tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72649345467458075062024-03-12T16:32:02.545-07:00The Mind's ElbowA place where writers and artists can jump-start their creative endeavors.Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.comBlogger593125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-45242115257374241432017-01-20T13:46:00.000-08:002017-01-20T13:46:18.765-08:00And Sometimes the Answer is...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JGv3yWKsGWk/WIKDgBhg3cI/AAAAAAAADdA/SQG477dN3qky1xWR9tWbTgVzN9-ZpFnjwCLcB/s1600/yes-1510054_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JGv3yWKsGWk/WIKDgBhg3cI/AAAAAAAADdA/SQG477dN3qky1xWR9tWbTgVzN9-ZpFnjwCLcB/s320/yes-1510054_640.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><b>GOOD
NEWS!!! </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">That was
the subject line of an email I received last November. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">I knew
who sent it, and I knew what it was about, but I could barely open it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">It seemed
a bit surreal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">After
all, I’d waited for this particular moment for a while. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Okay, a long
time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">The
picture book in question had gone through about 10 months of revision with my
acquiring editor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">But
that’s not what I mean by “long time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">The truth
is, I’m pretty sure this entire process began when I was 10. That’s when I
wrote and illustrated my very first “picture book.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Alas, the
writing was wanting and the plot was thin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">And then
there were illustration issues. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">The turtle character I could handle. A rock
with appendages — piece of cake. But the frog dude? Now, that was a lot of leg
to deal with. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Trust me,
you can only hide your amphibian behind a leaf so many times before even a
10-year-old realizes that a book is DOA.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">The
project was abandoned. And from then on, I left the illustrations to the
professionals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Fast-forward
another decade or so, and I was starting to submit manuscripts in earnest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">But the
YES did not arrive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Sure,
the stories were likely lacking. But I’m pretty certain that the main reason
for all of that rejection was the sad fact that my acquiring editor hadn’t been
born yet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">And then
he was.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Of
course he had to navigate through teething and walking, reading and writing,
and all the rest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">He did
it with flying colors </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> especially that reading and writing part.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Then he
spent 10 months helping me make my little book the best that it could be so that
he could take it to an acquisitions meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">And only
then... <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">after
all of that...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">could he
type the words I’d been waiting for:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><b>GOOD
NEWS!!!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Yeah, it
took a long time...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">But not
quite as long as the Cubs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">And YES!
It was worth the wait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">PROMPT:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">
“Never, never, never give up.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">~Winston Churchill<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-79408831438094378262016-11-01T07:23:00.000-07:002016-11-01T07:23:24.342-07:00Don’t Be Chicken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GYkG42sI30I/WBihHWpsxyI/AAAAAAAADcE/6AXuo9IZT1AcpQszuSp_KjCgV_v8TSXnwCLcB/s1600/Dontbechicken-1374825_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GYkG42sI30I/WBihHWpsxyI/AAAAAAAADcE/6AXuo9IZT1AcpQszuSp_KjCgV_v8TSXnwCLcB/s320/Dontbechicken-1374825_1280.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Well, it’s
November.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">And you
know what that means, don’t you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">It means
that summer is far behind us, and the slow march to winter solstice is
beginning to take its toll.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Here in the
Gray-t Northwest, November means gray and drizzle and gray and showers and gray
and rain and more gray and cloudbursts and early nightfalls of a darker shade
of ... well, gray.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Here’s the
rub — if you’re not careful, all of that gray can start to affect your grey matter. And by mid-month you’re likely to find yourself listlessly sucking down
Darjeeling and eating orange marmalade straight from the jar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">I’m
speaking from experience here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">But this
doesn’t have to be you! Your inner awesomeness and a November stretch goal will
save the day... er... month!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Just say NO
to listlessness by checking out this list of fabulous possibilities—<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Pen a novel!
(<a href="http://nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Create 30 picture
book concepts in 30 days! (<a href="https://taralazar.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/piboidmo-faq.pdf" target="_blank">PiBoIdMo</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Research and
write a nifty nonfiction piece! (<a href="http://writenonfictionnow.com/about-write-nonfiction-in-november/wnfinnanonfiwrimo/" target="_blank">WNFIN</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Or get
really inventive and create a November challenge of your own...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">You could draft a
screenplay!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Revise those old
manuscripts you’ve got hanging about!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Do daily
morning pages à la <a href="http://juliacameronlive.com/basic-tools/morning-pages/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">The Artist Way</a>!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">You could even make it a
month of poems, jokes, comics, or paintings!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Due to the
fact that I write for a living and for fun, I decided to take that last option
last year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">I’d never
worked with acrylics, and I thought, <i>Well what have I got to lose, but all that orange marmalade belly fat?</i> Then I
set aside an hour a day for painting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">In the end,
it was great fun. And I particularly enjoyed two of the pieces I did...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UrLk4jRw0-s/WBihWe1PwOI/AAAAAAAADcI/ZsyypOVQdu86fklxPH84XbzoxWPtClhxACLcB/s1600/Zebediah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UrLk4jRw0-s/WBihWe1PwOI/AAAAAAAADcI/ZsyypOVQdu86fklxPH84XbzoxWPtClhxACLcB/s320/Zebediah.jpg" width="250" /></a> <a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tOCYf3J3sZI/WBihexODrOI/AAAAAAAADcM/36RchBWd0i80Q-gm14ccyBiLZAG8ZuSJACLcB/s1600/Prudence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tOCYf3J3sZI/WBihexODrOI/AAAAAAAADcM/36RchBWd0i80Q-gm14ccyBiLZAG8ZuSJACLcB/s320/Prudence.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Ahem...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Well, I
guess I was a little chicken after all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">But it
didn’t stop me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">PROMPT:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> Come up with a stretch goal and make
your own November to remember...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chickens
are optional.</span></div>
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Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-16744575049004535822016-10-21T03:03:00.000-07:002016-10-23T08:56:15.549-07:00YES YOU CAN!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HheprmsWxRE/WAmbllatu_I/AAAAAAAADb0/B4uHHZ_Wou0QVHuFRjt7aM-nFKndrBNgACLcB/s1600/10.20.16YES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HheprmsWxRE/WAmbllatu_I/AAAAAAAADb0/B4uHHZ_Wou0QVHuFRjt7aM-nFKndrBNgACLcB/s320/10.20.16YES.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">Imagine that
all of your wildest author and artist dreams have come true...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">I mean,
really imagine it<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">in living
color<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">with taste
and smell-o-vision even.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">What would
your life be like?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">What time
would you get up in the morning?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">What would
you eat for breakfast?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">What would
you wear?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">How much
time would you put into your craft each day?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">What crazy new
projects would you try?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">Where would
you go?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">Who would
you hang with?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">What causes
or charities would you champion?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">You know
where this is going, don’t you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">PROMPT:</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"> All of those amazing answers of yours...</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">y</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">ep, every one</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">—</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">DO.THEM.NOW.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And once again, </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXsQAXx_ao0" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">here’s</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> that little bonus motivator that never fails to crack me up.</span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-32748194694691334272016-02-16T03:03:00.000-08:002016-02-16T03:03:02.112-08:00So Many Choices... So Little Mind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JkFl-1sA6qM/VsK-eKE1ZMI/AAAAAAAADbU/2w_aYjOSHl0/s1600/Feb.2016%252CDonuts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JkFl-1sA6qM/VsK-eKE1ZMI/AAAAAAAADbU/2w_aYjOSHl0/s320/Feb.2016%252CDonuts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here’s some news you can use —<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our good friends in the field of neuroscience have proven
