Writing 101: Take a cue from your readers

I’ve always felt the brain organizes and computes while writing, but the body is the place where story lives.

~Kathleen Winter

What does this mean to me? Reading this quote, I feel that it a short and simple summary of my blog and some of the post I’ve written for Writing 101. I’ve mention and describe my space and  writing world where my brain process and recall thing that I’ve experience, felt and witness in this beautiful and dangerous world we live in. It is only because my soul habits this body, this vessel, where all these stories I’ve share with you live in. Without my body I wouldn’t be able to tell you those stories, Reinvent the letter format about that crush I never told that girl. I wouldn’t be able to write about going to a latin dance on a Thursday night and ask a beautiful girl to dance in expand a comment.

As much as we think our brain is the front and center of everything we experience, from love, to a female giving birth, the warm sunlight hitting your skin as it raises above the horizon, to those hard moments that we wish to never remember or experience. It is our body thats the first to experience everything we do and feel living in this world. It is in the body that this stories are stored until we wish to recall them to transcribe them in words using our brain and hand.

Writing 101: Recreate a Single Day

The room is dark, nice and cool. The only light visible is that coming from the outside entering through the small open crack at the bottom of the door. Then he is awaken by an annoying sound. The clock alarm has gone off and using his right hand switches it off. Six, zero, zero, that 6 o clock in the morning. Slowly he stretches his arms and legs, removing the covers off him, and gets out of bed. What college student get up at 6 in the morning? As he get out of bed he gently walk to the front of the room where there a sink and to the right a dresser, where he gets his tooth-brush and toothpaste. Doing this with caution and as quiet as possible to not disturb his roommate whose still asleep. Getting himself ready, dressing in black shorts and a white tee-shirt, along with white socks and his black running shoes, he gather his keys and Id and quietly heads to the door. Opening the door he is shot with rays of light from a silent hallway, squinting his eyes as they adjust to the light. Gently closing the door in begin walking down an empty hallway, not a single person in sight, just brown locked doors watching him as he passes by. Behind them males or females silently asleep under their bed covers.

Taking the evaluator from the 7th floor to the ground floor, seeing a few early bird starting their day early. He walks out of the lobby seeing the students workers sitting at the front desk and opening the door that leads to the main entrance to Jester West dorms. Walking toward the gym there nothing that appear out of the ordinary. The smell of breakfast coming the cafeteria. It just like any other morning, very few people, the sunrise coming up from the horizon, night becoming day. Once arriving at the gym and the front desk receptionist scanning his id to enter, he heads to the 3rd floor. Walking up the stair he hear the sound of the machines people using below the ground floor. At the 3rd floor, an indoor track where every morning there are two or three people doing their morning runs or ROTC group getting their morning physical fitness drills. By now it about 6:35ish and he starts out with stretching his legs for five minutes and being his run around the track.
Around 7:05am heading to exit the gym, he see more people walking in. Guy in shorts and muscle shirts, Girl in short just above the knee and a shirt that outline their sport bra. Walking back to his room, the only difference is there are few more people walking the buildings and halls. Walking in and out the restroom/shower room that each section of the hallway share with other males or females if they are in an all female section. In his room he turns on his computer to quickly check his email. Clicking on the web browser address box, he types the address to yahoo. At this point his roommate is in the shower getting reading for his 8:30am class. In a second the yahoo page displays and seeing the news headline, something about a plane crash. Thinking nothing of it, probably just an accident, he closes his web browser and goes takes a shower. After taking a shower and returning to his room, he receive a phone call from home. Answering the phone, it his mom, telling him quickly turn on the tv. Turning on the TV he see the headline that a plane crash into the world trade center. Thinking back to what he saw on yahoo a few minutes earlier, that was no accident. Listening to the what he is hearing from the TV was shocking.
Two hours later after doing some important errands, he gathers his books and backpack to head to his Mexican history class. He been glued to the TV about the events unfolding in New York and in Washington D.C. Both World Trade center towers have collapse. Wanting to say in his room and continue to watch, but knowing that he has to head to class. Walking and taking the same elevator he took early this morning to the lobby, now filled will students. Student just waking up and hearing the news. Some without a TV in their room, gather around the TV in the lobby watching what was unfolding. Some females in their pink and poke a dots PJs, in tears and crying as I past them by.

