Writing

Fun, Easy Poetry

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For today I chose to share two poems that I created from classic works of literature.  This type of poetry is part of “Found Poetry” and is known as “Erasure Poetry”.  You simply select some text from your favorite book, a newspaper, magazine, etc.  Then you take out (erase) words and create a poem of sorts from the text.  Always be sure to list the text you took your Erasure Poem from to avoid charges of plagiarism.

I found this type of poetry quite delightful when turning to the classics.  It was easy to create poetry this way and it was fun to do.

The Importance of Working Together by Kelly F. Barr

Mole and Rat went to work;
Rat cared for the horse,
lit a fire,
cleaned cups and platters
and got ready for breakfast.

Mole trudged to the village
for milk, eggs
and various necessities,
Toad had forgotten.

The hard work had been done
by the time Toad appeared.
He was fresh and cheery,
remarking what a pleasant easy
life it was now
compared with the cares and worries
of housekeeping at home.

*Taken from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Tea Party by Kelly F. Barr

Wonderful tea
with a nice brown egg,
lightly boiled,
sardines on toast,
buttered toast,
toast with honey,
and a sugar-topped cake.

When Lucy tired of eating,
the Faun began to talk:
Wonderful tales
of life in the forest.

He told of midnight dances;
of how the Nymphs and Dryads
came out to dance with the Fauns;
about hunting the milk-white stag
who could give you wishes
if you caught him;
and about treasure-seeking
with the wild Red Dwarfs
beneath the forest floor.

*Taken from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

 

Okay, so even if you’re not a poet or aren’t interested in poetry, I’m sure you could create an Erasure Poem.  Why not give it a try?  Let me know if you do by posting your poem or a link to it in the comments section below.  Have fun!

Wordless Wednesday/Writing Prompt Wednesday

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Easter 2009 and 4-13-09 097

I came upon a road
that twisted and turned through a wood.
Upon my back I carried a heavy load
I’d rid myself of if I could.

I trudged and plodded along
until I crossed your path.
You were kind, merciful and strong.
You eased my burden, gave me peace, love and made me laugh.

Now You and I walk side by side
and when I’m weak, you carry me.
You are my constant guide.
You are molding me into what I was meant to be.

 

I wrote this poem, creating each stanza to be a Quatrain.

Have you written any poetry for National Poetry Month yet? Maybe you feel some inspiration when you look at my photo above. Go ahead, try and write a poem about it, and post it or a link to it in the comments section below.

Life of a Bookworm

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For my first poem for April – National Poetry Month, I have decided to attempt to write a couplet.  I hope you enjoy it!

Life of a Bookworm

Page after page I turn,
the midnight oil I’ll burn
because I cannot stop
til the climax I top.
I have a need to know
to whom her heart will go.

 

Have you written any poetry for April yet?  If so, leave a link in the comments section below.

Flash Fiction Friday: New Life

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Janice watched her daughter observe a chicken egg hatch under an incubator lamp.

Sally’s eyes were wide with wonder.  She held her breath as a tiny beak broke through the shell.  She  squealed with delight when a wet, scrawny little head popped out.

When the chick finally fully emerged it was wet.  Sally could see a lot of pink skin.  The chick was wobbly.

“Oh, Mommy, it’s so ugly.”

Janice smiled.  “In a few hours when it is fully dry, it will be a yellow ball of fluff.  Let’s go have our breakfast.”

After breakfast Sally ran out to the barn.  The chick was indeed drying out, but it still looked unpleasant.

In the afternoon Sally went to look again.  The chick was indeed a little yellow ball of fluff. Sally and her mother giggled as they watched the chick eat a bit of growing mash, gather some water in its tiny beak and tilt its head back to let the water trickle down its throat.

Together, mother and daughter marveled at new life.

Flash Fiction Friday: Beloved Haven

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She ran; her feelings battered and bruised.  Tired of the name calling, taunting and mocking.

Up the stairs, into her room she went.  She closed the door.  She leaned against it.  Her chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath.  Relief washed over her.

This was her sanctuary.  She walked to her bookshelves covering two of the four walls.  She ran her hand tenderly, lovingly over the spines.  These were her friends.  They welcomed her.  They nourished her soul.  These friends took her on adventures to far off places.

