Wednesday, March 20, 2013

WRITING TIP

WRITING IDEAS TO LAST A LIFETIME

(Lifetime -- that's a clue)

Recently I cleaned out and organized the bookcases in my office. (That little adventure is detailed in a couple of previous blog posts. And, yes, I am aware that referring to organizing bookcases as an "adventure" reveals what a pathetic life I lead. But that is not the point.)

That felt pretty good so I decided to tackle the years of photographs tossed into boxes and closets. Not just years of photographs -- a lifetime. The boxes include baby pictures of me.

(Yes, they had cameras when I was a baby.)

In fact, there are photographs of my mother when she was pregnant with me. Or as they said then, PG. Or was it pg. Actually, the subject was considered unsuitable for print so we will never know. Take your pick.

Here are some of the boxes. That looks like a photo album in the cardboard box, and it is. Still wrapped nicely in plastic. Never opened. Ready for 200 photos.

And here are some pictures that didn't even make it into boxes.

What could be in this hat box? I thought all my hats were hanging on my office wall. Why gracious me. It is crammed full of more photographs.

And then my Gentleman Friend said, "You want me to bring up the boxes from the basement? There are lots of pictures down there." I said maybe I would hold off on those for a while.

This was going to take more than one 200-picture album. I hit upon another plan. This plan would replicate the three-stage writing process.

Several clear plastic boxes with lids from Walmart were labeled according to subject: Christmas, holiday, vacation, house and yard, daily activities, friends and family, baby pictures, and a few others. You get the idea.

In the first stage, I am doing a rough sort. Bad photos, duplicates, and who-cares photos are discarded. If I can remember or figure out the year and event, the picture is labeled on the back in my not-pretty handwriting. Sometimes I later figure out I have labeled something incorrectly and I cross out and re-label. I wish it were neat and perfect, but it is not. I am too old to try to be perfect, not enough time left. (I mean that in a fun, freeing way -- not a morbid I'm-gonna-die-someday way.)

Last night, I finally brought up another box and armload of pictures from the basement.

After those are sorted into their subject boxes, I plan to do Stage Two. Some of the subject boxes will need to be divided into two or more subjects. For example, I have all the vacation and business trip pictures in one box. Each of those subjects will need a box of its own. I will quickly go through the pictures again and get rid of more and maybe do more labeling on the back.

My plan for Stage Three is to pile the photos in their labeled plastic boxes in rough chronological order, put on the lids, and stack them back in the closet. Young Advisor had this idea and liked it. The photos are accessible.

Seems like an easy, middle ground approach. Better than pictures thrown into boxes, but not something impossibly arduous.

However, in the middle of the night it occurred to me that closed plastic boxes probably would not be good for long-term storage of photos. I need something acid free.

I need a Step Four -- a trip to Archiver's to look for suitable boxes. Or, if any of you have a suggestion for permanent storage boxes, please send it along.

So, basically what I have done is apply the three-step writing process to organizing my photos. First, I thought about how to approach the task (pre-writing). Then I created a first draft (rough sorting of photos), and finally, I edited and polished (final sorting, discarding, and arranging).

Of course, you know what has happened. In the process of going through all these photos, memories have come rushing in. Writing ideas. To last a lifetime.

You don't have to set out to organize a lifetime of photos, just reach into the box and pull one out. You have a story. You can write it as memoir, fiction, essay, nonfiction or anything you desire.

LAUNCHING PAD

See that black and white photo in the lower middle of the last photo? That's my maternal grandmother. Until she died when I was fifteen, I had not thought about the fact that she had a name other than "Mom." To friends, family, casual acquaintances, she was Mom.

What did you call your grandmother(s)? Why did you call her that? What is the first memory of her that comes to mind?

CHOCOLATE INKWELL

I just discovered www.Bakerita.com. Wonderful recipes and photos by Rachel, a nineteen year old San Diego, California student. The good part is her recipes are simply fabulous and do not call for any Cool Whip. I really dislike a blob of Cool Whip masquerading as dessert. HOWEVER, using Cool Whip is quick and easy and so much easier on the digestive system. (Your pancreas has to process all that fat, you know.) For that reason, I would add a disclaimer to the following recipe: it would be easy to substitute a cake mix and Cool Whip for the made-from-scratch cake and whipped cream. Or make the cake from scratch and substitute Cool Whip. Of course, you would also be substituting yumminess. It's your call.

photo courtesy of www.Bakerita.com

Oreo Cake

Yield: 12 slices

Ingredients

For the cake

1 1/2 cups (6.25 oz) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 oz) sugar
1 cup cold water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 (.75 oz) cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Oreo whipped cream

50 Oreo cookies, finely crushed
4 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

For the cake

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In large mixing bowl combine all ingredients. Beat with electric mixer on medium to high speed until well combined. Pour batter in a greased 9-inch baking pan (or two, if you don't want to split the cake later).
Bake 20-25 minutes (12-15 minutes if you're doing 2 pans) or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool completely, and place in the freezer for 1/2 hour before assembling.

