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April is National Poetry Month! In honor of this I’ve recently completed a retelling of ‘Duffy and the Devil’ for children entirely in metered verse. Oh, and I wrote it as a short play. Why? Well…why not? Besides, this was a lot of fun to write! Just think of it as a script for a young reader’s theater performance with rhyming couplets. *crickets chirp* Anyway . . . moving on . . .
This “telling” is ~1,400 words (3 pages). There are five characters, including the Narrator. In case you’re wondering this mini-play actually has been performed. By children. Mine. (Yes, I played the Narrator.)
Rather than allowing it to collect eDust on my laptop I’ve decided to try sending it out. Another BIG step for me. Still, I have no idea where to begin querying something like this. (Suggestions are always welcome!)
While I ponder what to best do with it, I wanted to offer anyone interested a chance to read it first. If you fall into that category, you can use the form below to request an email message with the password to the protected post. Please feel free leave any feedback you may have in the comments section of either post.
To whet your poetic appetite, I’m posting the opening two stanzas here. After requesting the password, you can read the rest of the story here. I hope you enjoy it!
NARRATOR:
Squire Lovell lived alone, lone managed his estate,
without another soul about to toil or conversate.
He preferred things his own way, as you are soon to see,
yet wearied he of doing chores like cooking and laundry.
Deciding he the time was right to add an extra hand,
alone he rode one Autumn morn to seek in Burian
for one to come to spin and knit and mend his fraying garb,
when he did overhear a shout of angry disregard.
Thanks again for your interest!
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I’m feeling reflective today.
Actually, I’ve been feeling reflective for a while now. It’s not like this date hasn’t been on the calendar for the last 40 years, but it’s only been within the last few weeks I’ve really given myself over to any serious contemplation about it.
The result of all my intense brooding thinking is a list.
Two, actually.
I’ll begin by acknowledging I’ve made my share of mistakes in life. Some I would give almost anything to undo. Others, I wouldn’t trade for the world because they’ve helped to make me who I am today. I can also own I’ve done a lot of good in my life, including making the right calls on some difficult decisions which continue to be a source of joy and happiness in my life.
So, in the spirit of Dear Teen Me, I’ve written these 40 Things as a birthday gift to my 40-year-old self.
Today: April 11, 2011
However, unlike Dear Teen Me I’ve not written these to a past me from the present. I’ve written them to the present me from the future. One list is a list of 20 things to watch out for or to stop doing. The other is a list of 20 things to start doing or to do better. My intention is to make these 40 Things stand as my own personal guide for living my next 40+ years to the fullest.
So here they are.
20 Things Not To Do:
1) Don’t Be Afraid To Take Risks
2) Don’t Miss Opportunities To Show The People You Love That You Love Them
3) Don’t Lose Sight Of What’s Most Important To YOU
4) Don’t Give Up
5) Don’t Be Afraid To Try Something New
6) Don’t Mistake Being Right For Doing Right
7) Don’t Assume, ASK!
8) Don’t Do It If You Already Know You’ll Regret It Later
9) Don’t Expect More From Others Than You Do From Yourself
10) Don’t Ignore The Counsel Of A True Friend
11) Don’t Assume You Understand Anyone You’ve Never Spent Time Really Listening To
12) Don’t Offer Unsolicited Advice
13) Don’t Refuse To Give Advice When Someone Who Trusts You Asks For It
14) Don’t Simply Assume Everything Will Turn Out Fine If You Don’t Act
15) Don’t Forget The Lessons Of The Past
16) Don’t Nurse Resentment
17) Don’t Wait To Be Asked Before Deciding to Forgive
18) Don’t Try To Solve Anyone’s Problems But Your Own
19) Don’t Waste Time Trying To Change Other People
20) Don’t Blame Others For Anything That Happens To You
20 Things To Do:
1) Listen More Often Than You Speak
2) Say ‘YES’ More Often Than You Say ‘No’
3) Do What You Can To Help Those You Love To Find Their Own Answers
4) Stand Outside Alone In The Moonlight
5) Look For Opportunities To Show Those You Love How Important They Are
6) Look For The Good In Everything, Especially In Everyone
7) Decide What Is Truly Important To You And Focus On That
8) Put First Things First, But Remember To Make Time For Second And Third Things
9) Live For Today With One Eye To Tomorrow, Not Both
10) Fix What Is Broken
11) Finish Writing Your Book (Then Start Another)
12) Walk The Dog
13) Remember That The Best Things In Life Really ARE Free
14) Invest More In People Than In Things
15) Only Put Off Until Tomorrow What Can’t Wait Until The Day After That
16) Be Honest With Yourself
17) Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously
18) Play
19) Seek To Understand More Than To Be Understood
20) Love. Love. Love
That’s right! I’ve completed the final revisions to my story, “OLLIE’S TREASURE”. Ollie is now safely on his way to possible publication destinations unknown. Okay, I know Ollie’s destination, but whether or not he will be welcomed with open print space when he arrives is another story.
