writing

My Pencil and Me

December 5, 2020 By Annette1 1 Comment

Do you have a child wanting to learn to write? OR perhaps you need some inspiration for yourself? Check out Sara Varan’s newest book “My Pencil and Me”. A rollicking ride into the word of Sara’s pencil, don’t you wonder what it has to say?

Learning about My Pencil and Me

:01 FirstSecond Books produced this fun-loving stroll through the story of writing a book when you really don’t know what to write about. Just what does one do when you don’t know what to write about? Well…. you could just ask your pencil…. Thus, a story is born!

48 pages of creatively illustrated pencil musings spelling out the creative writing process. A user-friendly guide for both children and adults wanting to write their own tale. Struggling with writer’s block is a difficult thing regardless of how old you are. In My Pencil and Me, Sara wants to help young readers combat it.

I received an ARC copy from Raincoast Books in order to do this review.

What Do You Get?

Clever prose, a helpful pup, and a talkative pencil. Three elements for a highly successful story. Which as it progresses, becomes an even better story as certain necessary elements for the story fall into place.

Bright and clean lines with simple colours help tell the story. Aren’t the images fitting? Don’t they just bring the story to life? Not a whole lot of white space on the pages, but the light blue sets up a similar feel doesn’t it?

From the Cover

Sara loves to draw and tell stories, but sometimes it can be difficult to get started. What if she doesn’t have any good ideas or her drawings turn out terrible?!

Lucky for Sara, she has a friend who is always by her side – her pencil. With a little help from Pencil, Sara learns it’s okay if her story isn’t perfect, as long as she’s using her imagination and having fun.

Who is My Pencil and Me for?

Although it’s geared to elementary students, honestly.. anyone struggling to write could find good value here. Simple language and spot-on illustrations show how letting your imagination run, can bring a story out you didn’t even know was there!

You’ll love the real-life pictures at the close of My Pencil and Me with Sara working at her desk with her pup at her side. It was a really nice touch.

Should you get it?

Yes, not only does My Pencil and Me tell a good story, making it fun to read with your students, it teaches a good lesson. There are lots of “talking points” contained within and it would be so easy to read with a group of children gathered round.

It would be good to stop and ask yourself (or your listeners) what’s the first thing that your pencil is thinking about? Do you want real characters or pretend ones? Would you create a game to play, or a position to fill, or what will your characters do? What sort of conflict might occur? Do you want a happy or sad ending? What do you think of the story Sara’s pencil came up with? What would you change? Or of course, you could just read the story and then say “Go make your own!” 🙂

Clarity in writing

September 30, 2019 By Annette1 9 Comments

So here I am listening Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson, my son’s about to go upstairs and hears the speaker reading about breath. He turns and asks me “What is this breath they are talking about mom? Are they in outer space or something?” I answer him and then he fires off a bunch more questions to me and I realize something. Either I missed something in this book (which is possible as it’s audio book so back tracking isn’t so easy) OR there has been some lack of clarity. Just what does one do with breath?

It got me to thinking about how often that sort of thing happens, this lack of clarity in writing. We think we are being clear until someone points out that they simply don’t get it. The point between a and b has gotten missed somewhere. How do we make sure we are being clear when we write.

Tips for Clarity

I recently wrote a review that was difficult to write. Not because I hated the book, in fact I loved it, but I wanted to draw people into wanting to read the book themselves. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to express my enjoyment clearly enough for others. Taking time to find clarity in thought became important. Being clear about what I liked and what I learned. What I appreciated about how the book was laid out. Thinking about each area and how it impacted me enabled me to be more clear.

Going slowly brings clarity in writing

Sometimes my thoughts come pouring out of me so fast I can rarely keep up. I was talking to a mom the other day whose son struggles with ADHD. His thoughts come so fast, faster than he can write, that writing an essay is very difficult for him to. Even just one paragraph because he simply can’t keep up with the flow of his thoughts. She’s struggling to find ways to help him slow down, or to at least repeat his work so he can fill in the gaps in his written work. He needs to figure out how to bring clarity in writing to his readers.

