Free Time Ramble

Guess what. Nope, I’m not relinquishing any money that I may or may not owe you. Nor am I going to dye my hair, wax my eyebrows, or get a tattoo. Even wilder, I actually have a Sunday evening with nothing to do and nowhere to go. So I sat down and decided to write.

...(crickets)...

Yep. That’s about how it’s looking right now. I don’t know what I want to write about. I definitely don’t want to write either of the two papers due next Monday. I don’t want to go digging through old writing to see if something kindles a flame. And for some reason, zombies and Easter just seem a little inappropriate (tonight). I’m rusty.

So, here I go (again on my own—rock out!) with a goal: (Don't hold your breath.)

I am going to do some type of writing (for me) at least three times a week. One of those futile attempts will be posted. Like I keep saying, I just need to get back into the swing of things. This earning another degree while working two jobs is really cramping my style, not that I had any style to begin with. And it's kinda forcing me to adapt a more serious, APA-type style that I don’t know if I like. (But I still won't give up my parenthetical asides no matter what my committee says!)

I do have a different paper that I should probably work on—one that I wrote for a different class. I actually developed it into a short presentation that I presented in March at a CUWP conference. It was a lot of hard, gray-hair inducing cramming and revising on my feet, but I loved it. Coming up with something good, and then sharing it, I think, are what I love best about teaching (and writing). And when I can combine these two passions, crazy-weird things can happen, man. Honestly, I think I'll try to present it again at the UCTE conference this fall and if all goes well, I'll press my luck the next year at the NCTE convention. Yee-ah! Who's a big boy now? Ha. Could you pass me my blankie? I just wet myself.

So, to wrap up this ramble, I had better just shut up. I'm getting tired. But before I leave you, I must share that my ninth graders are finishing Romeo and Juliet this week. I’ve given them a photo essay assignment I created last year. Last year, after deciding that Romeo was nothing but a hormone-driven emo loser, the students ended up loving this assignment. This year when I announced the project, it was if all their Red Bulls kicked in at the same time, heads perking, sparks in eyes igniting. And if you know what students are like after Spring Break, that in itself is a miracle. I can't wait to see what they come up with this go 'round.

If you are interested in the assignment, send me a message, and I’ll email you the student instructions. I’ll also try to attach my example. Anybody know how to attach a PowerPoint to Blogger?

P.S. Romeo is still one of the biggest weenies in all of Shakespearedom!

Happy New Year a Month Late!

So…yeah. Here it is the second week in February, and I still haven’t written any goals. Loser that I am, I haven’t written too much of anything. However, after helping with a short seminar for newer teachers regarding teaching writing across the curriculum—using writing as a tool in different content areas to be more exact. And as I wrote and had them write, I decided that I needed to repent.

To start off, I thought I’d review the goals I optimistically made at the beginning of last year.

1. I wanted to write for 15 minutes each day at least 5 times a week. In short, it didn’t happen. There was that stint in December where I wrote every day, but I still didn’t get into a better habit.
2. I wanted to publish another professional piece. That didn’t happen; I missed several deadlines. Doh! However, I did present at the CUWP conference in October. P.S. I’ve been accepted to present again in March. Sign up at utahteacherswrite.org to tolerate me and see three other awesome presenters.
3. Muses? Anybody seen the muses lately? I have a few ideas written down for some posts and articles, but I haven’t actually taken the time to put words to paper (or keyboard). Anybody wanna kick me in the butt and decide for me what I should write about? Any funny stories you want me to retell or invent?
4. I haven’t finished any writing projects lately, so I’ll just move along. (Nothing to see here.)
5. I believe this is the only of my five goals that I accomplished. However, this year hasn’t started too well. And looking at this piece of reflection, the muses are taking an extended lunch. For those who have read any of Frank Beddor’s Looking Glass Wars books, I feel like Arch’s machine that drained the imagination from Wondertropolis has affected me.

Now, in my defense, I did ask all of you (few) to keep me on track, but nobody really pushed, prodded, poked, or pestered me to keep going.

Now, I do want to write more. I need to write more. I must write more!

I could make two one point twenty-one kajillion excuses why I’m not writing, but none of them would hold any weight.

