decide what to wear until the day of Halloween, but we always pull something together from costume filled boxes that take up most our storage space. Some are nice costumes from when my parent’s used to go to Fasching (German Masquerade Ball). My mom always made some great ones and they have been passed down to us. The rest of the items we have collected from Goodwills over the years. It’s just a matter of using our imagination, pulling things together and hitting a vintage or resale store to add some new punch.

Our Elvis costume (that I whipped together in one day twenty-five years ago) has seen better days but it still gets used from time to time, we’ve got 60’s, 70’s & 80’s covered with random vests, wigs, bell bottom pants, blazers and miscellaneous sundries. We even have a pair of my parachute pants. We’ve got sports jerseys, cowboy hats, UPS uniforms, and more. Enough to pull something together on the fly. Covid has put a dent into our usual fun, but my husband already said that he invited the neighbors to dress up and meet us on the front patio for a drink. I said I was in, now…what to wear?

What have been some of your favorite costumes? 

PROMPT #1: Write about something that scares you.

PROMPT #2: Write about your favorite costume or one you’d like to wear.

PROMPT #3: Caden wasn’t about to wear a costume unless…

PEN TO PAPER: VOTE!

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The election is coming up quick, so I am writing this blog to encourage people to vote. If you read my blog you know that I am concerned about women’s rights and equal rights, I am pro-choice, I believe in science and I am deeply concerned about the environment, so my vote goes to Joe Biden. Most of you have already decided who you will vote for in this election, but if you are on the fence, I’ve included a chart of news sources and links to check out, because getting your voice heard is important, and being informed from a broad base of news sources is equally important. It doesn’t matter whether you are democrat or republican, what matters is that we bring the nation together. Young, old, white, black, women, men, Buddhist, Catholic, gay, straight, and everything in between. We are all people.

When I was young I wasn’t the best about voting. I did believe that it was important to vote for who you believed in and what they represented, not a specific party, because that’s how my mom voted. My dad is an Austrian citizen so he can’t vote. (FYI: He does pay taxes). But it wasn’t until I was older, and started to care about my local community and schools, that I truly understood how important it was to vote.

This election my daughter sent her absentee ballot from Taiwan and my son registered so he could be heard, and I hope many more are doing the same because this is an important election. Women’s rights and equal rights are at stake. And I want future generations to be able to enjoy this beautiful planet, so I worry about what will be left of this earth if leaders don’t work together to make changes to slow climate change. I want the United States to be a safe place, where we can all have peaceful lives. Instead the president ignores science and continues to embolden hate groups and tweets mean lies about anyone and everyone (Most people would be fired from the tweets he is making). When I was coaching I used to tell the girls, you don’t have to be best friends, but if we can all learn to appreciate and respect one another, we can build a strong team. That is what we need to do as a nation, work together.

If you are undecided take time to research and think about what the future looks like, not only for yourself, but future generations and…make a plan to vote.

PROMPT #1: The perfect president is…

PROMPT #2: What would a perfect world look like?

PROMPT #3: Blake’s back was tacky and he wiped a drop of sweat from the edge of his baseball cap as he stepped into the voting booth…

 

AP News

BBC

NPR

REUTERS

USA TODAY

PEN TO PAPER: Reboot

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I used to post a pen to paper, that included a writing prompt, every Monday. It was always a good way for me to kickstart my writing for the week, so I’ve decided to go back to that routine.  If you’re a writer please join me. If you’re not a writer, you can join me too. It can be fun to ponder writing prompts even if you don’t have time to write (though it only take 5-10 mins).

I like to give a couple of prompts, but if the prompts I give don’t spark your interest, feel free to use your own. Or if you can’t decide, my friend Jenny and I often grab the nearest book, open it up and set our finger on the page and go with the closest word or phrase. The key is to simpy write.

Write on!

WRITING PROMPT #1: What does reboot mean to you? 

WRITING PROMPT #2: Write about a time that you truly felt the most alive.

WRITING PROMPT #3: Sandra set down her computer, picked up her pen and…

PEN TO PAPER: Wants & Needs

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There’s a feeling in my soul right now that has inspired me to blog again. Maybe I’m working through anger and frustration about what is happening in the world with the pandemic, the coming election and the onset of fires across the west coast. Or perhaps it’s simply the fact that I’m at home a lot these days. Whatever the case, I’m finally doing more writing. And I like it.

