A Net in Time

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Finding the “ah ha!” Moment

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You know when you are reading a poem and you hit a line in the poem that makes you go “ah ha!”?  You find a line that causes you to see the entire point of the poem or line of thought the author is trying to convey?   It’s like a touch of magic, is it not?  Stay tuned for free worksheet attached.

Boy looking surprised, needing to find the Ah ha moment in poetry

When you are writing, don’t forget to look for that line, the line that causes you as the author listening to your own poem to go “AH HA!”.

What causes that moment?

  • sensory detail that surprises the reader
  • a lingering note, a sound that rings
  • an odour that brings a memory
  • a change in the structure of the poem
  • a detail described in an unexpected manner
  • the unexpected that cements a thought

But how does one prepare for the unexpected as an author?   How can you build that into your verse? Can it be learned like how one used adjectives or adverbs better?  How can you find those moments (which can be different for individuals) that turn the light on in a poem?

You prepare by reading verse looking for what hits you emotionally, surprises you making you say “NO!”, changes the way you think, gives a picture you won’t soon forget and/or rings true in your heart.  Look for it, and in that looking, you’ll learn how to write it. Or if not HOW to write it, to at least be willing, to take risks in your art, to experiment with a new style of writing, and to be willing to even surprise yourself.

Don’t force it… just read, and write, and practice.   Bring out your own true thoughts and play around with how you put them on paper. have your moments be so real, so poignant that the memories linger in the minds of your readers. Write your words down, re-read them, bring out the emotion and paint your pictures, and let the surprise and wonder and lingering memories happen. 

Other writing posts can be found here.  The photo courtesy of  Ben White on Unsplash.

To practice this skill I’ve put together a worksheet that you might find useful.

 

Paint by Sticker with free printable

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Saturday night I came home later than I had planned from a homeschool conference, completed the chores I needed to and than sat down tired.  My mind was racing and I felt unsettled.  Watching TV with the boys as they played their computer game was relaxing me so I thought I would pull out my Paint by Sticker book and do a page.   I don’t think I’ve shared this book with you before so let me walk you through it.   Do stay tuned to my ArtWork Notebooking Page at the close of this post.

Paint by Stickers, my reviewThe page I did took me about 30-45 to complete and I have to admit I was TIRED, I wasn’t focused on perfection, I was focused on getting my mind to settle so that I’d be able to get to bed and sleep.  🙂   So the page I did isn’t perfect, but it completed that task I had…the fiddling with stickers, looking for numbers, settled my brain down wonderfully. I think it’s one of the reasons I like colouring, it gives my brain something fiddly to work with that helps it to shut off all the extraneous, and at the end of it I can see I’ve accomplished something.   This Paint by Stickers book does the same thing, but leaves me not having to worry about getting colours right. 

Paint by Sticker gives me 12 different pieces of artwork to complete. What the artwork is, is listed in the table of contents.  This book contains such as the Creation of Adam, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Dance as well as others.  The one I am showing you today is called “House of Parliament, Sunlight Effect” by Claude Monet.  

I admittedly didn’t take a picture of the uncompleted work, so I’m showing you a different page.  🙂  You’ll bear with me right?  The spaces have an alpha-numeric combination. 

Paint by Sticker
The instructions in the beginning of the book tell you to be careful about putting the stickers on, and advise using a tweezer.  I learned that if you don’t stick the pieces on firmly you can do some replacing, but once it is stuck, it’s stuck.   AND if you apply too much pressure it’s too bad, so sad.  Ergo, if you want it to come out just so… take your time, have good lighting, be finicky about your placement.  

Paint by StickerIt’s easy to know which page of stickers you need to use.   Each sticker page has a picture of the completed art work in the top right corner. 

AND each sticker page is perforated so they rip out easily making it super easy to complete each page. And they do… sometimes perforated pages don’t rip out smoothly or easily, these do.   So much better than flipping back and forth in a book trying to reach small stickers.

Paint by StickerYou may have noticed on the page above the stickers are divided into colour coded sections.   This makes it easier to find the sticker that you need to use. I found the colour coded divisions added a bright spot, so helpful and so much nicer than a plain white background eh!  🙂

Paint by StickerMy thought when I started out was that I would start on one side and work my way across but as I worked I changed my mind.  I then started picking out the biggest pieces and fitting them in, I saved the smallest pieces for the end.   You can make your creation in whatever way you want to!

MOST of the stickers I managed to get well.  I was able to reposition three or four of them, one I bungled badly.   But my son said “It looks good mom!”