For the Oreo whipped cream

Carefully cut 6 Oreo cookies in half; set aside. Chop remaining cookies into 1/4-inch pieces; set aside.
Make the Oreo whipped cream in 2 batches. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whip attachment, whip 2 cups cream on medium-high speed to soft peak, spoon into large bowl. In same mixer bowl, whip remaining 2 1/2 cups cream, sugar, and vanilla to soft peak. Fold into already whipped cream.
Place about 1 cup whipped cream in a different bowl and refrigerate until ready to decorate cake. Fold crushed Oreos into remaining whipped cream.

For the cake assembly

Remove cake from the freezer. Slice cake in half horizontally to create 2 layers. Place bottom layer on serving plate. Spread about 1/3 of Oreo whipped cream onto cake. Top with second cake layer and use remaining Oreo whipped cream to frost top and sides of cake. Chill in refrigerator for about 2 hours to allow cookies to soften.
Place reserved whipped cream in pastry bag fitted with star tip (re-whisk if necessary). Pipe 12 whipped cream rosettes around perimeter of cake and garnish with reserved Oreo cookie halves. Serve.

For more ideas and helps for writing your life story, visit www.angleinyourinkwell.com. Click on FAQ for answers to your questions or click on Buy to get a copy of my Write Your Life Story in Eight Weeks Workbook.

At www.angelinyourinkwell.com/buy.html, you also can do two good turns with one click of your mouse. Buy my original, exceedingly clever photo birthday cards: make a friend happy and help support Meals on Wheels for seniors. What could be better?

All rights reserved 2013 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

Friday, January 11, 2013

Houseclean Your Brain

WRITING TIP

A while back -- quite a while back -- I showed you this picture of my office cleaning in progress. It hasn't taken me all this time to accomplish it. I finished it a few days after the last post, but I did take my time and thoroughly enjoyed the process. A cup of tea, dusty books -- what's not to love?

The second picture is of the completed project. I know what you're thinking. Wow! It still looks like a mess. I'll have you know that six grocery bags of books were removed and donated to the library. At least another three bags were sent to recycling and maybe five more sent out to the trash. Yes, the shelves were packed upright, sideways, and on top of each other.

Now I have the old books I really could not part with. And I can see them. They are at my fingertips, ready for me to revisit.

Even though it doesn't look like it, the top shelf and walls were purged too. My favorite things remain. Vintage hats, a page of Betsy McCall paper dolls, an empty Valentine's candy box (even bad chocolate is good when eaten from a heart-shaped box), and, yes, that is a calendar from 2010 -- it has pictures and quotes about chocolate on it.

Now when I enter my office, my brain feels refreshed and ready to go. If I'm feeling a little down, I look at the mementos from friends and good times, and my energy returns.

It's like housecleaning for your brain. Cobwebs swept away creating space for new ideas.

LAUNCHING PAD

The Advanced Life Story Writing Group met this week. I gave them their Launching Pad for February so I'll just share that with you -- since we're talking about Valentine chocolates. Here it is: What is your favorite Valentine candy? Or, what words or sentiments would you write on those little candy hearts that appear at Valentine's? Some clever writer in the group e-mailed to ask if swear words were okay. (Yes, that was Donna.) Well, sure. Tell that current or ex-Valentine sweetheart what you really think.

Chocolate Inkwell

Chocolate Covered Strawberries - These look beautifully Valentine-y. You probably already know how to make chocolate covered strawberries, but read on. This recipe from www.allrecipes.com gives you a little trick for creating really pretty strawberries.

Chocolate Strawberries

Original recipe makes 3 cups

16 ounces milk chocolate chips

2 tablespoons shortening

1 pound fresh strawberries with leaves

Directions

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Holding them by the toothpicks, dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture.
Insert toothpicks into the tops of the strawberries.
Turn the strawberries upside down and insert the toothpick into styrofoam for the chocolate to cool.joyed the process

Do you love to teach? Wish you had a life story writing group? There are writing groups in cities surrounding Kansas City, Missouri and in other states which have been started by someone who loved to teach, gathered a group looking for fun and affirmation of life, and using the Write Your Life Story Workbook - Second Edition. Discounts apply to orders of eight or more books. E-mail me, carol@angelinyourinkwell.com, for more information. Go to www.angelinyourinkwkell.com and click on Buy for information about the workbook.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Get Your Writing In Order

WRITING TIP

Here is what I should be doing.

