Poetry Sunday

Playground of the Mind

Down in the fields where dandelions play.

It's in that place I wish to lay.

In the dewy grass so green.

Endless horizon, a graceful scene.

The aromatic scent that seeps from the earth,

freshly seeded grass has given birth.

Inhaling the fragrance of blossoming flowers.

this quiet abode, I spend my hours.

Newly fallen rain graces my lips,

I do not run but thirst for sips.

I quench my desire and so I drink,

my feet clench the soil and thus they sink.

Droplets embellish my skin so pure,

rampantly placed I crave for more.

The sky has sought upon me to weep.

Cleansed at last I awaken from sleep.

Copyright ©joni

What God Has Done For Me~ Submissions wanted

What God Has Done For Me…

I’m going a little off topic here for a book I’m comprising. It’s a book of testimonials of what God has done for me. But not just for me, for each and every one of you who read this and is moved enough to tell me what God has done for you.

God has been so good to me lately I know that it is not just me who He has been good to. We’re going through a dark and dismal time in our point in history and I know from the very depths of my being I am not alone. He is carrying me through this time, as I know He is carrying you too.

May you look at every day as an opportunity for God to work through you and for you. Tell me your story. Not a full length 15000 word story, maybe 1500 words will give me an idea of the difference His power has had in your life. Maybe there is someone who is/was lacking in faith and He touched you in a way that made you jump up and say, “That was God touching me.” I want to hear/read your story. Send it to my email in the form of an email (no attachments will be acknowledged) to: jonismuse-gmail.com

To be honest, God has done so many things in my life that I’m writing my memoirs so you can see how He has worked throughout my entire life. But for this particular book my most recent testament of faith will be in the book.

You don’t have to be a writer to tell me your story. You don’t need to be a grammar pro for me to read your tale. Just tell me in 1500 words or less what God has done for you recently that made your faith even stronger than it already was.

I prefer recent stories because this will be an ongoing project assuming I don’t get enough replies. But again, God will move you to write and it will be through His power that your story reaches me. I will do all I can to get our stories out to the world so that everyone can be touched by the power of God, one person at a time.

Submission guidelines: 1500 words or less in the body of an email

No attachments accepted (they will be instantly deleted and go unread)

SHOW the word count in the subject box

The subject box will read: What God Has Done For Me wc: 1500

Please place your name, email, the date sent and the date your testimony of faith happened.

Ex:
Angel Summer
angelalways-yahoo.com
11-25-05
Testimony: 1-01-08 (or anytime after that)


It’s all very simple. I will only pick the most awe-inspiring stories and hopefully there will be so many stories that there will be many sequels to come.

At this time, this is a non-paying market. All proceeds will be given back to God in one way shape or form.

Angel Always…Godspeed my friend

Poetry Sunday

The Season begins where we need to be thankful for all that we have , and thank the One who made it all possible. God Bless ~ Joni

~My Father~
He strives to walk along the sand
With all his might he takes a stand
Raises up one swift hand
He smites the sea; he smites the land
He cowers not to you or me
Behold his love! Behold his glory!
Turn the page of inner fury
He rises up above the waves
Thrashing down the light that saves
Scanning all the open shore
The beacon shines forevermore
He is my Father strong and pure
The light that sits; awaits his call
Amid the storm to rise and fall
The lighthouse stands strong and tall

To guide one home through it all!


~The Servant ~
Be like children of marvelous wonder,
rise up and hear His call.
Be not fooled by raging thunder,
God has blessed us one and all.

Bow down your ear to hear His word.
Lift your voice in praise
Allow His truth in you be stirred
Put off corrupted lustful ways.

Rejoice in Him who saved your soul
To fellowship be kind.
Unity becomes your goal.
Then TRUTH is what you’ll find.

copyright © joni zipp

Quotation Saturday

Our passions shape our books; repose writes them in the intervals.

~Proust, The Past Recaptured, 1927

***
Writers are just people who have a whole lot on the inside that they need to get to the outside, with pen and paper as their preferred method of transport. Same with dancers, artists, and singers - all the same urges with differing transportation.

