Tom – Page 166

Barnard Castle - acrylic 2 — Barnard Castle - acrylic on canvas

Today’s graphic is a recent painting – December 2010.

My absence over this week might give the impression that I’ve been easing up on my writing but that’s not the case.

I have three short stories on the go and a collection of twenty poems I’m editing quite severely. In order to take a break from those tasks I’ve occupied myself with writing poetry and reading. On Starlite Cafe I am well underway with a series of poems based on the analysis of dreams. I am also writing a romantic series about a couple who are trans-atlantic friends … then they meet.

With trans-atlantic friends in mind, during the week I co-wrote a sensual piece with a lady friend. The poem is called ‘Bare Flesh on Sand’. On completion of this post I’ll be adding a link to it in my Poetry/collaborations section but I’ll also add a link to this post.

By way of a change, the link will go to the other poet, Cheryl’s page. The graphic, background and text scheme were Cheryl’s idea and I think they all work well. ‘Bare Flesh on Sand’ http://www.thestarlitecafe.com/poems/105/poem_91187761.html

The graphic chosen for this piece is an acrylic painting of a rose that we grew in the garden last summer. I tried to capture the actual flower when it was at it’s finest. My painting is approximately 3ft wide by 2ft deep and took over two months of work.

My copy of the ‘Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook’ may be the 2010 edition but it still provides me with so much information and advice that I wouldn’t be without it. Having said that, I have recently come to regard another book as a ‘must have to hand’.

‘THE WRITER’S abc CHECKLIST’ by Lorraine Mace and Maureen Vincent-Northam is an incredible book. The content covers every aspect of writing and is laid out in a user-friendly format. It’s almost like a dictionary for writers but instead of a brief description the key word is followed by an easy to understand explanation.

By the time I had read half way through I started to think up questions, then as rapidly as I could think of something, I found my answer. Each word heading is listed in bold print and in most cases there are optional words to check out under the sub heading, ‘See also:’

For example: Keeping Copies See also: Markets, Publishers, Rejections, Revision and Resubmitting. There is too much information to go on listing examples but I cannot stress enough how easy it is to read and to use. I congratulate and thank the two ladies concerned.

I’m finding it fun as well as informative. I found myself making notes when I gave it my initial read-through and it’s already been the answer to a couple of issues I’ve had recently. I look forward to thumbing it’s pages on a regular basis.