Martha Swirzinski's Blog
June 7, 2011
Please welcome Magdalena Ball
Teaching Preschoolers to Read - Five Steps to Literacy
Some children begin school reading, while others seem to have no idea what a book is or how to recognize letters of the alphabet. While Kindergarten is a great opportunity for young children to develop their reading skills, it is difficult for even the best teachers to give the children the kind of one-on-one time that parents can. Also, by the time children reach Kindergarten, their attitudes to reading are already ingrained. For children to grow up loving reading, books need to be a part of their lives almost from the day they are born. It is never too early to begin "teaching" children to read. This isn't about "hot housing," formal lessons, or gimmicky videos. The key to raising book lovers is making books a part of children's lives. In other words, read! Read to your children from the day they are born, read yourself, point out words, talk to your children clearly, enunciating your syllables, take delight in language and in the pleasures of the written word, and the chances are that your children will naturally want to learn. The following five points are for parents whose children are around 4-5 years old and who want to prepare their children for reading at big school.
1. Read. Your child is never too old to be read to. Cuddle up, put on your corniest acting voice, and have fun together. And let your child see you reading for fun. Read signs, magazines, the back of cereal boxes, the TV guide, and of course, read good books (see my website The Compulsive Reader at http://www.compulsivereader.com/html if you want help choosing adult books!).
2. Know your child. Children learn in different ways. Some children learn to read instinctively through whole word recognition. These children just slide from memorizing and reciting the text to making the connection between the words they say and the words on the page. For a child like this, let them pretend to read as much as possible. Let them fill in missing words for you, "read" to parents and grandparents, and always have lots of books around. For most other children, you will probably need to do some phonics (teaching the sounds of words). There are many phonic resources on the market, but the best one I've found is a free website: http://www.starfall.com. It begins with letter sounds and builds up slowly with games, varied activities and printouts. You can do as much or as little as you and your child want, but since it is interactive, colourful and presented as play, you may find that even reluctant readers will be keen.
3. Play. Word recognition games like "I Spy" using letters, finding road signs, letter memory, word and letter puzzles and even junior scrabble are all great ways of teaching, as are posters you can point to, friezes, and other bright resources.
4. Write. Writing helps children understand how letters build to words, words build to sentences and sentences to ideas and books. Write little notes to your children and then help them read them (I like to put notes in my children's lunch boxes -- keep them simple, with smiley faces or love hearts). Help children write a book by stapling pages together. Cut out and paste pictures onto a sheet of paper and then write about them. Have your children write a simple letter to a favorite relative and post it. There are lots of ways to play with writing.
5. Keep up the work. The year before starting school is the perfect time to begin teaching your child to read and if you have a short reading activity of the kind listed above every day, the chances are very good that they will start school with, at the very least, a readiness to begin reading. This is a wonderful head start to literacy, a love of reading, and a positive school experience.
Magdalena Ball runs The Compulsive Reader . She is the author of the poetry books Repulsion Thrust and Quark Soup, the novel Sleep Before Evening , a nonfiction book The Art of Assessment, and, in collaboration with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Blooming Red , Cherished Pulse , She Wore Emerald Then , and Imagining the Future . She also runs a radio show, The Compulsive Reader Talks. Find out more about Magdalena at http://www.magdalenaball.com
Magdalena, Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing that great article with us.
Some children begin school reading, while others seem to have no idea what a book is or how to recognize letters of the alphabet. While Kindergarten is a great opportunity for young children to develop their reading skills, it is difficult for even the best teachers to give the children the kind of one-on-one time that parents can. Also, by the time children reach Kindergarten, their attitudes to reading are already ingrained. For children to grow up loving reading, books need to be a part of their lives almost from the day they are born. It is never too early to begin "teaching" children to read. This isn't about "hot housing," formal lessons, or gimmicky videos. The key to raising book lovers is making books a part of children's lives. In other words, read! Read to your children from the day they are born, read yourself, point out words, talk to your children clearly, enunciating your syllables, take delight in language and in the pleasures of the written word, and the chances are that your children will naturally want to learn. The following five points are for parents whose children are around 4-5 years old and who want to prepare their children for reading at big school.
1. Read. Your child is never too old to be read to. Cuddle up, put on your corniest acting voice, and have fun together. And let your child see you reading for fun. Read signs, magazines, the back of cereal boxes, the TV guide, and of course, read good books (see my website The Compulsive Reader at http://www.compulsivereader.com/html if you want help choosing adult books!).
2. Know your child. Children learn in different ways. Some children learn to read instinctively through whole word recognition. These children just slide from memorizing and reciting the text to making the connection between the words they say and the words on the page. For a child like this, let them pretend to read as much as possible. Let them fill in missing words for you, "read" to parents and grandparents, and always have lots of books around. For most other children, you will probably need to do some phonics (teaching the sounds of words). There are many phonic resources on the market, but the best one I've found is a free website: http://www.starfall.com. It begins with letter sounds and builds up slowly with games, varied activities and printouts. You can do as much or as little as you and your child want, but since it is interactive, colourful and presented as play, you may find that even reluctant readers will be keen.
3. Play. Word recognition games like "I Spy" using letters, finding road signs, letter memory, word and letter puzzles and even junior scrabble are all great ways of teaching, as are posters you can point to, friezes, and other bright resources.
4. Write. Writing helps children understand how letters build to words, words build to sentences and sentences to ideas and books. Write little notes to your children and then help them read them (I like to put notes in my children's lunch boxes -- keep them simple, with smiley faces or love hearts). Help children write a book by stapling pages together. Cut out and paste pictures onto a sheet of paper and then write about them. Have your children write a simple letter to a favorite relative and post it. There are lots of ways to play with writing.
5. Keep up the work. The year before starting school is the perfect time to begin teaching your child to read and if you have a short reading activity of the kind listed above every day, the chances are very good that they will start school with, at the very least, a readiness to begin reading. This is a wonderful head start to literacy, a love of reading, and a positive school experience.
Magdalena Ball runs The Compulsive Reader . She is the author of the poetry books Repulsion Thrust and Quark Soup, the novel Sleep Before Evening , a nonfiction book The Art of Assessment, and, in collaboration with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Blooming Red , Cherished Pulse , She Wore Emerald Then , and Imagining the Future . She also runs a radio show, The Compulsive Reader Talks. Find out more about Magdalena at http://www.magdalenaball.com
Magdalena, Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing that great article with us.