~Graycie Harmon

***
At Christmas
A man is at his finest towards the finish of the year;
He is almost what he should be when the Christmas season's here;
Then he's thinking more of others than he's thought the months before,
And the laughter of his children is a joy worth toiling for.
He is less a selfish creature than at any other time;
When the Christmas spirit rules him he comes close to the sublime...
~ Edgar Guest

***
I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.
~ Charles Dickens

***
The man who most vividly realizes a difficulty is the man most likely to overcome it.
~Joseph Farrell

***
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.
~Marcel Proust

***

You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose. ~Indira Ghandi

***

Be thankful for all that you are given. Be blessed with all that you have. Regard adversity as a new season of life. Find faith in the divine. Have hope in tomorrow.
~Joni Zipp

FUNNY FRIDAY!

Thanksgiving Weather Forecast

In the pre-Thanksgiving rush, we have received an early weather report from our in-house weather reporters. This is one, you should be sure to email your Mom.

Turkeys will thaw in the morning, then warm in the oven to an afternoon high near 190F. The kitchen will turn hot and humid, and if you bother the cook, be ready for a severe squall or cold shoulder.

During the late afternoon and evening, the cold front of a knife will slice through the turkey, causing an accumulation of one to two inches on plates. Mashed potatoes will drift across one side while cranberry sauce creates slippery spots on the other. Please pass the gravy.

A weight watch and indigestion warning have been issued for the entire area, with increased stuffiness around the beltway. During the evening, the turkey will diminish and taper off to leftovers, dropping to a low of 34F in the refrigerator.

Looking ahead to Friday and Saturday, high pressure to eat sandwiches will be established. Flurries of leftovers can be expected both days with a 50 percent chance of scattered soup late in the day. We expect a warming trend where soup develops. By early next week, eating pressure will be low as the only wish left will be the bone.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

A Sunday School teacher of pre-schoolers was concerned that his students might be a little confused about Jesus because of the Christmas season emphasis on His birth. He wanted to make sure they understood that the birth of Jesus occurred a long time ago, that he grew up, etc.

So he asked his class, "Where is Jesus today?"

Steven raised his hand and said, "He's in heaven."

Mary was called on and answered, "He's in my heart."

Little Johnny, waving his hand furiously, blurts out -"I know! I know! He's in our bathroom!!!"

The whole class got very quiet, looked at the teacher, and waited for a response. The teacher was completely at a loss for a few very long seconds. He finally gathered his wits and asked Little Johnny how he knew this.

And Little Johnny said, "Well...every morning, my father gets up,bangs on the bathroom door, and yells -'Jesus Christ, are you still in there!?'!"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!


Star in the East?

A woman takes her 16-year-old daughter to the doctor.

The doctor says,"Okay, Mrs. Jones, what's the problem?"

The mother says, "It's my daughter, Debbie. She keeps getting these cravings, she's putting on weight, and is sick most mornings."

The doctor gives Debbie a good examination, then turns to the mother and says, "Well, I don't know how to tell you this, but your Debbie is pregnant - about 4 months, would be my guess."

The mother says, "Pregnant?! She can't be, she has never ever been left alone with a man! Have you, Debbie?"

Debbie says, "No mother! I've never even kissed a man!"

The doctor walked over to the window and just stares out it. About five minutes pass and finally the mother says, "Is there something wrong out there doctor?"

The doctor replies, "No, not really, it's just that the last time anything like this happened, a star appeared in the east and three wise men came over the hill. I'll be darned if I'm going to miss it this time!"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE

Poetry Sunday

On The Mend

Often times I felt reclusive.

My wandering thoughts very elusive.
I needed something, a zest to live.
I wax poetic, my heart I give.


In my vocal words you'll see,
a glimpse of light shine forth from me.
I see a ray shine from the moon;
dancing crystals my soul to commune.


Wading in fragrance, I want to smell,
behold a beauty my heart to quell.
Tis' not a negative light I seek,
the glory I find in the quiet meek.


My soul is dancing as moonbeams glare,
a sigh of relief, I breathe the air.
Inhale all that life has to lend.
My soul now finds a way to mend.

