There's An Angel In Your Inkwell

Get Outta That Parking Lot

2015-01-19T13:10:00.002-06:00

WRITING TIP

Have you ever found yourself driving along, head in the clouds, and suddenly realized you have no idea where you are?

I sure have. I blink, look around, and wonder where I am. Have I missed my exit? Where am I even going? Why am I parked in front of Trader Joe's? Wasn't I going to the hardware store five miles away?

(Photo by Carol Newman)

It can happen when we're driving. It can happen when we're writing.

Recently a friend told me she had thought she finished writing her life story only to realize some important chunks about relationships and experience had been overlooked in the writing.

It isn't a catastrophe. If you are driving, you consult your map or GPS or the sun or moon or stars, or in my case, maybe even call Gentleman Friend. You discover you have parked yourself in the wrong place.

You back out of the parking space, turn the car the correct direction, your GPS says "Recalculating. Recalculating."

That's what you do with the writing, too. Recalculate. It helps if you do it along the way. From time to time, look at that list of stories you planned to include. (You did make a list didn't you? A physical list on paper or your phone? Or a mental list?)

If you don't have a list, make one now. You won't be setting it in stone. It is just a reminder to help guide you along the way. I want to write about moving to Albuquerque, the principal at the school where I taught, Aunt Myrtle's chickens.

As you are driving, maybe you decide not to go to the hardware store today. As I am writing, maybe I decide to eliminate Aunt Myrtle's chicken story.

It's up to you. But be sure it is up to you. Have some kind of writing plan and consult it from time to time.

(Photo by Carol Newman)

Otherwise, you might find yourself in a parking lot before you reach your destination saying, "Huh, where am I? Where am I going? Seems like I forgot something."

WRITING PROMPT

Make a list of the stories you have written. Where are gaps in time, person or place? Fill in those gaps with stories you want to add.

If you haven't started writing yet, make a list of stories you want to include in your total narrative.

Always keep in mind, you don't have to include your entire life story. You can select stories by theme or special events. For example, one gentleman in a class wrote about his years growing up in India. A woman wrote about her year on a mission trip. Life story doesn't mean entire life.

CHOCOLATE INKWELL

Crunch, chocolate. These homemade Twix bars have it all. Recipe is from Stephanie Manley from
Copy Kat.

(Photo from www.copykat.com)

Ingredients

· Shortbread cookies

· 1/2 pound butter (unsalted)

· 1/2 cup powdered sugar

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

· 2 cups flour

· 1 teaspoon vanilla

· 1 1/2 cups caramel baking chips

· 2 cups chocolate chips

· 1/4 cup coconut oil

Instructions

Cookie Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a mixer cream together room temperature butter and powdered sugar for about 2 minutes or until the butter and sugar are light and creamy. Add in 2 cups of flour and beat gently until flour is incorporated to the creamed sugar. Add in vanilla and mix until just blended. When the dough has turned into a soft uniform ball turn dough onto a lightly floured board.

Roll dough into a rectangle shape. Cut the dough into 4 even verticals and then cut them horizontally in about 1/2 inch stripes. Use a fork to prick the cookies about three or four times a cookie so they will bake evenly. Place cookies onto an un-greased cookie sheet leaving a small distance between each cookie. Refrigerate cookies on the cookie sheet for about 15 minutes before baking the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. By refrigerating the dough you will keep them from spreading out too much.

Melt caramel bits in the microwave for about 45 seconds, or until melted. Spread a thin layer of caramel over the baked cookies.

Over a double boiler melt together 2 cups of chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of coconut oil Stir continually until the chocolate has melted. When the chocolate has melted dip a cookie into the chocolate, turn cookie over with two folks until the cookie is fully coated. Place chocolate dipped cookie onto wax paper. Allow the chocolate to set up fully before storing cookie in an air tight container.

Read more at http://www.copykat.com/2014/02/23/twix-bar-recipe/#A9erDC7jTGbvZjUg.99

Since "hack," meaning "tip," is getting overworked these days, I think I will jump on the cliche bandwagon.

Find more life story writing hacks at.Angel in Your Inkwell.

All rights reserved 2015 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

Hey look. A rainbow.

2015-01-12T14:17:00.000-06:00

Who doesn't smile and say, "Hey look! A rainbow."

That's how Gentleman Friend and I felt one January a few years ago when we saw this rainbow in the La Jolla area of San Diego. .

You know how you have some years that seem to be all rough waters and dark clouds?

We had a year like that.

But now we could see a bit of blue behind the dark skies and the waters smoothed out.

I still like this picture so I thought I would send it along to you.

Seems a good way to start a new year.

Hey look! A rainbow.

All photos are by Carol Newman and are the sole property of Carol Newman.

All rights reserved 2015 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

It's Okay to Lie to Yourself

2015-01-04T11:21:00.000-06:00

I see I have not posted here since the end of October. Maybe I had a carb crash from Halloween candy. Then November is my birthday month so I took that month off. Then Thanksgiving came so I took a bit more time off. And Christmas. Maybe this is a quarterly blog.

So here we are in a New Year. The sun is shining today so all things seem possible. Among those possibilities, I may allow the topic of the Angel In Your Inkwell blog to morph into something a bit wider and looser than writing memoir. Or I may not. We will both have to stand by and see what develops.

Meanwhile, here are my resolutions for 2015. Really? Read all the way to the end.

Exercise more.

Eat more vegetables. (I think this guy means business about that.)

Climb more mountains. Metaphorically. I am no Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild.

Hang out and relax more.

Or maybe I have no real intention of doing any of these -- except maybe the last one. I just like these pictures.

What's the picture of what you would like to do this year? Send a comment. Or just get out there and do it and then send a comment.

All photos by Carol Newman.

All rights reserved 2015 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

Ugly Wallpaper or Good Writing

2014-10-27T12:10:00.000-05:00

WRITING TIP

Mr. D, The Wallpaper Guy, makes quick work of stripping my ugly, ivy wallpaper.
(Photo by Carol Newman)

If you have ever thought the details of your life were about as interesting as watching Mr. D, The Wallpaper Guy, strip ugly wallpaper, take a look at this link everyday life in old scrolls to an article about scrolls from the 1300s recently discovered in Russia.

The reader cannot help but want to know more about how things worked out for the father requesting items and the man planning to propose marriage.

Here is the important thing to note: in both scrolls there was something at stake for the writer. The father's need for the items seemed urgent. The man proposing was risking his future. Both men were longing for something.

LAUNCHING PAD

Look back at your life. Make a list of times in your life when something was at stake. Maybe it was your happiness, maybe your view of your future, maybe it was your health or safety or home.

For example, when I was in college we still had curfews. Without my parents' permission, I had spent the weekend in another city with friends and waited until the last minute to begin the trip back to school. If I didn't make it back before curfew, my parents would find out I had been away.

But then the stakes suddenly got higher. I was driving the maximum legal speed of 70 MPH on the highway by an area of truck stops and diners. Because of all the lights, another driver did not see my car, left the diner driveway, drove across the median and directly in front of my car.

It isn't necessary to use the words "at stake" as I did in my example. Just tell the story and it will be apparent.

CHOCOLATE INKWELL

Oh for goodness sakes. Even I do not need a chocolate recipe this week -- Halloween week. Rip into some of that trick-or-treat candy and call it done.

Today's Writing Tip and others can be found on page 26 of Write Your Life Story Workbook available at www.angelinyourinkwell.com/buy.html

All rights reserved 2014 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

Does Standing On Your Head Help Your Writing?

2014-10-13T11:49:00.000-05:00

WRITING TIP

Feel as if you have tried everything except standing on your head to make your story interesting, but the words are just sitting on the page like a big blob?

Trying to Write a Good Story
(Photo by Carol Newman)

Here is the reason why.

A list of events, no matter how artfully created, does not make a story. The list of events has to mean something. It has to mean something in your life; it has to mean something in the life of the reader.

That's it. That's all there is to it.

Great. How do I do that? Try the Launching Pad.

LAUNCHING PAD

List at least three important or life-changing events during the time of your life. You might think of these as turning points. Turning points may be large or small.

For each turning point tell how you were changed, what led up to this change, what life situation were you struggling with, what solutions had you tried that didn't work? What was at stake?

For example, a turning point in my life was when in college I changed my major from business to English. It changed how I thought of myself, how I saw my future, my friends, and my sense of happiness. Before, I hated my classes, hated college, hated the future I saw for myself, and couldn't relate to the other people in my classes. I tried studying harder, not studying at all, cutting class, and piling on my class load. Then one day I slipped into a large lecture hall where a famous play was being discussed. Oh now, this is what I want to study, what I want to read about and think about. But, I was still at an age where I did what my parents told me to do and my mother would be furious if I changed my major from the one she had picked for me. Still, I saw my future in a room with twenty typewriters teaching sixteen-year-olds how to type and I knew I could face my mother easier than I could face that.

