Every writer, whether amateur or professional, has a favorite way to write. Maya Angelou liked to write longhand on yellow legal pads. Stephen King used an old word processor for many years. There’s another famous author whose name escapes me who would dictate his stories into a tape recorder and…
Tag: Writing
Creativity
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Poetry Moment – The Heat is On
I think we’ve all been experiencing ridiculously high temperatures lately. Here in North Florida we’re almost hitting triple digits this week. It worries me that we’re seeing this kind of heat at the beginning of summer…makes me wonder what August will bring. I’d really like a bit of shade…
Books
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Can Books Improve Your Mental Health?
Apparently, they can. Bibliotherapy is an approach to mental health treatments being used by Dr. Martina Schlotens, a Canadian physiatrist. She will prescribe books to patients based on their needs. The reading prescription can be done as a solo treatment or in conjunction with other treatments. While it may sound…
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June is Rainbow Book Month
June 1st is the start of Rainbow Book Month, which is an opportunity to celebrate LGBTQIA+ literature and authors. The American Library Association is providing free publicity materials (like the image above), as well as links to awards and suggested reading lists. With all the recent censorship here in the…
Creativity
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A Unique Writing Lesson
Kayleigh Sloan is one of those amazing teachers who can get the attention of students and help them understand the lesson. The first and second-grade teacher was helping her students understand the importance of descriptive writing when she decided to take the lesson one step further. She had asked the…
Creativity
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National Teachers’ Day
With the current state of education here in the U.S., and how it is slowly being eroded into something else entirely, I want to shine a spotlight on National Teachers’ Day. Note: Technically, the entire week of May 5 through May 9 is set aside to celebrate educators, today is…
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National Poetry Month – Closing Thoughts
And today we reach the end of National Poetry Month here in the U.S. I’ve enjoyed posting (almost) daily in an attempt to spread the word about the wonders of poetry and some of the poets who have influenced and inspired me. To me, poetry can be a powerful force…
Books
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An Ode to Reference Books
When I was a kid I loved reference books. My dictionary (a Merriam-Webster’s, of course) was a constant companion. When I came across a word I didn’t know when reading a book or short story, I’d immediately look it up. I also put checkmarks next to each word I researched. …
Creativity
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Poetry Moment – The Lost Pages
I was cleaning out a filing cabinet in my office recently and stumbled upon my creative writing journal from 1995. This was my second year of college and I still had a lot to learn about creative writing. Looking back through these pages – after blowing away the dust and…
Books
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Reading and Creativity
If you follow my blog, you know I’m a passionate reader. I always have been. My father taught me my letters and worked with me on my reading when I was very young, and I was reading at a college level while still in elementary school. I love words, reading…