Category Archives: writing

Well, Of Course It’s Wrist to Forehead Sunday

Posted on April 20, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Surely nobody thought I was going to have a really good post on the last day of Fabulous Wine Tasting Weekend (and I’ll call you Shirley if I feel like it).  I am back home, feeling relaxed and happy yet thoroughly unable to write.  I know from experience that is deceiving. I can write something.  It just might not be any good.

 

Some female members of my family met at my sister’s house in Liverpool,NY, and from there we drove to the Finger Lakes, where we stopped at various wineries.  It was a great deal of fun.  The weather was perfect, the scenery divine and the company top notch.  I took lots of notes.  I may write a few posts about my favorite wineries (preview of coming attractions).

 

Steven and Tabby met us in Liverpool Saturday evening.  This morning, after a lovely walk around my sister’s neighborhood (she went too, so I did not get lost) (see yesterday’s post), we drove back to Herkimer.  Tabby is sacked out.  One of my favorite TV shows, Snapped, is on all day.  Soon I shall begin making a pizza which will feature green, red, yellow and orange peppers.  Yum (may write a blog post about that) (more preview of coming attractions).

 

Amidst all this activity, relaxation and enjoyment, I just can’t write a real post.  Hence, despite my feelings  of contentment, my wrist is on my forehead.  I hope you are all having a lovely Sunday yourselves.

 

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I Wouldn’t Call This Polished

Posted on April 18, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

So much for my idea of writing blog posts ahead (it worked for me before, dammit).  I do have a draft saved.  It started out to be a simple running commentary.  Then I found myself embarked upon a whole essay about writing.  I feel it was not contemptible but yet want to edit.  Edit on Lame Post Friday?  NEVER!

 

Well, no, I often edit somewhat, even when composing at the keyboard.  At least I proofread (yes, yes, sometimes I miss a typo, what’s your point?).  But I like Lame Post Friday to be more spontaneous and leisurely , but not polished and fussed over (yes, yes, I know, if it looks fussed over, you’ve fussed too much, will you go find somebody else to bother?).

 

I am not composing this at the keyboard, by the way.  I am handwriting rather messily in a spiral notebook on the table in the break area at work, prior to my shift start.  College ruled paper, ballpoint pen, black ink, if you enjoy that sort of detail.

 

I find that writing before work puts me in a happy mood.  As long as it goes well.  I ought to be in a happy mood anyways, because it is Friday.  Also , today begins another Fabulous Wine Tasting Weekend with some family members.  Good folks, good times, what’s not to like?  No doubt I’ll write a blog post about it.  In the meantime, Happy Friday, everybody!

 

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As the Laundry Turns

Posted on April 17, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

My usual plan when I’m going away for the weekend is to write blog posts ahead.  WordPress even has a handy function whereby I can set the posts to Publish at an appropriate future time.

 

You know what, I can just hear somebody carping now (or is it karping?  Carping looks too much like carpe diem, which is not the same thing):  “I thought the point of the blog was to write every day.  If you write blog posts ahead, you are not writing every day now, are you?”

 

Oh, shut up (I explain) (that’s an S.J. Perelman joke).  I’ll still write every day.  I just won’t necessarily write a blog post.  After all, this blog is not the only thing I write.  Besides, SOME readers LIKE to see a post from me every day.  I can’t let them down, can I?  Of course I could, perhaps sometimes I do, but I try not to.

 

I wrote the above when I was sitting in the laundromat Wednesday, wishing to high heaven that somebody had left a magazine lying around.  Once I found a trashy paperback in the laundromat.  That was sweet.  It was somehow a randomly found paperback was a more engrossing read than any number of books I have purchased or selected at the library.

 

No such rescue awaited me on Wednesday.  I sat there with my notebook, attempting to write my novel, a letter, my play, a blog post, ANYTHING.  It was no good.  However, I see that the silliness I did manage is over 200 words.  I call that a blog post, and quite appropriate for Non-Sequitur Thursday.  But whatever will  I do on Lame Post Friday?  Stay tuned, we’ll find out together.

 

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My Non-Consecutive Week Continues

Posted on April 2, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

This is my third consecutive day of not having a terrible headache. Isn’t that wonderful? Wouldn’t you think I would be busily writing away, words falling from my fingers to the page, blog post, novel, play, LET’S GO!

I know, some of you are sitting there saying, “I wouldn’t think that.” Some people have no faith in me. And some people are no doubt wondering if their faith in me was misplaced, as I write Yet Another Post About Not Being Able to Write a Post.

A digression: previously I have talked about Posts About Why I Can’t Write a Post Today. Which is fine, when I actually know why I can’t write a post. Since I sometimes don’t, I switched to Posts About How I Can’t Write a Post Today. Then just now as I was typing, I thought, a Post About Not Being Able to Write a Post. Tomorrow I may come up with something else, except in the unlikely event I can actually write a post. One must be prepared for anything.

On another unrelated note, I inadvertently hit some combination of keys on my computer which made the letters on the screen get all itty bitty. It is difficult to see what I an typing. Damn my presbyopia!

So I see that after having Tired Tuesday on a Monday, Wuss-out Wednesday on a Tuesday, I seem to be having… oh, I know some of you saw it coming, Non-Sequitur Thursday on a Wednesday! No matter, whatever it is, it’s over 200 words. I’ll try again tomorrow.

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Wuss-out Words

Posted on April 1, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yesterday I had Tired Tuesday on a Monday. Today I’m having Wuss-out Wednesday on a Tuesday. I offer no apologies. These things happen.

I went running, thinking to offer a Running Commentary. I narrated in my head while I ran, even editing, because I was afraid it would be too much like the Running Commentary immediately previous. But I can’t do it.

Of course it would have been better to write my blog post while at work. I worked on a letter first, hoping to ease into it. Unfortunately, I had brought some Cryptoquote puzzles I cut out of the Herkimer Telegram newspaper and couldn’t resist solving a few of those. I love cryptogram puzzles. I feel so clever when I figure them out.

In the letter I stated that by my rules any writing counts, letters, TV Journal, anything that puts pen to paper. As long as I’m stringing together words. I can just hear somebody huffing, “What, you can just write down random words and that counts as writing?” I explain, shut up (that’s an homage to S.J. Perelman). I have never actually written a mere list of unrelated words, but I’m going to declare right now that yes, it would count.

Table, rug, dog, sleeping husband, People’s Court on television. These are not unrelated words, they are things in my immediate line of vision. How about some random words? Cigarette, avocado, rent, persuasion, nonchalant. That’s not easy, thinking of random words, but it’s kind of fun. Try it.

As for me, I will try to write some non-random words in my TV Journal. Any maybe go for a better blog post tomorrow. Hope you’re all having a lovely week, whatever day you feel it is.

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Post-Pain Post

Posted on March 31, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Somebody at work today said it was Tuesday. In a sense it is, because we have Friday off. A four day week. I am quite delighted. For me it is like a Tuesday for a different reason: I am tired! All I want to make is a Tired Tuesday post!

I had thought I could do a Middle-aged Musings Monday. But I could not think of anything to muse about. I’m not so nuts about Middle-aged Musings Monday anyways. I mean, nobody uses the term “muse” in that sense any more. Once in a while somebody talks about having a muse, or being someone’s muse. Like in the TV show Castle, where Becket is Castle’s muse (I love that show).

So I tried to think of a different Monday thing. The Monday Malaise? I believe I used that as a title once. I wonder if the post was any good. Perhaps I’ll look it up and see…

Read it. I liked it, but I have an unfortunate tendency to like almost everything I write. That being the case, one might think I would have more self-confidence as a writer and not spend so much time listening to and arguing with my inner critics. Then again, I have enough self-confidence to hit Publish when I have typed in a bunch of foolishness like this.

I think this is after headache syndrome. I recall last week after having a bad headache one day, I did not have one the next yet wrote a ridiculous post. Yesterday I had a headache. Today I did not. Oh well, I’m going to slap a headline on this, hit Publish and hope for the best. I only wish I could think of a title with a little alliteration. Oh, wait, I think I’ve got one.

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Another Non-Sequitur Thursday

Posted on March 13, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

When I left for work this morning I did NOT bring the puzzle book which was part of my downfall the other day. I was going to WRITE on my breaks. I did bring a printout of the article I was working on for Mohawk Valley Living. I thought I could work on it.

I got to work early enough to write. I looked over the article. Marked out how I wanted to rearrange the paragraphs. Added a sentence or two. Made a couple of notes of things to look up further. This was great. I felt like a real magazine writer.

It was time to begin work before I got much else done. At my nine o’clock break, I thought I might work on a blog post. Couldn’t think of anything. I’d written a bunch of notes on my novel (currently at something of a standstill) but felt I could add nothing to them. My play was in the other notebook.

That play. I’m going to be seeing the fellow I’m writing it for next week. And I don’t think it is very good. I think I have some major plot problems. I began writing a synopsis of the plot, so as to get a better handle on what I had going on. I continued the synopsis during my lunch break (pausing to call and talk to my husband, obviously a very important thing to do). I think it is very complicated.

When I got home, I got to work on stuff to submit to Mohawk Valley Living, the deadline for which is tomorrow. I finished my article. I took two previous blog posts and edited them for submission. This, I might add, was a long and complicated process, given my old and infirm desktop computer (I’m composing this on the acer). May I just add, the comfortable feeling of being a real magazine writer did not last.

