Dear ,
Happy Fourth of July!
Crazy subject line, huh? Well, it happened like this: Last week, I said to my husband, "How is it that a person can be "inept" but not 'ept'? That makes no sense!" And, lo and behold, a few days ago he sent me an email with a link to a discussion of "orphan negatives" -- words with no commonly used positive form.
Then I found a hilariously zany short story from The New Yorker called "How I Met My Wife" that takes orphan negatives to an art form, and, voila! There was my "ept" -- along with "maculate", "communicado", and "to much avail". How fun is that?
And that got me to thinking.... since today is all about celebrating freedom, and I'm all about your right to "avail" yourself of writing and the sheer pleasure of words, why not urge you to consider how you could get more "ept" at availing yourself of your freedom to write?
What does that look like? Scroll on down to this week's "WordPlay Now! Writing Prompt" and find out. And on the way, you'll find a link to that hilarious story rife with "orphan negatives." Enjoy!
Wishing you a wonderful holiday,
Maureen
Upcoming WordPlay
See attached registration form for more offerings.
WRITE YOURSELF! (Writing Inspiration; Creating New Writing; Fueling a Current or Languishing Writing Project ; Rekindling Your Writing Passion; Getting Unstuck) $30/session
WHEN: Tuesday,
July 2, 7 to 9 pm
WHERE: South Charlotte near Stonecrest Shopping Center (Details provided upon registration)
Want to come? Just print out and mail in the attached form or use PayPal or credit card with this link:
Write Yourself July 18THE GIFT OF MEMOIR
: WRITING PERSONAL AND FAMILY STORIES (Writing for and about Your Family / The Art of Memoir)
Our life stories are a precious legacy. Putting them in writing is a gift to all who know and love us-they can be treasured and enjoyed for generations to come. It is also a gift to ourselves. As best-selling author Rachel Naomi Remen says in her book Kitchen Table Wisdom, facts bring us to knowledge, but stories bring us to wisdom. If you are interested in writing family and/or personal life stories, as well as preserving everyday moments from times past or present, come learn specific tools and techniques to retrieve and record them.
WHEN: Thursday, July 18th and/or August 15th, 10 a.m. to noon
WHERE: Covenant Presbyterian Rec Center, 1000 East Morehead, 28204
Want to come? Just print out and mail in the attached form or use PayPal or credit card with this link:
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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 "avail."
Today, consider how you can get more "ept" at availing yourself of your freedom to write.
First, set a timer for 15 minutes and
respond to these questions: * Am I free to write? (You might be surprised
at your gut-level answer to this.) * If not, who or what is stopping me?
And what actions can I take so that I can be
"gruntled" and "consolate" about my writing life? * If so, what pockets of time will I devote to writing
in the week ahead?
And what writing will I do in that time? (For the
applauding timer I use, just click here.)
Now, go ahead, put those pockets of time into your calendar as official appointments with a VIP (Yes, YOU!). And when the time comes, exercise your freedom to write and keep them.
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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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