I left high school with the big dream. I had it all planned out…what is that mousy saying about the best laid plans of mice and men? Life took over more than rejection getting me down. I wrote poetry, planned novels, but jumped into an administrative career at the same time right after marriage.
Ladies, I don’t regret marriage and that certainly wasn’t the reason for putting dreams on hold, you still have to make a living. He was the one that actually didn’t want me to go to work and wanted me to follow my dreams. It is hard to follow your dreams when you have a practical bent to how you look at life. I wanted to be self sufficient.
He was always supportive and encouraged me to take some adult classes I was interested in on writing for children. I learned a lot, except writing discipline and submission discipline. People, stories don’t get published stored on the floppy, diskette, or hard drive (shhh, it is not polite to ask a lady her age). Then kids came, screeching halt.
Tick, tock, tick, tock…years go by.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Live and Write
Here is a short pep talk on writing from one of the masters, Ray Bradbury, who was addressing would-be writers. I think the message is short and simple. Live and write, don't overthink. Really, many would be amazed at how simple it is to sit down without a plan and just write. There could be a muse around every corner when you are not looking. Never mind that right now...let's hear a few words from Ray Bradbury.
An Irish Poet - Thomas Moore
Did I tell you I am Irish? Or maybe you guessed when I referenced being related to the great fighter Bob Fitzsimmons. Although his family moved about and I don’t recall that he was actually born in Ireland.
At Writely Applied I’ve been celebrating the 200th Birthday of Poe. It started off with a month of Poe topics in January and then to honor him for the remainder of the year, the 19th of each month is set aside for a Poe Post. This month we featured a POEm, “Evening Star” by Edgar Allan Poe that was influenced by Thomas Moore’s “While Gazing on the Moon’s Light.
Being a lover of poetry I pulled out an old edition of the works of Thomas Moore (another library sale…going way back). I came across the poem, “I Saw From the Beach” and thought if way too lovely to hide in the book so I’m sharing with you.
I Saw From the Beach
Thomas Moore
I saw from the beach, when the morning was shining,
A bark o'er the waters move gloriously on;
I came when the sun o'er that beach was declining --
The bark was still there, but the waters were gone!
And such is the fate of life's early promise,
So passing the spring-tide of joy we have known:
Each wave that we danc'd on at morning, ebbs from us,
And leaves us, at eve, on the bleak shore alone!
Ne'er tell me of glories serenely adorning
The close of our day, the calm eve of our night;
Give me back, give me back the wild freshness of Morning,
Her clouds and her tears are worth Evening's best light.
Oh, who would not welcome that moment's returning,
When passion first wak'd a new life through his frame;
And his soul, like the wood that grows precious in burning,
Gave out all its sweets to love's exquisite flame!
At Writely Applied I’ve been celebrating the 200th Birthday of Poe. It started off with a month of Poe topics in January and then to honor him for the remainder of the year, the 19th of each month is set aside for a Poe Post. This month we featured a POEm, “Evening Star” by Edgar Allan Poe that was influenced by Thomas Moore’s “While Gazing on the Moon’s Light.
Being a lover of poetry I pulled out an old edition of the works of Thomas Moore (another library sale…going way back). I came across the poem, “I Saw From the Beach” and thought if way too lovely to hide in the book so I’m sharing with you.
I Saw From the Beach
Thomas Moore
I saw from the beach, when the morning was shining,
A bark o'er the waters move gloriously on;
I came when the sun o'er that beach was declining --
The bark was still there, but the waters were gone!
And such is the fate of life's early promise,
So passing the spring-tide of joy we have known:
Each wave that we danc'd on at morning, ebbs from us,
And leaves us, at eve, on the bleak shore alone!
Ne'er tell me of glories serenely adorning
The close of our day, the calm eve of our night;
Give me back, give me back the wild freshness of Morning,
Her clouds and her tears are worth Evening's best light.
Oh, who would not welcome that moment's returning,
When passion first wak'd a new life through his frame;
And his soul, like the wood that grows precious in burning,
Gave out all its sweets to love's exquisite flame!
Friday, March 20, 2009
My Creative Writing Story
No, this isn’t where I tell you my fiction tales…not a bad idea to keep in mind for later though. No, this is where I remember how it all began. A 5th grade poetry assignment that was chosen for the elementary school newsletter. I can almost remember the entire poem... weather, weather, hot and cold, how it works is never told…and a few more lines that I vaguely remember. Not very scientifically sound for my 5th grade mind but man I could rhyme.
That was it. I was bitten by the writing bug. I was a poet, a writer, a dreamer extraordinaire (I did say Penned in Vain; today I mean that kind of vain…). Hey I was a fifth grader, what did I know? Six lines of rhyme made me a writer.
