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This is a Taiga with a tanka poem and a black and white photo – created by Colleen and Robbie.
Written in response to this week’s Tanka Challenge hosted by Willow.
A poem and a photo
Tag: reading
Practice, Practice, Practice!
- Speech
- Writing
- Reading
- Numbers
These are all different.
I can mostly talk okay now which is good! However, there is much to do.
Each day I choose to write three sentences with two words, using ‘Multiple Sentences Formulation’ and I do three different things.
I start to write carefully. It’s not easy.
I write on the laptop and then I listen to it.
Then I write it again, and I ask lovely husband, Cliff, to make sure that it’s right.
This takes a lot of time. You see, I can’t get the right word every time yet. Sometimes it could take more than five minutes! Even though I get frustrating. But it’s worth it.
I pop a little line here and there in WordPress. Also, once a week, I have been doing ‘Three Things Challenge’ on Wednesday with the wonderful Di at pensitivity101.
Spring has sprung in the West Coast (in the south hemisphere) and floral buds are springing up. The festive season is fast approaching and the villages and little towns are so abundant in beautiful wild flowers. 🌺🌼🌸
I like to read as much as I can. This is quite difficult still, although it’s much better. And how exciting when my lovely friend, Robbie, posted a few days ago, her ‘Roberta Writes’ for my book, Spirit of Shell Man – even though I can’t read properly yet!
Finally, a little bit of numbers. Did you know that I have aways been a demon Scrabble person? This really helps and it’s such fun, with my great friend, Laurette, each Saturday morning. We have scored each time almost 500, and last week we got to 501! She also put a nice photo with me and my cat, Luna.
The Long Road
This is how it starting. Back from the void… ‘Coming Back’
And now, what can I see?
At the very start, it sees that the brain doesn’t recognise in my head properly at all.
Only listening.
Another few weeks. A little talking.
I look at my right hand. I need to write.
I move the pencil and the hand, and I look at my eyes..
This is how it works. (Sort of).
“Your eyes work, but the letters on the page have turned into squiggles. They make no sense. Now meet Howard Engel, a writer of detective stories, who has this condition, but amazingly, has found a way to trick his brain to almost read again.”
Something else
Much later, I find another writer. He had a ‘problem’ similarly to mine.
And I know he’s back, Dylan!
Take a look.
So where am I now?
I am not quite right yet. My legs and arms and everything are good, although walking around is still a little odd. There is a little bit in my sight and I can’t see well on the right, but it is getting smaller.
My writing is getting so much better. Reading is still a bit difficult and talking is the same. Sometimes it is perfect but other times it disappears. Oh well.
Yes, I am ever so slow.
But I’m coming.
Around at Year Now
So much has changed in my haemorrhage stroke, but at least I’m getting better. Slowly (very slowly) does it.
Now I get the gist of things in reading and writing. Before I would copy and paste on Word on my laptop were I can Read Aloud on Review. It’s not great but it’s all right. Of course, your clever people who read aloud on WordPress are fun. I can read pretty well now too and I can pop a little reply here and there.
Meanwhile, I will enjoy the Tour de France for three weeks. Just as I watched last year, although I could hardly speak at all then, and now I’m so much better, though there are quite a few of bumps in the way as I talk. It will get there, I’m sure.
And we love to walk on over the beach, right by the ocean, near Cape Town – the best therapy, I know. Apart from all your excellent posts from WordPress.
That’s it – see you later!
This is our beach!
Coming Back (slowly)
Well, it’s been a strange time starting on the 19th June 2022. When, out of the blue, a haemorrhage stroke landed at my door. The next I knew, my brain has scrambled. Not great.
It’s taken many months, but I am on the mend.
However, now physically I’m brilliant. I am stronger and fitter (and beautifully thinner too). I am still improving my reading, writing and speaking, but still more time is required. It is so strange but it will be all right again.
Thank you very much, my friends from WordPress – so many who giving me support. Most of all, Cliff, my wonderful man, keeping me safe and sound. He is my soulmate.
And now you’ve seen me around and eventually I’ll be back properly.
This Writer’s Reading Round-up July to Dec 2021
As 2021 draws to a close, although there are aspects of the year I’d prefer to forget, I’m looking back with a happy and satisfied smile on the books I’ve enjoyed in this second half of the year.
I love to read almost as much as I love to write, and I firmly believe that the more good writing I read, the more my own writing improves.
Here’s what I read as our wet and windy winter gave way to a hot and breezy summer. The most recently read books are shown first.
Once again I’ve enjoyed my half-year’s reading. Books I’ve frequently found via reviews and recommendations here on WordPress, including a nice helping of works by fellow indie authors. I’ve read a mixture of old books and new – mostly prose and poetry – a long, long history/geography of Africa, and a witty and instructive writer’s manual. Thanks to the latter, written by Kathy Steinmann, my latest MS is all the more sparkly and shiny!
More news on my new release coming soon.