When I struggle with clarity I find myself needing to go back. To read over my sentences slowly… sometimes in reverse order, just to make sure I don’t miss a pivotal word. One word can make huge difference in the understanding wrought.

Help from Others

Having others read what you write, especially if you are wondering if you are being clear in your writing is to have someone else read through it. They can not only point out grammatical issues, but also say “this doesn’t make sense, I don’t understand what this is about, etc”. My husband has occasionally told me “you’re missing a sentence here”.

It’s good to have that double-check, to avoid missing those sentences and words, to fix miss-spelled words, and to tighten things up.

Make Sure you know what you want to say

Lack of clarity can be the result of not having a clear purpose in your mind. You know how you can start to write a post or an article and part way through your post takes a different direction?

Stopping to rewrite the beginning of your article is probably your smartest move. It provides a more cohesive article which helps with clarity.

Reduce the Complexity

Keep it simple. Sometimes we get caught up in using technical terms when honestly, we could say it much simpler. Mind the words that you use, aim for clarity in writing as you move forward.

There are other ways to make your writing more clear, you might find my other writing posts helpful or check in with Writers in Charge.

ABC Blogging Series

Add in your life
Edmund Burke.
Clarity in Writing.

Add in Your life

September 16, 2019 By Annette1 16 Comments

Aren’t you delighted to see me back after a summer away from talking about how to be a better writer? What can I say, it’s been great to take a break and focus on other things for a while. To add to the experiences in my life. What experiences did you add in your life?

My life over the summer was filled with a teen busy landscaping and visiting friends, a hubby working, visiting a friend from CA, and gardening. We took in the beach and some sights and kept ourselves entertained well enough. 🙂 Even a week away for camping was found.

Anyways, I’ve kept up one of my joys over the summer of participating in Five Minute Fridays. Almost every week I partake and turn a one word prompt into a poem. It allows me to do what I’m going to be talking about today. Insert my life into my writing. Letting a world flow through your mind until it strikes a chord…using the chord from my life to respond to a simple word prompt.

add in life (making your writing come alive)

Insert My Life in Writing?

Write what you know, it’s an adage that writers are often told. In every book I read on writing it’s repeated: Write what you know. It doesn’t mean that you have to tell your life story, but you use your life and what you know into the stories that you tell.

For instance, today my lad was telling me about a character he would like to create. A cat, who is a warrior, but is only good with a crossbow. He doesn’t fight well hand to hand, has no knife, or other weapon, just his crossbow. He would be about two feet tall but highly effective. Not a talker, just a crossbow expert.

I told him this character sounds like a fascinating fellow and would love to know more about him. Is his whole race of people the same or is he an odd-ball? What causes him to not talk much? That question caused the thoughts to spiral. It’s SUCH FUN!

We took the time to explore a bit where such an idea came from: his cats, the games he plays, his friends, his interests in life etc. All helped him spawn this imaginative creature.

Don’t Short Change Yourself

It’s hard sometimes you know, to figure out how the events, thoughts, conversations etc of your life, can add depth to your writing. The things that we do, the very conversations, and fun, and even the sorrows that we experience, these are the well-spring of our well-written work.

Regardless if our focus is on poetry, on non-fiction or creative writing. If you take the time to add in your life, your writing will be full of meaning and experiences only YOU can create, because only you have lived your life. Don’t discount your experiences in any way.

Live your life, live it well. Use your life to make what you do even better. Take your love of fishing to show the excitement of a child catching their first fish. Use your confusion over the right outfit to wear to showcase the angst of getting ready for a date. Apply your laughter over a night out, your disappointment in a movie, your fear at stepping outside of your comfort zone, the smells of campfire and how different that is from burning rubbish. Growing up on a farm or growing up in town…they bring a richness we can’t always fully grasp. Choose your words wisely, sift through your memories, and share them well. Therefore enabling help us see the world more clearly.

Choosing Words Wisely

May 20, 2019 By Annette1 8 Comments

Do you know that early English poets were called shapers? People who used “the stuff of language to create stories the way that God, the Great Shaper, formed heaven and earth.” (p.68, writing tools) Isn’t that neat? To think of yourself as a shaper, one who can build life into what we write.

