Beth Camp's Blog, page 84
October 2, 2012
Oct 2: The Photographer
I frame pictures with my camera,
narrowing down to one angle of direction, colors bisecting;
always I seek some indefinable balance,
some essence of the scene,
some inner truth.
They tell me I am good at taking pictures, but I know
it is only because I no longer paint.
I still see the outstretched finger, Adam to God,
Michelangelo’s perfectly realized straining to perfection,
that
narrowing down to one angle of direction, colors bisecting;
always I seek some indefinable balance,
some essence of the scene,
some inner truth.
They tell me I am good at taking pictures, but I know
it is only because I no longer paint.
I still see the outstretched finger, Adam to God,
Michelangelo’s perfectly realized straining to perfection,
that
October 1, 2012
Oct 1: Let Us Begin
Let Us Begin
Let us begin this journey, you and I,
we who have weathered four decades
together, a joining no one expected
to last, but we have
persevered through every
turning of the seasons.
Now we are here.
At the edge of fall,
that golden breaking of summer.
I see the gray in your hair;
I will hold your hand
every day that we have.
Today begins the October Poetry Writing Month Challenge,
Let us begin this journey, you and I,
we who have weathered four decades
together, a joining no one expected
to last, but we have
persevered through every
turning of the seasons.
Now we are here.
At the edge of fall,
that golden breaking of summer.
I see the gray in your hair;
I will hold your hand
every day that we have.
Today begins the October Poetry Writing Month Challenge,
September 30, 2012
Photoplay
Roz Morris posted this writing prompt, really a blog hop and a challenge: To write about strangers who appear in a photo you've taken.
So I selected this picture at random, a side street in Rio, taken in January 2009. The picture is quintessentially
Allen. I play with my camera and wait beside the small neighborhood floral shop
as he consults Lonely Planet, his mapping skill gained from
So I selected this picture at random, a side street in Rio, taken in January 2009. The picture is quintessentially
Allen. I play with my camera and wait beside the small neighborhood floral shop
as he consults Lonely Planet, his mapping skill gained from
ROW80: Going South
'Tis time. The Canada geese are heading south this morning, lifting up from the nearby wetlands; their cries begin my morning. That bite in the air says snow will fall before the end of the year.
October 1st begins the next Round of Words (ROW80), my second. Participants set measurable goals for the next 80 days and then report to the group via blog twice weekly -- Mondays and Weds. We'll read
October 1st begins the next Round of Words (ROW80), my second. Participants set measurable goals for the next 80 days and then report to the group via blog twice weekly -- Mondays and Weds. We'll read
September 21, 2012
Standing behind Deidre . . .
I'm taking daily lessons on how to improve my ability to fully realize a scene. The resulting writing exercises may or may not add to my current revision of Years of Stone, but, like journaling or morning lines, keep me focused.
This came about as I began the hopefully last round of revision and perhaps another six months of work. After reading that so important first chapter, the critters over
This came about as I began the hopefully last round of revision and perhaps another six months of work. After reading that so important first chapter, the critters over
September 16, 2012
Sunday morning . . . early.
It's 4:30 am. A motorcycle revs up and burrs through the night, the sound irrevocably splitting my eyes open. And I begin think what to do -- meetings, public relations projects, deadlines, and the marketing plan (when all I want to do is stay home quietly and write).
I open up my e-mail to find Karen Huber's post about stillness. The Power of Pause. Emptying the mind. Lovely evocative
I open up my e-mail to find Karen Huber's post about stillness. The Power of Pause. Emptying the mind. Lovely evocative
September 9, 2012
Sunday night . . . late.
This last week has been hectic when I would rather simplify.
Slowly I am realizing that my exuberance of last week is premature. Yes, the first draft of Years of Stone is done, but now the real work begins. My quilt squares are off the cork board and the 3x5 scene cards are posted instead. Feedback from the harshest critics are ahead, and I know I will need to face down days of doubt.
This
Slowly I am realizing that my exuberance of last week is premature. Yes, the first draft of Years of Stone is done, but now the real work begins. My quilt squares are off the cork board and the 3x5 scene cards are posted instead. Feedback from the harshest critics are ahead, and I know I will need to face down days of doubt.
This
September 2, 2012
Sunday Musings:
Row80 Update is here.
Othello Crane Festival (click to see details of this photo)
Last spring, we drove down to the Othello Crane Festival in southern Washington. We saw cranes in flocks, and, at sunset, we were treated to a swarm of hundreds of ducks circling an open field, calling to each other, landing, sometimes taking off again, yet coming down to ground, safe for the night.
Othello Crane Festival (click to see details of this photo)
Last spring, we drove down to the Othello Crane Festival in southern Washington. We saw cranes in flocks, and, at sunset, we were treated to a swarm of hundreds of ducks circling an open field, calling to each other, landing, sometimes taking off again, yet coming down to ground, safe for the night.
August 26, 2012
Sunday check-in: More on e-Publishing
Sometimes, regardless of our best writerly efforts, a dose of nasty self-doubt arrives. So I'm checking in to say that tenacity, perseverance, and sheer stubbornness are needed. As well as heart. Always.
My last two weeks have been a grand experiment in e-publishing. I can report the whole process takes far longer than I anticipated.
1) Is the project truly ready? Think write, rewrite, edit,
My last two weeks have been a grand experiment in e-publishing. I can report the whole process takes far longer than I anticipated.
1) Is the project truly ready? Think write, rewrite, edit,
August 22, 2012
Weds Yahoo! I'm live on Amazon!!!!
Today was pretty exciting. The Mermaid Quilt & Other Tales went live on Amazon, proving that pure dogged tenacity does work. Sometimes.
After waffling over whether I should or shouldn't e-pub, I decided to put up a collection of short stories and poems. True, I couldn't get two images included in the final document, but I WAS able to format to Kindle standards. My next step is to learn how to
After waffling over whether I should or shouldn't e-pub, I decided to put up a collection of short stories and poems. True, I couldn't get two images included in the final document, but I WAS able to format to Kindle standards. My next step is to learn how to
