Perspective
Topic: Perspective
Your own point of view is only one small piece of the giant jigsaw puzzle. I was in the dentist?s office today and she has an aquarium filled with probably two dozen fish. As I observed the fish, their existences seemed incredibly boring. They traveled the same paths time and again. Occasionally, the path would vary, but then the repetition began again. While it was a relaxing view, it wasn?t anything to write home about. And here I am writing about it.

Now, turn that picture around. Are those fish observing us waiting in the waiting room? What stories could they tell about us? Say that mom has just brought her daughter in for her first visit to the dentist. The daughter doesn?t know enough to not like dentists. The mother knows plenty and frets the whole time. Many exam rooms are not large enough for mom to come in with the patient; so, she waits. Her foot taps nervously and occasionally she jumps nervously at an unfamiliar sound. The fish could tell us more.

I once read a short story or essay prepared as a homework assignment. It was written from the perspective of a boot. It was quite entertaining. The boot has been long forgotten in the closet. One day he sees light. The boot practically begs to be removed from the confines of his dark prison. The only problem there was that the boot must pay a price for that freedom.

He is twisted and turned and poked and prodded until his owner?s foot found comfort in the body of the boot. His face was slapped against grass and pavement as the bully walked to his destination. I?ve elaborated some here, but you get the general idea. In the end, the boot ended up on the bottom of the lake. He was still happily relating stories from his soggy grave.

In typing this column today, I think telling a story from the point of view of the cursor would be very cool. The poor cursor leads a quiet existence of blinking away the hours until someone else takes control. The cursor, even then, leads a very limited life in moving up and down and side to side one space at a time. What happens to the cursor when we perform a drag and drop action for a cut and paste. The cursor gets to open his mouth as wide as possible and taste our text for just a moment before we make him spit it all out again.

Even better, the crisp white piece of paper that takes pride in his appearance can experience quite a trauma when we pollute its surface with crayon or ink. The paper has decided that he actually likes the feel of watercolors on his skin. The paintbrush tickles just a bit. On the other hand, he can?t stand the daisy wheel printer that tap, tap, taps all across his forehead. It is no wonder that paper always has a headache. Now, the eraser is his friend because even though he can be abrasive, he tries so hard to remove some of that dirt that the bad human has left on us.

I hope to leave you today with some ideas on different approaches to the everyday story. I provided some very short examples as illustrations. The rest is up to you. Here's one...I mentioned the piece of the jigsaw puzzle. What's his story?

Words Do Not a Writer Make
Topic: Words
We all know words. Some of us simply choose to be more vocal than others. Running your mouth doesn?t mean you have anything worthwhile to say. Saying something poorly is often better than not saying it at all, but saying the same thing well is generally much more satisfying. Oftentimes, it is not so much what we say, but what we don?t.

We must apply the same ideas to the words that we write. When we speak, we have a chance to clarify our views. This is not so on paper. We must rely on proper sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation to provide the clarity we need. We need to phrase our thoughts in such a way that they answer any questions that might arise during the read. We must use words to our advantage.

Take the title of this topic. It has all of the right words, but it just isn?t right. I would probably gain better acceptance with ?Words Do Not Make a Writer.? To me, that sounds boring. There are a couple of things that I have to my advantage. This is my article and I can name it anything I want. That?s a pretty big advantage. Even more, I love words and know how to use them. This then becomes my excuse for using this title.

When you have a relationship with what you write, it shows. If you?re simply throwing words on paper because you have to, the results might be good, but there?s no investment in the document. I may be entirely wrong about this, but I don?t think so. When you invest part of yourself in your work, you try harder. When the work is part of you, most people will recognize it.

So, being vocal and knowing words won?t make you a writer. Caring about words and investing yourself in those words is certainly a step in the right direction.

Chocolate
Topic: Chocolate
We don?t need a complex idea to make a good write. Sometimes, the simplest things create the best results. Have some chocolate. Chocolate itself probably isn?t all that simple, but it is so much in and of itself.

Companies have been combining chocolate with other ingredients for years trying to find the most satisfying result. When we combine chocolate with other ingredients, we might create a good product, but we also detract from the original attributes of chocolate. In my opinion, chocolate should only be added to chocolate.

Take another bite of that chocolate. Feel it melt in your mouth. Experience the sensual nature of the flavor. We can treat ourselves with a candy bar. We derive pleasure from eating it. We can also find guilt if we should eat too much of it. But, it doesn?t need anything else! It is wonderful all by itself.

So, what am I saying? We?re back to keeping it simple. We?re also talking about keeping it singular. A successful story doesn?t need a lot of ingredients. Let the main star and story survive in its own limelight. Just remember that the story is not chocolate and while we might want to eat it up; it won?t be quite the same satisfaction.