Just into a  week and a half into the fall semester, the atmosphere had changed on campus.  No longer people talking about their classes, or enjoy the first week away from home.  Everyone on campus talking about the two plane that crashed into the world trade center, talking about Sept 11, 2001 or 9/11.  Some even scared and confused. Other still trying to figure out why someone would do this.

Later that evening, students and staff gather at the main mall for a candle light vigil.  Place their candles on the front step of the tower where they slowly burn, leaving the asphalt with a black burn. At the end of the vigil, one student begin to sing, slowly two more students, then 15, 40 and the entire student body is singing the Star Spangled Banner.

Writing 101: Compose a Series of Vignettes

Its 7:30pm and he sits in front of his desk where he moves his wireless mouse to awake his desktop computer. There, he click on the address bar and click on yahoo mail, to check on his next written assignment.  Scrolling through his email he finds Day 13: composing a series of Vignettes. The student excited about receiving his next assignment, clicks on the email, begin reading the assignment instructions. As he complete reading the instructions, he ends up confused on what the assignment is asking for. Wondering what is a series of Vignettes, is anyone else in the class just as confuse of what the instruction is asking. Thirty minutes have past and still the student is lost on what the assignment task is.  Moving his mouse he open another window on his computer screen, seeing and clicking on a square that says, writing 101: the commons. Another screen appears and he writes the issues he is having with assignment 13: composing a series of Vignettes, hoping the instructor or other students will clear the confusion about the assignment.

————————————————————-

Arriving home from a romantic dinner and some wine tasting with her husband, Cheri head over to her labtop. Her stomach full and feeling great, she want to checking in if any student had questions about assignment 13 before heading off to bed.  Cheri browsing each student entry on the commons, some entries about previous assignments and a few who completed assignment 13.  Scrolling down she arrives to a students entry:

Good Evening bloggers, I think everyone already got assignment 13 compose a series of vignettes. I just wanted to make sure that I am understanding what the assignment is. we have write a story or something like maybe sitting at mcdonalds and then like write maybe what we see outside, people, the weather, then maybe we hear a conversation from the person sitting behind me, and then describe our meal because we our eating, not because we our hungry, emotionally hungry.. Something like that??

Seeing that this student is not the only one with concerns about the assignment, Cheri goes back and re-read the assignment. Double checking if any of the instruction might be confusing or maybe should be re-written. Clicking back on the common page she read a few response from other students who wrote their understanding of the task.  She leave a reply to the student, hoping that it will clear any confusion he may have about the assignment.

————————————————————-

It 8:30am the student logs on to his wordpress account and see he has gotten several replies from students about his confusion with assignment 13. He also see Cheri response and read its. Still feeling somewhat confuse, it run across his mind that he may have to skip this assignment.  Nothing in his mind is clicking. The only thing that pop in his head is that he has writer blocks. Deciding not to worry about assignment 13 and letting other people know in the group about his confusion and wanting to skip the assignment. It 10am and he decide to go to Walmart with he mom and little niece that he calls “trouble”.

About 8pm and he has read several other student’s story/series of Vignettee awhile watching Ironman 3. Still not having any idea of what to write and then an idea fell from the heavens. Well somewhat of an idea, but not sure if it fit with what the assignment is asking for. In his mind, it a theme and a pattern of struggling with this assignment, Compose a Serious of Vignettees.

————————————————————

Alarm go off and it 7am. Cheri wake up and head to the kitchen to make her morning coffee. Awhile waiting for her coffee she put her labtop on the kitchen table and turns it on. Grabbing her coffee cup from the cabinet, she pour herself some coffee and sits down at the table.  Logging on and seeing the posting her students left overnight, she see a posting from the student that was confuse and wanting to skip the assignment. Clicking the link the student left she read his assignment.