She could open any one of these and find love, understanding and friendship.  Here was her refuge, her home.  Her only wish: to remain here forever; to never have to face the cruelty outside this door, outside these pages again.

Reply Like No One’s Watching (Writing Tag)

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WP_20160301_14_00_26_Pro

This is so exciting!  My very first writer’s Q & A, thanks to my friend Eve Messenger.  Eve has some great stuff about writing and reading that she shares on her blog, so take some time to visit her if you can.

Eve’s Questions

  1.  What are three things you do really well as a writer?  I will say, based on something an editor friend told me, I am good at spelling, grammar and beats.
  2. When you daydream about “making it” as a writer, what do you visualize?  This is easy.  I visualize helping provide toward the household income to a place where we can keep our bills paid and also be able to take a vacation every year.  I also visualize having a loyal group of readers and enjoying successful Book signings.
  3. Do you have a regular writing routine?  If so, when?  This is still a struggle for me, but I am finding more time to sit down and write on weeknights, sometimes even Saturday and Sunday, but nothing is yet an actual routine.  After the end of the current school year, I will only have one child left that i will be homeschooling, having graduated the other two, and I hope to be able to create a regular writing routine then.
  4. Dogs or cats?  Definitely dogs!  I love animals, but dogs are definitely my pet of choice.  They are loving, loyal and obedient.  We had to say goodbye to our first black Labrador Retriever last summer, but we currently have another one that I love.
  5. What’s directly to the left of where you are sitting right now?  My kitchen.  I do most of my writing at the dining room table.
  6. When do most of your plot ideas come to you?  In bed, on walks, in the shower, while driving, while reading other books?  In bed.  Most of my writing ideas, whether plot, characters, or anything else come to me when I am in bed.  I keep a notebook and pen beside my bed so that I can write them down, otherwise they don’t let me sleep.
  7. What’s your most recent writing breakthrough?  Realizing that not every story conflict has to be really big.  A story has to have lots of conflict to keep the story moving and the readers reading and I always thought conflicts had to be big, but at a recent writers’ retreat I shared that I was struggling with putting enough conflicts into my story.  One of the ladies made a suggestion for a very simple conflict and that’s when I realized not every story conflict has to be really big.  It has helped me get back to my writing and to be able to write enough conflicts to keep the story interesting.
  8. Are you able to write in noisy environments?  My answer to this question is both yes and no.  Yes, I can write in a noisy cafe or mall food court because I know none of the noise there has to do with me.  No, I can’t write in my own home if it’s noisy because I usually have to be involved in the noise in some capacity.  The home noise directly affects me; cafe and mall food court noise does not directly affect me making it easy for me to tune it out.
  9. Have you ever attended a book signing event for an author you admire?  If so, what was it like?  This is an interesting question.  The only book signing I ever went to on purpose for the book signing was because the author had been one of my favorite teen t.v. stars who had written his first book.  The line was quite long and they actually ran out of books and he signed book plates to hand out that you could paste into your book when it arrived.  I received a book plate and also was able to get my photo taken with the author.  I would say his book signing was a huge success, but I believe a lot of that success was due to his previous television fame.
  10. Are you better at coming up with titles or elevator pitches?  I struggle with both of these, but I would have to say I’m better at coming up with elevator pitches.  I find it a bit easier to summarize and pitch my writing than to come up with a really good, catchy title for something I’ve written.

Tag, You’re It:

Laura L. Zimmerman

Sue

Blue Moon Thinker

Donna L. H. Smith

The Rules:
1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link to their blog and Twitter in your post.
2. Answer the questions that the blogger who nominated you has provided.
3. Nominate up to 10 other bloggers or Twitter followers
4. Create ten questions for your nominees and notify them of their nomination.

Kelly Barr’s Questions:

  1.  Who are your top three favorite authors?
  2.   Are you a plotter, pantser or something in between?
  3.   Where do you do most of your writing?  At a cafe, a room in your house, etc.?
  4.   What’s the biggest writing challenge you are currently facing?
  5.   Do you listen to music while you write?  If so, what kind?
  6.   Coffee, tea or hot chocolate?
  7.   If you could ask any writer, past or present, one question, who would the writer be and what would you ask?
  8.   How do you get past being stuck in your writing?
  9.   What do you do to relax?
  10.   What is your favorite movie that’s based on a book?

