Originality

pic: Arc of the suns rays!
It is the Lord who made us each in our own unique way. Your writing is His creation that YOU put into action. ~joni
***

Often I read works from people and think, “Well that sounds like________.” Put in any writer you can imagine. Then I think, “Are they not original or creative enough to make their own mark in the writing world.”

As many of my reader well know, that I love poetry. I’ve never heard anyone comment, “Well that reads just like so and so.” That’s a good sign. That means my poetry is being read and it is coming off as original with it’s own flair. In other words, I’ve found my style within the written word.

It is so important to find your own voice in writing. Do you want to be compared to King or Koontz or Rowling? Well okay maybe it would be a compliment to be compared to them but then are you being liked because of your originality or because you mimicked someone else’s writing?

I write some dark poetry. Only when I use the word, nevermore, does someone say, “Boy, that had a Poe quality to it!” Poe? AWESOME! It has a Poe quality, meaning it was pretty good! But they didn’t say that it sounded like Poe’s style, also good, for me anyway because I never mimic another writer, I’m original in my own right.

When I see someone mimic/copy ME, in some ways I’m honored but then I almost feel sad that they can’t be original enough to create their own style or voice. Now taking my words is downright plagiarism, but writing in my style? That is theft! In a way I’m kidding but in another I’m dead serious. Serious as a playoff game when it comes down to the final seconds and there is a tie!

I want to be known in the writing world as original. My blog posts come to me, I don’t seek them out. One word can trigger an entire blog post. Imagine that. One word can also trigger a story. A picture, a tree, a dead shoe, they all have possibilities of becoming a short story, a poem or heck, even a novel! Can you see a dead shoe (as opposed to a living shoe, with a breathing entity carrying it along) having the weight on its shoulders of an entire story?

In my unique way of writing, I more than likely could make an original story out of a branch and it not turn out too bad. Are you original in what you write? Can you give life to a fig and allow it to carry a story all on its own entrenched in poetic, graphic,visual, biting words?

Why not give it a try and you too can become, an original! Be what you were made to be.

Write Right! (that's mine!)

Editor Etiquette?

pic: A pinwheel of red and silver. the symbol of wheels going round and round
***

I remember early in my writing career I looked at publishers. A pretty hard knock on the door if I do say so myself. So I looked at editors. Did you know there are people who will take your money, tell you to fix your work, take more money, needs more work. You see the cycle here?

I was told you should never shell out money. If your work is good, should you have to pay someone to say it is good, or give them money and they will help you make it good? I’m sorry but something is wrong with that scenario.

Keep in mind that there are editing services out there that are legitimate. When you have a completed manuscript, you’ve revised it ten times and are ready to submit but you feel you need another eye to look at it, a professional eye that will pinpoint any kinks that are missing in the story.. This is when the editing services come into play.

Be ready to shell out money, but the benefits of an editor are when they read it and like it, they will suggest places to send your work, will help you get your foot in the door, stand behind you 100%. Remember they will only take you on if they feel you are worth it. They are more than likely with a publishing house, and often will either accept or reject your submission. Your story has to be good for them to even bother.

Some will take your money. There are so many scammers out there so you need to be sure you do your research of the place, person, credentials, etcetera before forking over one dollar.

In the writer’s world, I find it tacky to say, “My editor said this, or my editor said that.” Now when you say a friend said this, or a friend said that, it comes off as banter and not boasting. When in a writing group, of published authors, editors and the like, to me (notice I said to me because we all as individuals have preferences) tossing out my editor said this and that is undermining the board of trusted peers.

When you are published, be proud and let it soar where it may. But boast over and over again? As a writer, you need your ego in check because one day my friend, there will be someone to knock that ego through the roof. Patience as a writer, is your best friend. Respect for other writers is a MUST!

Here is an interesting question I felt compelled to share. “How do I find an Editor’s name for submission?” The answer is at Fiction Notes. Nowhere does it say brag your heart out once you connect!

Write Right people, and whatever you do, be original!

I must add that here is a link for an AWESOME writing coach!

Poetry Sunday~ Slam Poetry?

Proverb 17:8 A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
***

Why I write...

I write because words, like a slow effervescence, shower streams through my veins like blood, forming sentences which I know to be verse. I write so all that is within me bubbles to the surface and is put onto paper making sense of all the insanity.

Whichever way I go, whether up or down, verb or adverb, they all tend to lend credence to what I have taken from my brain and brought into your reality. I see letters in my mind forming words which in return form a sentence that I give to my readers and they decipher the madness and relate to my brevity.

I clearly have no special form because I invent the reality that the readers are saying that they can relate to and I know deep within my soul I have touched someone on a magnanimous level. They may see me as a human conveying a message whether in fiction form or non-fiction form, but one can grasp the meaning because they’ve been there.

Hold true to who you are and write what you know. No matter what anyone tells you to change, keep the truth always front and center in your heart and mind. One day you too will find the words attached to the letter...ACCEPTED!

***

A simple exercise in f2k offered by a mentor.
My answer surprised me as it turned into a poem, if you will.
This is Slam Poetry or as some call it Beat Poetry.
Definitely a sign of growth in me
and my writing!

***

Quotation Saturday~ The love of Writing!

