November Meeting Cancelled

Unless otherwise announced, we will not be meeting for the month of November. Our next meeting then will be the third Monday of December (the 15th) 6-8 PM.

Our challenge which will now be extended until December, is to write a characterization -- several pages detailing the appearance, background, motivations, etc. of a character (this need not be about a character in a story you are currently writing). This information helps round out the characters for the writer though much of it might never be told to the reader of the story. The purpose is to know your character inside and out so that you (the writer) can portray that character with more realism and continuity. Feel free to use a picture (i.e. from a handy mail-order catalogue) to create an "illustration" of your character. This can be a helpful jumping off point to begin your characterizations.

Also, as we will now have two months to work on this challenge, you may wish to work on a brief scene (containing dialogue and description) using the character developed from that exercise.

Root named Daddy

Love is very sharp and deep when it roots in your heart. My heart has a root named Daddy. He has always loved me even when I cry, pout, laugh, or fall. His love knows no end. I can look into his eyes and see the love for me with no words heard. The eyes which gaze back are the very ones he gave me. As I study his hands, I see the same shape and size in my own. I can not bear to think of the day when I shall see his eyes no more or be able to touch his hand to mine. I can feel his soft touch on my leg with the light pat to say “I love you”. We share the same eyes and hands as well as the same Spirit, the same Father. We both know because of “Our Father” we will spend the rest of time with each other even after our last good bye or “pat”. This love is so deep in my heart, to pull it out would drain all the life from my soul and I would cease to live.

October Writing Exercise

Your character is walking on a moonlight beach watching the waves come in.

Write the scene without using the following words :

• water
• waves
• sand
• beach
• night
• ocean

Have You Heard About NaNoWriMo?

November is National Novel Writing Month. Did you know this already? I just heard about it, a friend sent me a link. It sounds like fun. Check it out; give it a try. Why not?

One Syllable Words Writing Challenge

.
"I Think, Therefore I Am."

When the hills bend with trees to shape a pause, to stop the world…
When all that I know will not hold thoughts of time with out end,
vast clear seas, one small cell
or moon, or bone, or dirt,
leaves and wings and death…
When all that I can tell you is less than you can learn
from birds who fly south and north
from signs and clouds and the sun stained sky
when day first breaks …

When the ease, the cheer, the sigh,
the voice in my head,
brings peace that is not my own…
I am formed, made new
shaped and bent, pressed like clay
torn and sewn, patched like quilts
carved and hewn, like wood planed smooth
in His hands.

When these things spin in my mind…
When the hushed wind that moves crowned peaks bends to speak…
When the child is born,
and the rocks cry out,
and I see who He makes me…
When I reach that place,
I know
He is
I AM.