Think on that a spell. What would you need to be that sort of writer? Think of how God created the word. He chose the order carefully, creating the structure before creating the life that fills it.

He didn’t just say “let there be animals”, What he said was “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.”

Do you see how he chose his words wisely? Describing what he wanted, where it was to come from, and giving us an image to hold in our minds’ eye. As writers we need to do the same. Just as we need to let our key words stand on their own, we need make sure we aren’t limiting our words to what is easy or “dumbed down” for our readers.

As writers we tend to have a rich vocabulary, so we aught to use it. Not to fill every space with a fancy word, because you don’t need big words to do the job. You just need the RIGHT one for the space it occupies.

How to Choose the Right Word?

There are several ways to choose what word you need. Perhaps these methods will help you to be choosing words wisely.

Use a thesaurus to remind you of options. A good thesaurus is worth it’s weight in gold.
Keep word and phrase choice that fits the context. Try not to be overly repetitive, search for words or phrases in your transcript that you use too often and switch them up.
Listen for what sounds right. Read your words over, let them roll through your mind.
The precise word isn’t necessarily the right word. Sometimes close it just what you need to fit the context and tone.
The most powerful words tend to be the shortest and most basic in the English language. Winston Churchill said: “Broadly speaking, the short words are best, and the old words best of all.” Frankly though, if the best word you can use to communicate your tone and point is a longer one, use it, and use it confidently.
Keep a list of descriptive words. Words that have caught your fancy, delight your mind, or just intrigues.
Seek out words that evoke an emotional response, they may be simple or complex. They need to fit the mood and situation.
Be specific where needed. Perhaps you need to say “Mountain Dew” instead of pop, or Malinois rather than dog.

Choosing Words Wisely Share on X

Be the writer you want to be. Search out and gather words to yourself. Expand your pool of usable words. Learn the history behind the words that interest you. Incorporate them into your language and your writing. Choosing words wisely will further your abilities.

Be a writer.

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In Writing Remember the Details

May 6, 2019 By Annette1 1 Comment

In the book Writing Tools, Roy Peter Clark reminds us when writing to show the point. So a man is puffing on a cigarette… do we know he’s dying of cancer? A woman is walking an old, lame dog… do we know it was her recently deceased husband’s dog? Are we let into her feelings of sorrow, the smell of the smoke, and pained limp of the pooch? How do we use our senses to help the reader see the point? How do we, in our writing, remember the details?

When we look to observe, to really see… we cannot only focus on the visual. We need to cover all the senses and allow our curiousity to help us suss out the important details.

Mr. Clark pointed out the story of a lady who had a light switch taped over. A curious reporter noted it and learned the family had the tradition of leaving the light on until everyone came home. One day, one of the children never came home. Murdered. A grief that endures. Without noticing the switch, without the curiousity to ask the question, would we ever have learned the point?

As writers, we need to lead our readers to the point. To help them, through our words the evoke our senses and our feelings, to the true point.

An Example

I could tell you, as a rabbit owner, the importance of maintaining your wooled rabbits coat. I could stress how important it is to keep the coat mat free. But unless I tell you of the rescued rabbit that I took in, that had this look of fright and hurt in it’s eyes. Of my search to find the reason, and discovering a huge mat in it’s coat. The struggle to remove it, of a frightened animal’s struggle, and then seeing the partially healing tear in its skin. The horror of that moment, the sudden deep realization that I would NEVER deliberately breed a wooled animal. When people understand that pain and hurt to a harmless animal… it makes the point more clearly than simple factual language.

Cultivate This Skill

When you write, look for opportunities to evoke all the senses… add details for smell, sound, taste and touch.

Look at the art you find around you. Notice the details, consider what sounds you might hear, or the smells the would waft through the air and so forth. Think, consider, and add those details.

Notice the little things, learn the name of the dog that died in the fire, discover the favourite activity of that lost child, the talent not always seen

Some excellent writing resources can be found at schoolhouseteachers.com. Read on to learn more. 🙂

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Write Better, Observe

April 29, 2019 By Annette1 8 Comments

When is the last time as a writer you sat back and just watched the world around you? When have you last taken note of the birds that visit your backyard, the look of your neighbour’s curtains, or how a cat stalks after a bird? Observation is an important part of being an author, how are you cultivating those skills?