May 7, 2011
Jennifer Gladen
Jennifer, Thanks for stopping by and visiting with us today.[image error] 1.What three words do you think describe you as a human being?Quiet, busy and .... short. 2. How do you think others would describe you?That's hard to say. Those who I'm close to would describe me as silly. I can't help it, I'm a kid at heart. 3. Please tell us what you are most passionate about outside of writing.You mean there are other things besides writing? My Catholic faith and spending time with my family tops the list. 4. Do you have any pets? If so, introduce us to them.We have: 1 cat:Mickey: This is our first cat and the "diva" of the family. She thinks she's the only animal that lives here and everyone else is passing through. She decides who pets her and when. If you're busy, it doesn't matter. She will sprawl herself in front of the computer , book or whatever else you're doing in order to get attention. Her latest trick now is communicating when she's hungry. She will meow until she is fed – even if you're already filling her bowl. Occasionally she will push her bowl onto the floor if you don't move fast enough. We had two other cats as well who are no longer with us. This does not help Mickey's "diva complex". A dog:Scooby: he looks nothing like Scooby-Do. In fact, he's a black, 10 pound Chihuahua /Rat Terrier mix. He was a Father's Day present to my husband. Scooby is very affectionate and follows me everywhere. Lately he follows anyone who appears to be going to bed. The dog loves to sleep. 5. What is your most precious memory?My most precious memory is our family trip to Disney World in April of 2005. My middle child, Jacqueline, is a liver transplant patient and the Make a Wish Foundation granted her wish to go to Disney World. Everyone from the M.A.W. Foundation to every staff member at Give Kids the World Village we stayed at, to every staff member at Disney World made Jackie feel like a star. For once, her illness caused her joy instead of pain.6. What is your most embarrassing memory?
I was a teacher at an elementary school. All the teachers were to make an appearance at the 8th grade dance. While I was getting ready, I put a hole in my last pair of stockings. There was no time to hit a store. My only option was to wear knee-highs. I wore a long skirt - but a-hem - unfortunately a student noticed. *blush*7. If you weren't a writer, what would you be doing with your life?In addition to writing I teach children. I have taught kindergarten and second grade. Currently I'm a head teacher in an infant room at a child care center. 8. In two paragraphs or less write your obituary.Jennifer Gladen, children's author, is survived by her husband and three children. She loved to write and has an extensive collection of stories, articles, poems and books for children. She founded and ran My Light Magazine, a Catholic Magazine for children. When she couldn't teach children by working as a teacher due to her obligation to her children's medical conditions, she chose to teach children through her writing. Family members say that she can rest peacefully because her work will continue to reach and teach children.Jennifer Gladen the writer:9. Can you describe the time you realized you were indeed a "real" writer?I realized I was a "real" writer once I allowed myself to think it. My first publication was a poem in a Pro-Life newspaper. The editor gave my poem a half -page spread and included my bio. Once I saw that in print, I thought, "Wow - just like a real author!" 10. What is going on with your writing these days?
My first book, A Star in the Night, was released September 2010 through Guardian Angel Publishing and Teresa's Shadow came out in October 2010. My 3rd book , Angel Donor, is under contract this summer. In addition to these books I founded and run a Catholic Magazine for Children titled My Light Magazine. 11. Can you describe a typical writing day for you?
A full writing day now occurs only on the weekends. During week nights, I visit a work in progress for an hour or two before heading to bed. First I get on the computer and check any mail (could there be an acceptance this morning?) I check my calendar and make sure there's no appointments for the day. I've missed many of my own doctor appointments because I've gotten too wrapped up in the writing world. Then, to get my brain working, I check to see if I have anything new to update on my website or blogs. I then move on to revising a current work in progress. I'm in three critique groups, so I usually have a manuscript any given day to critique. After lunch I review one of my "almost ready to go out" manuscripts. I begin market research to find out which publisher might best fit my book. On days that I'm ready for a submission, I prepare my cover letter, envelope and manuscript for mailing. 12. Why do you write?
I write because I love it. There's nothing more satisfying to me than creating a world, characters and situations.
13. What writer most inspires you? Why?Currently, I'm most inspired by J.K. Rowling. She created a whole entire world and characters that you just love. She stuck with her creativity, stayed true to her story and characters, and her books did well for it. 14. How do you define your writing?My writing is a gentle, yet fun teaching tool for our children. 15. In one sentence-what do you want people to say about your writing in fifty years?I'd be happy if someone came across one of my books, and nostalgic feelings arise. "I remember that book. What a great story."Jennifer Gladen the details:16. Can you tell us where to find more information on you? Website? Blog?WEBSITE: http://www.jennifergladen.com/
BLOGS: http://jgladen.blogspot.com/ http://randomthoughtsaboutgod.blogspot.com/ http://mylightmagazine.blogspot.com/
17. Is there a place where readers can reach you?Sure. Readers can reach me at jens_creations@jennifergladen.com 18. Can you list all your book titles so people can look for them?A Star in the NightTeresa's ShadowComing Later: Angel DonorCheck back at my website often for updates on news about my current works in progress. http://www.jennifergladen.com/ 19. For new readers-what can they expect when they read your book(s)?You will hopefully experience the story along with my characters. A Star in the Night provides a unique experience for David, my main character, on a special Christmas Eve. In conclusion:20. Take as much space as necessary to speak to our readers-what would you like them to know about you and your writing?I write with a purpose: To share my characters' world with my readers. The stories the characters provide are gateways to the imagination. I do write nonfiction also. So far, it has only shown up in articles. But again, I write these not to just write about something. I write to share what I've found fascinating. My article, "Fulfilling a Destiny," is an article about caterpillars turning into a butterfly. I wrote about that when I saw how wondrous it is for life to change right before our eyes. To fully understand what my writing is about, feel free to visit my webpage: http://www.jennifergladen.com/ Jennifer, Thanks so much for taking the time to tell us more about you and your stories.
Make sure to stop by tomorrow and see what Virginia Grenier has to say on Heidi Thomas's blog.heidiwriter.wordpress.com
I was a teacher at an elementary school. All the teachers were to make an appearance at the 8th grade dance. While I was getting ready, I put a hole in my last pair of stockings. There was no time to hit a store. My only option was to wear knee-highs. I wore a long skirt - but a-hem - unfortunately a student noticed. *blush*7. If you weren't a writer, what would you be doing with your life?In addition to writing I teach children. I have taught kindergarten and second grade. Currently I'm a head teacher in an infant room at a child care center. 8. In two paragraphs or less write your obituary.Jennifer Gladen, children's author, is survived by her husband and three children. She loved to write and has an extensive collection of stories, articles, poems and books for children. She founded and ran My Light Magazine, a Catholic Magazine for children. When she couldn't teach children by working as a teacher due to her obligation to her children's medical conditions, she chose to teach children through her writing. Family members say that she can rest peacefully because her work will continue to reach and teach children.Jennifer Gladen the writer:9. Can you describe the time you realized you were indeed a "real" writer?I realized I was a "real" writer once I allowed myself to think it. My first publication was a poem in a Pro-Life newspaper. The editor gave my poem a half -page spread and included my bio. Once I saw that in print, I thought, "Wow - just like a real author!" 10. What is going on with your writing these days?