“I write so all that is within me bubbles to the surface and is put onto paper making sense of all the insanity.” ~Joni Zipp
***

I think the first duty of all art, including fiction of any kind, is to entertain. That is to say, to hold interest. No matter how worthy the message of something, if it's dull, you're just not communicating.
~Poul Anderson

The virtue of books is to be readable.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Your stuff starts out being just for you… but then it goes out. Once you know what the story is and get it right - as right as you can, anyway - it belongs to anyone who wants to read it. Or criticize it.
~Stephen King

Write what you want to read. The person you know best in this world is you. Listen to yourself. If you are excited by what you are writing, you have a much better chance of putting that excitement over to a reader.
~Robin McKinley

Usually, when people get to the end of a chapter, they close the book and go to sleep. I deliberately write my books so when the reader gets to the end of a chapter, he or she must turn one more page. When people tell me I've kept them up all night, I feel like I've succeeded!
~Sidney Sheldon

Editors also know that the people who are really readers want to read. They hunger to read. They will forgive a vast number of clumsinesses and scamped work of every sort if the author will delight them just enough to keep them able to continue.
~William Sloane

Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one's own sunshine.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.
~Henry Ford

Day 2 of f2k

Words are an expression of your mind...paint wisely and all will sit in wonder. ~joni
***

As expected, it was a slow day in F2K. Either the returnees are back, mingling with old friends or the new kids on the block have come in and said their “Hi’s” and have found a quiet corner of the room to hide in.

Imagine tackling writing after many years of absence, how overwhelming it can be to walk into a new course and spread your wings in hopes you’ll fly. I see the timid faces even through a screen. They may be older than me or younger but they still have that fear of releasing their writing to the world.

I see so many people with questions like, “What if someone wants to steal my story.” My response is, “We’re writer’s and as such we would never ever put ourselves in a position of plagiarism. We’re trying to be professional and that certainly isn’t the way to start a career in writing.” And then I tell them, “There are so many writers in the world with ‘original’ ideas that someone is bound to come up with the same ‘original’ idea with a twist. In other words, it has been done before and you’re just a new writer putting a twist on it!”

I try to put them at ease and when it is your first time sharing, it can feel like you’re placing your heart on a guillotine, just waiting for it to plunge downward and slice it in two. I’ve been there/done that and I know all of my work is copyrighted the second I put it into the MW (microsoft word.) It is my valid proof that I, and only I, wrote it. And the blog is public proof! I hope these writers find all that they came to find in way of returning to the writing world once again without fear.

So as the f2k clan reminisces about older classes in f2k, the new kids find friends and chat with others, links are surfed, virtual food is cooked, atmosphere and ambiance overflows the place; we head into the week of Orientation with a smile on our faces and ready to write our hearts out!

I’m telling you, it is the place to learn and grow but most of all, to find people with the same love as you and that is being a writer! My new phrase in the place is this... “Don’t write to earn money, write because you love it. Passion comes before monetary measure. If you get paid for your passion, that’s a bonus."

Write Right people!

First day at f2k

“...you are yet a blossom on the vine of life about to bloom!" ~joni

Day 1 of f2k...

Well my friends, day 1 of f2k went off and as usual we had our glitches to fix, people wandering around lost and people picking them up and finding them. All in all it was a good day.

Our first week is Orientation week, where everyone gets to know one another, people click links and find their way around, bump into walls and either make new friends or find old nemesis, or just find old friends who went on their way since the last f2k.

It is all the things a good book are made up of. Maybe I should do a book, about an online course, where the people learn, grow and fulfill their destiny of becoming a writer, but on the dark side as the story builds... well I’m not going to tell you the story! It would be fiction based mind you so I could put a little evil spin on it. OR I could make it fact based and give some of the proceeds BACK to WVU, where it all began!

I myself have to get my feet back into writing regularly. Not just my blog but writing! I was loving the short story and I have a novel under my belt and one in the works. But lately my writing has been back burner while I take care of matters on the home front.

I mean, seriously, I just had my address changed on my license and I’ve lived here nine months already. Well funds had a lot to do with it as something always came up that was more important than my license, ya know?

But here I am back mentoring f2k and sinking my feet in all the way this time. Last time I got sidetracked and a little discouraged. My mind was clouded and surely didn’t perform my best as I like to give the students. So we’ll see what this year and this session has in store.

On to writing my friends...

F2K Free Writing Course is under way

Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
***

Yes you read it right, the f2k Free Writing course is getting under way and it is a little too late to sign up for it now. But don’t worry, I’ll keep you posted on what we’re learning and how the mentoring aspect of it goes along.

This will be about my fourth time mentoring and each and every time it gets more exciting. I meet some of the nicest people. I always keep my eye out for the newcomers as they seem like they get a little jilted by the fun camaraderie that the old timers have.

We become like a family of writer’s who meet up every f2k and the newbies don’t fully participate all the time because they feel overwhelmed by the writer’s. But allow me to tell you this, a new writer is just as much a writer as any of us are!

I also see a lot of the newbs who come in wanting to post their website even after I strictly state that that kind of amateurish behavior is frowned upon. We have a profile section where we all can post our websites or blogs, but to sit there and place a blog/site in every daggone post that a person responds to is not only annoying, it is frustrating and slightly childish.

Then I get on my childish kick by not responding to anything that that person has to say and I let them know why! So they’re not all professionals but they want to be and this writing course is a good place to learn and understand the craft and the professional quality of work that is expected from us as writer’s.

I, by no means, am an elite professional but I would only steer a new writer in the right direction! This is the whole reason that this blog got started to begin with was so I could guide some new writer’s. We all need to learn the craft and I thought, if I can do it under 500 words a post, then more power to me!

