Organization and Outlines

I’m thinking…

Recently this prompt has been one of my favorites to write. In a way I think this is because it’s a bit of an easy out. There are so many blog posts I’ve been wanting to write up, blog posts on this that and the other thing, random thoughts that I should like to sort out, but truthfully writing a blog post on a single subject it a bit intimidating for me. I’m not quite sure how to begin these blog posts I have contemplated writing in my head. That’s always the trouble, finding where to begin. This is why I find writing up this prompt so very enjoyable, because it is as if the beginning is paved out for you. You can take it anywhere, beginning with “I’m thinking…” and watch one’s thoughts unfold on paper.

I think though, I need to get a little better at writing out blog posts. Where I begin with an organized subject and proceed to write out my thoughts, sticking to that subject without drifting all across the map with my thoughts. There is something to be said for organization of one’s thoughts as well as free-writing. I think I talked of free writing in my last journaling page. Of how I liked reading a person’s writing as if one is reading their thoughts, and writing that way as well. Rambling, drifting, flouting easily from one subject to the next, like one’s thoughts drift through one’s mind. However, you really needs to be good at writing something that is more to one subject I think.

I suppose it’s simply a balance. You have to find a balance between writing easily and letting your thoughts drift out into words, and sticking to a more organized subject and group of ideas. I suppose this is where outlines would be helpful, right? I’ve always hated outlines though. Skimpy things formed of the strict idea of something, the bare bones. I want to add so much more to an outline than the barest of details. I want to go in depth, search deeper, find greater meaning to the words I am choosing, but then it wouldn’t be an outline.

I think I need to get on better terms with the outline, rather than he and I eyeing each other warily like two arch enemies I should realize that the outline is there to help me. I can’t help but feel he is my enemy though, I want to kill him dead and unleash the pent up words he hold prisoner.

I shall try to resign myself to making better use of the outline. He should be my map, my guiding light as I wander through a dark tunnel of thoughts, wondering wherever I should come out. I like that feeling though, that feeling of uncertainty, wondering where I shall end up with my thoughts by the end of whatever I am writing. I especially like looking back at the end of it, retracing my steps and looking at the finished item.

Anyways, this really leads me to what I was going to say originally, about wanting to write some more focused blog posts. A little more centered one idea, and the thoughts surrounding that idea. I love my journaling pages and I love writing out this prompt, but I need to write more focused things too. Mondays are for journaling pages though, so I shall proceed to ramble and drift as much as I wish for the entirety of this, and enjoy myself thoroughly while doing so.

I’m reading…

A couple days ago when I was shelving books at the library I came across ‘Anne of the Island’ of course you know I had to open it up and read the first page and then I was caught. Anne caught me up with her magic, and as soon as I came home I had to go straight to my bookshelf and open up my own copy. I love books that no matter how many times you have read them they still contain some of that old magic, they still surprise and delight you with that old first time read glory. I haven’t read ‘Anne of the Island’ in a long while actually. I’ve reread most of the others quite recently, but not this one. It’s funny, it was never one of my favorites of the Anne books growing up, but I’ve found myself loving it more and more. I suppose it’s yet another one of those cases where the book matched my stage in life, and as I grow older the books that are my favorites change with me. It doesn’t mean I forget my old favorites, they’re still there, in the back of my mind, much loved and well read, but each year has a new favorite, a new insight into an old book. You are always getting new thoughts and opinions on old reads, and that’s what I love best about rereading books. You always get something new from it.

 I also picked up a book on grammar yesterday when I was at the library. Called ‘The Grammar Bible: Everything you always wanted to know about grammar but didn’t know whom to ask’ I have to say I enjoy reading these sorts of grammar books. *chuckles* really, I’m quite attached to this book I own called ‘Eats, Shoots and Leaves’ I dig it out and reread it just to amuse myself. It’s because the author has such a funny way about talking about grammatical errors that people make and common errors. My favorite section in that book is this chapter where it is showing a couple copies of the same letter style writing, but by switching around a few commas it means such very different things. It’s really fascinating to think about what can change in your meaning by simply putting commas in different places. I suppose it should serve as a warning too, you know, that you should be very careful about how you write something, because it can be so easily misread. I think I must work on my grammar a little more.

I’m listening to…

 I just recognized the theme to the ‘Titanic’ playing in the background. I’m really not all that fond of that movie, for various reasons, but I am in love with the music. *proceeds to listen to the soft piano rendition happily*

I’m creating…


I just finished this drawing I did for a contest. I’m really quite proud of it. I think I shall post it and perhaps some of my practice drawings for it soon.

 Outside my window…

The pond is glistening back a reflection of the lovely blue sky and the puffy white clouds. A gentle breeze brushes the top of the water from one side of the pond to the other. A soft sprinkling of rain is falling.

Emily Writes

I'm thinking...

