And unlike most others over the past 10 or so years, this day has meaning again.
It's Zoey's first Halloween ever and she will be a beautiful little human flower.
A fitting costume for a budding soul.
via shine.yahoo.com
I found the following 5 'tricks' from Constance Hale to be inspirational and invaluable for writing better prose:
Trick #1: Write in English, not Jargon. We have a wonderfully rich language. Use it! Whether you are writing for colleagues or for strangers, search for the best, the most beautiful words, not just the hackneyed phrases that come out automatically. Use “my concern,” not “the above-referenced matter”; say "a person at a computer," not "the end user." Go ahead and spin a metaphor, but make sure it’s original: “The sky darkened and dumped all its cares,” not “it’s raining cats and dogs.”
Trick #2: Use specific, concrete nouns.
Nouns are cornerstones of writing—they give us characters, images, and themes. Search for the most evocative and exact. Why choose “house” when the options include cottage, shack, duplex, dacha, bungalow, and bachelor’s pad? (Stay away from abstractions like abode, dwelling, domicile, or residence.) Beware clusters of abstract nouns. When a principal wrote to parents urging a “communication facilitation skills development intervention,” he should have asked them “to help kids write better.”
Trick #3: Pick action-packed verbs.
All verbs are either static (to be, to seem, to become) or dynamic (to whistle, to waffle, to wonder). Static verbs pour out naturally when we write—“is” clutters most first drafts. But dynamic verbs give writing action, power, drama. Do a verb brush-up on every draft, tossing out static verbs and perking up your prose.
Trick #4: Avoid fluff.
Use good nouns, and you will wean yourself of adjectives. Use good verbs, and you’ll find you can forgo adverbs. Notice where foggy prepositional phrases can be replaced (“in the eye of my mind” v. “in my imagination”). Reduce redundancy: replace multiple fluff words with a single crunchy one.
Trick #5: Find the right pitch.
Every piece of writing is a conversation. Figure out your audience, and how you want to relate. Do you want to come off as an authority, a hipster, or a wise friend? Use the imperative voice if you want to sound like an expert: Write in commands and you will convey confidence. Use the informal second person if you want to sound chummy: So you want to sidle up to your reader... Use “we” to suggest that you, too, are going through what your readers are: We all struggle with every sentence we write. Once you settle on a point of view, don’t wobble away from it.
via www.boston.com
Being from New England, I can't help feeling compelled each October to honor the special season that is Autumn. It's that unique segment of year that offers the last glimpses of natures vibrant colors, sights, and smells before the clutches of Winter erase them all until well into the New Year. A time when families come together and enjoy the splendor of the outdoors, give thanks for life and all that is good, and ponder what lies in the year ahead.
These pictures, courtesy of the Boston Globe, say everything more that needs to be said about Autumn.
Can we all agree that Neil Peart's iconic drum solo in the middle of Rush's 'Tom Sawyer' (with volume set North of 7 mind you) is far more effective at lifting one's energy level and mood than any cup of cortisol-spiking cup of joe ever could?
Thank Canada for Rush.
