On Mondays, I like to create a special post about writing a memoir. I call those posts #MemoirMondays. My goal for today is to explain that a memoir must be truthful– But it should not be a harsh account of reality. That is one of the differences between writing for an encyclopedia and writing a…
Category: #HowToWrite
November 1 Is My New Year: Time to Set New Resolutions – New Goals
For the past several days, I have been talking about how some of the ancient civilizations celebrated the New Year on November 1: I have decided to start my new year today, too. As of today, November 1, I have officially left the skeletons of my old self behind me, and I have resolved to…
Another Shout-Out for Stream of Consciousness – I Also Create My Youtube Videos in a Stream of Consciousness
Some of you may not know this, but for a couple of months, I have gone out into my garden several times a week, and I have talked about what is or is not growing there. Quite often, my videos pivot into something that is rather philosophical, and I label those thoughts as “Learning from…
Planning in My Garden and in My Writing
A peek into my garden on October 8, 2024 – This spot is the view directly out from my screened porch A peek into my garden on October 8, 2023 – This spot is the view directly out from my screened porch–BEFORE I created the garden there. What a difference a year makes–IF you plan…
Another Parable of the Soil: Prepare Your Soil – Plant in Faith – Lessons from My Garden
This time last year, I was spreading one of several truck loads of garden soil to create raised beds in my garden. I had lived in my current house for 6 months, and I had just begun my efforts to transform the barren field behind my house into a natural haven. View from my screened…
Studying Other Artists and Illustrators – Studying Other Writers – The Importance of Copying the Masters in Becoming Better at Your Craft
In addition to being a practicing visual artist and writer, I have taught both writing and art 3/4 of my life. Although I have NEVER allowed my students to submit a copied piece for a grade, I have always told them that copying more accomplished artists and writers is a wonderful way to learn. Many…
Turn A Tiny Memory from Your Past into A Picture Book – How to Write Memoir – #Memoir Mondays
The first ingredient of any picture book is a story. After we find our stories, we writers need to polish them a bit–but the effort begins with a story. I am an advocate of looking within for our stories–at looking at the memories from our pasts. I have recently studied the massive library of Tomie…
Get Ready for Memoir Mondays – Create a Memoir Journal
I’m excited to say that I have decided to start a Once-A-Week Memoir Writing Event on Monday, September 23, 2024. I’ll call the even Memoir Mondays or #MemoirMondays. I’ve tried doing the all-month, every-day events, but that is almost impossible for anyone participating, as well as for me. I’ve researched the area of memoir writing…
How to Lay Out a Picture Book – How to Weave Images and Words Together on a Page – Examples
In a systematic way, I am researching the wrting and illustrating career of Tomie dePaola. When I started this project, I was simply trying to think of a way to honor dePaola on his birthday–September 15. The prolific picture book author and illustrator Tomie dePaola was born on September 15, 1934. After I began my…
Tomie dePaola Changed the Appearance of Strega Nona Over Time — He Dared to Edit — He Dared to Try Something New
I’ve taught people of all ages, and I have noted that most people resist changing their original product–be it a bit of writing or a bit of visual art. [I have taught both writing and art.] People resist changing what they thought were their creative babies. I am studying Tomie dePaola’s writing and illustrating career…