Drinking Perfection - Throwback Thursday #tbt #halloween

I was.... 16 when I wrote this one.  Figured it was appropriate for Halloween!

Drinking Perfection

Footfall could be heard on the cobblestone path
The reflection of the creator could be seen by the birdbath
Swirling lights from the lighthouse nearby
The color iris staining her eye

A wisp of his presence came out of the air
All of a sudden he appeared from nowhere

Satin cloth brushed by her side
Tendrils of hair caressed her forehead
A loving kiss was plated on her cheek
A hint of wine could be sensed on his breath

The wounds from his fatal kiss were far gone
Now the creator stared at his job well done
The beauty of the creature was hard to miss

Skin the feel of steel
Lipstick as that of an evergreen garden
Eyes that absorbed all of the spectrum
Strength that outnumbered the largest of men
Fangs to match the shining white teeth
Yes, she was perfect indeed.

A shiver ran through her body
The metamorphosis claimed her mind
The time had come for the affect to take hold
 Her first victim was only seventeen years old

Ahhh!  I cringe!  Like I said in a previous post, keeping my writing helps me see how much I've grown.... and I've grown a whole lot since this! Do you have old writing you aren't proud of?

Growing as a Writer

I have a binder full of poetry and short stories that I wrote from about age 12 to 18 stashed away for safekeeping. While there isn't anything in it I'd dare be proud of today, each is evidence of my growth as a writer.  For instance:

Why Me? 1999 (I was around 12)
As I look into the cup
the cup in front of me
I see my life
dark and unfree
it hurts to cry
through the tears I can barely see
all I think about,
why me?

I believe it's the first poem I ever wrote and even though I can recite every word...ugh, I cringe! Luckily, I had a habit as a teenager to date my work with at least the year, so the dates give me a timeline of my writing.  I can see change in my ability from the first poems I ever wrote to the last entry when I was 18.

Depression Reigns (2005)
Pain took advantage of the circumstances
Sorrow is once again my home
If only I had the courage to bleed again
I might feel better with depression on the throne.

To each good thought
he screams off with their head
To each wonderful memory
the dungeon is where they make their bed

He severed the lines that allow me to smile
the laugh I once had has been captured for a while
He drains my energy
But retains my tears for their daily trip down

Some may call him a tyrant
Some may find him vile
I call him my grand king
After all, I cannot escape him
So I gave him the crown.

Whoa at the teenage angst! Without a doubt I know that I could take any one piece from my binder and create a totally different, vastly improved version of my old ideas... but I won't.  I really do want those poems and short stories to stand in time.  They may not make me proud of my writing ability back then, but they serve as static reminders of my love of creativity and the written word.  More importantly, they are evidence of my growth as a writer.

Part of the importance of a writer's journal is that it keeps record of your ideas and work.  Not only can you revisit ideas once discarded, you can see how you grow as you become a more involved and talented writer.  Often times I laugh at the silly or typical words and images I used in past writing, but I can also see how I used figurative language and other literary devices without even being aware of their purpose.

The whole point of this post is to urge you to keep everything you write, especially that which doesn't make you the proudest.  There may come a day when you can revisit that piece and turn it into the masterpiece you envisioned when you first put it to paper.  You need to see evidence of your growth.  It will be a great tool those days (or weeks or months) that you need a confidence boost.

The Writing Journal: Practice, Practice, Practice!

When teaching and developing literacy in children, the most important tool at a teacher's or parent's disposal is practice.  PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.  The more students practice writing, the better their writing becomes because they learn what works and what doesn't through hands-on assignments, especially with the proper guidance.  Journaling provides vital practice to young students, and it should become apart of your daily routine as well.  

The best tool at an aspiring writer's disposal is a journal.  Electronic or paper, whatever.  Write about your day, express your feelings, complain about the jerk who cut you off in traffic.  Write down ideas as they come, brainstorm for something you're currently writing, create simple poetry.  Write short stories, complete writing exercises, describe that character or scene you just can't get out of your head.  It doesn't matter what you write, just that you write.  Pick a certain time of the day and write as little or as much as you like but make sure that you write consistently.


I have a notebook at work and at home, but I also use features on my iPhone when I don't have a pen or have a thought I'd like to remember later.  My tendency to think of things when lying in bed at night has made this essential; after all, I can't write very legibly without a light (especially if it's long), so my phone is the perfect solution.  I cannot begin to count the number of ideas, sentences, characters, etc, that were lost due to the dark midnight hour.  What can I say? My muse is a night owl!

When you get to the point that you're writing creatively on a daily basis, I suggest "upgrading" to a writer's journal.  While there's no requirement to completely abandon the original journal, a writer's journal is important because it focuses on what you're writing.  Specifically, it provides a special place to document your journey and keep ideas, notes, and research that you can refer to as long as you write.  Explore thoughts and feelings related to characters, scenes, or plots.  React to your own work.  Flesh out histories, settings, or descriptions.  Create a journal entry as the character you're working on.  Make notes on where to pick up tomorrow.  Ultimately, the way you use your writing journal is up to you.  Use it to the fullest extent because you never know when something old might complement and infuse energy into something new.