ANOTHER YEAR IN REVIEW

by Miko Johnston

As we enter 2025, the end of the first quarter of this century, I want to look back to the past year and share with our readers some of the great writing, advice and tips I’ve found on this blog.

Posts by Rosemary always have such an intimacy to them I feel like I’m reading her diary. She always brings her life and inner thoughts to everything she writes in an articulate and enlightening way. Even so, I found Let Go and Live… particularly poignant. I truly hope she takes her words and turns them into actions.

Jill’s musing on verbal laziness in “She is going, you know, to…” reminded me of how often we hear that when we speak with people. It clarifies the reason why dialog must sound natural but without all the unnecessary filler often used in real world conversations. Imagine reading a book filled with verbal speed bumps. Boring.

One of the best books on writing is The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler, in which he synthesizes narrative patterns of literature from the academic research of Joseph Campbell. Jackie’s piece, Seven Story Plots, edited those patterns into helpful, easy to remember summaries.

Linda’s piece on Choosing a Theme reminded me of how important it is to carry through something meaningful to you, whether you love it or hate it, in all your writing. It can bring in like-minded readers who’ll cheer or jeer along with your characters.

Libraries are a gift to the world, as Maggie’s post, September is Library Card Sign-Up Month! illustrated so well. At one time in my life I could boast I had four library cards to different systems in two states.

I’ve long said Gayle’s posts are like mini lessons in writing, but I found even more in Acting Class 101. I’ve known Gayle for many years, but I learned more about her life in this piece. She exemplifies a writer who pushes herself to improve, and continually does, as well as shares what she’s learned with others.

Oh, the places you’ll go as a writer. That never rang truer than when I read How I Found Myself Working as a Writer in Residence of a High-Security Male Prison by guest blogger Jane Corey. A fascinating experience, only topped by her own story arc of how the job changed her in multiple ways.

Guest blogger Renee Le Verrier discussed awareness in body as it connects to our writing in What’s the Point of Resistance?, illustrating all of her points with her own words. A good reminder to not only consider that connection, but to get out of the chair occasionally and stretch!

Lastly, I submitting my post, Exercising Your Vocabulary, which detailed my use of word games to keep my verbal skills active during and after Covid lockdown. It ended with the challenge to come up with as many words as you could that began with the letters BR— (I came up with 202).

 

If the piece seemed incomplete, it was – only half of it went live. So here is the rest:

 To mix it up, I added more challenges. How many words could I list that end with S but are not plural – double points for any that end in a single S. I also revived a childhood school game. I’d take a long word, like PRESIDENTIAL, and see how many words I could make with the letters, but without using the letters more than once. Back then I allowed three-letter words. Now I restrict it to at least four letters and no pluralizing.

Why should this matter to you? The pandemic may be over, but many of us, particularly those of us of a certain age, may need extra stimulation of the brain to keep it fully functional. Also, many folks live alone and if they work from home, they’ve lost the camaraderie of the office. Even without lockdown, I don’t get out and around people as much as I used to, and frankly, my conversation skills aren’t as sharp as they once were. Sometimes the only complex words I use when talking with friends are medical terms, as we seem to spend a great deal of time discussing our health. My husband and I have taken three international trips this year, which has forced us to communicate in more than one language. Normally a break in one’s routine can make for a good topic of conversation, but only if you can discuss it in a way to make it interesting.

Storytelling skills rely in part on vocabulary, knowing the right word to use in a situation, as well as how to compose those words into interesting dialogue or background. The same holds true for conversation. Sharpening my skills will not only improve my ability to communicate with others verbally, but also what gets on the page.

I had an opportunity to use my revived skills at my granddaughter’s baby shower last August. I wrote a love letter to her and her husband, which I dubbed “A Sweet Mad-Libs Proclamation”. I substituted blank spaces for several words and inserted a number in their place. Each number referred to a sweet treat. Here’s a sample:

We eagerly await the birth of your –1– Florence.

We have –2– doubts you will be great parents,

because you’re blessed with common sense and love.

#1 was a Baby (Ruth) bar; #2 was a Zero candy bar. The proclamation ended with Love and  –7–  – I bet you guessed it: a bag of Kisses. (P.S. Florence made her appearance two weeks early, on September 4; happy, healthy and perfect!)

I’m finishing the final novel in my series, so having easy access to the vocabulary I’d built over a lifetime will strengthen the prose. During the holiday season, I send out cards with notes to family and friends, near and far. I’ve also entered the time in my life when sadly, I frequently have to write notes of support for serious illness and letters of condolence. However, many joyous occasions still happen, such as the birth of my great-granddaughter and a forthcoming marriage in the family. All of this will be more readily accomplished, now that my vocabulary is out of lockdown. 

How are you keeping your communication skills active?

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Miko Johnston, a founding member of The Writers in Residence, is the author of the historical fiction series, “A Petal in the Wind”, as well as a contributor to several anthologies including the about-t0-be-released “Whidbey Island: An Insider’s Guide”. Miko lives in Washington (the big one) with her rocket scientist husband. Contact her at mikojohnstonauthor@gmail.com

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