Cinco Grande -or- The Big Five

Bonnie (a very good writer) at Words from a Wordsmith, has tagged me with a writing exercise.

Thanks! Love to play along.
The idea is to come up with 5 strengths that I have as a writer.

1. I love wordplay... changing a word or the spelling of a word to effect a different meaning; challenging my mind, and I have a few friends that play the word game with me; it's lots of fun. One of my favorite blogging word game moments was with Jon from Writing in a Vacuum, he regaled his readers with the story of a farm-dwelling student of his, the boy said he'd delivered a calf over the weekend; Jon teased him and asked 'how did you get it through the letter box?' and I couldn't resist answering, 'but of course, he folded it in calf!'
Having practiced writing this way, quite frequently, has made me better at it. I can hold my own, most of the time now.


2. Metaphors... I find these most useful when I am trying to express a particular idea, opinion or belief (mine of course) in a way that will persuade the listener/reader. I love seeing metaphors in art, in life, in words, in everything. We are all connected to everyone and everything else in a visceral way, and communicating that brings me great satisfaction. I am reminded of the cycles that Vanilla and Chief Biscuit recently discussed in regards to the turn of the seasons; while they enjoy the coming of spring and I am relishing the new days of autumn... we are all dancing the waltz of time and season and yin and yang, we are partnered with our opposites and we rely on the balance that it brings us in every moment of every day, in step with time that has passed and time that will come, and in our fractions of cycle we are made whole by each other, by balance, and the circle is complete.


3. Style... The signature of the writer. How do they write... how do they begin, draw you in, and let you go, hopefully bettered by your indulgence in their words; perhaps by knowledge, encouragement or reinforcing the conviction of your own thoughts. Good style is paramount to successful writing, and it develops and changes over time; as the writer grows and changes, so too does the way the ink falls on the page. I write with determination, depth and purpose... unless I'm word playing. I want my words to mean something to the people that read them; I cannot draw up that which is within me, craft it into the written word, and offer it up without knowing that there is some value to be gotten from it for the eyes, mind, heart and soul of those who would take time to read it.


4. Devotion... I am wholly devoted to writing. I always have been, since I learned how to put words together. I called a publishing company when I was 12 years old and asked their editorial department if they published books written by 13 year old people (I thought it might go better if I sounded older). The woman who answered the phone was annoyed and short with me, but it did not deter me. They said no, by the way. I still don't leave home without pen and paper, and a camera- these days. I learned a long time ago that the written word can change things, change minds, change life. I consider it a responsibility by virtue of morality, to write well, to write honestly, and to write so that others may learn and glean benefit from it. I saw this recently when I shared my essay 'Losing the Vision' with some teenage girls. They were changed by it, they learned some important lessons in it. In the discussion following the reading of the work, they expressed surprise and opinions, and their personalities and minds developed more. The frosting on the cake was that there were others within ear shot who were not part of the discussion but who joined in because they couldn't walk away from it. That is making a difference. That is success, and it is the harvest of devotion.


5. Constructive Criticism... The single best way to grow as a writer is to allow others with knowledge and experience to prune your words. To help shape your style. To teach you. To show you what you could not see. I really like getting constructive criticism. It comes from so many different people and situations, but as long as it's encouraging and helpful, it is always welcome, and always invaluable. Editing is a tough job, it takes the right eyes and mind, to see what is good and what could be better, and then to return a work to an author after having sliced through it with the red inked saber quill... that takes someone special. It only works when the other half of the deal... the recipient, is willing to take the edited work and grow with it. Accept the changes and continue forward. It is always fascinating to me to see my work refined by other minds. To step into their shoes and look at my work through their eyes. It changes everything so much. I have been most lucky and blessed to have happened upon a very talented and kind editor in this funny old blogosphere, and it has been my deep pleasure to have worked with her -just a little so far, more to come later- as writer and editor. Minx from The Inner Minx, has taken to editing different works for others in our group and lucky for us all, she's very good at it. Thanks, Minx, for great editing. It is that sun and rain which helps us grow strong and magnificent.


Now I get to tag 5 others.
OK... 5 of my favorite writers - and please remember, there are several writers that I quite enjoy here, but I had my hand slapped for bending rules before, so it shall only be 5 this time.

1. Minx
2. Jon
3. Sognatrice
4. Verilion
5. Cleopantha


Have fun, can't wait to read it all.

Scarlett & Viaggiatore