Quotation Saturday

A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.
~Thomas Mann, Essays of Three Decades, 1947

The reason why many people are so fond of using superlatives, is, they are so positive that the poor positive is not half positive enough for them.
~Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare, Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers, 1827

Sleep on your writing; take a walk over it; scrutinize it of a morning; review it of an afternoon; digest it after a meal; let it sleep in your drawer a twelvemonth; never venture a whisper about it to your friend, if he be an author especially.
~A. Bronson Alcott

The good writers touch life often. The mediocre ones run a quick hand over her. The bad ones rape her and leave her for the flies.
~Ray Bradbury

Being an author is having angels whisper in your ear - and devils, too.
~Graycie Harmon

Having imagination, it takes you an hour to write a paragraph that, if you were unimaginative, would take you only a minute. Or you might not write the paragraph at all.
~Franklin P. Adams, Half a Loaf, 1927

i never think at all when i writenobody can do two things at the same timeand do them both well

~Don Marquis, Archy's Life of Mehitabel, 1933

The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shockproof shit detector. This is the writer's radar and all great writers have had it.

~Ernest Hemingway, interview in Paris Review, Spring 1958

Funny Friday!

God Loves Blondes

A blonde finds herself in serious trouble. Her business has gone bust and she's in dire financial straits. She's so desperate that she decides to ask God for help. She begins to pray..."God, please help me. I've lost my business and if I don't get some money, I'm going to lose my house as well. Please let me win the Lotto."

Lotto night comes, and somebody else wins it. She again prays..."God, please let me win the Lotto! I've lost my business, my house and I'm going to lose my car as well."

Lotto night comes and she still has no luck. Once again, she prays..."My God, why have You forsaken me? I've lost my business, my house, and my car. My children are starving. I don't often ask You for help, and I have always been a good servant to You. PLEASE let me win the Lotto just this one time so I can get my life back in order."

Suddenly there is a blinding flash of light as the heavens open. The blonde is overwhelmed by the Voice of God Himself..."Sweetheart, work with Me on this... Buy a ticket"



Thanksgiving in the UK

A few years ago, an American and a British journalist were discussing Thanksgiving on a British radio program. The American asked if Thanksgiving was celebrated in the UK.
"Yes," the British journalist replied, "but we celebrate it on the 6th of September."
"Why then?"
"That's when you chaps left."

Things to Do to Liven Up Thanksgiving Dinner

1. Load your plate up high, then take it to the kitchen, toss it all in the blender, and take your "shake" back to the table. Announce that it's the new Thanksgiving Weight Loss Shake.
2. When everyone goes around to say what they are Thankful for, say, "I'm thankful I didn't get caught" and refuse to say anything more.
3. Bring along old recorded football games, pop them in the VCR when Dad's not looking. Make sure it is set to the last two minutes of the game. When he comes into the room, turn off the VCR and turn on the regular TV.
4. Bring a date that only talks about the tragic and abusive conditions known to exist at turkey farms.
5. During mid-meal turn to mom and say, "See mom, I told you they wouldn't notice that the Turkey was past expiration date. You were worried for nothing."

Poetry Sunday

The Portal

In the portal of my mind,

there is a window in which I climb.
I often float into the core.
I sense I am an open door.

Gracefully I behold the light.

My weightless body takes to flight.

Seeking a place I long to be.

One in which no man can see.

Penetrating my very being.

It is the truth that I am seeing.

No one grasp this cosmic realm.

I'm left alone to man the helm.

Enwrapped in warmth I behold.

The meaning of life begins to unfold.

Absorbing that which I see,

I bring the light to earth with me.

The portal closes I open my eyes.

Roaming now my souls in disguise.

For knowledge shared is wisdom told.

I’ve a key to my portal that only I hold.

Copyright © joni zipp

Quotation Saturday

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.
~Marcel Proust

As long as men are free to ask what they must, free to say what they think, free to think what they will, freedom can never be lost and science can never regress.
~Marcel Proust

They're fancy talkers about themselves, writers. If I had to give young writers advice, I would say don't listen to writers talk about writing or themselves.

~Lillian Hellman

You must learn to overcome your very natural and appropriate revulsion for your own work.

~William Gibson

If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.

~Benjamin Franklin

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

~Albert Einstein

If you start with a bang, you won't end with a whimper.

~T. S. Eliot

Talent alone cannot make a writer. There must be a man behind the book. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The spirit of creation is the spirit of contradiction. It is the breakthrough of appearances toward an unknown reality.

