Confessions of a Flibbertigibbet by Lorrie Orr

 

Explore

This month’s prompt is taken from July 2014, written by Sandi Somers, and asks you to explore, to travel in new directions. Perhaps you tend to write in only one particular genre, or in one particular voice and style for a particular audience.

This month, become an explorer by selecting a genre or a voice/style that you haven’t worked in before (or rarely). Write for a different audience. Do a little research. Then tell us how you saw with new eyes, what you discovered, and if you would consider further writing in this genre.

I married a curious and adventurous explorer, and I've embraced much of his spirit, albeit with more trepidation. We've lived in and visited places that have my heart pounding and my hands sweaty. Our most recent adventure took us along two infamous roads in British Columbia. The portion of Highway 20 (Heckman Pass) known as The Hill descends from 5000 feet to sea level in 10 kilometres. There are no guardrails, up to 18% gradients, hairpin curves, and a very steep drop off the edge. "My life is in your hands," I kept reminding God as we crawled down the road in four-wheel drive-low range. The views at the end of the road, in Bella Coola, were well worth the chewed-off nails.

Exploring can be uncomfortable in any area of life, writing included. And it can be a grand adventure, full of unexpected twists and turns. Jane Austen's words "Indulge your imagination in every possible flight," taken with the idea of writing in different genres, fit my writing persona well. When asked what I write, I have to think for a moment to come up with a concise answer that doesn't make me sound like a flibbertigibbet. My writing life runs the gambit of genres from poetry to fiction to devotionals to nature writing. And I'm currently writing (nearly finished) a memoir. Whew! A children's story or two lurk at the back of my mind, as well.

Writing is a way of exploring my own heart and mind, and a way to communicate with others. Lists keep me organized. Pouring out my heart in written prayer connects me to Jesus. Journaling crystallizes my thinking. I hope that devotionals encourage those who read them. Louise Penny says that she began to write mysteries because that's what she enjoyed reading. That inspired me to begin a mystery of my own, now set aside until the memoir is finished. In my limited experience with fiction, I pray that spiritual truths will be made clear even if the name of Jesus is never written. Nature writing is inspired by the wonders of creation, from the tiniest ladybug to the grandeur of stars moving across a night sky.

I have always been one to try new things; hobbies, recipes, books, and crafts. My interests are varied. Several years ago I read Refuse to Choose: A Revolutionary Program for Doing Everything You Love by Barbara Sher. She groups people into two loose categories, Scanners and Deep Divers. How free I felt after reading that Scanners like me need to do different things, often have multiple careers, and can be involved in parallel fulfilling activities. This is the way God made me. I use my character trait without guilt, but I am careful to make the effort to focus on finishing projects rather than just having many unfinished pieces. Sticking with a project until it's done is important.

As Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote, "The world is charged with the grandeur of God," and although Hopkins was speaking about Nature, God's grandeur includes human minds, created in God's image. I pray that my writing will, in a tiny way, reflect the glory of He who gave me the desire to write.

I will go anywhere, provided it be forward.

David Livingstone

Lorrie Orr writes from her home on Vancouver Island,

from where she accompanies her husband on adventures near and far,

always taking a notebook and a camera along to

record her thoughts and impressions.

O What Fun It Is To Write a Parody Tonight - by Susan Barclay

Summer is a challenging time for me to write. Kids are out of school and we are all out of our usual routines. That’s why it was only today, when it was my turn to post something on Inscribe, that I finally got down to business.

Like fellow Inscriber, Tracy Krauss, I’m an eclectic writer. I don’t really have a niche. I enjoy writing picture books, personal experience stories, short stories, and my current work-in-progress is a novel. So it’s kind of hard to find a genre I haven’t dipped my pen into, including poetry.

But at my house--and this isn’t unique to us, I’m sure—we’re very good at responding to situations by bursting into song or modifying songs that already exist. For example, to the tune of ‘O, What a Beautiful Morning,’ I might sing, “O what a beautiful puppy, O what a beautiful dog; O what a beautiful Jazzy, even though he’s a bed hog.”

For the record, our dog’s name is Jazz, and he is beautiful. But in case my mom is reading this, Mom, Jazz never gets up on the bed and cuddles with us. Never. It was just an example. Really.

Ahem.

Anyway, I thought I’d try writing a full parody for this month’s challenge. Since it’s fruit fly season and the pests are both bothersome and loathsome, I decided to switch the ‘I Hope you Dance’ song to ‘I Hope you Die’. Dark, I know, but there you have it.

Here are a few lines from the finished product:

I hope you starve because there’s nothing here to munch on
When the fridge door opens I hope you can’t get in
Promise me that you’ll lose heart and start to sigh
And when you get the choice to fly away or die
I hope you die…I hope you die.

Catchy, huh?

