Meter is one of those words with several meanings. It's a measurement of size, though we spell it metre in Canada. It's a device like a parking meter, measuring time. It's also measurement of rhythm and pace.

According to my Funk Wagnalls dictionary, a meter is:

"A measured rhythm constituting one of the chief characteristics of verse."

Meter isn't just for poetry. There is some form of poetry in our fiction and nonfiction writing. The words you choose, how you arrange them and how they sound when they come together, are all part of writing something people will want to read more of. Think about it.

Recently in the BackWash message boards PussNBoots, one of the Adult columnist's said:

"Every writer searches for their own 'voice'. The best way to find it is to write. Also, pay attention to the voices of writers you admire. Read their work out loud to hear the rhythm and meter. Listen to why they chose particular words."

I thought that was brilliant. Reading your work out loud is the best way to check it's meter, the rhythm of your words. That doesn't mean you need to make your writing longer or chop it down, just choose different words or arrange them differently. See how your words flow, does the rhythm change or get monotonous? Is it dramatic and fast paced when you write about action? Or are the sentences you use kind of long and clunky? Do you tend to start sentences with the same pattern or rhythm? Vary your sentence structure.

"Tom went to the market, at Guildwood, everyday" Could be "Everyday, Tom would go to Guildwood's market." Not great examples but you get the idea, I hope.

Last night I went on a spending spree at Chapters, the mega bookstore in this area. I went in for The Writers magazine and came out many dollars lighter. (Debit cards are a blessing and a curse). I bought a new thesaurus which I already love and A Writer's Book of Days which I'm building up into love for. Judy Reeves wrote it and I'll look her up online later.

Anyway, there is so much encouragement, inspiration and creativity in this book for writers. I highly recommend you find it at your local bookstore.

I've paraphrased and added my thoughts to one of her articles. This is one of her essays which caused me to buy the book.

Honour Yourself as a Writer

Name yourself a writer. Give your writing preference over your day job, affirm the place it holds in your life. Tell them you're a freelance writer when someone asks what you do. Let yourself be proud to be a writer, whether you're raking in the bucks from writing or not. Don't put your writing in second place, like a hobby you might mention if someone asks. Honour yourself as a writer, just like Judy Reeves says!

Make a place for your writing, furnish it with materials that support you and your writing. Keep the space sacred and go there joyfully. I especially like this idea from her book. Make yourself a writing alter, take notes from the Pagans on making an alter. But, whatever you do make the space where you write special, meaningful, uniquely you.

Get the equipment and accoutrements you need. Do you really let yourself spend a enough on what you need to write? Don't over spend but let yourself have what you need to write well. Don't give it hobby status if you don't want to keep writing as a hobby.

Make time for studying and practicing your craft: attend writing groups, workshops, writer's conferences, classes and lectures. If you're too busy to go far try a few writing email lists. See which one works for you and then become a regular (don't just lurk).

Schedule time with other writers. Find someone else who writes and plan time together to talk about writing and have some fun. Don't let yourself become too isolated from others who write and think about writing.

Read your writing to others. Say it aloud to those who can appreciate it. Read it at writing meetings, family gatherings and no occasion at all.

Transfer your writing from your notebook to the computer and print it out. Everything looks more professional in print. Save your writing in printed format and keep it all organized in files. There is no reason you can't even make up a zine yourself. Just add a little desktop publishing and you can create your own literary publication, starring you.

Submit material for publication. In spite of yourself and your fears respect your work in producing the writing and the writing itself and submit it for publications. Give yourself a chance, it only costs a stamp, some paper and the time to research your markets.

Celebrate when you've completed a work or hit a significant marker. Take a road trip, make a fancy coffee, get a manicure, soak in the tub, call a friend, buy that new thesaurus you wanted, whatever makes a celebration to you. You deserve it.

Accept compliments gracefully. Don't become your own worst critic when someone says your writing touched them, was a great read or made them think. Instead say thanks and give them more to read, point them to your website, the latest publication to buy your work, whatever you have to offer. Instead of denying your work, promote it.

A Little Song of Life - Lizette Woodworth Reese

Glad that I live am I,

That the sky is blue;

Glad for the country lanes,

And the fall of dew.

After the sun the rain,

After the rain the sun;

This is the way of life,

Till the work be done.

All that we need to do,

Be we low or high,

Is to see that we grow,

Nearer the sky.

I found this in an old school textbook at the GoodWill. What would write for your own Little Song of Life? I have a few ideas bumping into each other in my head.

This will be a short newsletter. I just have too much going on, well not even that anymore. I'm just too unsettled. No longer upset, just not settled in my mind.

Anyway, for you today I have something I read from a Harlequin Flipside romance writer. At the time I read it I scoffed and thought "how lame"! Now, I've had time to re-think while the idea has simmered on the back burner of my brain. Here it is...

I used to give advice to my university students - all aspiring writers. On the first day of class I would tell them to give me a good Elvis snarl, growl, then say "I can do that!" Surprisingly, I got a lot of resistance, but after a couple of minutes of good, solid growling I explained how that pit bull attitude is the start of achieving anything they want. It's all about the attitude.

My friend Toni had that "can do" attitude. An immigrant from Italy, she went after what she wanted. Her dream was to be an attorney and later, a criminal court judge. She snarled, growled and she did it! And you can do that too! So let me hear that snarl, hear that growl and say "I can do that!"

Dianne Drake

Go get your pit bull and tackle something that's been intimidating you! You go Grrrl!

(You too boys).

Found on an abandoned blog: When tempted to gossip, breathe through your nose. I thought it was cute.

Draw your own self portrait, even if you don't think you can draw. Consider the details. What would you be doing, how would you be sitting, what things would be around you in the background and in the foreground?

How would you present yourself, the writer, the family person or some other aspects of who you are? Now go ahead and draw, it doesn't matter if it's a work of art, suitable for framing. It's just for you. Unless it becomes such a masterpiece that you simply must share it!

Now that you are into drawing mode...

Dr. Seuss often got his ideas by doodling. Draw a picture/ doodle and ask yourself why? Why did this happen? How did this happen? How can you explain it all in a story.

What do you usually doodle when on the phone, waiting on hold? Some people doodle shapes, some doodle faces and some create whole pictures. What would you say about your doodles to someone else. How would you describe it? Where did it start and where will it end?

If you enjoy doodling and drawing at all consider making sketches as you write. Especially if you are writing fiction. Draw the characters you are writing about, give them a face on paper, not just in words but in real lines, angles and shapes. Are they happy, scowling, reading a good book? What did you catch your characters doing?

If you write non-fiction drawing it out is good too. Draw what you are describing to someone else. Make it more visible to yourself. Delve just that bit deeper and figure it out from another angle. How does it all really work? When you journal draw or doodle your thoughts, things and people you saw that day.

Doodling can bring a whole new aspect and resource to your writing.

"I write very freely at first, just tons of stuff. At that stage, I try not to revise at all. If the editor in my head comes in too soon and says, ugh, this isn't good, then nothing ever gets past the early steps." Phoebe Gilman

"There are some days when I go to sit down at my drawing table and I just want to cry. Sometimes I do cry. But I've learned to keep working - even if I'm messing up and making mistakes." Trina Schart Hyman

"Nonsense wakes up the brain." Theodor Seuss Geisel