One Word Wednesday

I like this game.

What's the first word or phrase that comes to your mind when I say autumn?

Ready, set, go!

Take a Trip On an Owl!

Once again I've been inspired by Tweedles. She sent me a photo of an owl in her backyard and asked, "Would you like to ride him?"

I didn't even take the time to think about the fact that I probably couldn't ride Owlbert...at least not tonight...I just began to think about where I'd like to go!

So, with Tweedle's permission, I'm going to share the photo that she sent me and ask you the same question. Forget that you're all grown up and let your imagination run away with you!


Would you like to ride Owlbert? Don't be shy! Let your inner-child take over and have the trip of your lifetime! Where will you go on Owlbert? What will you do? How will you feel? How will Owlbert feel? HAVE FUN! No need for a long explanation...unless you want to.....just a few words about where you're going on your adventure! You can travel lots of your journey in your mind's eye!

Teachers: Ask your kids the same question! Creating an environment that says it's okay to be joyfully imaginative lends itself to lovely colorful creative writing!

All About You and Me Week!

I thought it would be interesting to write about US all week long! Since know one knows us better than us, we should do a pretty good job!

Five words can tell a lot. They can paint an honest to goodness picture when you throw in a little imagination. My daughter-in-law is a second grade teacher. She asked her students to use only five words to tell about themselves. You may think that's not a lot, but it is...especially if you can read between the lines. One boy in her class wrote: My dad is in jail. Those five words told me a lot about this young man. They painted a picture of his life for me.

I know we did it before, but let's do the same activity as the kids in that second grade class. Use only five words to tell about yourself. Try not to think too hard!

I'll go first: I need to be busy! (What does that tell you about me?)

Your turn! Use five words to tell us about you.

Teachers and parents, as usual, you can do this activity orally or in written form. Don't forget to model the exercise first or you'll get responses like: I have long brown hair. That's not the kind of picture we want to paint! Rejoice in the good time that a simple writing exercise can offer.

Use Your Senses to Show Your Favorite Time of Day!

The smell of my coffee brewing alerted me to the start of a new day. The sunshine was just beginning to peek through my half-opened bedroom curtains offering promises of great things to come. I rubbed my sleepy eyes and threw on my cozy robe to trudge downstairs. My two dogs followed me (like shadows at my heels) and I cracked the backdoor to let them go out and come back in at their leisure. By the time I flung open my kitchen windows I was as awake as the birds that were singing in harmony from the treetops. I watched three deer peacefully nibbling on grass and clover in the field behind my house and realized that without a doubt, early morning is my favorite time of day.
YOUR TURN! What is your favorite time of day?

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!

Quote a Quote!

A teacher left me a message last week asking if I could make our writing exercises match the curriculum being taught. The answer is, "Yes I can!" However, I'd rather do that on a one to one basis. If you're a teacher and you need something specific, please let me know. I'll respond to you by email.

Honestly, like I've said before, I believe the foundation for good writing comes from the freedom to fool around with language and words. That happens when we just play! So, let's have some more fun!

Let's start are own quote anthology!

Here's how:

Share your favorite quote. (It doesn't need to be exact.)

or

Write your own quote for us to remember!

I'll go first. My favorte quote is: Life isn't measured by the number of breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away.

NEVER EVER!

Getting stirred up and excited about language is all it takes to write. A fun exciting way to ignite your spark of creativity is to think about things that you really shouldn't ever do. So, let's start a NEVER EVER list!

I'll go first!

1. Never ever stand up fast if you've put tons of bath oil in the bathtub.
2. Never ever stick your tongue on a frozen metal post.

Your turn! Have fun. Get creative! One thought will lead to another...I promise!


Teachers: Kids absolutely love this activity. I should dig out some of the lists I have from past school visits and share them with you. They are hysterical! You can make the activity even better for your students if you join in the fun and go first!

Talk to Me!

Tweedles paid me a terrific complement last week. She said, "I think you write from your heart, cause I can feel stuff you say."

Wow. As a writer, I can't think of anything I'd rather hear than that someone can feel what I say.

This blog has become a source of inspiration to me because of all of you. Things that you write from your hearts jogs my memory and makes me think of things long forgotten.

