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Posts tagged ‘themes’

Jan 24

Using theme-specific language to relay strong emotions in poetry

Recently, I was notified that my poem “Butterfly House” was awarded Honorable Mention in the 86th Annual Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition. The poem is in my newly released book of poetry, “The Dragon & The Dragonfly” and was one of those poems that came quickly.

I’d decided to celebrate my late husband’s birthday by going to the Butterfly Museum at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. I’d never heard of the museum until the week before when a friend mentioned it. I decided it would be the perfect adventure for the day to honor his transition into his “new” life and to honor my struggle to find my own new life. I say struggle because I wasn’t there yet, but I knew this is what I wanted—to find my way forward.

It was a truly magical experience. At one point, I just stood with my arms outstretched and waited for a butterfly to land on me. Several came and went, but one—a big orange and black monarch—stayed for a while on my hair. Just call me butterfly whisperer. Read more

Sep 8

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Ask questions to find your story’s theme

Writers often hear the advice, “write what you know,” but my philosophy is, “write what you WANT to know.” A good way to begin discovering your story’s theme is to ask questions because we come to understand who we are and our place in the world by asking questions.

In the 12-minute video below, the creators of the animated movie “Inside Out” share how the theme of their story emerged for them over time as they went on a quest of discovery.

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Jan 1

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Happy New Year: What’s your theme for 2013?

There’s something about the first day of a new year that seems so full of promise. A new beginning.

Some people like to set New Year’s resolutions, and others prefer to have a personal theme. One of my friends has a word or phrase she picks to be her guide for the year. A touchstone that inspires her to live the life she intends. I talked to her yesterday to find out if she’d decided on her 2013 theme. She said she’s spent too much time over the past 10 years “waiting.” This is the year she takes action instead of waiting for the so-called right moment. Her 2013 theme: “There’s no time like now.” Read more