My first book, A Star in the Night, was released September 2010 through Guardian Angel Publishing and Teresa's Shadow came out in October 2010. My 3rd book , Angel Donor, is under contract this summer. In addition to these books I founded and run a Catholic Magazine for Children titled My Light Magazine. 11. Can you describe a typical writing day for you?
A full writing day now occurs only on the weekends. During week nights, I visit a work in progress for an hour or two before heading to bed. First I get on the computer and check any mail (could there be an acceptance this morning?) I check my calendar and make sure there's no appointments for the day. I've missed many of my own doctor appointments because I've gotten too wrapped up in the writing world. Then, to get my brain working, I check to see if I have anything new to update on my website or blogs. I then move on to revising a current work in progress. I'm in three critique groups, so I usually have a manuscript any given day to critique. After lunch I review one of my "almost ready to go out" manuscripts. I begin market research to find out which publisher might best fit my book. On days that I'm ready for a submission, I prepare my cover letter, envelope and manuscript for mailing. 12. Why do you write?
I write because I love it. There's nothing more satisfying to me than creating a world, characters and situations.
13. What writer most inspires you? Why?Currently, I'm most inspired by J.K. Rowling. She created a whole entire world and characters that you just love. She stuck with her creativity, stayed true to her story and characters, and her books did well for it. 14. How do you define your writing?My writing is a gentle, yet fun teaching tool for our children. 15. In one sentence-what do you want people to say about your writing in fifty years?I'd be happy if someone came across one of my books, and nostalgic feelings arise. "I remember that book. What a great story."Jennifer Gladen the details:16. Can you tell us where to find more information on you? Website? Blog?WEBSITE: http://www.jennifergladen.com/
BLOGS: http://jgladen.blogspot.com/ http://randomthoughtsaboutgod.blogspot.com/ http://mylightmagazine.blogspot.com/
17. Is there a place where readers can reach you?Sure. Readers can reach me at jens_creations@jennifergladen.com 18. Can you list all your book titles so people can look for them?A Star in the NightTeresa's ShadowComing Later: Angel DonorCheck back at my website often for updates on news about my current works in progress. http://www.jennifergladen.com/ 19. For new readers-what can they expect when they read your book(s)?You will hopefully experience the story along with my characters. A Star in the Night provides a unique experience for David, my main character, on a special Christmas Eve. In conclusion:20. Take as much space as necessary to speak to our readers-what would you like them to know about you and your writing?I write with a purpose: To share my characters' world with my readers. The stories the characters provide are gateways to the imagination. I do write nonfiction also. So far, it has only shown up in articles. But again, I write these not to just write about something. I write to share what I've found fascinating. My article, "Fulfilling a Destiny," is an article about caterpillars turning into a butterfly. I wrote about that when I saw how wondrous it is for life to change right before our eyes. To fully understand what my writing is about, feel free to visit my webpage: http://www.jennifergladen.com/ Jennifer, Thanks so much for taking the time to tell us more about you and your stories.
Make sure to stop by tomorrow and see what Virginia Grenier has to say on Heidi Thomas's blog.heidiwriter.wordpress.com
April 7, 2011
Please welcome Marietta Taylor
Martha, thanks for hos...
Please welcome Marietta Taylor
Martha, thanks for hosting me today! You're probably aware that there are still many families affected by unemployment. I wanted to offer to your readers an excerpt from my devotional book, Surviving Unemployment Devotions To Go. Each devotion in the book also has an "action page". The excerpt below is an action page that focuses on finding blessings during unemployment. Enjoy!
No More Pity Party
During unemployment, it's easy to throw yourself a pity party. It's just too tempting to wallow in your anger, fear, disbelief or whatever other emotion you feel. But it doesn't change a thing. I know, becausemy husband and I did all those things. Those negative emotions, like anger, left us both feeling more miserable than before.
One way to avoid this is to focus on your blessings. It is not easy in the beginning but as you keep throwing God a praise party, pity parties are less likely to show up. So, you're probably wondering how to go about doing something you probably do not feel like doing. It's actually fairly simple.
One simple thing to do is to spend most of your prayer time on thanksgiving. "What," you ask, "is there to be thankful for?" What about unemployment benefits, severance packages, food on the table, clothes to wear, friends and family or the breath you just took? All of these are noble candidates. If needed, write them out on a list that you can refer to if you get stuck.
Perhaps your family wants to institute a thankfulness day, such as Thankful Tuesday or Thursday. Display a notebook in a commonly "traveled" area of the house. Let family members record their thanks for that day. Everyone can read the other entries and perhaps even discuss them later.
For a more ongoing focus, use a thankful jar. As someone thinks of something they are grateful for, have them write it on a slip of paper and place it in the jar. When the jar is full, take one evening and read through them, offering praise to God for what is written on each slip of paper. You will feel and be so blessed.
Question for readers: Is there anything specific you do to keep your blessings in your sight?
Thank you so much for allowing me to share. You can connect with me in the following ways:
Website: www.mariettataylor.netPersonal Blog: www.marismorningromm.blogspot.comTwitter: www.twitter.com/raleighgirlFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/marietta.taylor2
Buy my book:
Paper:http://shop.theextremediva.com/Surviving-Unemployment-Devotions-to-Go-6139.htm
Kindle Edition:http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Unemployment-Devotions-Go-ebook/dp/B004T3FPUE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1301968884&sr=1-1
Please welcome Marietta Taylor Martha, thanks for hosting...
Please welcome Marietta Taylor
Martha, thanks for hosting me today! You're probably aware that there are still many families affected by unemployment. I wanted to offer to your readers an excerpt from my devotional book, Surviving Unemployment Devotions To Go. Each devotion in the book also has an "action page". The excerpt below is an action page that focuses on finding blessings during unemployment. Enjoy!
No More Pity Party
During unemployment, it's easy to throw yourself a pity party. It's just too tempting to wallow in your anger, fear, disbelief or whatever other emotion you feel. But it doesn't change a thing. I know, becausemy husband and I did all those things. Those negative emotions, like anger, left us both feeling more miserable than before.
One way to avoid this is to focus on your blessings. It is not easy in the beginning but as you keep throwing God a praise party, pity parties are less likely to show up. So, you're probably wondering how to go about doing something you probably do not feel like doing. It's actually fairly simple.
One simple thing to do is to spend most of your prayer time on thanksgiving. "What," you ask, "is there to be thankful for?" What about unemployment benefits, severance packages, food on the table, clothes to wear, friends and family or the breath you just took? All of these are noble candidates. If needed, write them out on a list that you can refer to if you get stuck.
Perhaps your family wants to institute a thankfulness day, such as Thankful Tuesday or Thursday. Display a notebook in a commonly "traveled" area of the house. Let family members record their thanks for that day. Everyone can read the other entries and perhaps even discuss them later.
For a more ongoing focus, use a thankful jar. As someone thinks of something they are grateful for, have them write it on a slip of paper and place it in the jar. When the jar is full, take one evening and read through them, offering praise to God for what is written on each slip of paper. You will feel and be so blessed.
