A Selection of Poems by Christine DePetrillo

I often write poems when I'm experiencing writer's block. I'd like to share some with you today. Enjoy!

Here are two serious, nature-inspired ones:

LEAVES

Summer green

         fades,

autumn red

         flares,

to orange

yellow,

brown,

blankets the

         ground

awaiting the

         arctic veil

of

snow.

Fading sun

graying sky

frosty crispness

quiet hush

leafless trees

dark twigs

wait like soldiers

                  for the icy assault

flakes fall

frozen bullets

covering all in

         white

                  folds

                           of

                                  snow.

****

REFLECTION

Silent soldiers

standing tall in the ranks

needled arms raised

against the ambushing

sun

Autumn marches in

spraying its yellow, orange, brown

ammunition on the

vulnerable

Only the strong emerge

unscathed

true green

evergreen

Quiet river

remembers the battle

reflecting the victory

of the

pines

****

And here are two silly, food-inspired ones:

OH, THAT CRANBERRY SAUCE!

Wiggly

jiggly

red

sloppy

floppy

round

Sliding

off my

plate

headed

for  the

ground

Slipping

through

my fingers

landing

in a

mound

Grandma

steps

right in it

and it

doesn’t make

a sound

Sticky

icky

blob

three days later

when it’s

found.

****

SQUASHED

It’s orange.

It’s bumpy.

Mom’s is

Always lumpy.

It’s squash.

Serve it cold

Or serve it warm.

Either way

It’s got no form.

It’s squash.

Eat it now.

Don’t delay.

Best to get it

Out of the way.

It’s squash.

Take a drink.

Wash it down.

I’ll try my best

To hide my frown.

It’s squash.

Time for dessert.

Oh me, oh my

Cut me a slice

Of that apple pie.

Oh no…

it’s SQUASH!

Be sure to check here after Thanksgiving and into December for The Roses of Prose Annual Holiday stories! Free holiday cheer! Also, join the Facebook reader group I co-host with author Amanda Torrey at Small Town Hearts. We have a blast over there and we want you to be a part of it all!

Toodles,
Chris
www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

Beating #Writer’sBlock with a Good #Book by Mackenzie Crowne

Writer’s Block. Gah! Just typing the phrase makes my skin crawl — a reaction I’m sure makes perfect sense to those for whom writing is compulsory. It is for me and finding myself frozen in front of the keyboard without a clue as to why the words won’t come is a nasty, horrible, utterly frustrating state of affairs. Unfortunately, I’m not a novice when it comes to the phenomenon, having found myself staring at a blank screen a number of times over the years. Yet, knowing I’ll eventually make it through to the other side is of little help while I’m waiting. I want to write. I NEED to write and none of the countless tricks I’ve used in the past to overcome this painful lack of creativity seem to be working.

So, I’ve decided to go back to the beginning. Back to those stories that first touched my heart and lured me into the world of romance when I was little more than a girl. Back to those paperbacks that claim a permanent place on my re-read shelf. Here’s the plan: For the next seven days, I will be spending my free time with some of my all-time favorite characters — old friends I’ve neglected for far too long. I plan to immerse myself in sweeping adventures that came from the creative and talented minds of none other than Linda Howard, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Johanna Lindsey, Nora Roberts and Elizabeth Lowell to name a few. I’m talking classic romance, written in the 70s and 80s before I’d ever heard of such things as plot development, linear vs non-linear, character arcs, head-hops and dialog tags.

With a little luck, these old friends will remind me of why I started writing romance in the first place, and if not, who cares? Re-reading a favorite romance used to be one of my most enjoyable ways to pass an afternoon. It’s time I got back to that bygone pleasure. I’ll let you know how the plan works out, but in the meantime, what about you? Do you ever re-read or do those new adventures waiting to be experienced claim your heart?

When Mac isn’t bashing her head against the keyboard and cursing the dreaded writer’s block, she spends her time providing happily-ever-afters for her sassy characters like Rylee Pierce, heroine of

THAT DATING THING 

NaNo, Windshields and Me by Betsy Ashton

Confession. I'm participating in NaNoWriMo again. Second time. I'm loving it, because I like the structure and discipline it takes to write 50,000 words in 30 days. After last year, I vowed I would never do this again. I am, because I have a story outside my standard genre that I wanted to try.

I usually write women's fiction with mystery elements. I've just finished my first suspense novel. And now I need a bit of a break. I had to get out of the head of a serial killer. Why not write a romance? I mean, how hard can it be?

So, there I was, happily writing away. Ahead of schedule, the words in my kinda hot romance flowed and flowed. The male lead talked and talked and almost didn't notice the female lead. I tried to get him to shut up, but he acted like he'd been vaccinated with an old phonograph needle. Until a moment where he actually noticed the female lead. They can't get together because both wear wedding rings, and no publisher or agent wants a romance where infidelity was key to the sex.