At the moment I'm bemoaning the fact that I am writing on a program that apparently doesn't have a feature to check my spelling for me. It is most unsettling, truthfully. For, as I write, I'm begining to wonder rather frantically 'did I just mispell that?' 'how about that?' and there is no way of knowing. So then I begin to feel that perhaps I shouldn't be writing at all, if I'm to be mispelling every second word (I know I can check it later, but I want to know as I go along. Yes, I know, I'm spoiled.) Really, I need to be more determined. I sat down to write, and I'm going to write, come mispellings and grammer errors! It is unerving me though, and I must try and stop thinking about it.
Actually, on a more interesting strain of thought, I was just thinking about free writing. It's really a good practice. I was just reading in a book how they all sugest that the best practice at becoming a good writer is to sit down and force yourself to write unstoppingly for however long, without thinking about mispelling and grammer errors and wondering if your topic of discussion is interesting. The thing is just to sit down and write whatever thought comes into your head and not correct or worry but let yourself put your thoughts onto paper and see what comes of them.
I was thinking however, that really, that's how I write normally. Okay, so I'm constantly slowing down and backspacing and looking for a good subject to talk about, but the general idea of writing to get down your thoughts is how I write normally, and Iove reading when people write like that. The very best emails and letters are the ones that you know the person writing you has done that. They've written to you exactly how they were thinking and how they would talk to you. I think that's really a sign of someone who writes well, you know. Writing is the way they pick up the stream of their thoughts and put it into words.
So many people's writing in letters and things happens to be very stiff and formal. Unlike how they would talk to you. They pick their topics carefully, put them into stiff paragraphs with stiff formal periods at the end of each stiff formal sentance. I find myself writing like that actually too, when I write to somebody I am less comfortable with. I was just picturing how it would be if we talked like that sort of letter to each other in real life. I can just picture the two people sitting straight up in their seats, their hands sitting on their laps and their feet tucked neatly under the chair as they looked at each other formally.

"Dear Fredricka, How are you?"

"I am quite well, dear Jane, and you?"

"Oh quite well, quite well."

"I planted a garden yesterday."

(insert look of interest and yet not over interest by anymeans)

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

(Insert awkward silence as we search for a new topic)

Nobody talks like that, you see. So we really shouldn't write like that. Well, you want some formality. Some proper organazation of the thoughts, but other than that we should write as we talk- only more so. Writing seems to be a way that you can get out all those words that you couldn't find the voice for in normal speech. Writing is a way that we can put down words that there didn't seem to be words that would be good enough when we were trying to speak them with our voice.
So there is nothing better that I like than an email or letter where I feel that the person writing it is talking to you, specifically you, and letting the words carry them away. Writing out their thoughts as they come to them, and not sticking stiffly to point one, two and three, in that order. You can always tell the people who love to write by their letters and emails, you can always tell they enjoyed themselves writing it because you enjoyed reading it. Right now I'm feeling rather blessed with my correspondants. I love people who write. I love people who read so much that they practically eat the words up off the page, and I love people who write like they are spilling out a box of words they had stored up just for the occasion.

I'm reading...

This morning I went and hunted up 'The 101 Dalmatations' to read aloud to my younger brothers for a little bit while they played with legos. Confession: I believe it was me that really wanted to read it. A friend was talking to me about it the other day, all about reading it again and this part and that part and fond memories flooded back to me. Memories of the funniest lines and of darling little scenes. Ever since then I've felt the urge to read it again myself. I think that's always the way, someone mentions a title and a few scenes they loved paticularly and after that you simply have to hunt up your own copy and read it again yourself.
It's suprising how much I love some of these books. I would almost say that 'The 101 Dalmations' is almost more of an adult book for all it's being a book for children. Every line is formed in this comical way that just makes me shake with laughter even when it's not a scene that is paticularly humourous in itself. I can just picture Dodie Smith writing it, she must have been chuckling to herself as she wrote each line. It's so unforced, you know. In some books the comical lines are very pointed, a character says something and you can tell it was meant for comic, but with 'The 101 Dalmations' no one character is saying anything very funny. The humour is deeper within the book than that. It's in each line, each sentance, practically vibrarinting from the very soul of the book.
Most of it is things that it would take a much older reader to comprehend though. A child listens and accepts the words without a question, giggling and clapping to hear about the doggies, but an older reader pauses over a sentance, reads it again with widened eyes, chokes, and bursts out laughing. There is so much humour hiding deep within the lines that unless you are reading carefully, you will never pick up on.

To live the liturgy...

Ash Wensday was yesterday. I'm really going to try and cut back on my computer time this Lent. In paticular I'm giving up a writing site connected with the school program I use and I am rather obsessivly attached to. I'm missing it. I'm missing reading through all of the threads, the debates, the crazies, the conversations, but the real reason I'm missing it is because I'm missing my friends there. They are all such dear people, and I miss them all, but there is a reason for this. A very good reason. I'm giving up a lot of my computer time because I want to create for myself a quieter atmeshere. Time of silence, for thinking and praying and opening up to a beauitful Lent full of growth. So I'm trying not to think of simply how much I miss talking to all my friends, since that isn't what I'm supposed to be focusing on- that would be taking away from the point. They will all be in my prayers, and I can still email some of them, so I'm trying to embrace these forty days of Lent, of quiet, of thought, of prayer.

I'm creating...

*cough* just because I'm not going to be going on my writing site doesn't mean I can't still partake in the contest does it? *giggles* There is a story contest for us poor suffers giving up our favorite thing. *grins* A contest for rather long stories. I'm rather excited. I have to think about the requirments a little more, and what I want to write with them, but I think I'm going to take part, and write a very long story.
Mom also found a contest that is going on in town for highschool artists. I'm thinking of attempting to draw something for that. I believe you are supposed to draw something of Victorian era in connection to an author of that time. I have to read up a little more on that one too.

Around the house...

I should really go do some tidying up now. Major tidying up. You would think I had been watching two tornados with the mess my little brothers have created this morning, and after that I should practice my violin, and read, and do some school work...and maybe take a nap...all before work...I should go get busy.