Question for readers: Is there anything specific you do to keep your blessings in your sight?
Thank you so much for allowing me to share. You can connect with me in the following ways:
Website: www.mariettataylor.netPersonal Blog: www.marismorningromm.blogspot.comTwitter: www.twitter.com/raleighgirlFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/marietta.taylor2
Buy my book:
Paper:http://shop.theextremediva.com/Surviving-Unemployment-Devotions-to-Go-6139.htm
Kindle Edition:http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Unemployment-Devotions-Go-ebook/dp/B004T3FPUE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1301968884&sr=1-1
March 25, 2011
A moment with Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Using "I" As a ConceitBy Carolyn Howard-Johnson,author of The Frugal Editor:
Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success
I don't know when I learned the word "conceited." I was raised in Utah where most of us didn't use "conceit" in the sense of an elaborate or strained metaphor but rather to mean that someone thought they were extra-super special. The little girl across the street who snubbed me because I didn't wear long stockings with garters (which was an immediate tipoff that I was not her kind) was "conceited" rather than prejudiced. The kid who was quick to make a point of how bright he was when I made a mistake was "conceited" rather than arrogant (or insecure). Gawd! I loved the word "conceited." I could apply it to so many situations and avoid learning new vocabulary words.
Of course, in a culture where being extra-super humble was valued, I soon noticed that our English language is, indeed, "conceited."
I'm speaking of the way we capitalize the pronoun "I." None of the other pronouns are capped. So what about this "I," standing tall no matter where you find it in a sentence?
Recently as I tutored students in accent reduction and American culture I noticed that some languages (like Japanese) seem to do quite well without pronouns of any sort. I did a little research. Some languages like Hebrew and Arabic don't capitalize any of their letters and some, like German, capitalize every darn noun. So, English—a Germanic language at its roots—just carried on the German proclivity for caps.
But the question remained. Why only the "I?" Why not "them" and "you" and all the others. Caroline Winter, a 2008 Fulbright scholar, says "England was where the capital "I" first reared its dotless head . . . .Apparently someone back then decided that just "i" after it had been diminished from the original Germanic 'ich' was not substantial enough to stand alone." It had to do with an artistic approach to fonts. The story goes that long ago in the days of handset type or even teletype machines little sticks and dots standing all alone looked like broken bits of lead or scrappy orphan letters.
Then there is the idea that religion played a part in capitalizing the "I." Rastafarians (and some others, too) think in terms of humankind as being one with God and therefore—one has to presume—it would be rather blasphemous not to capitalize "I" just as one does "God." Capitals, after all, are a way to honor a word or concept.
Which, of course, brings us back to the idea that we speakers of English are just plain "conceited."
Carolyn Howard-Johnson is an instructor for UCLA Extension's world-renown Writers' Program, and author of the HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers including The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success (www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor) and its companion booklet, Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy (www.budurl.com/WordTrippersPB) .The former is a USA Book News award-winner as well as the winner of the Reader View's Literary Award and a finalist in the New Generation Book Awards. She is the recipient of both the California Legislature's Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award and is a popular speaker and actor. Her website is http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/
And she blogs about everything from wordiness to style choice at http://www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com/.
Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success
I don't know when I learned the word "conceited." I was raised in Utah where most of us didn't use "conceit" in the sense of an elaborate or strained metaphor but rather to mean that someone thought they were extra-super special. The little girl across the street who snubbed me because I didn't wear long stockings with garters (which was an immediate tipoff that I was not her kind) was "conceited" rather than prejudiced. The kid who was quick to make a point of how bright he was when I made a mistake was "conceited" rather than arrogant (or insecure). Gawd! I loved the word "conceited." I could apply it to so many situations and avoid learning new vocabulary words.
Of course, in a culture where being extra-super humble was valued, I soon noticed that our English language is, indeed, "conceited."
I'm speaking of the way we capitalize the pronoun "I." None of the other pronouns are capped. So what about this "I," standing tall no matter where you find it in a sentence?
Recently as I tutored students in accent reduction and American culture I noticed that some languages (like Japanese) seem to do quite well without pronouns of any sort. I did a little research. Some languages like Hebrew and Arabic don't capitalize any of their letters and some, like German, capitalize every darn noun. So, English—a Germanic language at its roots—just carried on the German proclivity for caps.
But the question remained. Why only the "I?" Why not "them" and "you" and all the others. Caroline Winter, a 2008 Fulbright scholar, says "England was where the capital "I" first reared its dotless head . . . .Apparently someone back then decided that just "i" after it had been diminished from the original Germanic 'ich' was not substantial enough to stand alone." It had to do with an artistic approach to fonts. The story goes that long ago in the days of handset type or even teletype machines little sticks and dots standing all alone looked like broken bits of lead or scrappy orphan letters.
Then there is the idea that religion played a part in capitalizing the "I." Rastafarians (and some others, too) think in terms of humankind as being one with God and therefore—one has to presume—it would be rather blasphemous not to capitalize "I" just as one does "God." Capitals, after all, are a way to honor a word or concept.
Which, of course, brings us back to the idea that we speakers of English are just plain "conceited."
Carolyn Howard-Johnson is an instructor for UCLA Extension's world-renown Writers' Program, and author of the HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers including The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success (www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor) and its companion booklet, Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy (www.budurl.com/WordTrippersPB) .The former is a USA Book News award-winner as well as the winner of the Reader View's Literary Award and a finalist in the New Generation Book Awards. She is the recipient of both the California Legislature's Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award and is a popular speaker and actor. Her website is http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/
And she blogs about everything from wordiness to style choice at http://www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com/.
February 10, 2011
Kathy Stemke
Encouraging Movement to Music
By Kathy Stemke
All of us have enjoyed dancing around the living room to music when no was looking. These are uninhibited moments in response to music. In fact, moving to the beat of the music is an innate quality found in all human beings. Infants and toddlers bounce to the music without any instruction at all. We need to provide children with a safe environment to explore and learn all they can about how their bodies can move to music.
MUSIC APPRECIATION AND EXPRESSION
Improvising movement to music is a natural way for children to express themselves. This release of emotional tension can help to calm children and improve their mood. Depending on the music, it can invigorate or soothe the emotions. Exposing children to a wide variety of music at an early age will increase their appreciation of music.
Because classical music generally evokes strong emotions you could use Beethoven's "5th Symphony" to inspire anger, or Rimsky-Korsakov's, "The Flight of the Bubble Bee" to inspire excitement.
Making and using simple instruments in exploration of various musical styles will add to the experience. For instance, a homemade drum will add to the fun when moving to Native American music.
INCREASED SELF-ESTEEM
Because there are no wrong reactions in movement exploration, it will build self-esteem. If children hear their name mentioned with an affirming compliment, they will gain the courage to explore even more.
CREATIVITY
Giving children the opportunity to explore and expand their movement vocabulary will increase their creativity. These activities will bring out quick and slow, heavy and light, strong and gentle, as well as tense and relaxed movements. As kids experience different combinations of movement and a variety of themes, their own movement ideas will emerge.
In the "Fastland/Slowland" activity one side of the room is for quick movements and the other side of the room is for slow movements. Children cross over to the other side when they hear a signal like a drum beat or a whistle.
"Abracadabra" is an activity that teaches the difference between heavy and light movements. Kids push an imaginary refrigerator. When you say, "Abracadabra" the refrigerator is suddenly on wheels, or the children stomp through the woods like Tyrannosaurus Rex then turn into a ballet dancer.
FINE AND GROSS MOTOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT
Movement exploration helps develop both fine and gross motor skills. "Move this Way" is an activity that inspires practice in locomotor skills. Prepare a set of large word cards with one action word on each card like walk, skip, gallop, slide, crawl, roll, tiptoe, hop, jump and stomp. Kids move around the room doing the skill on the card in front of them. When they hear a signal they stop at a different card and when signaled again they do the new skill.
In "Paper Plate Balancing" each child balances a plate on part of the body as they move around the room. When it falls off, they balance it on another part of the body.
SOCIALIZATION SKILLS
Even if it is just you and your child dancing to the radio, he/she will learn how to relate to you through movement. If children are working with other kids, they can improve their socialization skills. Group activities require teamwork and leadership skills.
In the "Moving Machine" activity children join the group one at a time and become a machine part that must relate to the rest of the group. It's fun to add a machine sound to each movement. When done, you will have a giant machine with really cool sounds.
COGNITIVE SKILLS
Research shows that movement is the young child's preferred mode of learning-because they best understand concepts when they're physically experienced. For instance, if they become the shape of the letter "C," they will remember it better. The children will increase their awareness of the space around them and the shape of different objects. Participating in movement exploration activities will build their vocabulary and language skills as well. Following the directions will increase their concentration span and listening skills. As their movement vocabulary increases they will develop different ways to solve problems.
This article can only serve as an introduction to this enormous topic. Visit Kathy Stemke's blog and sign up for her free monthly newsletter, Movement and Rhythm at http://educationtipster.blogspot.
Kathy Stemke, a retired teacher and freelance writer, is a contributing editor for The National Writing for Children's Center. She is part of the team at DKV Writing 4U, a writing service that includes ghostwriting, copywriting, editing, proofreading, critiquing, media releases, and much more. Look for DKV's March 2011 special-one article or blog p0st just $10!!
Other Articles: http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html
Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke
Follow on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid...
Follow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285
Moving Through all Seven Days ebook purchase on lulu: http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965#
Trailer
Kathy's next two children's picture books, "Trouble on Earth Day," and "Sh,Sh,Sh Will the Baby Sleep?" will come out in 2011!
Thanks Kathy, I really enjoyed your article.
Martha
By Kathy Stemke
All of us have enjoyed dancing around the living room to music when no was looking. These are uninhibited moments in response to music. In fact, moving to the beat of the music is an innate quality found in all human beings. Infants and toddlers bounce to the music without any instruction at all. We need to provide children with a safe environment to explore and learn all they can about how their bodies can move to music.
MUSIC APPRECIATION AND EXPRESSION
Improvising movement to music is a natural way for children to express themselves. This release of emotional tension can help to calm children and improve their mood. Depending on the music, it can invigorate or soothe the emotions. Exposing children to a wide variety of music at an early age will increase their appreciation of music.
Because classical music generally evokes strong emotions you could use Beethoven's "5th Symphony" to inspire anger, or Rimsky-Korsakov's, "The Flight of the Bubble Bee" to inspire excitement.
Making and using simple instruments in exploration of various musical styles will add to the experience. For instance, a homemade drum will add to the fun when moving to Native American music.
INCREASED SELF-ESTEEM
Because there are no wrong reactions in movement exploration, it will build self-esteem. If children hear their name mentioned with an affirming compliment, they will gain the courage to explore even more.
CREATIVITY
Giving children the opportunity to explore and expand their movement vocabulary will increase their creativity. These activities will bring out quick and slow, heavy and light, strong and gentle, as well as tense and relaxed movements. As kids experience different combinations of movement and a variety of themes, their own movement ideas will emerge.
In the "Fastland/Slowland" activity one side of the room is for quick movements and the other side of the room is for slow movements. Children cross over to the other side when they hear a signal like a drum beat or a whistle.
"Abracadabra" is an activity that teaches the difference between heavy and light movements. Kids push an imaginary refrigerator. When you say, "Abracadabra" the refrigerator is suddenly on wheels, or the children stomp through the woods like Tyrannosaurus Rex then turn into a ballet dancer.
FINE AND GROSS MOTOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT
Movement exploration helps develop both fine and gross motor skills. "Move this Way" is an activity that inspires practice in locomotor skills. Prepare a set of large word cards with one action word on each card like walk, skip, gallop, slide, crawl, roll, tiptoe, hop, jump and stomp. Kids move around the room doing the skill on the card in front of them. When they hear a signal they stop at a different card and when signaled again they do the new skill.
In "Paper Plate Balancing" each child balances a plate on part of the body as they move around the room. When it falls off, they balance it on another part of the body.
SOCIALIZATION SKILLS
Even if it is just you and your child dancing to the radio, he/she will learn how to relate to you through movement. If children are working with other kids, they can improve their socialization skills. Group activities require teamwork and leadership skills.
In the "Moving Machine" activity children join the group one at a time and become a machine part that must relate to the rest of the group. It's fun to add a machine sound to each movement. When done, you will have a giant machine with really cool sounds.
COGNITIVE SKILLS
Research shows that movement is the young child's preferred mode of learning-because they best understand concepts when they're physically experienced. For instance, if they become the shape of the letter "C," they will remember it better. The children will increase their awareness of the space around them and the shape of different objects. Participating in movement exploration activities will build their vocabulary and language skills as well. Following the directions will increase their concentration span and listening skills. As their movement vocabulary increases they will develop different ways to solve problems.
This article can only serve as an introduction to this enormous topic. Visit Kathy Stemke's blog and sign up for her free monthly newsletter, Movement and Rhythm at http://educationtipster.blogspot.
Kathy Stemke, a retired teacher and freelance writer, is a contributing editor for The National Writing for Children's Center. She is part of the team at DKV Writing 4U, a writing service that includes ghostwriting, copywriting, editing, proofreading, critiquing, media releases, and much more. Look for DKV's March 2011 special-one article or blog p0st just $10!!
Other Articles: http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html
Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke
Follow on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid...
Follow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285
Moving Through all Seven Days ebook purchase on lulu: http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965#
Trailer
Kathy's next two children's picture books, "Trouble on Earth Day," and "Sh,Sh,Sh Will the Baby Sleep?" will come out in 2011!