I haven’t felt such a strong urge to write for a while. Not like this. Other than my Thursday’s with Jenny, my writing time has been more of a grind. Sonya, you should work on your book. Sonya you should blog. I want to finish my book, so I sit down and write and rewrite and write some more, and I’m always glad that I do, but it’s been hard.

I love the feeling that I have right now, where I can’t think of much else, so I’m taking advantage of the fire in my belly and getting to work. It’s a little bit of a problem because it’s been keeping me up at night as my mind whirls with ideas, but honestly, I prefer it this way. The urge to write is always inside me, it’s just hidden at times, but when it surfaces like this, it reminds me that not only do I want to write, I need to write.

Set your goals and work like a turtle if you need to, in order to reach those goals, and when you feel the urge to write, take advantage of every minute and write on!

WRITING PROMPT #1: What are your wants & needs? Or simply put WANTS & NEEDS at the top of a blank page and start writing and see where it takes you.

WRITING PROMPT #2: She had a fire in her belly…

 

 

PEN TO PAPER: Discover Your Story

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This last weekend I drew inspiration from my daughter. Not only did she graduate with a degree in Creative Writing, she used what she’s learned in her major to inspire her classmates in her valedictorian commencement speech.

She related the life of a college graduate, one who is stepping into a new and unknown world, to that of a writer staring at a blank page.

“The sprawling expanse of possibility lies before us, both tantalizing and terrifying all at once. Yet, I’ve found that the cure to writer’s block is to just start writing. The time has come to start crafting our own stories.”

So true. Life can be scary, whether you’re a writer plugging away at a difficult piece, a new graduate starting a career, a new mother discovering what it’s like to care for an infant or an old mother figuring out what life has in store for her, life can be a challenge.  

“The important part is that you start, and start with a vengeance. Chase dreams, chase jobs, chase experiences, chase what makes you happy. Because right now, inside each and everyone one of us, a story is waiting to be told.”

What story is waiting inside of you?

Read Charli Elliott’s full commencement speech on her blog eloquentlyelliott.com

 

PEN TO PAPER: Get on a roll

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I’ve been on a roll. A slow roll, but a roll all the same. I’ve been writing, not as much as I’d like, but the key is I have been doing it. I’m a little bit like the tortoise in The Tortoise and the Hare. I’m just plugging away, setting aside time to write, even if it’s just thirty minutes.

Whether it’s the book you’re writing, or your goal to stay in shape, or even perhaps your goal to start a business, just start rolling. Even a slow and steady pace will gain momentum and lead you where you want to go.

What helps you to get, and keep, on a roll?

PEACELOVEBASKETBALL & PEN TO PAPER: Writing Wisdom

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When I was coaching I gave journals to all of my players and to the kids who came to our summer camps. I found that writing was a good way for them to set personal goals, learn about team concepts and discover things about themselves and each other.

Some players cherished their journals and even brought them home and used them on their own throughout the season. Others simply left them in their lockers for the times when we had organized writing exercises and goal settings. But I loved that every time we wrote in the journals, noses went straight to the page and pens where scratching away. The girls had things to say, thoughts to be written. I believe that all the players and campers benefitted from the experience in one way or another as it gave them the opportunity to delve into their thoughts on the importance of teamwork, attitude and work ethic, and also gave them a space for personal introspection and self-evaluation.

For the high school teams, I had the players write down basketball goals as well as some life goals, and then I tried to give a variety of thought provoking writing prompts. I used questions like: What does team mean to you? Give three things that you can do to help our team be successful this year. Name three goals you have for this season. What steps will you take to achieve these goals? What are three goals (non-basketball related) that you would like to accomplish this year in school? What would you like to be doing in five years? There are so many options to get your team thinking.

Journaling for campers (4th– 8thgraders) was similar, I just added questions that were a little easier to answer and to discuss if the girls wanted to. I used some questions similar to the ones above and added questions like: If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? If you could be an animal, what would you be and why? What is something that you learned at camp today? What makes you happy? Write about someone who is special to you. Share a time when you helped someone. How did it make you feel?

Whether you’re a coach or a player (or anyone really), try using a journal, take time to look inside and reflect on your life and see what happens.