that the brain’s most productive time is within the first two hours of waking
up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ah yes, smug pessimists, you’re right about this one — it’s
all downhill from here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But optimists, take heart! Applied wisely, this could be
the best news you’ve heard all day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First off, let’s explore why this is so. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, in not-so-super-scientific terms, your brain gets
tired. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And what makes it tired? Three things really —<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Decision. Decisions. Decisions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, that looks like only one thing. But it turns out
that mental energy is drained away with every choice you make — especially those
that involve willpower. At a certain point your grey matter thinks nothing matters... “Like whatever, Dude. Whatever.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The actual super-scientific term for this is called <b>decision fatigue</b>. And it explains why a
health-conscious person will refuse that tempting bowl of donutty
frosted fun first thing in the morning, yet gleefully scarf down two or three at
noon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But is this fact of life only helpful for those trying to
avoid donuts? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Arming yourself with this insight can actually help you
reach your creative goals. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here’s how:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>1.</b> <b>Eliminate unnecessary life decisions</b>... like that
pesky morning fashion dilemma. Trust me, if your closet contains only black
mock turtlenecks (Steve Jobs) or gray t-shirts (Mark Zuckerberg), you’ll free
up your mind for more important choices. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And if you want to really go full throttle with decision
elimination, you can ditto successful CEOs Alexa Von Tobel and Leo Widrich by
eating the same meals each and every day as well.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>2.</b> If you spend
the first two hours of your day watching YouTube videos of cats wedging
themselves into teeny tiny boxes, you might want to rethink the way you start
your morning. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Remember that</b> <b>those first
two hours are 120 minutes of golden creative opportunity</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>3. </b>Creative endeavors require willpower. That is, for
most of us they’re optional activities so a decision must be made daily — as
in, “Will I write something today, or not?” And we all know what happens when
you leave this decision until evening...</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yep, you’re glazed and confused from eating ALL the
donuts, and you’ve got no words in the file.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, make the decision ahead of time. In fact, <b>build a
habit</b> such as “Every day at (pick your favorite time) I write for X number of
minutes or Y number of words.” And voila! That was just one decision, and
you’ve already made it! So, if you stick to this plan, you won’t ever need to decide again — leaving your brain freed up for other important choices
like...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do I want the chocolate frosting or vanilla?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>PROMPT:</b> Give
your brain a choice break and start building creative habits. For a kick-start
in habit formation, check out <a href="http://gretchenrubin.com/" target="_blank">Gretchen Rubin’s</a> book <b>Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By the way, I am guiltily aware that one of your
decisions today was spent on choosing to read this blog. For that, I am
grateful.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-45554924591640866172016-01-28T03:03:00.000-08:002016-01-28T03:03:02.920-08:00Happy New Year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KLs-xGAC7FU/VqmpljkY0tI/AAAAAAAADbE/8vO3n6fZtWk/s1600/New.Year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KLs-xGAC7FU/VqmpljkY0tI/AAAAAAAADbE/8vO3n6fZtWk/s320/New.Year.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, I know. This baby New Year is already 28 days old
and cutting teeth. What’s more, I’ve read a recent article suggesting that most of you have given up on your writing resolutions by now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now that’s just sad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So maybe it’s time to regroup and give yourself a
restart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An awesome theme song might help...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>You Gotta Be</i> by
Des'ree, Kelly Clarkson’s <i>Stronger (What
Doesn’t Kill You),</i> or <i>Always Look on
the Bright Side of Life</i> by Monty Python are all excellent choices. However,
I do NOT recommend <i>Waiting Around to Die</i>
by Townes Van Zandt, or Beck’s <i>Loser </i>for
obvious reasons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Statement of Awesomeness comes in handy, too... <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Something like <i>Writing
for the Wide Screen in 2016, Novels, Art, and Caffeine for 2016, </i>or <i>I’m a Creating Machine in 201</i>6 could be
just the ticket to set your wonderful wheels in motion. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Personally, I’m <i>Plotting for Dopamine in 2016</i>. Clearly I
find it hard to resist wordplay that combines my love of both writing and
psychology. And yes, I am well aware that I’m the only one chuckling right now. But I do digress...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please note that if your 2015 Statement of Awesomeness
was... well, awesome, then there’s certainly no shame in <i>It’s What I REALLY mean in 2016!</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So let’s restart this New Year the right way right now!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are <b>FIVE TIPS</b> to make the awesome part guaranteed:</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Say </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">YES to RESOLUTIONS</b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">! Even though New Year's resolutions
get a bum rap, our friends in the Journal of Clinical Psychology note that those
who make them are actually 10 times more likely to successfully change
their behavior than those who do not.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>ACTION</b> is your friend. Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Get
action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a
place wherever you are and be somebody; get action.” While his words should not
be confused with the post-Teddy phrase “get <i>some</i>
action”... his sentiments remain spot on. ACTION, whether you're taking it or
getting it, is always a good thing.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>FINISH</b>! Vow to finish something this year... and this
something can be ANYTHING... even an anything as humble as a haiku. Just finish
it. And while you’re finishing, remember this as well – <b>DONE IS BETTER THAN
PERFECT</b>. If the last line of that haiku has one extra syllable that you just can't seem to shed — I do not care, mon frère. Call it done, grin, and
move on.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then there’s the first cousin of <b>DONE IS BETTER THAN
PERFECT</b>, affectionately known as <b>LATE IS BETTER THAN NEVER</b>... just like this
post... ahem. See, it’s true.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally, if you can remember only one of all the tips
I’ve mentioned, please let it be this one — <b>STAY IN THE GAME</b>. It doesn’t matter
what we’re talking about here – resolutions, goals, dreams, desires, or life in general and
specifically – <b>STAY IN THE GAME</b>. It’s always worth the ride.</span></li>
</ol>
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bonus Tip:</b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Through it all, <b>BE NICE TO YOURSELF</b>. And if you
happen to get to a point where you’re spouting a bunch of F words like failure,
frustration, or face-plant, remember that a new year can begin on any given day
at any given moment —</span><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">even this one right now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>PROMPT:</b> Art is
not just what we do. Art is who we are.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, my friend, your LIFE is a work of art —<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">so, make it a good one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXsQAXx_ao0" target="_blank">here’s</a> a little extra motivation that cracks me up and never gets old.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-76583292245889842522015-04-14T03:33:00.000-07:002015-04-14T06:47:22.901-07:00Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SCULb7lfr6g/VSyosiUd9RI/AAAAAAAADaA/adnKNQA9MI4/s1600/baby-696980_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SCULb7lfr6g/VSyosiUd9RI/AAAAAAAADaA/adnKNQA9MI4/s1600/baby-696980_1280.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">It’s been exactly
nine months since my last post, and I thought it was high time for an update. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because
nine months is a fabulous wedge of time, isn't it? After all, it’s the exact portion of a year that can morph a good idea into something s</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">qualling</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> on its own.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, it may
come as no surprise to you that I've used the time to create a brand spanking
new revision of a novel I've been toying with for years. And unlike human
offspring who tend to hang around for a couple of decades, that baby was itching
to leave the nest before the ink was dry. And so, I sent it out the first
chance I got, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Nope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">First, I
had it read by a couple of people with blood-red pens and hearts the size of
raisins. Trust me, you need these folks. At this stage of the game they are far
more helpful to you and your manuscript than the ones with hearts the size of
Texas who dot their i’s with daisies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">After this
set of suggestions was considered, and I had gone through the draft yet another
time, I was then on the hunt for good listeners.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">You can
usually spot good listeners by their large ears and thoughtful expressions.
