My Trip to Fallingwater

 

Fallingwater

This summer my aunt and uncle took me and my parents to see Fallingwater. It is an experience that I will never forget. Since driving to Fallingwater takes many hours we dedicated two whole days to the trip. On the first day we went to see the famous city of Bethlehem, located in Pennsylvania. Then we stopped to have some fun at the nearby casino, after which we headed to our motel.

Our drive to the motel was quite an adventure and one that I will never forget. We were driving there in the evening and the weather was fine but then all of a sudden things changed. It started raining very hard, the thunder began to roar, and flashes of lighting covered the sky. It was very hard to see and I was praying that nothing would happen to us on the way to the motel. The weather was that brutal.

The highway we drove on (somewhere in Pennsylvania) had three long tunnels going through it and it was amazing how we would leave the rain and thunder behind when ducking into the tunnel and then it would all return once we exited the tunnel. And it happened three times as there were three tunnels that we had to pass through.

I was on the edge of my seat the whole ride to the motel. When we finally got to our destination for the night I gave a sigh of relief. We had made it safely to our destination. We went to get some food and then got together in my motel room to have supper and watch the women's gymnastics Olympics qualifying round. It was also my dad's birthday so we made a few toasts to him. Then we headed off to bed as we had to get up early the next day to head to Fallingwater - our main destination.

We went there in the morning and spend a few hours sightseeing, after which we headed on home. The weather behaved itself this time and the trip wasn't stressful for me at all.

What is Fallingwater?

Fallingwater is a house that was built for the Kaufmann family by a famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. This house - which was meant to be a summer home for the family - is considered to be one of the best architectural creations of the 20th century and is Wright's finest work.

Millions of people come from all over the country (and maybe even the world) to see this architectural masterpiece. And that is not surprising in the least.

Fallingwater is built on a waterfall and is in perfect harmony with nature as it's surrounded by it on all its sides. Lush greenery, rich trees, and beautiful flowers grace the surroundings of Fallingwater and its territory.

Even inside the house you can feel the presence of nature as it's incorporated in the interior design of the house. And the view from the house is breathtaking.

Imagine waking up in the morning and looking out the window... You are surrounded by trees stretching far and wide, the skies are a clear blue, the birds are chirping away beautiful melodies, you see a waterfall down below and its sound along with the gentle breeze blowing through the open window soothes you all over. It is nature paradise, nature heaven. I am sure that is what the Kaufmanns experienced every morning, and even throughout the day.

I love nature and wish I could experience all this every morning that I wake up, every night before I head to bed, and every time I look out the window or head out the door. That would be a dream come true.

Pictures of Fallingwater

Below you will find some pictures that I took while visiting Fallingwater.

I really wanted to take some pictures from inside the house so I could capture its interior but sadly photography inside the home was not allowed. You will have to visit Fallingwater yourself to see what wonders lie inside. So the next time you are thinking of having a sightseeing adventure consider going to Fallingwater. I am glad that my aunt and uncle took us there. It was an experience I will never forget.

Location of Fallingwater

Fallingwater is located in the Laurel Highlands of southwest Pennsylvania, on PA Route 381, between the Mill Run and Ohiopyle villages. It is only ninety minutes from downtown Pittsburgh. Since millions of people visit Fallingwater you should purchase your tickets before heading out to this magnificent place. That is what my uncle did. This will ensure that you will be able to come and see the house and its surrounding territory and that the place actually will be open for visiting.

You can find out more about Fallingwater, how to get there, and how to purchase tickets by visiting their website - fallingwater.org.

How to Write an Unforgettable Song Without a Musical Instrument

You don't need to know how to write music or how to play a musical instrument for you to write an unforgettable song. All you need is a pen and paper (or a computer) and your voice.

Here is a breakdown of how to write an unforgettable song that will hopefully get stuck in your head and in the heads of others.

Coming Up With a Topic

Before you start writing a song make sure that there are no distractions around you and that the atmosphere is not chaotic - be it a television or a radio turned on high volume, kids running around, arguments among people, appliances turned on, etc. Make sure there is nothing to distract from your song writing project. When you've found yourself some peace and quiet you can begin to craft that unforgettable song.

Before you start writing think about the things you have gone through or witnessed with your very own eyes. Writing from your own personal experiences will make you more connected to the song and will make it connect with others as chances are they have gone through similar things or can picture themselves going through similar things. Think about what it is that you want to express in your song, what story you want to tell. Try to be as specific as possible as being too general can throw you off track.

For example, don't just say you want to write a love song, as that's too general...Think about what aspect of love you want to dive into and what scenario you want to bring to life. Maybe you want to talk about the first time you fell in love with someone and how hard it was for you to let that person know how you felt. Maybe you were scared that if you spilled out your feelings to the person that you would find out he doesn't feel the same and you would lose that person forever.

Coming Up With an Initial Melody/Beat

Once you have come up with the specific topic you plan to write about, spend some time coming up with a melody or a beat or both. If you don't play a musical instrument or own one, or if you don't know how to write music just use your voice. Hum a melody aloud or in your head. And for the beat simply bang your hands (or a pencil or chopsticks) against your legs, a kitchen counter, a shelf, a book, a pot/pan, a glass, etc. Anything that you can hit against will do the trick.

When you have a sense of a potential beat and melody for your song, writing the actual lyrics will become a bit easier.

Feel free hum or sing songs that you've listened to on the radio to give you ideas on potential melodies and beats. Remember, the final melodies and beats may change after you've written your lyrics.

Writing the Lyrics

As you write the lyrics don't worry about getting the words perfect. Focus on spilling your emotions and your experiences onto the paper. Bring that story that you want to share with the world to life. You will get the chance to edit it once you've finished telling the story.

As you are writing keep in mind of the format of a song. Usually a song has two verses and a bridge with a repeating chorus in between each one - verse 1, chorus, verse 2, chorus, bridge, chorus. But there are many other formats to use. You can start out with a chorus, or instead with a few spoken or maybe even sung lines before diving into the actual verse. The chorus can be slightly different after each verse but with the same melody. There can be a pre-chorus before the chorus. The bridge can be turned into a rap verse rather than one that will be sung. The possibilities are endless.

When writing the lyrics you don't have to rhyme the verses, chorus, or bridge. When you do use rhyme, however, especially in the chorus, it makes the song catchier and easier to remember. I love using rhyme in my songs (lyrics). They are more fun to write and actually get stuck in my head faster.

Here's an example of a (song) lyric that I wrote...

Won't Stop (Till I Rise to the Top)

[Verse 1]

I want to reach that door

I want to grab that key

I want to walk right through

Rewrite my history

I know it can be done

And so I'll never stop

Oh no I'll never stop

Until I reach the top

[Chorus]

I'm gonna shine like the stars in the sky

I'm gonna soar like a bird flying high

I'm gonna climb to the mountain top

And I won't stop till I rise to the top

[Verse 2]

There is so much that I

Have yet to bring to life

So much in store for me

So much I've yet to write

I know it can be done

And so I'll never stop

Oh no I'll never stop

Until I reach the top

[Chorus]

I'm gonna shine like the stars in the sky

I'm gonna soar like a bird flying high

I'm gonna climb to the mountain top

And I won't stop till I rise to the top

[Bridge]

There's so much that I want accomplish

There's so much that I've yet to do here

And no matter what happens I'm not gonna stop

Till I reach to the top

[Chorus]

I'm gonna shine like the stars in the sky

I'm gonna soar like a bird flying high

I'm gonna climb to the mountain top

And I won't stop till I rise to the top

Tips on Writing the Lyrics

I would start the lyric writing process by first writing the chorus. The chorus is very important as that is the part of the song that keeps repeating and is one that people remember and are attracted to the most. Make sure people won't be able to get it out of their heads and want to sing it over and over. Once you come up with a great chorus then you can build the rest of the song around it. Write the verses next and then the bridge. Remember the bridge should have a slightly different feel and melody than the verses.

One good thing you can do, while keeping in mind the melody and beat you came up with earlier, is to just start singing whatever comes into your head related to what you want to write about. Make sure to record yourself so the words don't vanish from memory after you are done singing, so you can later transcribe them on paper. Don't worry about the notes and whether you are on correct pitch. Just focus on getting those words out. If you don't want to do that you can just let the words flow onto that piece of paper, keeping in mind the melody, and not worrying about typos or flow. You can fix that later.

After you have written your song be sure to sing every line to make sure there are no flow issues. The flow has to be smooth throughout. Once you start singing the words you may find that the melody you originally came up with is a bit different. That is okay and is common as words bring a vibe and a melody all their own. You may even find that you want to change some words or lines in the lyric. That is okay as well.

When you write a song it may not be perfect from the first try. Don't get discouraged. Keep on working on it until you feel it is the best it can be. Don't be afraid to show your lyrics to others to get their opinion as there can be something in the song that you've missed that should be altered. You can even sing the song to those people and see what they think.

How to Record the Song You've Written

With the lyric written, the story told in the best possible way, and a melody for the lyrics (a way to sing them) brought to life it's time to record the song. You can use the sound recorder that comes installed on your computer or you can download software that lets you record. I have used audacity for recording my songs, but there are plenty of others. When recording make sure that it's very quiet in the room as any unwanted noise will also appear in the recording. You may want to close the door and the windows in the room before proceeding.

We all know that having music to go along with those lyrics is much better than just singing a capella. What can you do about the music if you don't play any musical instruments? Well, you don't actually need musical instruments to make music or to accompany your vocals. You can use objects around you to create a musical accompaniment. One thing you can do is just bang a beat using either your hands, or chopsticks, etc. like I've talked about before. For different sounding beats you can use pots and pans, wine glasses, cutting boards, cheese graters, etc. You may even tap your feet against the floor or snap your fingers. You can even make the faucet drip a little or a lot and keep turning it on and off as needed. Or you can just run the faucet or the shower without turning it off. This will create a great special effect. Be as creative as you want to be when creating musical accompaniment and you'll invent something fun and original to go along with your vocals.

Be sure to practice all the beats and sounds (and their patterns and rhythms) before recording the actual song to make sure you are getting it right and that it sounds good to the ear and actually goes along with the lyrics you've written. You may want to first record yourself "drumming" and creating "musical" sounds and giving the recording a listen before doing the actual song recording. This way you will see if anything needs to be improved in any way.

My Songwriting Experiences

I started writing lyrics back in 2001 while I was waiting for the laundry cycle to come to an end. I wrote my first song "Don't Tell Me" with the washing machine spinning in the background. Since then I have written hundreds of lyrics and have published and released three lyric books: Soundtrack of My Life: Volume 1, Soundtrack of My Life: Volume 2, and Melodies of the Heart. I have definitely evolved as a lyricist or as a songwriter, as I call myself. One doesn't have to play actual instruments to be a songwriter. Coming up with a melody, a way to sing the lyric is a songwriter in my book.

I have always wanted to turn my lyrics (the words I've written) into actual songs and record them. I've done that with a few of my lyrics and while I am not a pro I am still proud of what I've been able to accomplish, especially since I don't own or know how to play any musical instruments, and my voice is the only instrument I use. No matter what happens in my life, I will never stop writing lyrics or singing them. That is my ultimate passion and something I can't live without.

How to Write Shape Poetry

Writing Poetry and Turning It into Shapes

Writing poetry allows you to spill your emotions on paper, to capture moments in your life that you will want to remember always. It is a creative medium for dealing with and recording all the happenings in your life whether they are external or internal. Why not take this to the next level by turning your poetry into shape poetry?

Shape poetry is poetry whose words and lines take the shape of a certain thing or object. For example: an apple, a house, a tree, etc. Usually, the poetry itself is either completely about that thing or object it takes shape of, or is at least in some way related to it.

Writing shape poetry can be easy but it can prove to be challenging as well. It all depends on the kind of shape you intend for your poem to have. Also, there are different ways to write shape poetry and I go into detail about this in this hub.

How to Write Shape Poetry

There are different ways to write shape poetry... One is to simply draw an image of an object or insert it into MS Word (if on the computer) and then write the poem about that object inside the drawn image (using a text box if in MS Word).

For example, insert an image of a sun into MS Word and then write a poem about the sun inside the image by right clicking on that image, selecting the Add Text option and pasting the poem into it. If your version of MS Word doesn't have that option simply insert a text box over the image and then make the border of the text box have no color so it is invisible to the eye and doesn't cover the image of the sun. Insert the poem into the text box (making sure the text doesn't go outside the border of the image) and you are done. You may of course need to adjust the size of the image of the sun, the text box and the text itself to make it fit inside the image, but this is fairly simple to do.

Of course, doing all this doesn't technically make this shape poetry, as the poem is simply placed onto the image without actually taking shape of that image. Also, it's something a kid in elementary school would do. Still, doing this does make the poem more presentable, which is always a plus. Below is an example of this.

If you want to challenge yourself and have more fun while being more creative then consider a different approach of writing and creating shape poetry. Write your poem about a house, for example, and then format the lines so they take the shape of a house.

To make it easier, first insert the image of a house into MS Word (best thing would be to insert a triangle shape and then a rectangle shape underneath), then insert a text box over it and paste the poem text inside it. Then format the text (via tabbing, spacing or changing of font size) so that it looks like a house. Make sure to delete the image of the house afterwards and you are all set.

Below is an example of this shape poem along with another example of a different shape... On the left side you see the shape and on the right you see the poem that resembles that shape. If the poem were to be published in a book or even online the image of the shape would of course not be shown. I just presented it here for better understanding of shape poetry and how to go about writing it.

The content of the poem somewhat if not fully relates to the shape depicted. The content of the poem and its message become more effective here than if I were to just left or center align the poem on a page.

More on How to Write Shape Poetry

Most likely, you won't think of an object (shape) first and then write about it. Instead you will spill your emotions onto the paper or the computer screen without holding back, not focusing on what the topic you are writing about really is. So how do you turn those types of poems into shapes?

Start off by reading the poem and see what it is about and if there are any words or phrases in the poem that resemble shapes or moods or themes. Then format your lines either by using tabs, the space bar, font sizing or by copying and pasting and arrange them on the page in such a way that they resemble that particular shape or mood or theme. Your poem doesn't have to depict a particular shape 100%. The lines can be aligned in such a way as to create a theme of some sort. For example, torn lines, holes, chaos, etc.

Let's say your poem is about being torn apart. You can format your stanzas to resemble a checkerboard or to make it seem as if something is being torn. Below is an example of this in two variations; same poem but two different layouts.

Poets and Authors Who Write Shape Poetry

There are poets and authors who write shape poetry. I've done this for my poetry books but I am unfortunately not a famous poet and author (yet).

A widely known famous author who writes shape poetry is Ellen Hopkins. She writes novels in verse and many of her verses resemble some sort of a shape. The shape always relates in some way to what the topic or theme of the verse is. This makes the verses stand out more in my opinion. I am not sure if she is the one that actually formats her poetry into shapes, or she has someone do it for her, but nevertheless it is a clever thing and something to think about if you are planning to publish a poetry book.

Every poem in your book doesn't need to be a shape poem but having a bunch of them presented in that way would be great. It would make you a more talented and creative poet and may gain you more readers and fans. You may even inspire others to follow your lead and create their own shape poetry...You never know.

How I Overcame Obstacles of Learning English

Back in Minsk, Belarus, where I was born, I used to go to a school that was considered an English school. While all the classes were taught in Russian and everyone spoke Russian as well, we were given a class where we learned English. I had no idea why I would need English in a Russian speaking country, but I did not have a choice, so I went to the class.

A year or so later, I found out that I would be leaving my homeland behind to move to America. I was not thrilled that I was leaving to an unknown new place, but it seemed that now what I learned in English class would come in handy. Of course when I came to America, I realized that whatever I learned back in Belarus had vanished and the only word I remembered was no. Yes no does come in handy but clearly that is not enough to communicate with other people.

When it was time to go to school I was old age-wise to go to 4th grade so I was placed into 5th. I was only in 5th grade for a few months, however, since I enrolled there toward the second part of the year. I was unsure how I would communicate with other people, but it turned out that I was placed into a Russian class. Everyone there was Russian, even the teacher. I thought that would make it easier to communicate and even understand the lessons being taught, but it turned out that everyone spoke English amongst themselves, and that the classes were taught in English as well. It was clearly a challenge for me, but I was fortunate enough to make friends with a few classmates who were nice enough to help me translate and fill me in on what was happening in class and what we were learning.

While attending 5th grade, I excelled in some classes, like math, where I didn’t really need to know much English, and struggled in those where knowledge of English was a necessity. I remember on graduation day I got an award for being so well behaved in class, and while I am usually a well behaved person, the reason I was so well behaved and quiet during class was because I didn’t know English. I could not really participate in class discussions as such because of my lack of English.

I was unsure how I would be able to master English, and if I would even be able to accomplish this task at all, but that is something that had to be done. In 6th grade my grades were still not high due to my lack of English. I would take time doing my homework assignments, and often enough had to use the dictionary so that I could do the homework correctly. Using the dictionary was not something that thrilled me but I had no choice. I had to learn English, even if it meant not going outside to play with my friends. So, I spent my afternoons after school not only doing my homework but also doing other things, like watching TV programs, and reading easy English books and English study guides, that would help me learn English once and for all.

Little by little I began to get accustomed to the English language and was able to read, write, speak, and understand it. While I wasn’t a master yet, it was enough to get by at the moment. It took a number of years to get really good, and, while I have a full grasp of the language now, there are still things left to learn…

Having nailed a new language like English, I ended up falling in love with writing. I remember taking ESL (English as a Second Language) classes, where the second part of regular class exams was an essay. I would always be the last one to leave the class on those days. I was not struggling with the essay. I loved writing so much and was so into it that I found it hard to stop writing. My ESL teacher was very proud of me, and told my mom and me, at a Thanksgiving Dinner gathering at the school, that I should go into journalism. I did take a journalism class in junior high school and even wrote an article for the school paper but for some reason I did not pursue journalism later in life. I did not stop writing, however, and have not stopped since.

While I do not have a career in journalism, I have a lot of writing under my belt—poetry, lyrics, prose, short stories, and other writing. On top of that I have published twelve books, and two poetry anthologies, which I put together featuring poets from around the world.

Ever since I fell in love with writing, I have dreamed of being a published author one day and have my books be read by people all over the world. I am very proud to be a published author and am very grateful to have been presented with the opportunity to share my gift with the world and to be able to touch people’s lives with the written creations I bring to life. My dream has become a reality, to a degree, and I am very proud of myself for it. English was an obstacle for me for a while, but with determination and hard work I have mastered it. This goes to show that anything is possible, so long as we have the drive to achieve it.

Being a published author is not a career but a side project at the moment. In focusing on a career, I hope to be able to put my writing talents to use somehow. But no matter which career path I am taken on, and no matter where life takes me, I will never stop writing. So long as I can write and publish books I will. And who knows, maybe someday I will be a famous author, known and read, all over the world.

How to Write a Villanelle

There are different poetic forms and styles that you can write in. One of them is a villanelle.

What is a Villanelle?

A villanelle is a poetic form may hold some similarities to a sonnet, but it is much more difficult to master, and may be confusing when learning this poetic form for the first time.

A villanelle is usually written in iambic pentameter though trimeter and tetrameter have also been used. It is comprised of six stanzas – the first five of which are made up of three lines, while the last is made up of four lines.

Breakdown of a Villanelle

The first and third lines (refrains) of the first stanza are repeated throughout the poem in the five stanzas. But they are not just repeated any which way. The first refrain is repeated in last line of the 2nd and 4th stanzas, while the second refrain is repeated in the last line of the 3rd and 5th stanzas. In the sixth stanza the two refrains are together again, except that now they make up the last two lines of the poem, with the first refrain being in line 3 and the second refrain being in line 4.

Rhyme Scheme of a Villanelle

A villanelle has a rhyme scheme that needs to be followed. In the first five stanzas the first and third lines must have the same rhyme, while the second line has its own rhyme throughout each of the first five stanzas. In the last stanza the second line has the same rhyme as the second line of the other five stanzas, while lines 1, 3, and 4 have the same rhyme as the first and third lines of the other stanzas.

Breakdown of a Villanelle by Stanza, Line, and Rhyme Scheme

Here is a simpler breakdown of the villanelle structure:

Stanza 1:

Line 1 (Refrain1) – rhyme a1
Line 2 – rhyme b
Line 3 (Refrain 2) – rhyme a2

Stanza 2:

Line 1 – rhyme a
Line 2 – rhyme b
Line 3 (Refrain 1) – rhyme a1

Stanza 3:

Line 1 – rhyme a
Line 2 – rhyme b
Line 3 (Refrain 2) – rhyme a2

Stanza 4:
Line 1 – rhyme a
Line 2 – rhyme b
Line 3 (Refrain 1) – rhyme a1

Stanza 5:

Line 1 – rhyme a
Line 2 – rhyme b
Line 3 (Refrain 2) – rhyme a2

Stanza 6:

Line 1 – rhyme a
Line 2 – rhyme b
Line 3 (Refrain 1) – rhyme a1
Line 4 (Refrain 2) – rhyme a 2

A Sample Villanelle

Here is a sample poem of a villanelle. I wrote it for my poetry class years ago and it is my first and only villanelle. Perhaps reading it will make it even clearer as to how this poetic form is structured and needs to be written.

“SPRING”

Spring has awakened and opened its wings.
Streets once blanketed with snow are now bare.
The birds’ sweet echoing melody rings.

Naked branches are covered with seedlings.
Green grass slowly peeks, scent wafts in midair.
Spring has awakened and opened its wings.

The cool breeze sifts and serenity lingers,
The threads of music serenade the air.
The birds’ sweet echoing melody rings.

Burning sun warms bodies and hearts’ cravings,
From winter that has left us in despair.
Spring has awakened and opened its wings.

On shores, waves smash against the rocks like springs.
The boats, whose bells ring in the morning air.
The birds’ sweet echoing melody rings.

Flowers’ rich aroma crafts us greetings,
For months to come and savor this affair.
Spring has awakened and opened its wings.
The birds’ sweet echoing melody rings.

How to Write a Shakespearean Sonnet

Writing poetry is easy when you don't have to follow any rules, structures, patterns, rhyme schemes, etc. But when you tackle writing a traditional form of poetry such as a Shakespearean sonnet it becomes more of a challenge, especially when you start out on this creative endeavor for the very first time.

There are different types of sonnets that exist out there: Shakespearean (English), Spenserian, Petrarchan (Italian), Occitan, Urdu sonnet and others. Each is slightly different than the other though there are similarities between them all. All the sonnets use iambic pentameter and have some kind of a rhyme scheme that needs to be followed. They also have the same number of lines - fourteen.

What is iambic pentameter?

Iambic pentameter is a measure of a line in a traditional verse poem. It describes the rhythm of that particular line that is created by the words you write. The rhythm is measured in syllables, which are referred to as "feet". In iambic pentameter there are five of these "feet" in each line of the poem and each "foot" consists of an unstressed syllable and a stressed syllable.

It's not that easy to understand this the first time around but it gets easier as you write more and more poetry in iambic pentameter.

To make things a bit easier you can think of each line in an iambic pentameter poem sounding like this: DA-DUM, DA-DUM, DA-DUM, DA-DUM, DA-DUM. When you write your lines read them in the DA-DUM style and if your line has five DA-DUMs that means your line is written in iambic pentameter.

How to Write a Shakespearean Sonnet?

Before you write a Shakespearean sonnet you have to become familiar with its structure and form.

A Shakespearean sonnet uses iambic pentameter. It consists of fourteen lines and follows a specific rhyme scheme. The first twelve lines in a Shakespearean sonnet have a rhyme scheme where every other line rhymes - abab, cdcd...etc. The last two lines are a couplet and therefore rhyme with each other - gg.

Line 1 - rhyme a
Line 2 - rhyme b
Line 3 - rhyme a
Line 4 - rhyme b
Line 5 - rhyme c
Line 6 - rhyme d
Line 7 - rhyme c
Line 8 - rhyme d
Line 9 - rhyme e
Line 10 - rhyme f
Line 11 - rhyme e
Line 12 - rhyme f
Line 13 - rhyme g
Line 14 - rhyme g

Now if your first four lines have a rhyme scheme of abab doesn't mean that you can't use that rhyme sound in other lines of the poem. Just make sure that every other line rhymes, with the exception of the last two lines that have their own rhyme scheme. Of course, if your poem started with a first rhyme sound of cat for example doesn't mean you can't use that same sound in the last two lines of the poem. You can... But you don't have to! Doing all this however may not classify your poem as a full Shakespearean sonnet .But I think there is nothing wrong with that as there are many variations of a sonnet.

An example of a Shakespearean Sonnet

Below is a Shakespearean sonnet that I wrote for my poetry class back when I was in college. It may not be the best sonnet I could have written but it will help you to better visualize and understand how to write a Shakespearean Sonnet.

"Photos" 

A sea of photos scrambled on the floor,
Pieces of life once lived in distant past.
Flashing before my eyes an open door,
It’s like a movie that is being cast
About me when I was only a child,
Going to camp, wandering through the forest,
Picking mushrooms and berries, free and wild,
Running, in flight my body will not rest.
The tape has STOPPED, and now this life is gone.
Wish I could PAUSE it and just press REWIND.
Life’s full of work, no time to have much fun.
Can’t fall asleep with nightmares so unkind.
Glad the photos are in my possession.
They’re a memory of past expression.

How to Write an Acrostic Poem

Before you find out how to write an acrostic poem let's take a look at what it is.

What is an Acrostic Poem?

An acrostic poem is a poem with a hidden word, phrase, or name spelled out by either letters, syllables, or words in each line of them poem.

The most common variation of this poem is when the first letter or first syllable of the first word of each line in the poem, or the first word itself, spells out a word, a phrase, or a name. There are other variations of this poetic style however.

 

Variations of an Acrostic Poem

Here are the variations of an acrostic poem:

1. Have last letter, last syllable, or last word of each line spell something out.

2. Have a combination of first and last letter, syllable or word spell something out.

3. Have the first letter of a middle word in each line spell something out.

4. Have the middle word of each line spell something out.

5. Have something spelled out diagonally. For example, start from the first letter of the first word in the first line followed by the first letter of the second word in the second line followed by the first letter of the third word in the third line, and so on...

Line 1 - Word 1 - First letter

Line 2 - Word 2 - First letter

Line 3 - Word 3 - First letter

....

Line n - Word n - First letter

6. Have a variation of the format described in 4th bullet but instead of the first letter make it the first word.

Line 1 - Word 1

Line 2 - Word 2

Line 3 - Word 3

....

Line n - Word n

7. There are many more variations you can create here. Get as creative and as complex as you'd like.

 

How to Write an Acrostic Poem

Writing an acrostic poem is simple but can be a challenge. The easiest acrostic poem to write is one where the first letter of each line spells something out - be it a word, a phrase, or a name.

When writing this easiest type of acrostic poem simply first write out the word, phrase, or name by having each letter on its own line and making it bold. Then write your poem so that each line begins with the letters you have laid out on the page.

For example: if you were to write a poem that will spell out the word APPLE you will first write each letter of the word APPLE on its own line, in bold:

A
P
P
L
E

And then you will write your poem so that the first word of the first line starts with the letter A, the first word of the second line with the letter P ... and the first word of the fifth line with the letter E.

Now you can also have the word APPLE spelled out by last letter of each line, by the first letter of a middle word in each line, or diagonally.

Look at the picture below for better understanding.

Tips on Writing an Acrostic Poem

When writing an acrostic poem, no matter what variation it is, it is better to first spell out that word, phrase, or name and bold it before you start writing the poem. This will ensure that you will not make a mistake and leave out a letter or letters from whatever it is you want to spell out. And you will be able to check yourself once the poem is finished because each required letter will be in bold and easily found.

Also, when writing an acrostic poem it is better to have the poem be about that specific word, phrase, or name that you are spelling out. Of course you don't have to do that, if you don't want to.

Having said that, you can use an acrostic poem to write a hidden message that you only want certain people to know. In that case, you may decide not to bold the letters that spell out that special message and ask those certain people to figure out the message you want to relay to them.

An example of an Acrostic Poem

“ACROSTIC POEM”

(2005)

Across

Countries

Running

Over

Spheres

This

Inspiring

Concept

Penetrates

Our

Emotional

Minds

An example of an Acrostic Poem

“LIFE JOURNEY”

(Spring 2005)

Listen to the song

Inside your playful heart

Find nothing wrong

Enjoy life from the start


Journey to a place

Of beauty and of peace

Unlock your jailed face

Release yourself to bliss

Never let bad take over

Even when it’s near

You can make it sober

So make it disappear

An acrostic poem is a fun and creative poem that can also challenge your brain when you decide to spell something out in a complicated way.

If you haven't tried writing this type of poem I urge you to give it a try. You will enjoy this poetic form and will grow to love it over time, if not right away.

If you find yourself struggling with writing your first acrostic, don't worry and most importantly don't give up and surrender. It gets easier with time. The more acrostics you write the better at it you'll get...

Being in a Relationship

Here are the things I learned being in a relationship for a bit over a decade:

1. Communication is key. If you can’t share things—good or bad—with your significant other the relationship will not work or evolve. 

2. If something is bothering you about the other person or about what’s going on with you as a couple you have to speak up and let your partner know about it. Without you speaking up things cannot get fixed. 

3. The other person should accept you for who you are and not expect you to change. However, if your habits or actions hurt the other person that should be worked on. The same holds true for you. You should accept the other person for who they are and not expect them to change. But if their habits or actions hurt you they should work on that. 

4. If your relationship has problems you don’t just walk away from the relationship. You should have an open and honest discussion about it and try to fix things, either on your own or with the help of a counselor or therapist. After that if both of you feel that it is best to part ways then do so but not until you gave it your all to fix things and make it work. Especially if the relationship is important to you. 

5. When your partner shares something with you listen and don’t judge or criticize. Make your partner feel comfortable sharing things with you. When you reply don’t raise your voice or talk back in a nasty tone. That will only hurt your partner and make them hesitate to share things with you in the future.

6. Your partner’s feelings are important. Before you do something think about how that will affect your partner. Don’t repeatedly do something that hurts them. 

7. Don’t lie to them or make up excuses about something. If you do it will make it harder for them trust you.

8. If your partner cannot do something for whatever reason, don’t judge or criticize them. Find out what’s going on and help them out by doing it for them, if possible. 

9. Major decisions should be made by both people. One can finalize things but both have to participate in the planning and solving of whatever it is. One person cannot expect the other to do everything from start to finish and then just go along with it. It takes two people to make things work. 

10. It’s ok to have some alone time but when two people spend most of their time apart from each other then the time they can spend together should be spent together and not alone or separately with other people. 

How I Wrote and Published My Debut Novel

Ever since I mastered the English language it was my dream to be a published author with many books to my name. I didn't want to publish just poetry and lyric books. I wanted to write and publish my own novel. It took a while but finally I made that dream a reality. I have brought to life my debut novel called The Secret Life of Ashley Miles, which is now available on lulu.com, Amazon, and barnesandnoble.com.

I wanted to share with you my journey of bringing The Secret Life of Ashley Miles to life. What led me to write the novel, the process of writing it, which involved editing, and finally getting it published into a paperback book. Hopefully, you will find what I share with you useful and will be able to apply it if you are thinking of writing and publishing a novel yourself.

What Led Me to Write The Secret Life of Ashley Miles

Sometimes stories are born from a title or a phrase that pops into a writer's head. That is what happened to me and how my debut novel The Secret Life of Ashley Miles came to life.

A few years ago, as I was walking home from the library one day, the title The Secret Life of Ashley Miles came into my head. I have no idea why it happened, and why that particular title appeared as opposed to another one, but I am sure glad it did because after this title came to me a story idea was beginning to come together in my head. The main character would be Ashley Miles and the story would be about her life after graduating high school. It would include struggles of finding work, moving out on your own, falling in love and establishing a lasting relationship, and making your dreams a reality... something that many teens face and what I had faced as well and was actually facing still at the moment of writing the novel...

Food for Thought

• Let me tell you that while writing the story may be hard, editing the story is even harder. In this step you not only have to make sure that all your grammar, punctuation and spelling is correct, but you also have to make sure that everything flows smoothly and that there are no flaws in the story. You have to sit there reading every chapter, not only with your head but with your eyes and edit it as you read. Then when you are done you have to read the novel again from start to finish and most likely edit some more. It seems like a never-ending process and it is hard to tell yourself that you are finally done and that no more editing is required. You want the novel to be perfect and it can be hard to decide if you got there or if there are still minor things that need to be altered. To help you with all this it is a good idea to get other people to read the novel and offer their feedback. This can help you fix any issues you may have overlooked and improve the story.

• When you get negative feedback for your novel do not get discouraged. If your novel is published don't unpublish it. And if you were planning to publish it don't stop. That negative feedback is just the opinion of that person and does not mean that your novel is of a poor quality and that the story is not good enough to be published and shared with the world. You can't please everyone. There will always be haters. See if you can get something positive out of that negative feedback and then push it aside!

My Journey Writing The Secret Life of Ashley Miles

As soon as I came home that day, I opened up a blank MS Word document and wrote down the title, jotting down the story ideas that had come to me. They included things happening to Ashley and other characters that would be in the story. Doing that I realized that the things I was writing down resembled my own personal experiences. The things that the main character (Ashley Miles) was going to go through were things that I had gone through and experienced in my own life. Now the story would take on a whole new meaning for me because it would be based on what I had gone through and experienced in my own life. I would essentially be sharing a part of myself with the world.

After getting those ideas down on paper I began to write the story. I didn't care about grammar, punctuation, spelling or formatting. All I cared about was bringing the story to life. So, while writing, I focused solely on getting the story on paper and nothing else. The thorough editing would come once I finished writing the story. I will admit though that there were moments where I had written some lines and then rewrote them as I had slightly different ideas or different wording pop into my head right after the original thought. For the most part though I didn't really edit as that wasn't my goal at that moment. Starting and finishing the story was.

Little by little the story began to unfold. Since it was based on my own personal experiences writing the story came naturally and with ease. I was happy with the way things were turning out and how the story was coming together. Unfortunately, about midway through writing the novel I hit a roadblock, which was quite unexpected for me.

It was time to write a new chapter in the story but my mind drew a blank and I had no idea how to proceed further. Whenever I managed to come up with something I ended up rejecting it. I was left with a blank page and had to start all over again. I didn't want to force anything so I put the novel aside and didn't work on it any further for a while. It was after that hiatus, which lasted probably at least a few months, that things started to progress in the story. The words just started coming to me. A new chapter was born and the story continued. After that it was smooth sailing in terms of writing the story until its ending. There were no more roadblocks like that to face.

I am not sure how long it actually took me to write the novel from start to finish, but it doesn't really matter. The important thing was that it was brought to life. All that was left to do was edit it and then I would be ready to share the novel with the world.

Having edited the novel many times I thought the novel was ready to be shared with the world so I chose to publish it with Lulu. I started the book project and was ready to upload the file, get an ISBN for my book, create the book cover, and then complete the rest of the process to get my book published... Before proceeding though I decided it would be best to get some people to read the novel first and let me know their thoughts on it. This way, in the event that I had missed something, whether it'd be typos or minor flaws in the storyline or the flow of the story, I'd be able to get it fixed before publishing the novel.

I didn't want to email people my manuscript, for fear of it being intercepted, so I published the novel on writing.com, made it a private item, and set a passkey for it so it could be accessed by those to whom I sent the link. No one else would have access to the novel but those few people.

The few people (people I knew) that I had asked to read my novel and provide feedback for it gave positive feedback. They told me that they loved the story, enjoyed reading it from start to finish, and that they would not change anything in the story. That made me feel great about the novel and I was ready to get back to my book project on Lulu and proceed to upload the manuscript, create my book cover, and finally publish the book.

Then things suddenly came to a stop when I received feedback from one writing.com member (someone I didn't know whom I had asked to read and comment on my novel). That person gave me negative feedback, which greatly affected me and not in a good way. It made me feel that my novel was not good enough, and not worthy of being published and shared with others. This led me to push the novel aside and delete the book project from Lulu. I almost deleted the actual manuscript from my computer. Thankfully I never went through with it and I am glad I didn't because, now that the negative feedback no longer affects me and I realize that that person's opinion is just one opinion and doesn't mean the novel is bad, I chose to finally publish the novel. It is now available on Lulu, Amazon, and barnesandnoble.com to share with the world.

My Journey Publishing The Secret Life of Ashley Miles

Once the editing of The Secret Life of Ashley Miles was complete I now had to ready the file for publication. I had to turn the MS Word document into an actual manuscript. I needed to have a title page, a copyright page, and an author bio. Then I needed to number the pages, include the title of the novel and author name in the header, set the page size to 6x9 (as my book would be 6x9 size), set the margins and choose the font for the novel. And since I was publishing the novel with Lulu I also had to make sure that the page count was divisible by four and that the last page of the manuscript was left completely blank.

I wasn't done there. Since I was planning to sell the book outside of Lulu, in places like Amazon and barnesandnoble.com, I needed to get an ISBN for my book. (Just selling the book on Lulu doesn't require an ISBN). I didn't want to deal with trying to obtain an ISBN for my book on my own, and didn't even know where to get one, so I opted to get an ISBN directly from Lulu, which was free. All I had to do was start a new book project on Lulu and select the option to obtain an ISBN for the book directly from Lulu. I got an ISBN for the book right away and was able to insert it into the copyright page of the manuscript. This ISBN can only be used with Lulu but it doesn't matter to me. I am not planning on finding another publisher for it.

After getting the ISBN into the manuscript I saved the file as a PDF and uploaded it into my book project. It was then that I had to move on to the next step, which was to create a book cover for my novel. I could have used one of the images and/or backgrounds that were available on Lulu but I didn't want to do that as I wanted the book cover to be unique and not contain images that others may use in their books. So, I had to come with something on my own.

I knew that I wanted a diary on the front cover but I didn't want it to take up the entire page. This meant that I also needed a background image for the front cover and for the back cover as well. I didn't want the background to be plain solid color, so I had to create the background images myself. I didn't have any pictures of my own to use and didn't want to use anything from the Internet as I may have ended up with an image that I wasn't allowed to use or that was used by someone else. That's where my creativity kicked in.

For the diary I took an image of my own leather diary that had a lock and a key hanging from it. And for the background I took a picture of one of my couch pillows. I changed the color of the pillow picture so it was brighter and matched the diary more color-wise. Then I uploaded all the images into Lulu's cover creator and tweaked them until I was pleased with what I saw. Then I added the title and author name to the front cover and the spine, the Lulu logo to the spine, and the book description to the back cover, along with a photo of me and a few words about me. I was done. I clicked to make the cover into a PDF and save it and then proceeded to include relevant book information, choose the price of the book, and hit the button to publish the project. My book was now published an available for sale on Lulu. It is also available on Amazon, and barnesandnoble.com thanks to Lulu's distribution service, which I opted for.

Why I Chose to Publish My Novel With Lulu

• I have total control over how my book cover looks, how my interior looks, and how the story unfolds... There is no one to tell me what to do!
• I can make changes to the manuscript and re-upload the manuscript and fix the book cover, if needed, even after the book has been published and available for sale. 
• I get a free ISBN for my book and I don't have to pay to get my book published as it's free to publish a book with Lulu. 
• I decide how much I make per each book sale and what the price of the book will be. 
• When I buy my own book I pay what it costs to manufacture the book not the retail price of the book, which means that I save money. 
• When someone buys my book I can see when it was bought, where it was bought from, and how much I made for that book. 
• I need to earn as little as $5 to get paid my royalties, which are sent to my PayPal account. The payments are made monthly, not quarterly or longer than that. I don't have to go through the following: search for an agent, suffer through writing a query letter, find a publisher for my book, and face rejection after rejection until hopefully finally finding a publisher who will want to publish my novel into a book.

Writing and Publishing My Poetic Tale Treasure

I am a huge fan of poetry and love when a poem tells a story or a tale, especially one that takes a reader on an emotional and even adventurous journey.

One day I decided to write a poetic tale. I had no idea if I would be able to pull it off, had no idea what would come out of it, but I took a shot. I had nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

It wasn't easy writing this poetic tale because I wanted it to have four line stanzas and I wanted them all to rhyme and in a certain way. I also wanted the tale to be engaging, moving and enjoyable for the reader and I didn't want any part of it to sound forced, especially because of the rhyme scheme that I had to follow.

At one point I even faced writer's block. I didn't give up though. I just took a short break from it and then got back to it with a fresh mind. In the end I managed to pull it off. I had written my poetic tale.

I will admit that it wasn't perfect. My first stanza turned out to be more than four lines and not all the rhymes are perfect rhymes. But all that is not as important as the story itself. It turned out great and the people that had read the story told me positive things about it and that is what is important here.

I was very proud of myself for setting a writing goal and actually achieving it. It also made me feel good inside knowing that I had created something that people were responding to in a positive way. It was an incredible feeling.

I wanted to share my poetic tale not just with these few people but with the world... That's when I decided to publish my poetic tale, not just online on a writing website but as an actual book. I used Lulu to make that happen. I now have a poetic tale published called Treasure that is available in a pocket size paperback and an e-book. It's available on Lulu and on Amazon in both formats. I am very proud of this accomplishment and can't wait to write and publish another poetic tale in the future. Maybe it will even be a sequel to Treasure. I already have a little bit written for it. I just have to pick up where I had left off.

My poetic tale Treasure is about a guy named Fin who sets out to find a land that others deem to not exist. When he finds it it is there that he comes upon a girl lying on the shore. Not knowing her name he calls her Angel. After bringing Angel back to life they set out on many adventures together and she becomes his true love. Of course everything is not perfect. Obstacles come upon them, obstacles that try to tear them apart... Will they be able to rise above and stay together, keeping their love alive? Or will everything crumble and lead them to be apart from each other forever...?

Writing a story or a tale may prove to be a difficult task. Writing one that is in the form of poetry may prove to be even harder.

No matter how hard it may be we should get out of our comfort zones and try new things; we should challenge ourselves by writing and creating something in a different style than we are used to. In this way we can not only become better writers but we can also discover things about ourselves that we didn't know existed, things we never thought we were capable of.