WRITING PROMPT: Choose one of the prompts above and get writing!

 

PeaceLoveBasketball Believe Journal $19.17

PEN TO PAPER: Working Inspiration

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Are you looking for something to write about? Try writing a list poem of the jobs you’ve had over your lifetime and see what happens.

In a recent conversation with a friend, I explained how I bought one house in a short sale and then used a 1031 Exchange to find a house in a better neighborhood. Over the evening my past as a forklift driver and a Licensed Massage Therapist came up. She knew me as a fashion model. She laughed, “I’d like to see a list of all the jobs you’ve had.”

 

My Jobs

Deli Worker

Forklift Driver

Retail Sales Person

Pizza Delivery Person

Waitress

Fashion Model

Basketball Coach

Apartment Manager

Licensed Massage Therapist

School Volunteer

PeaceLoveBasketball Design/Owner

Writer/Author

Public Speaker

Real Estate Investor/ Rental manager

Mom

 

A poem? Well, not really, but a dredger of stories for sure. Just writing the list brought back all kinds of memories, and all sorts of possibilities. Give it a try!

WRITING PROMPT 1: Write a list of all the jobs you’ve had in your lifetime.

WRITING PROMPT 2: Pick one (or two) of them and keep on writing.

PEN TO PAPER: The Process of Perfection

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Sixteen years ago I built a deck onto a rental house. It took time, I had never built a deck before. My tenants, two young women who were published authors, were in awe of what I was doing. They would peer out the back door from time to time and say, “That is so cool, I want to build a deck someday.” I was working to write my memoir at the time and thought, I want to publish a book someday. Instead I was wasting precious writing time with my nose in my Home Depot deck book, planning and building.

I love to write, yet it’s often hard to sit down and do it. Why is that? Could it be that life gets in the way? Sometimes. Is it fear that perhaps what I’m writing isn’t good enough? Quite possibly. And for me it has a little bit to do with the fact that I feel satisfaction when I’m using my body, so when I’m working on a blog or my book, I feel like I’m not “doing” anything, like I’m wasting time.

Of course when I’m writing I know I’m not wasting time, but the process can seem never-ending and fruitless. That perfect poem, that perfect essay, that perfect sentence, seems to elude me and there is a reason for this, nothing is ever perfect. Perfection is simply what we strive for but it’s not the real goal. The real goal is a story that can be shared. And when we get the results we want down on paper it’s the most amazing feeling in the world.

I’m working to appreciate the journey of creating a story. I remind myself daily that the pieces I write will not be perfect, just as life is not perfect. If I were the best writer in the world, in the universe, I have a feeling I wouldn’t be satisfied with my work, but I’m learning to fight the critic, fight the lows, enjoy the process and find strength in the possibility of story.

After I had cemented the posts, drilled into the foundation, attached the joists and laid the decking so many years ago, those strenuous hours cementing, sawing and hammering helped me to feel real pride, and though the finished product was far from perfect I was able to give myself a break and recognize the good.

Writing is the same. If you spend a month writing and editing a piece, you should look for the good and not expect it to be perfect. When I finished my memoir (after editing what seamed like a million times), I wanted to get it out there to help other people who were dealing with grief and recovery, so I was able to eventually let go of the need for perfection. But, like with many things, I often need a reminder.

Last week I was at the same rental house where I built the deck so many years ago waiting for a contractor to stop by to do some work. And as I sat in the back yard, on the deck that I had built when my son was only two (He will be leaving to college this year), I thought of all the writing I have done and the book that I’ve published since then. I thought of my husband and the kids we have raised. I thought of the basketball teams I have coached and the people who have become a part of my life since I built the small deck.

I remembered picking my son up from preschool and bringing him to the rental house and giving him a hammer so he could teeter from post to post and “help” me build. I noticed the faded boards and all of it’s imperfections, but most of all I saw a beautiful living space that for sixteen years, despite it’s imperfections, has been used and enjoyed.

So when you sit down to write, remember, writing (and life really) is just like building a deck. You need to put in the work, push ahead, find joy in the process and understand that it doesn’t need to be perfect to be worth doing. Get your words on the page and out into the world.

Write on!

WRITING PROMPT 1: What is perfection?