It didn’t stop there. My life was stories, poetry, essays (not written class reports, no, girlfriend wrote essays). And I even had a stint as a sports journalist in middle school and high school. Bum knees had me relegated to sports reporting on all gym class activities until I broke free and wrote on boxing (and my so many greats removed I forget how many) and my very great uncle Bob Fitzsimmons, and then on to baseball. Before we go much further it was NY Yankee fan.
Yes I wrote lots of baseball and my teachers could not tell which team I favored because I was an original fair and balanced reporter. Even when I wrote about the last great Yankee and Dodger match up in the 80’s my teacher had to ask which team…she couldn’t tell. All my baseball writings are saved with my important papers in the basement closet. Maybe I’ll publish them here for fun if I can dig them up. Even though you know it is from a Yankee fan.
Don’t worry; there were literature topics I covered. How about Emerson and Poe? Set writing aside, let’s talk reading. I loved the classics. I only just purchased a copy of a collection of medieval literature which included Beowulf at a library book sale not too long ago. Yes I did, and I read Beowulf through twice immediately. Poe, I read so much Poe and worked a teacher over for a great grade on the dark author that I’m in my element during this 200th Edgar Allan Poe Birthday Centennial.
Enough about me, share, share, share! Please, how did you start writing, was it a book, or your own poem? Music or song? Where’d you get your writing bug?
That was it. I was bitten by the writing bug. I was a poet, a writer, a dreamer extraordinaire (I did say Penned in Vain; today I mean that kind of vain…). Hey I was a fifth grader, what did I know? Six lines of rhyme made me a writer.
It didn’t stop there. My life was stories, poetry, essays (not written class reports, no, girlfriend wrote essays). And I even had a stint as a sports journalist in middle school and high school. Bum knees had me relegated to sports reporting on all gym class activities until I broke free and wrote on boxing (and my so many greats removed I forget how many) and my very great uncle Bob Fitzsimmons, and then on to baseball. Before we go much further it was NY Yankee fan.
Yes I wrote lots of baseball and my teachers could not tell which team I favored because I was an original fair and balanced reporter. Even when I wrote about the last great Yankee and Dodger match up in the 80’s my teacher had to ask which team…she couldn’t tell. All my baseball writings are saved with my important papers in the basement closet. Maybe I’ll publish them here for fun if I can dig them up. Even though you know it is from a Yankee fan.
Don’t worry; there were literature topics I covered. How about Emerson and Poe? Set writing aside, let’s talk reading. I loved the classics. I only just purchased a copy of a collection of medieval literature which included Beowulf at a library book sale not too long ago. Yes I did, and I read Beowulf through twice immediately. Poe, I read so much Poe and worked a teacher over for a great grade on the dark author that I’m in my element during this 200th Edgar Allan Poe Birthday Centennial.
Enough about me, share, share, share! Please, how did you start writing, was it a book, or your own poem? Music or song? Where’d you get your writing bug?
Welcome to Penned In Vain
Welcome to Penned In Vain, a Writely Applied blog. What is Penned In Vain exactly? Well it can be many things from my very own vanity press to my pouting place where I can wonder at my near successes or failures...depending of course on my propensity to optimism or pessimism on any given day.
Don’t worry. My glass is usually on the full side and if it isn’t, well there’s only one thing to do about that, fill it baby! I’m really not much of a pouter any more. I can’t say if that is from becoming a wife, a mom, or child of God. Whatever the reason, I’m proud to say I’m forever trying to be a doer, even if I’m taken on more than I can do, at least I’m trying, although minimalism should not be underrated…we have to know our limitations, know when to say no.
Penned In Vain is my off the cuff blog on my writing experiences, my various projects or put plainly in my terms as a writer, my dreamscape. It is the livelier side of Writely Applied, a well proportioned mix of my inspirational writing blog and my BigShoes blog. This writer has found yet another new voice. But more about me later…really, I promise. For now, tell me who you are. What have you penned lately? Have you penned it in vain?
Don’t worry. My glass is usually on the full side and if it isn’t, well there’s only one thing to do about that, fill it baby! I’m really not much of a pouter any more. I can’t say if that is from becoming a wife, a mom, or child of God. Whatever the reason, I’m proud to say I’m forever trying to be a doer, even if I’m taken on more than I can do, at least I’m trying, although minimalism should not be underrated…we have to know our limitations, know when to say no.
Penned In Vain is my off the cuff blog on my writing experiences, my various projects or put plainly in my terms as a writer, my dreamscape. It is the livelier side of Writely Applied, a well proportioned mix of my inspirational writing blog and my BigShoes blog. This writer has found yet another new voice. But more about me later…really, I promise. For now, tell me who you are. What have you penned lately? Have you penned it in vain?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
