Watching the destruction

I have been watching the news, watching the destruction that has swept through the south. The news videos of the tornadoes hold my attention. The pictures of foundations swept clean of their buildings, apartment building collapsed onto themselves, cars lying upside down or on their sides.

A record number of tornadoes haves swept a path of destruction across the southern states. It is only April; May is the month when most tornadoes are born. I wonder what May will bring. Will more tornadoes sweep across the south or the middle states?

i The only thing we can do is help the survivors. Those of us who live in other parts of the country can sent help and needed supplies to the survivors of these storms.

Writing all night

I spent all night writing. I had to complete this week’s writing.com fantasy newsletter. I completed the newsletter and submitted it about 12:00 AM Pacific Time. I went to bed, but got up when the alarm went off at 4:00 AM. I did not get much sleep or rest. not that I get much sleep anyway.

The writing.com newsletters arrive in members e-mail boxes on Wednesday, April 27. I am looking forward to reading them all because I always find them intriguing and helpful.

Writing Types on Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011

It is Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011, and I am sitting in front of my computer contemplating writing types. I did a search for writing types and came across an interesting resource for essays. The resource I discovered is Types of Writing, which discusses Traits of Effective Writing and Types of Writing. Under Types of Writing it list kinds of essays.

There are seven kinds of essays listed under Types of Writing. The essays listed are cause and effect, comparison and contrast, definition, description, narration, persuasive, and process analysis. It has been several years since I wrote an essay of any kind, so I could attempt any one of those essay types.

The celebration of Easter Sunday would make a good subject for a narrative essay. Since I no longer celebrate Easter, I would write about the way my family celebrated this holy day when I way a child. I have fond memories of the Easter and the way my family celebrated in Blackwell, Oklahoma. Then we attended Easter Sunday church services with my grandparents. Today, the only thing I do to commemorate Easter is to eat a chocolate Easter bunny with a cup of coffee. I could also write a comparison and contrast essay about the celebration of Easter.

It’s Saturday and I’m so stressed I could....

It’s Saturday and I’m so stressed I could bite the head off a pit viper and survive. That is a good metaphor, because it is fresh and expresses the way I feel. Metaphors are good writing tools, but they have to be fresh. They have to be interesting and they have to express the feeling.

Stress is also a good writing tool, but only if you can use it in a poem, story, or article. Stress without an appropriate outlet is dangerous. Stress can cause all sorts of physical and health problems for a person if it has no place to go. Writing is a good outlet for stress.

As a writer, I can use the stress I feel as the subject of a poem, story, article, or blog entry. I find that the problem, when writing about stress, it to find a good metaphor to express the feeling. In a private journal entry, it does not matter if the metaphor is lousy, because I am the only one reading it and I can always rewrite the if I want to post the entry to my blog or use it in a story. A metaphor used in a published work should not be overused rather it should be fresh.

Earth Day 2011: It is time

It is time to remember Mother Earth. It is time to look at our carbon footprint. It is time to do something to help alleviate the planet’s suffering and heal the wounds of greed. It is time to begin a grassroots project that will improve the plight of Earth.

Writing.com Contests & Activities Newsletter

Writing.com has several weekly newsletters, which come out on Wednesday. I enjoy all the newsletters because each one is inspiring. This week’s contests & activities newsletter, which Spidey edited, reminded me that entering a contest is a good way to learn. Entering a contest lets a writer step outside her comfort zone by attempting a new form or genre. It gives a writer a chance to learn by reading other entries, I find that reading other entries exposes me to different viewpoints and this is another way to learn.

Playing Videos

The following videos are from goviral network click on the video and enjoy.

An Earth Day Website with the 2011 theme

Earth Day is Friday, April 22, 2011. The theme this year is A Billion Acts of Green. To participate in this campaign go to the Earth Day 2011 website and click on Pledge an Act of Green. My act of green is to reduce waste by going paperless; I am having my monthly bills sent electronically to my e-mail.

Evian Baby Inside – US version

Evian’s new Live young experience is a film and interactive music video. This video shows people wearing t-shirts with babies on them. The people are dancing; I could watch all day long. Click on the video below and enjoy the dance.

