The Sounds of January

I just came back from a walk. There was so much to see, and as usual, it's easy to focus only on our sense of sight.

This time I tried to pay attention to sound. 

On my walk I heard

• a robin
• a leaf blower
• cars whooshing by
• a boat horn
• an airplane
• small brown birds hopping on some branches
• my shoes squeaking on the pavement
• a dog barking  

Before January is over, take a walk and listen. What sounds do you hear? Yours might include the hiss of snow or the brakes on a bus. 

When you're home, make a list of your sounds. Try to include at least one of them in a story you're working on.

When we include the 5 senses in our writing, we draw readers in. We invite them to experience our story in a new way. 

So be bold. Go for sound! 

Questions for Writers

Those who follow Yellow Pencils know that I usually write fiction. To me, making up stories is way high on my list of fun things to do.

But sometimes it's fun to write about ourselves. To be more specific: to ask ourselves "writer questions."

What are those? They're questions only we can answer.

When we write, we not only create a story, article, novel, or poem. We also learn more about ourselves. 

So get out a piece of paper, turn to a fresh page in your journal, or open a blank screen on your computer. 

Just for fun--to see what's inside your brain--try writing the answer to one or two questions below. 

Remember, there's no right or wrong answer. We're all different, and our answers will be different, too. They'll be as unique as our handprints. 

The only "right" answer is the one that comes from YOU, a unique and wonderful person on this planet.

• What is the best birthday present you could ever receive?

• What three words describe you right now?

• What color makes you feel happy, and why?

• What is the best advice you ever received?

• What would you do if you found a magic wand?

Did you learn something about yourself? Congratulations for taking some time to write about YOU! 

The Story of a Brave Seal

Happy New Year!

I'm starting the new year with something old.

I was doing some much-needed cleaning around the house, and I found my old stuffed seal from when I was growing up. 

I don't remember the seal's name, but I thought he deserves a story--and a new name.

How about Sebastian? Ferdinand? Bartholomew? I like Horatio. 

Can you help me write Horatio's story? 

Brave Horatio

Horatio was a brave seal, but he was afraid of one thing: ___________________________________________________.

One day, he was swimming near the docks when he saw… that scary thing! 

To escape, Horatio decided to _______________________________. 

But that was a bad idea, because ____________________________.

To make things worse, _____________________________________.

Now Horatio was terrified. 

Then he remembered he felt braver when he sang. So he sang his favorite song: _______________________________.

He sang and sang until _______________________________. 

And that's how Horatio became brave again, until the next day, when _________________________________________________.

The End 

Do you have a favorite stuffed animal? Try writing his or her story! 

A Writer's New Year Resolutions

Happy New Year!

It's that time again. Time to think about what we'd like to accomplish with our writing in the New Year.

No point? We'll just break our resolutions? Not if we make them realistic.

Try jotting down one writing goal you feel sure you can stick to. Here's mine:

Write for 15 minutes each day.

That's it. By promising myself to write for 15 minutes each day, I'm pretty certain I'll write more than that. 

But more importantly, by opening my notebook or my laptop each day and taking 15 minutes to write, I'm performing an important job: I'm staying in touch with my creativity. 

And who knows what kind of fireworks can happen after that?

Happy Holidays 2013!

Dear Writers,

Thanks for following Yellow Pencils throughout the year!

I hope Yellow Pencils inspired you in some way. Did you find an idea for a story? Learn a new writing skill? Have fun experimenting with the prompts? 

Keep writing and filling pages with words--your words. 

Yellow Pencils returns next week for another year of writing activities. 

Have a great holiday!

A Writer's List to Santa 2013

It's that time of year again. Time to write to Santa. 

I'm not asking for the latest tablet, a spiffy dictionary, or the newest bells-and-whistles computer. 

Once again I'm asking Santa for words. After all, isn't that what we writers really need? 

Here's my letter to Santa from last year. Santa is magical, so why not ask him for help with our writing? 

Here's my "wish-list" to the big guy in red. 

1. An engaging, struggling character who comes to life on the page.

2. A unique setting that draws my readers in.

3. Descriptions that paint a visual picture in words.

4. Just the right adverbs--sparingly, to give some verbs that extra oomph. 

5. A brilliant, fabulous, magnificent title that entices someone to say, "I have to read that!" 

What's on your list? What will make your stories prance and jingle their way across the page next year? 

Music in Our Stories

Most of us like to listen to music.

Whether it's the newest boy band, a great female singer, or a classical favorite like Bach, music adds another dimension to our lives….a dimension I like a lot!

The characters in our stories can like music, too. The kind of music they listen to tells a lot about who they are.

The young adult novel I'm writing takes place in 1967. It's been fun to make a playlist of songs my 14-year-old main character would be listening to. (And I have to remember, in 1967 she'd be listening to music on vinyl records--no iTunes, iPods, or even CDs.)

Here are some popular songs from 1967 that my character loves:  

• "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by the Beatles

• "I'm a Believer" by the Monkees

• "Respect" by Aretha Franklin

How about your character? What songs would he or she listen to? Make a list of 3 songs, then choose one your character loves the most. 

Listen to the words and write them down. Why does your character love this song? What does it reveal about the situation your character's in?

If you find yourself humming, that's good. It means you're "in tune" with your characters!