WRITING PROMPT 2: Ellie decided she would…

Monday’s Pen to Paper: The Awesome Sports Writing Contest

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Get your pen out and get writing and win up to $300 cash!

In the Awesome Sports Project’s continued efforts to inspire and promote voices in girls’ and women’s sports, they have launched their 2nd Annual Awesome Sports Writing Contest. Male and female writers of all ages and level of writing experience are welcome, but the submission must be nonfiction and about girls’ and women’s sports. 

Submissions will be read by celebrity judge Rebecca Lowe (NBC Sports Anchor), Dennis Norris, Leisl Veach, and me, Sonya Elliott! There are both youth (18 & under) and adult categories and the entry deadline is February 15, 2018. For more information go to the Awesome Sports Project.

Write On!

Monday’s Pen to Paper: Is Meddling With Your Work Worth it

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I’ve been editing the first few chapters of my young adult novel. It’s amazing to me how many things that I can find to change and rearrange. But all that meddling is good (within reason). My first draft was just that, a draft.

I write my drafts with my head down, with little thought to how the sentences read, I give more thought to the ideas I want to get down on paper. Often I will use parenthesis surrounding a question mark or surrounding a word that encompasses my thought, without really finishing out the sentence, and then keep writing.

For example I might write, Sandy set her (?) on the bench before she pushed Cameron in the back. Or, it was (extremely hot, smoldering, show this somehow) inside the subway station. Ben scanned the kitchen then (get character to basement here). Often I’m in a hurry, I have an idea and don’t want to loose my train of thought, so I don’t take time to find the right word or sentence, I move on. This means I have a lot of extra work to do when I move to editing.

I write and rewrite and rewrite again. And after that I read out loud and then start over. Editing can be a long and often a frustrating process (maybe longer for me than it is for others), but when you make yourself stay with it, when you get a sentence, a paragraph, or heaven forbid an entire chapter to come together, boy is it worth it.

Keep on writing!

WRITING PROMPT 1: Take a piece that you’ve been working on, or a chapter, or a paragraph, and read it out loud. What sticks out? What changes might you make?

WRITING PROMPT 2: Open to a blank page. Close your eyes. Breathe. Now open your eyes and write. Do not think. Do not stop. Do not judge. Just write. (If you find something you like, go back later, and start meddling.)

 

Monday’s Pen to Paper: Writing is hard. I give up.

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It’s hard to write. I have yet to get on an ongoing regular schedule. I have had times where I’m on task and I love it, then life gets in the way. Last year I cleaned up and sold one house and remodeled and sold another. That took up a lot of time and energy. In the spring we had extended family living with us, which bit into free time, and then during the summer my kids are both around, so I’m always busy. Simply put, finding time to write can be a struggle. 

Sometimes I just want to give up.

I have written posts about how I’m working on finding time to write, and what I have realized is that if you have a busy life, and have not established yourself as a writer in your mind, or by receiving a good paycheck, its hard to justify putting writing first. The kids, the dishes, the dogs, the groceries, work, and everything else seems to get priority.

So what can you do?

Reevaluate your schedule often. Figure out what is important to you and make a place for it in your life. Writing is important to me, but I also have other priorities. My family comes first, and then of course I love to play basketball and be active, and…and…and, this is why I have to sit down and reassess how to keep writing in my schedule.

I write once a week with my friend Jenny (that’s a given), and what has worked best for me after that is to grab my computer and go to “the office”  (a coffee shop away from my house and my responsibilities). Still, this is not easy and unless I give myself a little talking to, my writing falls away. It’s not forgotten, never forgotten, it just sits alone, waiting for my return. I feel guilty for deserting my writing, and I hate that I feel guilty because I actually do want to write and why should I feel guilty for wanting to do something that I need to do.

So I come back around and set a date with myself, to get on task. To get to “the office” and do what I love. So if this sounds familiar to you, DON’T GIVE UP! If it doesn’t sound familiar then I am SO happy for you and would ask that you share your secret with me and anyone reading this blog in the comment section, because as writers we must all stick together and give support so that we keep getting our work out into the world.

Write on!

WRITING PROMPT #1: I will make more time for writing by…

WRITING PROMPT #2: Write a poem for inspiration. If you need a prompt try one of these…

Random

Inspired

Words

…or use all three.

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