All this by way of saying, I’m too tired to also write a blog post. However, if my dearest husband can help me come up with a catchy title, we can call this another Non-Sequitur Thursday.

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It Is What It Is

Posted on March 12, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

When I asked Steven could we skip doing laundry tonight so I could work on my article for Mohawk Valley Living, I had no intention of wussing out, Wuss-out Wednesday or not. My brain had other ideas. Oh, that’s an inaccuracy. My brain has no ideas whatsoever! My article isn’t finished. My blog post isn’t written. All I want to do is sit on the couch and crochet.

Some windows were open at work today. As I felt the almost spring air come in, I could feel myself coming back to life. I felt relief, joy and longing. Oh, I wanted to DO something! So I was not thinking about my article, my novel or my play. I was thinking what I could possibly do on Saturday. Or even tonight.

I was aware as I sat there daydreaming that my brain was not functioning up to par. It must have been functioning somewhat, because I got my work done and even managed to work on a couple of puzzles during breaks. Yes, yes, I worked on puzzles in a puzzle book during my breaks, I did not write, stop looking at me with that judgmental expression, you’re not perfect, either, you know.

I did work on my article a little. I think what I’ve got is good, I just want more. I think what I’ve got so far for a blog post is not very good at all. And I don’t want more! I want my crochet! This is dreadfully embarrassing, but as an annoying saying goes, it is what it is. Let’s see if I can do better on Thursday. I hope I’ll still have readers.

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Now We Know Why I’m Not on the Best Seller List

Posted on March 7, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Lame Post Friday follows Non-Sequitur Thursday as surely as night follows day. I can’t say as surely “as spring follows winter” because many of us here in the Mohawk Valley are wondering when spring will come if ever. Oh, I know winter won’t last forever. I’m just afraid we will skip straight to summer. However, my purpose today is not to complain about the weather but to entertain with some random observations and half-baked philosophy.

And here is where I make a note to myself: when I see something worthy of being a random observation during the week I should WRITE IT DOWN. However, thinking of that makes me remember a bit of half-baked philosophy I can share. At least, I don’t know how philosophical it is. It is a hoary piece of writer advice you see everywhere, and I would like to address it.

Keep a notebook by your bed, the advice says. When you come up with a brilliant idea in the middle of the night — perhaps in a dream — you can make an immediate note of it. You will most likely not remember it in the morning. As far as that goes, it is true. I often wake up from a dream, think, “What a great novel that would make!” Then fall back asleep and forget it.

Once in a while, though, I do remember it. I’ve even been known to go so far as to write it down. Guess what? When I look at it in the morning, I find out that it ain’t so brilliant after all. When it makes sense at all. When I can read my own handwriting.

I suppose it is still good advice to write it down. After all, what if it really is brilliant? In that case I might like to remember it. So noted. In fact, I do sleep with a notebook and pen handy. Also, at least one book, a flashlight, my Bible, a handkerchief and a bottle of water (in case anybody was making comparisons with their own bedside).

However, all my life I have suffered from insomnia. The older I get, the more unhappy it makes me the next day. Therefore, I confess that I do not often waste time chasing down elusive writing ideas when to me the operative thing to do is to go back to sleep.

And now the operative thing to do is to go back to enjoying my Friday. I hope you are doing the same.

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But You Should Have Read That Post in My Head

Posted on February 28, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

So there I was trying to write a blog post when it suddenly became clear: what I composed in my head while I was working (it’s OK, it’s the kind of job I can daydream and do properly) does not necessarily translate through my pen and onto the paper.

Oh, there are the Know-It-Alls gearing up to say, “I could have told you that would happen. You can’t THINK about things before you write them, you have to just WRITE.” Blah, blah, blah. I think I know better than to listen to those yahoos by now. Yes, sometimes it is better to sit down at the page (or screen) tabula rasa as it were and see what comes out. Sometimes it helps to think about it first. How much thinking you ought to do varies.

That last sentence is the crux of the matter. The thing is, any piece of writerly advice — even wise, insightful advice (and any advice that begins with a sniff and “I could have told you that would happen” is probably neither wise nor insightful) — is only good some of the time. Every piece of writing is different. What works for one may be a disaster for another. Likewise, one writer’s Rosetta Stone is another writer’s brick wall (ooh, isn’t that a nice metaphor?) (now I’m remembering another piece of writerly advice: if you write something particularly fine, strike it out. I forget who said it).

Another thing about advice is: most people like to give it, few people like to take it. I don’t much like to listen to advice myself, especially if I haven’t asked for it. So anybody gearing up to offer advice on this blog post, NEVER MIND! Unless you’d like to leave a comment. I like when people leave comments. But if you comment with advice, I will probably not follow it.

In case anybody hasn’t noticed, today is Lame Post Friday.

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