But I also needed to do something about this.

Books always trump laundry so here is what I have been doing: sorting, discarding, and arranging some of the books in my office.

It's been great. I sit at the long folding table with a cup of tea, bring down a small stack of books, and flip through them. It's like revisiting old friends. The hard part is trying not to stop and read. I thought I solved that by making a stack of books to re-read. As you can guess, that didn't work. I edited that stack and gave a few books a MLB (most loved books) section of shelf all their own.

I have a big birthday approaching (Noooo, it is not 30.) so along with reviewing the books, I have been reviewing my life. I have to admit, there were a few days I didn't feel so good about the whole thing. But, eventually, after giving some hard thought, and some honest thought, to what I had really wanted from life, I settled into a place where I now feel pretty good.

When we get past the basics of food and shelter, or maybe even before those, what we all crave is love -- love to give, love to receive. The big things, of course: family, friends, good health. But the small things too: good books, a cup of tea, and a bit of order in our lives.

Is that a writing tip? I think so. Write with love. Write about what you love. And put the date on every little note you scribble to yourself. You will love yourself for it later.

Next time I'll have the orderly bookshelves to show.

WRITING PROMPT

Disorderly conduct. In what ways has your conduct ever been disorderly? Ever have a tantrum in public? Leave your clean sheets in the laundry basket until time to change the sheets again? Fast food wrappers on your car floor? Little scraps of notes of your life story scattered among various notebooks? I once received a warrant in the mail for my arrest. Is Albuquerque the only city that mailed warrants for too many traffic tickets. A court appearance improved my driving habits immediately. What about you? Where is or was the disorder in your life?

CHOCOLATE INKWELL

Wonderful hostess and dear friend, Brenda, invited a group of us to her house for a yummy lunch this week. She had prepared two favorites of every person on the planet: homemade chicken noodle soup and chocolate cake. Here's how great a hostess she is -- when I began doing a little dance in anticipation of chocolate cake, she offered to let me eat cake before soup. I might have taken her up on it except that I also love soup.

Here is Brenda's recipe. I think I may have shared this recipe before when my friend, Judy, told me about it. Brenda's cake was baked in a bundt pan and then sprinkled with powdered sugar. For some reason I had thought this cake could not be made in a bundt pan, but it worked fine and was very pretty.

Cherry Chocolate Cake

1 chocolate cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Mix ingredients and pour into greased and floured bund cake pan. Bake about 45-50 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Note: Use your creativity in choosing any flavor cake mix, pie filling, or a teaspoon of flavoring such as almond or vanilla.

Want to be a part of preventing hunger among senior citizens? For every set of my photo greeting cards purchased, $2.00 is donated to Meals on Wheels. See the cards at www.angelinyourinkwell.com/buy.html. Share the love.

All rights reserved 2011 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

Monday, June 25, 2012

Come With Me

Come With Me

Writing Tip

Does the building in this grainy photo look familiar? It's a bit fuzzy because I copied it from Wickipedia. Back when I was in junior high school in Lawton, Oklahoma, this was the junior high school building.

Now why would the building where I attended junior high look familiar to you? Because, while it may have some unique qualities, it also has some universal qualities that all school buildings of the period had.

Recently I was back in Lawton for a few days so I have been thinking about growing up there. Thinking about place.
In our life story writing group, Millie is writing a wonderful story of place -- Yellowstone National Park where she worked as a young woman. Millie was shaped by her time in Yellowstone, just as I was shaped by my time in Lawton, and you were shaped by any number of the places where you have been.

Looking for what other bloggers have to say about writing about place in memoir or life story, I turned to www.womensmemoirs.com where I found the following article from June 9, 2012:
Journaling for Memoir: Writing About Place — Memoir Writing Blog. And, more recently, in her June 25, 2012 post, Matilda Butler writes about growing up in Oklahoma City and how she was shaped by place.

When you are writing your story, remember that it happened in a place. Tell the reader, "Come with me," and then take us along so we can experience your story with you.

Launching Pad

Here is an idea from the Journaling for Memoir post at www.womensmemoirs.com. Complete the following prompt ten times: "It was the kind of place where . . ." This prompt seems to me to be a quick way to get to the essence of place. I'm going to give it a try.

