Pen 'n Paper Mama » writing

editing – humor

Norma Hill — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:14:34 +0000

July 28, 2010

Jonathan Swift summed up editorial work thus:

“Blot out, correct, insert, refine,

Enlarge, diminish, interline;

Be mindful, when invention fails,

To scratch your head, and bite your nails.”

Top ten books about writing

Norma Hill — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:35:51 +0000

You’ll definitely want to check out this “top ten books about writing” list … I’ve already read a couple of them, and considering how excellent those were, I’m certainly going to check out the others!

You can find pictures, links, and reviews on all ten books at PasteMagazine.com (which, by the way, also has amazing top-10/50/etc lists of all kinds of other things. A site you’ll want to bookmark, for sure!)

The books they list are:
The Artists Way by Julia Cameron
The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson
Zen in the Art of Writing by Bill Bradbury
On Writing Well by William Zinsser
Writing Tools: 50 Essential Tools for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark
On Writing by Stephen King
The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield
The Writing Life by Annie Dillard
On Moral Fiction by John Gardner
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on the Writing Life by Anne Lamott

So what are you waiting for? Go to the site and check out the details! You’ll be glad you did!

Join our community of writers and publishers

Norma Hill — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:58:48 +0000

Do you feel alone as a writer or publisher?

Do you want to learn more about on-line writing and publishing?

If you do, why not join our community of writers and publishers?

Whether you are brand new to the online writing and publishing world, and have many questions; or you’re a seasoned pro and want to share your knowledge, please join us! Click on the “posts” word in the top right hand corner of this page, and subscribe to receive regular updates from this site – then be sure to comment or ask questions on any of the posts which interest you.

Looking forward to having you become part of our community!

writing long emails – foolish or wise?

Norma Hill — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:42:10 +0000

July 19, 2010

I was writing emails again today – and despite the advice of the world to keep emails short and sweet, so that I can have time to network with more people, I still find myself writing long emails, just like I used to write long snail-mail letters when I was young.

Even though they take a long time, I can’t help thinking that personal relationships are so important. I can’t help thinking that maybe we have more real impact in the long term, if we focus on a limited number of personal relationships, loving, caring, mentoring, sharing – rather than trying to spread out influence thin over a whole bunch of shallow relationships.

The small tribe, village, community where You place us. Rather than the whole celebrity, social marketing, Twitter-depth thing.

You think?

my writing purpose

Norma Hill — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:25:38 +0000

4 July 2010

I have been thinking about this whole “writing business.”

Pastor P was talking this morning about how You took him through that time of trying to do what everyone else (other pastors and churches and the “board” of the street ministry) thought he should do. Until his health broke from the endless work. And stress. And then he was able to see clearly that he is to do only what You have called him to do. Even if it doesn’t bring the success, and ministry size, and fame that others envision (and perhaps want to be part of?).

And I have been thinking. Maybe You took me through this time of “exploring my options” and researching how to do writing as a business, and trying to be part of the on-line marketing thing, and trying to quickly build up an “income” in the three months of severance pay after my job abruptly ended when the office closed. Maybe You allowed me to go through all that (and apparently not succeed, at least in terms of quick monetary gain or huge readership), so that I could see that, as my wise friend G told me:

“Norma, you know what your passion of passions is! Write about that!”

Writing for You, with You. Whatever, however, that works out, day by day.

I’m not here to get rich. Or famous. Or even to “make a living,” per se. I am here for the purpose YOU have have for me. And it is time to do it. Time to put that “book of prayers” together. Time to write that play. That to do whatever you call me to, day by day, moment by moment. For Your glory, Your purposes, Your kingdo. With You. Please. Please help me.

Oh, and without thought of income, of recognition, even of having lots of friends and being part of a great, exciting local home church gathering.

tackling my to-do writing list

Norma Hill — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:24:33 +0000

2 July 2010

Well! I am tackling the list!

Posted the following stories to my Conversations, Reflections and Meditations website, in the creative writing section:

Insects, Tendrils, The One, Penticton Pedestrian (poem), Gas Miracles, The Entry.

And then posted the following stories to my Hill Gang site:

Gas Miracles, Motorbike Adventure, and Eddie’s Big Soup Pot Adventure.

Then spent the rest of the day doing coding for my prayers and meditations from January to June 2003. Catching up! You can find those on the website as well.

small to men, great to God

Norma Hill — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:22:58 +0000

1 July 2010

I was discouraged today because I have felt that almost no one is responding to my writing, especially my writing that is related to You.

And I am feeling quite alone in regards to coming out of “structural/ institutional” church, at least here in this community.

And then I was just sitting here reading Reimagining Church by Frank Viola, and these words jumped out at me:

“God’s most precious work has been accomplished through the small, the weak, and the unnoticed.” (referring to 1 Cor 1 :26-29; 1 Kings 19:11-13)

“…the greatest things in God’s eyes are extremely small in the eyes of men.”

“The call of God to recover the primitive simplicity of organic church life requires that we begin on entirely new ground. A ground different from the religious systems and traditions that we fallen mortals have constructed. And that ground is the Lord Jesus Christ.”