Maybe your turning point was starting a business, loss of a loved one, an illness you suffered, or a crisis of faith or renewal of faith.

How did such events change you and the course of your life? How did your life change for the better. Even though the event may have been something like loss of a loved one or loss of a job, think about the people or groups who helped you through it. Think about how you grew in character as a result of your suffering. Write about those things.

HERE IS THE KEY TO MAKING THIS WORK: In your final draft, reverse the order of all the above. First, show the reader the problem, then let us see you struggle, trying one thing after another, then let us see your aha moment and finally, show how you were changed. And, maybe let us know what you learned -- but DO NOT say "This is what I learned."

Write with turning points in mind and you will have readers immersed in your story as they read to find out what happened next.

You may even discover a few things about yourself and feel affirmed and strong.

Don't mess with me. I am strong enough to claw your eyes out. But I am also strong enough not to want to.
(Photo by Carol Newman)

Look how strong and confident you feel now. You felt all upside down and beaten by life events; but you honestly wrote through it and came out the other side.

CHOCOLATE INKWELL

Brownie Bowls

I am unsure if Dryer's brand of ice cream is available in the Kansas City area, (We have Bryer's - is that the same?) but since it is their recipe and their photos and it looks so good, I am including the brand names. If it is available where you live, give it a try.

"Here's an easy way to push your already extraordinary Dreyer's ice cream sundae over the top – a fresh-baked brownie bowl. And the best part? You don't have to wash the bowl since you get to eat it!"

You will need:

DREYER'S GRAND NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Cookie Dough ice cream or SLOW CHURNED® Cookie Dough light ice cream

Brownie batter (made from your favorite recipe)

2 muffin tins

Cooking spray

Chocolate sauce

Sprinkles

Directions

Follow the directions for your favorite brownie recipe to make the batter.

Spray cups of a muffin tin with cooking spray, and add brownie batter to each cup until they're about two-thirds full.

Spray the second muffin tin with cooking spray and place on top of the first tin of brownies.

Place in the oven and bake, following your brownie recipe's directions.

After the bowls are completely cool, add a scoop of ice cream, top with chocolate sauce and sprinkles, and enjoy!

Note: I am thinking about pumpkin ice cream for Thanksgiving or peppermint for Christmas. Or coffee ice cream for any old time. How good would that be!

Today's blog post is adapted from page 25 of Write Your Life Story in Eight Weeks Workbook - Second Edition.Write Your Life Story Workbook

What To Do If You Are In a Parade

2014-10-06T13:36:00.000-05:00

WRITING TIP

What on earth is going on in this picture?

Photo by Carol Newman

Where are we? Who are the people? What are they doing? Where should we look first? How many people are in costume? Is that traffic light important? What about the child in the red shirt? And the woman in the Smokey the Bear hat? Is that a costume or a uniform? Why is she with this group?

This photo is like your life story. There are many elements. It is up to you, the writer, to explain, describe, and sort them out for the reader.

Who or what is most important to the story? Which elements cry out for more detail? What elements are distraction?

What is the meaning of this photo? Do you have an emotional or intellectual reaction to the photo? Why are these people doing whatever it is they are doing?

Ask the same questions of your story.Stand back. Examine the elements. Expand, eliminate, and make a story.

LAUNCHING PAD

This Launching Pad reminds me of the picture puzzles in Scholastic magazine: hidden pictures in the picture.

From the above photo choose one element to be most important.

Choose two elements to remove.

Add two more elements of importance.

Now write a practice story.

I think I would keep the Native American woman dancer on the far left and the Native American woman on the right who is walking. I would also keep the child in the red shirt. I would write a story about past and present lives and dress of Native Americans and how they feel about parading in front of this child. I would tell about the dancer's tribe and her dress and that it was sewn by her grandmother.I would tell how she learned a traditional dance. The young woman in jeans on the right would be her sister who doesn't like the "old ways." No need to include the fact that they ate lunch at Subway or walked through the intersection when the traffic light on the yellow was red.

See how that works.

Now do the same for your own story elements.

Chocolate Inkwell

This cake could not be easier, and it has the magic ingredient -- chocolate chips. I actually saved this from Facebook from a few weeks ago. The source for the recipe and photo is Today's Mama.

Lazy Cookie Cake Cookies:

1 box yellow or white cake mix
2 eggs beaten
5 T melted butter
2 C mini chocolate chips

Mix together, Put in a greased 9×13 pan or glass casserole and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Note: Looks as if chocolate chips are sprinkled on top but the recipe doesn't mention that. Maybe they just arrange themselves that way. Another thing to love about chocolate chips -- they try to be helpful.

Click to buy Write Your Life Story Workbook

ll rights reserved 2014 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

What To Do If You Were Married to Michael Jackson

2014-09-23T12:07:00.000-05:00

WRITING TIP

The first day of fall is a perfect time to begin or continue your memoir project. After all, what is a life story but a series of changing seasons? Time passing.

Like the begonias and hamlin grass pictured above, you still have plenty of color and energy. You can use it to write about the passage of time.

How can you indicate the passage of time in your story? Here are a few ways:

1. As you read other memoirs, notice how the writer indicated time passing. Use that method in your memoir. However, don't limit yourself to observing memoirs. Perhaps even more useful are the techniques used in novels, poems or nonfiction pieces. For example, I just finished reading a novel whose chapters were named for dates and years in which the events occurred. You can do that too.

2. Use transition words and sentences. Here are some examples: Since moving to Cincinnati, I had felt a new exhilaration. OR - After my promotion, I felt more secure financially. OR - When my birthday came, I knew I was ready to make a change.

3. Describe your changing feelings or appearance or mode of transportation. Here is an example: Now that I had a car, I suddenly felt like a free woman. OR - With my husband's departure, I realized I was on my own -- and that I liked it.

4. Within individual chapters, passage of time can be indicated by extra spaces between paragraphs or by extra space and three asterisks or some other symbol.

5. Give your readers credit for their good reading ability. They will be able to follow your story even if you jump around in time and place.

In Ann Joyner's memoir, Not Worth Saving: How a Severely Handicapped Boy Transformed Lives, she begins with her pregnancy with Matthew. Chapter Two takes up the story when Matthew is fifteen. The chapter begins: "The funeral we planned in 1984 did not take place. Matthew lived."

Are we lost or confused in the story? No, we know exactly where we are and we are turning the pages as fast as we can read. We want to know what happens next and what happened in the intervening years. She has us hooked.

By the way, Ann's book is available in the bookstore at United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, 13720 Roe, Leawood, Kansas, 66224. It is published by Nazarene Publishing House. To order - http://thewell.cor.org/not-worth-saving

LAUNCHING PAD

Make a little mind map of the times of your life. Just list a few. This is just for practice. To make a mind map draw a circle in the middle of a page. Inside the circle, write the words Times of My Life. Then make other circles around the center circle in which you list life changes. Draw a line from the center circle to surrounding circles. Surrounding circles may have other circles shooting off from them.

For example, a simple mind map might have Daughter, Wife, Mother in surrounding circles. Or it might have Elementary School, High School, College. Another possibility is Secretary, Manager, Vice President.

Now, just for practice, write a paragraph in which you take us from one to the other of the times. For example you might write: "I was sick of always being Elvis Presley's daughter. I was ready to be Michael Jackson's wife. However, it was not what I expected. Later, I looked back and wished I had stuck to being Justin's mother. It was fun in many ways."

And there you go. You are Justin Beiber's mother and telling us about your life at that time.

CHOCOLATE INKWELL

And now for an extra simple chocolate recipe because you need to use your time for writing.

Chocolate Layered Cupcake Pudding Parfaits.

The version of this I saw in The Kansas City Star had multiple steps with multiple from-scratch components. Basically, just cut a cupcake in half horizontally. Save the top of the cupcake for the top of your parfait. Layer pudding, cupcake, and whipped cream in a clear straight sided glass instead of a parfait glass. Top layer is cupcake top.

The Star version did not include this but the parfait could be embelished with a small cookie or cherry stuck into the top.

Pretty enough to serve to your mother-in-law yet quick and easy enough that you won't feel you wasted your time when your husband or kids inhale it and it is gone in a flash.

To purchase your own copy of Write Your Life Story Workbook, visit www.angelinyourinkwell.com/buy.html

All rights reserved 2014 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

It's Not What You Think

2014-08-05T13:59:00.000-05:00

WRITING TIP

A couple of weeks ago, I was in Estes Park, Colorado on vacation. While there, Gentleman Friend and I spent a couple of hours watching the Hunter Jumper Horse Show. The arena has a small grandstand which held a smattering of other riders, horse owners, and friends and family of the riders.

