Category: ‘the Art of Writing’

Send your original ‘haiku’ poetry and I’ll post it

Haiku poetry, poetry, female poets, Japanese,I have been quite amazed at the number of searches for haiku poetry and then the search ending up in a visit to my site.  Don’t get me wrong, I am NOT complaining.  My amazement lies in the interest (in our modern world)for this beautiful type of poetry that has survived the ages.  Did you know that the oldest written work in Japanese literature is the haiku by Kojiki in the 8th century.

So I came up with the idea of inviting YOU to send me your haiku poetry and I will include it in a post from time to time.

I only ask that you write it in the correct and time-honored style of three stanzas, three lines each, five syllables, seven syllables, five syllables.  Tell me if you want me to use your full name. Be certain to include your website address so that we can continue to market each other. You can send it on the “comments” page or the contact us page and I’ll be sure to get it.

I love the idea that my new website is interactive with more than just my voice…..and will have others’ voices joining in……..

And if you are new to this form of writing, please try it and send it to me.  Here is a sample of my haiku to get you started:

The Seasons of the Sun  ©    from my book, “The World of Haiku”

angle of fall’s sun
so different from spring’s rays
dapples the sun porch

end of hot summer
the crisp, sharp tang of fall’s breath
smokes the air about

a waiting for sleep
under the blanket of snow
until spring sun beams

More trivia: The ‘Waka’ is the oldest form of Japanese poetry, used centuries before the more commonly known ‘haiku’.  Waka actually means ‘japanese poem’.  Traditionally lovers as well as persons of high social standing used waka poems to communicate.  Waka poems are noted for their attempt to capture feelings, rather than explain them.  A waka is also called a ‘tanka’; they share identical structures.

Best regards,  Trish

 

 

This artist is inspired by ‘dance’….what inspires you to write?

I am a big fan of reality dance shows (All the Right Moves, So you think You can Dance, Dance Moms, The Chance to Dance, Breaking Pointe; the list goes on and on).  Nope! Not a big a fan of Dancing with the Stars…..(sigh, sorry).   Wait!  Don’t give up on me quite yet…..please read on.

As my readers probably already know I create many short scripts about ‘real time’ challenges for the teens of today. And the other night I was watching the season finale of the Abby Lee Dance Company (Dance Moms) and Abby choreographed a dance, inspiration, teens, texting and driving, teenagers, textingpowerful and brilliant piece called, “The Last Text”.

All told in dance, it was about a car load of teens texting while driving and the predictable results, a horrific car crash.  The dance piece was stellar!  And won national awards! I am certain you can see it in a re-run; believe me it is worth tracking down.

I was inspired to write another short play for my “ShortN’Small”  series.  About texting and driving and the possible consequences.  I  borrowed the concept from her wonderful choreography (blocking) and the premise of the piece.  But the dialogue that her wonderful work inspired in me is all mine!

 I’ve always believed that excellence breeds excellence.  I have always been attracted to the company of smarter people than myself.  They teach me so much.  I always wanted to play with better tennis players…it made me a better player.  I was never jealous of a more accomplished actor than I was;  they made me grow and stretch as an actor.  And watching young dancers makes me happy; they are such athletes and so passionate about dancing…. of course, I was inspired !

texting and driving, teen texting, short plays, high school, middle school,

Haiku (Renku) Poetry and How to Write It (Part 1)

haiku, smaurai, Misashi, poetry, writing, blogging, blogs        Haiku (Renku) Poetry, an ancient form of writing poetry from Japan, is very strict in its structure. One section of three lines. The first and  third lines must be five syllables. The second line must be seven syllables.  A reference to nature is usually found somewhere in the poetry. My Sumi-E ink and brushwork you see here is an ancient Japanese technique.  In Renku poetry You write three or more stanzas using the same 5-7-5 discipline.

Tip:  When I first write haiku I don’t worry so much about the structure on the first draft.  I get my thoughts down and then start editing words (syllables) until I have the correct structure  of   5-7-5.  This works best for me.

Tip: Over the centuries (and certainly in the US) Haiku has been reduced to one section of three lines.  In ancient Japan culture (11-12th centuries) a haiku had three sections of three lines.  I prefer to write in the ancient style but it is acceptable, by some, to write a complete poem in three lines.
Continue reading “Haiku (Renku) Poetry and How to Write It (Part 1)”

A foggy night, at a ferry landing, inspired me…(part 4)

ferry landing, poetry, foggy night, blogs, writing, I was sitting, late one night, at a ferry landing, waiting and watching the boats ferry back and forth until it was my turn to board.  Fog horns, misty fog, reflections on the black water, the screech of the gulls, and the silent hunting of the pelicans.

The wet air, the silence, the sound of a lone fog horn warning vessels of danger.  The fog smearing everything I looked at… I was inspired  to write poetry.  But the scene could have inspired a murder mystery writer to write about a body, weighted down, being slipped into the water;  or it could have inspired a romance writer to write about two lovers parting as the boat docked.  Never to be together again.  For me, it was poetry.  Here is an excerpt of what came out of that black night……..