So allow me to be the first to tell you, the f2k course is a stand alone course all on its own! You’ll walk away with knowledge and a feel of ownership that you took the bull by the horn and hunkered down to learn a craft. You might even pat yourself on the back in seven weeks when you’ve written your first short story or novel!

Well I hope that some of you joined up when you saw my post offering the course, but if not, I’ll give you a sneak peek, birds-eye-view and you can judge for yourself, then maybe you WILL sign up, next time it is offered.

Writing from the Spirit

Genesis 37: 24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
***

Truth in poetic form or any form is the only way to write. When I write poetry I feel as if a small surge of energy flows through my veins. I can sense it moving until it reaches my fingertips and urges me to write.

This is what writing should feel like to you. When you sit down to write, if you’re not feeling the surge of the spirit, you will not only write gibberish, you’ll put up a brick wall and you won’t be able to write anything.

When sitting down to write, clear your mind of all of the outside distractions. This is probably the hardest part in writing and that is finding the quiet space and time to get things down on paper. Having access to a computer helps but remember the pen and paper was around before the keyboard.

If you’re drawing a blank on your story, maybe try working on the character you have in mind. Flesh him/her out and fill in the blanks of who they are and what your plans are for them.

Maybe write a synopsis of what your story is about. Just a short general idea of what you plan on accomplishing with your story and characters. Note who the antagonist and protagonist are and flesh them out a bit.

Right now I’ve got too much on my mind to even think of writing anything of useful content. So I’ll allow you to peruse what I’ve already written in two years. Happy New Year...may you get some writing done! And whatever you do, Write Right!

Poetry Sunday~ A New Year!

Galatians 4:10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
14) And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

A New Year...

On a wayward breeze I caught the day
it surfaced once again.
Something was different, the air was fresh
a new year set to begin.

The fragrance of the rising sun
washes over me;
it tells me there’s a new year
that’s fighting to be free.

The sounds ring out in a clamorous wave
that carries round the world
it moves in gentle elegance
as flags are yet unfurled.

I sing a song to the new date
receiving it’s blessed presence.
The lion will lay with the Lamb
and cleanse my very essence!

Quotation Saturday~ Happy New Year

Luke 4: 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
[19] To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.


Happy New Year Everyone!

As we segue into the new year and embark on the craft of writing, I had to post my quotes! Sometimes hanging these above the desk or on a door or even in the bathroom by the mirror will inspire you, encourage you and keep you motivated, to continue on your writing venture no matter how impossible things seem!!!!

I wish you all a prosperous New Year and a wonderful productive writing journey!

***

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

A mind troubled by doubt cannot focus on the course to victory.
~ Arthur GoldenMemoirs of a Geisha
Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882)

Live neither in the past nor in the future, but let each day's work absorb your entire energies, and satisfy your widest ambition.
~Sir William Osler (1849 - 1919), to his students

A preoccupation with the future not only prevents us from seeing the present as it is but often prompts us to rearrange the past.
~Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983), The Passionate State of Mind, 1954

You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you're working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success - but only if you persist.
~Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992)

That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)



May the journey you embark on this year be one full of blessings! ~joni

Writing Wrap-up

Luke 10:3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

This is the year in review:
Have you ever heard the saying, “Comes in like a lion goes out like a lamb?” I know they say it for the month of March, but that has been my year. It came in like a roaring lion and went out like a gentle lamb.

January found us struggling with the state of Texas for some kind of assistance for the blind. Allow me to be the first to tell you that Texas caters to the healthy and wealthy and NOT the poor and down-trodden.

By the month of April we knew that Texas was no longer the affordable place for us, so with the help of family back in Nebraska, we packed up and moved up a few states. Now let me also say that Nebraska’s health department is efficient, quick, and caring! As are the people. There’s a whole different breed of people up here that I’ve never experienced in Baltimore or Texas!

Come summertime, which was extremely more comfy than Texas, found us surrounded by family and friends. We got most of the help we needed, from the state and Commission for the Blind, and all of the love and support we needed from the family. Summer sped by like a lightning bolt! Now you see it, now you don’t!

September found us scurrying about getting ready for the festive holiday’s which we knew were right around the corner. My writing had taken a back seat to the year of activity. A post here, another there but I maintained my blog and tried to give you all a little of what my life was like and as faithful friends who stand by me, I deeply appreciate your caring love and presence!

November found us with a lot of family events. Too many visits to mention and before you knew it Christmas and the New Year were staring us right in the face! Snow fell and more snow fell. Coming from six years in Texas where we seen nary a flurry, in Nebraska on Christmas day, we were struck by a blizzard that kept us safe at home.

My fiancé went through the holidays with his music, since he is still blind and we await the promising news that this is only temporary and he will soon get the operation he needs to see again. One foot in front of the other, one day at a time and we’ll be fine.

The lamb I refer to is the calm serene Christmas week where we shared each others company, his family had gatherings, we visited the eye doctor, and then the New Year will be rung in this evening showering us with blessings for the New Year!

On a sad note...I lost a dear friend at Writer’s Village University this year. Miss Connie will always be in my heart. She had a way of making me feel special! I had no family of my own (meaning blood relatives) supporting me and these virtual people have become blessings in a grand scheme of things!

So to you all, I wish the Lamb to lie with you as you bring in this New Year and that blessings fall on you like sugar from the sky making this next year sweet to the taste. Be blessed in knowing that He loves you and that you will NEVER be alone!