Thanks Kathy, I really enjoyed your article.
Martha
November 12, 2010
A Moment with Marvin Wilson
Marvin D. Wilson has a widely varied and rich life experience background - from Hippie Rock and Roll musician, to nightclub entertainer, to Zen Buddhist minister, to carpenter, to small business owner, to network marketer, to sales and sales training, to skilled trades instructor and adult education teacher, to public speaker and motivational coach, to now in his chosen "golden years" career, a writer and multi-published author with the self-proclaimed, "audacity to write novels". Wilson describes his spiritual path as one who is a non-religious, dogma-free, maverick spiritualist Christian, with a strong bent toward Zen, Taoism, and the Law of Attraction, and who believes in the Oneness of all creation and all paths leading to re-awakening to the One. He is a family man with three grown children and six grandchildren, and works with his son and oldest daughter in their organic compost and vegetable farming business when not writing, traveling, and marketing his books.
Marvin writes primarily in the spiritual/inspirational genre, but likes to pen "cross-over" novels that appeal to a wide variety of readers. His books are uplifting, sometimes weighty, oftentimes humorous, abidingly thought-provoking, meant to instill and create passion and emotion, more than occasionally provocative to the point of controversial, and always "tell it like it is", real world, no punches pulled writing. He likes to deliver spiritual messages in a non-preachy, often irreverent, sometimes sexy and ribald way, through the medium of an entertaining story.
Marvin D. Wilson is the author of three published books, I Romanced the Stone (Memoirs of a Recovering Hippie), Owen Fiddler, and Between the Storm and the Rainbow. Owen Fiddler has been awarded the prestigious AVATAR award for excellence in spiritual books. Wilson has had articles published in several Ezines, and has been interviewed on hundreds of blogs, radio and TV shows, both over the internet and on the airwaves. A prolific blogger, his internationally popular blog, Free Spirit, was voted first place in the 2008 Book Blogger Appreciation Week award contest, in the Christian/Inspirational Fiction category. His other blog, Tie Dyed Tirades, is also growing in global popularity.
BEWARE the DEVIL'S HUG
What if a homeless, smelly, ugly, unkempt old man had a hug so powerful it could cure cancer? Cause a prostitute to stop hooking and seek true love? Shake the demons of addiction free from a junkie? Make a radical terrorist Muslim want to befriend and love a Christian and visa versa? But rare is the beneficiary of his divine embrace â€" nobody wants to come near him out of fear.Beware the Devil's Hug is available on amazon.com at:
http://tinyurl.com/2uauetr
and also directly from the publisher, All Things That Matter Press, at:
https://www.createspace.com/3478953
To view the book trailer, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3KIe8QxZms
Marvin D Wilson is an editor with All Things That Matter Press and also does freelance editing.
Avatar Award Winning Author of Owen Fiddler, and Beware the Devil's Hug
Blog at: http://theoldsilly.com/
Facebook at: http://tinyurl.com/mh6kwq
Tweet me at: http://twitter.com/Paize_Fiddler
Check out tomorrow's interview by Heidi Thomas. She'll be speaking with talented author Maggie Ball
http://heidiwriter.wordpress.com/
October 12, 2010
Kari Wolfe
Please welcome Kari Wolfe.
She is a writer and a blogger at Imperfect Clarity (http://www.imperfectclarity.net) in whatever time is left over from being a stay-at-home-mom to a very precocious and energetic three-year old. She blogs on a number of topics including writing, book reviews, interviews, and setting and meeting goals.
Currently, she is on a mission: to combine fiction writing articles with and articles on how she's trying to live her life to the fullest and she's going to bring you on that journey with her through her blog.
Who are you?
I am an amateur, a wannabe, a talker. I can talk it up and shoot the sh!t with the best of them, but when it's all said and done, I am a fake.
But at least I'll admit it. A lot of people won't admit it for many reasons: they're afraid of what people will think, afraid of what people will say, afraid of what they will do. They're afraid of what they themselves have to do to be what they've said they want to be.
They've spent so much time building their house of cards--now they spend it being afraid of what's going to happen when the cards fall.
Admitting I have this problem has been such a relief to me. I don't have to hide behind what I've told people I am. I can admit--to you as well as myself--I have areas of my life I need to focus on and to work on. This leaves me free to write whatever I want to write, whether it's for publication or myself.
I'm going on the journey of my life--to be the best "me" I can be.
Why should I care?
My own goal is to be the best that I can be. My own desire with Imperfect Clarity is that like-minded people would join me on my journey--people who want to grow, change and achieve things they've wanted to do for a long time.
It's all about your mindset. Currently, I have an amateur mindset. Through my blog, my books and my writing practice, I am going to change that.
My goal is to become more professional in my daily work and personal life. I'll tell you what I'm doing and working on; you can tell me what you're doing and working on--it'll be a blast. A conversation.
What do I get out of this?
If you're a beginning or an "intermediate" writer, you'll get love and support from someone in your same basic boat. You and I can work together to nourish ourselves.
As a published or an established writer, you can come cheer us on and share your own knowledge of how this all works.
I hope ulitimately I provide you with inspiration to go out and to do your own thing, be it writing, dancing, running marathons, computer programming, teaching, or simply sitting back, enjoying what you have and working toward what you want out of your life.
I hope you'll join me on my journey.
What are your current projects?
Currently I am working on an ebook titled "The Art of Procrastination: A Writer's Guide," a weeklong course for the 2010 Muse Online Conference called "Write Like the Masters," and a novel tentatively titled, "The House."
"The Art of Procrastination: A Writer's Guide" and "Write Like the Masters" will be offered for free on my website once they are finished. I'm hoping "The Art of Procrastination" will be finished in early June and, of course, "Write Like the Masters" will not be available until after the 2010 Muse Conference. You can read more about the class at http://www.imperfectclarity.net/?page... and sign up for the conference at http://www.Themuseonlinewritersconfer...
I'm also excited to be guest posting for another blog twice a month. Not gonna say which blog, only that it's one I've been watching for a while. I'm rather excited about it and if you keep an eye on my website--well, I'll definitely have it linked!
You mentioned a novel?
My novel, "The House," is about memories and learning to forgive yourself for things you have done in the past. I mean, to REALLY forgive yourself. As time goes on, it's easy to leave the past behind you, but we need to learn from our mistakes, forgive ourselves and then move on with the knowledge that our past has taught us.
This is something I am working on in my own life. My past hasn't been pretty and it's HARD to forgive yourself for mistakes you've made that hurt other people.
I'm getting ready to set and announce deadlines on my blog as to what I'm ready to dedicate myself to. st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }Tell us a little bit about your background.
Well, I'm originally from Huntington, West Virginia, and currently live in Colorado Springs, CO. Before moving to Colorado, I received my bachelor's degree in science, majoring in physics and mathematics from Marshall University in my home town.
