Monthly Archives: March 2008

Books for writers

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Sorry for the lack of images. Problem within the template, not due to laziness on my part.

Writers need books. Here are my favorites:

On Writing Well (The Classic Guide to Writing Non-Fiction) by William Zinsser. An overview of different non-fiction pieces – sports, memoir, travel articles, etc. Zinsser explains the use of style, humor and voice. I’m sure if he were writing it today, a chapter on writing for an Internet audience would be included. Every serious writer needs this classic on his or her bookshelf.

The Creative Call (An Artist’s Response to the Way of the Spirit) by Janice Elsheimer is in a workbook-style format with questions in each chapter to guide you. Excellent for the adult who wants to get back to that “first love” passion to pursue writing (Elsheimer’s book applies to other artists, as well. Painters, photographers, even web designers, if they think of their work as artistic.)

Take Joy (A Writer’s Guide to Loving the Craft) by Jane Yolen. I’m crazy for Jane Yolen and I love her voice on the page. The last two pages are so lovely, they deserve to be tacked above my desk so I can re-read them at a glance.

The Courage to Write (How Writers Transcend Fear) by Ralph Keyes. I’ve mentioned this before. Writers need courage. Writers are brave. This book helped me understand the connection.

Plot and Structure (Techniques and exercises for crafting a plot that grips readers from start to finish) by James Scott Bell. Want to write page-turning fiction, but don’t know how to start? Cheaper than an online class or writer’s conference, yet full of practical, how-to advice, Bell’s book is a treasure.

These are my top books for writers. What are yours?

Mom’s night out

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So. Met a bunch of moms from the Christian home schooler’s group last night for dinner, book-sharing, and general, friendly chat. And it was. I don’t know what it is with this group, but I’m having a heck of a time getting to know these people.

It’s not that they’re not friendly, it’s just been slow going. I suspect it’s because they are all busy home schooling their kids and they have no time for the likes of me. This was also a rare occasion of us getting together without kids. I find it difficult to have meaningful conversation when my children are around. Too distracting.

I love talking to the moms who are nearing the finish line with their home schooling journey. One mom, her face just lit up when I asked her what it was like to be in the home stretch, to be almost done. She said she was retiring.

And educating your kids really is like a full-time job, so it makes sense to look at it that way. She’s got five years to go. I figure I’ve got at least 13, Lord willing.

If you home school your children, how long to do plan to do so?

Blogging – a metaphor

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Good questions, Ann.

Blogging is like being in a crowded room with everyone talking at once.

Some popular bloggers have a lot to say, talk really fast and get a lot of attention. I think the majority of the women (and I say women, because almost all of the blogs I read are written by females) quietly contribute to the conversation, with a lot of one-on-one interaction. Somehow all this chatter makes sense. We certainly are a noisy group, aren’t we?

What do you think? Ann asked two questions: How would you explain blogging to your mother? and What’s your blogging metaphor? Add your answer to her Mr. Linky, but be sure to leave me a comment so I know you did.