Your Writing Mentor

Mary Knippel

Own Your American Adventure

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August is American Adventure Month! There’s still time to plan your own American Adventure. Let your imagination spark your creativity and see what can happen. Claim time for yourself on your calendar, then set out to have an experience you’ve never had before…or to revisit something you have not enjoyed for quite some time.

Growing up on a farm in Minnesota, our “vacations” were Sunday afternoon outings for a picnic and boat ride on the lake or river. We met my aunt, uncle, and cousins, cooked hamburgers, dug our toes in the muddy river bottom and floated on enormous black inner tubes. The picture accompanying this post is of my cousin Marilyn, whom I adored, and little MeMe at Lake Hanska.

To this day when I get a whiff of the infamous thick white Noxema body lotion, I immediately see myself covered in the soothing goo all over my lobster colored body. 

Did you go to camp? Did you go to summer school? Did you visit relatives in the city/country,  sleep on pull-out couches, and eat Grandma’s German potato salad while listening to aunts talk about who got married and who had a baby? Or did you attend annual family reunions? Now’s your chance to explore the great outdoors picnicking or camping, relive your youth with cotton candy and screaming on the carnival rides at a street fair, take in Shakespeare in the Park or a concert under the stars, or go shop at the back to school sales and stock up on notebooks and pencils. 

Think about going out and exploring the unknown. Get out there unprepared and do some things that are new and fun! What have you been longing to do? What would take you way out of your comfort zone? Take yourself on an adventure!

 

[Friday Five-Minute Writing Prompt] Savoring summer days…

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Savoring summer days…

Friday five-minute writing prompt

Take out a fresh sheet of paper. Natalie Goldberg uses a “fast-writing” pen. I suggest using your favorite writing instrument and an unlined piece of colored paper for fun. I use a fountain pen with purple ink. Some folks opt to use their computer. If that is your preferred method to write, then just open a new word document on your computer and go for it. The point is to keep your fingers moving for five minutes and not stop. I want you to experience how much writing can be accomplished in a short period.

If you get stuck, just repeat the writing prompt – Savoring summer days... or any other phrase that is comfortable for you. Do not stop to edit, correct spelling, look up a better word, or rearrange a sentence. Do not question what comes up in the five minutes: this doesn’t make sense, where did that come from, or what a crazy notion. This is a timed writing exercise so be sure to set the timer on your watch, phone, microwave, computer, or kitchen stove. Whether you use an egg timer, a No. 2 pencil and a spiral notebook, your iPad, or even your iPhone, the theory is the same. Keep your hand and fingers moving and have fun taking dictation from your unconscious self. Make a list, hum a tune, write a poem, or create a short, short story. This is your time to explore and experiment.

Photo credit:  SherieCohenPhotography

Write Fast Tips from the Writer Unleashed [change environment]

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Write Fast Tips from the Writer Unleashed

Hi! I’m so glad you could join me today as I share with you a strategy to Unleash the Writer in You! I understand the little voice that sits down with you when you want to write.The voice may say: “Who do you think you are?” “How does your story matter?” “Where is the connection between your story and the world?”Here’s a strategy for all you reluctant writers out there in answer to those questions that stop you from writing.My tip to WRITE FAST is to take yourself to another location and write about your surroundings. It could be out in nature at a park where you could be inspired by the flowering pants and towering trees, or to a museum with an art exhibit that offers a new perspective on life in another time and place. You decide where and then when you get there describe what you see, how it makes you feel, what memoires it evokes, where the sights, sounds and smells take you. Put us in the spot where you are right now so that we feel as though we are there ourselves. Our ultimate goal is to connect with our readers. We know we’ve succeeded when the essence of the message is seen with the eyes and impacts the soul!For more writing tips, please go to https://yourwritingmentor.com to join my mailing list.Happy Writing!

Posted by Mary E. Knippel, Author on Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Hi! I’m so glad you could join me today as I share with you a strategy to Unleash the Writer in You!

I understand the little voice that sits down with you when you want to write.

The voice may say:

“Who do you think you are?”

“How does your story matter?”

“Where is the connection between your story and the world?”

Here’s a strategy for all you reluctant writers out there in answer to those questions that stop you from writing.

