tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11340402292279133132024-03-16T14:52:01.317-04:00Words and Sucha page out of one writer's notebookKenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.comBlogger457125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-9800987280391249172020-12-31T14:57:00.000-05:002020-12-31T14:57:10.402-05:00For the New Year and Beyond<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-quoColNinUc/X-32GKxyitI/AAAAAAAAEMw/gu6a6us3hr0NaAcyadlPrisX4JMVAjtwQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1650/The%2BLord%2Bbless%2Byou%2Band%2Bkeep%2Byou%253B%2Bthe%2BLord%2Bmake%2Bhis%2Bface%2Bshine%2Bn%2Byou%2Band%2Bbe%2Bgracious%2Bto%2Byou%253B%2Bthe%2BLord%2Bturn%2Bhis%2Bface%2Btoward%2Byou%2Band%2Bgive%2Byou%2Bpeace.%2B%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="1650" height="447" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-quoColNinUc/X-32GKxyitI/AAAAAAAAEMw/gu6a6us3hr0NaAcyadlPrisX4JMVAjtwQCLcBGAsYHQ/w578-h447/The%2BLord%2Bbless%2Byou%2Band%2Bkeep%2Byou%253B%2Bthe%2BLord%2Bmake%2Bhis%2Bface%2Bshine%2Bn%2Byou%2Band%2Bbe%2Bgracious%2Bto%2Byou%253B%2Bthe%2BLord%2Bturn%2Bhis%2Bface%2Btoward%2Byou%2Band%2Bgive%2Byou%2Bpeace.%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="578" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;">photo taken on walk, December 2020</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hear this blessing in song featuring <i><span style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiWZXLsdE9w"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Kids from Different Nations</span></a></span>. </i>Beautiful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With wishes for a blessed and healthy new year to all who stop by here at <span style="font-family: arial;">Words and Such</span>. This post marks the completion of eleven years of blogging. What a rich and blessed ride it has been. Thanks to all whom I've met on the journey and any who randomly drop by. May all your (writing and otherwise) dreams come true.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy New Year!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">_________________________________________</span></div><p></p>Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-1050892112140245312020-11-30T17:08:00.010-05:002020-11-30T20:44:07.867-05:00On Kind Words: a Japanese Proverb<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yldYovVkx7I/X8Vrl2seSOI/AAAAAAAAEMY/51A8DK9F9jIfXaeKzLfSYYN7rNvvapEmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1650/Charles%2BM%2BSchulz.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="1650" height="404" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yldYovVkx7I/X8Vrl2seSOI/AAAAAAAAEMY/51A8DK9F9jIfXaeKzLfSYYN7rNvvapEmwCLcBGAsYHQ/w523-h404/Charles%2BM%2BSchulz.jpg" width="523" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;">one day at the end of November 2020<br /></span></i><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br />____________________________</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-65209431428703828472020-10-26T17:03:00.000-04:002020-10-26T17:03:20.588-04:00End-of-October Reflection<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-27qNpj-pZzA/X5c0xIrBuSI/AAAAAAAAEL8/Nfak6IKLBBoobiiOZuMisCPqgMK2u9wUQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/_Never%2Bforget%2Bthe%2Bthree%2Bpowerful%2Bresources%2Byou%2Balways%2Bhave%2Bavailable%2Bto%2Byou_%2Blove%252C%2Bprayer%252C%2Band%2Bforgiveness._%2B%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="350" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-27qNpj-pZzA/X5c0xIrBuSI/AAAAAAAAEL8/Nfak6IKLBBoobiiOZuMisCPqgMK2u9wUQCLcBGAsYHQ/w492-h350/_Never%2Bforget%2Bthe%2Bthree%2Bpowerful%2Bresources%2Byou%2Balways%2Bhave%2Bavailable%2Bto%2Byou_%2Blove%252C%2Bprayer%252C%2Band%2Bforgiveness._%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="492" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;">October 2020<br /></span></i><br /><span style="color: #b45f06;">______________________________</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-23865647843825955752020-09-30T20:31:00.000-04:002020-09-30T20:31:52.376-04:00And Above All According to Dahl<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2PQ0uC-DTi0/X3UTLJ0KS-I/AAAAAAAAELM/3PGPD75Lp4Uj6WzXp-JFcuuLCbInnxPKgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/_And%2Babove%2Ball%252C%2Bwatch%2Bwith%2Bglittering%2Beyes%2Bthe%2Bwhole%2Bworld%2Baround%2Byou%2Bbecause%2Bthe%2Bgreatest%2Bsecrets%2Bare%2Balways%2Bhidden%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bmost%2Bunlikely%2Bplaces._%2B%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="346" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2PQ0uC-DTi0/X3UTLJ0KS-I/AAAAAAAAELM/3PGPD75Lp4Uj6WzXp-JFcuuLCbInnxPKgCLcBGAsYHQ/w485-h346/_And%2Babove%2Ball%252C%2Bwatch%2Bwith%2Bglittering%2Beyes%2Bthe%2Bwhole%2Bworld%2Baround%2Byou%2Bbecause%2Bthe%2Bgreatest%2Bsecrets%2Bare%2Balways%2Bhidden%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bmost%2Bunlikely%2Bplaces._%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="485" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;">late September colors 2020</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">_______________________________</span></div>Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-80096667148083731312020-08-31T19:15:00.001-04:002020-08-31T19:15:57.127-04:00 What We Write: Richard Peck Quote<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mOEcmVCQb1w/X01tRHyW0GI/AAAAAAAAEJI/BcPHFtH_67Qdl6f836oWe2f6ipor93WHQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1747/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1747" height="363" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mOEcmVCQb1w/X01tRHyW0GI/AAAAAAAAEJI/BcPHFtH_67Qdl6f836oWe2f6ipor93WHQCLcBGAsYHQ/w512-h363/1.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: x-small;"><i>August 2020</i></span></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">😊</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">__________________________________</span></div>Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-8620167745823282692020-07-31T11:50:00.000-04:002020-08-03T12:19:09.194-04:00Poesy vs. Posy<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; 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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--HS5t-oKh_0/Xyg4ySZrTII/AAAAAAAAEIw/8tShlEA8AuQ9jJuWzTda1QUgKO9HNdA3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/The%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="308" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--HS5t-oKh_0/Xyg4ySZrTII/AAAAAAAAEIw/8tShlEA8AuQ9jJuWzTda1QUgKO9HNdA3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/The%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>dayflower July 2020</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Poesy</span></b> (n)--<i>poetical works, poetry, the work or the art of poetic composition (archaic); from Latin poesis, to create</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Posy</span></b> (n)--<i>a flower or a bunch of flowers, a bouquet or nosegay</i></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Poesy vs. posy</span></span></b>. The words are similar in pronunciation. The values assigned to each have similar characteristics--beauty, wonder, creativity. I discovered this little marvel of a posy along the roadside on a recent walk, the <span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">dayflower</span>. So named because it blooms for only one day. How timely I came along just on that day. As Keats says,<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i> poesy </i></span>should be a friend to soothe the cares and lift thoughts. Stumbling on a chance wildflower is like a friend as well. This <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">posy</span></i> in particular makes me think of a skier with her legs extended out of the ski lift high above the mountain!</div>
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Random and serendipitous flowers and sometimes poetry, too. Have you stumbled unexpectedly upon either one that has lifted your thoughts lately?</div>
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<br />Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-9751077316116985442020-06-30T21:43:00.003-04:002020-07-01T08:58:08.953-04:00One Word at a Time<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eOnRCwSZkdE/XvtvazcU6zI/AAAAAAAAEH4/Nvk959c0F2AjYrayiluu5bcH-gBO-iCiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/_When%2Basked%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="307" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eOnRCwSZkdE/XvtvazcU6zI/AAAAAAAAEH4/Nvk959c0F2AjYrayiluu5bcH-gBO-iCiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/_When%2Basked%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>on June walk 2020</i></span></td></tr>
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I found myself drawn to the latest revelation of roadside weeds, this specimen now proliferating up the hill where I walk. A bold plant, tall and strong and with wooly leaves, I wondered what it could be. Turns out it is <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/mullein/mullein-uses-and-disadvantages.htm" style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">mullein</span></a>, </span>a giant spike of a plant that comes from the snapdragon family and sports bright, compact yellow flowers. Throughout history the plant has gone by various names, including <i>candlewick plant</i> since it was used in Roman times as a torch, as well as <i>Jacob's staff</i> and <i>Aaron's rod</i>. But is it only a weed, or does it have any value?<br />
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Well, who knew? Although considered bothersome and weedy by some, others claim it has benefits for respiratory health. I don't know how true this is, but one can find a mullein tea on the market. What I do know is that the plant caught my attention when I chose to really look. The flowers are beautiful and the plant's presence is certainly dramatic up and down the landscape.<br />
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Staying observant, being attentive, fostering curiosity--all can play into creativity and imaginative directions in our lives. So why not stay curious and tune in, one marvel at a time? And if we take it one word (especially a kind word, a caring, encouraging, appreciative, valuing word) at a time, maybe Stephen King's writing advice can be adapted to life itself, transforming what might seem like weeds in our relationships into beneficial flowers. Yes, one (healing) word at a time...<br />
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Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-4595553765513965942020-05-31T19:55:00.001-04:002020-05-31T19:55:42.229-04:00What Writing Is...Described 22 Different Ways<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1yRkFWvfN4U/XtLbvC1ktQI/AAAAAAAAEHQ/RF-mAjaDNmgOzCdiAUHNuYflJy_zDOMZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/_I%2Blove%2Bwriting.%2BI%2Blove%2Bthe%2Bswirl%2Band%2Bswing%2Bof%2Bwords%2Bas%2Bthey%2Btangle%2Bwith%2Bhuman%2Bemotions._%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="308" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1yRkFWvfN4U/XtLbvC1ktQI/AAAAAAAAEHQ/RF-mAjaDNmgOzCdiAUHNuYflJy_zDOMZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/_I%2Blove%2Bwriting.%2BI%2Blove%2Bthe%2Bswirl%2Band%2Bswing%2Bof%2Bwords%2Bas%2Bthey%2Btangle%2Bwith%2Bhuman%2Bemotions._%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">KT Photo: May 2020</span></i></td></tr>
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I continue to be drawn to writing, even if it's only scribbling in a journal, making sense of the notes I jot down and stuff in a pocket, revisiting and revising an old project, or starting a new one. Like <span style="color: #b45f06;">James Michener</span> (above), I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle. I also love quotes. Through the years I've collected quite a few--on a variety of subjects and from all kinds of sources.</div>
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So, while recently gleaning through my collection (and trying to pare it down!), I found--not surprisingly--numerous quotes on writing. Some speak of the process of writing. Others of the joy of writing. Some share writing advice on while others inspire, stir, and admonish. But the ones that jumped out at me on this run-through were the ones that started out with <span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Writing is..." </span><br />
