Writing & Publishing Tips

What is your writing voice? Do you even know what your writing voice is? For the longest time, I had no idea what writing voice meant. How do you find your writing voice?

Ultimately, your writing voice is how your words sound on the page -- it is who you are. Sometimes, your writing voice is your thinking voice, that little voice you hear and communicate with when you're alone. Sometimes, your writing voice is your speaking voice, the voice you use to communicate with people other than family and close friends. I am finding that my writing voice is more like the real me than who people perceive me to be.

Put simply, a writing voice is what makes Hemingway sound like Hemingway and Stephen King like Stephen King. My writing voice is what makes DellGirl sound like DellGirl. Your writing voice is what makes you sound like you.

What is voice, your writing voice? Voice is that peculiar - sometimes very peculiar - quality that allows the audience to read a sentence and know that you wrote it. Voice is your tool, not your master. Voice is the way a writer puts words together and offers them to readers.

Voice is the imprint of the writer - it's the capacity to elicit a response from the reader. Much of the craft of writing can be taught, but voice is the one thing writers learn by writing.

Finding your writing voice is really the task of finding yourself, of being yourself. How can you speak in your own personal, natural voice if you don't know who you are?

Be yourself!

It's okay to try things you like that other authors do, but don't allow yourself to copy another writer so much that you start sounding just like him/her. If you are afraid to be yourself when you write, how can you possibly have a writing voice that is uniquely your own?

At this stage of my writing, I feel my writing voice is my own. This may not have been the case when I first started writing. In the final analysis, my fulfillment comes when my writing is read, when my writing voice is heard. My gratification comes when my writing is read and the reader declares, "Dellgirl wrote THAT!"

As for your writing style and your writing voice, keep your writing as lively and engaging as possible. Well, maybe not. You might not be lively and engaging, you might be deliberate and formal. But always remember -- be yourself.

That is your distinct writing voice.

© 2010 by Leona G. Shankle

9-13-10

Writing style and writing voice are what separates good writing from great writing. The difference between great writing and mediocre writing is - individual style. Although writing voice and writing style have a lot in common they are not the same thing.

What is writing style? Writing style is not always easy to define. It is something that cannot be taught, you either have it or you don't. Writing Style is a product of our ability to learn by reading and listening to people talk. Our writing style is simply the way we construct a sentence and the way we put sentences together.

Your writing style is not what you say but how you say it.

Many of us are already writing and have no idea what our writing style is. Some of us are not even aware that we have a writing style. No problem, because perhaps ironically, the best writing style is invisible.

Developing your writing style is important to your becoming a good writer. If you try to write the way other people write, to duplicate their success, you may find that you are unable to emulate it, simply because you have a different style of writing than they do. Don't copy a writing style from another writer - make your style your own.

Think of it this way, "A man's style in any art should be like his attire - it should attract as little attention as possible."

It is apparent that the writing style is simple and informal. The best writing style is the one that is apparent to the reader although the meaning of the term writing style might somehow escape the writer. With that in mind, writers should simply write.

Your writing style will make itself known in the way you construct sentences and more so in the way you put sentences together. Say what you have to say - your way.

That is your unique writing style.

© 2010 by Leona G. Shankle

That's it for today. I hope to see you again soon.

There are many different types or kinds of writing, too many to list here and do justice explaining what each one means. Today I will concentrate on descriptive writing.

What is descriptive writing?

Descriptive writing explains a person, place, or thing so clearly that the reader is hooked from the beginning and drawn into the piece. Good descriptive writing does not tell the reader that the sunset is beautiful it shows them the sunset is beautiful through the use of active verbs and precise modifiers. The reader feels like they are a part of the writer's experience of the subject.

Good writers describe using concrete and abstract images and ideas. They are careful not to overuse adjectives, adverbs, similes and metaphors. They use these sparingly.

Descriptive writing uses figurative language such as simile, hyperbole, metaphor, symbolism and personification. It is not literal, but symbolic. Sometimes it's called flowery language.

Descriptive writing uses sensory language in a way that makes the reader see what you see and hear what you hear. The reader can vicariously taste, touch, and smell the same thing you did through your description.

