Volume III, Issue 6 February 18, 2014 |
Dear , One morning, I took a break from writing to walk in the woods, where I was graced with the sight of a doe and her fawn. The three of us stopped for a long moment, taking each other in, then the doe turned and bounded away, her fawn close behind. I was so happy to have seen them, I said their names aloud. Meant to, I should say, for what came out was,
"I saw a dawn and her foe." Which made me laugh, since I knew that, as soon as I got back to my desk, I would be writing about this approach -- playing with, not paragraphs or sentences or even phrases, but lone words, chosen for their beauty, their capacity to delight by virtue of their sound and meaning. Playing with words and images is not only fun for writers, but also
necessary. After all, play is the way humans learn best. When we play, we're free to flub, to flop... yes, to fail. When we're free to question, to experiment, we can break through to something new, unique, all our own. In The Art of Possibility, Benjamin Zander recounts one of his greatest challenges as a teacher at the Boston Conservatory of Music, where
many of the best and brightest young musicians come from across the country to be with ... other best and brightest musicians. Zander watched his students react to this new, higher level of competition with careful, controlled precision. What he wanted was for them to move beyond their current ability, and there was only one path-taking on the unfamiliar, becoming beginners. (Sound familiar?) Zander's solution? He not only encouraged them to make mistakes, he also asked them, whenever they did,
to raise both arms straight up into the air, and call out, "How fascinating." Somehow, the words and the body language together shifted the students' attitudes, loosened them up. Yes, and made them laugh. You may or may not want to raise your arms straight into the air and shout "How fascinating" when you make a mistake (I will tell you, it's pretty darn
invigorating), but do take on the writing prompt below to move you into unfamiliar, playful territory in the realm of language. Treating words as building blocks of sound can lead to meanings above and beyond what you might intend. You'll also meet WordPlayer Russ Baskett as he writes of playing with words for the sheer silliness of it. (If you've been receiving the
Word-zine since January of 2012 when it began, this may be a re- acquaintance, as Russ was featured back then, too.) Happy playing,
Maureen
Upcoming WordPlay
COASTAL WRITING RETREAT: Connect with Your Creativity at the Sunset Inn (Writing--and more--as Renewal and Inspiration) / 1 weekend session
Back by popular request: a weekend writing retreat full of activities to reconnect you to your creativity. Return home refreshed, with new ideas and energy for your writing. $378 for writing sessions, two nights' lodging, two breakfasts and Saturday lunch (hotel tax and Saturday dinner at a local restaurant not included).
Additionally, for those who might like to stay another day to work on their writing, or to just enjoy the beach, the Inn is offering Coastal Writing Retreat participants the opportunity to stay Sunday night, February 23, at half price. You'll need a copy of Spinning Words into Gold, available for $23.54 at the retreat. Or order a copy now via PayPal/credit card. WHERE: The Sunset Inn, 9 North Shore Dr., Sunset Beach, NC 28468
WHEN: Friday, February 21 - Sunday, February 23, 2014*
(Note: There are two separate Coastal Writing Retreats. Friday February 28 - Sunday, March 2 will be a PROJECT: BOOK Retreat. See below for more information if you are interested in this.)
TO REGISTER: Contact the Sunset Inn at 888.575.1001 or 910.575.1000 (if you would like to handpick your room, view your choices here first, then
call). Because the Inn is holding rooms for you, our participants, they are blocked off as unavailable online. Register soon by phone - this is a popular event and there are only 8 spaces available each weekend. Also, please let the Inn know when you call if you are interested in staying Sunday night, February 23, at half price. The Inn will hold your reservation with a credit card. PROJECT BOOK AT SUNSET BEACH: GET YOUR BOOK OUT OF YOU AND INTO THE WORLD (Writing/Publishing Your Book-length Writing Project) / 1 weekend session A hands-on workshop for any writer who would like to write and/or publish a book and
1) doesn't know
how
2) doesn't get around to it
3) feels
a) intimidated
b) confused
c) overwhelmed
d) uninspired
e) all of the above
You'll gain working knowledge of the steps you need to take and the procedures and documents that are necessary (query vs. cover letter, book proposal, overview, synopsis, outline), as well as
an introduction to today's publishing world (major publishers, university presses, small presses, self-publishing, e-publishing, and print-on-demand). Note: Class doesn't include critique of your book manuscript. $408 includes Project: Book sessions, two nights' lodging, two breakfasts and Saturday lunch (hotel tax and Saturday dinner at a local restaurant not included). Additionally, for those who might like to stay another
day to work on their writing, or to just enjoy the beach, the Inn is offering Coastal Writing Retreat participants the opportunity to stay Sunday night, March 2, at half price. You'll need a copy of Spinning Words into Gold, available for $23.54 at the retreat. Or order a copy now via PayPal/credit card. WHERE: The Sunset Inn, 9 North Shore Dr., Sunset Beach, NC 28468
WHEN: Friday, February 28- Sunday, March 2, 2014
TO REGISTER: Contact the Sunset Inn at 888.575.1001 or
910.575.1000). Because the Inn is holding rooms for you, our participants, they are blocked off as unavailable online. Register soon by phone - this is a popular event and there are only 8 spaces available each weekend. Also, please let the Inn know when you call if you are interested in staying Sunday night, March 2, at half price. The Inn will hold your reservation with a credit card.
See http://wordplaynow.com/current.htm for more
details and more WordPlay opportunities. WordPlay Success Story "[Maureen's] class opened doors for me to new, creative, and imaginative ways to approach writing." Meet Russell Basket
Russell Baskett is currently the
Program Director for SML Good Neighbors, Inc., a non-profit he helped co-found in 2007. The program provides enrichment programs for elementary school-age children from families with limited resources. Russ and his wife, Sarah, live at Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia. Prior to retiring in 2001, he was a professor of life sciences and environmental studies. The Good Neighbors work is his new vocation and passion. Some of his reflections are posted at www.russbaskettblog.blogspot.com.