I will make some goals here soon, but I want to ponder for a while longer…once I get this crazy hayride called a doctoral program under control. Suggestions or bacon are both welcome.

Tips from Gary and a Favor

Last Friday I went to a reading by Newbery and Printz winning author Gary D. Schmidt. I first read Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy when it first one the Newbery Honor. I enjoyed the voice so much that dashed to the local library to find all I could by Gary. I only found one dusty, old copy of Anson's Way, and it was tucked behind a few other new but never-read novels. (Thanks, Payson.) The crisp, bent pages made me doubtful, but I was pleasantly surprised. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though seventh graders might shun the lack of immediate action. But that was all. Nothing else. The library didn't even have Lizzie Bright...yet.

And then I read The Wednesday Wars, one of my favorite new novels to explore with seventh graders. It is so full of meaning and description and beauty and sorrow and humor and everything. Wow!

So, here are a few tidbits of writing wisdom I picked up from Gary before I dropped a load (of cash) on more of his books, including the last copy of the book with my name in the title!

** The first thing Gary does when creating a plot is to find the narrator's voice. He tries to capture it, get it in his head before unfolding what happens. By doing so, you can understand what you want to say and how you want to say it. It's also important to distinguish between the voice of the author and the voice of the narrator/character.

** First drafts are simply that. "It's not brain surgery. You don't have to get it right the first time."

** Most young adult novels need to explode into the story. But every once in while try and break the rules (see his novel Trouble).

** Writing is discipline. You need to establish and keep a routine. You must write every day.

I think this is where I go wrong. Duh. Gary writes 500 words per day on each project he is currently working on. When he reaches that mark, he makes notes for the next day's work, to establish continuity. He also rereads any previous work on a chapter while writing a first draft. (Gary also uses a typewriter for each first draft. Think Grandma Walker will let me use hers?)

I guess I just need to get back into a habit of writing. To update my goals, I think I'll start baby taking baby steps, Dr. Leo Marvin, with a mere 15 minutes each day. It doesn't need to be perfect, or necessarily a draft of a novel, but I need to keep writing.

Could I ask all you awesome people out there to keep me on track? Check up on me every so often? Just ask me how I'm doing on my 15 minutes? I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

One last thought from Gary:
"Writing is never served by being in a hurry."
True dat.

Bob Wiley Meets The Great Hambino

So now what? I’m doin’ the work. I’m not a slacker. Dr. Leo Marvin would be so proud. Baby steps to publication. Baby steps to who know where. I’ve done this before. The hard part. I feel like my two-year-old at dinner. I know it’s good for me, and that I actually enjoy eating, but before I even sit down, I must proclaim to the neighborhood how much I hate dinner (and I don’t even know what it is yet).

So I’m here, writing, or at least rambling. I’m putting in my time, just like I said I would…only three more sessions to go, and it’s only Tuesday. Word. Just rambling won’t bring too many fruits, but I think that developing the habit is actually the best thing I can do for myself right now. Put the projects on hold, and just wait until I’ve built back up my flow. I can feel it trying to resuscitate after being throttled by seventh graders who are just a little on the needy side, but I’ve got plans to run the second semester for my 9th graders primarily as a writing workshop. Why? Because I’m sadomasochistic and sick. I’ve got the bug, and I need to infect as many unsuspecting students as possible. Mwa-ha-ha!

I’ll work out the bugs later; I just need to jump back into the pool and soak as many sunbathers as possible. Just think The Sandlot’s Hamilton “Ham” Porter at the pool just before Squints gets his groove on with Wendy Preffercorn. That reminds me— I started a piece at our CUWP institute about a kid on a high dive…wonder where that is…I should finish that one of these days…use it as a scene….

And who said rambling couldn’t be productive?

Cannonball!

Goooooooooooooooooooooooaaalllllllllllllllll!!!!!!!!!

(If you don't read that title with an overly-loud Hispanic announcer voice, you're doing it wrong.)

