PEN TO PAPER: Picture Not-So-Perfect Writing
I like to free-write from a picture. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just something that inspires you to sit down and put your thoughts on the page. The picture might send you down a personal path, bring back memories of the time you and your brother built mud houses for hours in the back yard or it might jump start your new novel. You never know. Just take a look at this picture or grab one of your own and get to work!
WRITING PROMPT: Use this photo or one of your own, set a timer and write!
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…
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: Sleep Sagas
Sleep has been on my mind a lot lately. Mainly because I’m having a hard time doing it. I suppose that I’m not the only one, life in general has been a bit stressful over the last year. I thought I might sleep better after the election and once I was vaccinated, however, it doesn’t seem to be the case.
I’ve watched the Master Class on sleep, read books and listened to podcasts. I’ve adjusted my diet, continued with exercise, I get out into the light in the morning, occasionally I work on breathing techniques and yoga (this is a tough on for me to stick with). I am consistant with the time I head to bed and the time I roll out of bed in the morning, yet good sleep still seems illusive to me, until last night.
Now the pressure is on. What did I do yesterday that was so […]
PEN TO PAPER: Mothers & Memories
With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I want to talk about moms. I’m lucky, I have a great relationship with my mom, but mother-daughter relationships can be complicated and often flex and change over time.
Here is an example from a time when I wasn’t that fond of my mom:
I’ve been eating, sleeping, and sitting in this house for thirteen days now and I want out. I’m with people I love, but I don’t care. I hate my mom for taking a leave of absence from work and being with me all day, for trying to help me get better when I don’t want to.
I hate the way the gold wire rims of her glasses accent her caring eyes.
I hate the way she cooks my favorite foods and tries to mask her disappointment when I don’t show any enthusiasm.
I hate the way she […]
PEN TO PAPER: Lakeside
Today’s writing prompt is the photo above. Take a look and write what comes to mind. Write on!
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