John 1: 29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Poetry Sunday~

For my Dad and Adams birthday
the beacons of light in my life!
Adam 12-27 Dad 12-30
Happy Birthday!


The Lighthouse of Life

Joni Zipp

There comes a time in life
that changes do occur.
One foot in front of the other
We tread as life's a blur.

We turn to strength and guided hands
to show us where to roam.
We look to our father for his armor
Our haven; a stable home.

He stands in the shadow of silence
Giving advice when we seek.
He lends to us a pillar.
A beacon when we are weak.

On the shore of rocky oceans
His kids are out at sea.
The lighthouse of my youthful years
Was all he gave to me.

He gave me courage to stand afoot,
To be strong when seas were rough.
To ride the ebb and flow of life,
Always remaining tough.

At times when tears begin to flow,
To him I would never bother.
I'll stand ashore and see the gleam,
Of the eyes of my loving father.

A True Christmas~ God's Plan

Jer. 1: 10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

***

Yesterday was Christmas and boy what a Christmas, God had a plan. My summation of the day as I think God had intended.

Christmas eve the snow was falling, like feathers from the sky it was drifting down and blanketing the ground with its beauty. We missed the Christmas eve service because it was canceled due to the lovely picturesque snowfall. It was dangerous too and God wanted everyone safe at home. God had a plan!

December 25th is not really Jesus’ birthday, but this is what man has turned into the Lords Birthday and we supposedly celebrate it as such. Man has a plan too and that is to turn the day into a light festival, gift giving, receiving bounty of treasures, hustle, bustle and ignorant to the true meaning of the day. God had a plan!

Since He knows we are to celebrate His birthday on this day, He made sure this is what we did. I can’t speak for the rest of the states because I imagine they all went on their Christmas voyage of visiting family, eating lots of food, and lets not forget getting and giving gifts!

My Christmas was supposed to be spent with the in-laws, since that is the only family I have here but God had a plan. I did too and that was to celebrate Jesus’ birthday in deep thought, contemplation and gratitude of my life! Could I do what I planned surrounded by sounds of the family? The hustle and bustle of the day?

God had a plan! I arose Christmas morning to the sounds of chimes clinging and clanging due to the high winds. I looked out the window and couldn’t even see the road! There before me were treacherous blizzard conditions out there with snow drifting in every direction, visibility was nil; I almost expected to see a few decorations to go blowing by like in the Rudolph show?

God had a plan! He gave me MY Christmas of wonder and glory. I sat in contemplation of all that I am grateful for in my life! Our family visit was put on hold and we celebrated with good food, laughter and joy...high winds and SNOW! This was a blessed day because I got to feel and sense all that the meaning of Christmas truly is.

Many friends had the same Christmas where they sat, watched movies and just spent the day at home with each other or alone, but they all FELT the true meaning of Christmas! Some complained about the snow and not getting out of the house. Some washed over Jesus’ birthday like it didn’t exist and that Christmas was all about THEM. God’s plan was to weed those people out! He now knows who had a truly glorious Christmas in honor of HIM! Alleluia!

Now, on to see what God has planned for the New Year! :-)

May you all be blessed and find the true meaning of this season wrapped in your heart, forever and ever...AMEN!
**

Luke 2:8-14 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

The Sounds of Christmas

1 Cor.14:7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
***


The Sounds of Christmas

The year has been new and wrought with change
A blemish renewed a life rearranged
What I have, is sounds of my heart
they give me a stir with love to impart.

The lights draw dim no longer a pleasure
the music now holds the sounds that I treasure.
The presents they sit but who knows where
it’s as if my Christmas tree is bare.

The sounds of Christmas are what I have now
music,chimes,bells, the crackling bough.
The snow is cold, wet and a bore.
My eyes can’t see the white stuff no more!

The joy and laughter is what I’ll hold close,
the family around me with hugs I suppose.
The light will be bright right inside my being.
Until the day comes when I’m once again seeing!
***

author's comment: Did you ever hear the saying, "You don't know what you've got until it's gone?" Or something like that? I guess, just guessing here, that that is what it is like to lose your sight. You kind of appreciate the sounds more.

Merry Christmas to all!

Merry Christmas!

Proverbs 7:19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
***
Christmas Thoughts
of Mother and Dad

Though I’m not there to be with you
my spirit fills the room.
Remember I am happy now,
no longer full of gloom.

I left a void with those I love;
my soul it craved release.
I had to move on as God had asked,
so the pain in me would cease.

Often times I shed a tear,
thinking of all I lost.
Relinquishing all material wealth,
is all that it would cost.

The price so small in my mind’s eye
as the Lord embraced my being.
Sacrifice is a message instilled;
His light is all I’m seeing.

As holidays will come and go,
my love lives in your heart,
for as long as my memory lingers
We’ll never be far apart.

Think of me as if I’m there
as hard as it all seems.
I’ll be home for Christmas,
if only in my dreams.


***
Christmas’ Past
***

I teeter on the barren steps
away from all the clutter.
Hustle and bustle of parents below;
my heart is now aflutter.

A little flannel gown I wear;
it hugs my tiny feet.
I see the tree alit below
my Christmas now complete.

Giggles begin to surface,
as siblings sit astride
We gaze at all the action below
Our tiny feet we hide.

Christmas pasts, that I remember,
with such a joyful wonder.
My gazing down the steps to see
the toys that lay there under.

Our tree was always brightly lit
Unceasingly on Christmas Eve.
The star gave hope for my future,
a humbling time to believe.

