PEN TO PAPER: Keep It Simple
Sometimes I want to do a quick free write, so I keep it simple. I grab the nearest book, open it up and put my finger down on the page. The first word I read is my starting point. Right now the closest book to me is The Everything Learning German Book (I’m working on learning more than just Hallo and Auf Wiedersehen). The word my finger hit is ALONE. Had it been a German word, I would have used that as my starting point. Occasionally I pick one or two more words to use as well. Do whatever feels right, just WRITE!
Another simple way to find a writing prompt is to act like a three-year-old and look around the room and then pick out an item that speaks to you. For example, looking across my kitchen right now, I see my daughter’s cactus sitting in the windowsill. I have been babysitting it since she left to Taiwan a year and a half ago. She has stayed there because Covid19 is controlled in that country and she can live safely. Not only does that plump little cactus make a good story all it’s own, I now feel all sorts of stories ready to escape.
Don’t make it hard on yourself, pick out a word or an object, and just sit down and write.
WRITING PROMPT 1: Choose a word (or two or three) from a book or magazine, and write.
WRITING PROMPT 2: Look around you, what object speaks to you? Use that object as a starting point and write.
WRITING PROMPT 3: Jasmine set her book, The Great Pretenders, down, looked around her room and…
PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: The Art of Rebounding
The Art of Rebounding by Charli Elliott
“I’m hungrier than those other guys out there. Every rebound is a personal challenge.”
-Dennis Rodman
As a 5’8” power forward at Pacific University, I led our team in rebounding and our 4’11” point guard was often the 2nd or 3rd leading rebounder. You know what that means? Rebounding has a lot more to do with determination than with height.
REBOUNDING IS THE KEY TO VICTORY
Every rebound is a possession. Every possession is a chance for your team to score.
I’m sure you’ve heard your coach harping on it. I’m sure you’ve heard, “block out!” screamed from the sidelines. And maybe you’re a decent rebounder. You know the basics, how to call “shot”, how to turn and block out, make contact with your player. But how do you take your rebounding to the next level?
BECOMING A LEADING REBOUNDER
First, know where the rebound is going.
There are statistics on where the rebound will go based on where the shot is taken. A long shot usually means a long rebound, a shot from the left side of the hoop often bounces off to the right, this sort of thing. It’s important to know these basics facts, but who’s thinking stats in the middle of a game? No one. You need to develop a sense of where the ball is going, before it even leaves the shooters hand.
How do you get this sense?
Practice. When you’re rebounding for a teammate during drills, pay attention to the flight […]
PEN TO PAPER: Look At The World Around You
It’s pretty drab in Seattle right now. Grey skies, drizzle, drizzle and more drizzle. When I walk my pup to the view of the water, the clouds and fog are so thick, that on many days there is no view. This can be a downer, but if you think like a writer you can put your environment to work, even on the darkest of days.
There are always interesting things to write about. Look close. Go on a walk and watch as steam seeps out and rises from under the deck of the house you pass, notice the twisted trunk of the Italian Plum tree and the moss that creeps and covers it’s limbs. Feel awakened by the cool air that chills your sinuses each time you breathe. Be grateful for the splash of unexpected color when a blue jay drops onto the sidewalk in front of you and then flits away.
Go beyond your first reaction to the day and go deeper. Even when it’s bright and beautiful, really look at the world around you. I’m not the best at this. I tend to walk and listen to my audio book or think to myself, but sometimes it’s a way to appreciate the little things, and an even better way to start off a writing prompt.
WRITING PROMPT 1:Take a walk in your neighborhood. Look closely at everything and everyone that you pass, and then come home and write about it.
WRITING PROMPT 2: Look out your window. Describe in detail what you see.
WRITING PROMPT 3: Monica stormed out of the house, down the street and…
PEN TO PAPER: Reach Out
…And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us
but what stands before us
We close the divide because we know, to put our future first
we must first put our differences aside
We lay down our arms
so we can reach out our arms
to one another…
– Amanda Gorman (excerpt from “The Hill We Climb”)
Today I’m talking poetry, something I know nothing about. I appreciate it and occasionally make an effort at it, but that’s about it. And I really like it as way to start a freewrite. In fact, after hearing Amanda Gorman read her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the Presidential Inauguration, my writing partner Jenny and I, were inspired to write poetry. Read the “The Hill We Climb” in its entirety to get inspired for today’s writing prompts, and then take a deep breath, and go…
WRITING PROMPT 1: What inspires you? Write a poem about it.
WRITING PROMPT 2: Put the word UNITED at the top of the page, then write.
WRITING PROMPT 3: Grace wasn’t a poet, but she sat down at her desk, pulled out a pen and…
Meet Sonya
Meet Sonya
Sonya Elliott’s memoir, Back on the Court: A Young Woman’s Triumphant Return to Life, Love & Basketball, is her story of finding hope in the wake of tragedy after she and her fiancé were hit by a train. She blogs about writing, basketball, and life and is currently working on a Young Adult Novel and a Non-Fiction Coaching book. Stories of her career as a fashion model are woven through her memoir, as both the Soloflex and Easy Spirit Shoes commercials were filmed during that time period, and this unique and intriguing business continues to be a part of her life.
Sonya played basketball at Eastern Washington University and was a starter for the Big Sky Champion team that went to the 1987 NCAA tournament. She coached for almost 25 years and was voted Seattle Times Coach of the Year, Seattle Officials Women’s Basketball Association Coach of the Year, and twice voted Metro League Coach of the Year. She loves the game of basketball and is thankful, not only for her husband and kids but for her ability to continue to get back on the court.
Blog
PEN TO PAPER: Remember Me
How do you see yourself? How do others see you? If the people you care about couldn’t remember you, how would you describe yourself to them?
WRITING PROMPT 1: None of your family, or friends, remember you. Describe yourself to them.
WRITING PROMPT 2: Amelia couldn’t remember…
PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: 4 Things You Must Do To Play Great Helpside Defense
Helpside defense is the key to great team defense. Teams need to work together to be effective and dominate the court, and in order to do so, each player must pay attention to the person who they’re guarding, as well as the rest of the court. If you’re not guarding the person with the basketball, you’re expected to help your teammates.
Generally, the farther away you are from the ball, the more you should be available to help. If you’re just one pass away, you will often be asked step up and deny the passing lane (I’ll cover deny defense in another blog), but depending on which level you’re playing and your coach’s specific rules, sometimes, even one pass away, you may play helpside defense. If you’re not guarding the ball (or asked by your coach to faceguard a player), these tips will help you become a better defender and ultimately […]
PEN TO PAPER: An Eggcellent Day
What does Easter mean to you? For me it’s about spending time with family, decorating eggs, searching for eggs and eating good food.
When I was young, we always had some pretty intense Easter egg hunts. I wasn’t always a fan, because for some reason, I could never find as many eggs as my big brother. Fortunately as we got older, the hunts became a parents vs. kids event, and let’s just say I’m surprised we didn’t find a few eggs, weeks later, by smell. My brother and I hid one egg at the bottom of the flour bin on the top shelve of a kitchen cabinet. That’s crazy.
When my kids were young we had egg hunts, but it was the decorating that got intense. A heated competition developed with our neighbors that lasted for years. My husband was always the winner, at least in his mind. The rest of us […]
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