Little Pencil Writing

The gift of encouragement

2010-12-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

I never want to underestimate the simple gift of encouragement.

A kind word warms the heart.

A smile lightens a load.

A listening ear and a nod of the head tells others they matter.

Just being there tells others they are not alone.

I wonder what God will do today through you and me today with the simple gift of encouragement?

How to Connect With Your Newspaper Column's Readers | eHow.com

2010-01-27T15:15:00.000-08:00

How to Connect With Your Newspaper Column's Readers | eHow.com

How to Appreciate Your Editors | eHow.com

2010-01-22T20:34:00.000-08:00

How to Appreciate Your Editors | eHow.com

Seven-minute challenge: lunch boxes

2010-01-06T21:07:00.000-08:00

I learned this technique in a writing class taught by award-winning author Colleen Reece: take paper and pen. Listen to a writing prompt. Next, write as fast as you can for seven minutes.

Wasn't easy at first. I edited. Re-wrote. Crossed out sentences. Took a couple of weeks until, finally, I got it.

The weekly challenge turned out to be lucrative. Eventually, the finished products provided articles for magazines that sold at least four times. That's what we writers refer to as "milk money".

How about giving it a go? You've got nothing to lose. And you might be surprised to see how creative you could be in such a short amount of time.

Ready? Here's today's seven-minute challenge:

My favorite lunch box ___________.

A little pencil in the big hands of a writing God,

Judy

Kind words from Capital City reader

2010-01-05T09:24:00.000-08:00

We writers love to hear from readers, don't we? And positive feedback is especially encouraging!

That happened yesterday when I opened an e-mail from Johna, a Capital City Weekly reader. She felt uplifted from this week's column that focuses on showing appreciation for others.

Johna and her boyfriend live that purpose. They offer kindnesses to each other and those they care about. The result? They're sharing God's love in practical ways. And hopefully that will encourage them to do the same, she wrote.

Kudos to them!

Southeast Alaska has some bright spots this time of year, coming from people like Johna and her honey.

I think we need more Johna's in this world. Don't you?

A little pencil in the big hands of a writing God,

Judy

Share it, please!

2010-01-02T22:04:00.000-08:00

Dear writers,

Do you have something on your heart you'd like to write about-- but you're afraid? Then please: do it anyway. Don't worry whether or not it's good enough. Don't worry about what others will say.

Perhaps you could share about:

a favorite childhood incident;
an unexpected kindness;
aroma of your favorite supper while it cooked;
your favorite childhood book;
heartaches from losing loved ones; and
wonder of new life.

What you have to write matters. It really does. And your words just might be what someone has been needing to read. Don't be afraid.

I hope this encourages you.

A little pencil in the big hands of a writing God,

Judy

Away with those writing fears!

2009-12-31T09:18:00.000-08:00

This is my New Year's letter of encouragement for those of you who have always wanted to write, but are afraid.

When I first started writing for a living, many doubts held me back, including:

Inadequacy -- I felt I wasn't good enough; there were so many writers who were much better than me. This is true; someone will always be better. So what?
Education -- I looked at the writers who had Masters of Fine Arts, who sold best-sellers, who made at least $20,000 for speaking engagements. I don't know about you, but $20,000 is a ton of money. With that amount, I could help my husband build his dream workshop, replace our worn carpet and finally buy a new couch. But while I looked at those writers, I remembered that life experiences count for something! And God wouldn't give them to me unless they counted. Yours count, too.
Fear -- How could I start writing for publications? Who'd want to read my words? New York editors take seconds to scan a query letter; how could mine be worth reading? Then I realized that fear held me back from personal growth. Someone could be encouraged by reading my words, written from my heart. As for editors, they're people, too. Each day they commute to work, they're hoping to do the best they can at their job. They have photos of their families on their desks, dreams for their future. Plus, they, too have fears. They're human, for crying out loud. They're approachable, I've discovered. And I've found, so far, they're very nice to work with.

The biggest obstacle that held me back from writing for publication was, simply, fear. And fear is hurtful.

