Monday, January 28, 2013

A Little Shel Silverstein, Lunar Lovin' and Reintroducing Myself

Well, hi, it's Monday!  I know, you were trying to forget that, right?

I was reading "A Light in the Attic" to my son the other night, and found this gem:

This Bridge
Shel Silverstein
PP. 168-169

This bridge will only take you halfway there
To those mysterious lands you long to see:
Through gypsy camps and swirling Arab fairs
And moonlit woods where unicorns run free.
So come and walk awhile with me and share
The twisting trails and wondrous worlds I've known.
But this bridge will only take you halfway there--
The last few steps you'll have to take alone.

I've read the book many times over, but I'd forgotten this one, and it struck me in so many ways.  But today, it strikes me as being all about story.  When you read a book, you have the ability to imagine it in your head, to create the monsters from a description, to picture the characters, to see and feel the setting.  Words on the page can only do so much without your mind.  It's your mind that finishes those words, that twists them into the stories within you, and that makes you feel what you feel.  When you watch a movie, you're forced to see what they chose to have you see.  Everything is laid out, and you have no real choice in envisioning characters and settings.  If they've made a crappy monster, that's all you'll see.  Whereas, if a monster is written to be not so great, it can become so much more within you.

Remember the magic in your stories, and in the stories of others.  It's a beautiful thing, but no one can hold your hand.  You have to take those last few steps on your own.

Now, I'm participating in two blog hops today, but both are brief.

What can I say about myself?  I discovered the joy of writing in elementary school when a teacher gave us each a photo prompt and told us to write for 15 minutes.  Mine was a picture of the Earth.  From that day forward, I've always loved to write from a prompt (or any other ol' way).  I write mostly horror, urban fantasy and post-apocalyptic.  I have a fascination with history, especially all things Wild West.  I also enjoy photography, though I haven't had the opportunity to take any photography classes yet.  Sometimes I get lucky and get a really great photo, and often they're okay.  I'm blessed to live in a place where I'm exposed to gorgeous natural surroundings, which provides much of my photo fodder, along with my kiddos, who I love to photograph.  For random factoids on me, you can see an About Me post I wrote last year, HERE.

Thank to Stephen Tremp, Mark Koopmans, Elise Fallson, and C.M. Brown for this blog hop, intended to help all us bloggers get to know each other!

Now, thanks to Mina Lobo, we have the Lunar Lovin' Hop.


I was sad I couldn't get any good pictures, and not because the sky wasn't clear - it was.  I just didn't have the knack tonight.  Here's what I got, though.



 I could see it completely clearly through the telephoto lens, but I was too cold and shaky to get a good pic in the dark.  I tried the tripod, but the lens was too heavy, so it relied on me to balance it anyway.  Still, I loved sitting out in the dark, gazing up the moon.  Peaceful.  It was about 11:15 PM when I took the photos, here in Colorado Springs.  The constellations were so clear.  Utterly gorgeous.

Thank you for stopping by!

What I'm reading: Annwynn's Blood, by Michael Eging and Steve Arnold.

Have you taken the time to enjoy the moon lately?  What random fact do you like telling people about yourself?  Did you enjoy Shel Silverstein as a kid?  When was the last time you read his work?

May you find your Muse.

43 comments:

Dani said...

I haven't told anyone but I'm doing Mr. Silverstein for my A to Z!
Seems like we are interested in the same genre of books and writing.
Love the lunar pics... I got sleet!

Al Diaz said...

Wonderful moon that was. And that excerpt made me sigh. It brings a lot of memories. I think I could almost hear your tone. Thanks and nice to re-meet you, Shannon!

A Beer for the Shower said...

My view of the moon looks like a big brick wall from my townhouse. Mostly because that's what's in front of it. So no moongazing for me.

I loved Shel Silverstein as a kid. I think I need to dig some of that up and relive some good memories (and good writing).

Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...

Hi Shannon!!!! Gosh, I love Shel Silverstein, too! Great to see you trucking along and those moon shots are gorgeous!!!!

Hope you're having fun in Mr. Tremp's blogfest!

mshatch said...