However, this method is not fool-proof. For example, cats and jackasses are NOT
good listeners. Behind that cat’s thoughtful expression is just a headful of
notions about canned food and plots that may or may not involve your murder
should it ever figure out how to work the can's pull-tab on its own. And jackasses…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Well, they’re
<i>jackasses</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Anyway,
after finding a great batch of listeners who were willing to meet for a
boatload of sessions, I read that whole dang novel OUT LOUD. I can’t really overemphasize the importance of this step. You will not believe how many
little errors you’ll catch if you use it. It seems that the brain reading
silently loves to patch things up as it hums along, but give it a voice and
wow! You’ll find yourself wondering how you could have <i>possibly</i> missed<i> that</i> obvious
mistake in your first 147 read-throughs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Finally,
when that was all said (OUT LOUD) and done, the novel was ready to send off
into the great big world where it will eventually receive its YES or NO.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Pop quiz
time!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What do you
do when you've completed and submitted your manuscript?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">A. Check email, snail mail, and voice
mail 317 times a day and look like this—</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BnK65vgW7BY/VSypboEDi8I/AAAAAAAADaI/YxfEQFQhQuw/s1600/bored-16811_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BnK65vgW7BY/VSypboEDi8I/AAAAAAAADaI/YxfEQFQhQuw/s1600/bored-16811_1280.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">B. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Get on with your next novel and look
like this—</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AvMI1ObmGh4/VSypi3jFeTI/AAAAAAAADaQ/w_1JlBuIv4I/s1600/Yay.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AvMI1ObmGh4/VSypi3jFeTI/AAAAAAAADaQ/w_1JlBuIv4I/s1600/Yay.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Well, I don’t
know about you, but I chose option B. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">And so, I’m already knee-deep into
chapter two of novel two — that’s the good news.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">The bad
news is that blog posts will continue to be on a pretty random cycle from here
on out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">And now for
an update on the home front:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Midway
through the novel revision, my dear, sweet, elderly office mate abandoned the project
(and life as we know it). Those were tough days indeed, and alas, he is still
missed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rqLSMeN-RD8/VSyp2cMmiBI/AAAAAAAADaY/L5qwycIfXWA/s1600/Biscuit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rqLSMeN-RD8/VSyp2cMmiBI/AAAAAAAADaY/L5qwycIfXWA/s1600/Biscuit.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">R.I.P</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, on
a lighter note, I have since been blessed with two new colleagues. And while
they do have actual names, and perhaps titles, I've dubbed them Thing 1 and
Thing 2. I’m guessing you can see why…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uqaR5yRQBd0/VSyqEB8jQFI/AAAAAAAADag/sPuquykF2Dg/s1600/Kittens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uqaR5yRQBd0/VSyqEB8jQFI/AAAAAAAADag/sPuquykF2Dg/s1600/Kittens.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Obviously,
they are a work in progress.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Aren't</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> we
all?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">PROMPT:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> I’m placing bets that you have a
mossy old manuscript stashed somewhere. Well, today is the day to dig it out and dust
it off! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Oh, and don’t
forget </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">that it’s <b>International Moment of Laughter Day </b>(go ahead and Google if you
must). <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP4abiHdQpc" target="_blank">This</a> is sure to give you a jump-start on the celebration.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">I think that's how we should all handle
rejection letters, don’t you?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-91947717798209531752014-07-14T04:00:00.000-07:002014-07-14T04:00:02.566-07:00New Directions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_zGs5VPKtYs/U8FIzHzBf1I/AAAAAAAADYE/nVCHPek71Nk/s1600/Compass.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_zGs5VPKtYs/U8FIzHzBf1I/AAAAAAAADYE/nVCHPek71Nk/s1600/Compass.JPG" height="320" width="228" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">The
big question is whether you are going to be able to say<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> a hearty yes to your adventure.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">—Joseph Campbell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> just returned from a grand adventure, and it was absolutely fabulous!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">But
here’s the rub —<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Adventure
invites change.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">And it
is up to us to decide whether we allow that change to work its magic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Well, I
say bring it on!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Thus,
for a while I’ll be exploring some new paths…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">just to say
a hearty </span><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">YES</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> to more of my adventure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">So, I’ll
be taking a sabbatical of sorts from the good ship <b><i>Elbow</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Until we
sail again…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Au
revoir!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">PROMPT: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Waste
not your Hour…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">— Omar Khayyam<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">And as
always —</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Write
on!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-9161157661032798482014-07-11T04:00:00.000-07:002014-07-11T04:00:00.961-07:00Just a Word<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-di8QKvbFah4/UHbSZ5fRCSI/AAAAAAAAA4U/MkUNcGRvUu8/s1600/Lovely+Oxford.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-di8QKvbFah4/UHbSZ5fRCSI/AAAAAAAAA4U/MkUNcGRvUu8/s320/Lovely+Oxford.JPG" height="194" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Ah,
Oxford!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">I’m
pretty sure that it’s is where geeky people go when they die (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">well, at least that’s my plan</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">I mean,
what’s not <em>heavenly</em> about a collection of 38 colleges in a beautiful
setting?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">And
then, of course, it includes the mega-nerd bonus…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FL-RQbCWwo0/UHbSpNWUP3I/AAAAAAAAA4c/HFmKPI1U80c/s1600/Logic+Lane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FL-RQbCWwo0/UHbSpNWUP3I/AAAAAAAAA4c/HFmKPI1U80c/s320/Logic+Lane.jpg" height="193" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Yep, that’s
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Logic Lane</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Anyway,
for over a century All Souls (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ahem, geeky souls… see above</i>) College of Oxford had a very special test to help them
choose which student would receive a 7-year fellowship.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">It was
an exam created to bring the most brilliant minds to their metaphorical knees <o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">The
one-word essay.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Students
seated for this task would have an envelope placed into their trembling hands.
