...or at least all in one spot.
My new online friend Billy Hammett's blog is Publexicon. He has just posted the first in a series of writing tips. Billy was a professor of writing for twenty years, so he knows whereof he speaks. The tips made me smile, so I'm sharing them. Here are a few of the tips that went 'yeah!'
--When you get a rejection slip, correct it for errors in grammar, spelling and usage. It will boost your ego.
--Make up fifty words that don’t exist—but should.
--Pay attention to your thoughts while you shave, stand in line, clean fish, etc. You can learn more from life than reading books on creating believable plots and interesting characters.
--Buy a how-to book and throw darts at it so you don’t take rules too seriously.
--Talk back to the people on TV (preferably when no one else is in the house). This will give you attitude, first cousin to narrative style.
--Turn the sound off altogether on TV (editorial note: or a movie!) and make up your own dialogue.
--Always record or photograph graffiti. It will give you insight into the human psyche.
--Collect one piece of junk a week and write about it.
--Go to yard sales and observe the dregs of other people’s lives.
Read the rest of the story-in-the-making here
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About Beth Patterson
The Virtual Tea House website became 'word-ripe' when, over a cup of jasmine green, I realized that the web has an expanding part to play in the communal aspects of spiritual growth.
One of my favorite hats, among several is: initiated firekeeper in the Sacred Fire Community. Hosting a monthly community fire circle, I'm being taught that the simple act of sitting around a fire with the intent of holding open-hearted space makes for some soulful community!
With a master's degree in religion, my career spans 20 years in end of life care and I currently work in the field of child abuse intervention and advocacy.
Here in beautiful Central Oregon, my spiritual homes of the high desert and the mountains are both in proximity. And for good measure, four hours away is Grandmother Ocean and the stunning Oregon Coast.
I'm making decent progress on the goal set by my mother early on: she taught us that the goal of humanity should be to become ever-more eccentric, i.e. more fully human.
Entering the 'forest-dweller' phase of life, I am honored to host the Virtual Tea House for all who wish to explore how our lives are enriched and made new a thousand times each day by the spirituality we embody. Exploring this engagement together is the purpose of the Virtual Tea House.
Welcome! Let's have a cup of virtual tea together and share what brings us joy, what we are being taught by life, how we are leaning into the Big Questions posed to us each day in sometimes 'distressing disguises'.