THINKING IS IMPORTANT
A long time ago, I was at a convention and heard a speaker say, "I must have time to think, for doing gets in the way." Those words stuck with me.
Especially in today's world of constantly changing, complex technology and multi-tasking, we tend to "do" all the time. Sometimes we take action before even considering exactly what we want to accomplish or how it can best be achieved.
Is this productive? Or is planning an important part of reaching goals? What comes to mind is another expression: Getting there is half the fun.
I think that could be true in work-related efforts as well as in other areas of our lives.
Thinking things out may be harder than just taking action, but it may prove to be more efficient.
When writing, I don't make an outline on paper, but I have a sketchy one in my head. While I let my characters lead the plot forward, I still keep my eye on them to be sure they're going in a logical direction. I have to "think" it out before I "do" put words on paper. If I let what the characters are "doing" get in the way of what they're "thinking", readers would probably be confused.
Thinking takes time and effort but it's worth it. I agree with the speaker: I should take time to think and prevent doing from getting in the way.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
A Mother's Last Thoughts
Arthritic fingers dance across
The restraining tray of the Gerry chair,
Making crochet loops or
Knitting one and purling two.
Once in a while
Vacant eyes raise and
A week voice begs,
"Where are the children?"
No longer can her head
Be held high; it slumps again
And the fingers work
What was once their magic.
No doily will result
From the energy expended
But those treasured objects from the past
Will keep their places of honor.
With great effort
Remembered responsibility again
Brings the question:
"Where are the children?"
MSP
5/2/12
Arthritic fingers dance across
The restraining tray of the Gerry chair,
Making crochet loops or
Knitting one and purling two.
Once in a while
Vacant eyes raise and
A week voice begs,
"Where are the children?"
No longer can her head
Be held high; it slumps again
And the fingers work
What was once their magic.
No doily will result
From the energy expended
But those treasured objects from the past
Will keep their places of honor.
With great effort
Remembered responsibility again
Brings the question:
"Where are the children?"
MSP
5/2/12
A Mother
Mothers who care
Want things for their children
They didn't have.
A good education,
Or piano, guitar or dancing lessons,
Maybe a course in art.
They may also want
To share parental love
Missing in their own lives.
With God as the center
Such love can be shared
And reach others by extension.
MSP - 5/2/12
Mothers who care
Want things for their children
They didn't have.
A good education,
Or piano, guitar or dancing lessons,
Maybe a course in art.
They may also want
To share parental love
Missing in their own lives.
With God as the center
Such love can be shared
And reach others by extension.
MSP - 5/2/12
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Time Management
Like everything else, writing takes time. Authors have busy lives and obligations that must be fulfilled, so they often put off sitting down and putting thoughts on paper. Sometimes they feel that they must obligate themselves to hours at a keyboard to be productive, but that isn't so.
When my six children were young, I learned that you can use small blocks of time efficiently. That habit became very helpful. Many times, I have a thought that I jot down and later develop into a scene. Or I may have fifteen minutes to write one. Once I get the words on paper, I can polish up the writing when I have more time.
We can do more in a few minutes than we think. For example, the other morning before leaving for work, I had about ten minutes. Instead of telling myself that wasn't time enough to do anything, I watered my plants. One more thing not to get in the way of writing later in the day.
Everybody gets twenty-four hours a day; we also get to choose how we use it. Whether that includes wasting it or using it efficiently is totally up to us.
Happy Writing.
When my six children were young, I learned that you can use small blocks of time efficiently. That habit became very helpful. Many times, I have a thought that I jot down and later develop into a scene. Or I may have fifteen minutes to write one. Once I get the words on paper, I can polish up the writing when I have more time.
We can do more in a few minutes than we think. For example, the other morning before leaving for work, I had about ten minutes. Instead of telling myself that wasn't time enough to do anything, I watered my plants. One more thing not to get in the way of writing later in the day.
Everybody gets twenty-four hours a day; we also get to choose how we use it. Whether that includes wasting it or using it efficiently is totally up to us.
Happy Writing.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Play - MURDER, MOST SOUTHERN, to be produced
April 16, 2012
I was excited to receive an email yesterday saying that a play I wrote several years ago is going to be produced.
Entitled, MURDER, MOST SOUTHERN, it will be presented at the Mobile Mystery Dinner Theater on MAY 26, 2012, at Mobile's Carnival Museum at 7 p.m.
The website is www.mobilemysterydinners.com.
These plays are most entertaining and the dinners are superb. Space is limited, so it is good to make reservations early.
I was excited to receive an email yesterday saying that a play I wrote several years ago is going to be produced.
Entitled, MURDER, MOST SOUTHERN, it will be presented at the Mobile Mystery Dinner Theater on MAY 26, 2012, at Mobile's Carnival Museum at 7 p.m.
The website is www.mobilemysterydinners.com.
These plays are most entertaining and the dinners are superb. Space is limited, so it is good to make reservations early.
Friday, March 30, 2012
April's Child
Janie was the third child
But no surprise,
Except that she was born
On April Fool's
With two front teeth.
Her Irish parents,
Who love music,
Spotted talent in
Their daughters
And nourished it.
They bought a used piano and,
At a sacrifice,
Made sure Janie, Alice and Mabel took
Lessons in piano, singing,
And the violin.
Aprils' child played once
With a symphony orchestra.
But her mother didn't agree
To let her pursue
What she called, "An unladylike career."
Janie still sang in church
And played the organ there.
She also played the piano
For her own pleasure
And that of her family.
When the strings of her violin
Became broken,
Oddly enough, they were never replaced.
And her children
Never heard her play that violin.
But they did hear April's child brag
Shortly before she died:
"I still have all my teeth, even the ones
That replaced the two
That I was born with."
Mary S. Palmer
4/1/12
Janie was the third child
But no surprise,
Except that she was born
On April Fool's
With two front teeth.
Her Irish parents,
Who love music,
Spotted talent in
Their daughters
And nourished it.
They bought a used piano and,
At a sacrifice,
Made sure Janie, Alice and Mabel took
Lessons in piano, singing,
And the violin.
Aprils' child played once
With a symphony orchestra.
But her mother didn't agree
To let her pursue
What she called, "An unladylike career."
Janie still sang in church
And played the organ there.
She also played the piano
For her own pleasure
And that of her family.
When the strings of her violin
Became broken,
Oddly enough, they were never replaced.
And her children
Never heard her play that violin.
But they did hear April's child brag
Shortly before she died:
"I still have all my teeth, even the ones
That replaced the two
That I was born with."
Mary S. Palmer
4/1/12
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)