Change which Life?

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me at twoA friend let me know that my line in the last post, “I want to change my life” didn’t hit exactly the right note. I am getting up every morning, after all, and writing! To be more precise, the video about Oliver Jeffers made me want to stick a chalkboard up in my potting shed, a place to scrawl ideas.

It’s fair to say, that I already have my version of a chalkboard. Into my journal every morning I scrawl an action plan. A few items from today: meeting at Carolynne’s — 9:30; email Polly B. about a possible class visit; email Cara about future readings; call Mom’s doctor. Oh, and write 15 minutes on the manuscript (yes, I did earn my gold star today).

Things like Clean fish tank and Water plants find their way onto that list in my journal, too.

I could do a better job of doing it like Oliver Jeffers does it if I wrote a list of CREATIVE stuff I want to accomplish each day. Write one new character sketch. Read 10 pages out loud.

There are a lot of really great things going on in my life right now. That part, I wouldn’t change. Be thankful.

Butcher, Baker, Picture Book Maker

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Omigosh, I loved this video so much. I’ll have to share it with my classes, too — all about writer/illustrator Oliver Jeffers and  the creative life.

It makes me want to change my life.

I have to credit Aerogramme Studio again.

oliver jeffers

How to Avoid the Passive Voice

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I found this on the Aerogramme Studio site. To test a sentence to see whether or not it is cast in passive voice, try adding “by zombies.” If it can be added, then you know it’s passive.

The sentence was written on the whiteboard … by zombies.

The post was added that evening … by zombies.

Not that some passive constructions aren’t okay, but still–  

…to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men … by zombies …

You get the idea. ZombiePic25

 

Great First Lines

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Last night while being a supportive mom, hanging out at Barnes & Noble with one of my daughters while she did math (I was no actual help, mind you), I decided to read first paragraphs of several novels. This was my favorite:

“To take an interest in the affairs of others is entirely natural; so natural, in fact, that even a cat, lying cat-napping on top of a wall, will watch with half an eye the people walking by below. But between such curiosity, which is permissable, and nosiness, which is not, there lies a dividing line that is painted red and marked by the very clearest of warning signs.” –Alexander McCall Smith, The Right Attitude to Rainrain smith