My tip to WRITE FAST is to take yourself to another location and write about your surroundings. It could be out in nature at a park where you could be inspired by the flowering plants and towering trees, or to a museum with an art exhibit that offers a new perspective on life in another time and place. You decide where and then when you get there to describe what you see, how it makes you feel, what memories it evokes, where the sights, sounds, and smells take you. Put us in the spot where you are right now so that we feel as though we are there ourselves.

I just love how there are so many combinations of words we can use to express the meaning of what we want to get across. Our ultimate goal is to connect with our readers. We know we’ve succeeded when the essence of the message is seen with the eyes and impacts the soul!

For more writing tips, please go to http://yourwritingmentor.com to join my mailing list.

Happy Writing!

 

 

Admitting my guilt…

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Yes, I admit it. I am guilty. I am a willing accomplice in grand theft!

No I’m not robbing banks, or pulling off jewelry heists, I’m talking about the precious minutes I waste every day when I allow procrastination to steal my valuable resources.

I suspect I am not alone.

The perfect day consists of 8 hours of rest, 8 hours of work, and 8 hours of play.”  Benjamin Franklin

I have a deadline looming and avoid the computer by channel surfing, reading e-mail, or even cleaning. It doesn’t matter about the actual activity; I’m listening to the voice in my head telling me to wait.

Wait for inspiration. Wait until I’ve had a good night’s sleep. Wait for a full moon. Anything else before I choose to start the high priority task that deserves and needs my limited resources of precious time and energy instead of something I could easily do at another time (or if it really needed to be done – delegate it to someone else!).

You know what I mean. Saying “Yes” to a project or program and at the time being excited at the prospect of a new adventure, a new experience. Then, all of a sudden, it’s the first meeting of the program, or the project’s due date (which seemed so far in the distant future) is surprisingly near. It’s hard to dodge those comfortable crutches to evade the present moment when the world seems to be asking too much of us.

Many of us have procrastinated to some degree or another by putting off activities that were planned or scheduled, for activities that are of lesser importance. This behavior often involves feelings of guilt, inadequacy, and ultimately,  stresses us out.

There is no magic wand, fairy dust to sprinkle or potion to drink to change behavior. However, there is magic in the  power to plan, prioritize, and reward yourself with play.

  •  Plan – Write it down – Take a piece of paper and do a brain dump of everything you need to accomplish and create a timeline of your key result areas or goals (specific, measurable, action based, realistic and timely)
  • Prioritize – Break large tasks up into incremental steps. Calendar exactly when you will do each task, how long you anticipate spending on that task and use a timer.
  • Reward Yourself – Celebrate your accomplishments: take a walk or a bike ride and get out in nature, sink into a bubble bath, get reacquainted with your favorite novelist (or find out whether you prefer mysteries to historical novels), make an appointment for a massage…you get the idea. Scheduling a treat for yourself and the anticipation of your reward will urge you to complete your task so you can PLAY!

photo credit:  canva.com

[Friday Five-Minute Writing Prompt] What I’m so afraid of…

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What I’m so afraid of…

Friday five-minute writing prompt

Take out a fresh sheet of paper. Natalie Goldberg uses a “fast-writing” pen. I suggest using your favorite writing instrument and an unlined piece of colored paper for fun. I use a fountain pen with purple ink. Some folks opt to use their computer. If that is your preferred method to write, then just open a new word document on your computer and go for it. The point is to keep your fingers moving for five minutes and not stop. I want you to experience how much writing can be accomplished in a short period.

If you get stuck, just repeat the writing prompt – What I’m so afraid of... or any other phrase that is comfortable for you. Do not stop to edit, correct spelling, look up a better word, or rearrange a sentence. Do not question what comes up in the five minutes: this doesn’t make sense, where did that come from, or what a crazy notion. This is a timed writing exercise so be sure to set the timer on your watch, phone, microwave, computer, or kitchen stove. Whether you use an egg timer, a No. 2 pencil and a spiral notebook, your iPad, or even your iPhone, the theory is the same. Keep your hand and fingers moving and have fun taking dictation from your unconscious self. Make a list, hum a tune, write a poem, or create a short, short story. This is your time to explore and experiment.

Photo credit:  SherieCohenPhotography