Poetry Friday: Sounds Like Maple Syrup

Sap is already flowing in the local sugar bushes because of the warmer weather. It will be interesting to see   how long 'the run' lasts this year.

My poem "Sounds Like Maple Syrup" appears in the March 2012 issue of Highlights High Five.
I was so thrilled to see Jim Bernardin's beautiful illustrations. Don't you just love that dog?
Laura is hosting Poetry Friday here .

Reflection

I’ve had a slower start to the year as I completed a nonfiction project that consumed me for the entire fall season. What also resulted for me was a forced distance from my creative work. The break from my YA novel and my poetry picture book has had some benefits. 

Over the last several days, I’ve given myself a little time to reflect. I’ve been going back and reading my novel and my picture book with fresh eyes. I’ve gained a new perspective that I think I need in order to make it to the finish line.

Now to settle in for some serious work. Wish me luck! Both books are almost complete.  

Taking the time for reflection can feel like a gift to the self. Have you given yourself any of that good stuff lately? I highly recommend it. It’s the best response to chaos that I can think of.

The tortoise and the hare come to mind. Slow and steady will be my approach this year.

My 2012 perspective – see the world with fresh eyes.

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

I’ve always loved Ella Fitzgerald but, as I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been listening to her even more this year because the main character in my YA novel adores her. 

At this time of the year, those old songs, sung by Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, and Ella Fitzgerald, always put me in a holiday mood.  I'd like to share one of my favourites from the album, Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas. I've tried everything to have this embedded within my blog but the link might only take you over to youtube.  Here is Ella singing "The Secret of Christmas."

Coming Up for Air

Over the last several weeks, I have been working hard to meet a few deadlines so I have had to set my blog on the back burner. I hope to establish a blogging schedule this month because I really enjoy connecting with other writers through these posts and the posts of other bloggers. I’m wondering how all of you do it. How do you juggle the demands of life, work, and writing, and still manage to squeeze in time for blogging? Do you find that a blogging schedule helps?

I have been so immersed in my writing projects that when I do pop up and out of the world of words it really does feel like I am coming up for air. Just recently I emerged and realized that all of the books that I’d taken out of the library for research are overdue. When you have twenty-two books on loan, it doesn’t take long for the fines to be outrageous! I renewed all of them but I am left with a hefty fine. Oh, the guilt. Is it okay to think of library fines as a kind of good donation to the library? Having cards for two different library systems just complicates everything! I set up my accounts so that I would receive email notifications when my books are due. For some reason, I didn’t receive a notification for these books. That’s not an excuse. Maybe I should write down the due dates in my day planner.  Do any of you know of a way to ensure that books are returned by or renewed before the due date?

It's Platform-Building Time!

I just signed up for the "Third Writers' Platform Building Campaign" over at Rach Writes!
It sounds like a great way to connect with other writers so I hope you'll join us for all the fun.

Does music inspire your writing?

I have been researching the anatomy, behavior, and habits of cows for a nonfiction project I am working on. There are so many things to love about these animals but one fact really caught my attention - cows like music! Some farmers play music to help cows relax. It has me wondering what a cow’s playlist might be. Do they have preferences? Do they enjoy some styles more than others?


This is such a contrast to something else I discovered last week – a study suggesting that teens who listen to too much music are at a higher risk for developing depression than teens who do not. The same study found that teens who read books, on the other hand, decreased their risks for developing depression. This is great news for readers! But what about young music-lovers? Growing up, I loved to read and listen to music for long hours. Music was a great escape for me and I usually walked away from a listening session feeling invigorated. Or relaxed, just like the cows.

While writing my YA novel set in a music school, I’ve been listening to a lot of Bach, Chopin, Ravel, and Debussy. My protagonist also loves jazz so my office has been filled with the beautiful voices of Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. It really sets the mood while writing relevant scenes.

             Do you listen to music while you write? Does it inspire the process?