Riders and horses were of varying skills. Some proceeded around the course at a slow pace; a few didn't try some of the jumps; and some, like the horse and rider pictured here, managed the jumps pretty well.

Photo by Carol Newman

Then a horse and rider entered the arena at a more lively pace than previous entrants. They galloped around the course making the jumps quickly and easily. They looked like sure fire winners. Then they came to the last jump. Something spooked the horse; he stopped, turned from side to side, put his head down, backed up and reversed direction.

At first the rider held the reins, but then his right foot came out of the stirrup and he slid down the horses neck and side. Still he held that inelegant posture until finally, as the horse became more agitated, the rider fell. He tumbled and rolled away.

Now riderless and facing away from the jump, the horse calmed.

The rider gathered the reins as the announcer proclaimed how many points the rider had lost. There was silence among the small crowd.

Then the announcer said, "But there is good news, the rider is up."

At that, the spectators applauded briefly.

And that is what struck me. It was apparent that a rider who falls and is uninjured and able to get up is applauded.

There was no shame in trying and failing miserably. That the rider was able to stand and remount was, in itself, honorable. Was an accomplishment in itself.

Of course, it reminded me of writing. Sometimes the muse balks, even for an experienced writer. Then we have a spell where the writing just doesn't happen. Sometimes what we write is a miserable failure.

When those things happen, writers sometimes beat themselves up, and sometimes even quit writing.

Don't do it.

There is no shame in failing. There is no shame in creating graceless writing. Keep trying and applaud yourself for the effort. Applaud each other for the effort. Tomorrow is there for you to try again.

It's more than just getting on the horse again. It is applauding yourself and each other for the effort.

LAUNCHING PAD

Write something about horses in your life.Here are some examples: horse books you have read, horse movies, a horse you had when you were a child. Horses you have seen in a parade. Did you like cowboy movies when you were a child? Who was your favorite cowboy? Write about his horse. Or her horse. What about Dale Evans? Do you watch the Kentucky Derby? Go to a Derby party and drink mint juleps? Write about that.

CHOCOLATE INKWELL

Today's recipe is Baking Bites Cherry Chocolate Chip Bread from a cooking blog that is full of really great ideas.

Now I don't know what to do. I had planned to take Judy's delicious strawberry bread to a meeting, but now I think I will try this recipe. After all, it has chocolate. Hmm, how about chocolate chips in strawberry bread?

Photo courtesy of Baking Bites Cherry Chocolate Chip Bread

Cherry Chocolate Chip Bread

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

3/4 cup milk, any kind

2 tbsp Kirsch (optional)

2 cups whole or halved sweet cherries, fresh or frozen

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease and flour a 9×5-inch baking pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, vegetable oil and egg until smooth. Whisk in vanilla and almond extracts, as well as the Kirsch, if using.

Stir in half of the flour mixture, followed by the milk.

Stir in the remaining flour mixture, mixing just until no streaks of dry ingredients remain.

Stir in the cherries and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow loaf to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Read more: http://bakingbites.com/2014/07/cherry-chocolate-chip-bread/#ixzz39XqV9eyg

All rights reserved 2014 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

Celebrate Your Life

2014-07-29T13:43:00.000-05:00

WRITING TIP

For the Fourth of July I had a longing for a dish I had not made in years -- New Orleans Corn Pudding. The recipe is in an old cookbook I used often. Just looking at the cover reminded me of happy times. But when I opened the cover, I saw something I had almost forgotten.

The cookbook was a Christmas gift from my mother. Gentleman Friend and I were living in West Des Moines, Iowa expecting a baby. For that reason, we did not risk traveling winter highways to our families in southwest Oklahoma. This Christmas gift gave me a feeling of home.

This Fourth of July when I read the inscription, my thoughts traveled back to the places we had lived and the fun and friends we had known and the celebrations we had shared. Open House parties at every one of our new homes, a surprise birthday party for Gentleman Friend, a "Tears in the Beer" 30th birthday party for me complete with an icy keg of beer outside in the snow, a summer swim party for the girl with a winter birthday, and more -- many more.

I could chronicle our lives in parties and happy memories.

Sometimes people tell me they don't want to write about their lives because they were too sad. You know I am no Pollyanna; as my mother used to say, "Everyone has their own bag of rocks." Instead of counting the rocks, perhaps writing about life's celebrations would be a way of recalling and recording happy times and happy memories.

LAUNCHING PAD

Make a short (or long) list of parties, holidays or celebrations you have hosted or attended. Pick any one. Write a couple of sentences about it. Tomorrow do it again. Soon you may be anticipating the writing and you can add to it.

Okay, I can't resist a little sermon here. Your life is such a precious gift, don't let it go unrecorded. Write it down -- if only for yourself.

CHOCOLATE INKWELL - Double yummy. Chocolate chip cookies stuffed with chocolate ganache. This recipe is by none other than Jessica Sullivan, the pastry chef at Boulevard restaurant in San Francisco. And wouldn't these be nice for a party?

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/ganache-stuffed-chocolate-chip-cookies
Photo courtesy of www.foodandwine.com

Ganache-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields: 18 stuffed cookies

Ingredients

1 cup(s) walnuts
1 cup(s) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1 stick(s) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup(s) packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup(s) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup(s) bittersweet chocolate chips
4 ounce(s) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
5 tablespoon(s) heavy cream
2 1/2 tablespoon(s) light corn syrup
2 tablespoon(s) crème fraîche

Make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 375°. Spread the nuts in a pie plate and toast for 8 minutes; let cool, then chop.
In a bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle (or using a hand-held mixer), cream the butter with the sugars and vanilla at medium speed, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg. With the mixer at low speed, beat in the dry ingredients. Beat in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Spoon level tablespoons of the dough onto 2 ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm.
Make the ganache: Put the chocolate in a bowl. In a saucepan, bring the cream and corn syrup to a boil; pour over the chocolate and let stand for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the crème fraîche. Refrigerate the ganache, stirring occasionally, until thick and spreadable, 1 hour.
Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, until golden; let cool on the sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Sandwich the chocolate-chip cookies with the ganache and serve.

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Photos by Carol Newman unless otherwise noted.

All rights reserved 2014 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

There You Are

2014-07-14T11:29:00.000-05:00

WRITING TIP

Young adviser and I have a favorite saying: Wherever you go, there you are.

Recently I visited a friend in Anacortes, Washington.

You can imagine how we spent most of our time in such a beautiful place -- outside and talking.

One day as I was telling about the events that led up to Gentleman Friend and I settling in Leawood, Kansas, she said, "You must really love him."

Valentine Roses - the flower of love

I laughed. It's true, of course, but why had she said that?

Because the events I had been relating constituted a story.A life of ups and downs. Together with Gentleman Friend. A story of where I had been and how I got there and where I am now.

What I was telling her was a very literal story of where I had been -- where I had lived: Albuquerque, Des Moines, Middletown, Ohio-- and others in between.

Here is what we can learn from this. There is a story in location. How has it formed you? What did you learn? How are you the person you are because of where you have lived? Jerry, a member of our writing group has lived in Germany and France, and other places, too. Louise grew up in Russia. Ronnie is from Brooklyn. Stella has always lived in Kansas City, Kansas -- yet it was a time of a historic flood and the impact of the meat packing industry on immigrants, families, and the city. Each person has wonderful stories that could only be lived in those particular places. Each person has been shaped by the culture, religion, food, beliefs and economic and political situations in those places.

I like to say I have lived up and down Interstate 35 -- not very interesting at first glance. Yet, my friend found a story that brought a tug at her emotions.

LAUNCHING PAD

Make a list or a mind map (a non-linear list) of the cities, states, countries, houses or apartments where you have lived. Write about the details and how you were shaped by them. Farm girl? City girl? Where were you then? Where are you now? Because -- wherever you go, there you are.

CHOCOLATE INKWELL

Today's recipe, from Smitten Kitchen, is perfect for summer -- Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches. Of course, you can use plain vanilla, but the author uses a combination of flavors. On her blog, she also has great photo illustrations of the procedure. Besides liking this particular recipe, I like this blog.

Photo and recipe from www.smittenkitchen.com

For the brownies
3 ounces (85 grams) unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
1 stick (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt (about 2 grams)
2/3 cup (85 grams) all-purpose flour

For the filling
2 to 3 cups ice cream

Heat oven to 350°F. Line two 8×8-inch square baking pans with parchment paper, extending it up two sides. Butter the parchment and exposed sides of the pan or spray them with a nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium heatproof bowl over gently simmering water, heat chocolate and butter together until about 3/4 of the way melted. Remove from heat and stir until smooth.

Stir in sugar until fully combined, then eggs, one at a time and vanilla. Stir in salt until combined, then flour, until it just disappears.

Divide batter between two prepared pans and spread it evenly — an offset spatula will make this easier.