Writing Type: Poetry Forms - Tongue Twister Poems

This is week 15 of the Poetic Exploration challenge on writing.com. The form this week is tongue twister poetry. A tongue twister poem is a poem whose lines and verses are difficult to read aloud because they contains words using similar consonant in succession (alliteration). This for requires neither end rhyme nor internal rhyme. Click on the following links to read more about this poetry form Tongue Twisters and Tongue Twister Poem.

Longer days in Las Vegas

Sunset illumines
The boulder on the corner
A neighbor’s dog barks

The house on the corner has boulders placed in the front yard. The while boulders reflect both the rising and sitting sun, this evening the seem especially beautiful; perhaps it is because the days are growing longer and warmer.

Writing Tools: Daily Newspaper

Until today, I never thought of a daily newspaper as a tool for writers; however, this morning’s paper an intriguing article that suggested a story. The article was on the religious page and it concerned nails from the Cross. Apparently, those nails are religious artifacts and are supposed to confer some type of power on the person who has them in his or possession.

I am going to read the daily paper a little more closely from now on. In addition, I am keeping notes on any articles I find that may suggest a story or poem.

What are the future challenges for cities?

What are the future challenges for cities? I live in a city, so I am aware of some of the present challenges; however, I am not sure about the future issues facing those living in cities. In the following video, Sir Ken Robinson, Creativity Expert and President of Emeritus, University of Warwick talks about the future problems facing cities. Click on the video to hear what Sir Robinson has to say.

Genre: A Senryu

sci-fi fantasy
write flash fiction poetry
need a spell checker

How are healthy, vibrant cities created?

How are healthy, vibrant cities created? I would love to know the answer to this question. In the following video, Professor and author, Richard Florida states his views on creating livable cities. Click on the video to hear what Mr. Florida has to say.

Research: A Senryu

Looking for a form
I search internet websites
Poetry inspired

How will climate change affect cities?

How will climate change affect cities? This question concerns me. In the following video, Ken Livingstone, who was the Mayor of London from 2000 to 2008, states his views on sustainability in cities. Click on the video to hear what Mr. Livingstone says.

The difference between Senryu and Haiku

Contest: A Senryu

Rules carefully read
Then stanza by stanza write
Syllable and rhyme

The senryu and haiku are both Japanese poetry forms of 5, 7, 5 syllables. The subject of a senryu concerns human nature or a similar subject, while the haiku covers nature. I have noticed that sometimes, I misidentify my senryu as haiku. I will attempt to correct this in the future.

Contest: A Haiku

Birds are racing past
Their wings beating in the wind
The winner descends

What Characteristics Make Cities Livable?

What characteristics make cities livable? As a city dweller, I have often asked myself this question. The Director of The Philips Center for Health and Well-Being, Katy Hartley shares her views on meeting the challenges encountered in growing cities. Click on the video blow and hear what Ms. Hartley has to say.

Book Review: A Haiku

As I read the book
The action held me spellbound
This is worth keeping

Do safety and security help cities flourish?

Do safety and security help cities flourish? I think so, but then I am a city girl and interested in what the experts have to say about this subject. Ismael Fernández Mejía is an architect, Urban Planner and ISOCARP President. In the following video, he gives his views on this subject. Click on the video and see what Mr. Mejia has to say.

My mother is 90 years old

I watch Mom eating
A peanut butter sandwich
She looks like Grandma

I did not realize until I watched Mom eating her breakfast today how much she looked like her mother. I knew Mom acted like Grandma, because Mom wants to do everything for herself just like her mother.

Can cities help over 65s live independently?

Can cities help over 65s live independently? I certainly hope so, because I will soon be 65 and I want to live independently as long as possible. In the following video, Everette Dennis, who is the director of the International Longevity Centre, expresses his views on this subject.

A nice day in Las Vegas

A beautiful day
A breeze caresses the trees
Not too hot or cold

It is a nice day in Las Vegas. The sun shines and warms the air. A breeze blows through the trees. My neighborhood is quiet and peaceful. I look out my window and see a plane fly past going to another city. It is a nice day to live in Las Vegas.