Writing 101: Play with word count

They are just to damn smart for their age.  They can work a iPhone, a ipad, your labtop/desktop better then most of us adults can. If you are a parent then you probably know who am talking about and it not the hormonal driven teenagers.  It those little kids who still haven’t reach the age to go to school.  For me I don’t have kids, still a long way before we start having that conversation, but I do have a two year old niece. She is way to damn smart for her age. At two years old she can hop on the chair that am sitting on right now, grab the mouse and move to the internet explore icon, click on it, go to the favorite menu and click on her favorite cartoon links that my mom has saved.  Give her a iPhone or a tablet and she will go straight to youtube and see her favorite cartoon like mickey mouse without any assistant from an adult. yes! to damn smart for her age

Just thinking about it makes me wonder how my parents were able to manage to raise my brothers, sisters and I without any assistance of technology.  I remember when my younger brother and sister were still babies and putting them in the car sitting with a toy and bottle and that was it.  Now it seem today that just give them a iPhone/tablet and that all they need. These next generation of kids will be to dependent  on technology. You wonder if we are hurting kids development when we give a tablet or iPhone.  I guess with time we will know.

Writing 101: Writing not Writing

When I am not in my world of writing, I go to various other worlds to seek refuge. Which world would you like to explore first? No passports required, just an open mind. Please no wondering around on your own fokes:)

In this world you will need a change of clothes. Something that you feel comfortable moving in. Here in this world I go work out my body while letting my thoughts go. All my thoughts, the stress the harbors my body, float away. There I alternate my workout plan from lifting weights to cardio. Awhile doing this, I am also in my other world of music. Listening to music with a beat that your body  wants to move to. Let explore that world a little more.

The world of music is a diverse world filled with rock, alternative, classical, Spanish music from tejano, to salsa, merengue, bachata to Spanish rock. When listen to Spanish music my mind begin to image my body dancing to the music. Have you just ever listen to music that you can dance to and imaging in your head dancing to it. Whether it be dancing with someone or by yourself. Here are a few songs. O and am kind of a old school type of guy:)
El Tao Tao | Selena – Yo Te Amo | Besame | terremoto | Pedro Nevajas

This next world is somewhat new, it the world of art. Here I let my color pencil drawing.creativity side take over, from drawing to coloring. Of course this world is still being explored and with time I hope to discover other opportunities in the world of art. This world of art also has a moon that orbits it and that is photography. Here it just letting my eyes use a third eye, my camera to capture time and light of something or of people that look interesting at the moment. It another way of showing what I see with my eyes and my observations without having to use words.

The world of reading is a brand new order. A world is still developing on the surface and discovering the species that live in this reading world. So far I’ve read 4 books since I discovered this world.

looking-through-telescopeSome other worlds that I sometime visit is the world of astronomy.  Here at home I don’t have a clear view of the sky because of the light pollution.  From time to time I will take out my telescope and observe our heavenly neighbors that are visible in our night sky. These neighbors are Jupiter, Saturn and our moon

Hope you enjoy the tour of my worlds when I am not writing.  I plan on visiting yours soon. Pray that I don’t get lost.  Thanks:)

Writing 101:Update your readers over a cup of coffee

coffee

 

38710027
photo taken by me using film.

If we were having coffee right now, it would be in a public place because I don’t know how to make coffee and I don’t drink it.  I would be there a few minutes early to get a table for us and order a cup of tea or water, plus maybe cheese cake or something chocolate. Awhile I wait for you to arrive my ears would be on surveillance, listening to the girls/guys conversation behind me about their boy/girlfriend and how one caught them sleeping with another person. OR whatever else people will talk about in public.

If we were having coffee right now, I would be telling you about both my blog, staying the course and my photography blog. In addition to that to tell you about writing 101 and maybe share a few of my popular post.

If we were having coffee right now, I would for sure have my camera on the table and take a picture of you.  You will probably ask me “let me see it”, but you can’t because I shoot film.  You got to wait. I would also show you a few of photos from my photo blog.

If we were having coffee right now, of course it wouldn’t be all about me.  Am a good listener and will listen to whatever you have to say.  Positive or negative. I’ll be your shrink for the day, free of charge.
afbeelding-1-shrink

If we were having coffee right now, I would tell you about some of the new hobbies/interest I have started. One, I start to read, I starting to draw, and how I have interested in astronomy and there going to be a Lunar eclipse and a super moon on the same day on September 27-28,2015. Click on the link, Lunar Eclipse to see if it will be visible where you are at.

Writing 101: Reinvent the letter format

A Letter to a girl that I never told how I felt about her.

