EMANCIPATED FROM RHYMES-WRITER'S BLOCK

EMANCIPATED FROM RHYMES

Here is a great tip for removing writer’s block – try writing a short poem!  When writing short poetry, writers often focus on Haikus or Tankas.  Another fun writing concept is to write in quatrains.  Quatrains, quite simply, are four lines of verse.  A quatrain normally has a rhyming scheme.   Below is an example of AABB, from one of my poems entitled "Red on the Inside."

Bend like the willow trees

Quiet as the summer breeze

Laugh like a gentle stream

Joyful as a baby’s dream

-        Cronin Detzz

A quatrain can also have a rhyming scheme like this familiar verse, where lines 2 and 4 rhyme:

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

Sugar is sweet,

And so are you

A fantastic writing challenge is to write an impactful quatrain that does not rhyme.  Fellow poet, Teresa E. Gallion, is masterful in this style:

I stared down a wolf

Claiming the edge of the forest

This is not the first time

Courage has dominated my life

Teresa E. Gallion

From these four lines, we can imagine ourselves encountering a wolf in a forest.  A great aspect of this poem is that it can also be looked at in a more metaphorical sense; for instance, staring down “a wolf” could be thought of as staring down a fear.  If someone is afraid of heights, the wolf becomes a symbol of that fear.

Short poems can offer a snapshot of emotion. In this next quatrain, consider the abundant feelings when gazing upon a sleeping loved one:

I lay a prayer on your chest

To soothe your burning sleep

It is selfish to hold back

When love flows in my river

Teresa E. Gallion

A quatrain can also provide a chuckle of irony:

A thought of you so powerful

It breaks my wine glass

I cannot afford such thoughts

Crystal is too expensive

Teresa E. Gallion

Now that you have been emancipated from rhyming schemes, try to remove your writer’s block by penning four lines of poetry.  You can do this!

A special thanks goes out to Teresa E. Gallion for sharing her beautiful quatrains.  Her work can be found at the links below:

http://teresagallion.yolasite.com/my-new-book.php

Note:  Also available at Amazon Kindle store:

http://www.amazon.com/Contemplation-High-Desert-ebook/dp/B007SO8CYC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1336355015&sr=8-2

Keep writing and keep sharing! - Cronin Detzz

SECRETS MAKE YOU SICK

Want to know a secret?  Secrets can make you sick, and you can use your writing skills for better health.

It’s no secret that the body and mind are knotted together in a symbiotic dance.  For instance, if you have a headache, chances are you’ll not be  in a good mood.  Conversely, feeling drained or stressed can give you a headache.  Our moods influence our eating choices, disrupt our sleep, raise our blood pressure, and create digestive problems.  When a deep secret haunts your life, your moods and health will both be affected.  Therapists often uncover secrets because they easily see the signs, such as  anorexia, drug addictions, or anxiety.

Most people have some secrets that are kept tucked away.  Some secrets are generally benign, such as:  “I tell my friends I’m happy being single, but I secretly wish I were married.”  Some secrets are dark and deep and emotionally draining.  Your secrets have helped shape who you have become.

Writing is a cathartic outlet.  Writers often put a piece of themselves into their characters, and in the process, evolve through self-exploration.  As you craft your stories, remember that it can be very helpful to drag those secrets out of the closet and write about the experience.  To help remove your writer’s block, ask yourself the following questions:

·        If the secret is a result of a traumatic event, how did you feel at the time? 

·        What beliefs have encouraged you to keep the secret? 

·        Do you feel judged?   If so, by whom?

·        What is it like to carry around a suitcase full of shame? 

·        Are you trying to numb your mind by forgetting about the secret, or by alcohol or drugs?

·        If you have revealed your secret to a loved one, how did it feel?  What did your loved one say to you?

Recently, I was driving in a run-down part of Chicago with Sandy, an old pal.  As she and as I passed by an alley, a deep-seated memory flashed before my eyes.  I had been raped in that alley when I was a teenager, and I had completely forgotten about the incident.  I had a boyfriend at that time, and because the boyfriend beat the rapist to a bloody pulp, I felt vindicated.  I told Sandy about this, and she was shocked.  She encouraged me to write about the experience in my next book.  I told her that I never thought about the incident, stating that it doesn’t bother me.  She objected, telling me that this is a significant, life-altering event that deserves my attention.  Having her support was a huge relief.  I will be adding the incident to my next book.

I wish sound health to you all, and hope that you find strength and peace through writing.

Keep writing and keep sharing! – Cronin Detzz

WRITER'S BLOCK - NEGATIVE ENERGY

Writer's Block - Diversions and Immersions

Brought to you by The Crow's Pen

Negative energy can be experienced as residual effects from an upsetting event, or it can be experienced as a vague feeling. When an upsetting event occurs, such as an argument with a friend, a writer knows that energy will instinctively need to be siphoned to address the trauma. When a writer is experiencing a more vague negativity – experiencing a mid-life crisis, for example – energy flow may be more difficult to resolve. What can a writer do in order to overcome his black cloud and successfully complete a project?

