Volume X1, Issue 2
January 12, 2022
Dear ,
Here in Charlotte, many of us are excited that the weather forecast is calling for a 97% chance of snow this Sunday. I'm an optimist who loves snow, so it's the perfect time for this "throwback" Word-zine from January 29, 2014. (Seeing this photo of our Lucy, who we lost a few years after this, makes me both
happy and sad.) Back then, I was writing a whole article every week, so you'll see that below, too, along with the featured writing, prompt, etc. . . .
As you know, we don't get much snow in Charlotte, North Carolina. And our fourteen-year-old Alaskan husky-mix rescue dog, Lucy, loves it—so out we go!
Being out in the snow with my dog reminds me of Kate DiCamillo's "Snow, Aldo." This engaging poem, which captures a brief, endearing moment beautifully, offers the perfect opportunity to share one of my favorite writing strategies with you—the "four elements of human being." Read on
to learn how to make your writing truly resonate with your readers: heart, mind, body, and spirit. This week's prompt will give you a chance to try your hand at it, with pleasure and ease!
And if what you're needing now are not only writing tools, but also to renew your relationship with writing, then check out the Coastal Writing Retreat with its opportunity to relax into the joy of working and playing with language.
Meanwhile, may you stay warm and cozy in whatever weather you find yourself in! Snowy days are perfect for writing!
Love and light,
Maureen
Upcoming WordPlay
COASTAL WRITING RETREAT AT SUNSET BEACH
Friday, February 24th - Sunday, February 26th
OR
Friday, March 3rd - Sunday, March 5th
Renew yourself and reconnect with your own creativity, whether you are a practicing writer, closet writer, or as-yet-to-pick-up-the-pen writer! The techniques and prompts we’ll use will spur your imagination, and can be used to create nonfiction, fiction, and/or poetry—the choice is yours.
Give yourself time to write in community with others who love words and ideas, and time for solitude, too. There’ll be ample free time to savor your beautifully appointed private room at The Sunset Inn, with king-sized bed, private bath and balcony, and the coastal setting the Sunset Inn provides. You’ll return home refreshed, with new ideas and energy for your writing — and your life.
Full details here: https://www.wordplaynow.com/coastal-writing-retreats-early-2022/
TO REGISTER: Please call The Sunset Inn at 1-888-575-1001 to reserve your spot.
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POETRY ROCKS!
Would you like your writing — prose and/or poetry — to be more graceful, powerful, beautiful? Do you sometimes find poetry confusing or intimidating and wish you could “crack the code”? Or do you enjoy writing and reading poems, but want a more thorough understanding of what makes a poem good? Then this poetry extravaganza is for you.
Expect a good time exploring what makes a poem a poem, gaining the knowledge you need to confidently create and revise poetry, and strengthening your writing skills in all genres.
It would be a joy and an honor to share what rocks about poetry with you!
HERE’S WHAT YOU GET:
- 23 poetry creation tools, delivered one per day (Monday through Friday) to your inbox — in honor of National Poetry month. Use them as you get them, use them when you can, use them over and over to create poems. Each tool zeroes in on one aspect of poetry and provides an innovative method to approach writing a poem. Many of them are great for creating
prose, too. The tools include:
* a purpose, so you’re clear what you will learn
* background information when helpful
* “how-to” directions to create a poem
* an example that illustrates the poetry tool in action
* a short reflection to solidify the concepts covered
* “Hone Your Craft” suggestions for further exploration
* a short reflection to solidify the concepts covered
- A PDF document of each tool that you can print or save on your computer
- An audio recording of each tool, so you can learn by listening and/or reading
- Instruction on the role of audience, reading like a writer, and the process of revision, including a handy Revision Checkpoint Chart — this information can be applied to strengthen your prose as well as poetry
- Additional poetry resources
- An e-book that contains the information and resources covered, as well as your 23 poetry creation tools for ongoing use
WHERE: From the comfort of your own home, via the web.
WHEN: Any time you want! And once you receive all 23 tools, they’re yours to keep, which means that you can keep using them for years to come.
COST: $45
TO REGISTER: To pay via Zelle, Venmo, or a check via mail, email info@wordplaynow.com for instructions.
To register for Poetry Rocks online, click here.
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TAG, I'm IT!
Both the year-long TAG, I'M IT! AND three-month TAG, I'M IT! offer—in no more than five to fifteen minutes—a simple way to recap and celebrate the very best of each day of your life. The practice of writing out your “T’s” (things you’re thankful for), “A’s” (actions you can acknowledge yourself for), and “G’s” (gifts you’re grateful for) is a transformative one,
especially combined with the final step, I’M IT!, in which you intentionally choose three do-able, most-important-to-you actions you’ll take the next day.
The TAG, I'M IT! journal grounds you in two important habits: keeping your focus on appreciating and celebrating the good in your life and intentionally accomplishing what matters most to you. You’ll also create a record of your most meaningful, happiest events and
experiences.
Start your journal—or restart, if needed—whenever you like. (Though a new year, or a birthday, is a perfect time.)
An introduction with tips and ideas will help you make this practice your own. Soon, you’ll notice that you’re living your days with more joy, presence, purpose, and intention.
More WordPlay opportunities coming soon. Stay posted!
WordPlay Article
The Four Elements of Human Being
Include body, mind, heart, and spirit in your writing...