Each and every writing exercise that we do together has special meaning. If I knew you had the time for a long read, I would copy every comment that was left last week and let you have the same goosebumps that I did. Since it's the weekend and I know everyone is busy, I'll let you read any comments you want at your leisure.

Anulal said, "The best writing happens when our heart starts giving instructions to our hand, with the hidden doors of memories opened. Many of the recent literature lacks this and only became an act or trick, which can be performed through knowing the jargons of the theories and language."

Another wow. That was so well said. I honestly believe when we just frolic with language, exciting and meaningful writing follows whenever we want. Writing that talks to someone rather than at them is what true communication is all about.

Trust me when I say that I can hear all of you talk to me! Thank you so much.

Think Fast!

Quick! What does ANGER smell like?

I'm In Shock - This is Post Number 100!

I was getting ready to post something entirely different when I noticed that is my 100th post! My goodness! I've been having so much fun writing with you. I had no idea.

So, in honor of the number 100, we have to do something special. Hmmm...I wonder....can we make a list of 100 happy words by Saturday? That's a real challenge but since we just wrote about things we hate, happy should be easier. Let's give it a shot! Play away. Come back often. Bring your friends and your friends' friends. Bring your kids and your grandkids too.

And of course, allow your dogs and cats to have a voice. Let's celebrate with 100 words that make us happy. Revel in joy. Wallow in happiness. Get happy! Be happy!

Let's go! Make sure to number your happy word or phrase so we can keep count. I'm excited, are you?

Playtime! Paint a Picture With Your Words

Once again, reading something that Tweedles wrote gave me an idea. That's what writers do...we inspire each other. Tweedles started a story with: The raging sea was roaring like a lion. What a picture that painted for me!

Tweedles could have just said: the sea was rough or the waves were big. She would have told me something. I might have yawned and read on. Instead, Tweedles showed me. She used her words as though they were art on a canvas. Her words excited me and made me want to read more.

Her words inspired the following writing exercise! Chose one or two of the following words to describe by painting a picture:

sea
clouds
sky
mountains
dog
husband
wife
boyfriend
girlfriend
best friend
brother
sister

I'll go first.
The sea rolled in like a bowling ball thrown in the gutter.
or: The sea washed away like water down the drain.

My sister curled up on the couch like a tired kitten.
or: My sister squirmed on the couch while she twisted her curly hair around her finger.

Your turn! Show us with your words. Paint a vivid picture!

Use your senses help you. Let's your mind's eye go crazy. Think outside the box! Have fun. Take chances. Let yourself go! If you want to describe another word that's fine. Put it in all caps so we'll notice your word right away.

Teachers, do this exercise with your kids orally first. Remember, creative talking leads to exciting writing!

Come back as often as you think of ideas. I'll leave this post up through the weekend. Let's inspire each other!

Let's Play! Re-Write an Old Saying

I'm going to list some old proverbs for you. Let's have some more fun by getting really creative. Help me think WAY outside the box by making changes to some of the old proverbs on the list!
Remember, nothing you can write is wrong here. Anything you write is right!

Of course the first proverbs that are going to be on the list are ones that have to do with horses, so you'll have to forgive me. I'll think of as many as I can. If you can think of more, please add to the list.

1. Don't put the cart before the horse.

2. Don't change horses mid stream.

3. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink

4. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

5. A penny saved is a penny earned.

6. A rolling stone gathers no moss.

7. Children have more need of models than of critics.

8. Children should be seen and not heard.

9. A dog is a man's best friend.

Okay. That's my list. Chose as many proverbs as you want to re-write. I'll go first.

Number 4. A Bird in the hand should be back in the tree.
Number 3. You can lead a horse to water but you probably shouldn't drink with him!

Your turn! Pick a couple old proverbs and change them up! You'll probably be more creative than me!!!

New Word Game...Thanks to Tweedles!

If you're new to my blog and don't know who Tweedles is, please check out the comments to the last post and then go visit her blog. She's fun and creative!

Tweedles game me an idea for our next word game. All I want you to do is answer two questions.


1. What can a gentle breeze blow?

2. What can a strong wind blow?

Here are my answers:

1. tissue

2. a filled-to-the-brim flower pot C R A S H !

