Orange

 I like to study the work of other amazing artists who were famous for their craft. This year, I'm working through a personal "class" based on a writing idea book called The Creative Writer's Notebook. The notebook takes a famous author, lists some of their works that the reader should consider, then creates three or four ideas/writing prompts/brain games for the reader to do based on that author's style.

I'm not sure if Christina Rossetti is in the notebook because it's only the beginning of the year, and I haven't looked too far ahead in the study. However, just doing this study causes me to look for inspiration to mimic in the work of other great artists.

Recently, I stumbled on this poem by Christina Rossetti and thought how fun it would be to compose a color poem.

When I was in elementary school, I remember writing color poems after reading Mary O'Neill's Hailstones and Halibut Bones, a poem book composed only of color poems for children. I think I still have some of those poems somewhere, but I decided to graduate my efforts and bring me back to those creative childhood memories. Writing and English were always my favorite subjects.

Color

By Christina Rossetti
 

What is pink? a rose is pink

By a fountain's brink.

What is red? a poppy's red

In its barley bed.

What is blue? the sky is blue

Where the clouds float thro'.

What is white? a swan is white

Sailing in the light.

What is yellow? pears are yellow,

Rich and ripe and mellow.

What is green? the grass is green,

With small flowers between.

What is violet? clouds are violet

In the summer twilight.

What is orange? Why, an orange,

Just an orange!

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Source: The Golden Book of Poetry (1947)

Orange 

By Anna Witan 

If life could be a color

it would be the same shade as change:
orange.
A physical, tangible fruit in your hands,
a word that doesn't sound in your ear like
any other,
and a metaphysical palate tone you can't put your finger on.
Bright and warm
ugly and sour.
The flower in spring
The sun in summer
The leaf in autumn
The dusk in winter
A slash of yellow
with a red glaze.
Equal portions light, cowardice, sunshine, shock -
Equal parts anger, blood, roses, love. 

The Crazy Busy #WriteLife

During the last year, I've learned so much about the fun, frustrating, unpredictable life of the person who loves writing, the person who is compelled to write, and the person who writes for a living. I'd like to briefly share some of that wisdom with you!

"Writers aren't people exactly. Or if they're any good, they're a whole lot of people trying so hard to be one person." ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Last Tycoon

"In your reading, find books to improve your color sense, your sense of shape and size in the world." ~ Stephen King

"Sometimes you have to go places with characters and emotions within yourself that you don't want to, but you have a duty to the story and as a storyteller to do it." ~ Hugh Jackman

"There are writers who write because they cannot help it. They must write as they must breathe."  ~ Annie Proulx

"Without the dark parts told honestly, it's really hard to appreciate the other."  ~ Philip Gerard

"Everybody's got a story, but not all of them are true."  ~ Charles LeDuff

"You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write."  ~ Saul Bellow

"Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass."  ~ Anton Checkov

"Reading usually precedes writing and the impulse to write is almost always fired by reading. Reading, the love of reading, is what makes you dream of becoming a writer."  ~ Susan Sontag



"We are educated so we can say out-loud what other people are afraid to say, and we write for the same reason."  ~ Sonia Sanchez

"The best writing is re-writing."  ~ E.B. White

"A good writing day ought to be simply any day you worked."  ~ Richard Bausch