10 Questions with Ian Doescher, Best-Selling Author of William Shakespeare's Star Wars

Ian Doescher, photo by Shan Applegate

Ten Question with Ian Doescher,  
Author of William Shakespeare's Star Wars


Today I am honored to host Ian Doescher, friend and New York Times Best-Selling Author (!) of William Shakespeare's Star Wars. My friendship with Ian pre-dates his writing career, and it has been quite the whirlwind adventure watching his burgeoning writing career! He still maintains a nine to five day job, but he and his family are enjoying quite the voyage around the country this summer to launch his book.

William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher

Please welcome Ian and feel free to leave a question or comment for him in the comments section! I'm sure he'd love to connect with fans and future readers, as well as all of you aspiring writers and authors who read this blog.







Here goes!

1. First things first, let's get something out of the way. My mom taught you in elementary school, I'm featuring you on my blog, you're married to my childhood best friend, and you now own my grandparents' house. Let's call a spade a spade. To me, this all means - my family is directly responsible for your genius. Thoughts?




ID: Definitely.  In fact, the idea didn't come to me until al of those events had happened, so it must be due to the perfect alignment of the Garrigues planets.(Ha! Thanks for indulging me.)

2. Kidding! Seriously, you were already a genius. I think. We just get the honor of knowing the man who married the literary titan of William Shakespeare with the film titan of George Lucas' Star Wars in person. Lucky us. :)... So, how the heck did you come up with the idea to marry the two? Did you just see potential dollar signs dancing in front of your eyes with the realization that you are taking the world's two most popular franchises and meshing them into one? This is like real-life literary Frankenstein.

ID: There was a lot of serendipity involved.  I watched the Star Wars trilogy with some friends from high school in April last year, then read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (published by Quirk Books), and right after that went to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival with my family.  It was this mix of things swirling around in my subconscious -- mashup-literature, Star Wars and Shakespeare -- that put the idea in my head.  And of course I knew I was picking two hugely popular cultural icons, so though I can't claim to have had visions of dollar signs, I will admit to thinking there was a good chance it would be successful.

3. Would you say that conjuring up Shakespeare and Han Solo was more inspirational or frightening? Big shoes to fill. Did you ever find yourself crying, "I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!"

ID: There were definitely moments when I thought to myself, "I'm having a hard enough time even getting this line into iambic pentameter, to say nothing of being clever or witty or metaphorical or whatever."  I really have no idea how Shakespeare did it.  And I knew I would be watched closely by every Star Wars fan everywhere for how I handled a few scenes.  So far, so good.  I haven't been accosted on the street.  Yet.

4. This is your first book. (Congrats!!) What surprised you about the publishing industry?

ID: First of all I have to admit to incredible luck in getting this book published.  I emailed Quirk Books with the idea, they responded and said they would read a sample, I wrote a sample, and they wrote back and said, essentially, "let's do it."  All just under a year ago today.  It's not supposed to happen like that, and I don't take my luck for granted.  The big surprises along the way are little things I've learned -- things like how complex a literary contract can be, how early a final manuscript is needed to hit a certain publication date, and just how many copies a book sells when it becomes a bestseller (fewer than you probably think).  I was surprised on all three of those, and others.

5. What advice would you have to unpublished writers?

ID: Keep trying.  Don't be afraid to email people out of the blue with your samples.  Find an agent.  Do it because it gives you joy, not because you think it will be a career.

6. What's your next project? Walt Whitman's Avatar? Herman Melville's Titanic? George Carlin's Simpsons? F. Scott Fitzgerald's ET?

ID: I love the idea of Herman Melville's Titanic -- wish I'd thought of that one.  It would have 400 pages of intense details about glacial formations, the Atlantic ocean and the ship itself, and then 25 pages of Kate and Leo's romance.  For my next project, I think it would be great fun to do the rest of the original Star Wars trilogy -- there's more I can do there, I think.  I'm developing a children's book with a friend of mine, too.  So we'll see!  I will say that for the last several months, knowing my first book was coming out, I have felt an intense pressure to figure out what the next one will be.