Bake on different racks for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating once top to bottom and front to back, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each pan comes out batter-free.

Transfer hot pans directly to freezer (you can put down dish towels or a cooling rack to protect shelves). Chill until cold and firm, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove first pan from freezer, and, working quickly, cover with ice cream. Use a spatula to smoosh it down and smooth the top.

Remove second brownie pan from freezer. Run a knife between edges of brownie and pan to make sure it’s not sticking anywhere and use parchment sling to life the brownie out of the pan, remove the parchment and place it on top of the ice cream.

Place the empty brownie pan on top of the brownie lid, to weight it, and press down a little.

Keeping the weighting pan on top, return brownie-ice cream stack to freezer until fully firm, another 30 minutes.

Run a knife around brownie stack again to make sure it’s not stuck, and use the parchment sling to transfer the ice cream sandwich block to a cutting board. Cut into squares — cut it into 16 (4×4) or make 25 (5×5)

You can store the cut sandwiches in an airtight container or bag in the freezer as-is, or individually wrapped in squares of waxed paper. They should keep for at least two months in the freezer, but good luck with that.

More good stuff about memoir and life story writing can be found at Angel In Your Inkwell website.
(You are at the Angel In Your Inkwell blog right now.)

All rights reserved 2014 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

Land a Plane on an Aircraft Carrier

2014-07-07T11:30:00.000-05:00

READING TIP - because reading, reading with awareness, is the best "how-to" available to a writer, occasionally I will be devoting a post to a particular book. COMING SOON - The book posting will then be archived on the new Helpful Books page at www.angelinyourinkwell.com (Webdiva Jane has not received all the information from me yet so the page is not up. I jumped the gun in telling you because I am so excited about it.)

Sometimes I read a book that is so exciting in some way that I want to tell you about it. To make that a better process, the sister website of this blog, www.angelinyourinkwell.com, will soon have a page devoted entirely to book recommendations.

Don't dash out and buy these books. Most are available at a public library and you may want to read only a few pages in some of them. The books will be listed according to most recent posted.

The first book is one I found so exciting I actually read passages aloud to Gentleman Friend and then we talked about the great writing. The book is Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why by Laurence Gonzales.

This is a book you may not want to read in its entirety so in the description on the website, I have listed pages that give you a taste of the writing. Notice how the author creates powerful and vivid writing mainly by good reporting and strong word choice.

LAUNCHING PAD

Just because we aren't writing about aircraft carrier pilots or mountain climbers, it doesn't mean we can't create strong writing. That doesn't mean over dramatizing; it means avoid cliches, avoid abstract terms, and avoid wordiness. Here's what makes this difficult. Choose meaningful details. Make your words do double duty; make them give additional information.

For example, a car might tell us something about you or your character. An over-70-year-old member of my writers group, drove a bright yellow Mustang convertible. I know another woman whose SUV has a dog kennel in back; she trains service dogs. Do you shop at Whole Foods, Aldi, or Price Chopper? Your choice tells us something about you.

Here is the Launching Pad -- Write a paragraph (or book or anything in between) about your everyday life. You might write about a trip to the grocery store or a trip to the dentist or baking a frozen pizza. Follow the example of Laurence Gonzales in his descriptions. What was your car like, what about the setting, what did you hear and feel? . Readers will go along with you and enjoy the trip.

CHOCOLATE INKWELL

Still feeling the effects of all the Fourth of July food? Let's keep it simple this week.

Buy a box of Fudgsicles and call it done. Few calories or fat per serving and they are fun to eat.

Here is a question. Our street has lots of children, five preschoolers in just the house next door and one across the street, so the street is definitely on the ice cream truck route.What do ice cream truck treats cost these days?

Learn more about making your writing interesting by looking in your Write Your Life Story in Eight Weeks Workbook, pp. 14-15.

All rights reserved 2014 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

It is time to update

2014-06-23T11:18:00.003-05:00

Time passes. Things change. Become outdated. It is past time for the Resources page on my website Angel In Your Inkwell website to be updated. (You are reading the blog.)

In fact, it is past past time.

It is ten o'clock on a June morning as I write this. As you can see, my office clock did not "spring forward."

It's time to update.
(Photo by Carol Newman)

Nevertheless, I have been updating the information that goes on the Angel Resources Page. I am removing non-working outdated links, adding new links, moving things around a bit. Next, I send the changes to Webdiva Jane, (and I mean diva in the best sense) who will "fix them up" (That is low-tech talk for whatever the magic is that Jane does to make the website wonderful for your use.)

So you won't have to wait until everything is all done, here are a couple of examples of things you can find at
Angel Resources Page. (Remember, the page itself is undergoing changes. That's why I am showing you some samples here.)

www.lexfn.com/ A dictionary, thesaurus, and so much stuff about words, it's scary.

www.bartleby.com/reference Supermarket for the writer. Includes reference, quotations, verse, fiction, non-fiction, apples, oranges and the kitchen sink.

www.archives.gov National Archives. Any historical information created or received by the Federal Government.

Aren't these great resources? Stand by for more.

Not to worry. The Writing Tip, Launching Pad, and Chocolate Inkwell will be back next time.

If you have a copy of Write Your Life Story in Eight Weeks Workbook, most of these are listed in the back on the Resources Page there.

You can share this post on Facebook or Pinterest by scrolling down and clicking on the icons.

Fast, Fun, Better Writing

2014-06-17T08:51:00.000-05:00

WRITING TIP

This week's writing tip combines relaxation and work. No, now that I think about it, it is all work.

What is the best thing any of us can do to improve our writing?

The answer is right here in this picture.

A week ago, chilly enough for a fire -- in June.

Drink tea?

No. The best way to improve writing is to read. Read the type of material you want to write, but read everything else, too. While you are reading, keep your analytic mind engaged. Be aware of the mechanical details -- not just of the words -- everything.

I was reminded of this when Gentleman Friend received a free copy of Western Horseman magazine.

A horse has never been a part of my life; however, as I flipped through the magazine, I soon was engrossed in reading.

The articles are constructed like articles in most magazines, but because I know nothing about the subject, the structure of the article became apparent. Opening paragraph, reporting, background, flashback, vocabulary, quotes, setting, conclusion that tied back to the opening. It was all there, but it was easier to see.

Read. Learn. Write.

There you go. That's all there is to it.

Oh, and maybe think a little, but that is harder work -- for another day.

LAUNCHING PAD

Go to the library. (This is fun already.) Find two magazines about subjects that are of absolutely no interest to you. Photocopy a story from each magazine.

(Here comes another fun part.) Get out your colored markers (If you don't have colored markers, buy some.) (More fun -- a trip to the office supply store.)

Now mark the opening paragraph. Where does it begin? Where does the writer let you know what the story is about? Mark that. Look at the quotes? What purpose do they serve? Where does the writer give background information -- flashback? Mark those places too. Unsure how to use quotation marks? Look at how they are done in the story. Where is setting described?

If you are writing a book -- novel, memoir, history, how-to, for example -- buy some used books that you can mark up. Look at the contents. Look at the overall organization.

Note the techniques you think would work for you -- as well as those you would not want to use.

You get the idea. Read. Learn. Write.

CHOCOLATE INKWELL

Chocolate Cherry Bomb Cookies
photo and recipe from www.hungryhappenings.com

Ingredients:

1 Pillsbury Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs 1/4 cup -
1 tub Pillsbury Classic White Frosting*
30-48 Maraschino Cherries with stems*
16-22 oz. tempered semi-sweet chocolate (or dark confectionery coating/candy melts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake pan/s by spraying with no-stick cooking spray. Blend cake mix, water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl until moistened. Using a hand held mixer , beat on medium speed for two minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan/s. Bake for 29-35 minutes (see package for specific times for each pan size). Cool cake completely.

Crumble cooled cake into a large mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup frosting and mix until well combined. Add more if needed. Scoop mixture out by the tablespoonful. Roll each scoop into a ball.

Drain maraschino cherries and pat dry with paper towels. Press one cherry into the center of each cake ball. Bring the cake mixture up and around the cherry. Roll in between your two hands to form a nice ball. -

Melt and temper semi-sweet chocolate or melt confectionery coating/candy melts. Dip cake covered cherries in chocolate. Set on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Refrigerate if using tempered semi-sweet chocolate until set, about 10 minutes. If using dark candy melts, place your cherry bombs in the freezer until set, about 5 minutes. Bring to room temperature before serving. –

Note: I do not know why the appearance of the recipe paragraphs is inconsistent. So sorry. But if you are truly dedicated to chocolate, you will be able to rise above my shortcomings. Enjoy!

To learn more about how to use reading to improve your writing and to see short examples, refer to the following pages in your Write Your Life Story in Eight Weeks Workbook: pp. 7, 11, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 23.