How to get around this? I puzzled and puzzled before I took an overnight road trip. Even with a book in the CD player, my mind focused on the road and the problem in my manuscript. How do I get these to apparently married people to fall in love and in bed without offending the moral readers out there?  Hours rolled by. Miles fell behind. No solution in sight.

Then, a bug splattered on my windshield. Big, juicy forehead-slapping splat. And I had it. Both the male and female leads wear wedding rings, but are they married? Ah, a plot twist replete with misunderstandings, names that confuse and guilt for the growing passion between the leads. Hmm, it just might work. What if misunderstandings when they meet have to be resolved before they can do the big nasty? What if one knows the truth and leads the other into the big nasty without the other knowing the truth? Um, that might be too convoluted, but I haven't ruled it out. I mean, what if one lead isn't married but the other thinks s/he is? Yeah, I kinda like that.

Well, turns out writing romance is harder than I thought, but I'm having a (bodice) ripping good time. These leads have to get to bed. They just have to. They deserve a HEA ending. I hope I'm up to writing the ending so that it doesn't offend, excites the reader and stays true to the romance genre.

I want to thank that bug. The splat cleared the mess out of my head and let me see the plot lines clearly. I love windshield time. What I don't like is having to clean the splattered bug off the glass. It's become epoxy-hard. Maybe I'll wait until the first snow and scrape it off.

That's all, folks. A silly story about how I found inspiration in a dead bug.

Character Poetry

Sometimes I write poems in the point of view of my characters to get over writer's block. When I feel out of touch with a character, I close my eyes and try to BE that character. I review his or her goals, motivation, and conflict. I put myself in his or her situation. I regard his or her love interest and tap into the emotions.

Here's one I wrote after what we in the romance novel world call "The Black Moment." It's that part in the story where you're not sure the hero and heroine are going to get that happily ever after.

Slaying Silence

Silence hangs

between us

like summer night heat haze

across the faraway moon,

blurring her light,

her vision.

Blackness mutes

the celestial edges,

and I am small,

alone,

unwanted.

It would take

but a touch of your hand,

a brush of your lips

against my skin

to lift the fog

and silence the silence.

Your heartbeat would fill my ears,

caress my soul,

connect me,

save me.

After I penned this poem, the juices started flowing again and I wrote the ending to this character's story. This method may not work for everyone, but it's always been successful for me. It unlocks my mind and gets me back in tune with what I'm trying to convey to my readers. It brings the emotions to the surface.

The next time you are stuck, give character poetry a whirl. You just may find the words you're looking for. 

  

Toodles,

Chris

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

The Maple Leaf Series, available now. Book One, More Than Pancakes, is always FREE in ebook.

A Writerly Activity to Avoid by Betsy Ashton

@GoofyWriter Working at Artist out of Hiding #AOOH weekend. Come on by.

@bff Where are you? Looked all over the place for you. Please respond @GoofyWriter

@GoofyWriter In the front window. All set up with laptop and great writing ideas

@bff Found you. You aren't doing anything.

@GoofyWriter I'm writing. What else does a writer do?

@bff You don't look normal

@GoofyWriter I'm not normal. I'm a writer. I'm supposed to look different

@bff Going home for some props to help

@GoofyWriter Props?

@bff Here, put these on

@GoofyWriter Pajamas??? Who you kidding???

@bff And these

@GoofyWriter Bunny slippers?????

@bff Well, that's what you wear at home.

@GoofyWriter Now I have writer's block. I feel like an idiot and I can't think of a thing to write

@bff Do what you do at home

@GoofyWriter Walk around and babble dialogue

@bff Sure. It works when no one's watching

@GoofyWriter Stood, walked, waved arms in the air, mumbled, ranted

@bff And?

@GoofyWriter Writer's block dented. Sat down and wrote for half an hour

@bff Wash, rinse, repeat

@GoofyWriter Jumping around like a madman and screaming dialogue

@GoofyWriter In the back of a cop car in handcuffs

@GoofyWriter Hey, @bff, can you bail me out?

@GoofyWriter @bff

@GoofyWriter @bff

@bff No longer your bff. You're crazy. Bail yourself out

@GoofyWriter Not LOLing

@bff I am

###

Betsy Ashton is the author of Mad Max Unintended Consequences published by Koehler Books in March 2013.

Controlling the Beast of Social Media by Betsy Ashton

Writers face a daily dilemma: how much time to spend on social media marketing books and how much time in writing new ones. Our agents press us for new manuscripts which have to be written, edited and re-edited before we submit to the agent. Once the agent passes the multi-edited manuscript to the publisher, the writer faces additional edits and proof reads. At the same time as we are preparing the current WIP for publication, we are expected to be working on the next manuscript. The juggling act is worthy of the Ringling Bros center ring.