When your readers can see what you see, hear what you hear, taste what you taste, feel what you touch, and smell what you smell - that's descriptive writing at its finest.

Everybody has a story to tell. Some desire to tell their stories more than others, and many people think about doing just that-someday. If you're reading this right now you can probably think of at least one time in your life when the thought crossed your mind that the situation you were in would make a good story. Some people think of writing their stories on a regular basis. I'm one of those people. No matter what the day or what the occasion happened to be, I found myself thinking, "this will make a good story".

Like me, you probably have written bits and pieces of poetry, fiction, short stories, and novels in an attempt to get that book done. Day after day and year after year, you write your pieces for that "one-day-I'll-write-that-book" file. Pages become piles, piles become filled folders or binders that inevitably end up stored away.

Eventually, if you're lucky, something or someone motivates you to the point of actually doing instead of thinking. In my case, it was my daughter who coaxed me to do it rather than simply talking about it.

Now it's your turn. I'm here to motivate you, to coax you into finally getting enough of your words on paper to make that book you've always dreamed of writing, a reality.

Before we begin, think of the book you always wanted to write. How big is it? How many pages do you contemplate? Will it be a novel, a short story, or will it be a collection of your poetry? Inspirational pieces? A cookbook? What is your answer?

THINK AGAIN! THINK SMALLER! Think about making your book only half that size.

Step 1: Find the Spark That Lights Your Fire
Pull yourself up to the table. Think about what you want to do; something you have always wanted to do but put it off. Now what you need to do is find the spark to light the fire within.

My "fire within" had fizzled to a smoldering simmer when my daughter gave me a book her friend, Tracie Jae, had written. It was a quick easy read so I finished the entire book in two sessions. After reading it, I gave it a thorough going-over, from cover to cover-several times. To my daughter I said, "This is great, I love her book!" Inside my head, I thought, and to my daughter I declared, "I can do this! I can write a book this size!" The fire was lit! The desire to write began to burn inside immediately, like it never had before.

Tracie's book, "Freedom's Verse", became my new best friend and constant companion as I moved about the house gathering my written work. I studied her book, re-read and used it to form a picture of my own book in my mind.

MORE HERE

© 2009 by Leona G. Shankle

Hello, we're back again with another Writing Tip! I hope you're feeling great and had a terrific week!

Well, I came across some super-hot deals online for you this time! Guess what I found!?

Writing Poetry from the Inside Out : Finding Your Voice Through the Craft of Poetry by Sandford Lyne

In Writing Poetry from the Inside Out, poet and national poetry workshop leader, Sandford Lyne, offers the writing exercises, guidance, and encouragement you need to find the poet inside you. Lyne's techniques, which he developed through twenty years of teaching poetry workshops, flow from an understanding that poetry is an art form open to everyone.

We all can-and should-write poetry. In this enchanting and inspiring volume, Lyne will introduce you to the pleasures and surprises of writing poetry, and his methods and insights will help you tap into your own unique voice and perspective to compose poems of your own in as little as a few minutes.

Whether you are an experienced writer looking for new techniques and sources of inspiration or a novice poet who has never written a poem in your life, Writing Poetry from the Inside Out will help you to craft the poems you've always longed to write.

I hope you find something interesting and helpful here.

Let us hear from you, I'd love to hear your ideas! Thanks for letting us into your life!

Until we write again,
Leona

Writing fiction is such a joy! You can lie all you want! And, maybe in lying, tell a different kind of truth. Writing fiction is how I could be making a living, but I prefer the absolute certainty of poverty that blogging gives me.

Writing fiction is a wonderful, creative form of writing. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time, but that does not mean to say that I am no longer interested in writing my non-fiction books and blogging well into the wee hours of the morning. Writing fiction is something I hope to do more of and will include links to my stories on this page.

When you started writing fiction, you probably did so at about the same time that you discovered that not only did your parents not have all the answers to the universe, but neither did anybody else.

There is a serendipitous journey to be taken when writing a novel, where things unfold in surprising and exciting ways the writer couldn't have foretold. Part of the joy of writing fiction is the excitement of sitting at a keyboard and watching words appear on the screen and a story take shape as if by magic.

Fiction gives us the greatest possible freedom to tell stories --- and I believe very much in the power of stories to influence the way people think. Writing fiction is a great escape from reality.