All rights reserved 2014 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

Lesson Learned on a Layover

2014-06-09T10:11:00.000-05:00

WRITING TIP

I had a couple of hours to wait for my connecting flight. So did everyone else. The airport gate waiting area was full. Beside me sat a woman dressed in chic California casual attire. Her dark hair was cut in a stylish bob and she wore designer eyeglasses.

I eyed her Italian leather sandals. Probably her biggest worry is her next pedicure appointment. It was obvious we had nothing in common.

Photo courtesy of Google
(So sorry the complete photo credits flew by before I captured them)

As the minutes dragged by, she began to talk to me. About both her mother and her mother-in-law coming to live with her and her son having a serious illness. Both the mother and mother-in-law had recently passed away and her son was well again. But earlier, her life had become so stressful to the woman that she had sought the help of a therapist.

Near the end of her therapy, the therapist had asked, "What is the gift in this situation?"

The woman said she had not known whether to find the question amusing or infuriating.

But then she thought about it. She was moving to a new city and starting a business. She felt stronger and more capable than she had ever felt before. Now she knew that when tough times came, she could dig deep and find the strength to do what she needed to do.

Well, folks, that set me back in my chair. Suddenly, I had great respect and admiration for her. This woman had a story and she was not afraid to tell it -- complete with all her fears, angst, tears, and anger.

How about you? Are you telling the real story? Are you letting your family and friends and other readers inside the real story?

What hard times have you survived?

And what was the gift from going through those times?

That's just another way of saying, how were you changed; what did you learn; what good came from the hardship?

And when you answer those questions, then you have told a story. And your reader will love you all the more for it.

LAUNCHING PAD

Look back at a chapter or story in your memoir or life story. Was there a gift to that particular event or experience?

Did you have any insecurity?

Have you written about the insecurity? Have you written about the real problem? Did you overcome it? How were you changed?

Not every page or every chapter will have some big traumatic experience, but look at your book as a whole as well as look at the individual chapters and show the reader who you were then and who you are now.

You may need only a couple of sentences or a few words to express all that. We aren't asking you to sling mud at yourself and then wallow in it. Just give us a peek into your heart.

CHOCOLATE INKWELL

Aren't these cute? The recipe and photo step-by-step are from Corcoran Street Kitchen. Probably best to make the "tea cups" ahead because it won't work to rush while assembling these.

Photo courtesy of Corcoran Street Kitchen

Edible Teacups for Fun

12 sugar ice cream cones (plus extras in case some break)
12 peanut butter cups
1/2 cup melting chocolate (The recipe says "like Wiltons." Would melted chocolate chips work?)
12 white Oreos (or other cookies)
6 tiny twist pretzels (plus extra in case some break)
chocolate or vanilla pudding or yogurt (to fill the cups)
12 small plastic spoons

1. Use a serrated knife to cut off the bottoms of the ice cream cones. (Slowly, gently, deliberately.)
2. Make the handle: use serrated knife to cut off tops of pretzels
3. Melt the chocolate
4. Line up the cookies
5. Dot each cookie with some chocolate and place a peanut butter cup upside down on top
6. Dip the bottom of the cone into the chocolate and set it on top of the peanut butter cup
7. Hold the cone for a few seconds to harden in place
8. Check and repair any holes in your "teacups"
9. Attach the handles by dotting chocolate on both ends of the pretzel and holding it onto the side of the cone until it is set.
10. Fill with chocolate when ready to serve.

(Note: To see step-by-step photos, go to Edible Teacups.)

If you are struggling with how to write about difficult events, look at your Write Your Life Story in Eight Weeks Workbook. The following pages will help you: pp 15, 17, 24, 25, 26, 27.

Remember, this workbook was written for those who are ready to start writing today, for people who want to write, not read a whole book about it first.

If you don't have the workbook, order your copy today at Buy the Workbook.

All rights reserved 2014 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

Mapping Out Your Summer Plan

2014-06-02T13:57:00.000-05:00

WRITING TIP

Summer energizes me to come out of winter hibernation and take on a project. Maybe it can do the same for you and your writing project.

All set for a summer project

You may be asking yourself: Is it too late? Can I do it?

Here are the answers: No. Yes. No, it is not too late. Yes, you can do it. And, I have the proof.

Here are memoirs by two women who were members of my life story writing group. I am taking no credit for the completion of their books -- just making the point that these are women I know, women you could know or be.

Both women were in their eighties when they finished and self published their books. The books might eventually reach a wide readership, but they were written to inform and inspire family and friends.

Both are available as print copies but are more easily available as e-books.

The authors had help with the production including cover design, interior design, printing, and e-publication. But they didn't let the prospect of production daunt them. They did the work. They did the writing. Each woman told her story.

And I can tell you that Saturday I saw dramatic evidence of what a comfort and blessing a written life story can be to family and friends.

Saturday, May 31, 2014, the memorial service for Louise Redford, author of one of the two memoirs I am telling you about, was held. Portions of the book were read by several of her adult children who talked about their mother and how the book revealed deeper aspects of her true character of love, service, and quest for peace than even they had fully realized. And how they felt inspired in their own lives.

In the Arms of the River

This is a dramatic memoir of growing up as a Mennonite under Soviet oppression in the 1930s, of escaping to Germany during World War II, and ultimately finding refuge in Canada and the US. Louise Redford (nee' Unger) was born in 1928 in the Mennonite colony of Einlage, near Zaporozhye, Ukraine. Her people were among the first to farm its rich soils when they settled there in the 18th century, but German pacifists had no place in the Soviet Union. Her own father was arrested and sent to work in Siberia, and never returned. Her community was destroyed by the Purge and the War, and few now remember it. Yet what she recalls today is not the fear and chaos, but her close-knit family and friends, and the beautiful Dniepr River, their playground and their haven. It's a story of bright memories in the midst of dark chapters of modern history.

My Journey in Faith

Ruth Saucedo Campos is a retired, award-winning school teacher from Kansas City, Kansas. As one of three U.S.-born daughters of Mexican immigrants, she endured the Jim Crow era during the 1930s and 1940s and struggled to find her way in a greater society that did not care. Only after accepting her father’s advice ("Put the Church first always!") did she begin her journey toward self-discovery—and recognize her mystical connection to God. Traveling to Lima, Peru as a Papal volunteer in 1960, she discovered her true place—in the classroom. As a missionary, she gave aid to the poorest of the poor and fell in love with teaching. Through the years she would travel to Mexico and Spain as well, growing to deeply appreciate her Hispanic roots and people of all cultures. Once back home, Ruth finished her education and accepted a job as a high school Spanish teacher in her childhood barrio. She taught for many years, earning numerous accolades for the exceptional ways she gave of herself. Outside the classroom she gave time and energy to local charities and independently led cultural exchange groups to Mexico. Upon her retirement from Sumner Academy, she was not quite finished teaching. She spent the next ten years doing the same as she had done when she first began—by teaching catechism classes in her local parish. In this remarkable and inspiring memoir, Ruth's undying faith and spirit come shining through for all to appreciate.

LAUNCHING PAD

This week study the blurbs above that describe each book. Rewrite one or both of the blurbs inserting your own information.

For example, I might copy the description of Louise Redford's book and write: This is a dramatic memoir of growing up in southwest Oklahoma in the 1940s and 1950s and finding refuge in the loving compassion of a Southern Baptist church. Carol Newman (nee' Allison) was born in 1942. Her people were among the first to receive Land Grants when Indian Territory became the state of Oklahoma.

You get the idea. You could do the same thing with the description of Ruth Campos' book.

It is not cheating or copying or plagiarism. It is a way to get started thinking about the shape and form of the story you want to write. It is practice which may be discarded or may even find its way to the back of the book you write.

CHOCOLATE INKWELL Today's recipe is from www.allrecipes.com, but it is a variation of a recipe I first heard about from my friend, Terri-Lynn, who frequently entertains her friends and family with her excellent cooking.

Photo courtesy of www.allrecipes.com
In this case the words are better than this picture

Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 large fresh strawberries, hulled
2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
2 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
1 teaspoon canola oil (optional)

Directions (Note: read through the directions first and then figure out your own simpler method.)

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
Beat together the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. (OR use a plastic sandwich bag with the top of one corner cut off.)
With a sharp paring knife, cut a cone shape out of the top of each strawberry to leave a small hollow. (OR simply cut an X in the top of the strawberry and smoosh your piping point into it.)
Pipe about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese filling into each strawberry, making sure that the filling overflows a bit out of the top of the strawberry.
Place the graham cracker crumbs into a shallow bowl. Dip the filled side of the strawberry into the graham cracker crumbs, coating the exposed filling with crumbs.
Melt the chocolate and canola oil in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until warm and smooth, 1 to 3 minutes (depending on your microwave).
Dip the unfilled ends of the strawberries into the melted chocolate and place on the prepared baking sheet; refrigerate until set.