FOGGY NIGHT  © 

The white orb, saturated with tidal flows 

peers through the veil, 

a ghost ship slips up the fog laden channel

 Night gulls’ sing with strident cries 

fog seeps in, the tide rolls out, 

day is gone, the night creeps on 

Trees, dressed in ebony, drift by 

water glistens, injectable methandienone online in uk gold and wet 

Night is soft and tender, edges blurred 

damp seeps into cloth, hair, bone 

Fog casts tents of light over the landing 

Hunters of the sea know not day nor night 

Fishers all, white feathers stark 

against the night shadows 

Palm trees, silhouetted against the ochre gauze, 

brushes hardened with black paint……

I raced home as I had nothing to write with in the car.  Opening my front door, I dropped my keys and purse onto a chair, tore off my coat as I sped down the hall to my studio.  Waking up my computer, my fingers flew across the key board, lest I forget the words that were born in the night. 

To read more click here for the book, "Butterflies and Bullets"

 

 

 

 

What’s your favorite word? Nostalgia is one of mine!

family, sisters, writing, blogs, women,     Were you there when the movie “Little Women” came out? Not the new (1994) version…the old version (1949, it’s on DVD)  with June Allyson who played Jo,  Peter Lawford as Laurie, Margaret O’Brien as Beth, Elizabeth Taylor as  Amy, and Janet Leigh (yes! from Psycho fame)  as Meg.   Do you go all nostalgic when you think about those simpler times with  Jo, Beth, Amy, and Meg?  I do.  Have you read the book by Louisa May Alcott?  She was writing about her family.

Part of me wishes I had a bunch of sisters, (be careful what you wish for, right?) part of me wishes that I had lived in a simpler time. I am a part of a family like the Marches.  My mother had  five sisters and six brothers.  I grew up with twelve aunties and uncles.  And so many cousins I still don’t know the number.

So I write about them.  I am much like Jo; writer, tomboy (in my younger days) outspoken and trying to be the very best at what I do…….writing.  

My suggestion to other writers is to write about your grandmother, great-aunt, second cousin, twice removed.  Write about what you know. Write about the past.  I am so very lucky to have the ‘Guyer girls’ to draw from …..I couldn’t make up the stories that they have given me out of their real lives.     family, women, sisters,

 

Do you ask yourself, “when will my writing be discovered?”

success,fairy tales, stage plays,confidence,believe     Okay, so now you have a publisher…your books will fly off the shelves or through cyberspace, right?  Au contra, it’s still going to take some time. Or at least, that’s certainly been my experience….

Samuel French (biggest publisher for stage plays)  picked me up in 2004 and has since published four of my stage plays.  I am so grateful to be in the same publishing house as  Louisa May Alcott, David Mamet, Anton Chekhov, and Tennessee Williams. And the staff is so nurturing to their authors.  But, here’s the reality: No sales the first year, a few the second year, more the third year and so on…….but, sadly, no BIG immediate discovery of this playwright!  Not like in the movies!!

So I kept writing and editing and submitting……and writing more!

I am happy to share with my readers the news that I received a nice fat check from French with reports that reflected my biggest sales period EVER, the first quarter, this year!  Over the last six months they have sold seventy scripts of mine.  Most orders were in multiple quantities which means a theatre company was buying enough books for cast and crew.  And that means that somewhere, out in the world, theatre companies are producing my work!  You might be saying to yourself, ‘that’s not so many’  but think about it.  That’s 11.6 scripts per month. And like I said, most of them were NOT perusal copies (of one) but the number that they would need to produce a show! One production in Bangor, Maine and the other in Phoenix, AZ.

This summer has been a benchmark for me.  We have created a vibrant, new, interactive web site and as of this writing August will exceed any other month on the other sales channels that I use besides my on-line store. My books are finally flying off the shelves of amazon.com (USA and Europe) after eight long years!!

So my message to you is: Keep writing, fellow writers.  When you get rejection after rejection  (as I did) let that be the spur to write more! Use private publishing. ‘Self publishing’ is not a dirty word anymore. ‘Vanity’ books are a thing of the past…or almost.  Most of us, as writers, have something important to say and vanity is far, far away from our thoughts.  With the advent of ‘print on demand’ self publishing is not the huge investment it used to be.  I self publish for less than $100. plus the wholesale cost of the finished book.  Sure your publisher takes a cut……but!  You’re published!!

Writing is a lonely business but keep at it.  I’ll believe in you if you’ll believe in me!

Who, What Inspires your Writing? (part 2)

chilren's theatre, children's plays, fairy tales, inspiration, actors    You find inspiration in the strangest places.   I was dedicated to writing scripts for the stage.   A few years back, I attended this production of my children’s play, Emma and the Lost Unicorn, outside of Boston .

After the actors had their curtain calls, the Director told them that if they changed out of their costumes and did their assigned tasks back stage, they could ‘have some time with  Trisha’.