Santa Claus may not have been real,
I clearly know that now.
But something happened on Christmas’ past
That made him real somehow.

I always had a momentous present
nestled tightly beneath the tree.
It was a treasured loving gift,
wrapped especially for me.

It was as if St. Nicholas
climbed inside my parents heart.
They shared their love on Christmas day
To their children they did impart.

What wondrous Christmas memories
I carry in my soul.
No need to ever long for more;
My Christmas’ are whole.
***
I wish you all a Merry Christmas
as you treasure family moments.
Be blessed!

The Legend of Saint Nicholas

The Legend of Saint Nicholas

There he sat in a great big chair,
Velvet red suit, snow-like hair.
Full of laughter, joy, and cheer.
Once again that time of year.

"Mommy, mommy, who is he?"
Are words I longed to hear.
But what do you say to innocence,
To make the story clear?

Do I grant him imagination,
His mind set to explore?
Or thrust him into reality,
Allowing his soul to soar?

I tell the story of Jesus,
His gracious, humble birth.
About how wise men brought Him gifts.
Because He blessed this earth.

St. Nicholas too, was a humble man,
Who loved all girls and boys.
He gave them joy and laughter,
By blessing them with toys.

His giving to children once a year,
To feel enormous pleasure.
Throughout eternity, each child will hold,
A day they'll always treasure.

Chosen was the day of our Lord,
I'm sure He wouldn't mind.
Sharing His appointed birthday,
With a man so warm and kind.

Jesus had inspired a man,
To lovingly care and give.
And through the spirit of both these men,
Their memories will live.

So once a year, St. Nicholas' spirit,
Dwells in the hearts of men.
Bringing imagination to life,
In any way he can.

Poetry Sunday~ A True Christmas Story

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.." Isaiah 9:6
***

A True Christmas Story

A tale was told one Christmas eve,
Tis' better to give than to receive.
But I have no gift, my pockets bare,
I am but a poet, my poem I'll share.
I rose from my bed on Christmas day,
The sun was peeking down where I lay.
I crept down the stairs so I could see,
Had Santa left gifts under my tree?
I wasn't surprised, left unamazed,
I stood at my empty tree and gazed.
No gifts to give, my heart did ache,
But I would go on for Christmas' sake.
I threw on my clothes, rushed out the door,
Just what is all this excitement for?
I have no gifts to give to thee,
No presents were left beneath my tree.
So how can Christmas be happy and gay?
What is the secret that makes this day?
I swung open the door, to my surprise,
My family was sitting before my eyes.
Greetings exchanged, hugs of embrace,
Smiles that lit the entire place.
"We're glad you're here, accept this gift.
Maybe then your spirits will lift."
I saw in their eyes a special glow,
That sunk my heart, and let me know,
That they were giving with deepest love,
For God had signaled from above.
The spirit of Christmas is a radiant gleam,
That shines through the soul, in a warming beam.
I have felt that warmth throughout the year,
By spreading laughter, joy, and cheer.
But a chosen day was set aside,
For all our arms to open wide.
So the gift I give has no ribbons or bows,
I'll give you peace that warms and glows.
I'll tell you I love you, I'll make you smile,
I'll see that your visit was worth the while.
I returned to my house, I plugged in my tree,
There sat a star gazing down at me.
I looked at the star with wondrous sight,
For God had appeared that Christmas night.
I was given the secret of Christmas eve,
Tis' better to give, than to receive.

Quotation Saturday

I believe that uncertainty is really my spirit's way of whispering, "I'm in flux. I can't decide for you. Something is off-balance here."
~Oprah Winfrey (1954 - ), O Magazine, June 2003

Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.
~Voltaire (1694 - 1778)

A preoccupation with the future not only prevents us from seeing the present as it is but often prompts us to rearrange the past.
~Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983), The Passionate State of Mind, 1954
***

On a lighter note...

A Strange Christmas Scene
***
In a small southern town there was a "Nativity Scene" that showed great skill and talent had gone into creating it. One small feature bothered me.
The three wise men were wearing firemen's helmets.

Totally unable to come up with a reason or explanation, I left. At a "Quik Stop" on the edge of town, I asked the lady behind the counter about the helmets. She exploded into a rage, yelling at me, "You stupid Yankees never do read the Bible!" I assured her that I did, but simply couldn't recall anything about firemen in the Bible.

She jerked her Bible from behind the counter and ruffled through some pages, and finally jabbed her finger at a passage. Sticking it in my face she said "See, it says right here, 'The three wise man came from afar.'"
***
Something Cheap?
***

After being away on business for a week before Christmas, Tom thought it would be nice to bring his wife a little gift.

"How about some perfume?" he asked the cosmetics clerk. She showed him a bottle costing $50.

"That's a bit much," said Tom, so she returned with a smaller bottle for $30.

"That's still quite a bit," Tom groused.

Growing disgusted, the clerk brought out a tiny $15 bottle.

Tom grew agitated, "What I mean," he said, "is I'd like to see something real cheap."

So the clerk handed him a mirror.

Freaky Friday~ Sanity

The Heavenly host cried out in joy the day you were born. Know you are here for a reason and REJOICE!
~joni~
***

Sanity...part II

Okay, after reading my post yesterday I’ll get into clarifying it up, hopefully. It sounded like a cryptic message lay hidden in there and if you know me personally, there more than likely is.

The year started off in a weird way. I was searching for myself and somewhere along the line I got lost; what with the move and all. Some thought I was uncertain of the move, unsure of where I wanted to be but in my heart there is only one place I wanted to be and that is here in Nebraska.