What do you think? Are fiction writers lying or imagining? Can you "lie" up a good story, book, or novel? Have you ever thought about doing it?

© 2009 by Leona G. Shankle

Short Stuff

First, choose an idea and start with the basics of a short story. A quick start is especially important in short stories because you don't have much room to tell your story. If you're having trouble brainstorming, try making a web or table; create about five main sentences for your short story. Novice writers are often given this advice on how to structure short stories: Put a man up a tree, Throw stones at him, Get him down.

There's no room for free-loaders in a short story. Around three main characters is all a short story can effectively deal with because too many will distract you from your theme. Use vivid imagery to draw the reader in.

In today's fast-moving world, the first sentence of your short story should catch your reader's attention with the unusual, the unexpected, an action, or a conflict. Keep your paragraphs and sentences short if you're telling a fast-moving action-filled story.

Grab your reader from the very first line and, begin your short story as close to the conclusion as possible. Your job as a writer of short fiction -- whatever your beliefs -- is to put complex personalities on stage and let them strut and fret their brief hour. For example, let's say you want to develop a college student persona for a short story that you are writing.

As a writer, you need to determine who is going to tell the story and how much information is available for the narrator to reveal in the short story.

Throw Some Stones: Add Some Conflict

Create a conflict for your protagonist. Then present the problems that can occur (throw some stones): misunderstandings / mistaken identity / lost opportunities, etc. Build the story's tension by having the protagonist make several failed attempts to solve or overcome the problem. Create a crisis that serves as the last chance for the protagonist to solve his or her problem. In general, make sure the story flows and the characters and their problems are introduced and resolved appropriately.

Get the Action Going

For a story to be believable, your characters have to be believable, and their actions should appear inevitable given who they are. The rest of your paragraph introduces an internal conflict as your protagonist debates a course of action and introduces an intriguing contrast of past and present setting. Show the reader what kind of person your character is, by describing actions rather than simply listing adjectives.

Solve the Problem: Get the man Down

Resolve the tension by having your protagonist succeed through his or her own intelligence, creativity, courage or other positive attributes. You have to do everything that happens in a novel; introduce characters, create conflict, develop characters, and resolve conflict in twenty or thirty pages - when the internal or external conflict is resolved. Sometimes the setting or some aspect of setting resolves the plot. This step is repeated until all the problems are solved.

It is here that love triumphs over hate, good conquers evil, honesty defeats deceit, or the underdog wins.

© 2009 by Leona G. Shankle

Introduction

Long before I wrote and published my book, At the Starting Gate, I was an active-card-carrying-dues-paying-member in the game of "life". As a young wife and mother I embraced my role enthusiastically with the goal of becoming the African American June Cleaver of my generation. Life kept happening, I kept pushing forward. There was no time or inclination to reflect on whether anything could or should be changed or different.

Later, with all three kids practically grown and able to make their own way in the world, I began to focus in another direction. I set out to finally release my inner creativity. On the first leg of my journey I decided on a course of action, set my goal, and proceeded to create the necessary product. For months I worked day and night creating and packaging.

Six months into preparations, with everything done except taking my product public, my mom got sick. I had to drop everything and get to her. For the next two weeks I nursed her to a point where I could bring her home with me. Needless to say, things changed. In an instant, her illness and need for assistance became an unforeseeable obstacle to the goal that I had been working so hard to reach. There is no pushing forward here, this is a set-back.

If you have not clicked away and are still with me, I know you can relate. I am sure you have countless stories of your own about the many times you started on a new path or began a new project only to have your forward progress blocked. The obstacles are as many and as varied as the day is long. Let's focus on some of those obstacles.

People Who Rain on Your Parade

The story above is an example of a circumstance or situation we all face at one time or another which cannot be anticipated nor can they be avoided. They are what they are. We endure to get through them the best we can, then we move on.

On the other hand, there are other obstacles we are forced to make a conscious effort to correct and/or avoid. The most common obstacle to our creativity is usually people. That includes friends, family, and sometimes even, "self." These are the "people who rain on our parade, the nay-sayers" who come across as well-meaning when they comment, "Are you sure you want to do that? Or, "I hear that doesn't pay much money." Family members caution solicitously, "That's nice but you won't have much security doing that." We tell ourselves, "I'm not good enough at this."