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Writing is...what? How to describe? Well, taking from my collection, here are 22 quotes that attempt to do just that:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1. "Writing is thinking on paper." --William Zinsser</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 2. "Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go." --E.L. Doctorow</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 3. "Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers." --Isaac Asimov</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 4. "The act of writing is the act of discovering what you believe." --Gustave Flaubert</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 5. "Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don't feel I should be doing something else." --Gloria Steinem</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 6. "Writing is not like painting where you add. It is not what you put on the canvas that the reader sees. Writing is more like a sculpture where you remove, you eliminate in order to make the work visible. Even those pages you remove somehow remain." --Elie Wiesel</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 7. "Writing is like a bird-watcher watching for birds: The stories are there; you just have to train yourself to look for them." --Barbara Micheals, author of <i>The Wizard's Daughter</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 8. "Writing is an extreme privilege but it's also a gift. It's a gift to yourself and it's a gift of giving a story to someone." --Amy Tan</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 9. "Good writing is like a windowpane." --George Orwell</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">10. "Writing is like jazz. It can be learned, but it can't be taught." --Paul Desmond</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">11. "Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words." --Mark Twain</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">12. "Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead." --Gene Fowler</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">13. "Writing is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent elimination." --Louise Brooks</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">14. "Writing a novel is a terrible experience, during which the hair often falls out and the teeth decay." --Flannery O'Connor</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">15. The act of writing is an act of optimism. You would not take the trouble to do it if you felt it didn't matter." --Edward Albee</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">16. "It's the sheer act of writing, more than anything else, that makes a writer." --John Gardner</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">17. "The act of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair." --Mary Heaton Vorse</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">18. "Writing is making sense of life. You work your whole life and perhaps you've made sense of one small area." --Nadine Gordimar</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">19. "Putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought making us think more deeply even if our writing is thrown away." --Norbet Platt</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">20. "Writing is a struggle against silence." --Carlos Fuentes</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">21. "Writing is both mask and unveiling." --E.B. White</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">22. "Planning to write is not writing. Outlining...researching...talking to people about what you're doing, none of that is writing. Writing is writing." --E.L. Doctorow</span><br />
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Which quote speaks to you the most? How would you describe writing? What do you collect?<br />
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Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-47176443642465107192020-04-30T19:43:00.001-04:002020-04-30T19:43:40.302-04:00Haiku in Yellow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">on the day of the goldfinch sighting April 2020</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">goldfinch buoyant on</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">waves of wind, yellow bobber</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">up down up down up</span></div>
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-<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;">-Kenda Turner</span></div>
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<i>...and she smiles remembering the moment...</i></div>
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Haiku, walks, wordplay, sunshine, children's laughter (even if only on video chats)--and the goldfinch--are some of the bright spots that bring smiles my way while traveling this difficult path of the coronavirus. And the poem by <span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.online-literature.com/dickinson/827/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Emily Dickinson</span></a></span>, familiar to many, comes to mind:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>by Emily Dickinson</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Hope" is the thing with feathers,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That perches in the soul,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And sings the tune without the words,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And never stops at all.</span></div>
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Wishing you bright spots, smiles, health and hope as you travel through these days, too.</div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">_______________________________________</span></div>
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Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-33870307132183140242020-03-30T19:58:00.000-04:002020-03-30T19:58:38.371-04:00Poems for the Times<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Photos: March 2020<br />Template: Canva.com</span></i></td></tr>
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Hoping this finds everyone safe and well in these times of uncertainty. In my little corner of the world, spring is displaying her beauty and each time I went out for a walk in recent days (thankfully, I can do that in my neighborhood), I found myself snapping pictures along the way. Sharing a collage of the beauty here along with a haiku I penned in response to troubling times.</div>
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And speaking of poems in response to the times, have you seen the poem <span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Lockdown</i></span>, penned by Brother Richard Hendrick, a priest in Ireland? I found it here at <a href="https://www.irishcentral.com/news/coronavirus-lockdown-poem"><span style="color: #38761d;">Irish Central</span> </a>but understand that it was first posted on facebook March 13, and has since been viewed tens of thousands of times. Resonating words for many...</div>
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<em><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal;">Lockdown<o:p></o:p></span></b></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">by Richard Hendrick<span style="font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal;">Yes there is fear.<br />Yes there is isolation.<br />Yes there is panic buying.<br />Yes there is sickness.<br />Yes there is even death.<br />But,<br />They say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise<br />You can hear the birds again.<br />They say that after just a few weeks of quiet<br />The sky is no longer thick with fumes<br />But blue and grey and clear.<br />They say that in the streets of Assisi<br />People are singing to each other<br />across the empty squares,<br />keeping their windows open<br />so that those who are alone<br />may hear the sounds of family around them.<br />They say that a hotel in the West of Ireland<br />Is offering free meals and delivery to the housebound.<br />Today a young woman I know<br />is busy spreading fliers with her number<br />through the neighbourhood<br />So that the elders may have someone to call on.<br />Today Churches, Synagogues, Mosques and Temples<br />are preparing to welcome<br />and shelter the homeless, the sick, the weary<br />All over the world people are slowing down and reflecting<br />All over the world people are looking at their neighbours in a new way<br />All over the world people are waking up to a new reality<br />To how big we really are.<br />To how little control we really have.<br />To what really matters.<br />To Love.<br />So we pray and we remember that<br />Yes there is fear.<br />But there does not have to be hate.<br />Yes there is isolation.<br />But there does not have to be loneliness.<br />Yes there is panic buying.<br />But there does not have to be meanness.<br />Yes there is sickness.<br />But there does not have to be disease of the soul<br />Yes there is even death.<br />But there can always be a rebirth of love.<br />Wake to the choices you make as to how to live now.<br />Today, breathe.<br />Listen, behind the factory noises of your panic<br />The birds are singing again<br />The sky is clearing,<br />Spring is coming,<br />And we are always encompassed by Love.<br />Open the windows of your soul<br />And though you may not be able<br />to touch across the empty square,<br />Sing.<o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">March 13th 2020</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
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Heart-touching and truth-telling...</div>
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Do you read poetry? What poets/poetry books particularly speak to you, both in good times and bad?</div>
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Wishing all the very best in the days to come. Stay well. Love. Sing.</div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">__________________________</span></div>
<br />Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-71517530564706573532020-02-28T17:38:00.000-05:002020-02-29T12:58:35.887-05:00Value of a Walk, by Thoreau<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Grateful for morning walks still--I come back with so much more than when I went out. Perspective, inspiration, writing ideas, insight, renewed hope, sorting through the muddles, prayer--so many benefits. Yes, I vote with Thoreau--moving the legs makes the thoughts flow, and in a good way. How about you, does walking/being outside help open the spigot of helpful insights for you? </span></div>
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Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-68350366117484162020-01-31T14:01:00.000-05:002020-01-31T14:07:42.019-05:00New Year, New Projects<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Trust that still, small voice that says, 'This might work, and I'll try it.'" --Diane Mariechild</span></div>
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Looking ahead to new writing projects, continued exploration of storytelling and poetry, and trying my hand at importing text to images--thanks to <a href="http://canva.com/"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">canva.com</span></i></a>, a new playground for me.</div>
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What will be your creativity playground of choice this year?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">background, canva.com</span></i><br />
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Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-358991093371256192019-12-30T14:36:00.000-05:002019-12-30T15:10:49.878-05:00Post-From-the-Past, December Archives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wow, closing out another year, closing out a decade and, for me, closing out ten years of blogging. And it's been fun looking back on the projects, writing and otherwise, that have filled some of my time in those years--one being the photo-a-day exercise I undertook back in 2012. So I have chosen my <a href="https://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/12/photo-day-december.html"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">"Photo-A-Day: December"</span></i></a> post to complete my <i>post-from-the-past </i>series. Hope you enjoy as you anticipate all those projects begging for your attention in the new year ahead!<br />
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<a href="https://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/12/photo-day-december.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">Photo-A-Day: December</span></a></h3>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?" <i>--Dr. Seuss</i></span><br />
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Not only did December seemingly get here before June this year, so did the new year the way the last twelve months flew by. Was it the same for you?<br />
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Yet as this year closes and another begins, milestones are noted and memories are catalogued. And in particular, my <a href="http://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/01/photo-day-january-2012.html" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">photo-a-day</span></b> </a>challenge comes to an end. Wow. So hard to believe it really got done. I surprised myself, really. Didn't have much confidence going in, I guess. But, the results?<br />
