Writing - in a Nutshell

by Mare Ball @ ADVENTURES IN THE BALLPARK

I created some badges this week that wrap up the writing life in four quotes. 

1. 

Is this TRUE, or what?!?!

2.  

 Been there.  OUCH.

3.

Absolutely!!  Rah, rah rah!!

4.  And finally...

Love that Denzel!

For me, that's it in a nutshell.  What about you?

Give Yourself a Break

I'm taking the kids to Lagoon today. It's our Stake Lagoon day, so we get to get in for a discount, and there's a dinner. Pretty sweet deal. It's also the only way I can afford to do it, so it works out.

I have learned, in recent years, that play is as necessary as work to family success. It's a cliche (and we've had enough of those lately, lol), but the family that plays together, stays together. It's really true.

So what do you guys do to play? How do you take your breaks?

Your Turn

by Cheri Chesley

I'm sure I'm not the only author to have a cache of half-started stories that never see the light of day. So, we're going to have some fun with it today. Here are two story-starters--stories I was inspired to start after a writer's conference last year but did nothing with. I'm getting you started; all you have to do is pick one and post in your comment the next step in the story. Ready? Go!

1. Emily adjusted her hat on her head and her hand brushed the flower that had started to hang over the rim. She’d been so proud of that white flower when she’d put it on her hat that morning before boarding the train, but hours in the sun and heat had wilted the blossom so that it clung pathetically to the hat. On tip toe she scanned the faces of the people waiting for the train to pull to a stop. A few faces jumped out at her, some bringing hope and others despair. One of those men would be her future husband. Emily swallowed the knot in her throat and tried to smile.

2. Anna looked at herself in the mirror one more time. She fingered the veil where it hung at her shoulder and sighed. She’d always imagined her wedding day would be the happiest day of her life, but instead she felt overwhelming dread.

Most importantly, have fun with it!

Books: A History

My mass media class is currently studying books. Here is a short history of books just for fun! After all it is always good to know your roots.

- In 2400 B.C. the Egyptians began writing on thin sheets made from plant reeds found along the Nile - aka Papyrus

- 1000 B.C the Chinese made the first resemblence of a book with wood and bamaboo

- 350 A.D. The Romans produced the first protomodern books by sewing sheets of parchment together and covering them with wood and leather

- 600 A.D. Monks wrote and decorated colorful pages called illuminated manuscripts. These manuscripts were often decorated with gold and gems

- 1000 The Chinese invented the precurser to the printing press and typewriter by assigning seperate pieces of wood and metal to chinese characters allowing them to print quickly

- 1453 Johannes Gutenbers turns a wine press into a printing press, introducing mass production of books

- 1640 Stephen Daye prints The Booke of Psalms the first book printed in the colonies

- 1800's publishing house emerge to mass produce works from good writers

- Mid 1800's Linotype and offset Lithography lower the cost of books and literacy explodes

- 1870's "pulp fiction" is created, printing on cheap pulp paper brought the paperbacks to the middle and lower class

- 1971 Borders speads to a chain of bookstores

-1995 bookstores go online

- 2007 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows breaks records with a first press run of 12 million

Look how far we have come!!!!!