Paint by StickerYou can probably see the darker purple one in the middle that I messed up with.  I’m thinking if I wanted to I could take a purple pencil crayon and fill in those white lines, but from a distance the lad tells me it looks great and I should just leave things be.  🙂

I did learn that the stickers are definitely not oriented to the page.  I frequently had to turn the sticker around to find the right orientation.   Make sure that you don’t just slap the stickers down.  Take your time and turn them around so you get the sticker on the correct way. 

All in all this was an excellent way to relax without having to fuss about with crayons, paper or markers.   No big colour decisions to make, just a look, sort, place and be finished with a decent looking piece of art.  I urge you, if you like colouring books, to give the paint by sticker books a look.  I know I’ll be looking for more of them (hopefully on sale like this one was).  🙂

Just so you know, some of the art work is more involved and requires two pages of stickers to complete.   All carefully labelled so you know what goes where.  Go on… create a masterpiece… One sticker at a time. 🙂

Paint by Sticker
I was thinking about how this book would be so handy to do with a homeschooling unit. Can’t you just see working with your students/children as you talk about this work that the artist did, and then take small breaks to see other works by the same artist. You could easily pull in history, geography, science and more. Reading to your children fascinating tidbits as they keep their hands and eyes busy recreating works of art!

Click on the image below to download my ArtWork Notebooking Page.

artwork notebooking page

The Value of a Media Kit

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If you are a blogger I have this question to ask you.  Now that you have your disclaimer written, how do you promote your blog?  Are you blogging as a business? Do people know the value of contacting you?  How will you answer people when they contact you wanting you to add a link to their blog on your site?

The value of a media kit for bloggers

I know I’ve had this a lot over just this past week, and I had a friend asking me how to deal with such people. It brought to mind the need for a media kit.   Of course, you may be asking yourself, like I did, when I first came across this term in relation to blogging.  What is a media kit?  And what is the value in having one?

What is a Media Kit?

A media kit is a document containing information about your business, product or event. You put them on your blog to give businesses a reason to pay you to promote their material (as long as it fits within your niche).  It’s basically a customer orientation into who you are and what you are all about.  Gives you a place to put your stats in, showcase your talents, and to give people a reason to contact you in a meaningful way. Blogger media kits also typically list  prices for the services you offer and how people might collaborate with you.  Here are some samples to help..

Why do you need one?

There are several reasons to have a media kit for your blog.

  1. Shows you are serious about your blog.
  2. A polished, well thought out, professional media  kit can lead to better brand collaboration which means more money in your pocket.   Also work that is more exciting.
  3. It showcases that work that you do.
  4. It gives you something that you can give to people who reach out to you for promotion.  It makes you look more professional in your response.
  5. Having a media kit gives you something to show businesses that you do want to work for.
  6. It is something you can print off and take with you to conferences and get togethers.
  7. You can have two different media kits…one that is longer and more comprehensive, and one that is basically a one page short form that touches on the basics.

How does one put one together?

Figure out what your blog is truly about.  What do you really like to write about?  How can you best describe yourself and your blog.   A media kit is an chance for you to show off the best of your blog: your personality, your style, and what makes your blog unique.  It’s a selling point, so sell yourself!  🙂

What do you need?

Images:

Oh, you do want to use your images well.  Consider the need for the following. 

  1. A photo of yourself.  A good one. Smile, make yourself look nice.  
  2. Your blog logo.  Preferably one you can print (remember how you can use a short form one as something to pass out at conferences?)
  3. Photos from your blog.  Make them the best photos you have.  Showcase your skills and abilities.  Photos aer worth a thousand words!
  4. If you have advertising space on your blog.. take a screen shot and show it!

Statistics

If you have been growing your blog, then you should be seeing an increase in your visitors.  Use that. 

  1. Do you know how many unique visitors you have to your blog?  How many monthly visitors?
  2. How many page views over the past three months?
  3. Where people come from who visit your site?
  4. Subscribers to email and social media sites. 

Now write it

You’ll need the best introduction you can come up with.  Write a personal introduction that tells a bit about yourself.  People love a good story, so tell them a good story about you.  Give highlights of your career if you have highlights.  🙂  Where your work has been featured.  Anything you can do to promote yourself and the good things you have done. 

Promote your blog.  What do you write about? Do you have specific things you talk about on a given day?  A pattern of information that can draw people in?  It’s okay to have a blog that covers different aspects/themes, but talk about them.  Talk about the readers who come visit you.  It helps business know how you can help them and who you can reach on their behalf. 

When you have this important stuff present your stats.  Showcase your reach as best you can. Make sure you keep these stats current.   Statistics from year ago won’t help you, statistics from the past three months will.   If you don’t have impressive numbers, show the growth you have gained. 