Sending my first short story manuscript out into the world was a little scary. It’s silly I know, but scary none the less. Once I’d decided it was finished, I found I kept obsessing over my words each time I picked it up. I’d change a verb here, and adverb there, or perhaps change the word order. Nothing major. But with each change I felt sure the story was better. Each time I told myself “I am so glad I didn’t sent it out like it was yesterday“. Then tomorrow would inevitably become today, and today would become inevitably yesterday. I’d look at the story again. I’d change something else. Something small. Or several somethings. Then I tell myself “I’m so glad I didn’t sent this out like it was yesterday.”
This process went on for about ten days straight. Really. I finally realized the story wasn’t actually getting any better. I knew I could look that story every day for a year and find some little change I could make. But, if I did that the story would never see the world outside my house.
Ollie deserved better than that.
And so, Ollie is gone. I kissed him goodbye today (yes, literally) and pushed him out of the nest. I hope he will fly. Not that I really think an octopus can fly. Although that would really be something to see. And for now, that’s all I can do – just wait and see.
Thanks to those who took the time to read and comment on this story.
I wrote this very short story for one of my young children a little over a year ago and had completely forgotten about it. I came across it again recently and I’ve decided to clean it up a bit then submit it to a few children’s magazines to see if there’s any interest.
If you’d like to read the rest of the story just use the form below to receive the password. Any comments or suggestions you may have would be greatly appreciated. (Image via Corel.)
Ollie’s Treasure
One morning Ollie Octopus was out exploring the ocean with his best friend, Benjamin Barracuda, when they discovered an old shipwreck. The ship was lying on its side, anchored to the ocean floor by years of sand and mud built up around it. Clusters of hard barnacles clung to the hull, and strips of velvety seaweed waved from it like green ribbons.
Ollie stared, wide-eyed. “I’ve never seen a real shipwreck before.”
“It looks like an old pirate ship,” Benjamin said. “I bet there’s a treasure chest full of gold inside!”
EDITED TO ADD: Comments on this story are now closed. Thank you for your interest!
This year, I say forget about the groundhog. (No offense, Phil.) I’m taking this as my sign that we’re in for an early spring.
Happy Groundhog Day!
This year for my wife’s birthday I took her to see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre on the north side of Indianapolis. Over the years we’ve seen a number of shows at Beef and Boards, but usually we stick to the family shows where we can take the kids. Even this we only do when there’s a show we really want to see. Taking six people to anything with an admission price adds up quickly. Musicals are clearly no exception.
My wife has the great privilege of having a sister with Broadway season tickets and a need for a seat mate. Although she had already seen Spelling Bee on the Broadway tour, she told me how much she’d enjoyed the show and wished I’d been able to see it too. That sounded like a good idea to me. Given the occasion and the mature nature of the show this one was just the two of us. For example, Act II opens with last year’s winner, Chip, who is the first one out at this year’s bee, walking around among the audience, forced to sell fund-raising candy. He does this while angrily singing about the real reason he really lost the bee. Quite honestly, this number is hysterically funny, but it’s not for children. At least in my opinion.
The theatre itself is smallish venue, but quite professional. It seats around 450. So it’s not small, but it’s also no overwhelming. Plus, we had great seats! The food was okay, fancy-looking with excellent service, but the quality wasn’t as good as I was expecting for the price. The show, however, more than made up for the food. Performances at Beef and Boards feature many talented performers along with a few occasionally who are not quite so great. Even with a cast as large as Spelling Bee’s we weren’t disappointed. Every one of the performers was a delight!
The only bad news was that my wife said with this birthday I set the bar pretty high for next year. I’m not so sure about that. But you can bet I’ll be looking ahead to see what’s on next year’s Beef and Boards January schedule. Just in case.
A few authors I follow (John Scalzi & Mary Robinette Kowal) recently posted lists of 10 things they’ve done that most people probably haven’t. I thought this sounded like a fun way to close out the year on my blog so I decided to play along.
Leave me comment if you’d like more details. (Unless you’re a member of law enforcement inquiring about #4)
EDITED TO ADD:
Bonus: I was also once chased by more than a dozen “ninjas” after some friends and I inadvertently stumbled on a martial arts style gang fight in a secluded park late one night.