7. Who are your literary heroes? (Clearly, we already know one of them.)

ID: Alphabetically -- since I wouldn't dare rank them -- and ranging from long dead to still writing: Jane Austen, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, David James Duncan, Tana French, Theodor Geisel (better known as Dr. Seuss), Alex Haley, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Herman Melville, Sena Jeter Naslund, William Shakespeare (indeed!), Zadie Smith.

8. Please share your bio in iambic pentameter.





ID:

Meet Ian Doescher, now age thirty-six,

Who all his life has loved the Star Wars flicks.

In eighth grade he discovered Startford's Bard,

And for that gentle poet he fell hard.

A Portland native, Ian travelled east,

And spent twelve years in higher ed (at least!).

Now back in Portland, he enjoys his life

With two great kids and world's most awesome wife.

This William Shakespeare's Star Wars, his first book,

Is something that he hopes you'll give a look!

9. Please tell me why everyone should buy your book in iambic pentameter.


ID:  
‘Tis said that William Shakespeare, all his days,
Hath written only thirty-seven plays.
‘Tis said, as well, George Lucas never slipp’d
To Stratford, so to write his famous script.
But what if those two souls had been as one,
Their works combin’d as not to be outdone?
What if, long time ago in days of yore,
The bard hath written Star Wars, Ep’sode Four?
What if A New Hope were young Shakespeare’s work?
Would not such an event be thought a quirk—
An accident of time and history,
And sign of a galactic mystery?
Good souls, to thee my news I do rehearse:
Of th’Star Wars story penn’d in Shakespeare’s verse.
Hast thou e’er wondered how Luke’s thoughts did run,
When he saw Tatooine’s great double sun?
Or hast thou heard the dirge that Leia sang
Once Alderaan hath gone out with a bang?
How did the knave Han Solo understand
His transformation unto hero grand?
Upon these answers thou shalt have thy looks
In William Shakespeare’s Star Wars from Quirk Books.
The book is at a bookstore near to thee,
And always, friends, the Force with you shall be.

10. Any last words for William Shakespeare, George Lucas or Quirk Books?

ID: Thank you, thank you, and thank you.  All three have have been huge and very kind to me (in different ways) throughout this process.

BONUS Question - This interview is coming out just after you learned your book debuted at #12 on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction best selling list. WOW! Share your giddy joy with the world in a sentence.

ID: The news about the Times list has been unbelievable for me because I'm just a normal guy who had an idea; I am beyond honored to be on the list.  (I cheated and separated two sentences by a semicolon!)

Ian - Thanks for taking this interview. May The (Sales) Force Be With You!

And for all you writercizers out there, may this interview inspire a writercize! Pick an author and match it to a seemingly unrelated film, song or play. See what magic transpires! I always love to see your work, so please share as you are willing in the comments section!

Comments welcome directed at Ian or in response to the suggested writercize.

Boomerang: A Mirrored Beginning and Ending - writercize #AtoZChallenge 3.2

Please note: writercize (a portmanteau of write and exercise with a z for ... a twist? fun? street cred?) is participating in the A to Z Challenge through the month of April with alphabetical writing prompts. I'm skipping the stories behind the prompts so you can spend more time practicing and less time reading! Please participate, and enjoy!

writercize: Challenge yourself to a little creative flash fiction or poetry. Throw out the traditional concept of beginning, middle and end and merge beginning with end. How? 

Begin and end a sentence, paragraph, short story or poem with the same word. 

Hence, the boomerang - send out a single word and bring it back to round out the story or poem.

I love reading your comments and especially your writercize results, so please, drop me a line to let me know if this worked for you! Better yet, share it with the world. 

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response - a poem beginning and ending with moon.

Enviro-Poem - writercize #191

Today I just want to play with language and create sounds that flow off the tongue. I want to use words like pop, and slithery, and laden - pretty words and startling words. I want to feel them glide through my mind and out of my mouth and transport me to a place that is not my desk chair in the dim light of the night room.