Overcoming Parade Spoilers
What do we do when faced with these human obstacles? Above all, be wary of them. How? First, recognize them by their negative comments and attitudes. Then, avoid them whenever possible. If not, their presence will keep you in a negative frame of mind, unable to produce anything positive or meaningful. In the event you can't get completely away from them, immediate family, for instance, try to dispel the negative vibes you encounter by posting/venting in a blog or a journal. Sometimes journaling helps clear your mind by allowing you to vent-then-get-on-with-writing-positively.

At this point, you must actively seek positive people to associate with; people who are motivated and encouraging; people who will help you stay focused and motivated.

© 2008 by Leona G. Shankle

Finding time to write is extremely hard for many writers. Personally, my brain is crowded with hundreds of creative ideas early in the morning but, instead of committing them to paper or the computer, I opt to do "just one little thing first" then I'll write. Before I know it, the ideas are forgotten and I am well into performing other tasks.

Finding time to write is a dilemma for published and non-published writers and is a problem regardless of whether you work outside the home or not. Finding time to write has to be a passion. If you're committed to writing a certain amount each day or week or to writing at specific times, you're much more likely to get work done.

Finding time to write is a huge problem for beginning writers, especially those with full-time jobs and families. The demands of raising children, car-pooling and, school conferences all have a claim on - our time for writing. Although finding time to write is difficult, you need to set aside a certain amount of time each day or week just for writing.

Here are a few tips that might help new writers find that all elusive - time to write.

1) Keep an erasable white board on the wall next to your desk to jot down ideas as they come to you.

2) Cut down on your time on the web. The Internet and email are great, but they can be huge time wasters for writers. Cutting down on your time on the web will help you find an unbelievable amount of time to write.

3) In some instances you may find that your only option for finding quality time to write is to write on the weekend.

4) Look for pockets of time and be disciplined in using them. This requires consciously looking at what you do with your time each day and finding things that can be eliminated or postponed.

5) Write two pages a day during the early morning hours before the rest of the household wakes up.

6) Let loved ones and friends know how they can help you.

7) Keep a notepad and pen beside your bed, in the bathroom, and on the kitchen counter for jotting down those ideas that ALWAYS seem to come when you're busy doing something else.

Ideally, we would all enjoy spending as much time as we want at a writers' retreat to guarantee uninterrupted writing time. Since that's not about to happen, use a few or all of the ideas above to gain more time for your writing.

Creative writing is our passion. It is the reason this website and many other websites like it, exists. Creative writing is guided more by our need to express feelings and ideas than by restrictive demands of factual and logical progression of expository writing. It is a form of personal freedom.

Many writers strive to excel at creative writing, but the process can be a bit unnatural and challenging for some. Creative writing is an individual pursuit, and each writer must find her or his own method within the process.

Writing beautiful prose and captivating poetry is a talent. Writing effectively, however, is a skill that can be learned. Writing is composed of two main activities: creating and critiquing.

Writing excites me, and I delight in enchanting you with words which flow from my pen, more accurately, my keyboard. Writing is a rare tool that allows us to discover and to express what is within.

Writing brings us gratifying rewards whether we do it for our own satisfaction or have aspirations to achieve wealth and fame as the author of a best seller.

Creative writing is any writing where the purpose is to express thoughts, feelings and emotions rather than to simply convey information. It is the composition of text with the aid of the imaginative faculties. For those of us who write, creative writing is one of the most powerful tools available to explore our interior.

The past month has been an extremely busy one for me but, it has also been highly charged - creatively.

More Writing Tips

© 2009 by Leona G. Shankle

Trying to "get started" writing is the hard part. The key is to take the plunge, just "get started". In the beginning, simply - WRITE. That might sound trite and simplistic when you're just starting out. The truth is - it is simple. Not easy by any stretch of the imagination, but simple. We will make corrections, edit, add to, change, or improve after we have some momentum going.

Don't try to write a 900 page novel

You might ask, "Why would I want to keep it simple and small if I want to write a novel or a big book?"