So here they are, as promised, but not with any kind of money-back warranty. If you don't like them, well, that's just too darn bad. I've got other goals, too, but I'm not going to post those. I'm keeping them all to my fat selfish self. However, if any of you want to keep tabs on me, and needle and annoy me and hold me to my own standards, I would certainly appreciate it (grumble...grumble). Please hold me to these!

1. I’m making time to write for at least 15 minutes a day 5 times per week. It could be random nothingness, or it could be something I’m squeezing toward completion. I’d say that I’d finish one of my novels, but I’m not that brave yet. It may not sound like much, but it's more than I'm doing right now so pppbbbbllltt!!

I want to write more, but this is my goal. It’ll probably end up happening while I give my 9th grade dorks writing time, or hopefully even more so with my Guys Who Write Club—so far only one loser has signed up. It might take more than a miracle to get this tub o’ lard off the ground.

2. Before the end of the year I need to have another professional piece ready for publication. Maybe I could get paid this time. Oh, what’s that? Payment from educational journals comes in tender not accepted in most free markets? Crap.

3. I need to take the time to listen to the muses and WRITE DOWN what they say—not just bat them away. Sometimes I get them mixed up with mosquitoes. What can I say? I worry about that West Nile stuff. I think they’re getting tired of me not listening. Maybe I should turn down the music, too. Hmm…. Along with this, I need to finish projects, not just start them. I’ve got an epitaph for Buddy sitting on the shelf, the poem I started about tenderhearted little Zac, one about Sariah and her slant of light. My short story about a kid who actually learns through osmosis is still incubating. My self-promised research on osmosis still dreads my 10th grade biology experience with Mr. Brock. Maybe I’ll just include that spindly dork of a reed and his paintbrush of a mustache in the story. Ha! That’ll teach him to give me detention. There’s also the piece I want to write for Amy that should have been done by Christmas but I’ll be lucky if I make any headway by Easter—and I still don’t even know what genre it needs to be cast in. So I guess #4 will be to finish a project or three.

5. I’m going to post on my blog at least three times a month. Don’t hold your breath, though. I'm not sure how many actually read this anyway.

There. As always, any suggestions, corrections, or blatant honesty is always welcome.

Same Old Joe

Yeah, I know. I haven't posted in a while. I'm still not posting anything new, but I thought I should at least do something. You can scold me all you want, but I already feel guilty about not writing more. While I was reading my friend Carol Lynch Williams's blog that she does with Ann Dee Ellis, Throwing Up Words, I couldn't help but feel like the scum of the earth, or at least the thing that's STILL sticking to my left shoe, for not creating writing goals for 2010. I swear they're swimming around in my head somewhere. They usually surface while I'm in the shower (not a pretty picture), but they seem to disappear before I get to my desk at school.

I promise to have my goals for writing this year (in writing) and posted for the world to see sometime in the next week or so. Maybe I should take Carol and Ann Dee's hint and not procrastinate.

In the meantime, here's an old piece that I scraped from the inside of my drawer:

“Revelatory Reflection”

bloodshot eyes at four-thirty a.m. stare at
a heavy-set reflection staring back at the
five o’ clock shadow that looks more like seven-thirty
and growing later

I blink

and catch a glimpse of my father staring back,
clean-shaven in his dress blues, ready for the general’s briefing,
and he walks out
the door;
Old Spice and teenage resentment
linger from his morning kiss

Why do you have to go?

You’ll understand when you’re older . . .

seven
months of wondering if you were coming home,
seventeen
years of wondering if you really cared . . .

late night chastisements—
after you had fallen
in and out of sleep
in the la-z-boy while I paraded around without regard
to you,
to curfew,
to anything not me—

they still burn
but now with different ardor

Why do I have to go?

predawn sighs surface from the kids’ room
down the hall;

seven
years of ends that barely met,
seventy
months of payments and pacifiers,
seventy
thousand soiled diapers later . . .

bleary-eyed,
I wipe the steam from the mirror
as I rub the stubble of yesterday,
mold my countenance—
my future—
in my hands

Dad,
I understand now,
I whisper through the lather on my chin
and scrape and shave the foaming bitterness down
the drain

This was written around 2003 or so--you know, one of those aha moments. My dad is now one of my best friends, even though at one point in my life I made that difficult.