Everyone can play this fun word game. Usually the easiest answers are the ones that come to your mind first. It will help to look at the other comments, because they'll stir up more memories than you can imagine.

Your turn! What can a gentle breeze blow? What can a strong wind blow? Think fast!

As usual, feel free to come back again. Bring your kids!

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!

The Luckiest Writer in the World

The Carnegie Library in Washington Court House is full of creative kids and terrific librarians. How do I know? Because last week my dear friend Kathy (who is also a writer) and I traveled there to conduct a creative writing workshop.

We braindropped. We painted with words. We used our senses to create the most descriptive showing sentences you've ever seen. And most of all, we had fun.

Every time I spend an hour or two with kids, I'm reminded why I love to write so much and why I'm so inspired by kids. They have more creativity in their thumbs than I have stashed in my very old memory. All Kathy and I have to do is create an environment that says, "What you have to say is valued and respected and we are honored when you share it with us!"

The children's department at Carnegie is lucky. Their children's librarian, Anne Quinn, is the kind of educator all children deserve to have. She brought out the best in me, so it's easy to see why kids flock to the children's department. Her rich laughter is contagious. If I were a kid, I'd park myself as close to Anne as I could get and soak in every book she suggested I might like to read.

My guess is that if the kids in Washington Court House like to do journal writing, half their journals would mention Anne, the library, and summer fun.

My school visits are over for the summer. Now it's on to more library visits. I think I'm the luckiest writer in the world!

Finish It!

Many people think that writing for children is easy. It is and it isn't. When you are writing for children who are learning to read, less is more. With that being said, I told you I was going to write a story for you to end. What I didn't tell you was that you need to end it in five sentences or less.

My story was inspired when I recently traveled to the zoo...the animals gave me ideas galore.

PROVE IT!

I looked once and then twice. "I think that tortoise is dead," I said to Sandy and Julie.

The girls looked at me as though I'd lost my mind. "Okay and you're going to prove it how?" Julie chuckled.

I looked around for a zookeeper. No one was in sight.

"Don't even think about it," Sandy said as I began to step over the low fence.

"Tortoises aren't the least bit dangerous," I told Sandy. "Don't worry!"

I glanced around the tortoise's lush habitat as I walked closer and closer to the gigantic creature.

"How can you tell if a tortoise has a pulse?" Julie asked.

Julie was having a good time with this for sure.

"I'll let you know in a minute," I said.

I bent over and began to lift the tortoise's head out of his dish and........

Writers: Go ahead and finish the story. An easy way to do this is to write the first thing that came to your mind when you read my last sentence. No more than five sentences will be plenty to give my story an ending. It needs one! Give it a try.
Parents: Make sure to let your kids know this story is FICTION and that no one really climbs a fence at the zoo..... then, LET YOUR KIDS FINISH THE STORY! Playful fun writing activities leads to amazing creativity!

The next time you go to the zoo, encourage your kids to do some journal writing or make up their own creative story. Wallow in the love of language and the joy of writing!

School's Out for Summer....What Do You Know?

First of all, thank you for all the stories about your animals. I loved every single one of them. Each tale that I read could be made into a book. Some could go into anthologies or magazines. Others could go into picture books. And some could become that special series that kids can't wait to get their hands on to read again and again.

You are all terrific!

Now back to the business...I mean fun...of writing! I traveled to a second grade classroom last week and since last week I was feeling a little off, I decided to make it easy on myself. I wanted no prep time, just kid time.

Frequently, at the end of a school year, kids are asked to write about what their plans are for the summer. I decided to take a different approach. I asked the kids to write one sentence about what they learned during the school year. I told them it could be about anything from friendship to division.

The kids did what I asked. They wrote a sentence. One girl wrote, "I learned how to multiply."

Another boy wrote, "I learned about the water cycle."

Yet another child wrote, "I learned about rules."

Those were all good sentences...grammatically. But you know me. I was on a mission. I wanted those sentences to jump off the paper at me.

Caleb said, "You want those sentences to B I N G, right?"
I love Caleb. He gave me goosebumps. I wanted those sentences to bing and boing like a ping pong ball!