Those of us, who regularly think about writing a book or a novel, think in terms of the finished product - a 500 to 900 page finished product. The process of writing that number of pages alone is an overwhelming task for first-timers. Every time we think of writing our book, we think of writing from beginning to end. We start, we get overwhelmed, and we stop.

My biggest dilemma and one of my main hold-ups to getting my book finished was the thought of starting from my early childhood and writing through to the present day. Another thing that kept me "stuck" not getting to a finished product was trying to say too much.

For example, I often thought of writing a tribute to my teachers starting with first grade. This included everything from what I did before leaving home on the first day of school to how the teacher held her hands as she wrote assignments for us. Then I moved on to second grade. Same thing; I talked about how pretty the teacher was, what we did period by period during the day, and how the teacher chose which students would respond to a particular question, etc. Needless to say, I only got as far as the spring of second grade year. At that point, I went off on a tangent. I started an outline that included every teacher I ever had along with notes about them and the class.

It was not until I held someone else's 53 page 8 ½" X 5 ½" book in my hands that I realized, "I can do this, I can write a book this size!" I changed my thoughts. Instead of imagining 900 pages I began to see 50 to 80 pages - complete, printed and bound. 80 pages was a "do-able" thing without being overwhelming.

I re-thought and altered my planned tribute to teachers. Instead of a journey through 12 grades of school, I wrote a poem or a dedication to specific teachers - those who had directly inspired me to write.

Forget Chapters

Your book does not have to be a series of chapters in sequence, another misconception that hinders us first-timers. With no idea where to start or how to do it, we unintentionally bombard ourselves with too much too soon. Instead of the BIG book we could change our vision to a more attainable goal.

Your book could be a compilation of short stories like the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Another book without chapters in sequence is Chocolate for a Woman's Heart & Soul. Yours might even be a book of short inspirational stories or a cookbook filled with favorite recipes collected from family and friends. Those of us with hobbies or who are good at a particular craft might write a book about "how-to-do" what we do.

If you don't have a book like the ones mentioned above, consider buying one or getting one from your public library as your guide.

As an internet marketer, it's very important that you write and distribute your very own newsletters. These are great communication tools and they can help boost your sales and revenue in no time.

Writing newsletters can be overwhelming at first. But with the following tips and techniques, this endeavor can be a piece of cake:

1. First, determine how often you want to publish your newsletters. Do you want to do it every week or every month? Knowing this will help you plan ahead and will help you limit the scope of each newsletter that your produce.

2. Plan ahead. If you intend to publish your newsletters every week, I suggest that you plan ahead. You need to know what you're going to discuss from week 1 to week 4.

3. Think of your readers. Consider these people and their needs when writing your newsletters. Choose topics that they find interesting and write your newsletters based on their preferences.

4. Find a problem. You'll most likely to boost your readership if you talk about the pressing issues of your audience. You see, these people simply love it when somebody understands the things that they're going through. So, talk about their problems in details. Discuss the possible causes and prevention. Then, end your newsletters by offering the most appropriate solutions. Your readers will surely appreciate you for doing so.

5. Keep it simple. Consider the level of comprehension of your audience when writing your newsletters. If you're serving those who did not even attend college, it's safe if you stick with common terms. This is to make sure that they'll be able to get the message that you're trying to get across.

6. Extensive research. You want your newsletters to come out as informative and as content-rich as possible, right? So, be wiling to research your chosen topics thoroughly. Aside from checking online and offline resources, it will also help if you interview other experts who can offer you with additional data.

7. Offer fresh information. As people in general simply love learning something new, it's best if you talk about hot topics on your newsletters. Just make sure that they're relevant to your chosen niche and that your readers will find them worthwhile.

8. Build personal connection with your readers. Keep in mind that your ultimate goal in writing your newsletters is to get your readers to like and trust you. It would help if you can make these people feel that you're someone that they can easily relate to. Make them feel that you do understand where they are coming from and show them that somehow you're alike. For example, you can tell them that you've faced the same problems before. By doing so, you'll make these people feel comfortable with you. This is the first step to earn their trust.

9. Ask for feedback. Before you publish your newsletters, I suggest that you show them to your colleagues or to a trusted friend first. Let these people critique your job so you can easily figure out the things that you need to improve on before you send these to your target readers.

