Living Life Twice

Personal writing projects provide the inexperienced writer the opportunity to make some genuine, meaningful choices: They become the epitome of the saying-‘Writers make decisions.’ They choose- Their own topic/issue Their own genre Their own purpose Their own process Their target audience They have the opportunity to write in their own way, driven by their own goals and intentions. The chosen project benefits from replicating processes writers enact in the wider world. That way it will be grounded in authentic purposes.   It is important to note that a personal writing project does not equate to the allocation of ‘free writing time,’ where the writer is given a small portion of time to write ‘creatively,’ in the mistaken belief that this provides sufficient investment in supporting and engaging young writers. Such an approach pushes personal writing to the edges of the curriculum in terms of its importance. Such an approach is tokenistic, offering little sense of ...

  Childhood provides a rich source of writing inspiration into which every writer may easily delve. For those teachers unaccustomed to writing, for and with their students, it is a great place to begin exploring a treasury of written words. As a starting point for writing I encourage inexperienced adult writers to recall aspects of their childhood as a great starting point to begin writing. Writing, that can later be shared.  The range of childhood experiences is enormous –ranging from disappointment to elation! The full gamut of human emotions condensed into those special, vividly etched years.  While the world may have changed significantly since your own particular childhood, certain universal elements remain unchanged -matters such as, doubt, fear, discovery, curiosity, and the twin imposters of triumph and defeat, to name but a few. This is where a universal connection can be made. Childhood is a time in our lives when experiences feel quite intensified. We often ret...

  Inexperienced writers don't usually afford titles of their written work much attention, investing little time thinking about or choosing a title. They are often viewed by young writers as labels or unimaginative cliches, rather than titles.   For this reason I would suggest a study of book titles across a range of genres is well worth the investment in time. As a writer, I have come to appreciate the important role titles play in any written piece. The title is a critical part of marketing appeal and for that reason publishers and writers take a lot of care with the choice of their titles.    I once spent almost two months pondering the title for a poetry anthology I had written.  All the poems were in place, but a suitable title was proving somewhat elusive. I rejected many potential titles before eventually choosing one I believed was a bit quirky and had some appeal to a reader's curiosity. I considered this a worthwhile investment in time. Some might ...

MAY 31 On this day in 1669 English civil servant Samuel Pepys recorded his last diary entry. Due to poor eyesight, Pepys finally had to stop working on his famous diary. The diary covered about a decade of his life and is regarded as Britain's most celebrated diary. The Last Word  A decade of faithfully recorded thoughts A life captured in a diary Rich in detail and scope Reached a premature ending When the writings of Samuel Pepys Hit a wall of darkness.   The final entry The last word Inked for posterity.   With eyesight failing And shadows advancing across the page His pen, he reluctantly laid to rest.   The writer found himself Out of sight Not out of mind. ©Alan j Wright

May 30   Today, purr chance, is International Hug Your Cat Day! I don’t own a cat and I’m not likely to randomly pick up somone’s elses cat and give it a hug.  It is safe to say my personal history with cats is patchy at best. I'll leave it at that...  So, I’ll just share this poem about a cat named, Sir Fluffikins, who I assume received lots of hugs from his owner. Cat in the Window  Grandma’s cat Sir Fluffickins Sits on the windowsill Beside the floral curtains Like a statue ever still He stares at people On the street Slowly passing by And no one seems to notice His ever watchful eye So the cat sits by the curtains Curtains, faded by the sun He stares He purrs And gazes out Unseen by anyone. ©Alan j Wright

  May 29 Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953. Today marks the 67th anniversary of the feat. They were the ninth mountaineering expedition to attempt the ascent of Mount Everest, and the first confirmed to have succeeded. The Top Of The Mountain They climbed to the top of the world The first to reach the summit Of Mount Everest A mountain named after Surveyor, George Everest A man who never saw it. Edmund Hillary Tenzig Norgay Finally succeeded in going the whole way To the peak. The ninth mountain expedition The first to reach the summit Hard to top that… ©Alan j Wright

 May 28  Today is apparently International Hamburger Day!  That's it... Sorry, I'm not participating in the fun in the bun day. At best, a very occasional 'food' for me. HAMBURGER HEATHEN It’s Hamburger day I’ll give it a miss I’m in no brioche To have one. Not one with lot Or a side serve of fries I don’t need cholesterol To be on the rise. Hamburgers Don’t suit me Just hungry crocodiles With enormous mouths. So, not one with the lot Or a side serve of fries I don’t need cholesterol To be on the rise. No compressed patty Dripping with saturated fat Fast food fanatic Is not my kind of role Start the celebration Without me... ©Alan j Wright

  May 27 Many celebrations involve the act of gifting to our loved ones. Now imagine where we would be without tape to wrap our gifts! Today is National Cellophane Tape Day in America and is celebrated annually on May 27 to commemorate this handy invention. The rest of the world remains grateful, but hasn’t stuck to celebrating the tape quite so formally. The Stuff That Sticks Some people choose to exult cellophane tape -that transparent, polypropylene-based, pressure-sensitive tape with a backing to which an adhesive substance is affixed for the purpose of joining materials in households and industrial situations.   No doubt a much sought after aid In the essential act of gift wrapping -invalauable in effecting running repairs at a moment's notice. Sticky and stoic. The tale of the tape remain something of a sticking point. No masking that fact. ©Alan j Wright

  May 26 On this day in 1864 the Territory of Montana in the USA was ‘organized.’ An interesting turn of phrase… Organizing Montana Montana’s territory Was a shambles All higgledy-piggledy   Dishes piled high in the sink No one was taking out the garbage Strange smells emanating From deep recesses.   Montana needed organizing -A modicum of order -A spring clean -A bit of spit and polish Montana needed a maintenance order An antedote for mayhem Lines of demarcation.   Montana’s territory Was suitably organized All spick and span Everything lined up Montana appreciated A newly defined border And a sense of sweet order. ©Alan j Wright  

  May25 The Romanian inventor Petrache Poenaru received a French patent on May 25, 1827, for the invention of a fountain pen with a barrel made from a large swan quill. While studying in France, Poenaru needed an instrument that ould save him time. Early incarnations of the fountain pen tended to leak at inopportune times. Eventually disposable cartridges came into use. The pen became more commonly referred as the cartridge pen. I remain a fan. I love writing with my beautifully balanced Lamy Pen. It gives the comforting illusion of being a relatively fast writer, such is its flow across the pages of my notebook.     Inkblot   Born into a world of blotting paper Ink wells and fountain pens A left hander In a writing minefield   Ink wells and fountain pens Held the black-blue liquid Providing shape to letters and words   A left hander- Forever scared of smudges Afraid of blots and blobs on pristine pages   In a wr...