Within that envelope (gulp!) was a single white card. And on that card (gasp!)
was just one word.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">The
students would then be asked to write coherently, creatively, and brilliantly
about that word for three solid hours.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Each
year, THE WORD was a closely guarded secret that everyone wanted to know. In
fact, THE WORD held such allure that even the townsfolk couldn't wait to find out. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Crowds would gather outside the exam hall just so they could be the first
ones to roll THE WORD off their tongues. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Americans,
think Black Friday and a Talking Elmo special </i></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> yeah, it was THAT big</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Alas,
that is all part of the past now. It was a sad day in 2010 when All Souls
College discontinued the practice. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Apparently
they ran out of words</i>. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">These days, the students write essays about the classics,
politics, and philosophy. As for the townsfolk </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"> they remain in front of their
tellies, never missing the latest advert for Talking Elmo.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">But to
think, for over a century that essay actually determined the future of a whole lot
of… well… souls.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Never underestimate
the power…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">of just
one word.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">PROMPT:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> Take your own All Souls College
exam to test your mettle today. Here are a few of the famous last words used
over the years: POSSESSIONS, MERCY, STYLE, NOVELTY, WATER, MIRACLES. Pick one
and go!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-46879434670512526112014-07-10T04:11:00.000-07:002014-07-10T04:11:00.168-07:00Blinded by Science… Fiction!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W26ABFTz3Vo/UGG_0nRJceI/AAAAAAAAAwk/1W6pXCDUBz0/s1600/Sci-fi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W26ABFTz3Vo/UGG_0nRJceI/AAAAAAAAAwk/1W6pXCDUBz0/s320/Sci-fi.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Do you
prefer ray guns to Rachel Ray?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">When I
say wormhole, do your thoughts have nothing to do with burrowing insect larva?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Do you
know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that telepathy, telekinesis, and
teleportation are NOT the names of the three straight Teletubbies?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">If you
answered yes to all three questions, then you may be a sci-fi fanatic. And if
you are a sci-fi fanatic, I suggest that you get your mutant android self to a
local library or newsstand to pick up a <strong>Popular Science</strong> magazine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">I checked
out one of these bad boys last week, and it was chock-full of plot potential.
However, some of the plots I found would probably NOT make for pleasant bedtime
reading… <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t say you haven’t been
warned</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">One
article featured NYU bioethics professor S. Matthew Liao who suggested that we
reengineer humans so they’re less of a burden for old Mama Earth. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">He proposed that
doctors use in-vitro fertilization to select only embryos with genes for short
stature </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"> because tiny folks leave tinier carbon footprints. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gee, I guess Randy Newman was dead wrong
back in 1977 </i></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Short People</b> DO have
a reason to live, after all (thanks global warming!).</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Dr. Liao
also recommended the development of special drugs to induce meat allergies.
That way, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">inconvenience</i> of
anaphylaxis would reduce all that little people lust for big, bad carbon-intensive
beef. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">These
approaches, reported Dr Liao (with a maniacal grin, I’m sure), would “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">encourage</i> people to make the
eco-friendly choices that they seem to have trouble making on their own.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Yeah.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">That’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">
encouraging</b></i> <o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">in the
sci-fi department.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><em>Well, sleep
tight!<o:p></o:p></em></span></span></div>
<br />
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">PROMPT:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> Give your imagination a good stretch </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">— p</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ick up a </span><strong style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Popular Science</strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> magazine and fictionalize one of their features... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What could possibly go wrong?</span></div>
<br />
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</div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-80703264915590233702014-07-09T04:09:00.000-07:002014-07-09T04:09:00.128-07:00What a Wonderful World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dj_6QC1O65Q/T-JTRLYlh0I/AAAAAAAAASQ/cQp34zOjSyQ/s1600/What+if+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dj_6QC1O65Q/T-JTRLYlh0I/AAAAAAAAASQ/cQp34zOjSyQ/s320/What+if+10.JPG" height="320" rca="true" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">What if you created a world of your own?</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">PROMPT:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> What if you already do?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-25695874915457841152014-07-08T04:03:00.000-07:002014-07-08T04:03:00.523-07:00Typical Day on the Funny Farm… er… Ranch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Zv8xmIv5rs/UFiDXzf7p9I/AAAAAAAAAtw/rNhhQtNkx6E/s1600/Range.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Zv8xmIv5rs/UFiDXzf7p9I/AAAAAAAAAtw/rNhhQtNkx6E/s320/Range.JPG" height="210" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Ridin’
the range in search of that elusive…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Red Delicious<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Back when I
was a psych. intern, I had a discussion with a coworker who knew <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everything</i></b>
and was never afraid to show it. Somehow we landed on the topic of “folks who
grow apples.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">That’s when
I said something like, “Yadda yadda yadda… apple farmers.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">“Ranchers,”
he interrupted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">“Excuse
me?”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">“They are
apple <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ranchers</i></b>, not farmers,” he said with the authority of someone
who grew up in Wenatchee, Washington </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> AKA the center of the apple lovin’
universe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">“You've got
to be kidding.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">He was not.