September 17, 2015

Dear Dilia Rodriguez

It only seem like yesterday that when I first meet you in elementary school.  Third grade if I remember correctly, but it wasn’t until the following year I start getting these strange feelings.  As a young boy I didn’t know how to handle and express these feeling.  It was obvious to our friends that I had a crush on you. They knew it and expressed it one time when we had just finish having recess.

As we grew and went from grade level to grade level I still couldn’t shake this crush bug.  Even though I couldn’t tell you and you never confronted me about it, we were good friends. I wish you did confront me about, it would had made it easier for me.  We move on to middle school where again crush bug surface and I wanted to tell you. As you know growing up as teenage wasn’t easy. I  knew I wasn’t as popular as some of the other boys in school that many girl found attractive.  It was scary and mind blogging to express that I had a crush on you.

We move on into high school. Again we continued to be good friends and has several classes together.  It would be our last 4 years that we would see each other before we part ways and my last opportunity to tell you about that crush that I always had on you and continued to have. I figure that best opportunity to tell you was asking you to prom and sharing my feeling, but you had to leave town. We finished high school and walk the stage, but I never got the chance to tell you how I felt.

Here I am today, hunted by not expressing those feelings.  Only re-surface in my subconscious mind awhile I dream during the night.  Trying to re-live those childhood moment and have the guts to tell you how I felt.

Sincerely,

Your friend Mike

P.S. maybe fate will have us cross path again in the future.

 

 

Writing 101: Expand a Comments

jim-richardson-close-up-of-a-taxi-driver-s-eyes-in-rearview-mirror-of-his-cabIt about 9:45pm and I hear my phone ring. I answer it and its the cab driver, saying that he is here at my apartment. I walk out of my apartment dress to impress. Of course I have my black dress shoes on, along with black slacks with a black belt and a nice button up black, dark gray, with some gray color shirt that has these design pattern go straight down. I hop into the cab, sitting right in back of him and tell him congress and 2nd street. The cab drive say, “yes sir”. “Where are you heading off tonight?” I reply going Salsa Dancing at The Copa. The cab driver response, O I hear that a great place. Are there a lot of hot chicks that go there? Que No? I remain silent, but then he says, I bet all the ladies go after you because you a good dancer. Si! You a good dancer? Looking at me through his rearview mirror. I reply, I know enough to make a small impression?
Continue reading “Writing 101: Expand a Comments”

Writing 101: Hook’em with a quote

“I feel like I’m just a flower getting great roots but far from blooming. Far from blooming.” ~Becky Hammon

Becky Hammon a retired WNBA player who played for the San Antonio Silver Star and the first female NBA full-time Assistant coach. Also the first female head coach for the NBA Summer League and to win the summer league Championship. Becky Hammon said this during the NBA Summer league after her first game as a coach in the summer league and her first lost.

I pick this quote because one, I admire her for what she is doing and I believe that she is a very inspirational person. Of course she is a attractive person, but beside that, if I had a daughter, I would hope that Becky Hammon would be the role model that she look up to. She clearing the path for other female to be in a position that is male dominated.

Secondly, reading this quote, I hope and pray that at some point in the near future someone will give me opportunity to be a flower that has great roots, but needs time to bloom to become that awesome flower. At the moment it a been a struggle for me, kind of like a flower that does get enough water and sunlight to fully bloom. Kind of sound corny in a way, but it kind of how I feel.

I couldn’t fine the video when she said this, but did find a article that states her quote. You can read it here.

Writing 101: A space to write

3f6222c0-e6a3-45fa-ba1c-64d8b133b964
Image by Michael Cain

There is only one place to write and that is alone at a typewriter. The writer who has to go into the streets is a writer who does not know the streets. . . . when you leave your typewriter you leave your machine gun and the rats come pouring through.
— Charles Bukowski, Notes of a Dirty Old Man

Where do I write?  At this moment awhile I am writing this post, am at home, in part of the living room where my desk top sits on a desk. There a window looking toward the front right corner of my house. To my right side lays one of my three dogs asleep.  My room is right behind me which is where I would like to be at, but since it a small room there limited space to add a desk and chair.  I do draw in my room, but am sitting on the floor when am doing that. Same thing when I am working on what photos to put on my photo blog.  When am writing, it already late into the evening, nice and quiet with the exception of the TV and the sound of keyboard as I type.
Continue reading “Writing 101: A space to write”