The Shortest Distance
Topic: The Shortest Distance
The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. This is often the best mode of transportation. Sometimes, it is necessary to alter our route if the straight line might pose a danger or threat to us. Otherwise, this is the fastest and most convenient way to get to our destination. It is probably the most boring way.

When we write, the straight line is probably not the way to go. We?ve already talked about having a plan and getting from point A to point B. We need to keep this in mind, obviously, but we also need to consider what alternate routes are available to us. An interested reader will continue reading. A bored one may not.

Consider the last time you got lost when you were out driving. My experience is particularly vivid even today. I was following my honey. He made the light; I did not. The vehicle I was following was new and I was not all that familiar with what the rear end looked like. It was getting dark. It was also starting to snow. Mind you, many colors are identical in the dark.

After the light changed, I spotted the rear end of the pick up truck I continued my pursuit. It turned into a cul de sac. I didn?t think this was the way home, but I followed faithfully. It was a short distance further that I realized I was following the wrong pickup truck! By then, I was totally turned around and hunting for a familiar street name.

After what seemed like an eternity, I got to Wilson Mills Road. I knew Wilson Mills. I even knew the cross street I was on. I just had no sense of direction from there. All I needed was a sign that said which way I needed to go on Wilson Mills to get where I wanted to end up. I stopped at a convenience store and asked a clerk which way to turn to get to Richmond Rd. From there, I would be in familiar territory.

By now, the snow is coming down harder and my temperature is rising with every tenth of a mile I drive. I arrive at the pre-determined destination and my honey (a misnomer by now) is waiting for me. I was livid by then. I swore I would never follow him anywhere again.

So, my point is that I could have simply told you that I got lost. I think the story I told was much more interesting. Don?t you?

Saying So Can Make It So
Topic: Saying So
Sometimes having a positive attitude about what we want to accomplish can help us do just that. Yesterday, I had a mental checklist of several things I wanted to do. I had posed a challenge to a friend, the challenge was my first item on my ?to do? list. I also decided that I wanted to have something to submit for the fourth anniversary of 9/11. That was the second item on my list.

Both of these items were adequately completed rather quickly. I must mention, however, that I never included my blog entry on that list. That entry took a little more doing. I did, however, include the idea of compiling a list of publishing credits. That hasn?t been done yet.

A mental or written ?to do? list can help you accomplish what you need to do. It also allows you to track progress. This doesn?t mean you will always be successful in completing everything on your list. It does mean that if you?re honest about what you really want to do, identifying the task can make it more possible.

Multi-faceted Diamond
Topic: Diamonds
A story has many sides to it. Like a multi-faceted diamond, each side has its own shine and sparkle. Our job as writers is to present our stories with maximum sparkle. I work in the health insurance field. Before that, I worked in medical offices. I have seen the physician?s side of the field, the insurance?s side of the field, and unfortunately, I have seen the patient?s side of the health care field. I?m sure there?s something I am leaving out.

Any way, I could take any of these sides of the insurance field and tell a story for that point of view. Finding a point of view that is less common can make a story more interesting. It is our job to find the least common denominator. People don?t want to hear the same stories over and over. They want to hear a story that has a difference in it. They want the shine and the sparkle of the gem. That is what we must present when we tell our stories.

When you next come up with a topic that begs to be written about, turn the idea over a few times to see if you can find the sparkle. If you?re really lucky, you might find the one flaw that demands to be publicized.

Expand Your Horizons
Topic: Expand Your Horizons
The internet makes it so much easier to find information. Since we recommend writing about what you know, expanding your world is very important. In this case, the term "world? is used very loosely. We could mean the geographic world, the literary world, the poetry world, or simply our personal worlds. We could, of course, mean all of these worlds rolled up into one.

The best way to find out who and what make up these worlds is to read about them. Get your hands dirty and do some searches. I?ve recently done some searches to find submission guidelines for poetry. These guidelines exist for most types of writing. This is a good way to find out what new markets are available and what they expect. By reading some of the past issues of previously published works, you begin to learn what works and who knows how to make it work.

If you find the same names appearing in several magazines, maybe those authors deserve more study. What is it about their style, voice, or subject matter that makes them appealing to several magazines at once? How do we compare to these authors? We might then do searches for those authors we need to look at more closely. Do they have web sites or blogs that might help us in our own endeavors?

The internet puts your worlds at your fingertips. Get to know your worlds. Expand what you know. In doing so, we often find out there?s much we don?t know. The race is on to bridge the gap. It is only when we no longer care that we fail in our tasks.