Join me in this literary romp. 

Combine the tools of onomatopoeia (words that evoke a sound) and alliteration (same beginning letter). Challenge yourself to invoke the inner Latin in your soul and bring fanciful words to light. One does not share a secret, one engages in a clandestine conversation. A gem does not simply sparkle, it shoots stars from within. Play with similes and metaphors. Ooze with adjectives and adverbs. Forget about grammar and the writing rules, and just enjoy the sounds of language.

writercize: Pick a place that you love. Conjure the image, the sights, sounds and smells in your mind's eye. Now paint a picture of that place in words. An environmental piece of grammar-optional poetry.

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response. Please leave your writercize result in the comments below!

Haiku How-To - writercize #177 #AtoZChallenge

Haiku symbol, per lisamorlock.com

A haiku is a poem with Japanese roots that abides by a particular rhythm (at least as it has been translated into American English form). 

The (again, American English version) poem consists of one stanza with three lines. The first is five syllables, the second is seven, and the third is back to five. I have very distinct memories of haiku building in third and fourth grade.

A how-to is an instructive guide that tells you how to do ... something.

As I love to mix and match things here at writercize, I would like to challenge you to write a very short how-to in haiku.

writercize: Using the haiku format of three lines and a 5,7,5 syllable pattern, write instructions on how to accomplish the task of your choice.

It can be any sort of task, from cooking to cleaning to writing to car maintenance ... literally wherever your mind takes you! Fair warning, once you start, it can be addictive.

Leave your writercize as a comment, and please do include a link back to your blog so I can pay you a visit!

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response haiku how-to poems about: how to make a PB & J, how to tie shoelaces and how to write a haiku.

Color Me Purple - writercize #169

I would imagine that I could name any color and it would conjure up an image, a memory, an emotion in your mind. Colors are very powerful things. In movies they control our moods. In restaurants they control our appetites. In stores they control our buying impulses.

Perhaps control is too strong of a word. Let's switch that to influence. I certainly never like to admit something could have control over me.

Call it what you will, marketing gurus know that they can use color to sway your purchasing power, interior designers are confident that the right color choice will put you in the right mood. Quick in and out at fast food? Try yellow. Calm in a doctor's office? Paint light blue. 

Now, think of the color purple. Think of everything that purple evokes in you, and write about it. 

You can use this type of exercise in the future when placing your character in any environment. By recognizing the feelings that a particular color inspires, you can play with the colors that surround your characters at home and out in the world as you create the interiors and exteriors of their lives. This could be particularly powerful in memoir or novels written in first person.

writercize: Describe purple. 

You may use any method to describe purple, including poetry, a list, a character that is purple incarnate or a descriptive paragraph.

Please share your attempt as a comment, or link to your blog. I love to see what all you creative writercizers come up with!

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response.

Bio-Poem - writercize #161

My writing mind is all over the place today. It has been an insanely busy news day here in Southern California between the Prop 8 ruling and news about Miramonte Elementary, the LAUSD school that made international news for removing all teachers and support staff until further notice due to the two arrests made last week of teachers engaging in lewd behavior. I have been listening to the news nonstop, and my journalism brain is kicked into high gear, which means I am imagining questions that should be asked and creating stories in my mind even if they are not on paper.

Beyond the news, I decided to "run" the Picture Book Marathon this month, which means that I have committed to write 26 first drafts of picture books in the course of a month. I have four on the books so far, which means I have no more rest days or I will have to double up over the next couple weeks! The good news is I read the first drafts out loud to my kids this morning, and they were full of giggles, so I feel like I am on the right track and inspired to keep going.

Add in a little flash fiction here and there, over at #5MinuteFiction today, and my mind is screaming for a creative break! Therefore, I will treat it to a bio-poem.

