A dancing hippo

Just a portion of a sketch I did the other day. Ever feel like a hippo in a tutu?

Building language

It's been a while since I've posted and I'd love to say that I've been deep in a creative effort. And I have, sort of, but it's been a bricks and mortar kind of creative effort. It's the time of year when the weeds take over without some really intensive effort so I've been on my knees battling Bermuda grass (came up with a few new epithets - I suppose that's writing related) and getting landscaping in order. We were given two loads of fresh cedar mulch, too - just the smell conjures up images and stories start to dance around in the fragrance. And I do feel the creative juices start to stir as my yard has become filled with raised beds, climbing roses and gently curving walkways. Lovely.

But I did take time for a seminar of sorts. Not a new one but a fascinating one. My husband came into the studio one night and told me I had to listen to this. "It's a geek thing but I think you'll get it."

Now that alone was enough to pique my curiosity. There's not many geek things I "get." I'm a technodummy of the nth degree. So away I went.

The presentation is Guy Steele's keynote at the 1998 ACM OOPSLA conference (it's a computer thing). If you have a chance to watch it, it's fascinating both in concept and in construction. If you don't have time for the whole thing, I've put a few of my own thoughts below.




Did you watch any of it?

If not, SPOILER ALERT!

The premise of his talk is that he does not use words of more than one syllable unless he defines it first. (It takes him about 9 minutes to explain that.) And he does this for almost an hour!

As a writer, I found it to be a fascinating exercise. (Probably my background in linguistics plays a part too.) But particularly as a children's writer, I want to expose kids to fun and extended vocabulary but I must be careful to leave enough context or enough familiar language in the text so that my readers don't get lost. Just like the computer operates within a set of rules, so young readers are taught a set of rules to help "decode" the language they encounter. The more decoding they have to do, the harder it can be for them to grasp the story. I don't want them stuck with "small language" but must pace the growth too, so that the purpose is not overwhelmed by a language that is too complex too fast.

And so we build a language together as writers, teachers, parents and caregivers that work with children through reading and writing. And from that language come the images, ideas and worlds that we can revel in to accomplish big things.

I'd heartily recommend finding time to watch the whole thing.

The write tool for the job

There are a lot of tools available to writers these days. Plotting software (which I've never tried because it is my personal opinion that all software plots against me), market guides, digital recorders for catching those on the go ideas, workshops, critique groups, and so much more. Technology has produced some pretty helpful gadgets and gizmos to help the writer along.

But they are not worth a plugged nickel when you're caught away from the tech toys and the inspiration starts flowing. Whether you sit up in bed at night with the dialogue flowing or meet the perfect protagonist in the produce aisle of the grocery store, you have to write it down before you lose it. And when that happens, it's whatever is closest and will leave a mark.

Today, the perfect writing tool for me just happened to have a dancing monkey posed on top. And it worked just fine.

In fact I could tell when the juices were really flowing because the monkey lit up. How's that for making the muse happy?

Good writing to you today - whatever that may look like.

A conference invitation...

This unique conference features tracks for writers, artists, actors, musicians and photographers. Two free-to-the-public concerts will feature Russell Fragar and Jared Anderson, and the days will be jam-packed with instruction, hands-on training and encouragement. The faculty includes:

Russell Fragar - song writer and producer

Jared Anderson - recording artist and song writer

Karen Cain-Smith - award-winning pastel and oil artist








Roger Hutley - music pastor, song writer and script writer

Rene' Phelps - actor, scriptwriter, director

Jeannie St. John Taylor - author, speaker and artist

Jacob Gregory - event and fine arts photographer

Sandy Cathcart - writer, artist and photographer

And me!

For more information and registration and hotel info, visit www.medfordbethel.com.

I hope to see you there!

The tax man cometh...

It's that time when we writers and artists are (many of us) looking at our shoe box of receipts and thinking, "I need to do this better next year." Many of us creative types are just not as strong in the area of record keeping and that "Type A" sort of stuff. I've learned to do it but it's still not one of my favorite things, especially when it comes to inventory tracking. (And sometimes learning means learning to hand it over to someone that understands the tax forms better than we do.)

But there's hope. An interesting blog by Allena Tapia points out some of the more common financial mistakes creators make on the Wow! blog called "The Five Fatal Finance Mistakes Writers Make." And if you want more information about some of those pesky deduction categories, Sandy Cathcart has available "Totally Honest Tax Tips for Writers." It has forms for record keeping, how to calculate home office deductions, handling things like office equipment and phone calls and more info for tax time.

Until then, though, keep that shoebox in a safe place.

A pictorial prompt

One of the blogs I love to follow is Organized Doodles by Rick Green. His sense of humor is a delight and I enjoy his drawings. I even heard a hint that he might be considering moving into book illustration! Rick's "doodles" always spark a story for me, even when he doesn't share the background. And he's pretty generous with his drawings if you flatter him a little bit. (Okay, check out his blog for the real terms.)

Here's one for you to get your creative currents stirring:

My story about this aromatic avenger involves a shortage of blueberries. What story would you write about this caped critter?

"Super Skunk" (c) Rick Green. Used under his copy-and-share-if-you-dare policy. Thanks, Rick!

Lazing in the spring sunshine

It's spring here in my part of the world and in the last few days the birds have been picking up volume, the flowers are showing off and the sun keeps coaxing me out of my studio to come just soak up its warmth. It gives me new insights into the lives of cats.

So today I plan to revel for a bit in the fresh spring day. I found a writer that also responded to the allure of nature and I think he benefited from his time out of "the office." I hope you can find time to refresh your muse today too.


THE APOLOGY

Think me not unkind and rude
That I walk alone in grove and glen;
I go to the god of the wood
To fetch his word to men.

Tax not my sloth that I
Fold my arms beside the brook;
Each cloud that floated in the sky
Writes a letter in my book.

Chide me not, laborious hand,
For the idle flowers I brought;
Every aster in my hand
Goes home loaded with a thought.

There was never mystery
But 'tis figured in the flowers;
Was never secret history
But birds tell it in the bowers.

One harvest from thy field
Homeward brought the oxen strong;
A second crop thine acres yield,
Which I gather in a song.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson