Paintbrush

Staring around the house with a paintbrush in my hand. I am not there to paint the walls, but instead to paint my life. I walk into the kitchen and wisp the brush over the table. White, and blue dishes appear. I wave the brush around my head and close my eyes. Delicious smells fill my nose and when I open my eyes I see the table full of roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, freshly made rolls and grilled vegetables. The warmth of the food tingles my cheeks and nose and I see my brother point to my chair and tell me to come eat.

Around the couch I spread the paint and pillows with blankets appear. I sit with my mom and snuggle right in with a pile a books next to us. We read and we talk and we laugh and we sing and we sit and call each other our heart.

I take my brush to the front door and sweep it up and around. The oranges and reds become brighter and finally give way to an inviting yellow. I step out and see walk toward the future with my paint brush in my hand.

 

Still In Progress

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Titles

Why are titles so hard to figure out. I know what I teach to my students. I teach them to look for titles in their already written words. Look for characters I tell them, or important objects or even the setting. There are a million meaningful titles available to you if you only look.  The title is the first impression to the reader. Are you going to capture their attention with your title, you had better, or they will not even read the rest of your radiant words. There are so many perfect titles:

The Outsiders

Of Mice and Men

Romeo and Juliet

The Hunger Games

The Secret Life of Bees

These titles all say something important. They tell us some secret about what is contained in the pages and words. There is nothing more satisfying for me then finding that perfect title to go with something that I have written.  Titles are not something to be overlooked in the writing process. They are a bit like the icing on the cake of a delicious read!