painting – Almost An Author

Elaine Marie Cooper

We’ve been doing quite a bit of painting at our house lately. A lot of painting. Our goal is to put our house on the market and a fresh coat of paint makes a big difference in rooms that haven’t felt the strokes of a brush in some years. The fact that our unique home is nearing its centennial makes the need for fresh color even more important. First impressions matter.

But it’s been hard work! Can you say “aching muscles?” Even the tendons in my fingers are complaining. But add my neck, arms and seemingly every other muscle in my body and I know that I have labored. But the results will be worth it when it’s ready to present to the public and that “For Sale” sign appears in the yard.

Have you ever thought of your work-in-progress as a piece of art that needs readied for the marketplace? Our first, second, and even third drafts need the stroke of words that describe setting, emotion, and artistic flair that reflects our writer’s voice.

Consider the difference in these phrases:

“He felt ashamed” vs “His cheeks burned as he avoided the professor’s gaze.”

“He was angry” vs. “The veins in his neck bulged as he pointed his finger in his enemy’s face.”

“She was hurt” to “She clutched her stomach and moaned.”

“She felt guilty” to “She stuttered her words as her face flushed.”

The first phrase in each example is what they call “telling.” The second phrase is “showing.” These phrases paint a picture for the reader that brings the characters alive.

These examples of showing are just a few of the suggestions from “The Emotion Thesaurus” by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. These authors have a series of books on ways to describe characters and setting that can be artistic strokes of life for your book.

Like the strokes of my paintbrush will, hopefully, help my house be more marketable, so the goal of your artistic edits should be to help your novel or book be a better seller. And ultimately, that is the reason for edits: To create an unforgettable manuscript, beloved by many.

Happy editing!

The Art of Poetry

In my opinion, poetry is the high art form of all writing.

Crafting a meaningful poem can’t be done by anyone, but I believe anyone can learn to craft an extraordinary poem.

Hence the purpose of this blog A Pinch of Poetry where we will take our poetic talent to the next level.

Let’s consider visual art for a moment. We could agree that most anyone can draw, color, or paint even if on the level of creating stick-figure abstract art. But not everyone will become the next Van Gogh or Picasso.

So what makes renowned artists’ work more valuable than say a third-grade rendition of family life? What defines them as “artists” rather than someone playing around in paint?

Techniques and intention distinguish art and poetry because they create aesthetic beauty.

Professional artists employ certain techniques to create an effect on the viewer or reader. Every brush stroke and medium or color chosen is with a purpose. Nothing is accidental. If you study a work carefully enough, you will discover secrets hidden deep within it that the artist is trying to share with you.

So it is with the art of writing poetry.

[bctt tweet=”Authentic Poetry is truly a high art form. #art #poetry”]

Crafting a poem goes beyond penning words on a page. Many people can write a poem if given instructions just as so many could create a drawing. But only a few will take poetry to another level and create written art.

How so?

When creating a poem, the poet has to consider the subject and the meaning they want to get across in as few words as possible. Then he or she chooses the techniques which will best create images to convey those messages. Some of those techniques are metaphor, personification, meter, alliteration, etc.

While we all have had the definitions of these techniques mercilessly beaten into us by our English teachers, implementing them is not as easy as it might seem. And not all techniques are appropriate for every poem. A poet decides what will work just like a visual artist decides what colors to use in a painting.

Every word and technique chosen has a purpose and meaning. Nothing is accidental.

So if you’re already a poet then you can consider yourself an artist because authentic poetry is truly a high art form. If you’re not poetically inclined yet, I look forward to helping you get acquainted with the craft.

Consider it an artistic adventure.

Have you ever considered poetry an art? Tell me your thoughts below.

“VanGogh-View of Arles with Irises” by Vincent van Gogh – Web Museum (file). Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VanGogh-View_of_Arles_with_Irises.jpg#/media/File:VanGogh-View_of_Arles_with_Irises.jpg