I prayed about my work, knowing God would help me to write just what I needed to say. It has helped me in my grief over losing Dad, through walking with my precious mom in her journey with Alzheimer's and in helping readers know they're not alone in their own similar journeys. I've also been able to sing the praises in black and white of my dear friends and family; what other job allows one to do that?

Once those fears were brushed aside, I was able to get my column out to several papers -- which run from Alaska all the way south to the Lone Star State. The lack of fear has also given me precious opportunities to build relationships with the public through my features reporting. I also speak on facing our inadequacies with the best friend and writing partner in the world, author Pamela Johnson. And now, together, our huge writing project is underway. Are we excited? Heck, yeah. Are we afraid? Nope.

For each of you who want to write, I encourage you: don't be afraid to use your voice. Speak to your readers. Ignore the naysayers.

You can do it in 2010. Let me know how it goes for you.

A little pencil in the big hands of a writing God,

Judy

Getting in the swing of things

2009-03-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since my last post. I hope to start posting every couple of weeks or so.

Writers' Dairy Queen Wisdom

2007-04-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

I met with an incredible group of writer friends this afternoon for lunch.

Our ages spanned three generations. Someone in our group named us "The Seven Hens and One Chick" (for hen lit and chick lit).
We had a hoot coming up with sayings from our parents and grandparents. Can't wait to feature some of them in upcoming columns!

I loved being with them. It reminded me of when my parents used to have coffee with folks who were older than they were. I always felt a sense of peace and gentleness from sitting in on their visits.

It was a good day -- a Dairy Queen Wisdom-kind-of-day.. .a day I hope you'll have sometime soon, too.

Kids & dandelions

2007-04-11T22:04:00.000-07:00

Catch a dandelion bouquet before it blows away

It's that time of year again, when sunburst-yellow blossoms appear – and multiply – across our yards. Homeowners hate 'em.

But kids? Well, kids love 'em today as much as you and I did when we used to pick dandelions, too. I'll bet you not only picked the yellow blossoms, but their fuzzy spheres, right? Remember holding them to our faces to make wishes? With one puff of childhood innocence, we sent them into the air – and probably into our own yards. Wasn't that a blast?

Then we'd pick the tallest yellow buds we could find and ask our moms to put them into jars of water on the kitchen windowsill.

I did that for my own kids. Those bouquets meant more to me than any fancy floral arrangements. I miss those days.

Stephanie Myers can relate. She has a name for dandelion bouquets: "Mom flowers".

"My kids used to pick them for me. I took pictures of them to scrapbook. I loved it when they brought me mom flowers!" Myers said. She misses those days.

Judy Sprague’s five children not only picked dandelions, but buttercups. "We lived in Spokane, Wash., and the newspaper used to hold a contest to see who could turn in the first buttercup of the season. My kids were always going out right after the first snow melted. It would still be chilly but if they came in with a buttercup, they were just delighted! They thought that was good stuff,” said Sprague.

But that’s not all.

"The kids held them to their chins. If they got pollen on them it meant they liked a certain boy or girl,” she said.

As for dandelions, Sprague displayed them in tiny glass jars of water on her windowsill. “After the first night the flowers closed up and they never opened again. I’d throw them away when the kids weren't looking,” she chuckled.

Sprague thought back to the days when a child’s love was innocently displayed in dandelions and buttercups.

“When children are little, they step on your toes. When they get big, they step on your heart. “I miss those days,” Sprague reflected.

So if you still have little ones around, I wish a bazillion dandelions just for you – not in your yard, but on your windowsill; for behind each sunburst-yellow blossom is a whole lot of love. And someday, I have a feeling you’re gonna’ miss it.

You gotta' admit: Kids are pretty incredible!

2007-04-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

I think kids are incredible - don't you? I love their energy, innocence and their where-in-the-world-did-you-come-up-with-that ideas. Toss in their laughter, imagination and transparency to be just who they are, and you've got one incredible person who will one day do very incredible things.