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<b>366 </b>days (Leap year, remember?) minus <b>4</b> equals <b>362</b> pictures. Well, many more than that actually since some days I took multiple pictures and chose one from the lot, but I did it. I only missed those four days total. Two because (ahem) I forgot. And two because I misplaced my camera. It had fallen out of my purse into the backseat of the car, and we couldn't locate it for awhile. Good intentions are good but life happens! Other than that, I looked forward to the moment each day that I picked up the camera. Some days I pocketed it as I went for my walk. Some days I was in the right place at the right time and had it handy. Some days--particularly on our fantastic <a href="http://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/11/photo-day-november.html" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">November trip</span></b></a>--I couldn't stop snapping photos. And then there were the late nights, just before going to bed, that I realized I had *almost* forgotten and so hit the deadline just before the night turned to the next day.<br />
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I found I loved the challenge. It was a great deal of fun. And as I snapped today's photo, the last of the last, I found myself feeling a bit nostalgic. "You mean it's over already?"<br />
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Well, not really. I have all these things to carry with me from the experience like inspiration on:<br />
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<b><b>Detail</b>. <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Patterns</span>. </b><b>Texture.</b> <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Contrast</span></b>. <b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><a href="http://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/02/photo-day-february.html" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Serendipity</span></a>.</span></b> <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Surprise.</span> </b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><a href="http://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/03/photo-day-march.html" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Ideas</span></b></a>. </span><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Visualization.</span></b> </b></div>
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<b>Light and Shadow. <span style="color: #b45f06;">Wonder.</span></b> <b>Nuance</b>. <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">The</span></b> <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Unexpected</span></b>. <b><a href="http://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/04/photo-day-april.html" style="color: #0b5394; text-decoration-line: none;">Focal Point.</a> </b></div>
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<b><a href="http://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/05/photo-day-may.html" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Particularization</span></a></b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><a href="http://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/05/photo-day-may.html" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;">.</a> </span><b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><a href="http://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/06/photo-day-june.html" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Emotion.</span></a> </span><a href="http://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/07/photo-day-july.html" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">A Character's World</span></a></b><span style="color: #0b5394;">. </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/08/photo-day-august.html#comment-form" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Insight</span></a>.</span> <b><a href="http://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/09/photo-day-september.html?showComment=1349285419061#c6852114096439327178" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Tributes</span></a>.</b> <span style="color: #b45f06; font-weight: bold;">Whimsy.</span> </div>
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<a href="http://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/10/photo-day-october.html" style="color: #134f5c; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Potpourri</span></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-weight: bold;">.</span> <b><a href="http://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/11/photo-day-november.html" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Travel and Story</span></a>.<span style="color: #b45f06;"> </span></b><b>Fairy Tales.</b></div>
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Along the way I learned about nurturing the creative side, waking up to beauty in the simple things, the value of trying something new, perseverance. All lessons that will carry over into a new year's writing projects, too.<br />
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I'm still contemplating what might be my challenge for the new year. It will involve writing, of course, and reading. It should incorporate stretching--as in reaching for a new level--and passion. We'll see what ideas gel in the next few days.<br />
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In the meantime, here is the final photo-a-day gallery. You'll see that there was much to celebrate this month, including the birth of our <b><a href="http://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/12/unlock-story-by-asking-what-if.html" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">second granddaughter</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;">,</span></b> born 12/12/12, and special family time. Hope you enjoy. And thanks for stopping in with wishes to each and everyone for a wonderful, creative, and happy new year!<br />
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Rewinding back to the present: Wishing all a happy new year :-) And if you'd like to review all the months of my photo-a-day project, check out the photo-a-day challenge link under the <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Words and Such</span></i> banner above. (Oh, and the granddaughter mentioned above in the photos? She's now seven years old. Double wow!)<br />
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Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-80800959297486256672019-11-27T12:00:00.001-05:002019-11-27T12:00:51.150-05:00Post-From-the Past, November Archives<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Sharing my <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">post-from-the past </span></i>for this month with wishes to all for a happy Thanksgiving. It's been six years since I first posted this, and I enjoyed reviewing it. Hope you enjoy it, too!<br />
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Wednesday, November 27, 2013</h2>
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<a href="https://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2013/11/thanksgiving-eve-thoughts.html"><i><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Thanksgiving Eve Thoughts</span></i></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"On the banks of the James River, a husband erected a tombstone in memory of his wife, one of those 100 maidens who had come to Virginia in 1619 to marry the lonely settlers. The stone bore this legend: 'She touched the soil of Virginia with her little foot and the wilderness became a home.'"</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> --</span><i style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eudora Ramsey Richardson</i></div>
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The power of a tiny step...<br />
The power of a kind word, of an outreached hand...<br />
The power of a grateful heart, of enduring hope...<br />
The power of love.<br />
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Maybe it all starts so small.<br />
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Happy Thanksgiving!</div>
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Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-51321557451419717802019-10-30T20:40:00.001-04:002019-11-04T18:41:16.627-05:00Post-From-the-Past, October Archives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my granddaughters recently said that I have so many books, my house is like a library. I like the sounds of that, especially as the year begins to tip into the colder months and I relish the idea of cozying up to read on a chilly day. And so, in the spirit of those of us who love books and can't seem to not be able to collect more, I offer this month's <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">post-from-the past, October 2014 archives</span></i>:</div>
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Tuesday, October 7, 2014</h2>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="https://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-love-affair-14-quotes-on-books-and.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">A Love Affair: 14 Quotes on Books and Reading</span></a></span></h4>
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Oh, this love affair with books. It will endure for some of us for a long, long time. Never-ending TBR piles, recommendations, classics, favorites. Why are they so special to us?<br />
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I decided to explore what others say about books and reading. Some of my discoveries:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">1.</span> "If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking." --Haruki Murakami</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">2.</span> "There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all." --Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">3.</span> "The books you don't read won't help." --Jim Rohn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">4.</span> "There is a great deal of difference between an eager man who wants to read a book and the tired man who wants a book to read." --Gilbert K. Chesterton</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">5.</span> "It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it." --Oscar Wilde</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">6.</span> "Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?"-- Henry Ward Beecher</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">7.</span> "I divide all readers into two classes; those who read to remember and those who read to forget." --William Lyon Phelps</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">8.</span> "You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend." --Paul Sweeney</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">9.</span> "A book is a device to ignite the imagination." --Alan Bennett</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">10.</span> "A good book has no ending." --R.D. Cumming</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">11.</span> "Books have that strange quality, that being of the frailest and tenderest matter, they outlast brass, iron, and marble." --William Drummond, <i>Bibliotheca Edinburgena Lectori</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">12.</span> "Modern writers are the moons of literature; they shine with reflected light, with light borrowed from the ancients." --Samuel Johnson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">13.</span> "I would rather be a poor man in a garret with plenty of books than a man who did not love reading." --Thomas Babington Macaulay</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">14.</span> "Novels are sweets." --William Makepeace Thackeray, <i>Roundabout Papers: On a Lazy Idle Boy</i></span><br />
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And we thought sugar was addictive? Ha!<br />
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Have a great rest of the week, everyone.<br />
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Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-46448810892563684552019-09-25T20:45:00.000-04:002019-09-25T20:45:49.826-04:00Post-From-the-Past, September ArchivesOf all the quotes on writing I've collected (many of them posted one time or another here at <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Words and Such</span></i> over the past nine-plus years), the following is my all-time favorite. It's recorded on a small slip of paper and sits on my desk as a daily reminder. I run this post once again as my post-from-the-past choice for September in the hopes it inspires others, too:<br />
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Thursday, September 29, 2016</h2>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">"No pen, no ink, no table, no room, no time, no quiet, no inclination." --James Joyce</span></div>