 

Flash Fiction Friday: For the Love of a Viking

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“What kinds of things do you dream about, Samara?”

“I don’t dream.  Dreams are a waste of time for people like us.”

“I dream.  I dream of a man falling in love with me and taking me away from this place some day.  A man in whose arms I will feel safe.  A man whose kisses will send electrical currents pulsing through me.”

“You are crazy.  The only men that would ever love you or me wouldn’t have the ability to take us from this place.  They would be of this place too.  No one from outside notices the likes of us, Maisy, and the sooner you accept that the better off you’ll be.”

“But what of Gunnar?  I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Samara.  I think he would like to take you away from here.”

“Gunnar is a Viking.  The only thing he wants with me is to take me to his bed.  Vikings use women like us.  They do not love women like us.”

Maisy hung her head and grew quiet.

Samara looked at Maisy.  When Maisy raised her head again, Samara could see tears glistening in her eyes.

“What is it, Maisy?  Has something happened?”

“I have been in Eskil’s bed.  He told me he loves me.  I am with child.  Do you really think Eskil will leave me behind when his ship sails again?”

“Oh Maisy, I’m so sorry.  Forget about my pessimistic rantings.  I am a bitter woman, but you, you are like a soft flower.  I’m sure that if Eskil said he loves you,  tis true.  Surely he will not leave you when he knows you carry his child.”

Samara hoped she was right as she saw relief wash over Maisy’s face, but Samara didn’t trust any man, least of all a Viking.

The 7/7/7 Challenge

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7-7-7 challenge

Writing friend, Eve Messenger, tagged me for this fun 7/7/7 challenge.  I told a couple of writing friends about it already, and they can’t wait to participate too.

So, here are the rules (they’re really quite simple):

  • Go to page 7 of your work-in-progress.
  • Scroll down to line #7.
  • Share the next 7 lines of your manuscript in a blog post.
  • Tag 7 other writers (with blogs) to continue the challenge.

My Little Morsel

He reached the bottom of the stairs, turned to enter the dining room and collided with a pretty, young lady.

“Oh!”

“Uh, excuse me, Miss.”  Johnny could feel the heat creeping into his face but he couldn’t take his eyes off of the pretty face in front of him.  She had a narrow nose that turned up just a bit at the end, brown eyes with golden flecks and full lips.  A couple of strawberry blonde curls had escaped her hair knot and were framing her attractive face.

“Be more careful turning corners around here,” she said.

“Well, I see you’ve met the mistress of the house, Johnny.”

NOMINEES:

Laura L. Zimmerman

Donna L. H. Smith

Lisa Betz

Jill Printzenhoff

(I apologize but four is all I can come up with.  I know quite a few other writers, but many are already published and established and don’t do these kinds of posts or other writers I know don’t have blogs yet.)

 

 

Faeries/Fairies — Good or Bad

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Last Thursday I got into a discussion about faeries with a writing friend.  I have always envisioned faeries as good, kind and friendly.  My friend, however, said that they were written about in Literature, in Victorian times, as good, kind and friendly, but that originally they were mean, ugly and evil.

That piece of information disturbed me because I have an idea for some short fiction pieces that involve a good, kind, friendly fairy.  My friend said that I could still create a fairy like that if I wanted to.

So last night I did a little research, for about two-and-a-half hours, and visited six different websites with information about the history of faeries/fairies.

Let’s start with the spelling —  faerie is the original spelling which derived from “Fe erie”, meaning the enchantment of the Fees, while Fe is derived from Fay, which is itself derived from Fatae, or the Fates.

The modern term “fairy” is linked to fairy tales, which in their modern form have little to do with actual faeries.

For the rest of this post, I will use the modern, more common spelling “fairy”.

Fairies are mythical creatures.  The myths began in Europe and eventually made their way to the United States and other countries.

According to the myths, not all fairies are bad, nor are all fairies good.  A common belief is that fairies are fallen angels who are not good enough for heaven nor bad enough for Hell.