So, how did I feel about the experience? It was a challenge to write a whole song as opposed to just changing up a few lines, but I feel pretty positive about the first draft result. The exercise also got my creative juices flowing, which is never a waste of time or effort. Next time I’m feeling stuck, perhaps I’ll turn my brain and my pen toward a different genre for a moment to get out of whatever box I’m in. If nothing else, it may remind me that writing is not only challenging, but fun. And if it isn’t fun, why are we doing it?

Check out some parodies from the Christian band, Apologetix, at their youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ApologetiXMusic

_________________

For more of my writing, visit www.susan-barclay.ca 

True Confessions from an Addled [Squirrel] Brain

by Glynis M. Belec


I don't think I have any trouble stepping out of my comfort zone with regard to my writing. My problem is trying to focus on any particular genre. I love writing - period. I have a brain that jumps all over the place most days and if the mood strikes me, then I write about it.

I will admit that for a split second, when someone asks me what I write, my brain goes into panic mode. I've been writing for [gasp] almost 28 years now. Still there are days when I don't really know what kind of a writer I am. Because I have had three children's books published I start out thinking I am a children's writer. Then I write short stories Hot Apple Cider and Chicken Soup for the Soul style. Then I remember my devotional writing and my newspaper column, then I think about the novel I have on the go and the magazine articles I write. Writing Sunday school material is fun. Creating dramatic works feeds my inner drama queen tendencies. Now I have started up a little publishing company that requires I write copy and that opens up a whole new part of the writing process for me.

So for me to step out and write something different - that's not much of a challenge. My challenge lies in sticking to one thing.

Lest my writers buddies think I am complaining and confused, I'm not, really - well most days. I like that I write all over the place. However, it's not such a good thing when it comes to branding and marketing and setting up social media - that likes to define who we are. When I have to write a bio I have to be careful not to prattle on.

I must say that over the years, because I have written in many different genres, I have actually found a voice that I like and a style to which people respond to best. I wrote a column for over eleven years in our local newspaper - a fun, folksy, inspirational, humorous content column. It's where I started and now, so many years later it's where I still love to be with my writing. I am no profound theologian, nor am I particularly a brainiac [don't tell my students I told you that] so for me to try to write academic works makes me yawn. I admire people who research and would be the first to encourage them in their craft, but my heart is in writing the everyday.

I've talked to God about this aplenty. I believe He knows my attention span and my squirrel tendencies to shift from thought to thought so has given me the passion to write short.

Git' her done, is my motto most days. Already, within the past 15 minutes of this writing, I have texted my son, flipped to another blog to check that it is up to date and then looked at my to-do list. I also checked my email and flipped to Facebook for a quick peek.

Now, as I write this post, I wonder why I am doing so. I am thinking that I am already straying away from our lovely Moderator's instructions to help people write outside of the box. My insecurities whisper that no one is going to get anything out of me being a rebel.

Then I feel a little God-whisper telling me that it's okay to confess that I am who I am. And I also have a little niggle that tells me that I am not alone in my 'style.' I'm thinking that there might be another squirrel or two out there who just might find comfort knowing they are not alone.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.  PSALM 139:14

   

New Explorations in Writing by Sandi Somers

“The real voyage of discovery consists…in having new eyes.”  ~ Marcel Proust

This month’s prompt asks you to explore, traveling in new directions. Perhaps you tend to write in only one particular genre, or in one particular voice and style for a particular audience. This month become an explorer by selecting a genre or a voice/style that you haven’t worked in before (or rarely). Write for a different audience. Do a little research. Then tell us how you saw with new eyes, what you discovered and if you would consider further writing in this genre.

I tried Flash Fiction, and here’s my experiment.

My niece Joelle, a teacher, couldn’t find foam chips to fill large cushions her mom was making for her students. She had looked everywhere.

“Maybe you’ll just have to drive to the US for some,” I suggested.

“Oh, sure, sure,” she said. “I can just see the customs agent checking through all those bags for drugs.”

Suddenly I visualized a scene: Joelle at the border as the customs agent, head and arms in the bags, searched through those foam chips. Finally in frustration and without finding drugs, he banged the stamp in her passport and waved Joelle on…with foam chips, unknown to him, all over his face.

“Now if I were a novelist,” I told her, “I would add that anecdote to my novel.”

A short time later while thinking about this month’s blog topic, I decided to write Joelle’s story as flash fiction. I didn’t need to be a novelist to write it.

The story grew as I added incidents from my own experiences and observations at border crossings and airports. And as I had filled figure skating costumes with foam chips before, I knew how full of static they could become.

I enjoyed writing. Similes and hyperbole came easily. The flash-fiction style of dramatic introduction, complications throughout and surprise ending opened my eyes to how I could write more effective scenes in my ongoing writing.

Will I try flash fiction again? Yes, definitely, as I discover other inspiring prompts. Who knows what this may lead to?

And now over to you. I can’t wait to read your experiments and discoveries this month.