What makes cities livable?

What makes cities livable? What are the challenges facing our growing cities? As a city dweller, I have often asked these questions myself. Now I have an opportunity to see what the leading experts say about these subjects. Click on the video and listen to this discussion.

Birds fly into the wind

A windy Wednesday
Birds flying into the wind
The limbs of trees wave

It is another windy day in Las Vegas. According to the meteorologist the wind is out of the northeast, I look out my living room wind and watch the birds fly into the wind. I watch the limbs of trees waving in the wind. I pray that the wind does not blow hard enough to blow down the remaining pine tree in my yard.

I am a member of Writing.com

I am a member of writing.com. I joined writing.com on October 31, 2002. I joined because I enjoy writing and wanted a place I could post my work. I, also, wanted feedback from other writers and readers, I receive both on writing.com. Since joining my poems and stories received reviews with suggestions concerning improvements.
Visit My Portfolio @ Writing.Com

Writing Types: Working with poetry forms

Some poetry forms are hard and some are easy. When working with a specific form, I find that going with my first thoughts is best. Sometimes I push the first idea aside and attempt to think of another, but that does not work. If I push the first idea aside then I put off writing the poem because I am waiting for a “better” idea.

This is week 14 of the Poetic Exploration challenge on writing.com. The challenge begins on Sunday, the day we receive the form of the week in our e-mail boxes, and ends on Saturday. The poem can be posted any time the week. Tyburn is the form we are working with this week.

Tyburn is a six-line poem with a syllable count of 2, 2, 2, 2, 9, 9 per line. The first four lines contain descriptive rhyming words. The final two line rhyme, with the words of the first, second, third, and fourth lines used in the fifth through eighth syllables. This is not an easy form to use because of the rhyme scheme and syllable count. The title of my Tyburn poem is “Chocolate Easter Bunny”. I posted the poem in my port in the book “Writing In Snow”. Visit My Portfolio @ Writing.Com

Writing Tools: A Time to Write

An author needs a time to write, period during the day to sit down at the computer and compose a novel, article, short story, essay or poem. Some writers chose a specific time to work, while others take extra seconds, minutes, and hours they can find during the day or the night. Picking a specific time is best, but sometimes this is not possible and you have to take moments away from another activity because a writer must write.

Scheduling a specific time to write is like going out of the house to work every day. If you have a writing schedule then you can schedule a day off and take a break. Scheduling a specific time to write require discipline and emphasizing to the people in your life that this is your job and you are working. It also allows your muse to know when to begin composing your creative effort.

A schedule is good because besides writing time, you can include housekeeping, shopping, etc. on the schedule. When setting the schedule, an author needs to understand and expect interruptions. Sometimes the interruptions are emergencies, but often they are doorbells, telephones, and companions wanting attention.

The author must decide which of these interruptions need handling immediately and which to put off until later. The best way to handle these interruptions is to give them A, B, and C priorities. Once the priorities are established then it is up to the author to respond appropriately to the interruptions.

Email Marketing

I am looking for an effective and fast way to increase my revenue, so I am looking into email marketing. Email marketing will allow me to send product information to my customers at Internet speeds. Therefore, I am looking for a platform that will assist me in this process. I want a platform that will let me easily create and manage a marketing campaign.

Since I do not yet have a large client list. I want a platform that has a low monthly rate, but still allows me to send information to all of my customers. I want the ability to send unlimited emails to clients address. In addition, I want to be able to increase my client list with a minimum increase in costs because once I begin a campaign I expect my customer address list to grow.

I am looking for a business email marketing company that lets me create an effective campaign. I want a platform that gives me the ability to schedule when the emails go to my customers. I want the ability to track the effectiveness of the campaign, with reports that give me usable information. I am looking for an experienced email marketing company that offers flexibility and value to business large and small.

Writing Book Reviews

I do a lot of reviewing on writing.com. I usually write reviews of flash fiction, short stories, poetry, and novel chapters. This year I am expanding to reviewing entire books; therefore, I decided to search for information on writing book reviews and found several educational articles.