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"The fourth quarter of the year is upon us (fourth? what happened to the other three??) and I'm determined to read this quote every day for the next three months. Simple words but very motivating. For the <span style="color: #b45f06;">inclination </span>(<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">n: disposition or bent; something to which one is inclined</span></i>) to write truly starts with something as basic as a pen. Add to that then a place, time, quiet...</div>
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And the dots begin to be connected, the story picture we have in our heads begins to be drawn. Inclination is fostered, not squelched. Nothing new here, but reminders are always good."</div>
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Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-2097837509051849522019-08-29T21:25:00.000-04:002019-09-04T17:34:18.037-04:00Post-From-the-Past, August Archives<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Tuesday, August 3, 2010</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="https://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2010/08/today-was-good.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">"Today Was Good"</span></a></span></h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: xx-small;">Summer fun 2010</span></i></td></tr>
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<em><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Today was good.</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Today was fun.</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Tomorrow is another one.</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">--Dr. Seuss</span></em></div>
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"...Playing while Mommy is out of town. Just had to share. Hope you had a fun day, too. Writing will be the better for it after we stop swinging."</div>
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<em><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million. --Walt Streightiff</span></em></div>
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<b>Fast-Forward to present,</b> 9 years later: The little one above is now 11 and oldest of six grandkids. All were together this month as the family made a trip to the Smokies. This time, with her siblings and cousins around, she led them in hikes, movie making on the cellphone, and being a look out for all the bears we saw.<br />
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Once again we say, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one!"</span><br />
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Hope your summer has been a good one--with any bear sightings kept to a safe distance!<br />
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Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-83259359004020289562019-07-30T10:59:00.000-04:002019-07-30T11:03:00.765-04:00Post-From-the-Past, July Archives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">summer 2019</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Question on the run: What's unusual about (the word) </span><i style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">unquestionably</i><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">?" </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">--James J. Kilpatrick</span></div>
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That was the question of this month's post-from-the-past for July, <span style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="https://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/07/weekend-trivia.html">"<span style="color: #b45f06;">Weekend Trivia</span>."</a> </span>Scroll down to get the answer.<br />
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Speaking of on the run, our yard has been overrun with rabbits this year. Do you have lots of the cute little critters around, too?<br />
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Hope you enjoy the re-post. It might be a little like running down another rabbit hole, but it was a fun one to write, and one of my favorites.<br />
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Friday, July 20, 2012</h2>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"A question on the run: What's unusual about </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">unquestionably</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">? Answer: It contains </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">all five vowels </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">and the letter </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>y</i>.</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> I leave it to you to discover why </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">facetious</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">abstemious</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> and </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">abstentious</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> are collector's items." <span style="font-size: xx-small;">--James J. Kilpatrick</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 14px;">I've added this bit of trivia to my collection of English language absurdities and unusual facts. Find any word-loving tidbits for your collection lately?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b>p.s.</b> </span><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Facetious</span></i><span style="color: #444444;"> (adj. "having the habit of joking") I sorta' knew. But </span><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">abstemious</span></i><span style="color: #444444;"> and </span><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">abstentious</span></i><span style="color: #444444;">? Well, <i>abstentious</i>, it turns out, means the same as...abstemious. And abstemious? It means "sparing in eating and drinking; moderate." Confused yet?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 14px;">So, are you going to be abstemious and abstentious this weekend? (She asks facetiously.) Hope your weekend is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 14px;">unquestionably</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 14px;"> super.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 14px;">(<i>And back to present now</i>--as I reread this post, I'm struck by the mystery that I missed the first time around. Just what is Mr. Kilpatrick's tease all about, that it's left up to us to discover why <i>facetious</i>, <i>abstemious</i> and <i>abstentious</i> are collector's items? Hmmm, wonder what he's alluding to? Must be more to this than meets the eye. Here we go, down another rabbit hole! If you are able to solve the mystery, let me know!)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">_______________________________</span></span></div>
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Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-16843873441470065892019-06-23T19:12:00.002-04:002019-06-24T08:22:23.274-04:00Post-From-the-Past, June Archives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"In reading...stories, you can be many different people in many different places, doing things you would never have a chance to do in ordinary life. It's amazing that those twenty-six little marks of the alphabet can arrange themselves on the pages of a book and accomplish all that. Readers are lucky--they will never be bored or lonely." --Natalie Babbitt</span><br />
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Are you still amazed at what those twenty-six little marks of the alphabet can do? I am. It's an ongoing fascination, I think, no matter how old we writers--and readers--get. As <a href="https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/authors/natalie-babbitt/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Natalie Babbitt</span> </a>(award-winning author of the modern classic <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tuck-Everlasting-Natalie-Babbit/dp/0312369816/ref=sr_1_2?crid=VCWPC7SUEQN8&keywords=tuck+everlasting+book&qid=1561329574&s=gateway&sprefix=Tuck+Everlasting%2Caps%2C132&sr=8-2"><span style="color: #38761d;">Tuck Everlasting</span></a></i>) so aptly reminds us, those 26 little scratchings take us places we'd never have a chance of visiting in ordinary life and give opportunity for so many amazing encounters along the way. Boredom is not a word in our vocabulary!<br />
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Babbitt's quote is also an apt lead-in to the next repost in my post-from-the-past series, this one from June 2015: <a href="https://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2015/06/one-writers-alphabet-soup-to-writing.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">One Writer's Alphabet to Writing a Novel</span></a>. Enjoy the travel back in time...<br />
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Saturday, June 6, 2015</h2>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="https://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2015/06/one-writers-alphabet-soup-to-writing.html">One Writer's Alphabet Soup To Writing a Novel</a></b></span></div>
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;"><i>by Kenda Turner</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"When I was having that alphabet soup, I never thought that it would pay off." --Vanna White</span></div>
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A writer subconsciously develops her own alphabet soup when it comes to writing a novel--those key elements, basic rules, discoveries, weaknesses to watch for, areas to develop, exploratory tangents, and microscopic and telescopic revisions that take her to the finished product. I discovered this when I reviewed journal entries I recorded during the time I wrote my first book. I recently reviewed those notes while my current WIP simmered on the back burner for a few days. What an education--there was something for each letter of the alphabet!</div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">One Writer's Alphabet Soup to Writing a Novel</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">A...</span></b>active voice...action...action words...atmosphere</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">B...</span></b>backstory (enough but not too much)...beginning (jump in)</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">C...</span></b>causality...character development...clarity...clichés...complications...conflict...connections<br />
...consistency...craft</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">D...</span></b>description...detail...development...dialect...dialogue...discovery</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">E...</span></b>edit...emotion...end linked to beginning...ending (satisfying)...energy...essence</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">F...</span></b>flexibility...focus...foreshadowing...frame</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">G...</span></b>genre...goals...grammar...growth (character and author!)</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">H...</span></b>heart...historical accuracy...hook...human dignity</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">I...</span></b>imagery...inciting incident...infinite-verb phrase openings (<i>“Looking up slowly, she…”</i>)</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">J...</span></b>jell...journal...journey...joys</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">K...</span></b>kaleidoscope...kernel...knead...knit</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">L...</span></b>landscape...language..listen...location...loose ends (tied up)</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">M...</span></b>magical...main character as problem solver (not bystander)...malleable...metaphor...middle slump...motivation...mystery</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">N...</span></b>names...narration...narrative arc...narrator</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">O...</span></b>obstacles...opening...overthinking (as in, don't!)</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">P...</span></b>pace...page turners...patterns...pauses...place...placing character (where doesn’t want to be)...plot...plot holes...plot lines...plot points...plot twists...point of view...punch...punctuation</div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Q...</span></b>quest...questions (and answers)...quotes</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">R...</span></b>reading level...redundancy (check by using document's 'Find' feature)...resolution...revision</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">S...</span></b>satisfying...scene...sensory details...sentences ending with prepositional phrase...sentence variety...serendipity...setting...show (don't tell)...sparkle...spelling...stakes...story structure... storytelling...style...subplot ...supporting characters...surprise...symbolism</div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">T...</span></b>tenses...tension...theme...threads...tightened form...title...timeline...tone...transitions...triggers</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">U...</span></b>understandable...unexpected...unique</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">V...</span></b>values...verb tense...viewpoint...vocabulary...voice</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">W...</span></b>weak words (weed out)...wonder...word choice...word count...world building</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">X...</span></b>(e)xact...(e)xtraordinary...X out the unnecessary</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Y...</span></b>yarn of a story...yawn (avoid)...yearnings...yes (or no)...yet (as in, doors haven’t opened <i>yet</i>)</div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Z...</span></b>zenith...zest...zip<br />
