My New Favorite Pen

When you are a writer you must choose your materials carefully. Your notebook has to be the right dimensions, and your pen has to all for the quick transfer of your ideas to the page.

As a left-handed writer, I need a pen that writes smoothly yet dries quickly. Gel pens tend to smear, and do not let me write small enough. Most ball point pens tend to have cheap construction, the ink fades in and out, and they do not seem to last as long as they should.

I have finally found my perfect pen: the Zebra F-301.

image via Zebra

Meijer carries the 2-pack of Zebra F-301 pens for around $3.50. The Zebra F-301 fine point (.07) is perfect for my small handwriting, and the ink does not smear. The pen is made out of steel, so it is practically indestructible. And best of all it is refillable!

Now I need to find the perfect notebook.

The Power of Names

"If we do not have a word for something, we cannot imagine it, cannot discuss it, cannot think about it, and some people would even argue that if you can't name something, you can't experience it at all."

Heather Leach, Everything You need to Know About Creative Writing

The Writer's Oath

"I promise solemnly:
   1. to write as often and as much as I can.
   2. to respect my writing self, and
   3. to nurture the writing of others.

        I accept these responsibilities and shall honor them always."

Gail Carson Levine, Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly

Ira Glass's "This Gap"

Ira Glass's "This Gap" Quote pinned in La Vie Boheme; via This Isn't Happiness

Desert is Like the Ocean

"The desert is like the ocean. It takes time to get out of sight of land. And then suddenly there is nothing, nothing but waves of sand shifting and sliding in the wind, sand stretching out to eternity on every side."

 Dance in the Desert, Madeleine L'Engle

Our Lives Count

"Whatever coaxes us out of hiding, to write, record, and express, is a revolutionary act. It says that we believe our lives count: our lives do count." 

SARK; via Fresh Brewed Life by Nicole Johnson

Enchanted

I saw pale kings and princes too,
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried—“La Belle Dame sans Merci
Hath thee in thrall!” John Keats, La Belle Dame Sans Merci

Of the Sea

Although I did not participate in NaNoWrMo this year I have been working on a novel. One of the central characters in my novel is also the setting: the sea. The vastness of the sea is daunting, and I have stalled because I want the mood of my novel to be right.

In his Introduction to Classic Sea Stories, Barry Unsworth's description of the sea acknowledges the otherness of nature. He states

"The sea is another world, uncontrollable, unpredictable, violent in her rages, beguiling in her calms, but always alien. Moreover, she is vast, beyond our scale in her volume and extent and limitless to our imagination."

It is the imagination of the sea I want to tap into; the juxtaposition of calm and power. The sea is familiar and foreign, comforting and frightening.

I need to dive into the sea and let my pen describe what I find.

Happy Blogoversary!

Today is my unofficial anniversary--a year ago today I started blogging consistently.

I have had a Shimmering Star since April 2006. I did not have much of a vision for my blog; I just wanted to share creativity with the internet.

Over the past year, a Shimmering Star has became a vital part of my life. It has brought focus, and it has helped my sense of purpose as I have struggled with finding career opportunities.

The past year has been eventful. I have had a lot of positive changes in my life. Matt got a permanent position; we got engaged and married, and we will be closing on a house in the next few months. Writing has always been a big part of my life, and I love how sharing my life on this blog helps me reflect on the bigger picture.

I am not sure what the future holds, but I look forward to sharing it with my readers. I will continue to blog about the creative arts: literature, music and writing. Even though I have struggled to blog while I recovered from food poisoning, I am confident I will continue to improve my blog. I hope to write more tutorials and features. I want to offer opportunities for others to guest blog (as well as write for for other blogs). I look up to the craft blogging giants, and I would love for a Shimmering Star to join their ranks.

Thank you for your support!

Jessica

The Magic of Writing

"Ever since I was a little kid, I've thought that there was something noble and mysterious about writng, about the people who could do it well, who could create a world as if they were little gods or sorcerers. All my life I've felt that there was something magical about people who could get into other people's minds and skin, who could take people like me out of ourselves and then take us back to ourselves. And you know what? I still do."

Anne Lamott, Introduction to Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Unlock the Imagination

"As a child of God, you have infinite worth. Your words, even your descriptions of what may seem to be very ordinary things to you, are unique and important [. . .] You may be surprised at your growing creativity: journaling unlocks the imagination." 