I once heard someone refer to the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of our lives as the "four elements" of being human. I had long been aware of how important it is to pay attention to each of these aspects in our daily lives as we consider what choices we make and what actions we take, but it wasn't until that moment that I had the thought that these elements, as a matter of logic, should also then each be present in our writing.
I love having this lens to look through as a way to access how to make a piece of writing stronger. I'll look to see if each "element" is present, at least in some measure, and what the balance is between the elements. If an element is missing or barely there, it almost always feels like there is something off kilter or missing in the piece, whether it's a novel, a poem, a memoir, a self-help book, or a children's book.
Here's a run-through of what kinds of words and ideas belong in each of the elements:
Body (Physical): All the information that comes in through the whole body and all of the senses. (Speaking of, did you know that we humans have more than the five senses we learned about in kindergarten? There's equilibrioception, thermoception, proprioception, nociception, chronoception . . .) Any object, anything you can see, hear, smell, taste, and/or touch or feel. Time, especially in any way that can be
experienced by the body, as in sunset, dawn, seasons. Geography. (You may have made the leap into the thought that I'm talking about "setting" here. Yes, I am.)
Mind (Mental): All the "insight" words—know, think, understand, consider, wonder (when used in an "I wonder what the king is doing tonight" way), etc. Literal thought/"ponderings" and "mullings"/thought processes that the author, narrator, or character is sharing with the reader. Metaphor, because without the
mind, the connection cannot be made between, say—to tip our hats to Emily Dickinson—"hope" and "that thing with feathers that perches in the soul."
Heart (Emotional): All the feeling words—sad, sorry, blissful, excited, love, hope, etc.—whether in narrative, exposition, description, or dialogue in which the speaker is describing how he/she feels about a
person, situation, etc.
Spirit (Spiritual): Here's the tricky one! How I define spirit here, as it may show up in our writing, is very wide. Consider that what happens in heart, body, and mind, while it is often in response to something outside of us, is experienced within the confines of our own individual self. For our purposes, spirit shows up in any words that show one individual connected to something outside him or herself. The
key word is "connection," whether it's to a Divine Being, to another person or group of people, or animals, plants, the earth. . . In this way, the word "believe" would be a "mind" word if one said, "I believe the answer is six," but a "spirit" word if one said, "I believe in God, the Father Almighty" or "I believe in you." And the word wonder belongs here if we are using it to describe something akin to awe.
Sometimes it's very hard to distinguish the exact words that demonstrate the element of spirit in a piece of writing from the words that demonstrate the elements of mind, body, and heart, so the best way to discern whether spirit is present in any given piece of writing is to ask if there is anything there that speaks of or to connection to something larger than one individual's interests and
preoccupations.
It's very common for a word or group of words to contain more than one "element of human being." And the distinctions are very interwoven, and often subtle.
Here are some example words and phrases from Kate DiCamillo's "Snow, Aldo":
Body (Physical):
- New York
- Central Park
- a black dog
- the trees were still bare
- big fat flakes that twirled and landed
- "Snow, Aldo" (dialogue is always something we "hear")
Mind (Mental):
- If I was in charge of making snow globes,
this is what I would put inside
Heart (Emotional):
- he laughed
- The dog looked at him and wagged his tail
- two friends
Spirit (Spiritual):
- as if they were receiving a blessing
- as if they were being blessed together by something as simple as snow
Of course, I don't imagine that you'll think of these elements every minute as you read and write. You shouldn't! But I do hope that you will spend a bit of time after you've finished, and perhaps beforehand, too, thinking about whether whatever you're writing contains in some way at least a bit of each element.
- Are there thoughts and opinions for the reader to consider that will engage, and possibly expand, her mind?
- Are there emotions for him to experience, so that he feels engaged by you as the writer or by your characters?
- Are there physical details for her to bring to life in her mind so that she can enter the "world" of your writing piece?
- And will his spirit be engaged and enlarged, so that she feels connected to something outside himself?
Don't worry about getting this right—just take all this information in and let it deepen as you keep reading and writing.
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 "snow."
PROMPT:
Choose a "snow" experience to write about: this could be one that you've had, someone has told you about, or an event in the life of a fictional character you are writing about. (Blizzards, white-outs, the snow that didn't come, the few flakes that sent everyone to the store for bread, the longed-for
snow that will never happen in a balmy climate, etc., etc.) Because you are focusing on the four elements of human being, be sure to pick a scene or moment that is linked with some kind of emotion and connection.
Divide a blank sheet of paper into four quadrants by drawing centered horizontal and vertical lines that extend to the edge of the page (in other words, a cross: + )
Write the words "Body (Physical)" at the top of the upper left quadrant, the words "Mind (Mental)" at the top of the upper right quadrant, the words "Heart (Emotional)" at the top of the lower left quadrant, and the words "Spirit (Spiritual)" at the top of the lower right quadrant.
As you remember (or imagine) the moment (scene) you're going to render, jot down words and phrases in each quadrant that you could use as you write. You may want to read over the kinds of words that belong with each "element of human being" as you do this.
Then, render your scene, using as many or as few of these words and phrases as you like, in any order, and adding whatever you like.
It's fun to play with prompts in community with fellow writers, and to be able to share the results when you're done. You can find out about WordPlay classes, workshops, and retreats here.
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 three collections of poetry, Ten Thousand Cicadas Can't Be Wrong, 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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