1. Lawton was the kind of place where square dances were held on the city parks' tennis courts on hot summer nights.
2. Lawton was the kind of place where everyone went to The Old South cafeteria for lunch after church on Sunday.
3. Lawton was the kind of place where the librairians at the Carnegie Public Library would let an unaccompanied child wander in the adult stacks and even check out books from there.

Chocolate Inkwell

Eclair Cake

There is good news and bad news about today's recipe.

This is a great recipe for summer from www.allrecipes.com because no baking is involved, No oven-heating required; however, it does have to be refrigerated for at least 4 hours before serving. In a comment she wrote at www.allrecipes.com, Cathy Gordon says,

"This is a very quick and simple no bake dessert cake. It uses graham crackers and a pudding mixture. It tastes just like an eclair, but there is enough for a crowd!! It is a great recipe for children who are learning to cook, there is no baking involved or any power kitchen tools. Just a bowl and a spoon!"

Ingredients

2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 cups milk
1 (16 ounce) package graham cracker squares
1 (16 ounce) package prepared chocolate frosting

Directions

In a medium bowl, thoroughly blend the pudding mix, whipped topping, and milk.
Arrange a single layer of graham cracker squares in the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan. Evenly spread half of the pudding mixture over the crackers. Top with another layer of crackers and the remaining pudding mixture. Top with a final layer of graham crackers.
Spread the frosting over the whole cake up to the edges of the pan. The frosting will be easier to spread if the cake is covered and chilled for about 30 minutes before spreading.
Cover, and chill at least 4 hours before serving.

For more writing tips, launching pads, or your very own workbook to help you write your life story, go to, www.angelinyourinkwell.com.

Friday, April 13, 2012

A Cliche You Should Use

WRITING TIP

A few weeks ago Gentleman Friend and I were in San Diego. We had not visited the city's famous zoo in years so off we went. I had forgotten how huge it is. We hopped on a bus to get an overview of the exhibits.

Later, when we were on foot, we stopped to admire an animal we had never seen, a red panda.

How are you liking the visit so far? Not very interesting is it? And why is that? Because you cannot really see anything. Remember the first rule writers learn: Show don't tell. I have told you we rode a bus and I have told you we saw a red panda, even presented a sign that tells about the red panda. Sheesh! What else do you want? Oooooh, you want to see the real deal?

Alrighty then. Take a look at this.

And take a look at this. Better?

Yes, we are still using words in our writing, but we must use those words to paint a picture for the reader. Show us the fluffy tri-colored animal relaxing in a tree, four limbs dangling on either side of the tree branch. Show us that red open-air, double-decker bus. Let us hear the gentleman across the aisle, obviously a frequent visitor who knew the name of and esoteric information about every animal and exhibit.

Why is this so hard for writers, myself included? It is because we know the information so well, see it so vividly in our mind, that we forget our reader can't read our mind. Here's a little trick. I'm not sure how good it is for your mental health, but it will work for your writing. I think of it as splitting my mind apart. I stand apart and look inside. Then I write what I see there. Okay, this is sounding weird. Time to wind it up. Just remember to ask yourself: Are the details on the paper or just in my mind?

WRITING PROMPT

I felt like a caged animal . . . What makes you feel trapped, closed in, unable to move? What makes you want to escape? How do you make your break?

CHOCOLATE INKWELL - Does this look like it will make up for last month's trick when you got puppies instead of cookies? This recipe is from www.bakingjunkie.com and has all my favorite stuff: Marcha White muffin mix (yes, muffin mix), Eagle Brand condensed milk, buttah, pecans, and chocolate -- not necessarily in order of preference. That's what's so great about this recipe. You can have it all at once.

Turtle Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies
5 oz unsweetened chocolate
¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 packages Martha White chocolate chip muffin mix
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup chopped pecans
48 chocolate-covered caramel candies (Werther’s or Rolo’s)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a glass bowl microwave chocolate and butter until melted. Stir together until smooth. Stir in condensed milk, then add muffin mix. Mixture will be thick. Roll into small balls and dip one side into chopped nuts. Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet with nut side up. Bake for approximately 8 minutes, or until edges start to look crinkled. Immediately press a candy into the center of each cookie and press down slightly. Once all cookies have a candy on top, go back and press each candy further into the cookie, allowing the chocolate to melt more. Cool completely before removing from cookie sheet.

Writing your life story is fun and life affirming. Get a group and get started. Write Your Life Story in Eight Weeks Workbook, Second Edition can help. Order it at www.angelinyourinkwell.com/buy.html

All rights reserved 2012 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

There's An angel in your inkwell blog

Wednesday, March 20, 2013