Monday, October 21, 2013

What Color Are Your Writing Leaves?






Every Autumn my sister and I eagerly await the changing of the leaves. The summer is hard on both of us and the cooler temperatures does much to improve our temperament. We will drive around, doing our errands, and search for Mother Nature's artistic hand in the surrounding trees. My sister and I, however, argue on which color is the prettiest. She likes the bright yellow leaves of the black maple tree while I favor the deeper oranges and reds of its cousin the sugar maple. But no matter which color we choose, they all serve a purpose in bringing beauty to the landscape on a crisp fall day.

 It's kinda like the different writing styles a writer can choose on their journey to publication. 

Yellow...

A bright, cheery type of writing but sometimes without the staying power of the other colors. Yellow is the color of the sun but like a dreary November morning, it lacks the warmth to entice a reader to stay and discover more.

 Orange...

 A nice, sweet type of writing but generally needing a little bit of something added to spice things up. Orange is the color of pumpkins harvested from the fields, just waiting for someone to turn it into something special and tasty.

 Red...

 A deep, rich type of writing but occasionally overshadowing all those around it. Red is the color of a woodland campfire, shining brightly but sometimes burning with its intensity the fingers of anyone coming too close.

Evergreen...

 A vibrant, alive type of writing well suited to the world in general. Evergreen is the color of life, the color Mother Nature choses when providing shelter during a frosty Autumn wind and warmth during a cold winter's night.

Driving through the beautiful Tennessee hills I can look at the lovely Autumn foliage this time of year and ask myself what color are MY writing leaves? Will my leaves simply tease and frustrate readers while lacking the boldness to touch their spirits? Or will my leaves paint a picture in their hearts forever and become an evergreen, casting its warmth for years to come?

 What color is YOUR writing?




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15 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 21, 2013 at 5:29 AM

    I love your leaf comparisons. As Cupcake said in today's post - sometimes the leaves just crumble when you touch them. Yeah.... Sometimes it's like that! :)

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    1. Donna L MartinOctober 21, 2013 at 9:04 AM

      Hi Genevieve! I just finished reading Cupcake's post today...I guess great minds think alike...now why do I suddenly feel the need to curl up into a ball and take a nap? ;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  2. jpOctober 21, 2013 at 7:09 AM

    We had a lot of fun in autumn that I somehow omitted from my book. I remembering piling up masses of leaves and hiding under them to jump out and scare people or we would just wrestle around in the piles. It's nice to remember those days. For all the trauma surrounding my childhood I was blessed for being allowed to be a child. So many today do not have that luxury and I fear for the kind of adults they will become.

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    1. Donna L MartinOctober 21, 2013 at 9:10 AM

      Hi JP! One of my neighbors complain this time of the year about all the leaves covering her back yard. She argues about the mess and the struggle to keep her grass looking picture perfect. I look at the big maple tree in my back yard with all the orangey-red leaves fluttering to the ground like brightly colored fallflakes and thank God I'm alive to enjoy it. I guess it all depends on how you look at things...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  3. UnknownOctober 21, 2013 at 1:12 PM

    I don't know how you would classify my writing. You'd have to read a few of my personal True Tales Tuesdays posts on Lorraine Reguly's Life to determine this.

    Off the top of my head, though, I would say that my writing colours are all of these colours!

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    1. Donna L MartinOctober 21, 2013 at 1:38 PM

      Hi Lorraine! I think all writers have used every color in the rainbow to write their stories...it's what gives each story color and with enough practice (or luck) we eventually become strong evergreens...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  4. janetOctober 21, 2013 at 3:04 PM

    Yellow

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    1. Donna L MartinOctober 21, 2013 at 9:39 PM

      Lol, Janet...your writing leaves or confirming your favorite leaf color? ;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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    2. janetOctober 22, 2013 at 1:54 PM

      both

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  5. AnonymousOctober 22, 2013 at 7:14 PM

    What a great metaphor. Just days ago, my writing leaves were brown and dropping. But over the last few days a few events has conspired to re-ignite my imagination. I'm bright red right now, girl!

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    1. Donna L MartinOctober 22, 2013 at 10:41 PM

      Hi Karen! I'm so glad your writing leaves have perked up...I'd definitely say you're on the "write track"...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  6. Erik This Kid Reviews BooksOctober 23, 2013 at 5:58 PM

    I like the Red Leaf Color, and I kind of like that type of writing. But what would Brown be?

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    1. Donna L MartinOctober 23, 2013 at 9:25 PM

      Hi Erik!

      Brown is the color of the earth. Sturdy, basic, no frills but sometimes lacking in the spontaneity of coloring with words like the other leaves...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  7. hannacraftsOctober 24, 2013 at 2:38 PM

    hi Donna- thanks for bringing some color to our Namibian desert where we live. I miss autumn and spring blossoms, but the colors here are mostly earth, sand, bits of green leaves on thorn trees and amazing black dots on a desert ant. Where could such colors lead?

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    1. Donna L MartinOctober 25, 2013 at 12:57 AM

      Hi Hanna and welcome to my blog!

      Ohh, one of my favorite, lounge around the house, dresses have all those lovely colors in them! Your comment immediately made me think about when I was younger and would love playing in the mud...mixing in bits of leaves or black bark...just to see what I could mold and create. Don't you know your colors are Mother Earth and from it all stories grow and blossom into spirited tales of your lovely desert land? I imagine you have the ability to tell stories from your corner of the world that no one else could tell...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete

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