For more memoir writing tips and answers to your memoir and life story writing questions, go to www.angelinyourinkwell.com

All rights reserved 2014 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

Get to First Base with Your Writing

2014-04-21T14:31:00.001-05:00

STYLE TIP

Today's post is a Style Tip I wrote several years ago for the Heart of America Christian Writers Network newsletter.

Remember that old baseball comedy routine, “Who’s On First?” The confusion centered on a player named Who.

“Who’s on first?” the comedian asks. “Who,” answers the second actor. From there the conversation circled endlessly.

Maybe you get the same feeling when you try to decide whether to use which or that.

According to The Chicago Manual of Style, this is the rule: use which to set off nonrestrictive clauses; use that to introduce restrictive clauses.

Oh yeah, now you get it – if only you knew what a nonrestrictive clause is.

Fortunately, the big orange book of style goes on to explain that a restrictive clause is one that is necessary to the sentence; therefore, a nonrestrictive clause would be . . . You get the idea.

Still puzzled? Here are some CMS examples to illustrate the point more succinctly:

Pizza that’s less than an inch deep just isn’t Chicago style.

Pizza, which is a favorite among Chicagoans, can be either bad for you or good, depending on how much of it you eat.

Note that if you remove “that’s less than an inch deep” from the first sentence, it becomes inaccurate; i.e., it’s not true that “pizza just isn’t Chicago style.” The clause, then, is restrictive (necessary) to the sentence; therefore “that” is correct.

If, however, you take out the clause “which is a favorite among Chicagoans” from the second sentence, it still makes sense: i.e., pizza can be either bad for you or good, and whether or not it is a favorite among Chicagoans does not “restrict” this meaning; therefore the clause is nonrestrictive and should be introduced by “which” and set off by commas.

Or to put it another way – that which does not kill you, makes you a better writer.

Source: The chicago manual of style - 15^th edition

Take A Look

2014-04-15T14:22:00.000-05:00

WRITING TIP

In the future, we may return to this topic but for now, here is the last tip about writing about difficult life experiences. This is a short one.

Reflection. Write a sentence or paragraph about the event. Immediately, or later, read back over what you have written. Then write what I will call a "reflection."

The reflection is just for you. It is not a part of your life story or memoir that will be published or shown to family. (Unless, of course, you decide to do so.)

Continue writing about the life event(s) and writing reflections until you feel comfortable and able to write daily.

You might answer these questions:

How did the writing make you feel?

What do you observe about the event?

What thread of continuity do you find between this event and previous events?

What did you learn from writing about the event?

This is a part of the therapeutic aspect of writing. Various studies have shown that writing is therapeutic, but some found that the most benefit came from reflecting back on what had been written and writing about that, too.

From time to time, review your reflective writing and see if it leads you to deeper writing or new insights.

If you do this, I think you will find yourself feeling stronger, braver, and more able to continue with the writing of your memoir or life.

If you have a desire to write about your life, it is too important to allow yourself to be distracted.

LAUNCHING PAD

Return to a piece of writing. Read it. Write a reflection, using the questions above as a guide.

Chocolate Inkwell

Thank you to Vickie for sending me this recipe. When I saw the name, Peanut Butter Cups, I thought it was for something like a copy of candy peanut butter cups. Wow! Was I wrong.

Part of the reason I like this recipe is that it gives you an excuse to use cute little ramekins, and if you don't have any, which I don't, it is an excuse to go out and buy some. (Hello Marshall's.)

The source for the recipe is/www.bestyummyrecipes.com. It calls for specific brands, but, of course, I doubt they are necessary. Note, though, that the ingredient list does not include the ingredients on the cake mix -- which you will need.

Peanut Butter Cups

Photo Courtesy of yummyrecipes.com

8 (4 ounce) ramekins
1 (15.25 ounce) Betty Crocker Devil's Food cake mix (and ingredients called for on the package)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray ramekins with cooking spray.
Prepare cake mix batter according to package directions.
In a medium bowl, mix the peanut butter and powdered sugar with a hand mixer or by hand until completely combined. Form 8 golf ball sized balls and set aside.
Scoop 3-4 tablespoons of cake batter into each ramekin. Place peanut butter ball in the center of the cake batter in each ramekin. Cover the peanut butter ball with 1-2 tablespoons of cake batter.
Bake peanut butter cups for 16-19 minutes or until top is set and bounces back.
Top each cake with 1 Tablespoon of chocolate chips and let melt. You can spread them once they melt or just leave them as is.

Check out http://www.angelinyourinkwell.com/index.php for life story writing questions and answers.
And, while you're there, if you like cute greeting cards, click on Buy Here.

Mirror photo by Carol Newman
All rights reserved 2014 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

You Are Not a Whiner

2014-04-07T12:51:00.001-05:00

WRITING TIP

Soon we will move on to other topics, but for now, the subject is still writing about painful or difficult life events.

Maybe one of the things holding you back from writing is that you don't want to sound as if you are whining or complaining. Here is a simple way to avoid that: write about what sustained you during your time of trial.

(Were any of you actually on trial? Hey, we want to hear about that. Sorry. Just kidding.)

What helped get you through your difficult time?

Did you spend time in nature? Solitude?

Did a friend help you? Family? What did the person do? What was your relationship? How did it help? Describe the person. How did you meet?

Did you change your lifestyle? Begin a healthy diet? Shuck the coat, tie, and cube for more meaningful work?

Did you garden? Did someone give you flowers?

Was there a pet who helped you?

Music is healing. Were you helped by playing or listening to music?

Include yourself in the stories, of course, but including other people and other things can make the writing bearable and honest and powerful.

LAUNCHING PAD

Have you written a sentence every day? Keep going. If you haven't, start today. For example:

The first person to call me was Maria.

Or - Every morning Snowball tugged on my covers, eager to start the day. She needed me. I needed her.

Or - I quit shaving, changed my suit coat for a jean jacket, and started growing carrots.

You get the idea.

Next post, a most important point, and then we will move on to another topic.

Chocolate Inkwell

Looking online for a waffle cookie recipe I had heard about, I came across this one called Boot Tracks. How cute is that! Cocoa powder. And you are set. The recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour. I think I would just give plain old flour a try if that is all I had on hand -- and it is. Much as I love coffee, I would probably opt out of the espresso powder too. Straight chocolate. That's for me. I'll have my coffee on the side.

Photo and Recipe Courtesy of www.delish.com

Boot Tracks Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup(s) salted butter
2/3 cup(s) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1 cup(s) whole-wheat pastry flour
6 tablespoon(s) cocoa powder
2 tablespoon(s) canola oil
1/2 teaspoon(s) espresso powder, (optional)
Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Preheat a nonstick (not Belgian) waffle iron.
Cream butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa powder, oil and espresso powder (if using). Beat until thoroughly combined.
Drop the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto the preheated ungreased waffle iron. (To avoid burnt fingers, use two spoons, one to scoop and one to scrape dough onto the waffle iron.) Close and cook until the cookies are puffed and cooked through, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Waffle irons vary, so watch closely and dont let the cookies get too dark. Transfer to a wire rack to cool until just warm. Dust the cookies with confectioners sugar while still slightly warm (see Variations). Variations: Instead of confectioners sugar, drizzle cooled cookies with melted bittersweet and/or white chocolate. Or make a peppermint drizzle: Mix 1 cup confectioners sugar, 4 teaspoons water and 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract; add natural green food coloring, if desired.

Thank you for your comments. I welcome questions or suggestions.

You can Share this post on Facebook by scrolling to the bottom of the post and clicking on the little f icon for Facebook.

Or you can simply tell your writers group or forward the email notification I send you.

For more resources about memoir and life story writing , visit www.angelinyourinkwell.com.

All rights reserved 2014 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®
All photos are by Carol Newman unless otherwise noted.

Write Like a Reporter

2014-03-31T15:00:00.001-05:00

WRITING TIP

Recently we have been exploring how to go about writing about painful, embarrassing, agonizing, reprehensible, devastating or slightly unpleasant life experiences. I suggested you start with just one sentence.

Maybe you are wondering with what sentence to start. Here is how to do it. Write like a reporter. .

LAUNCHING PAD

Here are some examples:

Write one sentence about what happened. The doorbell rang at midnight.

Write one sentence about a person in your story. My mother-in-law's teeth were stained from drinking well water as a child.

Write one sentence about where you were. I awoke in my bed with a start to feel a hand gripping my throat.

Write one sentence about what you saw. Blood seeped through his fingers where he had his hand over his mouth.

Write one sentence about something you smelled. Burning flesh has a smell you never forget.

Write one sentence about how your body reacted. The urine trickled down my leg and puddled on Grandma's linoleum floor.