In fact, he looked at me like he couldn't believe that I’d managed to live so
long, given my obvious brain impairment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Well,
growing up as an East Coaster, I was always under the impression that ranching
usually involved a whole lot of ridin’ and ropin’ and such. Then again, I
had never been to a real live apple harvest </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> it was quite possible that those Galas and Ida Reds were a lot feistier than I’d ever imagined. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">But I’m
open-minded about these things, so whenever my know-it-all friend was around, I
went above and beyond when speaking of those “folks who grow apples” …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Yep, they
were apple <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">jolly</i> ranchers from then
on.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">‘Cause I’m
pretty sure they were all<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> really</b>
happy that I no longer called them farmers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">PROMPT:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> There are two ways to go with this
one. First off, we've got the annoying know-it-all who is always a fun
character to work with (On the page. Real life? Not so much). Then there’s the
topsy-turvy world of ranching. I mean, if you can ranch apples, you can ranch
anything </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> poodles, turnips, penguins, pens…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-29949524790930487072014-07-07T04:09:00.000-07:002014-07-07T04:09:00.636-07:00The POWER of Positive!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ioD3jjBY_dI/T7UHA5OjzPI/AAAAAAAAAME/MqhhtbqV1IE/s1600/Power.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ioD3jjBY_dI/T7UHA5OjzPI/AAAAAAAAAME/MqhhtbqV1IE/s320/Power.jpg" height="320" kba="true" width="213" /></a></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sara Blakely is the creator of Spanx.
Yeah, she’s the one who created herself into the world’s youngest female
billionaire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, I recently listened to an
interview of Miss Blakely, and WOW! It was chock-full of positive news that you
might want to use.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When asked about the secret to her
amazing success, Sara said that when she was 16 years old, her dad gave her a
set of Wayne Dyer tapes (audio, not duct — for those of you younger than dirt)
called<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>How to Be a No-Limit
Person</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sara reports that she listened to those
recordings until she had ALL TEN TAPES memorized. She said that she ALWAYS
had the tapes going as she drove. In fact, her friends refused to ride with her
because they couldn't <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">bear to hear Wayne’s<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">No-Limit</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>yammering over and over and over again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hmmm… I wonder if they’d ride with her
now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, Sara said that all of those
positive recordings retrained her brain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Through them she learned how to deal
with any and all of life’s obstacles by asking two questions —<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where is the blessing in this?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where is the opportunity?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fast-forward about 10 years, and Miss
Blakely found herself cutting the feet off of a pair of pantyhose so that she
could make her butt look smaller under her jeans…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">POP QUIZ TIME!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At that moment, did Miss Blakely ask —<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Will a new ThighMaster help me get rid
of this butt?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Will the papaya diet help me get rid of
this butt?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Should I break down and just buy bigger
jeans made to fit this bigger butt?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No, no, and NO!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She asked —<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where is the blessing?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To which she probably answered —<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is absolutely, positively NOTHING
blessed about a big butt.</span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But then she asked —<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where is the opportunity?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To which she answered —<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I bet other women have the very same
big butt bind.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You got that right, Sister!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The rest is billionaire history.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, if you've been around the sun a
few times, you know that every single day of the year comes complete with at
least one obstacle. What wonderful things might happen in your life, if you
embraced those Sara Blakely questions?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I mean, come on! If those questions can
defeat a big butt —<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They can do ANYTHING!</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PROMPT:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Test out those questions with some of the obstacles that get
tossed your way today. And while you’re at it, start feeding your brain some
positive messages the way Sara did back when she was a wicked-smart teen. Some
folks go for the almighty affirmation, some use visualization, and some look to
books or recordings for inspiration. Whatever gives you a positive hit – try to
fit it into each and every day. And if your first thoughts of “positive”
involve the words “evening news” or “reality” TV — WE NEED TO TALK.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-7694331929848874912014-07-04T04:00:00.000-07:002014-07-04T04:00:07.210-07:00Independence Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DhlNEPEgV7g/UdDkdU-tihI/AAAAAAAACZo/V7qRYuZU8a4/s1024/Leap.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DhlNEPEgV7g/UdDkdU-tihI/AAAAAAAACZo/V7qRYuZU8a4/s320/Leap.JPG" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today is a great
day to declare your independence…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">from adulthood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Come on, just for
today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Trust me, there is
no better way to boost your creativity…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just ask any kid
about his or her missing homework, and you’ll be blown away by imagination and
inventiveness!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So get out the hula
hoops, beach balls, and super soakers <o:p></o:p></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s a great day to
PLAY!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">PROMPT:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> WHEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeee!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-782687814268817562014-07-03T04:07:00.000-07:002014-07-03T04:07:00.580-07:00Don’t Show, Don’t Tell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gOu_lPnMV94/UBFbswrOZdI/AAAAAAAAAW8/s_oCjJwwgWQ/s1600/hush.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gOu_lPnMV94/UBFbswrOZdI/AAAAAAAAAW8/s_oCjJwwgWQ/s320/hush.JPG" height="320" sda="true" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, you read that
right — DON’T Show, DON’T Tell. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
This is not to be confused with the Show Don’t Tell rule we've talked
about<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://themindselbow.blogspot.com/2012/03/show-dont-tell.html" target="_blank">before</a>, or the military’s former Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell policy.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This has to do with those incredible
stories that live inside of you. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yeah, you know the ones...</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you place your hand on your
chest you might feel their thump-wump, thump-wump as they beat against your
rib cage.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sure, physicians will tell you that
you’re actually feeling the beat of your heart, but what do they know? Go ask a
neurosurgeon if he or she has ever found the thought generator while poking
around in a brain…</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Actually, don’t do that. It’s just
mean.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, those captive and captivating
stories will thump, knock, beg, plead, and pound until you let them out.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But here’s the rub —</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you want to be a writer, you must be
sure to let them out the “write” way. Otherwise they’ll fly from that cage
faster than you can say doughnut jar.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You see, if you<span class="apple-converted-space"><i> </i></span><i>tell</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>that great plot idea to a best friend,
sibling, or spouse, it is as good as gone. And then when you<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>finally</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>set a date with your laptop, you might
find that you’re left with nothing but a pile of feathers.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I made this mistake plenty of times
when I was younger. Now that I’m older, wiser, and think a lot more about bone
density and bifocals, I won’t tell a thing.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Trust me, it works.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So the next time those well-meaning
friends ask you what you’re working on, practice the art of being vague —</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">even if they offer you chocolate...</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">a pony…</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">or a doughnut jar.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Be fuzzy with friends and family, but
very<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>clear<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b>with your tales…</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tell them that there is only one way
out —</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And that is on the page.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PROMPT:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">DON’T show, DON’T tell until it’s DONE. Put it on the page today.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-52245255476618372262014-07-02T04:02:00.000-07:002014-07-02T04:02:00.052-07:00But...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ne9OBiKg0Zo/T-CUc3d0nlI/AAAAAAAAARU/ac0dpUcANpE/s1600/What+if+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ne9OBiKg0Zo/T-CUc3d0nlI/AAAAAAAAARU/ac0dpUcANpE/s320/What+if+2.JPG" height="320" rca="true" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">What if you eliminated your but?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">That’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">BUT</b>, not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">butt</i>.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">If you want to eliminate your <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">butt</i>, you’ll have to check out my sister’s company, <a href="http://www.thefitschool.com/" target="_blank">Fit School</a>.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">What I’m talking about is this kind of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">BUT</b>…</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Yeah, I’d like to ____________ (fill in blank with your big creative project), <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">BUT</i></b>…</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I have a lot of other stuff to do.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I have kids.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I have parents.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I have pets.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I have plants.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I have a hangnail.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Whatever.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">What if you pitched that word out of your vocabulary for a week? </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Surely, you can go a week without a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">BUT</b>.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">PROMPT:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Start projects! Complete them! Look 20 years younger AND 10 pounds thinner with the fabulous BUT diet! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t delay! Try it today!</span></span></div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-61972780509192466702014-07-01T04:01:00.000-07:002014-07-01T04:01:00.315-07:00A Mission in Two or Three Editions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ef6NmAdmxH8/T75CJxIxtuI/AAAAAAAAANA/AmBYXkIyFXk/s1600/Books.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ef6NmAdmxH8/T75CJxIxtuI/AAAAAAAAANA/AmBYXkIyFXk/s320/Books.JPG" height="320" width="214" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Are you
trying to build a writing habit?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Do you
want to be a writer who gets things DONE?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Well,
look no further.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Have I
got a super-secret, never-fail motivational method just for you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">All you
need is…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Elvis.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">No, I’m not
talking about the <em>Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Love</em> Elvis.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">I’m
talking about <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfFunjzyIsE" target="_blank">THIS</a> Elvis <o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">The one
who just gave you your new mantra.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Download
it from iTunes, program it into your morning alarm, blast it in your car, use
it for your workout…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Every
day, every day, every day, every day you’ll write the book.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Guaranteed.