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<i>This is just a sample of one writer's alphabet soup--a savory mix to keep me going. Any ingredient you'd like to add? What does your writer's alphabet look like?</i></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">And upon coming back to present time, want to read interesting facts about the English alphabet? Check out this link: </span><a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/quick-facts-about-the-alphabet-1692766"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Interesting Facts About the English Alphabet</span></i></a><span style="color: #444444;">, by Richard Nordquist.</span><br />
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And this fun quote by Douglas Adams: <i>" 'Why' is the only question that bothers people enough to have an entire letter of the alphabet named after it. The alphabet does not go 'A B C D What? When? How?' but it does go 'V W X Why? Z'." </i></div>
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Creative, yes? Have a great week!</div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">__________________________</span></div>
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Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-35779378925986573262019-05-30T11:20:00.000-04:002019-05-30T11:20:01.216-04:00Post-From-the-Past, May Archives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where innocent bright-eyed daisies are</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With blades of grass between,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Each daisy stands up like a star</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Out of a sky of green.</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">--Christina Rossetti</span></i></div>
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The month of May certainly has sped by with projects and writing and celebrations: Mother's Day, Memorial Day, birthdays. Daisies herald the end of the school year, and doors are being flung wide open to all the summer adventures ahead. </div>
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As I continue to reprint posts-from-the-past, my selection this month (before the month slides into the rearview mirror here shortly!) goes back a number of years to 2011. And while we marvel at the speed of the passing of time, the post itself speaks of lessons learned from that slow-moving sage, the turtle. Here it is, <a href="https://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2011/05/writers-journey-from-turtles-pov.html"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">The Writer's Journey, From a Turtle's POV</span></i></a>:</div>
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Wednesday, May 11, 2011</h2>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="https://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2011/05/writers-journey-from-turtles-pov.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">The Writer's Journey, From a Turtle's POV</span></a></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><em>"And the turtles, of course...all the turtles are free, as turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be."</em> --Dr. Seuss, Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories</span></span><br />
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I would have seen it this morning on my walk anyway, but twice I was alerted to the little turtle's presence before I got that far. First, by my neighbor Pat, who was coming the other way. "There's a turtle in the road back there," she said. "I'm afraid it's going to get hit by a car." Then another neighbor drove by, slowed down, and told me the same thing. So I was ready. And there it was, moseying across the pavement, head held high, taking the journey one slow step at a time. It was certainly in a precarious situation.</div>
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"Come on, buddy," I said, "let's help get you across." And I moved the creature into the grass at the side of the road, marveling all the while at the striking pattern imprinted across the hard shell.</div>
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Then, as we writers are apt to do, I considered the turtle's journey--and compared it to the writer's life. You probably already know what's coming, another of those corny analogies. But here goes...</div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><strong><em>The Writer's Journey From a Turtle's POV</em></strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><strong>1.</strong></span> You gotta' <strong><span style="color: black;">stick your neck</span> <span style="color: black;">out</span></strong> if you're going to get anywhere.</div>
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<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">2.</span></strong> <span style="color: black;"><strong>Start</strong>.</span> And keep going, one step at a time, no matter how slow the pace.</div>
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<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">3.</span></strong> <strong><span style="color: black;">Don't stop</span></strong> in the middle of the road. If you do, you'll never get where you want to go.</div>
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<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">4.</span></strong> <span style="color: black;"><strong>Stay focused, </strong></span><span style="color: black;">patient and persistent</span>. A little bit of luck wouldn't hurt either.</div>
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<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">5.</span></strong> <strong><span style="color: black;">Let friends pick you up</span></strong> when you find yourself in a tough spot.</div>
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<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">6.</span></strong> <strong><span style="color: black;">Remember</span></strong> your pattern is unique, and you add your own little bit of beauty to the world.</div>
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<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">7.</span></strong> <strong><span style="color: black;">Catch your breath </span></strong>and rest, if need be, when you get to the other side--especially if you get shook up (think "querying process"!). Then move on to new adventures, the next story to write.</div>
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<i>Do you feel like a turtle sometimes? What advice would you give a writer who's plodding along?</i></div>
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<b>Back to the present now</b> and looking ahead to a new summerish season, I hope to heed the turtle's advice and stay focused. Easier said than done. What I really want to do is go out and pick daisies! Trying to strike a balance. How about you?</div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">______________________________________ </span></div>
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Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-1328491809489482672019-04-25T17:12:00.000-04:002019-04-25T17:12:01.729-04:00Post-From-the-Past, April Archives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06; text-align: center;">"The power of metaphor comes from the distance bridged and the pleasurable shock we get from that electrical connection between two seemingly different entities." --John Drury, </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Poetry-John-Drury-1991-05-15/dp/B01FIXGZVG/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=1GYK0FRIZ0GG3&keywords=creating+poetry+by+john+drury&qid=1555973714&s=gateway&sprefix=Creating+Poetr%2Caps%2C132&sr=8-1-fkmrnull" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Creating Poetry</i></span></a></span></div>
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My selection for April's post-from-the-past, dipping back into blogging archives of now over nine years, is this one: <i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1134040229227913313#editor/target=post;postID=7427664176676935595;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=264;src=postname"><span style="color: #38761d;">Book Metaphors: Six Ideas and Counting</span></a></i>. Who would have thought this post would be the one with the overall highest viewings of all those published here at <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Words and Such</span></i>? But it is, and I'm amazed that it still gets a dozen or so new views each week. There's something real, tangible, and fulfilling about books, and we're still discovering ways to describe the experience. In addition, the subject of 'metaphor' itself is a fun one. Making those connections between two seemingly different entities, as John Drury says in his book <i>Creating Poetry</i>, can be a writing adventure.<br />
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So without further ado here's this month's post-from-the past, out of April's archives:<br />
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Friday, April 6, 2012</h2>
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<a href="https://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/04/book-metaphors-six-ideas-and-counting.html"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Book Metaphors: Six Ideas and Counting</span></b></a><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="7427664176676935595"></a></span></div>
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What is a book to you, metaphorically speaking?</div>
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Others have weighed in on the subject, as evidenced by the following six quotes:</div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>1.</b></span><span style="color: #444444;"> "Books are the </span><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">compasses</span></b><span style="color: #444444;"> and </span><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">telescopes </span></b><span style="color: #444444;">and </span><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">sextants</span></b><span style="color: #444444;"> and </span><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">charts </span></b><span style="color: #444444;">which other men have prepared to help us navigate the dangerous seas of human life." --<i>Jesse Lee Bennett </i></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">2.</span></b> "Books are <b><span style="color: #38761d;">lighthouses</span></b> erected in the great sea of time." --<i>E.P. Whipple</i></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>3.</b></span> "A book is a<b> <span style="color: #990000;">garden</span></b>, an <b><span style="color: #990000;">orchard</span></b>, a <b><span style="color: #990000;">storehouse</span></b>, a<span style="color: #990000;"> <b>party</b></span>, a <b><span style="color: #990000;">company</span></b> by the way, a <b><span style="color: #990000;">counselor</span></b>, a multitude of counselors." --<i>Henry Ward Beecher</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">4.</span></b> "Books are the<b> <span style="color: #0b5394;">bees</span></b><span style="color: #073763;"> </span>which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind."--<i>James Russell Lowell</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">5.</span></b> "Books are the quietest and most constant of <b><span style="color: #bf9000;">friends</span></b>; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of <b><span style="color: #bf9000;">teachers</span></b>." --C<i>harles W. Eliot</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">6.</span></b> "Books are a uniquely portable <b><span style="color: #674ea7;">magic</span></b>." --<i>Stephen King</i></div>