A bio-poem is an autobiographical poem that follows a distinct pattern. My parents assigned it to their fifth graders to get to know them at the beginning of the school year. I had largely forgotten about them until a couple weeks ago when I ran across one on a post by a member of the Group Blogging Experience, aka GBE 2. When I saw it I stashed it deep into my mind for use on a Day of Limited Writercize Inspiration, or a Day of Overthinking, as AA Milne may have described it. (Gotta love how you could gauge the importance of any topic through his use of capitalization.)

Hopefully you find this mindless exercise as relaxing as me!

writercize: Write a bio-poem, using the following formula, as posted on the University of Chicago website:

(First name)-

(Four adjectives that describe the person)

Son or Daughter of (your parents names)

Lover of (three different things that the person loves)

Who feels (three different feelings and when or where they are felt)

Who gives (three different things the person gives)

Who fears (three different fears the person has)

Who would like to see (three different things the person would like to see)

Who lives (a brief description of where the person lives)

-(last name)

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response. Please feel free to share yours in the comment section, along with a link to your blog!

Etta James Poetic Mash-Up - writercize #154

One of my absolute favorite singers, Etta James, died today. (photo courtesy wikipedia) She had one of those voices filled with soul and spirit that is just low enough a normal person can still hum along in the kitchen without feeling too self-conscious, and I could always count on her to put me in the writing mood.

Her life may not have been an easy one, born to fourteen year old mother, running away when she herself was fourteen, and falling into the trap of drugs and addiction, but somehow she was able to transcend everything with her music. Through her songs, she reached out and touched the hearts of people of all ages, socio-economic status and ethnicities, not only in the United States but throughout the world. Her vocal chords had the power to build bridges between humans.

In her honor, I am asking you to create a writercize poetry mash-up of her songs.

writercize: Incorporating words from at least three of the Etta James song titles below, create an original piece of poetry. 

It does not need to be a tribute; you can move words around and add as many of your own as you like. Any style of poetry is ok!

(song titles from album "My Greatest Songs" released 1992 by MCA)

• "Something's Got a Hold On Me
• "Sunday Kind of Love
• "Pushover"
• "Miss Pitiful"
• "Trust in Me"
• "Spoonful"
• "Tell Mama"
• "At Last"
• "Payback"
• "Security"
• "I'd Rather Go Blind"
• "I Just Want to Make Love to You"
• "Stop the Wedding"
• "Two Sides (To Every Story)"
• "I Found Love"
• "It's All Right"

Leave your take on the writercize as a comment or share a link to the answer in your blog!

Please click "read more" for writercizer sample response.

The Long Dark Night - writercize #143

I'm really feeling the cold air and the lack of sunlight this time of year, and I am looking forward to getting the winter solstice over and done with. These long hours of dark skies and inability to warm my body are wreaking havoc on my inspiration.

When I was younger, my mom told me that my uncle's favorite day of the year was the winter solstice, because it signified a return to light, while his least favorite day of the year was the summer solstice, because it meant the earth would get darker again. I never understood it as a child; I couldn't figure out why he wasn't just living in the moment, enjoying the summer and hiding from the winter. Now as my mind spends a significant part of the day looking forward in time, I get it.

writercize: Use the depth of dark and promise of light as inspiration for a poem or short story.

If you are reading this post from the Southern hemisphere, I hope you are enjoying the long days of light but think of you with a bit of envy.

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response in the form of poetry.

Thankful For Poetry - writercize #133

If you are in the United States, this coming Thursday is Thanksgiving.  It is my personal favorite holiday because I love to eat and I love to spend time with family, and that's what my Thanksgiving is all about!  This year I will not be eating with family as holiday travel didn't appeal to me as it usually does, but I am quite thankful to have a very dear friend from college and his wife living nearby who are wonderful hosts to all of us displaced souls around the holidays.  It should be a great celebration. 

Historically, of course, it is the celebration of a feast between the Natives who knew how to cultivate the land and the Pilgrims who were clueless and had so much to learn, and it was a moment of peace and understanding before the horrible outcome of manifest destiny came to be.  Naturally, knowing what happened after that harvest is heartbreaking, and puts a damper on the historic significance of the holiday, but I do my best to appreciate it for the feast and the family and time to pause and reflect on the things that really matter.