</span></span></div>
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</div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">PROMPT:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> Whatcha gonna do today? Yeah, I
thought so.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-66839912612575231592014-06-30T04:00:00.000-07:002014-06-30T04:00:09.267-07:00A Book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-grIiO9MU_k0/UAAiMh0lQhI/AAAAAAAAAVA/Cy_MX5ycdz8/s1600/Harry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-grIiO9MU_k0/UAAiMh0lQhI/AAAAAAAAAVA/Cy_MX5ycdz8/s320/Harry.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">June 30, 1997 </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">That’s the date that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone</b> was first published in the UK.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A book that, indeed, seemed magical </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">taking on a life of its own and providing the inspiration for</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Movies</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Fan clubs</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A line of (apparently) defective wands</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Websites</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Apparel</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The unprecedented sale of vomit and booger flavored candy</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Video games</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Action figures like <em>Ron Weasley with detachable broomstick</em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Books about the books of the series and their profound meaning for feminists, Christians, Muggles, etc. (The U.S. Library of Congress currently lists over 100).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And an entire theme park!</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Now that’s a LOT of inspiration…</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And a lot of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Galleon.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The estimated worth of the Harry Potter Franchise as of January 1, 2014 is well over 24 Billion dollars (yes, that’s BILLION with a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">B</b>).</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And then there’s something simple and free </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In King’s Cross Station of London, I waited in line for 20 minutes just so I could do this:</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P-8ntfIhV5M/UAAh8raVJDI/AAAAAAAAAU4/Vd2cHGk4qIk/s1600/Magic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P-8ntfIhV5M/UAAh8raVJDI/AAAAAAAAAU4/Vd2cHGk4qIk/s320/Magic.JPG" height="320" width="214" /></a></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Yep, pose with half a shopping cart…</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Just like the kids from Japan, </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">those students from Norway, </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">that family from Brazil </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">and all the other folks who laughed in different languages. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">But laugh we did,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">understanding one another perfectly…</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Humble Muggles of the world</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">enjoying our moment </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">of magic.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Never underestimate the power of a book.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">PROMPT:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> How will your book change the world? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Oh, yes it will.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Never doubt that for an instant.</span></span></div>
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<br />Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-69495107464457200512014-06-27T04:23:00.000-07:002014-06-27T04:23:00.140-07:00Impossibilities<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X96N4HMaNj0/T0UGA5P2ecI/AAAAAAAAACE/puzfGAjj16A/s1600/WhiteQueen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X96N4HMaNj0/T0UGA5P2ecI/AAAAAAAAACE/puzfGAjj16A/s320/WhiteQueen.JPG" height="320" lda="true" width="228" /></a></div>
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<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“Why,
sometimes I've believed </span></b></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">~The White Queen from Lewis Carroll’s<b> Alice in Wonderland</b></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This quote reminds me of an exchange I had back
when my now-taller-than-me son was only three.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“Mama, what’s a mature?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“A what?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“A mature.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“Honey, mature isn't a thing… it’s, uh, a
state of being — like being grown up.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“No it isn't.” He scowled, then hiked up his
big boy pants and stomped away.</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">5 minutes later —<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“Mama, what’s a mature?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“I thought we went over this. Here, I’ll get out
the big dictionary (back in the day when it was actually a book) and show you.”
I carefully read Webster’s take. “Of or relating to a condition of full
development… Satisfied?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“No WAY.” More scowling, more hiking up, more
stomping.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">5 minutes later —<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“Mama, what’s a mature?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“I think we've been over this.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The scowl deepened, and I was gripped by the fear
that I’d be responsible for putting another curmudgeon into the world. So, I
threw up my hands and sighed. “Okay, okay, I give up. I’ll confess. You see, a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>mature</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is REALLY a glowing worm that lives in
Antarctica and only eats square snowflakes.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Everything stopped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">His lips quivered, his eyes widened, and then an
enormous sunrise of a grin spread over his face. “I KNEW it!” he squealed and
scampered off scowl-free.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Goodness, I love that boy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">And the lesson I learned that day has helped me
with my craft — <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If you want to write for children, you've got
to believe in the possibility of impossible things… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">But, hey, are they<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>really</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>impossible? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Heck, my great grandfather’s impossibilities are my
realities today.</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">PROMPT:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Indulge in the world of impossible possibilities.