A couple of weeks ago I flew a few states over to visit two incredible kids: My “grandgirls.” The youngest is six months and cute as a button. The oldest is a 3-year-old. She's cute as a button, too. She doesn't call me Grandma; she calls me My Friend.

"I'm going to play soccer with My Friend. Then I'm going to make a pink cake with purple frosting with My Friend,” she bragged to her parents. I think she's incredibly charming - don't you? We ventured to a nearby park. We swung double-Dutch to the moon and touched the sky with our feet.

“Go higher!” she shouted. I loved her contagious belly laugh.

I think kids have an incredible zest for fun.

Then a little boy unabashedly approached her. “Do you wanna play?”So they did.

I think kids are incredible at making friends.

When we finally left the park I carried her piggy-back. She wiggled and tried to hold her stuffed Captain Uniqua with her left hand while barely grasping my neck with her right.

“Don't lean back, I might drop you,” I warned.

“Like this?”

She leaned back.

“Yes - like that!”

We laughed.

I think kids are incredibly unafraid.

In the evening her parents left for a date night.

“Me and My Friend are having a sleepover!” she informed them. We also read a pile of books. You've been around kids, so you know how it works; we read each one. Again.

I think kids are incredibly smart at stretching their bedtimes.

When it was time to kiss my grandgirls goodbye at the airport, I gently rubbed their cheeks once more before closing the car door. Bet you've done something like that, too.

Then it occurred to me on the flight home: Kids can give us a new take on life - if we let them. They give us their energy, innocence and their where-in-the-world-did-you-come-up-with-that ideas. They toss in their laughter, imagination and transparency to be just who they are. And one day, they will do very incredible things.I think kids are incredible - don't you?

***
Note: Send me a brief comment on how a child has given you a new take on life and it might be featured in a future column.

Staircases adventures

2007-03-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

Here's this week's Don't make me turn this car around! column appearing in newspapers...

Staircases adventures can create big steps to fun

Got a staircase in your childhood? If so, I’ll bet – like me – you were always just a step away from great adventures.

The neighbor kids and I used to push our Slinkys down Laurel Watkins’ steep steps that led to her basement. Other times, those same stairs became either a badge of courage or sum of all fears when we ran and leapt over the final four. To push five – now, that’s what we called adventure.

The staircase in Sherrie Leffel’s 1940s-era home provided great adventures. “We loved sliding down the banister! Sometimes, when we were called down to dinner, we took two or three turns each,” said Leffel. She and her siblings eventually graduated to climbing over the railing and hanging over the stairs. Until they discovered laundry basket races.

“We ran up, jumped in a basket, scooted on the floor and pushed off,” said Leffel. Their baskets – and laughter – bounced down each step.

“Pretty soon we’d all be going at once. We landed at the bottom in a heap of kids and baskets. When someone started crying, we’d stop until the next time we could sneak it in,” Leffel said, stressing they only raced when Mom was away.

Joy Venton and her sister have great staircase memories. "We were about 5 or 6 years old when we started sliding down the stairway on our blankets. We had so much fun!” said Venton.

Then there’s Val Hix, who counts staircase adventures as “one of my favorite childhood memories,” she said.

Hix and her family took six-week road trips each summer from Covington, La. to her Grandma Moo’s and Grandpa Holly’s old farmhouse in rural Washington.

“My brother, sister and I spent many days with our cousins on the farm. On rainy days we spent the day downstairs. We all loved to bump down the steps and see how fast we could get going, racing two at a time to see who was the fastest,” said Hix.

The challenge was to avoid a brick hearth at the bottom, Hix recalled.

“We bumped for so long that our backsides were sore, bruised and rug-burned. But did that stop us? No way – we just kept going. And we always remembered to shut the door at the top of the stairs, thinking no one had a clue as to what we were really doing!” laughed Hix

Whether sliding down on blankets, baskets, or our bottoms, one thing’s for sure: I’ll bet you were always just a step away from great adventures.

Workouts and two writing tips

2007-03-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

Started today with a workout at the gym. I usually work out for an hour late in the evening, but today I went really early. It felt great. Did 30 minutes each of cardio and strength-resistance training. Each week seems to get easier. I leave on a natural 'high'.