My writing took a big back burner because now I was taking on tasks that I never had to do before. I think life got flipped upside down and confetti flew all over the place (those were my brains) and I found myself here on a farm out in the middle of nowhere with chores that needed tending. A good five-six hours were spent mowing, raking, weeding planting, sowing, reaping, washing, drying, all kinds of chores!

I was sure my writing was going to pick back up but excuse after excuse,distraction after distraction kept me from writing. Now keep in mind, I’ve worked hard to become a writer and all of the sudden things stopped. I didn’t want to write, I hated writing. Writer’s block? No, stuff happens. I was putting others before myself and my writing was what got cut short.

If I could put the year in review? I put my heart and soul in the blender and pushed ON! There I go, look at me twirling all around, jumping through hoops, press STOP and I find it’s Christmas already!

Last week, something happened. I felt a shift in the atmosphere. I got hurt. Hurt to the point I’ve been trying to pull myself together like a worn old teddy bear needing someone to sew his arm back on. I’m not one to dwell on crap, so I move on, but I’m telling you...it was a polar shift and I don’t know if all the pieces will fit together again. Where do *I* fit into this puzzle? I don’t have nostalgia here, or old friends, family, memories. Nothing, so where do I fit in? :::shrugs:::

I was moving right along, enjoying everything this world has to offer then, WHAM, this boulder started rolling like in the Indiana Jones movie? Rolling, I’m running, running, it’s rolling and WHAM! I’m crushed! Like a cartoon character I pick myself up, stick my thumb in my mouth and blow, POOF, I’m whole again.

Come January my writing is going to take precedence in my life once again. No more excuses. No more problems getting in the way! I’m doing it and that is final!! I need to find myself once again and I will turn to the strength and love that has come to comfort me in my darkest of moments, my Heavenly Father. I know I’ll make it because He is going to carry me as if I’m a feather!

godspeed my friends...

Thought-filled Thursday

Lam:3:11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
*
I will not go down...

Psalm 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
*

As a writer I feel as if I am in my own little world within my head. Thoughts run like a freight train in circles until one end catches up with the other.

They circle like kids on a maypole these thoughts of mine and maybe I’ll be able to turn them into a story. The only problem is, these are not of the fictional tales these are downright gut wrenching life tales! Soul searching spiritual revelations!

I can’t remember a time in my life where things were just pleasant as a peacock. I mean, I’ve always strived for feeling good, Lord knows I’ve tried. Sometimes not always choosing the right method for feeling good, but I learned my lesson, moved on and became what I thought was a better person.

I drift through the aisles of the days like a fog laden morning. I wonder if the eggshells will break in my hand or will the mirror crack into a thousand pieces. I’m afraid to turn and look to see if what I’ve done has caused a train wreck, a disastrous train wreck that pummeled through my year and left only pieces to be cleaned up.

I hang here in the gallows of Christmas time scurrying here and there taking care of matters but what is this hanging on the boughs? It’s my sanity, dangling like a partridge in a pear tree, dangling like the clapper of a bell, back and forth, clinging, clanging to what it is that holds me here on this Earth.

I realize that nothing is as perfect as it seems and everything can use a little glue to hold destroyed bits and pieces together. Suppose it’s a lost part? I’m thinking you just either need a shiny new unblemished trinket, or enjoy the broken torn blanket that you carry and be grateful for having something warm and treasured to cling to.

You know what I’m saying? Why throw away the old, when what you have is here? Now! I’m not prefect, never will be, but then no one else is perfect either because we all have little bits of ourselves scattered around the years that could use a little bonding to pull us back together.

I’m tired of hurt, pain, disappointment. I’m living for the moment and whatever it slams into my face. If I break, I have the Lord to fill in the gaps and holes and in the end...I’ll mend.

A writer’s life is insanity.

(to be continued...)

F2K FREE Writing Workshop!

It's none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.
Ernest Hemingway
***

What is f2k? Allow me to tell you. It is a seven week free writing workshop that teaches you the basics of writing. F2K stands for fiction 2000, but the concept isn’t just for fiction it spans all writing!

To put it simply, you will learn all the basic steps in writing a short story that will carry you onto writing a novel. With these elements in place you can write your heart out, whether it is blogging, a thesis paper, or even a magazine article.

You’re asking, “Is it really FREE?” YES!

Hundreds of students are divided up into six or seven ‘classes’. Each room has a mentor who oversees the seven weeks. The mentor comments on the first week but sits and watches new writers take shape and form, from the sidelines. We have ‘mentor support’ for a $25 dollar fee, but most students receive their critiques happily from fellow writers who are usually well crafted returnees to the workshop.

Mentor support is one on one with the mentor of your room. PLUS the students get to give you feedback. You get the best of both worlds!

You see, Bob Hembree, a brilliant man, thought that people should have access to free basic lessons in writing. He’s the brains behind this gem of a course. You’ll learn characterization, plot, conflict, point of view, and one of my favorites, the senses!

F2K signup link

Above is the sign up link. We are blind accessible. I know because I had a student last session who had been blind from the age of six years old. I didn’t understand words like JAWS last year, I thought it was a big fish that ate people. But JAWS is a voice system that reads content for the blind.

I have another friend who is quadriplegic and it is accessible to his Dragon Naturally Speaking. I just call her Dragon Lady because she don’t like me! lol

Seriously, if you like to dabble in writing, want to become more concise or at least look like you know what you’re doing, this is the course for you. It will tighten your written words up so that you no longer babble! ha ha.