I have written book reviews and posted a few in this blog a couple of years ago. After rereading those reviews, I decided I could do a better job, which is why I looked for information on writing reviews. Beginning next Thursday, I will write and post a book review. I have already read the book, so all I have to do is write the review.

National Poetry Month

In 1996, the Academy of American Poets, initiated National Poetry Month; therefore, every April we celebrate poetries place in our culture. Check out Poets.org from The Academy of American Poets.

Why enter writing contests?

Writing contests are a good way to publication. Many of the contest offer publication as one of the prizes; however, a writer must be careful about choosing a writing contest. Therefore, before entering a writing contest, I suggest researching or investigating the contest before entering.

It takes time to research a contest, but the time spent is worth it because some of the contests are not what they appear. Some of these “contests” require an author to purchase the anthology his or her creative effort is published. So before entering a contest investigate the contest or just enter contests that you know are authentic.

I am looking for a business logo

I am looking for a business logo. I want a logo to make my business stand out. I want a unique custom designed, so that customers will think of my business when they see it. I want a logo that fits my business. I want a logo that takes my customers breath away the first time they see it. I want a "WOW!" logo.

Since my creative talent is writing rather then graphic design, I need to find an established company with several years experience to design my logo. I am looking for a logo design firm that has an in-house design team, with experience creating different types of logos that are unique to the business or person using them. I want a company that guarantees their service and gives me several examples from which to choose.

I am looking for a company that guarantees customer satisfaction with the logos design. I want a company that will work with me and has several reasonably priced design packages so that I can find one to fit my needs and budget. I am looking for a professional team of logo designers who will make any changes to the logo once I chose the design that I like.

The types of writing I have accomplished in 2011

Since January 1, 2011, I have accomplished several different types of writing. I have composed blog entries, written poetry, flash fiction, short stories, an article, and four newsletters. I have posted some of the items in my port on writing.com.

I have not written a personal essay this year. I think that is the next type I want to attempt. I have not attempted several other types of writing. I would like to attempt travel writing this year; however, the only place I have traveled to is Meadows Mall in Las Vegas, Nevada. I have not left Las Vegas in several years, which does not preclude travel writing. It does limit the subjects I can cover.

In the past few years, I have traveled to Search Light, Nevada, to visit my sister. I have also gone to Henderson because my mother’s doctor is there. I have not left Nevada in several years. I want a vacation, but that does not look feasible. In absence of a vacation, I will investigate travel articles and write something about a staycation.

I do not have to go to the Las Vegas Strip to take a staycation. Las Vegas has other attractions besides the Strip. I will take a staycation and write an article about that. It will give me practice in writing travel articles.

Visit My Portfolio @ Writing.Com

Searching for Writer’s Tools

Words a writer’s tools
Black words typed on a white page
A fresh perspective

I did an internet search for writer’s tools and found some helpful sources that I will review in later posts. Some of the sources were of no help because they were out dated. This caused me to think about words, the basic tool of a writer.

Words make up phrases, sentences, and paragraphs, which we use to create posts, stories, poems, and novels. The words we use must be fresh, so when we research our sources must be recent. In stories and poems, our words find their basis in memory, imagination and research; therefore, the sources of our research must be fresh to help spur on our words.

What is a good genre for an April Fools Day story?

Today is April 1, April Fools’ Day, and I have been wondering what genre is good for an April Fools’ Day story. Comedy is the first genre that comes to mind, but it is not the only one to use. Science Fiction, fantasy, and romance would make good genres as well.

I thank romance would make a good genre for an April Fools’ Day story, but then I write bitter love poems; so that may explain the reason I would pick romance for this type of story. In fact, I did write an April Fools’ Story that was also a romance. The story is still on my hard drive; I will have to find it and post it in my writing.com port.

I have two April Fools Day stories to write today. One is a flash fiction, with a deadline of midnight Eastern Time. The other is a short story (1,000 words or less) and its deadline is April 2 at noon Eastern Time. Each of the stories has a prompt because they are entries in two contests on writing.com. I think one of the stories will be a romance, but the other will be either fantasy or science fiction.