So I found myself holding impromptu stage craft classes with these adorable young actors (age 5–18).  I was struck how serious they were about their craft.  Their questions were very sophisticated.  And then it happened……the inspiration to dare to write something completely out of my comfort zone…..a book.

The  youngest ones begged me to write the stories from my scripts in storybook form.  They wanted to have Emma, Stare, Cheets, and Stanley in their personal libraries.  Three children’s books and one novel later I have found a new outlet for my story telling.  These children, who knew no fear, gave me enough courage to try chapter books, poetry, and a novel. Experimental at times, risky at times, scary, but so rewarding.   So step out of your comfort zone and try writing in a different format… it’s very liberating and you might surprise yourself.  I did!children's theatre, plays for kids, writing, stage plays,

When was the last time you were behind bars? No, seriously!

This has been an incredible journey for me as a playwright turned novelist. In play writing you must tell your story in 100 pages or less, definitely in less than two hours and everything you want to relate to the audience must be conveyed through the dialogue.  In the theatre world there’s a term: “method acting” which means you get as close to your character as you can.  If the character you are going to portray is a prostitute, you follow and talk to whores. (been there, done that. Honolulu, 1992 ) If your character is a woman who’s husband has been in prison for the past 13 years, you get inside her head.

I’m a ‘method’ writer, (every chance I get.) 

In 1999 I had reason to visit a men’s DOC facility. (prison).  I was visiting a confessed murderer as research for one of my earlier scripts.  My writing has taken me to some unexpected places to say the least.  On a Sunday morning I found myself sitting in the reception area with three dozen other women.  Wives, sisters, mothers, daughters of convicted felons.  As I waited, I wondered how long they had been coming to visit; how long would a woman wait for her man behind bars; and what a terrible impact this must have on the children, visiting their fathers in this place.  Sitting there I was suddenly compelled to write their stories.  I tried to interview as many women as I could and this was no easy task.

Their closed society is cloaked in guilt and shame. But they finally let me in and I discovered, for the most part, incredibly brave and strong women.  They would tell their friends and neighbors, “my husband travels with his work” to explain the man’s absence.  Always appearing cheerful and strong while visiting their men, the women I spoke with, had a pull off down the highway where they would congregate (after leaving the prison) where they could cry, scream, and moan and be comforted.  Where they could share, with other women who understood, what their lives were really like outside the walls.  Away from the eyes of their men and the prison officials.

Fast forward to 2011: My heart had been nagging me for years that my stage play,(by the same name) had MORE to say. And it wouldn’t let up!!  The message was, “you have to tell the rest of these women’s stories. GET BUSY!!”

For someone who was so comfortable writing in the genre of ‘scripts’ this was a scary prospect. Yikes! I thought, a novel was at the very least 70,000 words and over 300 pages long. What could I possibly have to say?  One year and four months later I had a 335 page novel in my hands. Evidently my characters had plenty to say!  At times I was surprised and delighted with my women and their stories. At other times appalled. As many writers will tell you, at some point, the characters sort’a….no…they definitely take over and you become simply the typist.

I am hoping that my readers enjoy this journey and find some empathy for those women doing hard time outside the walls.

Bambi was romping in the Austrian forest long before Disney…. [3 of 3 in series]

Classic fairy tales researchedI sure didn’t want the fury of Disney coming down on me because of copyright issues while writing “Bertie, the Bookworm and the Bully Boys“.  So it led me to do some serious research on the origins of Bambi and make certain it was public domain.  Now for you new writers, if you don’t understand what that is, write me a comment and I will share. Did you know that Bambi, a Life in the Woods  is considered one of the first environmental, ecology-minded books ever written?  Amazing, right??   Bambi, a Life in the Woods, originally published in Austria as Bambi.  Written in  1923, an Austrian novel by Felix Salten. The novel traces the life of Bambi, a male roe deer, from his birth through childhood, the loss of his mother, the finding of a mate, the lessons he learns from his father and experience about the dangers posed by human hunters in the forest. An English translation by Whittaker Chambers was published in North America  in 1928, and the novel has since been translated and published in over 20 languages around the world.

The novel was well received by critics and is considered a classic. It was adapted into a theatrical animated film, Bambi, by  Walt Disney Studios in 1942, two Russian live-action adaptations in 1985 and 1986, and a stage production in 1998.  Janet Schulman released a children’s picture book adaptation in 2000 that featured realistic oil-paintings and many of Salten’s original words. Still available on www.amazon.com.

Now a version of Bambi graces my newest children’s book,Bambi, fairy tales, fables, ecology, environment,books for kids, books for children,bullying, literacy “Bertie, the Bookworm and the Bully Boys“. Rather than take the obvious route of having Snow White, Cinderella, or Beauty appear I thought it would be so much more fun for my readers to meet some of the sub-characters like the wicked stepsister, one of the dwarves, Red Riding Hood, and the little piggies….and of course, Bambi.

children's books, fairy tales, bullying, literacy, new books for kids