A few weeks ago I did a holiday prompt based on The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown, and if you're looking for another creative way to write about Thanksgiving, check that out after you try this writercize.  Keep an eye open for one more Thanksgiving inspired exercise coming up this week as well!

writercize:  Write a poem, any style, beginning with the words "thankful for."  

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response.

Guest Writercize - Gene Pool Diva

Today's guest post brought to you by none other than Kelly, the Gene Pool Diva, regular GBE2 participant and recorder of all sorts of funny family conversations.  Her posts are known to inspire true fits of laughing out loud, as you'll soon find out by reading below!  If you want a daily dose of humor and dialogue, I highly recommend that you check her out!

And now, without further ado, Gene Pool Diva.  Take it away Kelly!

After three weeks on the road, I stepped over my threshold and into the escalating odor of fish. I still haven't identified the source. Well, of course Rob's the culprit, but where do I pinpoint the problem? Tiny, suspicious dots form a trail from the kitchen, through the dining room and out to the lanai. Stains bloom on the counter. My sneakers stick to tiled floors. Did he drag the trash can liner from room to room, again? Did … oh crap, Alana's waiting.

I promised Alana a writing exercise. I don't know anything about writing exercises. According to Beamer, my internal dialogue is proof of mental illness. Great, but how do I turn that into an assignment? Dunno. I just know the clock is inching toward noon. Then I stumble on Haiku.

I remember Haiku. Weren't they nature inspired?

Then it occurs to me that Rob and culture are on a collision course.

Rob and nature are on a collision course.

Rob and I are about to collide

writercize:  So, I suggest a round of partner-inspired haiku. Haiku that even hubby, brained by a cast iron skillet, can understand.

Here's my attempt.

Whole house smells of fish

I contemplate Rob's demise

Who will walk the dog

No, don't talk to me

I still remember shark guts

frozen bits of beer

I raise the rafters

Boy escapes to mow the lawn

Sweet dog cuddles close

Alana's eyes roll

Uh oh, wheres the back up plan

Beth, about Friday

Ahem, you're next.

((Side notes:  There are still two guest spots available this year to interested parties.  Scroll along the left hand side of my blog for more information.

For a quick reminder on the rules of haiku, see this post.))

The Important Thing - writercize #120

The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown, author of the omnipresent Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny books, is an interesting book in that it gives the reader a glimpse into Brown's mind and how she deemed what is important about various objects and concepts.  It is a book without a story or a plot, but there is certainly a theme.

In the book, Brown evaluates such various things as a spoon, a cricket, the rain, the wind and a daisy, identifying each with their unique (or in some cases not so unique) characteristics as well as what she determines to be the "most important thing" about each.  In some cases, she hits the nail right on the head.  In others, I think that she misses the mark a bit.  Nonetheless, it is what is most important to her, and understanding that and who she is interests me.

One of her stronger observations:

"The important thing about the rain is that it is wet.

It falls out of the sky, and it sounds like rain, and makes things shiny,

and it does not taste like anything, and it is the color of air.

But the important thing about rain is that it is wet."

I don't necessarily like that she uses "sounds like rain" as a way to describe the rain ... I'm apprehensive about using a word in its own definition, but I do appreciate what she has determined to be the important thing about rain.

Her weaker observations seem to do with boiling items' importance down to their color.  She claims the most important thing about a cricket is that it is black.  I may have argued that it chirps, or it tells the temperature (seriously!  true story!  count the chirps in 15 seconds and add 37 to get the degrees fahrenheit).  She also argues that the most important thing about a daisy is that it is white.  Eh, not convinced.  I may have argued that it is a flower or signifies purity or that it is only open during the day under the rays of the sun, but the fact that it is white (and it's not even always white!) doesn't make the best argument to me.