It's now late evening, and I just returned from another hour workout -- this one with one of my daughters and her best friend. It just feels so good!

Worked on next week's column today. It just wasn't jiving; I realized what I was working on wasn't right for my column's readers. It belongs instead in a business magazine, which I'll pursue. It's important to keep the readership at heart.

But thankfully another column idea started clicking after dinner, so I quickly got it down and saved it. It's simmering, like a good stew, until tomorrow morning . Then I'll read it with fresh eyes while sipping a good strong cup of coffee. And when it feels right for my readers, I'll submit it to the editors.

Here are a couple of writing tips I teach to new writers:

1. No matter how much you love what you've written, let it simmer like a good stew. Allow the thoughts, transitions, and take-aways to blend their fragrances for the readers you have in mind. You will never regret holding on to your finished product while it gathers its aroma.

2. Write the best you can for that moment. When you read it later you'll probably kick yourself and say something like, "How in the world could I have written that? It could have been so much better!" And you're right-- it could have been better. But you know that now because you practiced.

That is the world of being a writer. We are constantly improving. It's important to know that the best writers --even the best actors-- look back at their work and see how they too could have done it better. That's a sign of growth -- that we're always striving for the best.

Whatever you do today, I want to encourage you to do your best. I don't care if it's sending a query letter to a New York editor or cleaning out cracker crumbs from your toddler's car seat. Just do your best, then let it go. And you'll have no regrets.

Changes

2007-03-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change; the courage to change the one I can; and the wisdom to know it's me.

When a girl becomes a ma'am

2007-03-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd start including my weekly newspaper column, Don't make me turn this car around! in my blog. It's so fun to write! Please let me know what you think of it -- I'd love to hear from you! Here is this week's edition...enjoy!

When a girl becomes a ma'am

Okay girls - this one's for us. Because we can handle almost anything, right? From babies screaming in the back seat to winning the missing sock battle.We girls can handle almost anything - except when someone calls us “Ma'am” for the first time.

I'm not talking about our polite friends who practice their Southern hospitality or military courtesy. This is about feeling like we're getting old before we're ready for it. But we can handle almost anything, right?

I thought I could. Until the day a courtesy clerk - cute and in his 20s, by the way - loaded groceries into my trunk while I leaned into the car to buckle up my baby boy.

“Have a nice day, Ma'am.”

I stood straight up and bumped my head.“'Ma'am'? You didn't call me ‘Ma'am', did you? ‘Cuz I'm, like, 23, you know. I'm not...I'm not a ‘Ma'am,'” I stammered.

Poor guy. He'd been hit with a heavy dose of estrogen and all he had to defend himself with was an empty grocery cart.

Elaine Koehn can handle almost anything. She first heard “Ma'am” as a new school teacher.

“There was a young man whose dad was in the military; he'd call me ‘Ma'am',” Koehn said. Koehn took no offense. “I understood - it was appropriate,” she said.

She also knows how to politely correct students who might call her “Sir.”

“I think ('Ma'am') is appropriate, just like if you were to call someone ‘Miss,' ‘Ms' or ‘Mrs.' But a connotation of belligerence? No,” Koehn said.

Jennie Peloli can handle anything. Almost.

To hear ‘Ma'am' means you're getting old! I'll be in a restaurant, and the server might ask, ‘Can I help you, ‘Ma'am?' I don't like that.”

Peloli plays a double-standard.

“Yet when I need to get someone's attention, I might use ‘Ma'am'; but when it's used on me, I don't like it!'” Peloli laughed.

Then there's Rachel Tschabold.

“I was probably in my late 30s or early 40s the first time someone called me ‘Ma'am.' It makes me feel like an old lady,” she chuckled.

Her story doesn't end there. Tschabold related going into stores where clerks behind the counter are more than half her age.

"What's worse is when they call you ‘Honey' - and they're younger than you!” she laughed.

So girls - this one's for us. Because we can handle almost anything, right?