Outline your policies.  What are your rates?  If you give ad space, what will you charge?  If you write a blog post what’s the fee?   What if they write the post, is the fee different?   Do you have the right to refuse a post?  How will they pay you? When are fees due?  What word count will you provide?

Testimonials go a long way in helping you promote yourself.  If you go here you can find out how to get them.  I know, I know… that might totally intimidate you…but go, find them.  🙂

Don’t forget to add your contact information.  Use a real email service (not a gmail, yahoo, or Hotmail account).  

Are there free helps?

Of course there are!  🙂   Isn’t it wonderful how helpful the online community is?   Simply FANTASTIC!

Canva has some templates you can use. 

There’s a whack of them on Pinterest. 

Beautiful Dawn. 

Creative Market has 20 templates. 

Dana Nicole Designs. 

Find one you like and work with you.  Make a long form that has everything you need on it that you can encourage companies to send for. Have a shorter one you can use as a calling card for business you want to work with. Do whatever you can to make your efforts on your blog to pay off.  

I even put together a checklist for you to help you remember the details.  Click image below. checklist for media kit

Black History Month

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In September 1915 Carter G. Woodson and minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH).  This organization is now known as Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).  It is an organization dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by black Americans and other peoples of African descent.  In 1926, the second week of February they sponsored a black history week, choosing that week as it coincidence with Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas’ birthdays.   Ever since then that celebration continued to grow until in 1976 President Gerald Ford endorsed it.  Each year the president endorses this monthly celebration and gives it a theme.  This years theme is  “African Americans in Times of War”.

A Canadian version of black history month complete with history, resources, books and a free printable.

Ever since the 17th black people have been part of the Canadian landscape, coming as slaves, runaways, freedmen and more.  The very first was Mathieu de Coste who arrived in 1608.  in 1793 a law was passed saying any black person coming to Canada was automatically declared free.  In 1910 an Immigration Act barred immigrants into Canada from undesirable races, therefore very few Black people came into Canada, for the next few decades.  In 1955 women aged 18-35 were permitted to come into Canada as working domestics for a year and then be declared immigrants. Finally in 1967 that act was dropped, thereby causing Black immigration to rise significantly.   The website Black History Canada tells stories of Black People in Canada. 

 

You may find this following video as interesting as I did.

 

I went searching for unit studies on black history in Canada and discovered NOTHING.  Not even one.. leaving me to think…hmmm… perhaps I need to make one?  🙂  Because black folk do have a history in my land so it should be talked about… or at least studied as part of Canadian culture right?

What else?  Oh.. I need to think

Websites where you can learn more about black history.

10 Famous Black people. 8 famous North Americans of colour.
Learning about Black Canadians. 
Black Female Freedom Fighters. 
Black Canadians.  Website listing helpful websites...some sites aren't accurate.
Three Canadians who made a difference. 
23 historical Black people.

Books I’ve reviewed on black history

The Forbidden Schoolhouse.
Betty before X.
March Forward, Girl.
One Last Word.

 

For a word search on Black Canadians.  Click Here. 

On Being a Writer – Arrange

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The question this chapter asks us is this: How do you arrange your life to show that writing is important to you?   It also asks, how does writing spill out of you and are you comfortable with how it does so?

As a writer we need to arrange our tools, space, time, and mind.

How does writing spill out of you and are you comfortable with how it does so?

For instance, do you like writing long hand? Or does a computer work for you?  Maybe a typewriter is where it is at.  Do you need to play around with the different methods until you find what works best for you?

Do you write at a desk?  A table?  Sitting in a comfortable lazy boy?  Maybe you have a roll top desk that sets the mood for you?

Is silence golden or do you like the sound of your family about you or a radio/tv on for background noise?

Does clutter annoy or does it add to the creative process?  Is cleanliness the key to unlocking your creativity?

You know what the thing is right?   EVERYONE is different.  My hubby works best with noise around him, he can watch TV well and write and research all the time.   Me on the other hand… prefer silence when I write but I have learned during the course of our marriage, to tolerate noise, but I often miss what is happening in the TV show if I am really concentrating as I write.  BUT one thing I do love is writing and chatting with a friend online.  For some reason that brings out my creativity and SPEED.  Go figure eh?   🙂   Can I sustain that though?  No.  Works for about a half hour and then one or the other has to stop.   Hubby, if the house gets too messy, gets stressed and tense.  Me.. I just ignore it and move forward until I can’t find something and then suddenly it’s too horrible for words and the house gets cleaned top to bottom (or honestly until I get distracted by something).  🙂

How do you arrange your life to show that writing is important to you?