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Six quotes turn into fifteen metaphors: <b>compass</b>, <b>telescope</b>, <b>sextant</b>, <b>chart,</b> <b>lighthouse</b>, <b>garden</b>, <b>orchard</b>, <b>storehouse</b>, <b>party</b>, <b>company</b>, <b>counselor</b>, <b>bee</b>, <b>friend</b>, <b>teacher</b>, <b>magic</b>. </div>
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But we don't have to stop there. We're writers--how about making up a few of our own?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11.2px; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Photos courtesy of sxc.hu</span></i></td></tr>
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My contribution: "a book is a <b>ticket</b>." A ticket to worlds and stories, places and things, ideas, insights, and imagination. A ticket to colors and wonder, images and emotions, mystery, heart tugs and promise. A ticket to the tapestries and threads of history and humanity--and to hope.</div>
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Would love to hear your ideas. How would <i>you</i> describe a book, metaphorically speaking?</div>
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Breaking back into the present, we add to our list with contributions from blogging friends who shared their ideas of book metaphors in the original post's comments:</div>
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"A book is a <b>hideaway</b>, a place where we can get away from everything for a while." <i>--Peggy Harkins </i></div>
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"A book is <b>a portal to another world</b>, traveling through time or space or both." <i>--Elizabeth Varadan </i></div>
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"A book is <b>transportation to a world filled with secrets</b> that are not being let out at once but piece by piece." <i>--Kamila Glomova </i></div>
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"A book is a <b>hide-and-seek</b>, a game played by writer and reader." --<i>PS </i></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">More suggestions? From </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">Meghan Cox Gurdon</span><span style="color: #444444;">, author of </span><a href="https://www.meghancoxgurdon.com/"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">The Enchanted Hour, the Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction</span></i></a><span style="color: #444444;">: "Books are portals into wonders."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">And this one, posted by </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">Caroline Starr Rose</span><span style="color: #444444;">, author of </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/May-B-Caroline-Starr-Rose/dp/0385374143/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3F49FHVF80XR&keywords=may+b+by+caroline+starr+rose&qid=1556224528&s=gateway&sprefix=May+B+by%2Caps%2C130&sr=8-1-spell"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">May B</span></i></a><span style="color: #444444;"> and </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Birds-Caroline-Starr-Rose/dp/0399168109/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=2QU50FDJ8QDZY&keywords=blue+birds+by+caroline+starr+rose&qid=1556224601&s=gateway&sprefix=Blue+Birds+by%2Caps%2C129&sr=8-1-fkmrnull"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Blue Birds</span></i></a><span style="color: #444444;">, both novels-in-verse, on her blog earlier this year (</span><a href="https://carolinestarrrose.com/why-we-read-68/"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">here</span></i></a><span style="color: #444444;">): "If education is the road out of poverty, books are the wheels for the journey." --<i>Richard Crabbe</i>, African Publishers Network</span></div>
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And so to our original list, we add <b>hideaway,</b> <b>portal </b>(to another world/into wonders), <b>transportation to a world of secrets</b>, <b>game of hide-and-seek</b>, and <b>wheels</b> (on the road of life's journeys). May books continue to be all these things and more to the next generations coming up. Wishing all a spring full of book adventures.</div>
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Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-32704543080024064952019-04-01T09:39:00.001-04:002019-04-01T09:39:32.593-04:00Celebrating National Poetry Month, 30 Quotes and Counting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">a bit of poetry outside the window March 2019</span></i></td></tr>
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April arrives bringing with it once more a month of celebrating <b>poetry</b> (<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">National Poetry Month origin</span>, <i><a href="https://www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/home" style="color: #38761d;">here</a>)</i>. My share in the celebration, along with a goal of reading more poetry this month as well as challenging myself to write <i>30-haiku-in-30 days </i>again (last year's challenge, <a href="https://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2018/04/national-poetry-month-2018-draws-to.html"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">here</span></i></a>)--is the following compilation of 30 of my favorite quotes on poetry. Each brings its own inspiration, one each day of the month to stir up the imagination toward poetry. Let the celebration begin...<br />
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<b> 1. </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Poetry is the languages of surprises."</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">--</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Stephen Taylor Goldsberry</span></span></i><br />
<b>2. </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"The poet doesn't invent. He listens." </span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">--</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jean Cocteau</span></span></i><br />
<b>3. </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Poetry is a packsack of invisible keepsakes."</span> <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">--Carl Sandburg</span></i><br />
<b>4. </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Prose is a photography, poetry is a painting in oil colors."</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <i>--Austin O'Malley</i></span><br />
<b>5.</b> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"It is the job of poetry to clean up our word-clogged reality by creating silences around things."</span> <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">--Steven Mallarme</span></i><br />
<b>6.</b> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"The poet lights the light and fades away, But the light goes on and on." </span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">--Emily Dickinson</span></i><br />
<b>7.</b> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"I would define, in brief, the poetry of words is the rhythmical creation of Beauty."</span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">-Edgar Allen Poe </span></i><br />
<b>8.</b> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Poetry is an echo asking a shadow to dance."</span> <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">--Carl Sandburg</span></i><br />
<b>9. </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Poetry is a language in which man explores his own amazement."</span></span> <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">--Christopher Fry</span></i><br />
<b>10.</b> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"I have never started a poem whose end I knew, writing the poem is discovering."</span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">--Robert Frost</span></i><br />
<b>11.</b> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Poetry is the journal of a sea animal living on land wanting to fly in the air."</span></span> <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">--Carl Sandburg</span></i><br />
<b>12.</b> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry."</span></span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">--Emily Dickinson</span></i><br />
<b>13.</b> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Poetry is everywhere; it just needs editing." </span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">--James Tate</span></i><br />
<b>14.</b> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language."</span></span> <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">--W.H. Auden</span></i><br />
<b>15. </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"The true poem rests between the words."</span> </span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">--Vanna Bonta</span></i><br />
<b>16. </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Poetry is life distilled."</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">-<i>-Gwendalyn Brooks</i></span><br />
<b>17. </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Writing a poem is making music with words and space."</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">--<i>Arnold Adoff</i></span><br />
<b>18. </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Prose is words in their best order; poetry is the best words in their best order."</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">--<i>Samuel Coleridge</i></span><br />
<b>19. </b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A poem is a spider web, Spun with words of wonder; Woven lace held in place, by whispers made of thunder"</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">--<i>Charles Ghigna</i></span><br />
<b>20.</b> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words."</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">-<i>Robert Frost</i></span><br />
<b>21.</b> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Poetry is a section of river fog and morning boat-lights delivered between bridges and whistles, so one says, 'Oh!' and another, 'How?'"</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>-<span style="font-size: x-small;">-<i>Carl Sandburg</i></span><br />
<b>22. </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Some of the greatest poetry is revealing to the reader the beauty in something that was so simple you had taken it for granted."</span> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">--<i>Neil de Grasse Tyso, astrophysicist</i></span><br />
<b>23.</b> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Poetry is the impish attempt to paint the color of the wind."</span> -<span style="font-size: x-small;">-<i>Maxwell Bodenheim</i></span><br />
<b>24.</b> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Poems are not words, after all, but fires for the cold, ropes let down to the lost, something as necessary as bread in the pockets of the hungry."</span> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">-<i>-Mary Oliver</i></span><br />
<b>25.</b> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"How do poems grow? They grow out of your life."</span> <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">--Robert Penn Warren</span></i><br />
<b>26.</b> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Poetry makes life what lights and music do to the stage."</span><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">-</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">-Charles Dickens</span></i><br />
<b>27.</b> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Poets don't draw. They unravel their handwriting and then tie it up again, but differently."</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">--Jean Cocteau</span></i><br />
<b>28. </b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Poetry might be defined as the clear expression of mixed feelings."</span> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">-<i>-W.H. Auden</i></span><br />
<b>29.</b> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Poetry has the power to turn words into darts that shoot under your skin."</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">-<i>-Penny Ashton</i></span><br />
<b>30. </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"A poet can survive everything but a misprint."</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">--<i>Oscar Wilde</i></span><br />
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Happy Poetry Month 2019. How does poetry stir your world?<br />
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Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-78855326475393556452019-03-25T21:36:00.001-04:002019-03-25T21:36:38.106-04:00Post-From-The Past, March Archives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">from photo archives, historic Fort Macon, Emerald Isle NC 2017</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">"Atmosphere is a term used in literature to describe the mood of a piece of writing, which is usually created by how the author describes the setting and background, as well as the characters and events within the story. The author creates his or her atmosphere in order to give the reader subconscious impressions about the narrative." --</span><a href="https://www.reference.com/art-literature/atmosphere-literature-250df2253eb0d153"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">reference.com</span></i></a></span></div>