10. Be an effective writer. An effective writer is someone who thinks of his audience all the time; someone who's willing to go to great lengths to make sure that his readers are extremely happy with the content that he's offering. You can be that person if you're genuinely interested in helping your audience.

11. Strive for excellence. Never settle for anything less. You want to offer your readers with something that will leave a lasting mark on their minds. Your articles must not only be explosive, 100% original, well-written and very informative but they must also be pleasurable to read as well. These types of articles are most likely to become popular in the online arena in no time.

12. Check your newsletters. Read them over and over again preferably after 24 hours that you wrote them. Look for all sorts of errors (grammar, spelling, punctuation, factual, and syntax error) and correct them right away.

About the Author
Sean Mize teaches coaches, consultants, and small business owners how to package their knowledge and sell it at a high price.

Internet Marketing
Teleseminar Basics

Photo credit secretsofim.com/

One Saturday in March 2009, Pop arrives home from work early in the afternoon in order to take me and the kids out to dinner. Everybody is dressed and ready to go at 7:30 p.m. I quickly check to make sure everything is off that should be off, lock the door, and start for the car. Pop asks as we leave the front porch, "Who's driving?"

I answer him with a knowing smile, "Jordyn's driving, why?"

He retorts quickly with his usual joking unsolicited opinion, "Oh Lord, I might need to follow y'all in my truck."

Our only daughter, Jordyn, is behind the wheel. Mike, our youngest son, is riding shot-gun as they wait for Pop and me to wriggle and crunch ourselves into the back seat. Not five minutes out the driveway and before we even reach the end of the first block, Pop quips with a hint of feigned concern in his voice, "Dang Dell, she's speeding already and we haven't even left the neighborhood."

"Well fasten your seatbelt and hang on," I cautioned.

"Yea, and zip it. I already unplugged Mama's backseat driver's breaks."

That did nothing to stop him. All the way down South Post Oak he cautions. "Hey Jordyn, you better slow down, the cops are real bad right here."

Without batting an eyelash, Jordyn replies, "I know, I see them here all the time."

On the freeway, he continues to critique. I'm silently thinking, Jordyn must be in a really good mood, she continues to humor him. She countered his next directive with a big grin in Mike's direction.

"Yea Mike, Daddy's acting like he never drove fast. When we were little he drove so fast we thought we were riding in the Indy-500 or on a roller-coaster. And, now that he drives ten miles an hour and spends most of his time behind the wheel looking out the window or glancing backward to see what's going on all around him, he thinks everybody else drives too fast, except Mama."

This part of the speech is accompanied by a demonstration. She imitates how Pop turns all the way left looking out the window at something. Or, how he looks out the back window driving - ten miles an hour. Her rendition has us all bursting with laughter, including Pop. He is also busy trying to talk his way out of the current situation, that he is the reason for the intense laughter from .

The parking lot and the restaurant are packed but, we get a table right away. They all discuss what's good and what they want as I search for my all time favorite. No matter which seafood restaurant we go to I order the seafood platter, a taste of everything delicious. I found it, closed my menu and listened as they made their final selections. The waiter takes our order and we wait, chatting and laughing happily.

Jordyn, Mike, and I nibble on the appetizers but Pop refuses stating, "I don't want to spoil my appetite because I'm going to eat every single thing on my plate."

Dinner arrives and we all dig in hungrily, still laughing and catching up on the week's happenings.

Pop comments on my plate(s), "I know you not going to eat all that, you'll have some left over."

"I know. Then I'll get a take-home box and have some for when I wake up hungry over in the night." I assured him.

The food is delicious, cooked just right and is served piping hot. We each enjoy our own food and also sample the dishes that are different. Pop wasn't playing, he's working that platter of seafood over big-time. And, he finishes the whole thing before Jordyn and I get half-way through ours. We're both full about the same time so we stop before we get stuffed. We gather our take-home boxes, pay our tab, and exit the restaurant for the ride home. The dinner, the company, and the evening were absolutely wonderful, perfectly wonderful.