Now this is an IMPORTANT note: You will NOT gain access until January 6th of 2010.
I repeat, YOU WILL NOT GAIN ACCESS, until 1-6-10. I repeat myself because lots of folks have joined already and want access NOW. They want to look around. But there is no one there so there is nothing to see! Or hear! ;-)

Be patient and I hope to see you there!

Poetry Sunday~ Remember the Reason

Remember the Reason

It’s not about presents it’s not about bows,
It’s all about the heart that grows.
As Christmas day draws ever near,
I lost the luster of good cheer.

I dig in the snow, my dog runs ‘round
We both seek for nothing found.
I’m off to a dismal Christmas day
Not much to do nor much to say.

But wait, there it is, I see the gleam
shining down as a radiant beam
it scans the snow covered lawn
it peeks in my window at the crack of dawn.

He taps on my shoulder I’m startled awake
my body shivers I begin to quake.
He whispers words into my ear,
“Have you forgotten about me here?”

I rub my eyes I see what he means,
its all around in Christmas scenes.
“I haven’t forgotten, please don’t leave!”
But gone is the hand of which I’d receive.

I stumble to my bedroom door,
to see the angel perched once more.
a nativity scene is flooding my mind.
the tiny babe lay warm and kind.

How did I miss this glorious sight.
It visits me yearly on this night.
I feel his presence all year through
What’s so hard in getting it through.

Arrogance, pride; they get in the way.
Of the true meaning of this wondrous day.
Although a symbol of generations old.
His birth was real for it was foretold.

I’m sorry I missed the enormous blessing
He gave to me through fact, not guessing.
He is the Mighty Savior and King
In my soul I’ll let the yule ring!

Quotation Saturday

Isaiah 17:11 In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
***

The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.
~Anna Quindlen (1953 - )

Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew.
~Saint Francis de Sales (1567 - 1622)

The conception of two people living together for twenty-five years without having a cross word suggests a lack of spirit only to be admired in sheep.
~Alan Patrick Herbert

A great marriage is not when the 'perfect couple' comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences.
~Dave Meurer, "Daze of Our Wives"

Intimacy is what makes a marriage, not a ceremony, not a piece of paper from the state.
~Kathleen Norris

Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on.
~Bob Newhart (1929 - )

I was irrevocably betrothed to laughter, the sound of which has always seemed to me to be the most civilized music in the world.
~Peter Ustinov (1921 - 2004)

Now on to my Christmas joke of the week:

A family had twin boys whose only resemblance to each other was their looks. If one felt it was too hot, the other thought it was too cold. If one said the TV was too loud, the other claimed the volume needed to be turned up. Opposite in every way, one was an eternal optimist, the other a doom and gloom pessimist.

Just to see what would happen, on the twins' birthday their father loaded the pessimist's room with every imaginable toy and game. The optimist's room he loaded with horse manure.

That night the father passed by the pessimist's room and found him sitting amid his new gifts crying bitterly.

"Why are you crying?" the father asked.

"Because my friends will be jealous, I'll have to read all these instructions before I can do anything with this stuff, I'll constantly need batteries, and my toys will eventually get broken." answered the pessimist twin.

Passing the optimist twin's room, the father found him dancing for joy in the pile of manure. "What are you so happy about?" he asked.

To which his optimist twin replied, "There's got to be a pony in here somewhere!"

Flippin Friday

Flippin Friday...

Yeah today is flippin friday. The day I look back over the week and see how not so great it was. I’m feeling a little down. Is it the holiday’s? Is it isolation? Loneliness? What!

Alone!

Well I was and still am happy about the snowfall! It maxed out at a good 13 inches (by my count) and the snowdrifts are over two feet! The temps have been really low, too low to go out an enjoy it and I don’t even have a daggone shovel!

ALONE!

Today I’m getting me a shovel! And I’m going out in 16 degree temps to shovel! Darn, I’m sufficient. Instead of dwelling on my aching heart, I think I’ll rejoice in the snow! It will wrap itself around me, cuddle me, and make me feel loved! So loved, it might snow again come Sunday! Of course I think I’m coming down with something...but that’s another story. I’ll fight it.

ALONE!

I’ve got to go and wallow in my own self pity party. I’m having streamers, horns and all! Maybe something will happen that will make me feel like a mortal citizen that belongs in this world. Because right now...I feel like death run me over!


I know....I’ll shop! Get some presents under the tree! Ribbons and bows and all that jazz? We’ll see... I’ll let you know if it works.

Reminder: f2k post coming up!

Winter Wonderland

Job 37:6 For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.

I’m wondering if it’s interesting to write about snow? I know Frost did it in very few words but the impact and images have spanned years. (referring to Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening?)

Today it is snowing again. It began Sunday as we were leaving church to head home. I was so thankful I got the service in because the sermon propels me through the week on a spiritual high.

I started on Facebook, woohoo’ing and yipeeing but it was met with polar responses. No pun intended. Some like snow and some don’t and some wish they were in the land of God awful heat, raking up a.c. bills and spending way too much money on antiperspirant.(That is and never will be Joni!)

I was born and raised in the wonderland of Maryland. We had snow on a yearly basis and I was the first one with excitement quivering in my voice when I exclaimed, “It’s snowing!” The white stuff falling from the skies pushed me to believe that God was as pure as the driven snow and that He loved me because he gave me this gift, yearly!