Even when a girl becomes a “Ma'am.”

Women's Retreat 2007: Meet me at the well

2007-03-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

Grace like rain...

Recently I was honored to speak with two of my dearest author friends to a group of women at a beautiful retreat center on the edges of Lake Tanwax.

What an incredible weekend! These beautiful ladies came from all walks of life, backgrounds, family situations. Together we soaked up friendship's refreshing love.

Pamela Johnson spoke from her heart on following our dreams. She shared several stories, each inter-woven into the next: reaching out to a father's unavailable heart, facing depression, confronting fears, and following dreams. Many tears were shed.

Penelope Fry spoke from her heart on becoming vulnerable in order to reach out to others. She shared several stories and spoke openly about the struggles God allows to come our way. Many tears were shed.

I spoke from my heart on facing our inadequacies -- about difficult incidents in my life that have led me to embrace my Father's love. Many tears were shed.

We had a great time --sitting on the floating pier surrounded by evergreens, willows and late-winter breezes. Craft time. Worship. Shared meals. Laughter -- lots of laughter! Incredible!

I love these precious women we all came to know. They each have such hearts for their families. I can't wait for us to speak again!

"The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-drenched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Isaiah 58:11

Telephone Justice

2007-02-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

***Chief Justice Gerry Alexander behind his chair in the State Supreme Court Courtroom. This man is one of the kindest and sincerest men I have ever met. I hold him in the utmost respect. (Photo copyright 2007 by Judy Halone*)**

Last week I stood with other journalists in the room where our State Supreme Court makes all its decisions. It was a very moving experience.

Chief Justice Gerry Alexander, a very humble and gracious man, told us this story:

He once met a visitor from Khazkstan when the country was experiencing the fall of communism.

The visitor, looking at the nine chairs around the long wooden table, asked, through the help of a translator, "Where is the telephone?"

"There isn't one," he replied.

"Where is the telephone?" the visitor asked again.

"We don't have a telephone in here," Chief Justice reiterated.

"But where is your telephone?" The visitor demanded.

The Chief Justice asked him why he kept asking about a telephone.

"So the Governor can tell the judges how to vote."

When Chief Justice replied that doesn't happen here, the visitor looked amazed.

"And that," explained Chief Justice Alexander, "is what is known as Telephone Justice."

Aren't you glad we live in a free country?

For Annie

2006-08-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

Part of experiencing all God has for us means being willing and available to share our friend's burdens.

Just as this beautiful tree reaches upward toward the light, your friend will stand a bit taller because of the Light you're sharing.

Annie...my prayers are with you and those you love.

It's here!

2006-04-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

The Embrace of a Father

Compiled by Wayne Holmes,published April 2006 by Bethany House Publishers. This is a very beautiful hardcover book!

55 stories celebrating the attributes of fatherhood. Contact me if you'd like to purchase a signed and discounted edition.

Let's hear it for kids and Waffle Wednesday!

2006-03-30T07:26:00.000-08:00

Incredible: six neighbor kids.

Delicious: homemade waffles and hot cocoa.

Amazing: seven smiles.

Kids and Waffle Wednesday

2006-03-15T09:14:00.000-08:00

Three neighbor kids came over this morning for homemade waffles and hot chocolate before getting on the bus.

We had so much fun that we've started "Waffle Wednesday" each week. They're inviting other neighbor kids, too! (With parent permission).

I recently learned that it used to take one adult to positively influence five kids; it now takes five adults to leave a positive impact on one child.

So the next time a child comes your way, remember: you don't need waffles or hot chocolate--just a listening ear and a huge smile. But keep in mind: it's gonna' change your life!

First haircut

2006-03-14T08:14:00.000-08:00

My little two-year-old granddaughter got her first haircut yesterday. Her picture is on my desktop and I'm sure I'll have it printed and framed, too.

There's something about a child's first haircut: they look so old afterward!

She stands facing the camera, with her little hands outstretched by her sides, as if just ready to bust a button...like she can hardly stand still in her post-haircut excitement.