We are expected to have a presence on social media. Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIn. The next social media fad. Publishers tell us we need a platform we can exploit for book sales. No platform seems good enough. They pressure us to expand, spend more time in social media. Out on speaking engagements we set up. Out on book tours we set up. Out in signing events we set up. Tweet all the time. Post all the time. Blog all the time.

Some writers hit the daily slide into the social media sand trap and emerge hours later or not at all. If I don't set limits, I'll "check my mail and posts on FB" before I begin writing. I'll answer only critical messages, look at the most important posts on my timeline. Oh, look, how cute is that kitten. I love kitties. I respond. Before I know it, I need more coffee. What? Two hours flew by? It can't be.

I decide I'll watch the clock in the corner of the computer screen. Right next to that wonderfully snarky post from one of my favorite FB friends. Someone is following me on Twitter? I have to check out this intelligent person who finds me worthy of a follow. I tweet back, receive a response and trip lightly into conversation that goes nowhere but takes time.

I don't suffer from writer's block. I don't have ADD or ADHD. I love writing, but those snarky Maxine comics must be read.

I put my foot down. No more wasting time. Watching the clock was a failure. I asked my husband for a special present two Christmases ago. I wanted a special egg timer. Mine has blue sand and flows for 15 minutes. When the sand of time runs out, I switch off my wi-fi and get back to work.

Oops. Time's up. What works for you?

##

Betsy Ashton is the author of Mad Max Unintended Consequences published in March 2013 by Koehler Books.

Take a Walk on the Wild Side by Jannine Gallant

snow plants

What do you do when your brain is mush and your muse is on an extended vacation? When I'm certain every word I write is just so much drivel, or I stare at the blank computer screen and my mind is--well, blank, I get my butt out of the chair and take a hike with my dog.

lupine

I consider myself blessed because I can walk out my door and straight into the woods where I can go for miles if I want. Usually, Ginger and I do a three mile loop to the creek and back. This time of year, the woods around Lake Tahoe are bursting with color.

mule's ear

Wild flowers take my breath away and reactivate my spongy brain. First come the snow plants, poking their heads out of the ground shortly after the last of the snow melts. Next thing I know, lupine is everywhere. When the mule's ear and paintbrush bloom, I know it's truly summer.

paintbrush

Ginger and I finish our walk through the meadow. Until this year, we had to avoid the meadow until it dried out, usually late in June, but last year the California State Parks system put in raised trails. Very cool to get to stroll through the meadow while it's still green and beautiful and a host to bunches of little flowers, camas lilies, buttercups and others I can't name.

little yellow flowers (I fail as a botonist!)

So, the next time you're having a major case of writer's block, try taking a walk. I swear your muse will pack up her sunscreen and beach chair and come join you. I composed this whole blog while I was out in the woods today. Tomorrow, I'll figure out where my WIP is headed, or I won't come home until I do. So if I'm not here on the 18th, you'll know why. LOL

Ginger in the meadow

Find links and blurbs for all my books (inspired by nature's beauty) on my website. Or follow me on Facebook or Twitter. Happy summer!

Springing ahead on my writing

I've managed to break through the writer's block I've been experiencing and I feel as though I'm brimming with new ideas.

I returned to some old tricks I learned long ago about breaking writer's block. I wasn't truly BLOCKED, but I sure wasn't making fast progress.

On my one WIP (a mystery story), I set a definite goal: I want it 80% done by July 4. That's 75 days from the day I set my goal. So I wrote 75, 74, 73, etc., on a piece of paper, have it by my computer, and every day, I cross off a day. Seeing those numbers marching down the page have given me incentive to sit down every day and at least TRY to write. Since I started, I'm on chapter 3. Whee!

On my other multi-book series, I was struggling to recapture the essence of one character. I have a LOT of characters in this series, both current and future, and I switch back and forth between 8 major characters as I follow their lives.

I came up with Character Traits. I decided on 6 one-word traits to describe each major character and each minor (not REAL minor, but not major) characters. That's about 20 people, and I sat down one night and really thought through each one and found a list of traits somewhere, and added them to the wiki page I have for each character.

Now when I put a character in a situation, I can go back there and say, "Well, Catherine wouldn't have done that" and realize that the scene is "out of character" for her.

This has helped me enormously, because I had some scenes that I thought were great but they didn't feel right. Now I know why. It's being initiated or experienced by the WRONG CHARACTER.

I am so delighted by these simple techniques to help me get back on track. I look forward every day to crossing off that number, knowing that I'm this much closer to a goal, or checking that character sketch and knowing just what that character should be doing.

Sometimes it's just a matter of thinking about what you want and figuring the best way to do it. It really comes down to finding what works for you -- and once you do, the possibilities are there!

Yay, me!

J L
jayellwilson.com