When I had my son on December 27th, of 1995, I was whisked away to the hospital as snow flurries fell. Two weeks later we had a blizzard! A BLIZZARD and a child who needed his inoculation come hell or high water. Well, the deep snow didn’t keep me from getting him to the doctors and since that day forward, my son shares in the delight and excitement of snow also!

Fast forward to 2003 when I was led to the dreary, dismal, heat drenched Dallas Texas. The vain laden state that swells with arrogance and smells of smog. What the heck was I thinking, oh yeah, I was in love! In love with a man from Nebraska. For six years I longed to come to Nebraska for the snow, the family, the tightly woven communities, the humble beautiful nature of true people of the mid-west.

Sure my first year in Texas when I told everyone I was bringing snow with me, they scoffed and laughed, “We ain’t had that stuff in ten years.” That year...it snowed! God didn’t let me down, I knew He Wouldn’t! For six years he gave me a gift, a day here in winter, a day there, but I saw snow.

Our first snow in Nebraska happened in October! How excited was I??? Walked a mile to go sledding in it! So today after three days of watching the white stuff fall graciously from the sky, I will once again go walking in the purity and feel it grace my face with its tiny tentacles of ice. I will wash my body in the silkiness and feel as if God’s own fingers are touching me.

Once again...my gift from God!

Poetry Sunday ~ The Mystery

The Mystery
 All rights reserved: copyright © Joni Zipp
 ***
Within the snow capped dome I see
the mirror image looking back at me
Ice propels one to bliss
the wash of love I dare not miss.

The pine it lingers in my soul
fragments left to control
the gifts are but a vivid illusion
of life that struggles with confusion.

Christmas carries an air of mystery
as does the spirit throughout history.
Propels the thoughts of one who sleeps
into a place where cynicism weeps.

Allow the truth to never hide
Christmas day I will confide.
Hold out the hand of all you ration
within your heart the stem of compassion.
***
All rights reserved: copyright © Joni Zipp

author’s note: I have no idea where this came from! But read and gain what you need to. The message is there.

Quotation Saturday

Luke 1:14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
***

A little Christmas joy for my followers. Tired of being sad around the holiday’s? Read on! Quotation Saturday will lift your spirits for sure!

Little Known Christmas Fact
***

Not long ago and far away, Santa was getting ready for his annual trip...but there were problems everywhere.
Four of his elves were sick, and the trainee elves did not produce the toys as fast as the regular ones so Santa was beginning to feel the pressure of being behind schedule.
Then Mrs. Claus told Santa that her mom was coming to visit. This stressed Santa even more. When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two had jumped the fence and were out, heaven knows where. More Stress. Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the boards cracked and the toy bag fell to the ground and scattered the toys. So, frustrated, Santa went into the house for a cup of coffee and a shot of whiskey. When he went to the cupboard, he found the elves had hidden the liquor and there was nothing to drink. In his frustration, he dropped the coffee pot and it broke into hundreds of little pieces all over the he kitchen floor.
He went to get the broom and found that mice had eaten the straw it was made from.
Just then the doorbell rang and Santa cussed on his way to the door. He opened the door and there was a little angel with a great big Christmas tree. The angel said: "Where would you like to put this tree Santa?"
And that my friends, is how the little angel came to be on top of the Christmas tree.


On a quotable note:


Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home. ~Carol Nelson

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

Instead of being a time of unusual behavior, Christmas is perhaps the only time in the year when people can obey their natural impulses and express their true sentiments without feeling self-conscious and, perhaps, foolish. Christmas, in short, is about the only chance a man has to be himself. ~Francis C. Farley

It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air. ~W.T. Ellis

Freaky Friday

Psalm 95:1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

Goals goals goals!!!

One week has almost passed since my last posting. That shows you how well I am at setting goals and keeping them.

Sure I like to blog every day so that my fans can all get a good lesson of their writing needs. Whether it is inspiration, encouragement, skills or just passing by for some fun. This is what I like to offer my blog readers.

But this week I’ve been a little lazy in my writing endeavors. I’ve been running around cleaning, preparing for the holiday shuffle and doing all sorts of things that just keep on pulling me away from my writing!

My friend Raven always says you should set goals and from what I read, she actually does set goals and keeps them! She’s one busy gal AND she completed the NaNoWri Mo (National Novel Writing Month, for those NOT in the know.) The idea is to sit at that computer and write at least 1500 words a day and by the end of the month you’ll have a novel, ready for revision! That’s what I said, a novel!

This is what setting goals can do for you. I’ve been writing my blog for some time now and I’ve given you all a taste of the writer’s life. We need to learn, write, submit, write, grow, write, and basically every single day pen something worthwhile to read!

Sure we can post rants and raves on a daily basis like a good cup of morning coffee, it becomes regular, enough that we know our fans likes, dislikes, wants and needs. So you all want more of my life story don’t ya? Ha ha...Just kidding folks. I’m sure after this holiday hustle and bustle we’ll get back to a more regular ‘learn to write’ style.

But I thank you all for staying with me this long, bearing with me as I go and grow. What a life! This is all any of us can do in this world and that is go with the flow that life’s pace hands out and grow from the experience of it all.

I wish you all a wondrous and glorious holiday season no matter where you are in this world or where you are at in life!

Note: Look for my posting on the free writing course coming up January 6, 2010! I’ll be providing links to haul you all into class with me as I teach you the basics of writing! It is an awesome FREE course! Yes people FREE!!! More later. :-)

Godspeed friends!