Russ says, "I attended Maureen's
class Spinning Words into Gold in October, 2011 at the John C. Campbell Folk School. Although I have written volumes over the years as a teacher and academic administrator, this class opened doors for me to new, creative, and imaginative ways to approach writing. I don't think I will ever be able to write or read the 'old way' again. Thanks,
Maureen -- the new way is a lot more fun."
Featured Writing Silly by
Russell Basket
It was Christmas afternoon and my wife and I were going to our daughter Sydney's house for Christmas dinner. She answered the phone, "Hi, Daddy. This place is the kingdom of silliness and the kids say the
prince-of-silly is coming."
The prince they refer to is me! What a reputation I have with my kids and grandchildren! To an outsider, it may sound disrespectful to call your father or grandfather "silly." Not to me -- I hear it as a term of endearment; as an expression of love and value.
When our three daughters -- now 47, 42 and 37 -- get
together, the reminiscences always return to: "Remember when Daddy used to drive us to school when we were little? Remember the silly, funny, nonsensical songs and poems he would make up? Remember how he would recite 'The Gettysburg Address' in the voice of Richard Nixon? Remember the one about Yankee Doodle?" Then one of them will break in to song:
Yankee Doddle went to town
ridin' on an ole blue gown.
Went round a corner
with his foot on the gas,
car turned over
cause he's goin' too fast.
Then, through the tears of laughter, someone will say, "Oh my gosh; that was so much fun; what great memories."
Now when I go to their homes, the grandchildren can't wait to tell me
their latest "silly" story or show me a book of dumb jokes. Maybe it's in the genes -- from father to daughters to grandkids; I hope so. When I am around my daughters and grandchildren, the silliness spontaneously returns; I can't stop it! We all laugh and roll our eyes when the silliness invades our space like an infectious disease. The silliness reminds me of the humor of Steve Martin or George Carlin.
We begin playing with words, putting them in different contexts that change their meaning. A phrase like "square root" creates a very different mental image for a mathematician, gardener and cosmetologist. Imagine playing with these images with one-liners. We are overcome with silliness once it starts.
So, for me, the word silly is not about dumb, meaningless, or unworthy. It is synonymous with love, and that's a good thing.
I have this movie in my head about what will happen when I come to the end of my days. I must warn you-this is silly. Gabe (this is what we call our friend, the
angel Gabriel) and Andrew, from the TV series "Touched By an Angel," are conducting a Heavenly Autopsy on me. Gabe turns to Andrew and says, "Just as I thought, Russ died from terminal silliness." Andrew replies, "This one's a keeper. Welcome home, friend."
~ Russell Baskett
WordPlay Now! Writing Prompt
This is WordPlay -- so why not revel in the power and potential of one good word after another? This week, it's
"play." PROMPT: Create a "sound poem" by shuffling words. I call this method, which I adapted from Elliot
Sobel's Wild Heart Dancing, "The Shuffle" in
honor of one of my mother's favorite songs, "Shuffle Off to Buffalo," a great example of sound play. - Gather paper, a pencil or pen, and ten index cards.
- Choose ten words you love for their sound and meaning, the more interesting the better.
- Write each of your words on an index card and shuffle well.
- Flip over the first card, and write that word on a sheet of paper.
- Flip over the second card. You have a choice. You may either write this word on the same line, or begin a new line.
Example: Note the difference between lullaby & lullaby
wind
wind - Flip over your third card. Again, your only choice is Same line, or next line? Feel free to add any punctuation you like, but you may not add any words.
Example: Note the difference between
Lullaby wind, cascade.
& lullaby, & lullaby
wind cascade wind
cascade
- Proceed as above with cards four through ten. Congratulations! You have now written the first stanza of a poem.
- Shuffle your cards again, skip one line on your paper, and repeat steps above. You've now completed your second stanza.
- Shuffle, skip one line on your paper, and repeat one more time. You've now completed your third stanza, and your poem is complete.
- Read your "sound poem" aloud. How fascinating! And sheer fun, especially if you get into the spirit and really deliver your poem, with great interpretive inflections. You may even want to play "The Shuffle" at your next party. (Yes, I probably am the world's biggest word nerd!
While you may think this prompt is sheer play, it does have seriously good contributions to make to your writing. Paying attention to words for their sound alone will make your writing more lyrical. Beautiful metaphors and other figurative language often crops up in the unexpected combinations of words that show up as you play. Sometimes these surprises are rife with possibility for
writing. Listen for promising word pairings. Bump together "perplexed" and "peach" and get a children's picture book that teaches through humorous illustrations of mood-riddled food. I can see it in my mind -- an ABCDarium, from "annoyed
artichoke" to "zany ziti." No, you can't have this idea -- it's mine!) "Bleeding automaton" could become a thriller sci-fi novel. And my husband saw the implications of "potluck hoax" immediately. "That's easy," he said, "That's when you lift the casserole lid, and discover there's nothing inside." Surely a crime novel or short story in the making! |
MAUREEN RYAN GRIFFIN, an award-winning poetry and nonfiction writer, is the author of Spinning Words into Gold, a Hands-On Guide to the Craft of Writing, a grief workbook entitled I Will Never Forget You, and two collections of
poetry, This Scatter of Blossoms and When the Leaves Are in the Water. She believes, as author Julia Cameron says, "We are meant to midwife dreams for one another."
Maureen also believes that serious "word work" requires serious WordPlay, as play is how we humans best learn -- and perform. What she loves best is witnessing all the other dreams that come true for her clients along the way. Language, when used with intentionality and focus, is, after all, serious fuel for joy. Here's to yours! |
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