open invitation no. 85: fresh comparisons

Using words to describe magic is like using a screwdriver to cut roast beef.

[Tom Robbins]

Comparisons are good for writers. They help readers connect to the story or think about ideas in new ways. They are great for painting word pictures. The best comparisons are unexpected.

This invitation invites you to seek out a unique comparison. Consider three or more options before settling on using one in your writing.

*Remember, you don’t have to accept this invitation…but I do hope you will accept the invitation to write. Sharing our stories is magical.

PS—There is a Facebook Group for the #sosmagic community. Join here.

invite others to join us

I’m joining an open community of writers over at Sharing Our Stories: Magic in a Blog. If you write (or want to write) just for the magic of it, consider this your invitation to join us. #sosmagic

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open invitation no. 84: stolen moments

Magic can be found in stolen moments.

[Francesca Lia Block]

I coached alongside a favorite teacher who insisted on taking advantage of golden moments. These were spaces in the day that you could swipe and complete a small task or organize a larger one. Now, more than a decade later, I still think about golden moments.

I wonder if golden moments are stolen moments that contain magic.

And now I’m wondering what stolen moments I can snatch in order to discover magic. Maybe you’ll share some of your stolen moments that have housed magic.

*Remember, you don’t have to accept this invitation…but I do hope you will accept the invitation to write. Sharing our stories is magical.

PS—There is a Facebook Group for the #sosmagic community. Join here.

invite others to join us

I’m joining an open community of writers over at Sharing Our Stories: Magic in a Blog. If you write (or want to write) just for the magic of it, consider this your invitation to join us. #sosmagic

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open invitation no. 83: art

The art of living lies in the fine mingling of letting go and holding on.

[Havelock Ellis]

My friends recently moved into a new home. They’ve been gathering art. Some was moved from their own home and some is newly purchased. When I came across this Ellis quote, it made me think about their art and the way it represents letting go and holding on, which makes me think about the art in my own home.

This invitation is about art. The art in your home, or the art of living. What is the fine mingling of letting go and holding on?

*Remember, you don’t have to accept this invitation…but I do hope you will accept the invitation to write. Sharing our stories is magical.

PS—There is a Facebook Group for the #sosmagic community. Join here.

invite others to join us

I’m joining an open community of writers over at Sharing Our Stories: Magic in a Blog. If you write (or want to write) just for the magic of it, consider this your invitation to join us. #sosmagic

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open invitation no. 82: own your joy

A flower blossoms for its own joy.

[Oscar Wilde]

Make a list of your joys. Here are the guidelines.

  • Be specific. The color of the horizon just before sunrise.
  • Be ordinary. The squeaky-clean feel of my teeth on my tongue after I brush, floss, and rinse.
  • Be small. The smell of a just cracked banana peel.
  • Listen. The sound of first footsteps on the stairs.
  • Be aware. The moon hung low in the hazy night sky.

If it is fun for you, make this a photo essay. Otherwise, chose another genre that is fun for you.

*Remember, you don’t have to accept this invitation…but I do hope you will accept the invitation to write. Sharing our stories is magical.

PS—There is a Facebook Group for the #sosmagic community. Join here.

invite others to join us

I’m joining an open community of writers over at Sharing Our Stories: Magic in a Blog. If you write (or want to write) just for the magic of it, consider this your invitation to join us. #sosmagic

grab an image

open invitation no. 81: scent of spring

Can words describe the fragrance of the very breath of spring?

[Neltje Blanchan]

Give it a try. Use words to describe the scent of spring.

*Remember, you don’t have to accept this invitation…but I do hope you will accept the invitation to write. Sharing our stories is magical.

PS—There is a Facebook Group for the #sosmagic community. Join here.

invite others to join us

I’m joining an open community of writers over at Sharing Our Stories: Magic in a Blog. If you write (or want to write) just for the magic of it, consider this your invitation to join us. #sosmagic

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open invitation no. 80: be lyrical

I’m always looking for instances of people doing things for and with each other for pleasure, for passion, for camaraderie, from kindness. It’s the anthropology of people figuring out how to punctuate life with the lyrical.

[Debra Granik]

I like to make words dance. I’m drawn to the lyrical nature of writing, the fun of making words bend and hearts swoon. I’m constantly on a quest to shake words to form a giggle or a sigh. This is not something that happens by luck. We can be intentional about being lyrical. Try it in your writing.

  • Think about the sound of a sentence. Repeat sounds if possible.
  • Play with the cadence by changing the length of sentences.
  • Reach for a fresh comparison.
  • Include small details that others may never notice because they are in a rush.
  • Select a topic that is about doing something with or for others. This is sure to be lyrical.

Topic selection is a lyrical choice, and I can think of nothing more lyrical than serving others.

*Remember, you don’t have to accept this invitation…but I do hope you will accept the invitation to write. Sharing our stories is magical.

PS—There is a Facebook Group for the #sosmagic community. Join here.

invite others to join us

I’m joining an open community of writers over at Sharing Our Stories: Magic in a Blog. If you write (or want to write) just for the magic of it, consider this your invitation to join us. #sosmagic

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open invitation no. 79: turn toward the light

Flowers don’t worry about how they’re going to bloom. They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful.

[Jim Carrey]

Stand still and turn. Open your eyes wider and look for the light. Name it. Name the light in your corner of the world. Now turn toward it.

The invitation is to turn toward the light and write about how it makes your life beautiful.

*Remember, you don’t have to accept this invitation…but I do hope you will accept the invitation to write. Sharing our stories is magical.

PS—There is a Facebook Group for the #sosmagic community. Join here.

invite others to join us

I’m joining an open community of writers over at Sharing Our Stories: Magic in a Blog. If you write (or want to write) just for the magic of it, consider this your invitation to join us. #sosmagic

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open invitation no. 78: a writing habit

First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not.

[Octavia Butler]

I forgot how much I love to write when the sky is dark. In the wee morning hours the words swirl. Under the dark night sky the words wobble and bend.

I write for work, completing tasks and creating content. It is satisfying work.

Yet, I miss writing for me when the sky is dark. The habit slipped away, likely in the darkness of my journey. The irony is not lost on me.

The invitation I am accepting is to claim a habit that will sustain my writing life. You are welcomed to accept this invitation, too. What habit allows you to stack words?

*Remember, you don’t have to accept this invitation…but I do hope you will accept the invitation to write. Sharing our stories is magical.

PS—There is a Facebook Group for the #sosmagic community. Join here.

invite others to join us

I’m joining an open community of writers over at Sharing Our Stories: Magic in a Blog. If you write (or want to write) just for the magic of it, consider this your invitation to join us. #sosmagic

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open invitation no. 77: a smile

Nothing shakes the smiling heart.

[Santosh Kalwar]

I think a lot about what stories are mine to tell. We are all connected, and yet, there are some stories that are not our own to share. It matters to me that I tell stories that are mine to tell.

I also think a lot about telling an authentic story; a story that is real and raw, honest and true. Snippets of stories told in public ways on social media feeds often skews the authenticity of the whole story.

Sometimes it is hard to find a space to write where I hold true to both of these storytelling creeds.

I want hope to arise in my storytelling, and I can think of no better way than to look for the smiles. Want to join me? Consider a smile and write about it.

*Remember, you don’t have to accept this invitation…but I do hope you will accept the invitation to write. Sharing our stories is magical.

PS—There is a Facebook Group for the #sosmagic community. Join here.

invite others to join us

I’m joining an open community of writers over at Sharing Our Stories: Magic in a Blog. If you write (or want to write) just for the magic of it, consider this your invitation to join us. #sosmagic

grab an image