It's always been my dream to write. And, by dream, I mean I have written my entire life but always have been told that I should do something else.
That and I've had setbacks, mostly in school.
During middle school, I wrote erotica—not the most appropriate topic for a pre-teen—and my writing was confiscated by the guidance counselor who pulled me into her office for a good talking to. I don't remember what she said but I remember the embarrassment I felt. I don't write erotica anymore.
In high school, I co-wrote a book with my best friend, Mikie—my character would flirt with his character, his character would tell mine no and that we were just really good friends, etc. So on and so forth.
As an adult, I kept a journal that was used against me by an ex-boyfriend who threw anything negative I wrote about him in my face. Same guy who would take me to a secluded spot, make me feel guilty for whatever he was upset at me about and once I cried, he'd take me home.
When I married my husband, it took me a while to finally realize that I was safe. If I didn't want anyone to read my writing—regardless of what it was—no one would. He wouldn't go through what I'd written without my permission. I participated in NaNoWriMo in 2008 and, with his encouragement, I won.
For my blog, Imperfect Clarity, I've interviewed some awesome people: Seth Godin, Peter Straub, Conrad Williams, Christopher Moore, Les Edgerton and more.
Tell us about your current book. Give a short summary and also how you got the idea for this book.
Realizing there is more than to life than observation, a voyeur kidnaps a struggling stay-at-home mother and her children only to fight the trapped evil spirit of the house they are hiding in through his possessed partner-in-crime.
For this work, I combined several different ideas.
First, the newest Tool album has a song called "Vicarious" about how some people watch the news and the worse the news is, the better they like it. The idea is they are "living vicariously through the eyes of others," a phrase criminologist Jack Levin used in a personal conversation with me about why people are so fascinated with the idea of serial killers. The song reminded me of our conversation which gave me Jake, the story's protagonist.
Second, I wanted to try my hand at a novel about a haunted house. Easy as that. As to what the house actually does… I took a subject I was interested in, memory, and started asking myself questions about what I could do with that subject.
Last, the overall theme of the story is forgiveness of self. It probably took longer to come up with the overall theme than anything else. Plotting out the book's main points and what I definitely wanted to have happen helped a lot in discovering this.
What is a typical writing day like for you?
I have a three-year-old daughter who is autistic, so in some ways, I really don't feel like I ever have a typical day. On Monday and Wednesdays, she goes to preschool and, after my own physical therapy, I have an hour before picking her up. Tuesdays and Thursdays, we have hippotherapy and speech therapy.
Fortunately she takes a nap most afternoons—or, at least, I've instituted a rule of quiet time where she plays in her room. This is when I do most of my writing.
After Natasha goes to bed, I have some time available then, but I use it for reading and relaxing mostly. My husband is home, so it's more difficult for me to concentrate on writing fiction.
What do you enjoy most about writing?
I love to talk. You can ask my husband ;)
Seriously, I love to create. I love to come up with an idea and to work it out on the page. Recently, I've been inundated with new ideas and I keep jotting them down. Hopefully one day I'll be able to get to them all! J
What is the most difficult part of writing?
Sometimes it's just DOING it. I freewrite, to get my hands flowing across the keyboard and to kickstart my brain.
Sometimes it's just time—there are days I have no energy to focus on fiction and I only focus on nonfiction, blog entries, that type of thing.
And sometimes it's focusing on the here and now. Daydreaming about having your books in bookstores and name on the publishing lists is great—but you have to do the work first.
Do you have a website? Yes, Imperfect Clarity at http://www.imperfectclarity.net/
From the About Me page: (http://www.imperfectclarity.net/?page_id=4)Imperfect Clarity is a detailed look at the thought processes of a fiction writer trying to improve her life and become successful by living her life to the fullest.The idea here is to combine fiction writing articles with my own fiction and articles on how I'm trying to live my life to the fullest that I can. I am learning how to do this not only from different websites I have found talking about motivation but also by actually DOING these things I talk about.I'm in the process of branding it and hopefully will be able to institute those changes within the next month. I'm really excited about it.
You can sign up to receive Imperfect Clarity both through email (http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=ImperfectClarity&loc=en_US) as well as through your favorite RSS reader (http://feeds.feedburner.com/ImperfectClarity).
What are you working on right now?
Including The House (my fictional work-in-progress), I am currently working on a four or five-post series for my blog about resistance and procrastination. I have several nonfiction ebooks in the works as well as a guest posting position.
Kari, Thank you so much for stopping by. What a pleasure to get to know you better.
Stephen Tremp will be featured on http://heidiwriter.wordpress.com/ tomorrow (10-14-10)
Make sure to stop by and find out what he has been up to.
She is a writer and a blogger at Imperfect Clarity (http://www.imperfectclarity.net) in whatever time is left over from being a stay-at-home-mom to a very precocious and energetic three-year old. She blogs on a number of topics including writing, book reviews, interviews, and setting and meeting goals.
Currently, she is on a mission: to combine fiction writing articles with and articles on how she's trying to live her life to the fullest and she's going to bring you on that journey with her through her blog.
Who are you?
I am an amateur, a wannabe, a talker. I can talk it up and shoot the sh!t with the best of them, but when it's all said and done, I am a fake.
But at least I'll admit it. A lot of people won't admit it for many reasons: they're afraid of what people will think, afraid of what people will say, afraid of what they will do. They're afraid of what they themselves have to do to be what they've said they want to be.
They've spent so much time building their house of cards--now they spend it being afraid of what's going to happen when the cards fall.
Admitting I have this problem has been such a relief to me. I don't have to hide behind what I've told people I am. I can admit--to you as well as myself--I have areas of my life I need to focus on and to work on. This leaves me free to write whatever I want to write, whether it's for publication or myself.
I'm going on the journey of my life--to be the best "me" I can be.
Why should I care?
My own goal is to be the best that I can be. My own desire with Imperfect Clarity is that like-minded people would join me on my journey--people who want to grow, change and achieve things they've wanted to do for a long time.
It's all about your mindset. Currently, I have an amateur mindset. Through my blog, my books and my writing practice, I am going to change that.
My goal is to become more professional in my daily work and personal life. I'll tell you what I'm doing and working on; you can tell me what you're doing and working on--it'll be a blast. A conversation.
What do I get out of this?
If you're a beginning or an "intermediate" writer, you'll get love and support from someone in your same basic boat. You and I can work together to nourish ourselves.
As a published or an established writer, you can come cheer us on and share your own knowledge of how this all works.
I hope ulitimately I provide you with inspiration to go out and to do your own thing, be it writing, dancing, running marathons, computer programming, teaching, or simply sitting back, enjoying what you have and working toward what you want out of your life.
I hope you'll join me on my journey.
What are your current projects?
Currently I am working on an ebook titled "The Art of Procrastination: A Writer's Guide," a weeklong course for the 2010 Muse Online Conference called "Write Like the Masters," and a novel tentatively titled, "The House."
