Writing In Retirement Blog

 

I was going through the several writer’s blogs I subscribe to on Saturday and in Marcia Meara’s blog she wrote of finding this game on Lemon Shark, the blog for Sarah Brentyn. When I hopped over to Sarah’s blog, I saw she had gotten the game from someone else’s blog! (See how this works?) I figured I was tagged next. So here goes!

Do you have a specific place for reading?

I read anywhere and anything. I just love to read. My favorite place to read these days is at restaurants. I often dine alone, so having a book with me is the perfect way to have a companion. I find my time for indulging in reading is limited, so that by reading and eating I can do two of my favorite things at once. I used to heft around heavy books, but now I just carry around my Kindle which is so convenient. I covet my lunchtime reading.

Bookmarks or random pieces of paper?

Before Kindles, I used to collect bookmarks – especially Harry Potter related ones. The problem was when I needed a bookmark I couldn’t find one! They were in some ‘special’ place that I kept my collections. Sigh, so I would often grab envelopes, random scraps of paper, or those annoying little cards you find stuffed in catalogs, to use as bookmarks. I have even been known to use my highlight marker to suffice as a bookmark. However, once I finally decided to get a Kindle – saving my place is much less of an issue as it opens right to the spot I was at when I closed it down. One problem with that is, if I switch between my two Kindles, it doesn’t always keep up where I left off in the other one.

Can you stop anywhere or must it be at the end of a chapter?

I’m not a fan of stopping just anywhere. I like to finish a scene but prefer to finish a chapter. However, when I read in doctor’s waiting rooms, that rule is often broken.

Do you eat or drink while reading?

See above about reading in restaurants. A hearty yes. Mostly I sip a Diet Coke or 7Up as I read. I try very hard not to snort when I read something funny though.

Music or TV while reading?

Music doesn’t bother me while reading: most background noise doesn’t bother me. (My imagination is pretty vivid)! However, if I am reading something more technical like Quantum Physics or Alchemy, I require a quieter setting. The TV? Mmm, not so much, unless I’m not really into what I am reading.

One book at a time or several?

I’ve been known to read two or three books at a time. One for each book club and one more for some technical stuff I like. It depends on my mood which I pick up. Lately, though, I rarely have more than two books going at a time.

Do you prefer to read at home or elsewhere?

Anywhere is fine with me – waiting rooms, restaurants, picnic tables, or a cozy chair. Have book/Kindle, will read.

Read out loud or silently?

Mostly I am a silent reader, but sometimes I will read aloud if a particular passage is not making sense. Reading out loud helps me to get the emphasis correct. On occasion, I have been known to read aloud to my dogs. They are by in large not that interested in what I read to them, so it’s an exercise in futility.

Do You prefer to read ahead or skip pages?

Oh, my! That is a no-no. I love seeing how the author unfolds the story.

Breaking a spine or keeping it like new? 

I don’t knowingly break the spines of books. However, my well-studied books do get the spine broken from wear. I confess I do on occasion keep one copy for ‘show’ and another for deep studying! In fact, I have the whole set of pristine Harry Potter books that are the first editions, and then I have sets of the same books that are so well-worn they are falling apart!

Do you write in your books?

Oh dear, I have to confess again – yes, I do write notes in the margins and at the end of chapters in my paperbacks – not so much in hard copies. I guess it is a habit I started in college with textbooks.  Highlighting is another one of my habits if I am studying a book. At least with the Kindle, you can do that without ruining the looks of the book!

 

And there you have it. That was fun. So now I am going to hand this over to you. If you’d like to play along, just leave me comments below. Tag, You’re It!

 

 

I am one who enjoys reading as I eat. I love going to restaurants and having a quiet time reading as I eat. The other day it was raining, and I ran out of the house without my phone, but no bother – I had my Kindle. In the effort to get inside without getting soaked I juggled my purse, umbrella, jacket, and cane  – and left the Kindle in the car by mistake. As I sat in the booth looking out at my car and the rain, I realized I had nothing to read and worse, not a scrap of paper to write on. I contemplated my dilemma. I sat there and thought what I could do? Nothing to even write on! Oh, that wasn’t quite correct. Around the napkin was a small white wrapper. I smiled and set about to write a poem on the little paper.

In my writing group, we have been discussing different types of poetry. One of these  is the Cinquain. It consists of  five lines in this order:

Line One and Line Five: 2 syllables

Line Two: 4 syllables

Line Three: 6 syllables

Line Four: 8  syllables

The fruits of my effort are below. I hope you like it.

My Phone

My Phone

At home charging

Unattached to me

No instant news, No Calls, No Texts

Offline.

What is your favorite type of poem to write? Have you ever tried a Cinquain? Share below in the comments if you have.

I remember chasing around this peacock trying to take the perfect picture of his  beautiful tail. Poor thing. I’m sure it thought I was a nuisance. What you do not see in this picture is the second peacock walking about and sticking his head or feet into the picture. I had to shoo the other one away. But I was determined to get a good picture. I took a lot of pictures. This picture wasn’t exactly the one I wanted as the little beastie would not fan out his tail, but it was the best picture of his beauty. By the time I got this picture we all were exhausted.

Writing is like that for me – chasing that beautiful, perfect tale. I crave it, don’t you? The story first presents itself fleeting in my mind. Just little scenes that seem to be important, but are not fully fanned out. I struggle to follow the tale around, trying this angle and that, until finally it comes into focus. Just when I think it is planned out – another character pops up, or the tale takes off in a direction that I didn’t expect. There are lots of drafts and rewrites. All that chasing around! Sometimes I just want to stop and try to catch my breath, but the story can fly out of my mind if I tarry too long. It takes persistence, but eventually the story – the tale – comes together. However I am often exhausted by the time it is done. But it is a marvelous feeling realizing what I wrote was not the story I first envisioned, but an even better one.

The writing process is like this for me. Is writing like that for you?

Welcome to my blog Writing in Retirement. It’s not that I began writing once I retired, it’s more like I had the time to begin taking writing seriously after I retired. After all, I had to fill my time somehow and what better way than to pursue something that I enjoyed? I had in fact written a novel before retirement – which ended up in a plastic case. A hodgepodge of ideas and stories that had no ending. It still sits there in its plastic case, niggling my brain from time to time trying to pop out a proper story, but it never quite gets there.  After I retired I wrote a novel called The Peacock’s Tale  which I loved doing. Sticking my toe into the writing world, I self published it in July of 2013. The book was hailed by friends and acquaintances but I had no idea how to really advertise it. My journey into the world of being an author was just beginning!

Shortly afterwards with a friend, I began a Writing Group called the Ink & Quill writing Group at the local Senior center. I have been facilitating that group for several years now. It is from the discussions and writings done with the Ink &Quill Writing Group of Winter Garden that I humbly come to do this Blog.  The writing group has taught me how to stretch my creativity and how to write better. Its given me a venue to explore all sorts of writing, including various forms of poetry, short stories, and even children’s stories.

One of the ways I stretch my writing muscles is to write from a prompt, so I would like to share some of these prompts with you, along with some discussions about ways to improve your writing experience in retirement.  Make sure to check this site for the prompts I leave for you. In the meantime keep on writing and come back soon to explore more writing ideas.

Bonus Prompt:

Here’s a simple prompt that will help you think about using all your senses to describe the subject. Try to include as many sensual clues as you can in the piece, i.e., sight, sound, taste, touch and smell: Write a story or poem about the wind.

Feel free to share how you did in the comment section below.