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The atmosphere in March sure has its own flavor doesn't it? Milder weather, unfolding leaves, emerging daffodils, and--happy days--the bluebirds are back! We know that atmosphere plays a big part in our stories as well, something I was reminded of when I pulled the following post, first published in March 2013, out of the archives. I'm glad for the refresher. Maybe you'll glean a little something out of it, too.<br />
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And so, from March's archives...<br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Friday, March 8, 2013</span><br />
<a href="https://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2013/03/setting-landscape-atmosphere-how-are.html"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Setting, Landscape, Atmosphere--How Are They Different?</b></span></a><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"In every piece of fiction...setting is one of the three major elements--along with characterization and plot--that the writer must weave together to create the narrative." --Connie C. Epstein</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u><b>Setting</b></u></span></div>
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Oh, the fun of <b>setting</b>--imagining where the story takes place, how characters respond to their surroundings, drinking in the sights, sounds, and smells that connect the reader to the written word--it's the world-building side of the writer's craft. I've been immersed in the subject this week as I've brainstormed ideas for my WIP. Along the way I've sought the wisdom of others to help open up that world. Helpful thoughts on the subject:</div>
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"There are lots of things you can do with setting. Setting<span style="color: #b45f06;"> </span><b>adds color</b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> </span>to the story. Setting <b>affects characters</b>. Setting <b>lends authenticity </b>to the narrative, and <b>paints pictures</b> in the imagination of readers." --<span style="color: #b45f06;">Nancy Lamb, <i>The Art and Craft of Story Telling</i>.</span></div>
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"Settings<b>..aren't just backdrops</b>. Just by <b>where you have the action happening</b> will tell a lot about the action itself and the people involved." --<span style="color: #b45f06;">Ansen Dibell, <i>Plot</i></span></div>
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"Setting<b> grounds your writing </b>in the reality of place and depicts the theme of your story through powerful metaphor. Without setting, characters are simply there, in a vacuum, with no reason to act and most importantly, no reason to care. Without a place there is no story." --<span style="color: #b45f06;">Nina Munteanu, <a href="http://www.scribophile.com/blog/importance-of-setting-in-a-novel/" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>scribophile</i></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Landscape</u></b></span></div>
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And yet, expanding on the idea of setting, I came across the concept of <b>landscape</b>, this from <span style="color: #b45f06;">Elizabeth George</span> in her book <span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>Write Away</i></span>: "On the surface, it would appear that landscape and setting are the same creatures, identical twins given different names just to confuse the beginning writer. This, however, would not be the truth since s<b>etting is where a story takes place</b>--including where each scene takes place--while landscape is much broader than that...<b>Landscape </b>in writing implies much the same as that which is implied by the word when it's used to refer to a location in a country: It <b>is</b> <b>the broad vista</b> <b>into which the writer actually places the individual settings</b> of the novel, sort of like the canvas or other medium onto which a painter has decided to daub color.</div>
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"You need to think about the landscape of your book because if you're able to make the landscape of place real, you can make the land itself real, which gives you a leg up on making the entire novel real for the reader."</div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Atmosphere</u></b></span></div>
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But there's more. If the nuanced differences between setting and landscape are not enough, what about the idea of <b>atmosphere</b>? <span style="color: #b45f06;">Janet Burroway</span> in her classic, <span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>Writing Fiction, a Guide to Narrative Craft</i></span>, puts it this way: "Your fiction must have an atmosphere because without it your characters will be unable to breathe."</div>
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"Like many of the terms that relate to the elements of fiction, 'atmosphere' has more than one meaning," Burroway writes. "Sometimes referring to subject matter, sometimes to technique. Part of the atmosphere of a scene or story is its setting, which includes the locale, period, weather, and time of day. Part of the atmosphere is its 'tone,' an attitude taken by the narrative voice that can be described, not in terms of time and place, but as a quality--sinister, facetious, formal, solemn, wry, and so on...As we need to know a character's gender, race, and age, we need to know in what atmosphere she or he operates to understand the significance of the action."</div>
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<b>Setting</b>, <b>landscape</b>, <b>atmosphere</b>. Separate entities yet connected.The first puts you in the action. The second contains the story's broader vista. The third enables the characters to breathe. Had you ever considered the varying distinctions? How so? Will you imagine your setting with a different understanding now?</div>
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<i style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;">photos courtesy of sxc.hu</i></div>
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<i style="color: #b45f06;">____________</i></div>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">And now back to the present</b><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, palatino linotype, palatino, serif;">, an additional source on the subject includes an article titled </span><i style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Creating Atmosphere in Fiction</span></i><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, palatino linotype, palatino, serif;">, by Esther Newton (</span><a href="https://www.writersbureau.com/e-zee-writer/august-2012/page3.htm" style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>found here</i></span></a><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, palatino linotype, palatino, serif;">). In it, Ms. Newton says, "To be successful a short story or or novel needs to develop a strong sense of atmosphere. This draws your readers into your story so they can imagine this world you are creating. It also sets up expectations for them and gives them information about the characters they're likely to meet in your story." She follows up with six categories for developing that atmosphere. They include: </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">setting</span><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, palatino linotype, palatino, serif;">, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">description</span><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, palatino linotype, palatino, serif;">, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">five senses</span><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, palatino linotype, palatino, serif;">, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">weather</span><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, palatino linotype, palatino, serif;">, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">time</span><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, palatino linotype, palatino, serif;">, and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">first person viewpoint</span><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, palatino linotype, palatino, serif;">. Another good refresher resource!</span></div>
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What do you find to be the easiest ways to create atmosphere in your writing? What comes hardest for you?</div>
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Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-2178730021321045482019-02-25T17:20:00.003-05:002019-03-25T16:17:06.495-04:00Post-From-the-Past, February Archives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">winter walk 2019</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">"In the end, what makes a plot twist effective? It's not difficult to give a friend a present they never would have expected. But one sign of a good friendship is that you can give your friend a present that they never would have expected, perhaps never would have even guessed they wanted, but are still delighted to have. That's the sign of a good plot twist as well." --<i>Dave King, "Playing it Straight with Plot Twists," at </i></span><a href="http://www.davekingedits.com/articles/twists.html"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>davekingedits.com</i></span></a></span></div>
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Pulling again from my archives over the last nine years of blogging, I offer <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">The Unexpected: 5 Tips on Plot Twists</span></i>. This post first appeared in February 2012 and ranks in the top-10-list of my most viewed posts ever. Maybe you, like me, would like (might even need?) a review. Here goes:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Tuesday, February 7, 2012</span><br />
<a href="https://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/02/unexpected-5-tips-on-plot-twists.html" style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>The Unexpected: 5 Tips on Plot Twists</b></span></a><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Creativity comes from looking for the unexpected and stepping outside your own experiences."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">--Masaru Ibuka</span></div>
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The jolt, when it hit, was palpable. Nothing really big, but a hit all the same.</div>
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I was on my morning walk, approaching the turnaround point at the curve. The scene is so familiar at this particular spot--that of an old barn that for years was a picturesque fixture of the landscape. In fact, I often told myself that I should bring my camera and get a picture of it. Admittedly the barn was dilapidated and abandoned, but it had such character built as it was on a stone foundation with weathered boards that had seen many a day. It shouted history--even a story or two. I'd even analyzed the angle from which to take the shots. Yes, one day I would do that.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_xSnQc9sNco/TyHC8w4HEtI/AAAAAAAAA8o/K8M9aaE21fc/s1600/101_0147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #134f5c; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_xSnQc9sNco/TyHC8w4HEtI/AAAAAAAAA8o/K8M9aaE21fc/s200/101_0147.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="200" /></a>This time as I approached, I looked up to see a small earth-mover nearby. I couldn't tell if it was parked on the road, and if I'd have to skirt around it. I wondered what project was about to be embarked upon. That's when the surprise hit, and the unexpected registered on my brain.</div>
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The barn was gone.</div>
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Razed. Obliterated. Kaput. The bulldozer's job had already been done. The landscape was forever changed. What a twist that revelation brought to my morning!</div>
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Well, as is so often the case, thoughts went from personal disappointment over a lost photo op to the question of how such an event could be useful in plotting our stories. How can we use the unpredictable, the unexpected, surprises, twists and turns in order to keep our readers reading? And why?</div>