~Joan Cocteau

Every reader finds himself. The writer's work is merely a kind of optical instrument that makes it possible for the reader to discern what, without this book, he would perhaps never have seen in himself.
~Marcel Proust

It is in moments of illness that we are compelled to recognize that we live not alone but chained to a creature of a different kingdom, whole worlds apart, who has no knowledge of us and by whom it is impossible to make ourselves understood: our body.

~Marcel Proust

Funny Friday

Writer’s are not their Characters

An author was coming to my local bookstore to discuss her novel set in Appalachia. The main character was "a strong-willed heroine fighting to survive the hardships of the times." When I went to the reading, I was disappointed to learn the writer had canceled her appearance. The reason?

She didn't want to drive in the rain.


Here is the LOST CHAPTER IN GENESIS....

Adam was walking around the garden of Eden feeling very lonely, so God asked him, "What is wrong with you?"

Adam said he didn't have anyone to talk to.God said that He was going to make Adam a companion and that it would be a woman.
He said, "This person will gather food for you, cook for you, and when you discover clothing she'll wash it for you. She will always agree with every decision you make. She will bear your children and never ask you to get up in the middle of the night to take care of them. She will not nag you and will always be the first to admit she was wrong when you've had a disagreement. She will never have a headache and will freely give you love and passion whenever you need it.
Adam asked God, "What will a woman like this cost?"

God replied, "An arm and a leg."

Then Adam asked, "What can I get for a rib?"

The rest is history..


School Days

When I went to a Christian school, I walked into the cafeteria and there on the table was a plate of fruit. Next to it was a sign that said "Take one. God is watching."
Next to the fruit was a plate of cookies, which had a sign next to it, written by a fellow student, that said "Take as many as you want. God is watching the fruit."


Spell Chick?

A female attorney in a law office found a typewriter on her desk with this note: "We are short of secretarial help and need your assistance."
Recognizing that this was yet another prank by her male colleagues, she quickly typed a response that forever squelched the jokes: "I wold lov to hep out eny wey I kan."

Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory

It is my right as an AMERICAN to voice my opinion. These words can ring true for ANY generation. Today, I held them close to my heart.

Angel Always...Godspeed...

Written by: Julia Ward Howe, 1861

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;

He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;

He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps

They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;

I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;His day is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;

As ye deal with My condemners, so with you My grace shall deal;

Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;

He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;

Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,

With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:

As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free;While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,

He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;

So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Author's note:

the pic was taken at

Fort McHenry

Baltimore Maryland

Poetry Sunday ~ Fate

Fate

Crescent moon

fell too soon.

Liquid beam,

moonlight's stream.

Only seen in midnight's dream.

Blissful love,

morning's dove.

All thought of,

from up above.

Rays sent down, without a sound.

Sanctioned here,

never clear.

Crippled tear,

always near.

All I crave, all I gave.

Lift me somehow,

raise my brow.

Forever now,

made to bow.

Heavens gate, my looming fate.

Copyright ©joni zipp

Exciting the Senses

Senses can excite!

Creating a world that is richly laced with the senses is what your reader wants. Have you ever read a story with none of the senses used? I bet it was a pretty boring story, eh? Senses bring your story to life in ways generic writing never will.

When we talk, we use our senses don’t we? When we communicate what we saw today, or heard on the radio, or ate for lunch etc. etc., we use our senses also. So why when you write wouldn't you want to leave the reader with a rich frothy taste in his mouth and weave your images into his mind like a finely crocheted afghan?

The best lesson I learned in writing was making use of the senses. It livened up my work like a fourth of July fireworks display and made my words dance to their own lively tune. This is what I want YOU to accomplish in YOUR writing.

When I was young, I remember my mother telling me to, "Act like you have some sense." If she only knew, I write like I have some sense, six of them to be exact.

Senses ~ Sight, sound, smell, touch, taste, and the unknown.

Sight ~ The light shone through the window. The rays danced on the floor. The mountains basked in the glory of the dappling sunshine.

Sound ~ The drumming of my heart was enough to keep me awake. The shrieking car peeled out of the parking lot. The church bells played a somber tune.

Smell ~ Ahh the fresh aroma of newly cut grass. The scent of grandma’s apple pie wafting through the open window has me wanting some. The tang of vinegar tickled my nose.