Each segment begins with "the important thing about x is y" and ends with "but the important thing about x is y."  In the middle, she shares around 5-7 other observations about what an object or concept is and is not.  Today, I want you to reflect on a concept, what it means to you, and which of those "definitions" is the most important aspect.

writercize:  Pick a holiday and reflect on its meaning.  Write an imaginary page in "The Important Book" about that holiday.

A few options:  New Year's Eve / Day, Valentine's Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas, Hannukah, Eid, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Teacher Appreciation Day, Grandparents' Day, Chinese New Year, Easter, St. Patrick's Day, birthday, anniversary ... wow there are a lot of reasons to celebrate!

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response on a couple of fall holidays.  Leave your "Important Thing" as a comment or link to your blog!

Lost in the Longing - writercize #99

When I was younger, I was struck with a malaise sense of what I liked to call pre-longing.  During summers, while I was hanging out with friends who had graduated while I was still preparing for another year of high school, I would imagine the idea of missing them in my future.  Though they were right in front of me, I felt a sense of yearning for days gone by.  As I grew older, and my grandparents aged, I would get that same uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach, imagining the loss and the hole in my heart that would remain when they were gone.  I would work hard to remember every conversation, every laugh, in hopes that I would harness the feeling of warmth and family when the time came that I couldn't be around them. 

These episodes of pre-longing were generally much stronger than the actually feeling of loss that would occur after the fact.  When friends moved away to college, I missed them but was busy with school and activities and new friendships.  When my grandparents passed away, rather than feeling as though I needed to gasp for air, I took comfort in my children, babies at the time, and held them close as I watched the full circle of life unfolding before my eye, from cradle to the grave.  When we lose something, we live with it and move forward.  When we imagine losing something, we imagine we will not be capable of doing so.  At least for me.

Now I imagine what my house will feel like in 15 years when my children are ready to leave the nest, and I can hardly stand it.  I love them for the little people that they are now, small and cuddly and full of imagination, and I want that forever.  I know that when the time comes, they will be ready, and in some way, so will I.  I also know that I waste a lot of energy and time thinking about this when I should be fully in the moment and enjoying them today.

In general, I'm quite satisfied with life and the way things go; I appreciate the past and look forward to the future.  At the same time, I am a huge planner and daydreamer, so I sometimes forget about today, which is the day that I will one day look back upon fondly as "the good old days."  I don't miss any particular part of my past, from childhood to the college years to singledom and now marriage and family, but at times I long for bits and pieces of my past.  The ability to jump on an airplane and travel when and where I want with minimal preparation.  The comfort of being a child ready to sleep in her family home.  The energy on a college campus.  I wouldn't want to go back, but I do long for some of those bits and pieces of the life that I've lived to this point.

Why all this talk of longing?  It's the topic of the Group Blogging Experience, a.k.a. GBE 2, a weekly blogging challenge that has attracted nearly 200 bloggers of every type.  There are spots open.

Now, after that long background on the topic of longing, I will pare it down for you with a poem.  I challenge you to think of what longing means to you, when you've longed for something, and break it down short and sweet and poetic.

writercize:  Tap into your emotional attachments to people and things.  Write a poem on the topic of "longing."

Click "read more" for writercizer very brief sample response.

Rhyming Couplets - writercize #95

A couplet is a small slice of poetry involving two lines with similar rhythm that rhyme.  In wikipedia simple terms: "a pair of lines of meter in poetry."  Although the rhyming element is not required in modern couplets, it is common.

Tonight I invite you to hone in on your rhyming skills and write a couple of couplets.  

writing exercise:  Write couplet(s) incorporating the following five words:

• sweet
• love
• blue
• kiss
• side

You do not need to rhyme with the given words, but there must be rhyming and you must use these words.  You can use all the words in one couplet, or a series of related or unrelated couplets.  Romance, humor, non-fiction - you choose the mood!

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response of an electronic-age love note.

