One thing I discovered very early in my life as a Parkinsonian... People with Parkinson's are a very creative lot! Over the years I've noted a seemingly greater than "normal" percentage of us are "writers".
My first recollection in this regard was a book of Essays I was given shortly after diagnosis. That book was Patient Perspectives on Parkinson's - A Series of Essays By Sid and Donna Dorros. I still have it!
I also became a subscriber to the e-mail PARKINSN List. There I found many talented wordsmiths, Dennis Greene, Barbara Blake-Krebs, Joan Blessington Snyder, Jerry Finch, Barb Mallutt, Bob Armentrout, Janet Paterson, Kees Paap, Camilla Hewson Flintermann, & John Bjork's saga A View From The Lighter Side of Parkinson's Disease from Parkinsaw, MI
to name just a few... Then, in August, 2002, I read this Article...
The Power of Therapeutic Writing
http://www.observer.co.uk/magazine/story/0,11913,764452,00.html
When this piece was brought to my attention, suddenly it all made sense... Of course!! Writing is Therapeutic!! I typed that phrase into the GOOGLE Search Box on my browser...
Writing is Therapeutic
http://www.fitnesspastfifty.com/article1012.html
I have found that keeping busy is very important to Parkinsonians, and keeping busy in a positive manner contributes to Quality of Life! Writing is a wonderful therapeutic tool for overall mental health and time passes unbelievably swiftly when seized by the compulsion of a "Project" (this web site is an example...)
What is the Power of Writing?
http://www.journaltherapy.com/power_of_writing.htm
How do we get started? (All you really need is paper and a pen...) We could take an online course...
Margie Davis's Online Writing Courses
http://members.aol.com/MDavis1493/writing.htm
Check out Poems by Bob "Tex" Armentrout - genuine creativity!
http://www.geocities.com/bobarmentrout/index.html
Many Parkinsonians have written entire books...
Read the stories behind Voices From the Parking Lot
Read the Forward by Robin Elliot.
Read the story behind "When Parkinson’s Strikes Early: Voices, Choices, Resources and Treatment" by Barbara Blake-Krebs and Linda Herman
http://www.medaille.edu/pr/horizon/pr_parkinsons.html
Check out the li'l CT redhead's considerable talent at the "October Mourning" web site.
The following books may be of interest to people with Parkinson's, their families, and caregivers.
http://www.michaeljfox.org/community/resources
We could write a request for National Medicare Coverage for Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's... Dr. Barry Green of Tyler Texas did just that... on behalf of 8,000 others...
http://cms.hhs.gov/coverage/8b3-jjj1.asp
Barry Green also collaborated on the book "Parkinson Predicament & a Spoonful of Sugar: My Life with Parkinson's Disease" by Barbara Coleman, Barry Green, et al; 1997 and is the editor and publisher of an independent tabloid newspaper by and for Parkinsonians "Parkinsonian People" now in it's eighth year! How can you get a copy? Write to:
Parkinsonian People
4801 Richmond Road,
Tyler, Texas 75703
Read about it in PDF News. (Scroll down to Parkinsonian People...)
Parkinsonian People is a non-profit and relies on contributions and donations to make ends meet... and... you just might find a piece by Marge Moylan, or Linda Herman, or Murray Charters?
Do ya have to be a Dr. or have a degree or two? I don't think so... (I'm a mechanic...) There are tons of "tools" online, and you could just write for yourself... or... if you look closely, there are tools to help you assist your grandchildren with their homework assignments...
You could "create" a web site... Phil Tompkins did...
http://www.pdindex.org/
or... check out this truly marvelous web site produced by a "cyber-acquaintance"...
Some Interesting and Useful Web Links
Contains annotated web links for free, informative, and regularly accessible sites.
http://www.geocities.com/interestingweblinks/index.htm
Make WriteTools Your Start Page!
You've found it - a one-stop reference site for anyone who writes, edits, or checks facts. These pages are a compilation of the best tools found on the Web; book-mark the site and you can delete most of your other reference book-marks.
http://writetools.com/index2.html
Writing to Heal, Writing to Grow
The therapeutic writing (aka journal writing) courses at Writing to Heal, Writing to Grow are based on research which shows that writing deep thoughts and feelings about stressful events can help people reduce stress, have more positive outlooks, and boost their immune systems.
http://www.writingtoheal.com/
Literary Resources on the Net
http://newark.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Lit/
Resources for Writers and Writing Instructors
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/links.html
OWL - Online Writing Lab - Internet Resources
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/internet/resources/
OWL - Online Writing Lab - Research and Reference
This section has links to dictionaries and style manuals, online references, indexes for writers, online libraries, online books and e-texts, and online newspapers and journals.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/internet/resources/sourceofinfo.html
Online Tools To Help You Write
http://freereads.topcities.com/usefullinksforauthors.html
Harvard - The Writing Center - Writing Tools
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/wtools.html
WriterKorner - Articles, Tips, and Tools for Writers-in-Waiting
http://www.peak.org/~bonwritr/ygwriters.htm
Writers' Online Resources
http://www.mun.ca/writingcentre/tools.shtml
Tips Techniques and Checklists
http://www.jeanweber.com/howto/index.htm
Readers and Writers Resources
http://www.diane.com/readers/
The Internet Public Library
http://www.ipl.org/
The Internet Public Library: Literary Criticism
http://www.ipl.org/div/litcrit/guide.html
Indispensable Writing Resources
A Complete Collection of Writing Essentials
http://www.quintcareers.com/writing/
Welcome to the Writer's Resource Center
http://www.poewar.com/
Sell Writing Online (SWO)
http://www.sellwritingonline.com/
The Technical Writer's Resource
http://www.worldwidelinks.net/techwriting/
Fiction Writer's Resource Page
http://mailer.fsu.edu/~tjp4773/writersresources.html
Newbie Writer's Resource
http://www.eggplant-productions.com/newbie/
Newbie Writer's Resource Pages - PDF Version
http://www.eggplant-productions.com/newbie/nw03-09-2001.pdf
Map (Media Awareness Project)Inc. - Writer's Resources
http://www.mapinc.org/resource/
Reference.Bartleby.com
http://www.bartleby.com/reference/
Sharpwriters.com
http://www.sharpwriter.com/
Grammar Bytes! Interactive Grammar Review!
http://www.chompchomp.com/
http://www.chompchomp.com/menu.htm
iTools - We've replaced our Research-It! and Find-It! pages with better tools.
http://www.itools.com/
Information Please for Teachers
http://teachers.infoplease.com/?link=tmplnav
The Writers Page - Writers Resources Online
http://www.indranet.com/writinginfo.html#style
The 101 Best websites for Writers for 2002
http://www.writersdigest.com/101sites/2002_index.asp
Best websites for 2002 - Complete A-Z List
http://www.writersdigest.com/101sites/categorysearch.asp?year_101=2002
Best websites for 2001 - Complete A-Z List
http://www.writersdigest.com/101sites/categorysearch.asp?year_101=2001
The WritersDigest.com Advice Archives - Visit our Tip of the Day Archives for tips on everything from dialogue and plot to selling your work.
http://www.writersdigest.com/tiparchives.asp
FactMonster...
http://www.factmonster.com/?wtlAC=infoplease.com,LNnav
Writer's Corner
http://www.hellolincoln.com/vnews/display.v/SEC/Writer's+Corner
Scroll down the page (from the link above) and in the left column near the bottom, discover a MENU...
Writer's Corner
- Ebooks
- Authors
- Electronic Publishers
- For Beginners
- Paper Publishers
- Web Publishers
- Writing Basics