And as he pointed out previously in the book: the cross (death to self) before the Spirit’s power.

getting ready to really write

Norma Hill — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:28:40 +0000

25 June 2010

The last couple days I’ve been organizing myself to really get to my writing. For the past 3 months or so, I’ve been doing lots of research, and trying to keep up my blogs, and such. But it is definitely time to seriously write! Time to back off on the researching, and start actually writing and publishing! I cleared up all my email subscription postings from various bloggers, which I have let pile up. And went through and dealt with a long list of bookmarks that have also been piling up. I typed up notes I’d written in my journal, related to publishing on-line. And I backed up all my new notes and pictures on my external hard drive; I’m trying to do that really regularly now!

I have been working on making a comprehensive to-do writing list. I have had so many ideas lately, and need to sort them out, prioritize, and get to it! The weather has been pretty great, so I’ve been sitting outside in my gazebo, with my laptop and writing notebooks, listing all the ideas re writing that I’ve been jotting down in my blog posts. I have also gone through my computer, external hard drive, and back-up discs from the last 5 years or so to locate things I’ve worked on writing, but that need finishing – and publishing, of course.

I really need to sort out my blog topics, as my main blog, especially, and my website, both cover many different topics. The question is, do I make a separate blog for each topic I’m really interested in? Or do I just make separate pages on the one blog? (I already have a couple specialized blogs already, one called My Church Journey and another A Mother’s Journey, which I am going to convert into a novel (you can help out!) at Novel Under Construction. And I have a family stories site, as well, which I am working on. But I’m wondering if I shouldn’t also have a site dedicated to writing and publishing, another to life-long learning and home schooling, and so on. What do you think?

Besides all that, I’ve been doing some writing activities, of course. I did an actual critique of a poem posted by a member of our local writers e-group, which took me quite awhile! I am discovering that doing critiques is an excellent way to make me more aware of what needs to be improved in my own writing. I also posted a story to a critiquing list I belong to, and received some great feedback! Lots of things to improve upon. I have also been checking out opportunities to do guest posts on other blogs.

Well, I just about have everything done – just need to look through some old paper files. And then I will have no excuses left! Time to write – and publish!!!

grandmothering, personal letter writing, aboriginal day

Norma Hill — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:27:35 +0000

June 22, 2010

Getting behind in my blogging and posting again! Well,of course, I did quite a bit of blogging over at the My Church Journey” blog, the past few days.

I spent most of today having an absolutely wonderful time with my 1 1/2 year old grandson and 1 1/2 month old granddaughter, as mommy was sick. It is so cool being a naanii (grandmother)!

I also came up with an idea for a “personal letter writing” business. Something like “Ye Olde Fine Art of Letter Writing Shoppe” (lol). Doing invitations, thank-yous, get-wells, Christmas letters (both handwritten on cards, and in newsletter form), personal letters, even family newsletters for people. I first thought of it because there are so many seniors around here, and I know that they value “old-fashioned” letter writing, but it becomes difficult for many of them in old age. And of course many people are busy, busy, busy, but would still like to send out personal notes and letters.

If you missed my article on earning money from your writing skills, I’ll repeat a bit of it here.

The fine old art of friendly/personal letter writing seems to be evaporating, and yet so many people are delighted to receive a handwritten letter. As one who has attractive handwriting, skill in writing personal letters, and some graphic design skills, it has occurred to me there are all kinds of people who might be happy to hire me to do some of this kind of writing for them.

It might seem as though hiring someone else to do one’s “personal writing” is a bit oxymoronic, but of course businessmen have been having their secretaries do it for them for years, movie stars hire personal assistants to answer fan-mail, the Queen has her ladies-in-waiting, and so forth. And of course there are plenty of ordinary people who are very busy or have valid reasons for being unable to do their own writing, who would love to have someone help them send out personalized cards, letters, and messages.

So…. anyone want to hire me?

Yesterday was Aboriginal Day in Canada, and we would have loved to have been “home” in Old Massett for the raising of SIX new totem poles, as well as the Jasper Raven pole being repatriated and raised! You can see a few details here. Well, we have enjoyed looking at all the photos posted on facebook by people who did attend all the events (it was a very exciting week, with the Haida-Gwaii renaming ceremony a few days previous and other related events)!

Anyway, we went instead to the local celebrations hosted by the Penticton band of the Okanagan Nation, and spent several hours enjoying singing, dancing and drumming, as well as eating delicious Okanagan fried bread! Thanks for your hospitality!

me a playwright?

Norma Hill — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:25:44 +0000

June 22, 2010

I was born “Norma J Wright” – but today I was offered the opportunity to be not only a “wright” (someone who works or makes something – for example, a millwright), but today I was offered the opportunity to become a playwright!

Well, “become” perhaps isn’t the correct term, because I have created plays before; for example, when living on Haida Gwaii, I wrote (and directed) a play called “A Haida Christmas” which cast the traditional Christmas story in Haida terms, similar to how the “Huron Carol” cast the Christmas story in Huron terms. And when I was teaching Core French at a Christian school, I wrote several short plays for the students, based on stories and parables from the gospels. And I have been involved in a bit of drama now and then. So I’m not completely new at this. But this is the first time I’ve been “commissioned” to write a play! Very exciting!

I have been learning to write stories using lots of dialogue and action, so I’ll be able to use those skills I’ve been developing, too.

Cool! thank You, Father! (But, oh, let it be from You and for You! Please!) (And may it bring others to You, too!)