What wondrous things did you once believe? On the flipside — what
fantastical thing did you think could never happen, that
actually, amazingly did? What glorious impossibility would you love to
make real today? Write, paint, create about it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Ditch the scowl. Embrace the grin.</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-24762093975857739362014-06-26T04:00:00.000-07:002014-06-26T04:00:06.889-07:00Write Fast – Edit…<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rshk4KE51iw/UPVzzCoKFSI/AAAAAAAABlo/HAYqGlq0vUU/s1600/Slow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rshk4KE51iw/UPVzzCoKFSI/AAAAAAAABlo/HAYqGlq0vUU/s320/Slow.JPG" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Ahem…slow<b><u>ly</u></b>, that is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Remember
all of that super-fast writing we did <a href="http://themindselbow.blogspot.com/2014/06/feel-need-for-speed.html" target="_blank">last week</a>?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Well, it’s
time to channel your inner tortoise and rework those wild words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">So, brew a
cup of tea and put on some slippers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then edit
like you've got all day…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Read
your work out loud</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Read
it backwards</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Sing
it</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Slice
it up and rearrange it</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Eat
chocolate</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Read
it upside down</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Put
it in teeny tiny font and focus</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Eat
chocolate</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Feeling
brave? Give it to another pair of eyes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Eat
more chocolate</span><br />
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">And here
are few bonus tips from the experts (in their own “colorful” words):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">“The
road to hell is paved with adverbs.”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">~Stephen King<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">“I
do not over-intellectualize the production process. I try to keep it simple:
Tell the damned story.”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">~Tom Clancy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">“I've
found the best way to revise your own work is to pretend that somebody else
wrote it and then to rip the living sh*t out of it.”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">~Don Roff<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">And
remember <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">“Easy
reading is damn hard writing.”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">~Nathaniel Hawthorne<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">PROMPT:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> You know what to do. Well, besides
eat chocolate and swear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-77435391398464228282014-06-25T04:02:00.000-07:002014-06-25T04:02:00.290-07:00Fear Knots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-30NE4b8SAQM/T-KflGV5GDI/AAAAAAAAAS4/UWx3KwlFTS8/s1600/What+if+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-30NE4b8SAQM/T-KflGV5GDI/AAAAAAAAAS4/UWx3KwlFTS8/s320/What+if+6.JPG" height="265" rca="true" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What if you were not afraid?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Would you…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Ask for a raise?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Ask for a date?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Go on a daring adventure?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Well, grab yourself some courage and do those scary things anyway.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Because as Mark Twain once said –</span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.”</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So there.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">PROMPT:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Need a little bravery boost? <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Feel the Fear… and Do It Anyway</b> by Susan Jeffers is a classic read that rocks!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-66748047125345422152014-06-24T04:02:00.000-07:002014-06-24T04:02:00.383-07:00Jiggety Ever After<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dw1xqjGuN-o/T_rm51t0bQI/AAAAAAAAAUA/GqHGehT-2Ug/s1600/Happy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dw1xqjGuN-o/T_rm51t0bQI/AAAAAAAAAUA/GqHGehT-2Ug/s320/Happy.JPG" height="320" sca="true" width="237" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“Everything will be all right in the end… </span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">If it’s not all right </span></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">then it’s not the end.”</span></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">~ Sonny in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Everybody loves a happy ending. Come on, admit it </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> you know it’s true.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Shakespeare knew it, too. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sure, he wrote a bunch of tragedies </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> about a dozen of them, in fact.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And hmmmm… let’s see, the body count ranges from one to four in the final scene for most.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I've recently had the opportunity to see one of them </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Julius Caesar. Now, that’s a bloody mess if ever there was one! And when all was said and done, the play ended with one body and a blackout of the stage lights. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Whoa. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">That’s what it felt like…</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Whoa.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">However, back in Shakespeare’s day, things were done a little differently. In the Globe, where most of his plays were premiered, there was no curtain to close and no fancy blackouts, so those final scenes were nothing but slaughter on the stage. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">What to do? What to do?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The answer </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A jig!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Yes, jig… as in lively, happy dance!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">If I had experienced Julius Caesar at the Globe, Brutus would have leaped up and danced a merry jig with Antony and Octavius. Romeo and Juliet would have done the same. And all four bodies from Hamlet would have resurrected in a jolly way to the sounds of a happy tune.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And so, whenever a play ended </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> no matter how gory </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> the audience smiled! The audience laughed! The audience clapped and danced along!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">What’s more </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The audience went home happy…</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">and more than willing to return</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">to shell out shillings for another good time.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">You were a shrewd one, Willy… wickedly shrewd.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">PROMPT:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Create a happy ending today. Perhaps you could rewrite a few tragedies just for a bit of cheery fun. However, if you wish to keep your blue funk, then I suggest you learn to jig. Remember bawling your eyes out to Toy Story 3? Well, err… maybe that was just me. Anyway, I’m sure you remember Jessie and Spanish-mode Buzz’s paso doble to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVUJW6qerf8&feature=kp" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hay Un Amigo En Mi</i> </a>during the end credits. Well, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i></b> is what dried my tears and sent me home smiling. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Trust me, the jig still works.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-12977733476070944162014-06-23T04:23:00.000-07:002014-06-23T04:23:00.610-07:00The Two-step<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G0Vu9cpnVU8/UO7ssRDnjnI/AAAAAAAABjg/htXsO2bx3pI/s1600/Two+Step.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G0Vu9cpnVU8/UO7ssRDnjnI/AAAAAAAABjg/htXsO2bx3pI/s320/Two+Step.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Here
is a fantabulous two-step method for writing a great novel —<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Step
1: Pick an awesome protagonist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Step
2: Get him or her into and out of a whole heap of trouble.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Step
3: There is no step 3 — it’s a two-step process. The end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Anyway,
the real life and times of Thomas Edison works as a great example of this
formula.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">First
off, Tom is born a really sickly kid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Bad
news, huh?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Not
really. His mom, who has already been through the hellish untimely deaths of
three of her children, decides to homeschool the little guy. She builds him a
science lab in their basement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">All
of those infections in the age before antibiotics makes little Tom very hard of
hearing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Terrible,
huh?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Not
really, according to the man himself. He often credited his deafness for his
ability to think and work for long hours without distraction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">As
a teen, Tom works for the railroad. He builds a lab in an old boxcar, which
works out just fine until he spills some chemicals and torches the place. He is
fired.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Yikes!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">No,
YAY! Because he is fired from his old job, Tom is dumped off at the next train
station. There he saves the station master’s 2-year-old son from being squashed
by a freight train. The station master is so grateful, that he teaches Tom how to
work a telegraph so that he’ll always be gainfully employed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Tom
works as a telegraph operator, but being scientifically minded he just can’t
help himself </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> he decides to perfect the system. Tom develops the quadruplex
telegraph and offers it to Western Union. He’s thinking that he would love to
get $2000 for it, but when they ask him how much he wants, he can’t seem to
form the words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Uh
oh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Okay,
I know you’re on to this little game by now, so it won’t surprise you to learn
that Western Union offered him $40,000 on the spot... And those are 1869
dollars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">After
Tom puts his eyeballs back into their sockets, he uses the cash to build his
dream lab. Now I could say that the rest is history, but that would be horribly