Well, hey, if you weren't feeling depressed before, surely you are now. These are extreme examples. Yet, they are all things that writers I know have written about. Not only did the writers survive, they say they felt better for having done the writing.

The fact is, we all suffer pain in our lives. I sincerely hope yours is not the depth of pain that these sentences would indicate. Whether your pain is extreme or mild, you can write about it. Write like a reporter. Write the facts of the situation. One sentence at a time.

For more supremely useful information about memoir or life story writing, visit There's An Angel In Your Inkwell.

See you there. Meanwhile, feel free to post your comments or "one sentences" in the Comments section.

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Chocolate Inkwell

After writing something emotionally difficult, I know I am ready for some lighthearted chocolate. This is an easy-no-bake recipe that children can help make. Nothing puts life into perspective like children and chocolate.

This recipe is from ThinkArete.

Photo courtesy of ThinkArete

No Bake S’more Cake

prep time: 15 minutes
chill time: 2-3 hours before serving
servings: 20

Ingredients:

1 box graham crackers
2 tubs of marshmallow creme 7 oz. (Inexpensive generic brand is fine.)
1 tub of cool whip (not frozen.. let sit out 15 minutes
2 tsp. vanilla
1 bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. salt

Step 1
Mix your marshmallow creme with the cool whip until smooth and creamy, use a hand mixer or counter mixer to mix the marshmallow and cool whip once it’s smooth and creamy add your vanilla and mix again.

Step2
Line the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole baking dish with some graham crackers

Spread one-third of the marshmallow whip evenly over the graham crackers

(repeat this step, cookies and marshmallow whip)

Step 3
Over medium low heat melt chips and cream until smooth, keep stirring and once the chocolate is completely melted and the 2 ingredients are well combined turn heat off. add salt and about every 5 minutes whisk the chocolate, for about 5-20 minutes

Step 4
Add it over the top and put uncovered in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

Removed from freezer covered and put in the fridge over night until ready to serve.

For more supremely useful information about memoir or life story writing, visit There's An Angel In Your Inkwell.

See you there. Meanwhile, feel free to post your comments or "one sentences" in the Comments section.

Scroll to the bottom of this post and click on the f Facebook icon to Share the blog on Facebook.

All rights reserved 2014 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

What Comes After Rule One

2014-03-24T13:16:00.000-05:00

WRITING TIP

In response to a recent email and a couple of phone calls and the conversation at a recent writers group meeting, I am writing about overcoming the fear of writing about painful life events.

After all, pain is pain. Who wants it? The first time was bad enough. Why relive it? But, still, somehow, you feel those painful parts must be included for your memoir or life story to be complete.

Last week, I wrote that Rule One is You Make the Rules.

What comes next?

That's it. That is the end of the rules.

But here is something you can try. Write like a morning glory.

Morning brings a full, vibrant bloom.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

A few hours pass and the flower begins to close.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

We still love the morning glory, don't we, even though it doesn't bloom all day?

Photo by Carol Newman

One bloom, another, another, and soon they make a beautiful display on a wall or fence.

You can do the same with your stories. Don't think about blooming all day. Don't think about writing the entire terrible event. Write a little today. Write a little tomorrow. It's okay to fade after writing a bit. Tomorrow you can write again.

Recently I suggested you start with just one sentence. Maybe you are still thinking that is too painful or wondering with what sentence to start. Next time I have a suggestion about that.

LAUNCHING PAD

Meanwhile, See What Others Say about writing about painful events in their lives. Reading is often the best Launching Pad into your own writing. You may find their observations so inspiring you will be eager to start.

Your comments and questions are welcome. Let us know how the writing goes.

I will see you back here in a few days.

Chocolate Inkwell

You know my friend, Judy, who supplies many of the wonderful chocolate recipes here? Yes? Well, today's recipe is from Judy -- in an indirect way. And it is a recipe in an indirect way.

Chocolate for your Brain is a humor column that focuses on parenting, the unique struggles of raising a large family in the modern age and other absurdities of modern life.

It is written by Judy's college roommate's daughter. (I believe I have that connection correct.)

We all need a "recipe" for the "absurdities of modern life." And, these recipes are waistline friendly. Enjoy.

You Make the Rules

2014-03-18T10:48:00.004-05:00

WRITING TIP

In the writers group a few days ago we were talking about a recent blog post here -- .Are You Upside Down in Your Writing?

Everyone was interested in talking more about the problem of how to write about painful areas of their lives. We will be talking more about it in our meetings and in these blog posts.

Wherever we go, there are rules.

Photo by Carol Newman

So writers think there should be rules for writing, too; and, of course, there are rules.

But the first and most important rule of writing memoir or life story is this: you make the rules.

If an incident is too painful or too embarrassing or incriminating, you are not required to write about it. You decide how to shape your story.

That said, keep in mind that even fairy tales, even Walt Disney movies, even animated cartoons involve some kind of struggle, some kind of failure to be overcome.

But, you get to decide how much detail and how much space you allow for those incidents. If you want to give your mean mother-in-law only one line in your entire story, that is up to you. If you want to devote a chapter or the entire book to your addiction, that is up to you. Maybe you lost a loved one. How much detail and space do you want to give that part of your story? It is up to you. You make the rules.

Now that you are in charge -- start writing.

Uh-oh, you may soon need to revisit the information in Are You Upside Down in Your Writing?

Get comfortable with this in your mind and we will move on to getting words on paper.

CHOCOLATE INKWELL

Today's recipe is from Trisha Yearwood, but the image is from Pale Yellow. Trisha Yearwood's version of this popular recipe does not call for broken pretzels on top, but I like the pretzel topping. Helps identify what to expect with the first bite.

No-Bake Chocolate Pretzel Squares

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, melted
2 cups pretzel rods, crushed into crumbs
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup plus 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions

In a medium bowl, add the melted butter, pretzel crumbs, confectioners' sugar and 1 cup of the peanut butter and stir together until well combined. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish. Combine the chocolate chips and the remaining 1/4 cup peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate and peanut butter are melted and smooth; two intervals should be enough. Mix to blend, then spread over the peanut butter-pretzel layer. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.

Can't wait for how to write about difficult life experiences to play out here on the blog? You can order a copy of Write Your Life Story in Eight Weeks Workbook.

See you there.

All rights reserved 2014 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

A Love Story for Your Writing

2014-03-10T11:48:00.000-05:00

TRICKY TIPS

If you are a new or inexperienced writer,or if you daydreamed about your sweetheart during English class, don't worry. From time to time I will be repeating some basic tips I wrote for the Heart of America Christian Writers Network newsletter a few years ago. Basic is basic so the information still applies. My source for the information was The Chicago Manual of Style - 15th Edition.

Here is a little story with sentences illustrating the correct use of some tricky instances where apostrophes are required. Below the example is a sentence explaining the usage.

Yikes! Sometimes the explanation seems so complicated it is easier to just look at the example and know that's how it is done.

Ready? Read on!

Photo by Carol Newman
Roses a gift from Gentleman Friend, my high school sweetheart
I daydreamed away many classes, but they were mainly math classes.

Winter is loosening its grip. Maybe warmer temperatures will bring a spring brain thaw. The Tricky Tip today is about forming possessives: where and when to put an apostrophe. (Note the word its in the sentence above does not require an apostrophe.)

Spring brings new love and, perhaps, a desire to be possessive. Consider the example of sweethearts Moe and Mimi.

The ‘80s’ biggest romantic was Moe.

The first apostrophe has nothing to do with possessives. It indicates the numeric decade. You already knew that. The second apostrophe and its placement indicate plural possessive.

Moe wrote many love letters. A love letter of Moe’s was much desired.

The possessive form may be preceded by of where one of several is implied.

Mimi’s longing for his letters was famous. Her longing was daily.

A noun followed by a gerund (a verb functioning as a noun, i.e. longing) may take the possessive form in contexts where, if a pronoun were used, it would be in the possessive case (her).

When Moe met Mimi, he fell so hard he thought the sun’s and earth’s gravities changed.

Both the sun and the earth each possesses its own gravity, each is made possessive.

Their favorite meeting place was at Randy and Rita’s dock.

When referring to a single item that two subjects share, a single possessive serves.

Finally, they went into business together by forming a sweethearts’ group. They named it Sweethearts Group, Inc. and both lived happily forever.

When a plural noun is used as an adjective, use an apostrophe. Dispense with the apostrophe only in proper names or where there is clearly no possessive meaning, and you will live happily too. .

Are You Upside Down in Your Writing?

2014-03-06T13:56:00.005-06:00

WRITING TIP

A recent phone call and an email reminded me of a problem most writers encounter at some time. It puzzles me, but I have a couple of theories. (Of course I have theories. I am nothing if not full of opinions.)