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Scanning several sources, I uncovered five tips on plot twists:</div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">1. Predictable to Unpredictable.</span></b> Barbara Dunlap, <i><a href="http://www.autocrit.com/websitepublisher/articles/151/1/Plot-Twists/Page1.html" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;">autocrit</a></i>, defines plot twists as: "<b>anytime something unexpected happens in a story that changes its fundamental direction</b>. Where the characters and the plot are moving along in a direction that feels predictable then something happens to alter that predictability, that's a plot twist."</div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">2. But...There's No Formula.</span></b> Janice Hardy, at <i><a href="http://blog.janicehardy.com/2010/03/expect-unexpected.html" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;">The Other Side of the Story</a></i>, gives great advice about plot twists related to reader expectations. She writes, "We're all looking for a great plot twist, right? Be it in the books we write or the ones we read. That unexpected event or revelation that changes everything we thought we knew and takes it to a whole new level. The things that make us go, 'wow, that was awesome. I never saw that coming.' Trouble is, knowing you want one is a lot easier than coming up with one. There is no formula for devising a great twist, because every plot is different and any number of things can work in a story. My trick for twisting my plot is pretty simple: Reader expectations...<b>You want to give readers what they expect, but not in the way they expect it."</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">3. Murphy's Law. </span></b>Ansel Dibell in his book, <i>Plot</i>, suggests we play with Murphy's Law. "<b>Try to think of what, within that fundamental situation, could go surprisingly wrong, yet seem believable and reasonable</b>, within that context, when it happens...Your twist must satisfy and improve upon what it substitutes for, not just change it to something else."</div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">4. Connect the Dots. </span></b>This from Amanda Hannah, at <i><a href="http://www.yahighway.com/2009/11/nanorevismo-element-of-surprise.html" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;">YA Highway</a></i>: "<b>Most surprises need to have some roots grounded early in the book--little whispers that could hint at something to come</b>. Things that the reader might not consciously pick up on at first, but <b>once the surprise is discovered, they can connect all the dots together</b>."</div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">5. Multiple Implications</span></b>. Scott Edelstein, in <i>The Writer's Book of Checklists</i>, amps plot twists up another notch. He says, "<b>Look for events, developments, and twists that work in two or more ways at once</b>, or that have multiple implications, meanings, or consequences. These can be among the most powerful elements in any piece of fiction."</div>
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Maybe we won't surprise our readers with a barn in one scene, only to find it unexpectedly leveled in another, but we do want to provide them with the occasional jolt that keeps them reading. What about you? How do you plan for the unexpected in your stories? Any outstanding plot twists you've read and marveled at recently?</div>
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And, now, back to the <b>present</b>: Re-reading this post gave me pause to ask myself, what books have I read recently in whose pages lay memorable plot twists? My list includes:</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Mountain-Frazier-Charles-Hardcover/dp/B010MZBGT6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=344C7OHXXBASC&keywords=cold+mountain+charles+frazier&qid=1551131162&s=gateway&sprefix=Cold+Mountain%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-1"><span style="color: #38761d;">Cold Mountain</span><span style="color: #444444;">,</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> by Charles Frazier</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Empty-Places-Cannon-Wiechman-2016-04-05/dp/B01FIYZO5I/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Empty+Places+by+Kathy+Cannon+Wiechman&qid=1551131231&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spell"><span style="color: #38761d;">Empty Places</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">, by <i>Kathy Cannon Wiechman</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Waiting-Augusta-Jessica-Lawson/dp/1481448404/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ZHNKQR00236Z&keywords=waiting+for+augusta&qid=1551131289&s=gateway&sprefix=Waiting+for+Augu%2Caps%2C162&sr=8-1"><span style="color: #38761d;">Waiting for Augusta</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">, by <i>Jessica Lawson</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Torch-Robert-Sharenow/dp/0062227955/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Girl+in+the+Torch&qid=1551131337&s=gateway&sr=8-1"><span style="color: #38761d;">The Girl in the Torch</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">, by <i>Robert Sharenow</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unfinished-Angel-Sharon-Creech/dp/0061430978/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=24V3TZO0VNQD2&keywords=the+unfinished+angel+by+sharon+creech&qid=1551131390&s=gateway&sprefix=The+Unfinished+Angel%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-1-fkmrnull"><span style="color: #38761d;">The Unfinished Angel</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">, by <i>Sharon Creech</i></span></div>
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Other lists, other compilers:</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1426.Best_Plot_Twist"><span style="color: #38761d;">Favorite, Most Shocking Plot Twists</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">, <i>Goodreads</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8383.Novels_with_best_plot_twists"><span style="color: #38761d;">Novels with Best Plot Twists</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">, <i>Goodreads</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.thechaosandtheclutter.com/archives/10-childrens-books-with-surprise-endings"><span style="color: #38761d;">10 Children's Books with Surprise Endings</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">, <i>thechaosandtheclutter.com</i></span></div>
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Any books with memorable plot twists you might recommend? What are you currently reading?</div>
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Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134040229227913313.post-41385162802124177472019-01-31T10:15:00.000-05:002019-01-31T10:15:32.729-05:00Post-From-the-Past, January Archives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"There are thousands of thoughts lying within a man that he does not know till he takes up the pen and writes." --William Makepeace Thackeray</span><br />
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Thackeray's quote resonates with me as I enter my tenth year of blogging. Ten years! And over the years, the number of blog posts--and thousands of thoughts I didn't even know I had--has grown, now numbering 440. So in this, my tenth year, I thought I'd go back in the archives and highlight a post-from-the-past each month. A re-post, yes, a revisit, a re-encounter...<br />
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Traveling then back to the records of <b>January 2012</b>:<br />
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<a href="https://kendaturner.blogspot.com/2012/01/aim-shoot-bulls-eye-targets-for-new.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Aim, Shoot, Bull's Eye: Targets for a New Year</span></a></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <em><span style="color: #b45f06;">"It's the sheer act of writing, more than anything else, that makes a writer."</span></em> <span style="color: #b45f06;">--John Gardner</span></span></div>
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Call it semantics, but I've decided to set writing "targets" rather than resolutions for the new year. The "dart board"--what I'm aiming for--is to write every day. No matter how much, how little--my goal is to hit at least one of four targets every day. Each is represented by the graduated concentric circles of a dart board. (I wish I could diagram this, but such design skills aren't in my repertoire yet!) </div>
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<strong style="color: #b45f06;">The four targets include:</strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">1.</span> The Bull's Eye: Write 1000 words</strong>. I hope to hit this mark more often than not in this new year. But that is the real prize, and often hard to attain. So if circumstances--like life's challenges away from the computer--preclude this then I'll aim for...<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">2.</span> The Inside Ring: Write two pages</strong>. Linda Sue Park, author of the 2002 Newbery Medal Winner <em>A Single Shard</em>, in an interview over at <a href="http://cuppajolie.blogspot.com/2010/12/scbwi-team-blog-pre-conference.html" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Cuppa Jolie</span></a>, said: "My most valuable tip came from Katherine Paterson, who wrote in an essay about how she tries to finish 2 pages a day. I read that when I was starting work on my first novel, and it was a huge light-bulb moment. I thought, I can do that! I don't know if I can ever write a whole novel, but I sure as heck can write 2 pages a day. I've written every single one of my novels that way, and I'm positive I never would have written even one if I hadn't read that tip." Still and all, though, if time is at a premium on a busy day, I will at least shoot for...<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">3.</span> The Middle Ring: Write for 15 minutes</strong>. Dan Goodwin, at <a href="http://coachcreative.com/abigcreativeyes/2010/03/24/the-remarkable-magical-powers-of-creating-every-day/" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Coach Creative</span></a>, says: "Create every day and you get used to starting creative sessions quickly and easily. They become a routine, a habit, and you begin before you've had a chance to procrastinate. The less often you create, the harder it becomes to get started, and the more excuses and 'urgent' tasks that have to be done before you create begin to stack up...(so) start today, set aside 15 minutes, make an appointment with your creativity, and write it down. Do the same tomorrow." Yet, being realistic, on days I can't even do that I will at least...<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">4.</span> The Outer Ring: Write ten words.</strong> This from Mary E. Pearson, on a guest post at <a href="http://deareditor.com/2010/11/29/editor-for-a-day-mary-e-pearson-re-help-ive-hit-a-wall/" style="color: #134f5c; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Dear Editor</span></a>: "When I feel like I can't move forward, I will do all kinds of things to help me keep going, like...Trick myself. I sit down to write and tell myself I only have to write ten words and then I can get up and do whatever I want guilt-free. TEN. That's all. But I have to do it every day." She says it's amazing how allowing yourself ten simple words more often than not jumpstarts the writing process and you end up writing more than you thought you would.</div>
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So there you have it, my targets for 2012. Every day, hit at least one. Now my aim might be poor at the beginning. After all, I haven't been all that consistent in the past. But with practice, who knows what will come. I'm looking forward to finding out.<br />
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What are your writing targets for the new year?</div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">And <b>returning to the present</b>, I recommend an article posted by </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">Mary Carroll Moore</span><span style="color: #444444;">: </span><a href="http://howtoplanwriteanddevelopabook.blogspot.com/2018/12/your-writing-life-benefits-of-end-of.html"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Your Writing Life: The Benefits of an End-of-Year Review</span></i></a><span style="color: #444444;">. Ms. Moore, whose tag line to her blog is "How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book," poses questions to ask ourselves in review, questions such as </span><i style="color: #444444;">what did I want to have happen with my writing life this past year? what steps did I take to bring that about? what was my biggest ah-ha moment? my actual accomplishments? where did I find the most satisfaction or joy?</i><span style="color: #444444;"> Good reading here, with a proposed review process that I'm now in the middle of. You might want to check it out. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;">Happy reviewing, goal-setting, and target shooting in 2019!</span><br />
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<br />Kenda Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com6