Touch ~ The hairbrush was rough on my scalp. The stucco wall left dimples in my hands when I fell into it. The cars hood was scorching hot!

Taste ~ The dill pickle was bitter after eating pretzels. The lemonade was sweet to my tongue’s palette. Grandma’s apple pie tasted delicious after it finally cooled down.

Unknown ~ I wonder if the sun always does a pirouette across the waves?
I’m wondering if Grandma is thinking about me up there in heaven.

The unknown is the tricky sense that we use to bring home our thoughts. The unknown can be as exciting as the rest of the senses if used wisely. Use it in your writing so the reader can touch base with you, the narrator. It gives the reader a glimpse into your thoughts.

Can you see what is in front of you right now? On your desk?
Can you smell the pans that you left on the stove from tonight’s dinner? Old coffee sitting in the coffeepot?
Can you taste the leftover spaghetti in your throat? A lit match might leave a sulfuric taste.
Can you hear your computer humming? A fire engine racing by?
Can you feel the stiffness of your chair and how it is making your butt hurt?
Do you ever wonder what it would be like if you won a million dollars? Can you imagine what life is like on other planets?

Bring it home for me. Take advantage of the six senses in your writing. Make your writing jump out and speak to me. Go ahead, I know you can do it.

Breaking Rules

Breaking Rules.

I think it is cute when I see a toddler walking over to the cupboard door and trying to open it when he knows he isn’t supposed to. That is what toddlers do. Most moms are one-up on them though and have placed safety locks on the doors. This is when the tantrum begins because toddler kid can’t get his way.

Writers are not toddlers by any means, but they do need someone to tell them, "Hey that’s not the right way to do that." Or maybe, "Could you try it this way?" The writer doesn’t lose his/her temper they just drink in the gained knowledge and move on. Lesson learned.

Newcomers to the field of writing think it is cute to break the rules. They prance around with the, "I can do what I want" attitude. Then as soon as someone corrects them, they run for the hills to bury their head deep in the soil.

Writers need to be tough. A thick-skinned writer is like a desert lizard, they can take the heat all the while bathing in it too! Just remember that you are not a toddler and that you will continually need to learn and take big sips of the cup of knowledge. Place your hand out into the open air, letting someone grab hold of it as if to guide you.

Never fear criticism, never fear writing, always embrace the tree of life. It might have splinters but you’ve learned a great deal and will carry the experience with you a lifetime.

Today’s words:

dalliance (dah-lee-uh ns)
1. to dawdle
2. amorous toying: flirtation

halcyon (hal-see-uhn)
1. calm; peaceful; tranquil:
2. rich; wealthy; prosperous:
3. happy; joyful; carefree

miscreant (mis-cree-uh nt)
1. a disbeliever; heretic
2. villain

prevaricate (pri-var-i-cayt)
1. to speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie.

rectitude (rek-ti-tood)
1. rightness of principle or conduct; moral virtue: the rectitude of her motives.
2. righteous

Poetry Sunday ~ Tears

Tears
All rights reserved: copyright © Joni Zipp

Like icy clouds that form in the sky,
drops of pain creep from my eye.

Weightless they form a fluid stream;

life has forced a layered seam.

Tears are like capsules, of liquid release.

Hidden by lids they secretly cease.

The eye a doorway of repressed emotion

that drops a brew of poisoned potion.

Salty tears run evermore

softly sounds pound the floor.

Dripping echoes of seated pain;

seeping slowly a fluid rain.

The tear is weightless in its stand.

Lapping forth like waves on sand.

Going alone down the wrinkled aisle,

seeking to ride the sorrowful mile.

What will stop this rippling river?

Depths of joy I must deliver.

I raise my eyes to the skies above,

my tears become His kiss of love.

All rights reserved: copyright © Joni Zipp

Smile

You need to smile!
“If you see a friend without a smile; give him one of yours.” ~proverb



After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunately, my wife is like most women - she loved to browse. Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Wal-Mart:

Dear Mrs. Townley,
Over the past six months, your husband has been causing quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against Mr.Townley are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras.

1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they weren't looking.
2 . July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.
3. July 7: Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.
4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away. '
5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&M's on layaway.
6. August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.
7. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets From the bedding department.
8. August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him, he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?'
9. September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.
10. September 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.
11. October 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the 'Mission Impossible' theme.
12. October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' by using different sizes of funnels.
13. October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'
14. October 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he Assumed a fetal position and screamed 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!' And last, but not least .
15. October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here!'