It is important to remember that life is a continual balancing act. We all have 24 hours in a day, yet some people are able to accomplish astounding things with their allotted time on earth. It is amazing to think that Albert Einstein had the 24 hours that you and I have each day. Below is a list of some key tips designed to help zap negativity:

1. We instinctively know that we need to eat right and get enough sleep. If your food quality is poor and you’re not sleeping well, then make it a priority to focus on these basic needs. Remember Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? He suggested that we breathe. Good advice. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF so that you can better serve others in your life.
2. The best tip of all may seem counter-intuitive: write. If you only write a paragraph or a short poem, you can feel better that you made some small progress.
3. If you can find a moment to write, incorporate your negative situation into your writing. Maybe it really WAS a dark and stormy night when Edward Bulwer-Lytton sat down and penned these infamous words.
4. Venting to family, friends, and coworkers is a common coping mechanism. However, be aware that when you spew venom, your poison has an effect on the listener. Venting and spewing anger are two separate things: venting opens the door for some camaraderie, while spewing negativity ends up snowballing and covers your friends in a toxic avalanche. We do need sounding boards, but we do not want to pollute our immediate atmosphere. Tip #2 encourages you to write, while this tip encourages you to write an imaginary dialogue about the negative experience itself: “Dear Diary, you wouldn’t believe the day I had.” Keeping a journal is important for self-growth. “Write about what you know about” incorporates the material into your current work in progress.
5. If the negative situation emanates from the writer’s block itself, you simply feel stuck. Think of your writing as energy flowing throughout your body. When you have writer’s block, the energy is constipated! To uncork the flow, find a way to reach a meditative state. Personally, I find that taking a walk is highly beneficial. During the walk, I ensure that I keep an even, rhythmic pace. I let my thoughts wander and once I latch upon something, I write it down as soon as the walk is done. There is something about walking that seems to engage the mind in a useful activity while allowing energy to flow more freely. If you cannot walk (due to the weather, for instance) then find another rhythmic, solitary activity such as sweeping the floor.

Negative energy is so common that there should be a vaccine! In the end, it all comes down to attitude. Changing your attitude can be very difficult, for it involves changing your beliefs. Honestly ask yourself if you believe that you deserve to feel crummy. Once you realize that you deserve a life of happiness, the universe will respond. The problem is that we never know how long we will be in our funk. Release any fears of inadequacy that you may have. This block won’t last forever. It won’t be the last time that you experience a block, so it is worth finding ways to shield and protect your life-force. Don’t give in to the dark side. May the force be with you.

BE WELL AND WRITE WELL

WRITER'S BLOCK - brought to you by "The Crow's Pen"

The dreaded writer's block. Whatever should we do? Go to Starbucks and juice up our veins with high doses of caffeine and chatter? Go to the mountains/the lake/the skateboard park and get all kinds of ommmm-zen going? Or just hunker down and write? If we force it, this might be as fruitful as squeezing blood from a stone. BTW, if you are able to get that blood-stone thing going, be sure to let everyone know, that’s a book we’d love to read!

Writers need creative outlets. If you can help it, don't push it just to make a deadline. Writing under a deadline can certainly get the job done, but you want to put your best writing into your project.

Diversionary tactics can be highly successful. Do something different for awhile, like facebooking with a few hundred friends or meeting one in person for some real face time. Hug a tree. Bake cookies. Take a nap.

Best of all, READ. Read an author’s writing that you are trying to emulate. For instance, there is one particular author, Gregory Maquire, author of “Wicked,” whose style really suits my next project. I have quite a few of his books, so when I feel stuck, I stop banging my head against the wall and re-read at least one of his chapters. This is a hybrid diversionary tactic which has done wonders for me. However, I am not reading with the intent to get lost in the story, I am STUDYING it. I keep pen and paper handy and jot down:
1. Really well-composed lines
2. A clever string of conversation
3. A descriptive method he uses to set the tone or setting

Invariably, his writing energizes me and a good start for my next chapter comes flying off my fingertips.

If, after trying these diversionary tactics, you find that writing is still blocked, try the following:
1. Ensure your room is dark and quiet
2. Ensure that paper and pen are nearby, preferably on your nightstand
3. Take a nap and let your subconscious work on the issue. Say aloud, “Okay, brain, I’ve given you some inspiration. I am going to rest my body so while I’m sleeping, let my subconscious do the work.”
4. After you wake up, jot down any ideas right away, no matter how far-fetched they may seem.

Just have the confidence that it will come back - it always does!
BE WELL & WRITE WELL