Some of the myths talk about good, helpful fairies who interact with humans and help them around the house with things like sweeping and making bread rise.  It is said that they do not want humans to thank them and that they can be temperamental.  That is why people refer to them as “the little folk”, “the fair folk”, “the good neighbors”, etc.  People called them these things in order to avoid attracting their attention and to avoid insulting them.

There are two types of fairies — The Trooping Fairies and the Solitary Fairies.  The Trooping Fairies are the ones who don’t mind associating with humans a bit.  The Solitary Fairies prefer to be left alone.

All fairies have the power to bestow continual good fortune or continual bad luck upon humans, which is why humans try to avoid attracting their attention or insulting them.

To summarize, in all that I have read, there is information to support that there are both good and bad fairies.

Finally, since fairies are fictional characters, and I am a fiction writer, and since there is information to support both good and bad fairies, I feel quite comfortable writing some short fiction that includes at least one good fairy.  (You may even see some of my short fiction with the good fairy right here on this blog.)

*Note:  The information in Italics was taken from http://www.medbherenn.com/faerie-lore.html, one of the websites I visited during my research.

Flash Fiction

/ kellyfbarr / 5 Comments

I heard and read a lot about flash fiction and it fascinates me.  Therefore, I decided to attempt to write a piece of Flash Fiction here on my blog:

She heard a wolf howl somewhere in the distance.  Her horse snorted and began to swivel his ears rapidly.  She leaned forward, rubbed his neck and spoke soothingly to him.      She heard some low growls and her horse darted forward.  A pack of wolves ran past them in the snow.                                                                                                                                                               That’s odd.  They didn’t try to attack us.                                                                                           She urged her horse forward cautiously.  They rounded a bend and her horse stopped.  The wolves were about fifty feet in front of them, circling something in the snow, growling and gnashing their teeth.                                                                                                              She knew she wouldn’t get her horse any closer to those wolves, but she had to see what it was they were after.  She climbed down, attached a longer rope to her horse’s reins and grabbed her rifle.                                                                                                                              She approached the pack quietly.  The pack was so intent on their prey, they didn’t notice her.  When she was about twenty feet from them she fired her rifle in the air.  The wolves ran a couple of yards in the opposite direction, then stopped and looked back.  She had reloaded and she stared the pack down.  She fired a shot in their direction but above their heads.  They took off and didn’t look back again.                                She approached something lying on the ground.  Her senses were heightened as she remained wary of her surroundings.  Her horse nickered, snorted, and pawed the ground where he waited.                                                                                                                                   She gasped and fell to her knees in the snow.  It was a man!  He was unconscious but his pulse was strong.  She tugged on the rope attached to her horse.  The horse came to her and she tied one end of the rope around the man’s waist.  Then she threw the other end over her horse’s saddle, looped it around the saddle horn and went to the other side of the horse.  She tied the loose end of the rope around her own waist, sat on the ground and began pulling the rope with all of her might.  She pulled and pulled having to pause now and then.  Her arm muscles burned but she kept pulling until the man was over her horse’s back.  She held the rope taught, approached her horse and made sure the gentleman was placed so that his middle was across the saddle with head hanging on one side and legs and feet hanging on the other side of the horse.  She secured him so that he wouldn’t fall.                                                                                                                                       She headed back to town leading her horse, relieved that she had found him.

 

Some of you may think it’s a bit long for flash fiction.  It’s 414 words.  I’ve read that flash fiction can vary in length but that it is always less than 1,500 words.  I know most flash fiction writers challenge themselves to write less than 300 words, some even less than that.

I am satisfied with 414 words on my first attempt.  I enjoyed writing this and I like it.  I hope you will enjoy it as well.  By the way, I know I overused the word “she” and probably “horse” as well, but that was deliberate on my part.  I have a reason for doing so.   Maybe I’ll make a regular post out of flash fiction, like my blogger friend Melanie Noell Bernard.  You can visit her blog and check out her “Flash Fiction Friday” posts by clicking her link on the sidebar — she’s #6.

What about you?  Have you ever tried to write flash fiction?  Do you enjoy it?  What do you think of my first attempt?