Character Building

Do you have a character that is just a loose ink spot on your page? Have you tried to build your character up so that you can get inside of his or her head? Why not try looking into your character’s head, write down pivotal elements of their personality and build yourself a character that a reader will absolutely fall in love with.

Your reader wants to connect to your character. By making them believable with human characteristics that are usually flawed characteristics, our reader can join in the journey your character is taking.

Take a look at the people surrounding you every day. Don’t pick a specific person and make that person your character with a twist, (you might offend the person.) But take that person, let’s call him Fred who sits behind you at work. Then take John who sits in front of you. One likes to chew and crack gum, the other despises gum cracking. Here you have two different personalities clashing.

Merge these two into one. Be creative so that neither of the two can even remotely guess that you used them as ‘character references’. Notice idiosyncrasies in people. As you become aware that you are hunting down traits for a character, you’ll notice more.

Give your character personality, whether it is a high-strung business man or a homely waif living on the streets. Make their personality individual to them. By fleshing them out you are building yourself a character.

1. Give your character a good strong name. Mary is overused. A strong named character is a way to spell success!

2. Give them a birthday and astrological sign. Help define who they are through an astrological analysis.

3. Give them a quirky trait. Do they have a tic? Is their sixth sense finely tuned?

4.Give them a background. Did they grow up rich or poor? Were they in a religious family or not?

5.Give them dreams. Are they an optimist or a pessimist?

6.Give them a phobia. Noting their fear of something (like all of us) we will relate to your character through this fear.

7.Give them physical characteristics. Define who they are by the way they appear. Their hair color, nose size, ear size, color of their skin, birthmarks, height, weight and any other feature that might stand out in your mind.

8.Clothe your character. They will need clothes and it is your job to dress them. Will they wear a tailored suit? A poodle skirt? Hip-huggers? Remember the ERA of your piece and dress them accordingly.

9.Give them siblings or make them an only child.

10.Now give them a mind. Live vicariously through this person that you have created. Bring them alive through the magic of your words.

You have now created a character! With a little work, your character might become the next Odd Thomas!

Poetry Sunday ~ Society's Demon

Society's Demon
All rights reserved: copyright © Joni Zipp

Darkness creeps across the earth,

giving rise to lustful birth.

Inner demons taking self worth.

I cringe as the demons win.

Rituals, blasphemy of every kind,

idols of worship to steal the mind;

searching for solace they hope they find;

demon’s corrupting my kin.

Gracing the plains, the wind, the rain;

the demon erupts no one left sane.

Often grappling with inflicted pain.

Legions of demons veiled in sin.

Run my brothers, my sisters, my friend,

heal thyself; try hard to mend.

To you my blessings I will send.

Allow lucent Light freely in!
All rights reserved: copyright © Joni Zipp

Quotation Saturday

Zest. Gusto. How rarely one hears these words used. How rarely do we see people living, or for that matter, creating by them. Yet if I were asked to name the most important items in a writer’s make-up, the things that shape his material and rush him along the road to where he wants to go, I could only warn him to look to his zest, see to his gusto.

~Ray Bradbury

The unconscious is the ocean of the unsayable, of what has been expelled from the land of language, removed as a result of ancient prohibitions"
~ Italo Calvino

"It is not the voice that commands the story: it is the ear"
~Italo Calvino

Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader. Not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.

~E.L. Doctorow

Talent alone cannot make a writer. There must be a man behind the book.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.

~Benjamin Franklin

My mother drew a distinction between achievement and success. She said that achievement is the knowledge that you have studied and worked hard and done the best that is in you. Success is being praised by others, and that's nice, too, but not as important or satisfying. Always aim for achievement and forget about success.

~Helen Hayes

It's hard for me to believe that people who read very little - or not at all in some cases - should presume to write and expect people to like what they have written. Can I be blunt on this subject? If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time - or the tools - to write. Simple as that.

~Stephen King

I would hurl words into this darkness and wait for an echo, and if an echo sounded, no matter how faintly, I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of hunger for life that gnaws in us all.

~Richard Wright, American Hunger, 1977