An Ode to a Toad (Poetry Schmoetry) - writercize #82

I'm not sure exactly how or when it happened, but replacing the start of any word with "schm" has become the perfect substitute for a rhyme when none exists or the author wants to lighten the mood.  It's actually pretty fabulous if you think about it - it makes writing much simpler.  Except for words that already start with "sh."  Then it doesn't work quite so well - shoe schmoe just doesn't have the same ring as napkin schmapkin or working schmorking or fancy schmancy ... or poetry schmoetry.  Try it for fun.  It's like a magic smile on your face.

Today's poem is a part of the Poetry Schmoetry blogfest hosted by Small Town Shelly Brown.  (Seriously, don't smile after reading that sentence - I dare you.)  The blogfest lasts until Friday and participants just have to post one poem this week to participate, so if you haven't already, get on the bandwagon and add yourself to her linky-link!

I was originally thinking I'd write a nice poem about the moon, but after looking at the silliness above, I've changed my mind.  Maybe tomorrow.  It's all about silly rhymes now.

writercize:  Pick a type of poetry.  (i.e. Ode, Sonnet, Ballad, Limerick, Haiku, Epic, Free, Quatrain, Acrostic - whatever you like)  Now, find a word or phrase that rhymes with that type of poetry.  Combining the two, give your poem the title and get writing!  

For example, you could write a sonnet on a bonnet, or an agnostic acrostic, or a quatrain in the rain, or a salad ballad.  You get the point.  I chose an ode to a toad.

Click "read more" for writercizer sample ode to a toad response.  Please note I am not a biologist, so if I make errors about the ways of the toad, forgive me. 

On Recovery - writercize #68

Over the weekend I was listening to an interview with poet and blogger James Nave.  During his recovery from surgery related to prostate cancer, he vowed to write 100 poems in 100 days chronicling the process. On air he read a poem in which his legs were filled with thousands of colorful butterflies flapping their wings.

The interview got me thinking about recovery, the many meanings of recovery, and how poetry has the power to bridge the gap between fiction and non-fiction with vibrant images and emotions to communicate both the beauty and stress of living in a society.  

I thought about how recovery can apply to life after disease, addiction, a natural disaster, a broken heart, a financial crisis, abuse.  It's pretty incredible how one word can tie together so many negative experiences, and inject them with a new feeling, that of hope.  Recovery is one powerful noun.

I've been lucky in my personal life that I've only had to recover from surgery and heartbreak, but those two recoveries were enough to not wish for many more!

In truth, lucky may be only part of it.  Incessant concern to remain in full control of my body and thoughts probably did a lot to steer me away from many addictive things too ... when I know my hormones are affecting my thought patterns, I start to freak out, so imagine anything else! 

writing exercise: Write a poem inspired by the word "recovery." The poem may be any style, including freestyle.

Click "read more" for the writercizer sample response, The New Joneses, on economic recovery.

Light Hearted Limerick - writercize #67

Light hearted may not be completely accurate for my daily example, as you shall shortly see, but a limerick it is, and in it's rhythm and rhyme a limerick tends to evoke an airy feeling.

As Tuesday is my news day, it looks like Tuesdays will lean towards word play and short poetry here at writercize, keep your eyes peeled if that's your favorite theme!

writing exercise:  Compose a limerick on the topic of your choice.  Limericks are five line rhyming poems with an AABBA rhyme scheme where the B lines are one beat shorter than the A lines.  Generally, the first line introduces a person on whom the limerick is based.

Click "read more" to see writercizer sample response about burning the midnight oil.

Haiku On My Mind - writercize #59

A few days ago I came across a sweet little blog called Haiku Corner.  The author can turn anything at all into a slice of haiku heaven (cats, gas prices, jello anyone?), so it's got my brain trying to convert everyday thoughts into haiku. 

Haiku, for anyone unfamiliar with the term, refers to a poem comprised of three lines.  The first has five syllables, the second has seven syllables, and the third is back to five syllables.  In its truest form, this Japanese poetry abides by several more rules, the most important of which juxtaposes two ideas.  For a beginner such as myself, the syllables are enough of a challenge, and the 5/7/5 rule generally satisfies the English notion of Haiku.

writing exercise:  Compose a haiku poem inspired by your current state of mind.  You may find it helpful to draw on nature or physical comparisons to illustrate your point.

