Writing Pad Gift Guide For Writers

This week, I was inspired by Daily Candy’s hipster holiday gift guides. So here are my gift suggestions for your friends and loved ones who are writers:

1. “Work-shopping”

Writing Pad’s gourmet writing classes are as fun as shopping but are deliciously productive. Our gift certificates are packaged in pretty envelopes. It’s a very thoughtful gift for someone who wants to write or is already a writer. It says to your loved one—indulge your passion, on me! Email marilyn@writingpad.com to get one.

Cost: $30-$350 ($10 off sale on 1 day classes--$60)

2. “Book Smarts”
Aaron Henne’s writing exercise book, You Already Know is a fantastic inspiration tool for writers of all kinds. I have found its collection of 80 exercises to be super helpful for my own writing craft and practice (I write poetry and memoir).

Cost: $15 plus shipping and handling

3. “Pocket Sized Idea Catcher”
I love these colorful Moleskin journals—they look good and fit in your coat pocket or purse. You can personalize them by gluing your favorite photo or postcard onto them too or just leave them as is.

Cost: $5.95 to $12.00 plus shipping and handling

4. “Ready To Write” Wear
Be trendy AND comfortable when you sit down to write. Michael Crowe’s “Il Corvo” T-shirts are eye catching and buttery soft. Plus, he’s a Writing Pad student! I own the “woman getting oxygen” T-shirt and find the image to be humorous and calming when I wear it.

Cost: $21.49 (free shipping)

5. “Tea for Two”
Tea has magical powers to unblock one’s creativity. That's why I sip tea when I put pen to page. Carmelized pear is my favorite tea, but The Art of Tea has so many tasty choices. The silver tin and a writing buddy to share your tea with are optional.

Cost: $12 to $47 plus shipping and handling

6. “Wrap Up Your Words”
Short on cash? Wow your loved ones with an ode, a story, or a heartfelt letter. Print it out on nice paper and use a presentation envelope if you like. It’ll be a unique gift they’ll hold dear forever.

Cost: $0-6.75 for envelopes plus shipping and handling

Weekly Writing Prompt: 12/3/09

Writing Prompt: Make a list of 5 behaviors/things/people that really annoy you at work (or at past jobs).

Here are some suggestions of things that could end up on that list: people eating stinky food at their desks that smells like warmed up dog food, loud phone talkers, irritating coworker behavior, etc.. Or if you have no beefs or work alone, make some items up!

Write whatever comes to mind about that one item for 10 minutes.

If you're concerned about trash talking about your job/coworkers, come up with a “code name.” Mine are “Happy Hugger” and “Toxic Teddy Bear Man.” You can also email your mini-story/rant to marilyn@writingpad.com and ask for an anonymous post. We will treat everything as fiction (it could be a character from your book, ya know).

And there’s only one spot left in Aaron's class this Saturday! Email marilyn@writingpad.com or call 323-333-2954 to snatch it up! Aaron will unveil this crazy amazing dialogue exercise that he hasn’t used in his long classes:

• Delicious Dialogue (Dec. 5, 10:30 a.m.)--1 spot left

Comment on this blog! What comes to mind when you think, “this really annoys me at work (or annoyed me at a past job)?” Post a mini story or a sentence—it’s all good, Cookie! The best comment of December wins a free class!

Winner of Nov. Comment Contest

Before I tell you who won, I want to tell you that I was truly blown away by the fantastic comments/stories people wrote! It was really, really hard to choose just one winner. To recognize the high quality of the comments, I’ve decided that everyone who commented on the blog in November gets 10% off their next Writing Pad class (in addition to the continuing student discount if you are a continuing student).

Thank you, everyone who participated! Your comments have taken this blog to a whole new level. I encourage you to use the prompts to keep up your writing practice between classes and post your short writes here. You can comment as many times as you like—even if it is just a snarky Facebook style sentence fragment. Just like in class, I will tell you what I like and remember and treat everything as fiction.

Also, there is still just one spot left in Aaron's Saturday class. Email marilyn@writingpad.com or call 323-333-2954 to snatch it up! Aaron will be unveiling this crazy amazing dialogue exercise that he hasn’t used in his long classes:

• Delicious Dialogue (Dec. 5, 10:30 a.m.)--Only 1 spot left

OK, I know—get to it already, you are dying to know. The winner of the November Comment Contest is Carol Wyatt. Congrats, Carol! In response to the question, “What’s your favorite place to write?” Carol said, “I keep a pad of paper next to my computer so I can write down thoughts that pop into my head while I'm working. Writing in bed on a lazy weekend is my favorite way to get things down on paper, when I have the time.” Sounds good to me! Her comment/story is fab and is under the "Thanksgiving Writing Prompt."

You can check out all of the wonderful November comments/stories here:

• Childhood Food Product Writing Prompt
• T-day Recipe from Adel
• Thanksgiving Writing Prompt

I am holding another comment contest in the month of December. I will unveil a new weekly writing prompt by tomorrow. I hope you will keep commenting! :)

Writing Prompt: 11/25/09

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! December classes with the amazing teacher, the one and only, Aaron Henne are now almost completely full:

• Delicious Dialogue (Dec. 5)--Only 1 spot left
• This LA Life: Writing for Solo Performance (Dec. 12)--Full/Waiting List/Additional Section to be added

Sign up by calling 323-333-2954 or emailing marilyn@writingpad.com.

Writing Prompt:
Here's a good one for the holiday. What comes to mind when you think of "Thanksgiving?" Make a list of 5 things that you associate with that word. Here are some suggestions of things that could end up on that list: cooking disasters, eating triumphs, family spats, what you are thankful for, favorite Thanksgiving foods or rituals, etc..

Pick one item off of your list and add a sensory description to it (e.g. smell, taste, touch, sound, sight). Write whatever comes to mind about that one item for 10 minutes. Include the sensory description in your writing.

Comment on this blog! What comes to mind when you think of "Thanksgiving?" What are your cooking disasters, eating triumphs, family spats, what you are thankful for, favorite Thanksgiving foods or rituals, etc.. The best comment of November wins a free class!

T-Day Recipe From Adel: 11/24/09

Take one of these one-day gourmet writing classes with Aaron Henne in December. You get an amazing class plus we serve Adel's (pictured above) out of this world brunch tasting plates. Adel is the Writing Pad Executive Chef. Her caramel baked French toast, chilaquiles, or potato latkes (my Jewish Momma's recipe) will inspire the best writing you've ever done. The classes are a decadent deal:

• Delicious Dialogue (Dec. 5)--Only 2 spots left
• This LA Life: Writing for Solo Performance (Dec. 12)--Only 2 spots left

Sign up by calling 323-333-2954 or emailing marilyn@writingpad.com. They are almost full!

Ahem, may I have a drum roll please? Anyone who has tried Adel's fantastic cooking and baking has become instantly addicted to it. Many of you have asked me time and time again if Adel will divulge her recipes. Now, she has agreed to share a recipe once a month with all of you.

This month, Adel is giving you a delicious dessert that you can use for Thanksgiving: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread. Thanks, Adel! I might have to try making that for my in-laws--perhaps the bread will work magic and soothe family dinner table tensions. Chocolate always makes me feel more relaxed. ;)
Adel says,
"This recipe is adapted from the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion. It's perfect for the holidays because it makes two loaves - one to give away and another to keep for yourself. Or you can do as I do and make mini-loaves for your friends, family, and co-workers. It is not too sweet or dense like some quickbreads and takes only minutes to throw together."

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups (1-15 oz. can) pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup (5 1/4 oz.) water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup lightly toasted walnuts or pecans, chopped
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I use a mixture of milk and semisweet chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, mix together the sugars and oil. Beat in the eggs, then the pumpkin, water, and vanilla extract. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices and stir in. Fold in the nuts and chips.

Pour into two 9x5 inch lightly greased loaf pans. Bake approximately 1 hour (less for smaller loaves) or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool loaves in the pans on a rack. When completely cool, remove bread from the pans.

This bread tastes better when wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature overnight.

In the comments, tell us about your experience of baking the bread or tell us what your favorite Thanksgiving desserts are. Or, what is your favorite Adel dish or dessert from class? The best comment of November on this blog wins a free 2.5 hour class!

Writing Prompt: 11/19/09

Want to sharpen your writing craft and get some stellar writing done? Take one of these one-day classes with Aaron Henne in December:

• Delicious Dialogue (Dec. 5)
• This LA Life: Writing For Solo Performance (Dec. 12)

There are only a couple of spots left in both classes. Sign up by calling 323-333-2954 or emailing marilyn@writingpad.com before they are full!

Writing Prompt:

Make a list of 5 food products (can be breakfast foods) that you associate with your childhood. Pick one food product off of your list and add a sensory description to it (e.g. smell, taste, touch, sound, sight). Write whatever comes to mind about that one item for 10 minutes. Include the sensory description in your writing.

For example, the mere mention of the Eggo waffle shortage on the news yesterday brought me back to childhood. I flashed back to those "Leg go my Eggo" commercials and the nutty, yeasty smell of Eggo waffles when they snap out of the toaster.

Another product that I associate with childhood is Mrs. Butterworths. My sensory detail would be: sticky ropes of syrup gluing my fingers together. About a year ago, I discovered that Mrs. Butterworths didn't come in a thick, glass bottle anymore (she is now in a cheap, plastic bottle). I felt sad and outraged. It was like a childhood friend had passed. Clearly, I watched too much TV as a kid!

Anyway, my ten minute write will be about Eggo waffles or Mrs. Butterworths. What are the food products that you associate with childhood?

Writing Prompt: 11/12

Make a list of what comes to mind when you think of the word, "Dirty" or "Dirt." Now pick one item off your list and write for ten minutes on it. Make sure to use some sensory description (smell, taste, sound, touch, sight) in your piece.


Now you've started a draft for the next "Chi Chi's Word Parlor."* I recommend this upcoming class at Writing Pad (see below) to help you take what you just wrote to the next level and make it excellent (for submission to Chi Chi's or a literary journal too!).
Call 323-333-2954 or go to http://www.writingpad.com to enroll!

This Los Angeles Life: Writing For Solo Performance
Have you dreamed of telling your story at “Chi Chi’s Word Parlor?”* This class will help you develop a kick ass, five minute piece to submit to the next “Chi Chi’s!” Class topics include: discovering a hook that works with the next show's theme (“Dirty”), finding the right tone, and crafting prose that flows nicely off the tongue. We’ll also show you how to tell a full story quickly and infuse it with humor and pathos. Post-class, you will also receive instructor feedback on a draft to help you polish it up for submission. Experienced and beginning writers welcome.

Instructor: Aaron Henne
Saturday, December 12, 2009
10:30 a.m. – 1 :00 p.m.
Cost: $80 ($70 for continuing students), includes instructor feedback on one draft post-class
Includes gourmet brunch tasting plates

*”Chi Chi’s Word Parlor” is a literary variety show at the Atwater Playhouse where writers read five minute long pieces based on a quarterly theme. The next theme is “Dirty,” and submissions are due on February 15 to chichiswordparlor@mac.com. Check http://www.myspace.com/chichiswordparlor for submission guidlines.