So, long story short, "I learned how to multiply," turned into "My cat had two tiger kittens last year. Last month she had three kittens. Only one was a tiger. The other two were as yellow as the sun. 3 x 2 = 6. My cat has had six kittens!"

"I learned about the water cycle," turned into, "Rain falls from the clouds and makes the creek behind my house get so deep it covers the bridge."

And, "I learned about rules" turned into, "I learned not to run on the blacktop because if I fall, I could skin my knees. I only run in the soft grass so if I fall I won't get hurt."

WAY TO GO KIDS.....WAHOO!

The kids painted pictures with their words. That's what I want you to do.

Writers: Write one sentence about something you have learned in the past year. Then paint a picture with your words to SHOW what you learned. This could get really interesting if you braindrop first!

Teachers and Parents: Braindrop first. Then do the same activity that I did with the second graders. Have fun! Join in...what DID you learn in the past year?

PS...I visited the zoo yesterday and came up with a plan for a different kind of writing journey we can take together. Later this week I'm going to post a story for you or your kids to end. I just have to get that story written. Hmmm....maybe I'll make it really challenging. We'll do it in as few words as possible. Stay tuned!

Are You a Writer?

It always surprises me when someone says, "I love to write, but I'm not a writer."

Or, "I'm a great storyteller, but I'm not a writer. "
This statement begs the question: "Are you kidding me?!"

We should all be so lucky or blessed to be able to be able to retell glorious stories from our experiences or our pasts! Half the time, I can't remember what happened this morning!

I was reading the bio of a man on Twitter the other day. In his bio, he said he was a storyteller but not quite a writer. I had to tweet back and tell him that in my book, he is a writer indeed. Stories don't come from nowhere, they start in our minds and hearts.

The storyteller is the best kind of writer of all...he's already painting pictures with his words. If he needs a secretary to sit down and type what he says, so be it, but wouldn't you love to be a writer like him? A storyteller sees things in his mind and weaves them into wonderful memories for others to hold onto or share.

I think most of us are too hung up on the publishing aspect of writing. Yes, it's nice to be published and make money. And yes, for some of us it's a goal. But I get pleasure from writing just for you. I revel in the power or playfulness of words. I wallow in the love of language and joy of writing as a basic form of communication.

How about you? Are you a writer? What are your goals? Do you put too much pressure on yourself and your children? Is writing fun for you or is it a job? Think about it and get back to me. I LOVE TO READ WHAT YOU WRITE!

P.S. I just received my first small check today for my google adsense ads. Small is the key word here. At any rate, thanks to all of you who took a minute to look at the ads that were relevant to you...I truly appreciate the time you took.

Use Your Senses for This Memorial Week

Since we just celebrated the Memorial Day Weekend, I thought it would be a good opportunity to remember someone who was or is special to us. A great way to do this is by using our senses to paint a lovely memory.

The thing I remember most about my Grandma Jones is that she always smelled like roses. I could never decide if it was because of the beautiful rose garden that took up a major portion of her backyard or if it was a fragrance that she actually put on every morning. In any case, my grandma smelled like a rose. I loved to curl up beside her in the big comfy chair in the living room and sip on green tea. Yep, my grandma had me drinking green tea long before it was fashionable!

Now it's your turn to write.

Writers: You can write about someone living or long gone. It's up to you. Just finish this sentence:

The thing I remember most about_______ is or was ______________________

Teachers and Parents: This is a great opportunity to talk about lots of different people, places, or things with your kids. Encourage them to remember by using any of their senses. Ask questions like: What did Fluffy's fur remind you of? or What does Aunt Em's house smell like?
You join in because without your input, any writing exercise becomes less important. Your joy and excitement make kids want to talk....and write!

As Good As Gold Writing Exercise

Think in similes and you will paint with words without even trying. Your words will come alive and seem to jump off the paper. Since writing starts in our hearts and minds, colorful thinking and talking translates into lovely exciting writing.

Fill in the blanks below and you'll see what I mean! You can use as few or as many words as you like to complete the sentences.

The bearded man looked as old as ____________.
The bearded man looked as young as ___________.
The day faded away like ____________.
The clouds poured rain as ____________.
Her face was like ____________.
The dog was as still as ____________.

Please share. You will see that everyone's words paint a different picture. These pictures create sentences that beg to be read!