cliché, and you’re thinking it anyway, so I’ll just stop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">PROMPT:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Try the two-step on your novel
today. No dance moves required. And always, always, always remember this while you’re
putting those words to the page…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Our greatest weakness lies in giving
up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">~Thomas A. Edison<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-46201478909913838892014-06-20T04:24:00.000-07:002014-06-20T04:24:00.676-07:00Get Messy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IAWd_nH_uEc/Ub5Fh57bkuI/AAAAAAAACWI/OBa74VOzV-Q/s1600/Messy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IAWd_nH_uEc/Ub5Fh57bkuI/AAAAAAAACWI/OBa74VOzV-Q/s320/Messy.JPG" height="320" width="224" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This year, my graduation post goes out especially to my daughter.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Congratulations, Grace! </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here are a few things to remember as you head out into this great big beautiful and marvelously messy world...</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Endings can be
orderly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Road races have
those clearly marked finish lines, and runners cross them fist-pumping.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Students march up
row by row alphabetically to receive their diplomas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even death can be
tidy </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> some folks simply slip out quietly in their sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Beginnings are
another matter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Beginnings
are <b>never</b> nice and neat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Every runner’s
first steps were nothing but a series of face-plants and pratfalls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All of this week’s
graduates started in kindergarten chaos.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Births </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> my
goodness!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They are MESSY and
LOUD!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nobody here on the
planet just tiptoed in without SOMEBODY noticing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15pt;">So, maybe </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">you've</span><span style="line-height: 15pt;"> just ended…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">some schooling<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">or an old job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And now you’re
taking your first steps…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">in a new location<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">or a new career.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Maybe you’re simply
starting a project<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">or a novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whatever beginning
you are just beginning…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">here’s a friendly
reminder just for you <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Every GREAT start
is SLOPPY,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MESSY,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And LOUD!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It can even be
CONFUSING and CHAOTIC<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">or full of
FACE-PLANTS and PRATFALLS.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15pt;">And </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">isn't</span><span style="line-height: 15pt;"> that
wonderful to know?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So haul out the
finger paints, mud, and whole wheat flour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Make wild clumsy
leaps and fall without grace (even if your name happens to be Grace).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Really egg it on <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The messier the
better!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And it will be the
start of something GREAT <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Guaranteed!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">PROMPT: </span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Make the messiest,
most awful, first draft imaginable. I mean seriously. Make it so bad that your
EYES would blush from shame if they ever saw it published.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now THAT’S a great
beginning!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And you can bet
your bottom dollar that ALL GREAT books began exactly this way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-63173665065113474492014-06-19T04:03:00.000-07:002014-06-19T04:03:00.310-07:00Feel the Need for Speed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p-j9foT95mI/T3Md35CGVWI/AAAAAAAAAFk/7sd2IlAl4ZY/s1600/Hero.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p-j9foT95mI/T3Md35CGVWI/AAAAAAAAAFk/7sd2IlAl4ZY/s320/Hero.JPG" height="235" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Ernest
Hemingway wrote <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Sun Also Rises</b>
in six weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">William
Faulkner also needed just six weeks to write <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">As I Lay Dying.</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Jack
Kerouac wrote <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">On the Road</b> in only <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">three</b> weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Then
again, he was on drugs. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">However,
Ray Bradbury wrote <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Fahrenheit 451</b> in
nine measly <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">days</i></b>…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">and he
was most definitely NOT on drugs. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">He was
just a highly motivated new dad who was seriously strapped for cash. So he went
to the local library with a sack full of dimes and rented a typewriter for 20</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> cents an
hour. His “dime novel” cost him $9.80.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">I’m thinking it was worth it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">Anyway, the whole point here is to try something
new this week.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">When you sit down to work on your book, set your
timer, then <o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">Write <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">FAST!</i></b> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">Do not stop.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">Do not think.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">Do not even breathe.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">Well, okay, I guess you can breathe.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">Speed writing is the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">BEST</b> way to override the naggy editor that lives inside your head.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">You know, the one that looks a lot like Gollum from
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Hobbit</b>, but has much better
grammar.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">Yeah, I've got one too.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">But I think we should put off that editor until
next week.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">Sure, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Precious</i>
is going to get all cranky about it…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">Tough beans.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">And, seriously </span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;"> take me up on this one.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">It may be the ONLY time you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ever</i> see me suggest procrastination.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">PROMPT:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"> Write <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">FAST</i></b> right <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">NOW</b>! Try this method on your current
project all week long. And hey, you might want to strap on that seat belt. You’re
going places… and it just might be a wild ride!</span> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264934546745807506.post-9542416913590296972014-06-18T04:02:00.000-07:002014-06-18T04:02:00.500-07:00Hello Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z7NTph7-YFE/U6FCxWHZ3TI/AAAAAAAADX0/x_QMEAXP9Hc/s1600/Reincarnation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z7NTph7-YFE/U6FCxWHZ3TI/AAAAAAAADX0/x_QMEAXP9Hc/s1600/Reincarnation.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Gus Taylor
was 18 months old when he started babbling that he was his own grandpa. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">It
weirded out his parents. After all, Gus’s grandpa had died a year before the
little babbler was born. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Things got even weirder when they showed him old
family photos. Gus got “Grandpa Augie” right every single time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Gus finally
explained the whole thing when he was four and speaking more coherently —<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Apparently, God
gave him a ticket after he died. With that ticket, he was able to travel
through a hole and come back to life as Gus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Yeah.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">That
cleared everything up for mom and dad, I’m sure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Then there
was this Scottish kid, Cameron Macaulay...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">From the time he began putting words
together at the age of two, he babbled about his life on the island of Barra (a
place that he had never visited). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">He described the sea view from his bedroom
window, his other mom, his siblings, his pets, and how his dad died. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">This little
guy did not discuss special God tickets, however. Instead, he talked about toilets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">According
to Cameron, his current life situation was considerably inferior to his previous one. After all, the Macaulay home had only one toilet, whereas in Barra, he had had three.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Eventually,
Cameron’s parents actually took him to Barra where they found that this kid’s
tales matched those of the Robertson family exactly… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">right down
to those three toilets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Hmmm…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">What if
reincarnation = reality?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">PROMPT: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Who were you in a previous life? Don’t
know? Well, make it up! Write a rock-tabulous reincarnation story that explains
some of your most endearing quirks. For a little inspiration, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI1keSSwdcI" target="_blank">Galileo</a>’s got
your back(story).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Barbara Davis-Pyleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09588777745084453424noreply@blogger.com0