I love Shel Silverstein and actually just recently read some of his work. My favorite is The Giving Tree.

Jak said...

Good morning Shannon :)

It is kind of creepy, but I just blogged about some magnets I found years ago that almost completely spell out the first sentence of that story (minus the "Halfway").

I am, unfortunately, unfamiliar with Shel Silverstein, but now I am too curious not to check them out!

I hope you get in some photography classes at some point. I think you'd love it.

Unknown said...

I love it when you *find* something in a book and remember how much you loved it. Nice to re-meet you.

Hart Johnson said...

I like writing to those arbitrary challenges, too--a strange detail or image. My writing group sometimes drabbles to images.

Great to meet you!

Andrew Leon said...

Silverstein was pretty awesome.

Thanks for the review on the "The Tunnel"!

Cherie Reich said...

Pretty lunar pictures!

And I can definitely see how those lines can inspire a person. :)

Susan Kane said...

I love Shel Silverstein! His passing took so many future books with him! Last time I read his work? Well, I have grandkids now, so I will re-read his work for years to come.

Elise Fallson said...

I thought your third moon picture was perfect. A really nice crisp shot. And I think it's great you acquired a love for writing at such a young age. I'm trying to get my kids to love reading and writing too.

Anonymous said...

I love that passage from silverstein, one of my favorite writers when I was young.
I always enjoy telling people I was born on Halloween, for some reason people look at me like I'm a ghost!

S.P. Bowers said...

Nice to meet you. I haven't read Shel Silverstein in years. My kids are just about the right age. I should pull some out, thanks!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Bet that clear mountain air made for some good sky-watching.
Not sure I could even write from a prompt. I'd need a week to outline and plan before I even began a drabble.

Cynthia said...

Shel Silverstein's so awesome.

Your moon makes me think of a nice round cake.

I also like photography and plan to take a workshop near my house sometime later this spring.

Rebecca said...

love love love shel silverstein

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I think your lunar pictures are great. I also live in a great place for appreciating mother nature.

DL Hammons said...

Can you squeeze in a couple more blogfest in this post?? :) So nice to be re-introduced to you!

Chuck said...

Shannon, I enjoyed the Apocalyse bloghop we did, I appreciate you coming up with the idea since apparently I was in a coma about my own site name!

One question...why have I not read a book of yours??? Advise me on which one should be my first "Lawrence".

Mina Lobo said...

Shannon, it was pretty frigid for picture takin' for me, too. That said, I dig the way your pics came out! The middle one, especially...puts me in mind of Van Gogh's style, the vivid swirls (though in this case, a lush halo). Thanks so much for hoppin' with me! :-)

LuAnn @ BackPorchervations said...

Following in preparation for the Blogging Challenge from A to Z.

I love the middle picture of the moon!

Anonymous said...

You have a busy post today. That's why I like to keep Blog Hops short and sweet!

And thanks for participating in the Re-Introduce Myself Blogfest!

dolorah said...

I think I enjoy Shel Silverstein more as an adult than a kid. But, I'm not sure I ever read him until I started having my own kids.

Your moon pictures are gorgeous. And I love prompt writing too.

.........dhole

Shannon Lawrence said...

Dani, oh, how fun! I can't wait to see what you do with it!

Al, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was having so much fun reading it with my son, and then I found that poem. (RE-found, that is).

ABftS, well, that's no good! And you're never too old for Shel Silverstein (I owned the book before I had kids, but bought it as an adult).

Cathy, it seems that everyone who has experienced him, loves him! What writer wouldn't aim for that kind of success?

Marcy, it's been an awful long time since I read that, but it makes me want to read it again.

Jak, that's actually cool! I hope you can check out some of Silverstein's work. My favorite was always the one I quoted from above.

Jenn, me, too! And I instantly wanted to share it on here. I asked my son if I could keep the book with me, and when he asked me why, I told him I needed to share it with some people.

Hart, I keep hearing the word "drabble" and need to look up exactly what that is.



Shannon Lawrence said...

Andrew, no problem! Do your kids read Silverstein?

Cherie, thanks! Reading the whole thing made me wish I could write that kind of poetry.

Susan, that's wonderful! I love reading his work with my kids, and will love reading it with grandkids.

Elise, thank you! I hope your kids love it. So far, mine do, but I want to keep it that way. I don't want to overdo it so they get tired of it.

Winopants, I would love, love, love a Halloween birthday! I hoped one of my kids would be born on Halloween, but no dice.

S.P., I hope they love it!!

Alex, too funny! And oh yes, it was gorgeous out there. Denver has smog, but down here in the Springs, it's clear, gorgeous air.

Cynthia, I hope it's a great class, and that you enjoy it! Some day I'd like to, but I get nervous thinking about it. Having to show someone my work (other than all of you, haha).

Becca, yay! me, too!

Susan, isn't it wonderful? I couldn't imagine city living at this point. Here, I can get the best of both worlds.

DL, ha, I could try!

Chuck, aw, there isn't one yet. But someday I will gladly tell you. I'm hoping to get my post-apocalyptic edited so I can pitch it in April. That would definitely be the one you'd have to read first!

Mina, I had to post that picture. I liked how it looked, all blurry around it.

LuAnn, thank you, and nice to meet you!

Stephen, it was fun, thank you! Great idea.

Donna, glad I'm not the only one! It's a whole different experience reading with one's kids.

Timothy S. Brannan said...

So nice to "meet" you again!

Andrew Leon said...

yep yep!

Julie Flanders said...

I like your moon photos! I didn't participate in the lunar fest but it's been fun to see the photos.

I totally love Shel Silverstein and love this excerpt. Thanks for sharing it!

Kas said...

Nice to meet you, Shannon. Beautiful photos!

nutschell said...

i love shel silverstein!!! and those pictures are cool!
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

loverofwords said...

Love his book "The Giving Tree." It says so much in a few pages.

Yolanda Renée said...

Great poem, The Bridge, and a wonderful intro for world building too.

So glad to know you Shannon!

Rhonda Albom said...

Nice to meet you. I too am blessed to live in a photographer's paradise and to laugh at life everyday.

Thanks for hosting the A to Z. I missed last year as we were traveling around the world. I am hoping I have a funny travel story or great photos for each letter.

Rhonda at Laugh Quotes
Family Travel-Humor-Randomness

Anonymous said...

I've tried to take pictures of the moon, but they never turn out good. I need a better camera.

I loved writing prompts as a child. The picture ones were great.

michelle said...

Great to re-meet you Shannon.
I think you did a good job with the lunar pictures.
My best writing is via prompts, be it a word or a photo...

Anonymous said...

The Giving Tree...need I say more?

Looked out my kitchen window and saw a beautiful, bright shiny moon...extra nice, because we just finished having several days of rain. Love the gorgeous night (early morning) sky!

Chancelet said...

Magnificent moon pictures. Photography is something I'd like to get into myself. One of many wannabe interests I have. :) Skinwalkers/ shapeshifters are great. It's good to meet you.

I'd also like to thank you for co-hosting the crazy-big blog hop. I can't wait!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Tim, hello again!

Andrew, good!

Julie, all the moon photos are fun!

Kas, nice to meet you, and thanks!

Schell, he was an amazing mind!

Loverofwords, it does, doesn't it?

Yolanda, good point!

Rhonda, that will be so fun! And I am forever grateful for living in a place like this.

Medeia, I'd really like to learn how to take good night photos.

Michelle, prompts just get the brain to focus on something, which is probably why they work so well for me.

M.J., no you need not! And me, too! I love being outside at night.

Nancy, great to meet you, and thank you! I have so many wannabe interests, lol.

Mark K said...

Howdeh! Love you blog banner, but then, Jeremy is a talented guy :)

Tis a pleasure to mett you :)

Shannon Lawrence said...

Mark, he is definitely a talented guy! Good to meet you!

Shannon at The Warrior Muse

Brian Miller said...

remember the magic in stories...in yours and that of others...love that....as it is so true...and i love shel as well...spent quite a bit of time reading him myself and to my boys...

Shannon Lawrence said...

Brian, I hope his works are around for many generations to read.