As a writer I know how exciting it is to receive a review from a reader, and I offer a big, big thank you to my readers (and listeners, now I’ve two books published as audiobooks) who’ve taken the time and trouble to rate/review my books. That aside, to know someone has read one of my books is enough.
I continue to faithfully post a review of all the books I’ve read on Goodreads and usually on Bookbub, so long as the book comes up in a search. It’s good to recognise fellow writers and give something back for the enjoyment I’ve had from their words.
Happy reading, happy writing and a Happy New Year!
This Writer’s Reading Round-up, June 2021
It’s half the way through the year already, can you believe it? Almost the end of June and it’s wet and wintry here, and while many of you are enjoying your ‘summer reading’ and I thought I’d share what I’ve been reading this year. I love to read almost as much as I love to write, and I firmly believe that the more good writing I read, the more my own writing improves.
Last year I did the ArmedWithABingo year-long reading challenge hosted by Kriti Khare & Ariel Joy which was great fun, and which encouraged my to read a few books that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise picked up. But this year I’m on a ‘free choice’ foray, guided mostly by some great reviews I’ve read by some great reviewers here in our WordPress family, who’ve wickedly tempted me to augment my already tottering ‘TBR’ pile way beyond normal safety parameters.
I’ve also over-stuffed my book shelves with piles of pre-loved books from our local indie book stores.
However, I must confess to my shame that I haven’t been to our lovely local library for ages. I really should, even though under lockdown regulations you can only spend half an hour at a time there. Before Covid, I used to go to write there sometimes since being surrounded by all those books was rather inspiring (and it’s lovely and warm in winter).
Anyway, enough rambling. Here’s what I’ve read so far this year.
My books on Goodreads
I’ve had a most enjoyable half-year’s reading: a mixture of old books and new, prose and poetry, even a cookery book. I’ve continued to honour my resolve to read more books from the southern hemisphere, especially by African writers, as I feel authors down here don’t get the exposure they should.
As a writer I know how exciting it is to receive a review from a reader, and I offer a big, big thank you to all of my readers who’ve taken the time and trouble to rate/review my books, although to know someone has read one of my books is even enough.
I faithfully post a review of the books I’ve read on Goodreads and usually on Bookbub, so long as the book comes up in a search. You can find all of my reviews here on Goodreads.
As for the next half of the year, I did promise myself not to buy any more books until I’d made a proper dent in the tottering TBR pile, but there’s a sale at Bookworms tomorrow, and I have to support the store which carries copies of my own books, don’t I?
Happy reading folks!
The Writer’s Gift
Waves of words wash over her
transporting her through
space and time
to other realms
where dreams come true
and the adventurer knows no bounds.
Riding the White Horses of the Camargue
Dancing with Wolves
Searching for The Beach
She journeys to the Centre of the Earth
explores King Solomon’s Mines
and witnesses the Return of the King.
Laying aside her book
she drifts, dreams,
and the waves of words
still wash over her.
Written in response to Sadje‘s ‘What Do You See #3‘ photo prompt.
Just sayin’
Some really helpful advice from author, J I Rogers.
If you were wondering how to jump aboard the ‘author’s helping authors’ band wagon, this makes it so easy!
You can see from the side panel that I regularly read and review books on Goodreads. I also post the review to Amazon for the books I’ve downloaded and read by indie authors. I know how important it is.
So, all of you ‘indies’ out there, time to help each other out. Share the message and post your book links!
And to all you gallant readers: let’s have your reviews! Pretty please?
How readable is your story?
I’ve been wandering about on the old interweb looking for something to rate the reading level of my latest work-in-progress. It’s a children’s book, and this is the first time I’ve written for any audience other than adult (apart from one short story).
I’d tried comparing with some of the books which I still have on my shelves from my childhood, but I suppose I was looking for something more analytical.
Then I came across the Automatic Readability Checker from ‘Readability Formulas’. All you have to do is cut and paste some text from your work and you’ll get an assessment of the grade-age range of your writing. Interesting, huh?
So, I tried the first few paragraphs of the children’s story. The results show it’s ‘easy/fairly easy to read’ and at fourth to sixth grade level (9-12 years), which is great; I’m aiming at the middle grade market!
Then I tried some samples from my first novel, The Silver Locket. This comes out at much the same level. Interesting! So finally I popped in a couple of paragraphs from ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, which is the new novel I’ve just finished editing and I get a slightly higher reading age, 11-15 years.
Also interesting. Then I read somewhere else that Ernest Hemingway’s ‘Old Man and the Sea’ is a fourth grade read and that Jane Austen and J.K. Rowling both come out at between fifth and sixth grade levels.
It’s all about ‘readability’ and actually, who wants to read something difficult, unless it’s an academic text? And even then, wouldn’t you be aiming for at least a good level of readability?
In the end though, I guess the best judge is the reader. I’ll be posting my new work-in-progress children’s novel a weekly chapter at a time, starting next week. And I’ll be interested, as always, in your feedback. Must think of a title!
luna's on line 