Click "read more" to see writercizer sample response on sorting out my house and mind.

A Mouse in the House and Animals that Rhyme - writercize #55

Sadly, we have a mouse in the house.  It is an uninvited guest with a chocolate-snatching habit and sly as a fox intelligence.  

Our preference is that it vacate the premises immediately without incident.  Since this does not seem to be the mouse's preference, the more likely scenario will involve the mouse's end.  We tried to catch it with cheese on a glue trap, but it stood on the trap, ate the cheese, and somehow used super-rodent strength to break free.  The next day we saw four paw prints sunk into the glue, but no food and no mouse.  We tried to lure it into a box of poisonous mouse food, with the idea that it would consume the food and return to its nest outside to pass away.  Apparently, salty mouse poison is not appealing to a mouse with a sweet tooth.  

Today we discovered the mouse had somehow climbed up a tall table, into a bowl and snatched Kit Kat bars out of the box, back to the ground, behind the couch, opened the wrappers and eaten them.  The mouse has serious dexterity and bravado.  If it were not a mouse, I would want to catch it alive and encourage it to join the circus.  But it's a mouse and it's spending nights in my house, and as much as I hate to kill any creature (besides mosquitoes and spiders that is) I want it gone.  Yesterday.  So, tonight we shall devise a new plan and hope for no more nocturnal visitors in the very near future.

While I was contemplating the best way to semi-humanely dispose of this mouse in the house, the kids' writer part of me started to have fun with the way a mouse in the house rhymes, so out of a frustrating situation in our living room, tonight's writercize was born.

writing exercise:  Write a poem or short-story about an animal or animals in rhyme.  If you need help brainstorming animals, here are a few that are easy to find rhyming words:  cat, frog, dog, horse, cow, mouse, rat, bug, pig, fish.  Some animal ideas if you're looking for more of a challenge:  monkey, donkey, zebra, hippo, camel, spider.

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response.

Mama's Day Greeting Card - writercize #46

This Sunday is Mother's Day in the United States and much of the rest of the world and while some of you may be parents and others are single, I guarantee every one of you had a Mother and can relate in some way to the holiday.  

Mother's Day has historically been the number one day for Sunday telephone calls in the United States (see Calling Mom on Mother's Day).  Per Hallmark, it is also the third busiest holiday for greeting cards, with an annual 139 million cards.  It falls after Christmas and Valentine's Day and has a 40 million card lead over the fourth placed Father's Day.

Writing a greeting card can be a nice personal touch for Mom if you're the DIY type.  Selling a greeting card phrase can also be a (albeit small) way to line a freelancer's pocketbook.  So, think of a Mom - your mom, the card you yourself would like to receive, your wife as mom, an imaginary mom, whoever your inspiration may be - and write away.

writing exercise:  Write a Mother's Day greeting card.  No limitations - you may go poetic, sappy, humorous ... write from the kids, to grandma, to a mom-to-be, from new dad, to a motherly figure in your life, to a mom friend ... whoever you'd like to acknowledge as one great Mom!

(Click "read more" for writercizer sample response.)

Word Scramble - writercize #39 (A to Z 23)

Let's have a little word scrambling fun with today's writercize.  I've selected a Shel Silverstein poem entitled The Acrobats from his collection Where the Sidewalk Ends, and I'd like you to write something new using only the words in the poem. 

writing exercise:  Scramble the words from "The Acrobats" by Shel Silverstein to come up with a new poem or phrase.  You may repeat words, change verb tense, delete words, or add conjunctions such as "and" "but" "so" "if" "or" etc. ... but no other new words.

"The Acrobats"

by Shel Silverstein

I'll swing

By my ankles,

She'll cling

To your knees

As you hang

By your nose

From a high-up

Trapeze.

But just one thing, please,

As we float through the breeze - 

Don't sneeze.

(Click "read more" for writercizer sample response.)