Long or Short, Reading Poetry to Improve Your Daily Writing – Daily Quote

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I love poetry. There is nothing I enjoy more than reading a sonnet aloud, preferably while walking around the house. Some words are whisperers begging for a voice, while others emanate from the depths of our souls. I stand in awe of the poet’s skill to evoke a symphony of emotions. I can’t write anything worthy of inflecting on my worst enemy. The rigorous structures of syntax, couplets, and quatrains stifle my ability to compose.

However, I find the constraints of flash fiction a challenge that begs me to step up to the plate. Telling a satisfying story with a beginning, middle, and end while adhering to a strict word count of 100, 250, or 500 words requires some tricks. Selecting words which capable of doing double duty help convey a uniform message through the piece. Do you want to amaze, alarm, or surprise your audience? Precise word choice can establish or ruin the mood. While the final sentence is technically the story’s completion, it should also encourage the reader to consider implications beyond the writing.

At first, Marge’s comparison of poetry to flash fiction intrigued me, but as I analyzed the two, similarities emerged. Prose poetry often has either technical or literary qualities of a poem. But defining differences with flash fiction are less clear, and the forms seem to intertwine. Perhaps, I allow my favorite poets to influence my writing, and creating within stringent limits hones my craft further. It provides a wonderful way to practice for my novels.

Do you prefer long or short-form writing?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 15

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2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 289 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Attaining Your Daily Writing Goals When You Lack Superhero Powers – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 6 Comments
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I am struggling with my first draft. I read reports of authors churning out 5,000 or 10,000 words per day, and I wonder if a radioactive spider bit them. Perhaps they mastered time travel, allowing them the luxury of writing, and deleting sentences multiple times. Or maybe they’ve found supercharged coffee beans. I need them for my coffeepot.

Studying successful authors, searching for clues, I discovered a plethora of tricks used to create what some describe as a “vomit” draft. Some locked themselves in hotel rooms, or garden sheds, or composed in their cars. Others, like Victor Hugo, Ernest Hemingway, and even Benjamin Franklin, wrote in the nude, with the idea that without clothes, there was nothing else they could do but write.

Writers have odd habits. We talk to ourselves and our characters, we frequent baby name websites, and please refrain from looking at our search history. I guarantee you don’t want to know. We eavesdrop on conversations, then stare into space, oblivious of our surroundings. I ask Alexa for synonyms or how to spell a simple word that refuses to appear on my screen. I am not above doing anything that will facilitate getting more words written faster.

What are your secret writing hacks?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 14

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 288 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Capitalizing on the Synchronicities of Your Own Solid Work Ethic – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments
i-have-a-pretty-intense-work-ethic.-if-somethings-not-done-i-cannot-let-go-until-i-get-it-done.-emily-v.-gordon.

I enjoy being busy, and it has gotten me into trouble. Over-committed, overwhelmed, overworked, and managing an overflowing schedule leads to being overstressed. I am no slacker. I climb mountains to honor my commitments. People rely on me, and I wouldn’t change it. But, when I say, “I can’t,” I’m not exaggerating. Being overextended teaches many lessons.

We’ve read those posts. You know the “10 Ways to Productivity” lists. A few tips sometimes work, while others are a complete failure for me. One helpful suggestion I hear often is an admonition to clear your desk. While the experts extoll the virtues of an empty workspace, it drives me crazy. For me, a pristine desktop signals a lack of activity and performance. No inspiration, no ideas, no novel connections to make because of a notebook, open to a random page on which I slop my coffee. I dab the mess, a phrase comes into sharp focus, and voilà, I have an interesting topic to explore.

That wouldn’t happen with a tidy desk. I might still be staring at a clean counter, as I listen to my deadline swoosh past me. Instead, I reach my goal in half the allotted time, freeing me to move to another task. With a big win notched in my belt, I have positive momentum I fly, completing more jobs than I imagined was possible.

How do you get things done?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 13

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 287 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

An Enduring Habit and the Last Bastion of Handwriting – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 12 Comments
i-always-write-my-first-draft-in-longhand-in-lined-notebooks.-i-move-around-the-house-sitting-where-i-like-and-watch-the-words-spool-out-in-front-of-me-actually-taking-a-lot-of-pleasure

I can’t imagine attempting to complete an entire first draft, sixty to a hundred thousand words, by hand. I feel a cramp developing just thinking about it. Then there is my speed, which I would need to slow dramatically to make it legible. I have combined printing with cursive, creating my unique format, which allows me to read my thoughts later.

The joy of using the keyboard is in my proficiency. With touch-typing skills, my fingers fly at a pace fast enough for me to transcribe the concepts pouring from my head. Thankfully, my laptop is portable, and I can drag it from my desk to my oversized leather chair positions next to the wood-burning fireplace.

However, I refuse to move one exercise to a digital format. Filling in my calendar is a manual process. Every Sunday, I sit with my planner and record each assignment, schedule my writing sessions, and slotting in the things I must accomplish to hit my deadlines. I write out shopping lists, random thoughts, and questions I don’t want to forget.

Each hour’s line receives a stroke from my favorite pen. It is a ritual I look forward to and won’t abandon. It is relaxing, and it etches my commitments into my brain. The process works so well I remember what I am supposed to be doing without my book.

What things do you write by hand?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 12

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 286 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Delaying Your Gratification While Planting a Beautiful Future – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 11 Comments
a-tulip-doesn't-strive-to-impress-anyone.-it-doesn't-struggle-to-be-different-than-a-rose.-it-doesn't-have-to.-it-is-different.-and-theres-room-in-the-garden-for-eve

This afternoon, the mailman delivered a package, one that I have been both dreading and anticipating. Tucked inside is the promise of beauty. Three years ago, I planted 300 tulip bulbs in my front garden bed and waited for spring. They rewarded me with a spectacular show that took my breath away and garnered the neighbor’s comments.

There are tricks to growing tulips in my zone, as they don’t naturalize easily. Those methods require enjoying the flowers, letting the foliage dieback, and then lifting the bulbs from the ground. You must wash, dry, and store any undamaged bulbs in a cool place with low humidity until it is time to plant them again in the fall. The process helps to ensure the bulb’s health and encourages vigorous spring flowering.

I follow a different course. I elect to let the bulbs remain in situ. The result is fewer annual blooms. This year, a sprinkling of tulips raised their heads, but the showing was unacceptable. I will dig 300 six-inch-deep holes, sprinkle in a bit of fertilizer, add the bulb, tamp it in and move to the next. It is backbreaking toil that won’t produce results until late April.

What are you planting today?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 11

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 285 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer