Nudge to revise

“Can you add more about your mother? Did she ever work?” stated my one writing partner after I read aloud my draft. (which I posted last Tuesday and you can see HERE).

I awoke early last Tuesday morning and drafted and posted that slice at one Starbucks. Then drove to meet up with F & B at another Starbucks at 10am for our first of the summer writing club meetings. This has been a happy habit of ours for the past several summers. As I drove, I was already thinking of a few revisions. I felt I had rushed the ending so I chose to work on my slice some more during this time. B wanted to write about her garden and F arrived with no set idea but our celebration of her recent retirement and her sudden broken iPad gave her two. We set the timer for 30 minutes and wrote at the same outdoor table in silence. When my phone alarm sounded, I offered to share first. As I read my writing aloud, F & B listened with full attention. Then both offered compliments and suggestions.

As a write, it is so helpful to have trusted “strangers” listening. They make me aware of rushed, confusing or missing parts. Today, I took their advise and added more about my own mother’s story to my last week’s slice and pressed Update, all because I am lucky enough to have F & B as my writing partners who nudge me to revise. I am doublly lucky to then be a part of this virtual writing community which gives me a place to share little moments and which ultimately keeps me writing.

Do you have any trusted, in-person friends who listen and offer writing suggestions?
Do you ever return to a slice and revise it?

Breakfast Routine

“What can I get you?” the barista in her black attire covered by a green apron asked.
“Grande hot chocolate, no whip and a turkey bacon egg white sandwich” was my winter reply.
“Grande black iced tea, no sweetener and a turkey bacon egg white sandwich” my summertime reply
and I handed the barista my keepcup to save $.10 and shared that I’m Sally. Then I stood to the side and waited for my name to be called. This was my pre-pandemic routine.

During the pandemic, I taught myself how to brew a pitcher of black iced tea and started buying and slicing lemon wedges to add. At home, I stuck to cereal and fruit with my cafinated morning beverage. I sat at my dining room table and then, once done, placed the dishes in the kitchen sink and took the stairs to my 2nd floor bedroom-turned-classroom to teach online.

Today, I drove to the Starbucks closest to my home. I took a seat and noticed only one other customer sitting across the room reading his newspaper and sipping a tall coffee. I pulled out my phone and pressed the app and ordered my winter choice. Despite being 3-days away from April, it is 29 degrees outside. Burrr! My phone thanked me and said my order would be ready in 7 minutes.

Then I opened my laptop, logged into my blog and asked myself, “What should I wrote about?” As I listened to the instrumental music playing softly in the background, I noticed 2 baristas, sporting their green aprons, moving smoothly from machine to machine to fill the mobile orders. No one seems to stand at the counter by the register anymore. Maybe I’ll write about my breakfast routine, I thought….

What’s your breakfast routine?

ABC Book of Starbucks – 1st draft!

We took our state test last week but still have 2 weeks of school….so final project time!

My middle schoolers brainstormed their passions by jotting down where they spend time, at home, in the neighborhood, on vacation, doing a hobbie, and with a pet.

My middle schoolers chose to either share their passion in one of these forms:
* an Ignite speech for a 6th grade audience
* an ABC book for a Pre-school / Kindergarten audience
* a graphic comic book for a 1st grade audience

My passion brainstorm list looks like this: reading, cooking, swimming, writing at Starbucks, snorkeling, France, quilting.

I realized as I brainstormed that I spend a lot of time at the Starbucks in my town. I go there mostly to write before school or on a Saturday morning. I decided to try to write my ABCs of Starbucks. Here’s my draft!

A	I scan my smartphone starbuck’s app.
B	I ask the barista for banana bread.
C	Starbucks is my favorite coffeehouse.
D	Chocolate milk is a drink I order.
E	Starbucks is a good place to eat
F	Starbucks is a good place to sit and talk to friends by the fireplace.
G	I order a grande size.
H	I order grande hot chocolate, no whip.
I	I order grande ice tea, no sweetener.
J	JUST the treat to sip in my reuseable Keep Cup.
K	I take out my computer out of my keepsack.
L	I type away as lively music plays softly.
M	Some days I eat a muffin.
N	nibble – nibble – reflect and type.
O	Some days I eat oatmeal.
P	or a cake pop.
Q	Some day I sit quietly and think,
R	by the roaring fire.
S	Some days I order a strawberry frappuccino.
T	Some days I order a turkey bacon egg white sandwich.
U	Upstairs seating is my favorite.
V	Some days I order venti size.
W	Each visit I write.
X	Then I eXit.
Y	Sometime taking a yummy treat home with me.
Z	At the end of the day, I dream of writng and eating and sipping at Starbucks….zzz….sleep tight!

Ok…this may seem like a silly ABC book but it is still a draft…I have until next Friday to revise, edit and published. An end of year project to highlight our passions as we end 6th grade.