About a half block from the restaurant we encounter a long line of traffic waiting (and trying) to enter the freeway. Jordyn waits a customary "moment" then zips along side the traffic in the right lane to the head of the left lane. This particular SUV had waited...and waited...and waited for a break in the oncoming traffic. But, Jordyn (being in the left lane and in a smaller car) saw an opening and whipped in line with the flow of traffic quickly and easily.

Needless to say, Pop started again. "Girl, you driving too fast. You better slow down and watch what you doing."

Jordyn's evidently in a better mood than I originally thought.

She replied with a quick laugh and an admonishment, "Okay, everyody in the 'popcorn gallery' - QUITE."

She proceed to drive at her regular pace - fast - all the while countering Pop's cautions, critiques, and directives with a calm joking deliberateness I have grown to admire. He didn't stop But, he knew he'd met his match. He was out-numbered by one, Jordyn and her her quick-wit and determination - again.

Back at the house, Mike visits a few minutes then gathers his "take-home" food and leaves to go home. Jordyn spends a few minutes talking and soon bids us good night. Pop and I end the evening listening to Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly and winding down from a busy busy but productive work week. Lots to talk about.

© 2009 by Leona G. Shankle - All Rights Reserved - DellGirl Publishing

Photo credit flickr.com

Anticipation is high, for me anyway, as we roll at a nice steady pace along highway 59 North. Traffic is light, not many cars on the road, unusual for this time of day. By the time we reach the north side I'm immersed in the music playing softly on the radio, singing along and occasionally moving my head along also, feeling lighter and lighter with each passing mile. From time to time I glance toward the back seat at the two tiny sleeping bodies and smile.

Two and a half hours later we pull into Mama's driveway. Before we reach the steps the door bursts open and my brother greets us with a big hearty laugh.

"It's about time! We've been waiting for hours!" he joked.

Inside we find everyone else comfortably relaxed in the living room. Hugs and kisses all around the room and we're ready to settle in. After some catching up on who is doing what, which kid is starring in what production in or out of school, and what jobs and city life has done to the adult mind and soul, I venture toward the kitchen where mouth-watering smells permeate the air like honeysuckle flowers in the spring.

My brother is close on my heels chatting a mile a minute. I peek in every pot on the stove waving the tops like a cardboard church fan to get a whiff of what's inside. My brother heads for the record player and puts our all-time favorite record on the turntable. Shortly, sweet sounds of music fill the air drawing the others from the living room into the den and kitchen.

My plate is not quite empty when my brother grabs it from my hand, gingerly places it on the table, takes hold of my other hand, and swings back smoothly into a well-practiced two-step in time to the music. Among laughter shrieks and shouts of joy from the group we perform our ritualistic holiday dance, oblivious to their presence. Lost in thought, oblivious to their urging, each reminiscing on days and times long past, we swing to the beat of the song.

It's Christmas Eve Day, 1977, we are home for Christmas!

Here at Mama and Daddy's the excitement is exhilarating, contagious, everyone is enjoying the journey into the recent and not so recent past - for this moment.

Back in the present, my mind envelopes the scene absorbs the sounds and immediately I think, "This would sure make a good story. I'm going to write it - someday."

© 2008 by Leona G. Shankle - All Rights Reserved - Dell Girl Publishing

How do you get it? Inspiration can be anything, from a conversation, an object, or even a simple observation of something or someone. It's all around us -- all the time.

Some places have a special meaning and bring out certain feelings in us. Some are so nostalgic and memorable they take us immediately back to another place in time. That's inspiration.

In this photo we're on a road trip to Jasper, our hometown. Traffic is light, not many cars traveling along Highway 59 North this time of the morning. The bright sky is absolutely positively breathtaking as fluffy white clouds drift past the front windshield. They remind me of the cotton candy of days long past, days at the County Fair in Beaumont.

I quickly whip out my cell phone to capture the moment. As I snap the picture, I realize that just around the bend and down the next hill is Melbo's corner store, our favorite place in the whole wide world to stop for ice cream cones on a road trip.

Time is suspended for the moment. I'm in an entirely different world mentally, so familiar and so comfortable I feel as if the hands-of-time have turned backward. It makes my insides jump for joy, I feel a story coming on, maybe it's a short film I feel shining through. No, it feels more like a poem.

Oh, well.

This is inspiration at its finest - - whatever comes out of it!

What Inspires You?

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