"The Art of Procrastination: A Writer's Guide" and "Write Like the Masters" will be offered for free on my website once they are finished. I'm hoping "The Art of Procrastination" will be finished in early June and, of course, "Write Like the Masters" will not be available until after the 2010 Muse Conference. You can read more about the class at http://www.imperfectclarity.net/?page... and sign up for the conference at http://www.Themuseonlinewritersconfer...
I'm also excited to be guest posting for another blog twice a month. Not gonna say which blog, only that it's one I've been watching for a while. I'm rather excited about it and if you keep an eye on my website--well, I'll definitely have it linked!
You mentioned a novel?
My novel, "The House," is about memories and learning to forgive yourself for things you have done in the past. I mean, to REALLY forgive yourself. As time goes on, it's easy to leave the past behind you, but we need to learn from our mistakes, forgive ourselves and then move on with the knowledge that our past has taught us.
This is something I am working on in my own life. My past hasn't been pretty and it's HARD to forgive yourself for mistakes you've made that hurt other people.
I'm getting ready to set and announce deadlines on my blog as to what I'm ready to dedicate myself to. st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }Tell us a little bit about your background.
Well, I'm originally from Huntington, West Virginia, and currently live in Colorado Springs, CO. Before moving to Colorado, I received my bachelor's degree in science, majoring in physics and mathematics from Marshall University in my home town.
It's always been my dream to write. And, by dream, I mean I have written my entire life but always have been told that I should do something else.
That and I've had setbacks, mostly in school.
During middle school, I wrote erotica—not the most appropriate topic for a pre-teen—and my writing was confiscated by the guidance counselor who pulled me into her office for a good talking to. I don't remember what she said but I remember the embarrassment I felt. I don't write erotica anymore.
In high school, I co-wrote a book with my best friend, Mikie—my character would flirt with his character, his character would tell mine no and that we were just really good friends, etc. So on and so forth.
As an adult, I kept a journal that was used against me by an ex-boyfriend who threw anything negative I wrote about him in my face. Same guy who would take me to a secluded spot, make me feel guilty for whatever he was upset at me about and once I cried, he'd take me home.
When I married my husband, it took me a while to finally realize that I was safe. If I didn't want anyone to read my writing—regardless of what it was—no one would. He wouldn't go through what I'd written without my permission. I participated in NaNoWriMo in 2008 and, with his encouragement, I won.
For my blog, Imperfect Clarity, I've interviewed some awesome people: Seth Godin, Peter Straub, Conrad Williams, Christopher Moore, Les Edgerton and more.
Tell us about your current book. Give a short summary and also how you got the idea for this book.
Realizing there is more than to life than observation, a voyeur kidnaps a struggling stay-at-home mother and her children only to fight the trapped evil spirit of the house they are hiding in through his possessed partner-in-crime.
For this work, I combined several different ideas.
First, the newest Tool album has a song called "Vicarious" about how some people watch the news and the worse the news is, the better they like it. The idea is they are "living vicariously through the eyes of others," a phrase criminologist Jack Levin used in a personal conversation with me about why people are so fascinated with the idea of serial killers. The song reminded me of our conversation which gave me Jake, the story's protagonist.
Second, I wanted to try my hand at a novel about a haunted house. Easy as that. As to what the house actually does… I took a subject I was interested in, memory, and started asking myself questions about what I could do with that subject.
Last, the overall theme of the story is forgiveness of self. It probably took longer to come up with the overall theme than anything else. Plotting out the book's main points and what I definitely wanted to have happen helped a lot in discovering this.
What is a typical writing day like for you?
I have a three-year-old daughter who is autistic, so in some ways, I really don't feel like I ever have a typical day. On Monday and Wednesdays, she goes to preschool and, after my own physical therapy, I have an hour before picking her up. Tuesdays and Thursdays, we have hippotherapy and speech therapy.
Fortunately she takes a nap most afternoons—or, at least, I've instituted a rule of quiet time where she plays in her room. This is when I do most of my writing.
After Natasha goes to bed, I have some time available then, but I use it for reading and relaxing mostly. My husband is home, so it's more difficult for me to concentrate on writing fiction.
What do you enjoy most about writing?
I love to talk. You can ask my husband ;)
Seriously, I love to create. I love to come up with an idea and to work it out on the page. Recently, I've been inundated with new ideas and I keep jotting them down. Hopefully one day I'll be able to get to them all! J
What is the most difficult part of writing?
Sometimes it's just DOING it. I freewrite, to get my hands flowing across the keyboard and to kickstart my brain.
Sometimes it's just time—there are days I have no energy to focus on fiction and I only focus on nonfiction, blog entries, that type of thing.
And sometimes it's focusing on the here and now. Daydreaming about having your books in bookstores and name on the publishing lists is great—but you have to do the work first.
Do you have a website? Yes, Imperfect Clarity at http://www.imperfectclarity.net/
From the About Me page: (http://www.imperfectclarity.net/?page_id=4)Imperfect Clarity is a detailed look at the thought processes of a fiction writer trying to improve her life and become successful by living her life to the fullest.The idea here is to combine fiction writing articles with my own fiction and articles on how I'm trying to live my life to the fullest that I can. I am learning how to do this not only from different websites I have found talking about motivation but also by actually DOING these things I talk about.I'm in the process of branding it and hopefully will be able to institute those changes within the next month. I'm really excited about it.
You can sign up to receive Imperfect Clarity both through email (http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=ImperfectClarity&loc=en_US) as well as through your favorite RSS reader (http://feeds.feedburner.com/ImperfectClarity).
What are you working on right now?
Including The House (my fictional work-in-progress), I am currently working on a four or five-post series for my blog about resistance and procrastination. I have several nonfiction ebooks in the works as well as a guest posting position.
Kari, Thank you so much for stopping by. What a pleasure to get to know you better.
Stephen Tremp will be featured on http://heidiwriter.wordpress.com/ tomorrow (10-14-10)
Make sure to stop by and find out what he has been up to.
September 12, 2010
Spotlight on Stephen Tremp
It is my pleasure to welcome Stephen Tremp to my blog.Stephen has a B.A. in information systems and an MBA degree in global management. He is currently completing his doctorate program in business administration.
Stephen spent over ten years in consumer finance for some of the largest companies in the industry, holding numerous management positions. After many years of writing short stories and poems, Stephen has taken the last two years to fulfill his lifelong passion: write and publis...
June 12, 2010
How to Combine Writing with Parenting by Magdalena Ball
"Mommy…mommy!"
"Darling, please be quiet, mommy's trying to compose a sentence."
Yeah, right. Try waving a red flag to a bull and asking it not to charge. Combining parenting with writing is probably no more difficult than combining parenting with any job, except that writing doesn't usually come with a flash/separate office and childcare initiatives, and can often be put aside when something urgent calls. As a parent, something urgent is always calling. It's easy to try and do it all—support ...