Admittedly, this can be a hard one.  One has to make a living right?  One has to school their children, raise them, keep the house in order, keep up friendships, indulge their hobbies, spend time with family, and all that other daily living stuff.  So how in the midst of all that good stuff….do you find time to write?  It’s hard!  

Sometimes it’s a real balancing act, as you work through real life needs and real writing needs. It is work to try to figure out what type of job you can do that will also allow you to be creative in your writing.  It’s a struggle to understand how to care for the needs of your family and still grab writing moments.  

Solutions that writers come up with: Grab 15 minutes here and there throughout the day.  Find a job that doesn’t use up your creative energy.  Book time away, a weekend if you must, an afternoon that is just yours to enjoy. Get up earlier in the day or go to bed later at night.  Forgo movie night with the kids so they can chill with dad as you write in your favourite spot.   What solution fits you? 

What it all comes down to.

Take the time to see what works best for you, learn what you need, help your family see it’s importance, get friends who will understand when you need to write instead of go to the latest movie.   The key is this, work to understand the following: What time works best for you to write?  Where do you write best?  What space is important to your creativity?  What do you need to do to spur on the creativity of your mind?  Do you have special tools that make the process go easiest?  

I made up a printable to help you work through these questions.  Click here or on the image below. 

Figuring out the tools, location, time that we need or can write is part of being an writer.Other posts on writing that you may find helpful.

Organizing how you put your words to bring emphasis.
Your Identity. 
Begin Sentences with Subjects and Verbs.

Liking to give credit where it is due, the original photo I used came from Photo by Neven Krcmarek on Unsplash.

 

 

 

Writing Tools: Order Words for Emphasis with Printable

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The last time I used this book, Writing Tools, I talked about how you should begin sentences with Subjects and Verbs.   Today we’ll be talking about how you organize your words.  One should order words for emphasis. 

Why is this important?

In any sentence, the final punctuation acts as a stop.  The slight pause in reading adds emphasis to the final word in the sentence, so minding where you place words in a sentence adds additional emphasis.   For instance, let’s say there was a bombing at the school.  Which would be better: Parents arrived at the school dressed in housecoats and business suits.  OR Parents hurried to the school, arriving in their business suits and housecoats.   Being left with the image of housecoats imparts the sense of urgency those parents would feel wouldn’t it?

When you start and end a sentence with stronger words, it allows you hide weaker or supportive words in the middle.  This is especially useful when quoting someone, allowing you to list the attribution  in the middle of the quote “I have having the flu,” said the lad, “it makes my throat sore.”

Sometimes people call this the 2-3-1 tool of emphasis (here’s an interesting article on that).  The most important sentence comes at the end, the second most at the beginning, and the least important in the middle.    Or simply put the best first and last, the rest in the middle.  Follow this for sentences and for paragraphs, it will make your writing better overall. 

Printable:

To download click here.

Practice your skills at using this principle.

 

If you would like to follow along in writing tools, you can find it here on Amazon.

Linked up at Encouraging hearts. Homeschool review crew.

Fun Friday: Art is Science plus printable

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 As you may or may not remember I’m teaching a class called mudworks where we are experimenting with making different types of doughs out things you might not expect.

Up this week were doughs from bread, starch, shampoo and toothpaste.   Four stations with children at each of them.  Stay tuned for printable below.

I told the children that doing art like this was also doing science.  You have the basic ingredients, but things like weather and humidity can affect the amounts that you use.

Shampoo dough… I have to admit.. I LOVED the feel of this dough.   Like a silky smooth playdough.  Forms flat objects nicely, takes FOREVER to dry out.  🙂   This recipe took a lot more flour than expected.  I could roll that nice smelling dough around in my hands all day long felt so delectable.

Starch dough.   The recipe we used called for cornstarch, but the scientist in me had us also try out potato starch and tapioca starch.  They all gave a different feel to the dough.  Tapioca gave a very stretchy feel to the dough.   Potato starch felt like homecooked playdough with an extra solid feel.  Cornstarch was very moldable.    All three of these dry quickly.

Bread dough takes ALOT of working and proved to need a bit of fiddling with.   One person found added a touch of water made the dough more workable, some of the children gave up, and another added a touch of flour and made a lovely sculpture from it.

Toothpaste dough proved to be the bane of most of the youngsters who tried it out.  The recipe needed ALOT of fiddling, and it could have been the toothpaste I bought or the weather or .. I dunno, but it proven the perfect ground of experimentation for the two boys who stuck through out.  I gave them carte blanche and talked them through different ideas to try until they both ended up satisfied with the end result, which for both boys was quite different, one wanting a gloopy feel and the other wanting a more solid feel.  They both loved the toothpaste smell to this dough.

Now it is your turn!

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