Po(sey) Sessions

If you are participating in Chelsea's contest then this quiz might actually be helpful. 43 OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

Last week I finished The Secret Scroll . I have been meaning to review it every since but haven't managed to get around it. (Code for procrastinating!) So while I get cracking on the review I present to you a book trailer for The Secret Scroll . I usually don't look book trailers, but I think this one was particularly well produced.

Scenario : You’ve just bought some complicated gadget home . . . do you read the accompanying documentation? Or not? Do you ever read manuals? How-to books? Self-help guides? Anything at all? If I have just bought something I don't usually read the stuff that comes with it but I may refer to it as needed. I usually keep manuals around and am happy that I have when I need to know something. Even when the info isn't actually in the manual I feel better knowing that and know that it is probably time to call customer service. How-to books and self-help guides? Sure. As I mentioned last week I feel a lot of these can help you be a better writer if you take the tools and apply them to your writing as well as to your life. Here is just a sampling of some of the books I have collected over the years. Living Juicy: Daily Morsels for Your Creative Soul by Sark (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) This book is pretty fun and amazing. Ity is full of bright colors and do...

Starting With Little Things: A Guide to Writing Poetry in the Classroom is one of the most helpful poetry books I have every utilized. For me, writing is about having fun and playing with language. In Starting With Little Things , Ingrid Wendt did a perfect job of maintaining a fun aspect to writing that can be used at any writing level. Poetry writing books have always challenged me to be more playful in my writing even though I am not particularly interested in producing poetry. The writing exercises Wendt provides in this book were helpful in expanding my mind and allowing me to explore new ways of expressing myself. One of the best qualities of this book is that it never requires me to take myself too seriously. Many writers worry so much about WHAT to write, but this book embodies the concept that the task isn't finding something to write about but unlocking the stories that are already inside. Today I would love for you to share with a short (and easy) poem. This idea co...

I have my kids right now so it is harder than usual to blog. They have been keeping me really busy but I am not complaining. (Yet!) I love reading with my kids if they will sit still long enough. For those of you who don't know, I have two daughters. They are 2 and 4. One of the best ways I can get them to focus is to read them one off of the computer. That is why I love, LOVE, love Lookybook . Here is a cute little book that is perfect for the youngest baby. With the red, black, and white it is easy for young eyes to understand and you can get playful with the noises.

Today has been a day to dabble. A few words here, a paragraph there. My mind can't stay in one place, but it is enjoying every encounter. First I would like to start by saying " It was a dark and stormy night. " Do you know what that is? It is the first line in A Wrinkle in Time . (Have you read it?) I am rereading this classic young adult fantasy book. I remember so little about it I decided it deserved a second look. Back to the night. You know, the one that was stormy and dark. It has become a cliche in American writing. Wikipedia informed me that the line is actually an allusion to "the opening words in Edward George Bulwer-Lytton's 1830 novel Paul Clifford." Did you know that? There is whole page dedicated to the pop culture references of said first line. Second, my friend Chelsie (not to be confused with Chelsea), is having a contest . It is a really fun one so you better go and check it out . You can win your choice of some fabulous books. Bu...