Here is the problem: The writer begins writing her life story for her family and friends. The writer has in mind a few stories she wants to write. She produces those stories; all is going well. The writing is fun and easy. Then something changes. She quits writing about her life or quits writing altogether.

My theory -- the writer encounters lone tree experience. Writing is mainly a solitary process. Every day the writer must decide to sit down, alone, and write the next story. As the writer examines her life, she encounters the next experience -- my second theory.

Parts of this process are going to be a rocky and uphill path. Even writing light stories for family produces self-examination and reflection. Sometimes that results in mental or emotional discomfort. The writer doesn't know what to do with these thoughts and emotions so -- she quits writing. Upside down in her writing.

How to get yourself right-side up in your writing?

Respect your creativity. Every day that you sit down to write, you are creating something brand new that only you can create.

Respect your life experience. If the memories feel uncomfortable, push yourself up that rocky trail a few steps a day. It is okay to write only one sentence. That counts. Write one more sentence the next day. And the next until you feel strong enough to write entire pages.

Respect your own sensibilities. You don't have to allow everything you write to be read. Simply writing the experience may be enough to get you back to writing. I have written two stories from my life that I know I will never show anyone (not even Gentleman Friend). However, after writing them, I felt stronger and more able to move on with more writing.

Respect the writing process.Writing takes time and energy. You notice the photo above is not a picture of a "walk in the park".

Respect the result. If you stick with it, I promise you will feel your life affirmed.And, as you look back at the significance of what you have completed, you will feel you had fun. (If you don't feel good at the end, call me.)

LAUNCHING PAD

If you are stalled in your writing, look back at the last thing you wrote or at any of your stories. Re-type, or re-write in your handwriting, the last page of that piece. I mean simply copy it. (Don't worry about editing. You are in creative mode here.) And then go on and write a new sentence. And another new sentence. A new paragraph. That paragraph could continue the story or it could jump ten years ahead or back in the story. Doesn't matter, just get back on the path and get your writing right-side up.

CHOCOLATE INKWELL

Crispy Peanut Butter Balls

These yummy, easy-to-make treats (and the photo) are from Mom on Timeout. They have a special ingredient that makes them extra appealing to me -- Rice Krispies. I like peanut butter okay -- not absolutely crazy about it -- but I think the crunch in these will be just right.

Ingredients

2 cups crunch peanut butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3 1/2 - 4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups crispy rice cereal
16 oz chocolate candy coating (CandiQuik)
1 tsp shortening
1/4 cup roughly chopped salted peanuts (optional)

Instructions

Combine peanut butter and butter together in a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
Stir in vanilla extract.
Gradually add in the powdered sugar, half a cup at a time until mixture is nice and smooth and you can easily form balls.
Stir in crispy rice cereal.
Shape into 1 inch balls and refrigerate for 30 minutes on a waxed paper lined baking sheet.
Melt candy coating and and 1 teaspoon of shortening together in a microwave safe bowl following melting directions on package.
Dip the peanut butter balls into the chocolate using a toothpick.
Transfer to wax paper and sprinkle chopped peanuts on top immediately.
Let candy stand until the chocolate is firm.
Store in an airtight container.

If you feel your writing energy flagging, visit http://www.angelinyourinkwell.com/index.php to find more tips and resources.

And if you need more of a buddy to hold your hand, get the Write Your Life Story Workbook.

What Will Tomorrow Bring?

2014-03-03T10:41:00.000-06:00

WRITING TIP

Here it is almost St. Patrick's Day and my ancient Christmas cactus is still blooming. Is it behind the season? Ahead of the season?

Photo by Carol Newman

I like to think it is ahead of the season. Just like a writer needs to be.

If I want to write an article about this plant for next Christmas publication, I need to photograph the flowers now.

Then I need to get the piece written. Begin looking for markets. And submit the writing maybe as early as July. This applies to novels as well as magazine and newspaper stories, print or digital. Markets vary so check your market listings.

Right now (well not right now, right now I am writing to you) I am reading the novel The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.

Photo Courtesy of Amazon.com

This 784 page coming of age novel is set against a backdrop of an explosion in a public place, post traumatic stress in two of the survivors, art theft and the black market in art. I would not presume to know what was in the author's mind, but as writers we can look to this for an example. Suppose I want to write a coming of age story but make it timely. I can look at what is happening around me every day: bombings, wars, natural disasters, recovery of art stolen during WWII as dramatized in the book and movie The Monuments Men.

We must do the same. Snap out of that fog of someday. What will tomorrow bring? Whatever you create today. Think about topics that are in the news and in conversation. But also, think about topics that are timeless, like Christmas puppies. Then start a list of topics and start writing.

LAUNCHING PAD

Make a list of three timely things you could write an essay, article, short story, novel or memoir about. Make a list of three timeless things you could write about. Do some thinking, researching, and then some writing.

When I was a writer as green as a seasick goldfish, I made every mistake in the book. The first human interest story I wrote and sold was to the Hamilton, Ohio weekly newspaper on the subject of how to care for a Christmas gift puppy. Fortunately for me, the Lou Grant-type editor didn't kick me out when I walked in a couple of days after Christmas with my bright idea. No, I should not have just shown up at his office. No, I should not have waited until a week after Christmas to have my bright idea. But it was both a timely topic and a timeless one. Must have been a slow week because he growled, "Bring me what'cha got."

CHOCOLATE INKWELL

Five cups of chocolate chips? Yes, that is what this recipe calls for. Hey, we love chocolate so it is okay with us, isn't it? And, we love Almond Joy candy bars. Looks to me like we are all set. This recipe and photo are from Just a Pinch.

Almond Joy Cookies

Photo Courtesy of www.justapinch.com

Ingredients

	1 cup butter
	1 1/2 cups white sugar
	1 1/2 cups brown sugar
	4 eggs
	3 teaspoons vanilla
	4 1/2 cups flour
	2 teaspoons baking soda
	1 teaspoon salt
	5 cups chocolate chips
	2 cups sweetened coconut
	2 cups chopped almonds

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets.
Combine dry ingredients, set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, stir in the vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients until well mixed then stir in the chocolate chips, coconut and almonds. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Are you writing memoir, life story, fiction, nonfiction, poetry?Are you writing for personal growth, posterity or publication? Find more Writing Tips, Launching Pads, Resources, and a handy-dandy workbook to help you along the way -- at There's An Angel In Your Inkwell. See you there.

What Soy Sauce Can Teach Us About Writing

2014-02-26T11:03:00.000-06:00

WRITING TIP

A couple of posts back I wrote about the importance of including the sense of smell in writing. Imagine how smart I felt, then, when I opened Kirstin Chen's novel Soy Sauce for Beginners and found this first sentence:

These are some of my favorite smells: toasting bagel, freshly cut figs, the bergamot in good Earl Grey tea, a jar of whole soybeans slowly turning beneath a tropical sun.

Photo Courtesy of Amazon.com

I believe it is Kirstin Chen's first novel. She does a great job of engaging the reader's senses as she describes her family's generations-old method of making soy sauce.

We can read it and learn.

LAUNCHING PAD

Look back through your writing. Find a passage that could be improved by adding something about smell, aroma, odor. Rewrite the piece without using any of the words smell, aroma, odor. And if and when you do use them, be sure to choose the word that best fits.

Recently The Kansas City Star newspaper carried a story in which the reporter wrote about the stench of bleach. Was "stench" the best word choice? I asked Gentleman Friend about it. He said he associated stench with something rotting. That was what I thought too; however, Webster's defines stench as "an offensive smell, stink." So, technically, I suppose the use was correct.

Not to belabor the point or beat up on a hard-working reporter on deadline, just saying -- part of the fun of being a writer is choosing the absolutely best word possible when you have the luxury of time.

CHOCOLATE INKWELL

This recipe is from Judy from her friend, Jean. In fact, unless I have mixed up sources, this is the second recipe from Jean. I searched around on the Internet for a photo. When I found this on www.thischickcookks.com, I noticed she said that when she poured the batter into the slow cooker, it was so watery she thought there was no way it would ever become a cake.

The recipe here is not exactly the same as on This Chick Cooks; there are a zillion variations, but this seems to match up pretty well. (And don't you love the pretty blue plate?)

Photo Courtesy of ThisChickCooks.com

Slow Cooker Molten Lava Chocolate Cake

1 red velvet cake mix
4 eggs
2 cups sour cream
1 cup water
3/4 cup oil
pk choc fudge pudding mix instant
1 pk milk choc chips
Mix first 6 ingredients until well blended then fold in choc chip's
Pour into well greased slow cooker
crock...cook on low for 4 hours...remove from heat source as soon as cake pulls away from sides.
Serve warm with warm hot fudge topping and whipped cream.

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All rights reserved 2014 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®

All rights reserved 2014 There's An Angel In Your Inkwell®