Anne Broyles, Journaling: A Spirit Journey

Our Storybook Lives

Our Storybook Lives pinned in La Vie Boheme; via Very LoveLeigh

Gathered Stories

"Like kids on a long summer evening, we had seen a few comets, but mostly gathered stories, and now we were ready to come marching in with our tin trumpet and drum." 

Robert Shapard and James Thomas, Intro to New Sudden Fiction: Short-Short Stories From American And Beyond

Description in The Last Unicorn

The following paragraph opens Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn; this novel has long inspired me to pick up my pen.

"The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone. She was very old, though she did not know it, and she was no longer the careless color of sea foam, but rather the color of snow falling on a moonlit night. But her eyes were still clear and unwearied, and she still moved like a shadow on the sea."

The Reader's Journey

We read privately, mentally listening to the writer's voice and translating the writer's thoughts. The book remains static and fixed; the reader journeys through it.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Lynne Truss pg. 180

Identity: Online Persona

As an introvert working with the public I find people try to envelop me in their perceptions.

Perhaps the most memorable assumption occurred between four and five years ago. My anxiety had wrecked havoc on my digestive system. A couple in their forties or fifties came through my line. I had my hand on my stomach. "Look, she's pregnant," the man said. "Congratulations"

I told him he was mistaken. "I have a stomach ache," I said. I held up my left hand and pointed at my ring finger. "I am not married."

"That doesn't matter anymore." He wanted maintain control of the conversation.

"It does to me." I said it politely enough, but I think he got the point. He had stereotyped me, and I did not appreciate it.

Having an online persona means I can control how I am defined. I tweet as @jmtoole on Twitter. Instead of including a brief bio I use five words to describe myself: believer, writer, crafter, dreamer and entrepreneur. These words reflect my inner perception of myself.

Believer.

I follow Jesus Christ. My faith is the core of my worldview. I see the Creator's hand guiding a broken world toward His glory.

Writer.

I am fascinated by written and spoken stories. I have been writing for over half my life. My goal is to become a published author.

Crafter.

I like to create by hand. I have taught myself macramé, knitting, crochet, watercolor, cooking and gardening; although I have no formal training I believe I have an artist's (and designer's) eye. 

Dreamer.

If you look closely at my banner for With Eyes Lifted you will see the phrase "Look to the heavens; she shimmers as a star." I am a daydreamer. My head is in the clouds; my thoughts are a million miles away. I can be as silly as a child. I would rather be a bare-foot bohemian than a high-heeled corporate slave. 

Entrepreneur.

I am thrifty. I see the value behind the object, and I have a d.i.y. aesthetic.


My challenge for you is to define your online presence in five words. It will force you to examine yourself, and perhaps rid a few misconceptions others have placed on you.

Thoughts on Grammar

The well-crafted sentence is a lost art. It seems like you need a dictionary and translater to read the texts, status updates and emails of today's youth.

In her book Reading Like a Writer: A Guide For People Who Love Books And For Those Who Want To Write Them, Francine Prose mentions a friend who compares grammar to inviting someone into your house: "The writer is the host, the reader the guest, and you, the writer, follow the etiquette because you want your readers to be more comfortable, especially if you're planning to serve them something they might not be expecting" (Prose 43). A reader will be delighted by writing based on a strong foundation.

I find the failure to use the established rules disheartening. The proper use of grammar, punctuation and spelling help the spread of information; how can we communicate with each other if we do not use the same language?

Blogs Improve Writing Practices

As I mentioned in a Shimmering Star's 100th Post, I have blogged since early 2004. I neglected a Shimmering Star on several occasions, but I renewed posting regularly in November 2010.

I have found blogging has improved my writing practices in three ways: it has given me the focus, discipline and clarity necessary for good writing.

Focus

I have varied interests, so I sometimes lack focus. I look forward to blogging, and I spend my day reflecting on potential topics.

Discipline

I love writing, but I feel like I do not have enough time to pursue it. Keeping a blog requires discipline, and I have learned to schedule writing time. This practice is useful as I write my first novel.

Clarity

As an introvert, I prefer to be alone with my thoughts. Still, I like sharing my thoughts with others. My blog helps me communicate my likes and dislikes as well as define my view of the world

How has blogging improved your writing?

Powerful Words

"You were made and set here to give voice to this, your own astonishment."


Annie Dillard, The Writing Life

Writing Inspirations

"An author ought to write for the youth of his generation, the critics of the next, and the schoolmasters of ever after." 


F. Scott Fitzgerald, Introduction to The Great Gatsby