PEN TO PAPER: Memorial Day
WRITING PROMPT #1: What does Memorial Day mean to you?
WRITING PROMPT #2: What does the American Flag mean to you?
WRITING PROMPT #3: Collin looked up at the flag and…
PEN TO PAPER: A Method to the Madness
I finished the first draft of my young adult novel this month. I have a long way to go but the bones are there, and it feels good. This first draft is quite different compared to the first draft of my memoir, Back on the Court, mainly because a majority of that draft was written by hand. It seems crazy now, but I did like putting actual pen to paper.
I couldn’t cut and paste and adjust words, thoughts and paragraphs with ease like I can on a computer, but I could pick up the papers and feel them and then spread them on the floor, look at them, and move them around until they fit where they belonged. I liked seeing and organizing the madness. Recently, I found pictures from that time, so many years ago, when I escaped to a cabin on the Washington coast and gathered all the bits and pieces of my writing and pulled them together. It’s hard to imagine doing it that way again, but somehow it worked and I managed to take that rough draft and create a book.
Do you like to write on your computer or on good old-fashioned paper?
WRITING PROMPT #1: When I write by hand…
WRITING PROMPT #2: When I write on my computer…
WRITING PROMPT #3: Bailey sat down at her computer just as…
PEN TO PAPER: Phone Frenzy
We all have cell phones these days. Phones that we almost never use to make phone calls. They probably shouldn’t even be called cell phones or mobile phones; they should be called mini mobile computers, since that’s what they are.
I try not to use mine often. But with emails and Instagram, I spend more time on it than I’d like. Sometimes I wonder how much more I would get done if I just turned it off all day. But then I think, what if my kids call? What if my parents call? And of course, I leave it on. It’s hard to imagine that twenty-two years ago when I was pregnant with my son, I packed up my Volkswagen Vanagon with my two-and-a-half year old daughter and boxer dog and drove more than 2500 miles to southern California and back (only broke down twice) with no cell phone.
And I survived. Unfortunately, now it’s hard to imagine a day without my cell phone by my side.
What about you?
WRITING PROMPT #1: Write about your relationship with your phone?
WRITING PROMPT #2: What would you do without your phone?
WRITING PROMPT #3: Olivia walked into the little glass booth and looked at the black box with a dial of numbers and cord hanging from it and then…
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 different than what I do on any other given day?
The answer. Not that much. I did some things that are recommended by the science and some that are not. I rode my bike to the market, watched a track meet on TV, met my son for a picnic dinner and then my husband and I took my Volkswagen Vanagon to a spot with a view of the sunset. We ate sausage and cheese from the market, as well a couple of pastries, and of course had a glass of wine. And against good sleep etiquette we watched TV again, right before we went to bed.
I woke up rested for the first time in a long while. I’m not sure what did it, but if it’s wine, desert and TV, I’m in.
How have you been sleeping? What helps you sleep better?
For today’s writing prompts let’s take a closer look at sleep…
WRITING PROMPT […]
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: Backwards History
Years ago, for a class writing exercise, we wrote our life story backward. There were no rules and it didn’t have to be perfect. Let’s give it a try. You can add a lot to each section or do the exercise several times for different parts of you life. (jobs, relationships, hobbies, etc). However you do it, it’s always interesting.
Example 1:
I am a divorced mother of three and a restaurant owner who loves to play tennis
Before that I was married, I waited tables and watched tennis on tv.
Before that I was single, I was in culinary school and I played tennis almost every day.
Before that….
Example 2:
I am a husband and I import toys from Europe.
Before that I was single and I traveled the world with my best friend.
Before […]
PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: Improve Your Shooting This Summer
During my first season playing high school basketball, I averaged 3 points per game. The next year I averaged 17 points per game and was one of the leading scores in our league. What changed? I set a goal to become a better shooter, worked on my shot and tracked the whole process.
Improve your game this summer by setting goals and using a habit tracker…[LEARN MORE HERE]
PEN TO PAPER: Reading Rituals
I wasn’t always a reader. And I still don’t read nearly as much as I probably should (being a writer), and for sure not as much as I would like. But I read more than I ever did when I was young.
Since I’m a slow reader, Audio books have helped speed up my pace. All I have to do is open my library app and put in my AirPods when I walk my dog or run errands, and I knock off a couple of chapters. Still, my favorite way to read is to hunker into a cozy chair with tea and a good old fashioned book and just immerse myself in the experience.
How much do you read? And what is your favorite way to do it?
WRITING PROMPT #1: When I read I…
WRITING PROMPT #2: Write “BOOKS” at the top of your page, or document, and start writing.
WRITING PROMPT #3: Jenna picked […]
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