writing – Journey to Imagination

Tag: writing

Writer, Blogger, & Educator Elizabeth Daghfal—Nothing Beats a Great Story, Part 2

Posted on June 22, 2020June 30, 2020 by Laura

Give Elizabeth Daghfal an idea, and she’ll run with it. But get out of the way so you don’t get blown over in the wake. It only takes a suggestion---an image, a song, a place---for the idea to grow into a full-blown play script, a musical production, an article, or...Read More

Writer, Blogger, & Educator Elizabeth Daghfal—Nothing Beats a Great Story

Posted on June 15, 2020June 15, 2020 by Laura

My friend and fellow writer Elizabeth Daghfal and her seventeen-year-old daughter Lydia participated in a three-day 60-mile walk to fight breast cancer. Throughout the miles, Elizabeth pointed at various sights and said, “That could make a great storyline for a mystery novel,” or “That’s a great idea for a children’s...Read More

Having Trouble Finding Your Muse?

Posted on November 29, 2019November 29, 2019 by Laura

Once, while teaching high school writing classes, I graded a technically perfect essay. The sentences had excellent grammatical structure. Every comma, period, and semi-colon was in place. No words were misspelled. No typos, no capitalization errors. Each paragraph was indented just right---consistently five spaces over. I gave this paper a...Read More

People Watching #8

Posted on May 13, 2019May 20, 2019 by Laura

Have you done any people watching lately? The first time we looked at Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. Then we examined a 1930s Charles Walton photograph. After that, we speculated about the dynamics of two girls and a guy at the dinner table. Then we viewed the bicyclist in a race and...Read More

We’re off to See the Wizard, Part 3: The Man Behind the Curtain

Posted on October 15, 2018October 15, 2018 by Laura

Would you hire this guy? So....is this guy a wizard or a humbug? Would you hire him? I suppose it depends on what you need. And how you measure success. The thing that L. Frank Baum is best known for---writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz---didn’t occur until he was 44...Read More

We’re off to See the Wizard, Part 1: The Wizard of Chittenango & the Magic of Oz

Posted on October 1, 2018October 1, 2018 by Laura

Recognize any of these phrases? • “Some people without brains do any awful lot of talking.” • “I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” • “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!” • “Follow the Yellow Brick Road.” • “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” •...Read More

Monday Metaphor Musings #4: Life

Posted on September 24, 2018January 28, 2019 by Laura

"Life is like a doughnut. It can be sweet and tasty, but there’s always a hole in the middle.” That’s just one of many ways people have tried to capture the essence of human life on planet Earth, with all its many facets. The challenges of life have been compared...Read More

Story Worlds: Places I’ve Been, Part 2

Posted on September 6, 2018October 23, 2021 by Laura

What settings have inspired you? What stories do you associate with them? Which stories will you never forget? Earlier, I shared how authors thrust us into their story worlds, by mixing words together in such a way that we’re living and breathing alongside the characters. I’ve discussed where story ideas come...Read More

People Watching #3

Posted on August 23, 2018August 20, 2018 by Laura

Have you done any people watching lately? The first time we looked at Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. Last time we examined a 1930s Charles Walton photograph. Today’s picture is a different flavor altogether. Aside from knowing that a picture is worth 1000 words, a picture evokes 1000 stories. If I showed...Read More

Revision: When is it good enough? Finished or abandoned?

Posted on June 14, 2018May 22, 2019 by Laura

How do you know when you’re done revising a poem, essay, or novel? Leonardo Da Vinci said, “Art is never finished, only abandoned.” He obviously wasn’t completely satisfied with the final product. French poet Paul Valery concurred by saying, “A poem is never finished, only abandoned.” Such is the case...Read More

Barbara Britton: Perfume Pics, Coloring Pencils, and Records: An Author’s Unconventional Tool Box

Posted on June 11, 2018April 23, 2018 by Laura

Have you wondered what it would be like living in Biblical Old Testament times? So has author Barbara Britton. In fact, she digs into O.T. history to create story worlds from 1000s of years ago. Her wanderings start with map-making and music. Last year I read the first book from...Read More

Risk-taking & Art: Not everyone thinks your baby is beautiful

Posted on May 29, 2018May 27, 2018 by Laura

The baby who is beautiful to you might not be beautiful to everyone else. You take a risk when you share your art with others. It’s wearing your heart on your sleeve. It’s like putting your baby on display. It’s not safe. How much are you willing to risk to...Read More

Monday Metaphor Musings #1: Web

Posted on May 14, 2018May 14, 2018 by Laura

What comes to mind when you think of the word web? I teach writing students how to brainstorm ideas on paper, using a webbing technique that some call clustering. Many teachers use this. The rules are simple: start with a word, phrase, or concept in the middle of the page,...Read More

Alison Sherwood, Part 1: Memory Maker, Memory Finder, & Memory Keeper

Posted on April 16, 2018April 23, 2018 by Laura

Need inspiration? Need ideas for a party or craft? Look no further. This woman is overflowing with them! Non-stop. Alison Sherwood is a journalist turned stay-at-home-mom to three kids (Corban, 6, Mara, 4, and Haddon, 3). For nine years, she was a writer, videographer, blogger, and digital jack-of-all-trades for the...Read More

Welcome to my Blog

Posted on March 5, 2018October 23, 2021 by Laura

Tender Loving Care for Your Muse (or Hyacinths for Your Soul)Hi, I’m Laura, and I have a muse that shadows me constantly. It won’t let me sit still or sleep.She drinks tea with me in the morning.She goes on walks with me.She nudges me when I watch TV.She pokes at...Read More