Haberdashery of Words!

I was away competing at a horse show all weekend. When I got home I looked at the list of words in the comment section of the last writing activity we did together.

I am so excited by all the new and interesting words, I don't want to stop. So, now you look at the last activity again and let's keep going! Listen for more amazing, beautiful, rhythmic words or phrases for the next few days. List them for no other reason than the way they sound.

Let's make more music for our ears together!

Here's my new word: dollop

Here's my new phrase: Click clop goes the horse!

Your turn to add to our very own thesaurus of fascinating words!

I AM A WORD-LOVER...ARE YOU?

I love words and since they are the foundation of writing, I think that playing with them in unusual ways makes for magical writing.

Thinking outside the box is exciting and fun. Using words in a way that we wouldn't normally use them is thought provoking and down right exhilarating! So let's paint pictures with our words!

Use each word below to write one sentence that will describe a sunset or a thunderstorm.
Here are the words:
scratch
congeal
growl
murmur

I'll go first!
1. The lightening scratched the earths surface and sent sparks flying into the air.
2. The young moon seemed to congeal with the sun as the pink day turned into a yellow night.
3. Thunder growled across the sky and shoved rain from the clouds.
4. The earth seemed to murmur "goodnight" as the sun left the last kiss of daylight.

Your turn! Use the words to write as many sentence as you like or use your own unique words to describe a sunset or a thunderstorm. If you use your own UNIQUE WORDS, please put them in all caps so we can be blown away by your creativity! (If you just want to write one sentence and use one of the words that's just fine!)

Teachers, you can use this same activity in your classroom. Just adapt it to make it grade level appropriate. For example, your words to describe a storm might include chili, marshmellows, crash, and gush. Any of these activities can be done orally. Just remember you go first!

I Can't Think or.... PLAYTIME AGAIN!!!

I just returned home from a wonderful weekend with two of my lifelong friends, Joan and Linda. You'd think my brain would be filled with ideas. It's not. So when I have a hard time concentrating on one idea, I just let my pencil or computer keys write about anything and everything.

This time I want you to help me! Please go to the comment section. Check the comment directly before where you will leave your comment and write the first thing that comes to your mind ...for example, if the comment you see is dog, your word might be cat. Words, sentences, or phrases are fine. Remember nothing you write is wrong. Everything you write is right!

I'll start us at the comment section. You'll see. Go play!

Teachers, this is a great way to break the ice the first few weeks of school. Your kids will look forward to this activity. Why? Because it's pure, simple, and spontaneous!

Writers, this activity will snap you out of writer's block. Later, you might want to chose one of these ideas and really use it to write something specific. Oh! By the way, if you want to have some more creative fun, head over to Sasha's blog for an ongoing story!

Okay. I'm ready. Go look at the comments!

Lists - Quick and Easy -Smile!

I visited Suzanne's blog yesterday and she listed five things that made her happy last week. Her words made me think. I'm big on lists. I think they get creativity flowing. They're quick. They're easy. They can be saved and used for future writing projects.

So this week will be our list week! For starters, list five things that will make you smile this week. Here's my list:

1. my kids, husband, sister or all (I combined them...couldn't help it)
2. my animals
3. a phone call
4. my friends
5. blogging with you!

What will make you smile this week? List five things! Please share.
Have fun thinking and writing. Remember that writing starts in your mind and heart. I'm smiling already!

KABOOM!

Happy 4th of July!

If you've been writing with me since January, you know all about braindropping. If you haven't, please take a minute to go back a look at the original post after you have fun with a mini version of a firecracking writing activity right now!

I braindrop with people of all ages. With young children (or when I'm short on time) we do it orally. I say a word and then rely on spontaneity. "Quick! Say the first word that comes to your mind when I say, summer," I tell the kids.

If you're really doing this game with a group of people, you play the same way. Never slow down. Quick! Quick! Quick! If you get to a person who doesn't have an immediate word, that person should say: "I can't think." Move to the next person faster than a race car that's in first place on the last lap. This is what makes braindropping fun.

Okay. Quick! What's the first word that comes to your mind when I say, "July 4th"? My word is the title of this post! Maybe I'll interject a couple of other words as we get on a roll!

How Do You Know When You Are Creative?

Someone posed an interesting question to me this week. The question was this: How do you know when you're really being creative versus just writing to complete a project?

I know when kids are being creative. They exhibit pure joy while they are pretending either with friends or by themselves. They take on the persona of the character they are portraying. They really become immersed in their role and they get lost in their actions.


I stopped to think about myself and my writing. I guess I'm not being creative when I have to labor to put words onto paper or when I keep glancing at the clock to see how late it is getting.


I think I am the most creative when I lose all track of time and allow myself to do what I encourage teachers and parents to do...wallow in spontaneity and the love of language.


I'm creative when I have no thoughts about today or tomorrow - only the here-and-now. All things are created equal when I write. I have no sense of good grammar or bad spelling. My words just flow onto paper.

There must be other ways to know when I'm really creative. How do you know when you're creative...better yet, how do you activate your creative mode?

I'm doing a school visit tomorrow. (or today if you're reading on Friday). Wish me luck!