Her beautiful long eyelashes, pure-blue eyes, and the auburn-blonde red hair that Papa Brown had always wanted his children to have...she is just priceless.

How did she sit still at the salon? She watched Nemo, enjoyed her sucker, and picked out an orange balloon when it was all done. Now that's what I call living!

1000 pounds of chocolate

2006-03-13T19:51:00.000-08:00

Today was our monthly critique group at Borders'Cafe.

I can't stress enough the importance of networking with other authors. I have two writing groups that I belong to, and both are worth their weight in chocolate.

Which, if combined, would be around 1000# of chocolate. That's not such a bad thing--to be worth your weight in chocolate.

Good writers help us see our writing through fresh eyes. They make sure we don't assume the reader understands what's in our head when we tell our stories; they want it in writing! (Show, don't tell).

Good writers offer suggestions to bring more action, create shorter sentences, and remind us of Point of View (POV) and Voice.

But more than providing quality writing suggestions, good writer friends are simply friends. We listen. Share goals. Report on acceptances. And returns--because any writer will tell you that you're not successful until your writing's been rejected. Why? Because rejection means that we tried. No pitches, no queries, then no returns. I could build a house with the returns I've received. But that also means there have been lots of acceptances, too.

Good writing friends tell us they need to read more detail. For example, today they went over next week's column which describes my time in Germany and the magical ambiance of family-friendly Bavarian Biergartens. I attempted to compare American's attempts at supersizing sodas to German biergartens. There is no comparison. The Germans have it. We don't.

So my friend said something about using the word "beer mug." That could create a picture of a huge glass of beer, which then makes the Bavarian scene complete. Right?

Well, her suggestion worked, because a guy with a fresh cup of coffee heard her say "beer mug." He sat next to our table. We laughed.

Now if my readers can pull up a chair, sip a cup of hot coffee, and read my column with that much enthusiasm at the word "Beer garden," then next week's column will be another hit.

So today, eight eyeballs helped me out. Plus a guy drinking coffee listening in.

Definitely worth 1000# of chocolate--don't you think?

Not a car singer? Then skip this.

2006-03-12T17:22:00.000-08:00

If you don't sing in the car, skip this.

I traveled up north yesterday along I-5 and I-405. Alone. No music blaring out of my teenager's headsets in stereo behind me. Sometimes I can hear Michael Buble on one side of me; the other--maybe Daniel Powter singing about having a bad day. Both great singers.

But yesterday it was just me.

So for two and a half hours, I listened to whatever I wanted. With my CD player jammed in the magazine, and unable to afford to fix it because I make so much money as a writer, I'm currently stuck with the radio; I'll take Switchfoot any day, and if I'm really lucky, Tony Bennett on the jazz/NPR station.

I love cranking up the music, then turning it down when I head back into the driveway. It's a secret my kids don't know about. It's a way to relive my teen years. Which is about the only part of my teen years I'd wish to relive.

The hardest part about driving and singing are the stop lights. I nod my head with the beat, keep rythmm on the steering wheel, and if the lyrics are really good--and I don't want to stop singing when the guy in the Hummer next to me is watching-- I just look straight ahead and sing. Doesn't bother me anymore, what other drivers at red lights think of me...because I know they do it, too.

So tell me, if we meet at a stoplight, and your lips are moving, what will you be singing?

Recipe of the week

2006-03-09T10:36:00.000-08:00

I try hard to cook something different for dinner each week. Usually it's something I've made in the past. Here's a fun and different dessert that my family loves:

Kid-friendly Red Hot Salad...'cuz who wants celery and nuts in their jello?

2/3 c. cinnamon red hots**
1.5 c. applesauce
3-oz pkg red jello
1 c. boiling water
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 mayo or plain yogurt (I use yogurt)

Stir red hots, applesauce and jello in the water. Cool. Pour half into 9X13" dish and chill until firm. Mix cream cheese with mayo. Pour over jello mixture. Chill until set.

Yum!
**Sometimes you can find the red-hots in celophane pkgs near check registers for 50 cents each.