Monday’s Pen to Paper: Timeline Inspiration
I don’t write from beginning to end. I write sections of my story that come to me, that seem vivid and alive in my mind, and then overtime bring them together and find an order to their chaos.
This method worked for me when I wrote my memoir Back on the Court, and it is how I’ve been writing my YA novel. However, when I was writing my memoir, I knew my story and characters intimately.
Writing a novel is a little different. I’m enjoying getting to know my characters and I’ve got scenes that I know approximately where they belong in the story, but recently I decided that I needed to make a timeline. My main character takes a journey, and what better way to document her journey than on a map. I could place scenes along the path of my main characters journey and hopeful gain a better understanding of her time spent over the traveled landscape and a better understanding of her story.
The process got me to look at my story a little differently, and I even discovered a few new ideas along the way.
Try a timeline for your memoir or novel and get inspired by the creative process. It could mean pulling out some paper and pens and simply writing dates and events, placed in order, along a line, my daughter is thinking about making a three-dimensional project, or for me it meant printing out a map and mini photos of the landscape and characters, and then glueing them into place along my characters journey.
Give a try to whatever moves you. Have fun and write on!
WRITING PROMPT #1: Make a timeline for your novel or memoir.
WRITING PROMPT #2: Jonathan drew a timeline for everything he did, he even made a timeline for…
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Ice Cold Awarness
My son took part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge with his friends this week. He showed me his video and I asked what it was for. He said that he wasn’t sure. And then he remembered, “it’s for…ALS?”
I asked him if he knew what ALS was.
“A disease, right?” he answered.
This is what the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is about. To raise money and raise awareness. And though there are probably a lot of people who may not even understand why they are dumping buckets of ice water over their heads, obviously there are millions more that do (or don’t, but donate money) because over 41 million dollars has been raised so far, and there are many that have a conversation.
“Do you remember Gary?” I asked my son.
My son was young when a member of our extended family died of ALS. The disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord until muscle tissues all over the body atrophy, which leads to paralysis and death.
“Oh yeah, I remember.” he said, “He used his toes to answer yes or no when we talked to him.”
Yes. And that was the beginning of a discussion about a disease that affects so many people and their loved ones. (30,000 Americans) So hats off to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and the awareness (and money) that it has raised.
What a COOL way to bring awareness and funding to a devastating disease.
Take the challenge and pass it on…I did.
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Fear
WRITING PROMPT: Make a list of everything that you are afraid of. Choose one of your fears and write some more…
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Dance With the Girl That Brung Ya’
I’ve been coaching for 25 years, and with every team that I’ve had, I like to keep things simple, focus on the fundamentals. That doesn’t mean that I won’t throw in a triangle and 2 defense or adjust my offense, but that’s once the players know the fundamentals and understand the basic offenses and defenses that we are running.
When talking about the importance of fundamentals, my husband always brings up wrestling (He was a State Champion wrestler and his dad, also his coach, is a Hall of Fame Wrestling Coach) He’ll watch a wrestling match and say to me, “Why is that guy trying that crazy move? He should stick with the basics; a Cradle. A Half-Nelson. My dad always reminded us before the State Tournament, ‘Dance with the girl that brung ya’.'”
I haven’t pulled out that quote in practice, but I like what it says. Instead of trying all kinds of crazy things, especially as you advance into playoffs, remember and focus on what got you there. Maybe you have killer man-to-man that has worked for you all season, stay with it. Not that you can’t toss in a Box and 1 or something to adjust to the team that you are playing against but don’t forget your man-to-man and the fundamentals that made that work for you.
Dance with the girl that brung ya.
Think about how this might apply to your life…
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
Monday’s Pen to Paper: A Cool Breeze And A Good Night Of Z’s Equals Happiness
I’ve been melting lately. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a nice sunny day but when the temperature creeps up past 90 degrees in Seattle it’s just too hot for me. It’s not that bad if I can escape to the water, but that’s not alway the case, I’m often at home where our house becomes an oven.
A good friend of mine loves this type of heat. In it she’s vibrant and alive, while I, on the other hand, feel cooked and tired and grumpy. I have been fighting this tired feeling over the past few days, pushing myself to enjoy the heat some as well as get work done. But honestly, it hasn’t been easy. Then last night a cool breeze came in.
I opened every window and door in the house, I stepped outside to feel the freshness whirl around me and to hear rustling in the trees. I […]
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Free Fun
My mom was in town for three days. It was a chance for us girls (me, my mom and my daughter) to celebrate a belated Birthday/Mother’s day present for my mom, our Oma. I had planned to get tickets for a concert downtown and perhaps go to the theatre as well, but I didn’t find music, or an act, at the usual venues that I thought my mom would truly enjoy.
However, I did find a free concert at a local coffee shop in our neighborhood (C & P Coffee House), and on an Instagram post my daughter found Dancing Until Dusk, which involved free swing dance lessons and live music at Westlake Park. So we went for it. During my mom’s visit we also took pleasure in beach combing at low tide on Alki, spent an afternoon making jewelry, and an evening taking […]
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Find Your Groove.
Sonya Elliott – AAU Basketball 1983
Some people have a natural shot. I’m not one of those people, but with time on the court, hard work and heart, I became a good shooter. There are better shooters for sure, but I have always been good enough to help my team and that is all that matters to me.
Learning to shoot can be a challenge. I know it has been tough for my kids because they get conflicting advise. Mom (former college basketball player and a basketball coach for 25 years) tells them one thing and Dad (former college athlete) tells them another. My daughter never wanted to do extra shooting around my husband and I, because our opinions differed. In the end it didn’t matter who was giving the correct coaching techniques for shooting (though I believe it was […]
Follow Sonya