Blog Update
Topic: Blog Update
Every day I?ve posted something in this blog. Most have been ideas that simply came to me and forced me to write. A handful of pieces were previously posted in the Wired Poet Newsletter. I started out with the idea of writing about writing. It seems no matter how we approach the subject, there?s plenty of overlap and repetition. I?m beginning to wonder if writing is a finite subject.

At least two of the entries I posted are meant for further research. The first one being whether poetry fits into both the art and science categories. The other is the conversation I posted about fairy tales. Both of these have so much further to go. So, in that sense, this blog has become a catchall for bits and pieces that can be tied into something much larger.

Since April 1, one entry per day from this blog has been posted on Moontowncafe.com. While most of my entries do not deal directly with poetry, I explained early on that many of the general principles could be applied to all kinds of writing. My reads and responses have been very disheartening. Does that mean that I chose the wrong train of thought to follow? Probably not; I still consider the thought processes to be valuable.

I do think that the audience selection was poor. After April, the only audience I need to worry about will be the one that seeks out my work. Yes, I am deluding myself into thinking there will be seekers, but it is a more comforting idea than where I am now.

Getting Your Poetry Read
Topic: Getting Read
The Importance of a Title
Your title is your advertisement of your poem. A title can make or break the decision of whether your poem gets read at all. Use the title to suck the audience in. Make the title appealing, but still tie it to the poem. If you can get your reader to at least say ?yes, I?m going to read this poem,? you?ve won half of the battle. Be extra careful to avoid typos in the title. This can be a huge turnoff.

The Opening Lines
Once you get the conscious decision to be read, you need to pull your reader into the poem. The first four lines of your poem will determine whether the rest gets read. Make sure you use these four lines wisely. Use active, descriptive language to lure your reader into your message. Be sure, though, that you save some punch for the last four lines as well. We don?t want a strong beginning only to be left flat at the end.

Errors and Cliche
Typos and grammar errors will hinder the progress of the reader no matter where they appear. Check your poem after you?ve written it to see if there?s anything that needs to be fixed. An occasional spelling error is forgivable, but a piece filled with errors will stop a reader flat. It will not matter what you have in your last four lines if the reader never gets there. Cliches should be avoided at all costs (almost as much as -ing). Find a new way of saying the same old thing.

Awkwardness
Read your poem out loud. See how it sounds. You wrote the poem; did you stumble upon your own words? If so, you need to consider rewording the parts that made you stumble. If you stumbled, others will too.

Slow Down
There is no race in getting your poems posted. Take the time to read what others are saying. Respond to others as you would hope to have them respond to you. Take the time to review your own poem one last time. If you?ve just posted a poem, give it time to live and breathe. Often, poems will be ignored when the same author posts too many poems. The one not being read may be your best work. No one will ever know.

Courtesy and A Grain of Salt
If you should receive a suggestion on your poem, thank the user for their suggestion. Even if you may not agree with it, common courtesy applies. Remember, all suggestions represent a point of view. Take each with a grain of salt and make it more palatable. Suggestions from your readers can be invaluable tools. Use them wisely and be grateful for receiving them.

Fairy Tales
Topic: Fairy Tales
I'm going to do something with this...

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The damsel in distress who is saved by the handsome knight on the beautiful white horse only happens in fairy tales. It is in these tales that the sexist stereotypes of women are exploited to the maximum. We need the man to remove us from danger. We need the man to validate our own happiness and self-worth.

I don?t care how much danger I find myself in, I will not have a man climb up my hair in order to be a hero. I would be scalpless or in the moat long before that happens. At the very least, I?d have a broken neck. This is not for me.

Today?s woman might very well take care of seven little men and bite into a bad apple. Instead of being revived by the kiss of the handsome prince, she?d be kissing a stomach pump in the local emergency room.

Fantasies such as these just don?t exist any more. The harsh reality and complexity of life would make it very difficult for the fairy tale to gain any acceptance in the adult world. Things used to be so much simpler. There weren?t so many choices. What used to be deemed as make believe is now so far removed from reality as to make it almost absurd. Only the innocence of the child allows the fairy tale to exist. The perception of the adult makes them laughable.

Even so, fairy tales live long after the telling. I, personally, haven?t read a fairy tale since I was a child. Okay, I did write one and I read that. I?m referring to the classic fairy tales that have been around forever. There haven?t been any new Snow Whites or Rapunzels of notary fame in recent years.

Maybe we need to revive the fairy tale. Escape is still very popular. Some escape to their vacation places to remove themselves from reality. Others crawl into the pages of a book to find escape on a more consistent basis.