PEN TO PAPER: The Trash Can Is Your Friend
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
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
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
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 […]
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.
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PEN TO PAPER: Mood & Weather
It was so nice to take in the sun this last Saturday. The Vitamin B lightened my mood. Or maybe it was watching the football game in our local park, or perhaps the chance to chat safely with a bunch of neighbors since we have all been sequestered inside of our homes most of the winter.
All I can say is, it was nice.
The weather can change your mood. Sometimes in surprising ways. I also love a rainy day as much as a sunny day (just not too many). It gives me a great excuse to hunker in. But when my husband looks out the window and sees rain, his entire body slumps down upon itself.
All of us are different.
When you’re writing, bringing in the weather can help create the mood of the scene and it can also give the reader a peak into your character’s personality.
For today’s prompts let’s delve […]
PEN TO PAPER: Imagine Your Ancestors
Sometimes we wish we knew more about our family history. Today’s prompt might help you dive in a little or at least have some fun with your imagination.
WRITING PROMPT #1: Choose a family member who you know something about and start writing.
WRITING PROMPT #2: Choose an ancestor who you know nothing about, put their name at the top of your page and start writing.
WRITING PROMPT #3: Gwen and Edward sat in front of the computer, opened up Ancestry.com and started searching when…
PEN TO PAPER: Tax Time
Is anyone else working on getting your taxes together? I was supposed have my information together for my accountant today. I’m not quite there yet. Tax time is always a stressful, messy time for me. And it’s gotten worse since the arrival of technology. Now half of my tax information is lost somewhere in my emails, a bunch of bills and receipts are on paper and the rest I have to go find on websites.
I’m not a big fan of tax time.
I am lucky to have a kind and patient accountant to help me through it all, but still, when the deadline looms for me (Feb 28), I can get a little cranky. Writing has helped me through some really tough times in my life, and sometimes it can even help with the little things that make you cranky. And it can be great place to find writing inspiration so […]
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