Write Better

The other day, hubby and I were listening to some book (the name currently escapes me) and simultaneously said “wow, that was a great description!” It was so spot on, and funny. I wish I could remember exactly what it was, but the description was so vivid, without dragging on, you could tell how well the author knew his subject.

As I stop and think about how accurate his description was, I realize that it was based on his ability to really see what was there. The question for me then arises, how does a writer learn to see what is really there?

Practice Observation

I was out doing a spot of gardening this morning, thinking about this post. I got to thinking that if I were to write about gardening I could talk about the chill of the earth beneath my knee as I knelt over the garden. The spindly white roots of the garlic and chives as I moved them into the white half barrel laden with compost and rich black earth. The red-brown of the earthworms as they are just starting to wake up from a cold winters sleep.

I would have to note the smell of the compost, slightly rotten and yet full of the odour of composting manure and straw. The sounds of the neighbours short-legged dachshund dog yipping loudly whenever I move, and my manure-making rabbits rattling their water bowls as they finish up their breakfast.

Holding on to these observations would help me if I were to write a factual article about transplanting chives, as well as add rich detail to a story about a gardener. Can you see how adding those details would heighten the truth of what you have to say?

Look for the Unusual

Sometimes we need to practice, to stop and really take note of the world around us. To do so, sometimes we need to look for the unusual. Like how would a caterpillar see the world, or imagine life if you were as big as a brontosaurus. You could take the vantage point of a child, a deaf person, or a super hero. Let your imagination take you as you look around. That beetle that you see, maybe it has an invisible rider seeing the world in a dizzying blur.

Go for the normal

Head out the mall and people watch. Observe their interactions, clothing styles, and manner of walking. Spot store clerks interacting with customers, notice random acts of kindness or unnoticed cruelty. Make note of other watchers, browsers, and the child all alone. See the elderly couple holding hands, the young pair whip arms wrapped around, can you see the growth in love? Watch long, look deep, make notes. Then go to the playground, the beach, the coffee shop and the gym. Do it again, and then again. Add details, colour and smells. Remember everything, add it to what you write, let the details bring life to your words.

Limits, a Choice

April 1, 2019 By Annette1 8 Comments

This week’s chapter in On Being a Writer talks about making a choice to limit yourself to one major activity. The basic premise is, if you want to succeed in a given field, you need to make a choice as to what that field will be. You can’t be highly successful in two fields at once.

That makes sense to me you know? At least for the most part. I’ve heard about people who can do a great job at for instance running a business and also be a solidly good tennis player. Yet at the same time, the best tennis players, focus on their game to the downplay of everything else.

How to Choose

It’s not easy to choose you know? What if you have two loves? Or you have a crazy busy life filled with things you love to do? The bible tells us that a man can’t have two loves…you either love him or you don’t. Having divided loyalties means we can’t excel at loving the one thing we need to love.

Some practicalities might help though.

Make a list of all the things you love. Decide if they are “must do’s”, “like to do’s” or “necessary do’s”. Once you have that list, narrow down the must do’s to the one thing that is your passion. Make anything else secondary. Focus on that love. Do it to the best of your ability.

Never let your “one thing” be your only thing

Remember to keep your other interests alive. If you choose to be a writer, but also have a love of bunnies, love your bunnies too! 🙂 If you like to paint, paint. Just remember it’s not your first love, it’s not your focal point but an off-shoot of a life well lived. Those off-shoots in your life just broaden the scope of your main love.

Be Prepared for Change

Let’s say the choice you make is to be a writer. Your writing will be different when you are in your 20’s than when you are in your 30’s, 40’s or 70’s. The events you experience in your life will change the way you write. The trips you experience, the children you may raise, the people you let into your life, all these things will mold you. They will effect your outlook on life and as your perspective changes, so will your writing.

The events you experience in your life will change the way you write. The trips you experience, the children you may raise, the people you let into your life, all these things will mold you. Share on X

Consider well the things you do. See how they make you a better writer. Enjoy them, use them, be changed by them. Let your writing become broader and richer as a result.