Tag Archives: advice

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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Weather or Not, Here I Write

Posted on August 21, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

I remember some advice from one of the many books I’ve read about writing: add weather. Alas, I do not remember the book or the author, except that it was one of those collections of essays on writing. I ponder the advice and I find it to be good. As it happens, weather is about the only thing I can write my blog post about tonight.

Oh, yeah, there is the DARE 5K, which I wrote some more about on a break at work today. There is a fairly cheesy sci-fi flick I wrote most of a post on some weeks ago. In the first place, I don’t feel like typing in that many words tonight. In the second place, I’m afraid if I just publish what I have so far, the posts will not be that good. At least, I hope they can be better and I do not feel capable of making them so right now.

As I sit in my living room typing, I hear the occasional rumble of distant thunder. The rain has tapered off to a mere trickle. Earlier it was torrential. Before that the sky was grey and threatening. I was hanging out in a nightgown, because I felt like wearing something loose and comfy. Steven was in sweats for the same reason.

We had originally hoped to go to a cruise-in at the Mohawk Antiques Mall, where we could purchase hot dogs and root beer floats for dinner. I thought it looked too threatening. Also I was tired and once I had the nightgown on, well… Steven cooked some hot dogs and pork-n-beans on our stove.

But I still had to think about lunch tomorrow. Steven had purchased some tossed salad ingredients for me. We have a number of tomatoes yummily ripening in our yard. I was toasting a bun for my second hot dog, thinking after I had eaten it I would get on to the salad-making portion of the evening.

And here is the kind of husband I have. Since I had remarked how threatening the sky looked and since sweats are less embarrassing than a nightgown in case the neighbors can see, Steven put down his unfinished dinner and went out and got my tomatoes.

I ate my second hot dog then got to work on the salad. That was when the heavens opened up and down came the deluge.

And now it is over. Hmmm…. I guess when you add weather it is nice to have something to add weather too. Weather alone, I fear, is not enough. On the other hand, this is Wuss-Out Wednesday and it is the best I can do.

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One Must Write, After All

Posted on August 14, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Here’s a writing problem I often have. I finish writing a scene. I accomplish what the scene set out to do (or not, I’m not perfect). I end on a dramatic note, a joke or a cliffhanger. I stop, satisfied. Then I have the damnedest time starting another scene.

I don’t necessarily have this problem with blog posts. Monday I wrote a post about registering for the DARE 5K, turned a page in my notebook and wrote a post about the run I had taken that morning. Then again, that doesn’t always happen either. Sometimes I finish a blog post and stop.

I suppose I would avoid the problem in my novel if I worked from an outline. I could just move on to the scene that comes next or even pick a scene several Roman numerals down the page. In short, I would know what else was going to happen. In the blog, I could make a list of future topics to choose from.

In the novel I am currently working on, I only kind of sort of know what is going to happen. And I keep changing it and adding things. What’s that about? Regarding my blog, well that’s about my life and if you think that’s ever going to proceed in an orderly fashion, you clearly have no understanding of my character.

I don’t know why I’m even writing a blog post about this. Whenever you talk about a writing problem (or any other problem for that matter), all kinds of people are ready to chip in all sorts of advice, comprising quite a range of helpfulness and well-meaningness (my computer says well-meaningness is not a word, but what does a computer know?).

On the other hand, I had to write something. There I was, sitting next to my notebook, pen in hand, poised as it were for literary exercise. I have learned that if one writes any words at all, one can often sleaze over into writing about what one originally wanted to.

That is just one trick, however. Another school of thought says one should do something strictly non-verbal: clean the house, play an instrument, go for a walk. Everything will fall into place.

Frankly, I do both things. I sit at my job doing my work, which is strictly non-verbal. Then on my break I sit at my notebook and write… what I can. It sometimes makes for a very satisfying day.

Oh dear, that sounded like the end of my blog post. Now I’m stuck again.

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Two Lame Scares

Posted on February 1, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is Lame Post Friday and I confess, I am feeling beyond lame.

I worked on my novel on breaks at work today. I wrote some good stuff. When I got home I typed in some stuff I wrote on the novel last August. It’s some pretty good stuff, too.

OK, I admit it, I don’t really have a clear idea of whether or not it’s good stuff, but I like it. Just a minor problem, however, in that I seem to have two novels. Seriously, I see two main plot lines that I thought were related, but perhaps are not.

I would really love to expound upon this dilemma, but I am afraid that if I talk too much about the novel, I will no longer feel obligated to write it. I’ve mentioned that before. Also, the ever present threat of Advice from Others. Even (good God not that!) Well-Meaning Advice.

Now I’ve scared myself.

When I first got home today, I wrote a few postcards and walked to the post office with Tabby to mail them. Suddenly I’m flashing on a Writer’s Horror Story I heard once, about a writer who used up all his creativity writing witty cards to friends and never wrote that novel.

Actually, I thought that story sounded kind of lame at the time (hey! How appropriate for today!). And the more I’m in this writing game, the lamer I see that it is. Creativity is not a bucket that you empty. It is a spring or a river or a bottomless well. You take some out, and it flows even better. I wrote novel and postcards (and, dare I say, blog post) today, who knows what I will write tomorrow!

Yes, it’s another post where I just put some words here, hit publish and drive on. I am hoping for some Mohawk Valley adventures tomorrow. I hope at least some of you stay tuned.

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Not Even an Excuse

Posted on September 10, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, here it is Middle-aged Musings Monday and I have nothing, not even an excuse.

Other days when I have not written my blog post while at work, it has usually been because I was working on my novel. Truth be known, this is not an airtight alibi, because other days I have been able to do both, utilizing different breaks for each purpose. Still, working on a novel. There could be no possible objection.

I did work on the novel. I wrote a little more than a page.

And it wasn’t very good.

I realize I may not be the best judge of this. However, since I am the only one allowed to read the dumb thing at this point, I am the only judge. And I judge: gotta do better than this.

That’s really all I want to say about the novel, though. For one thing, if you talk too much about a novel, you no longer need to write it. And anybody out there who says, “I told you that years ago,” just shut up, you did not. Oh, but that’s the other thing: everybody is SO READY to offer advice, whether or not they have actually written a novel themselves. Even a bad novel. Even a stupid novel that never got published.

Oh wait, I wrote a stupid novel that never got published. I guess that means I can give myself advice. My advice to myself is: don’t publish this blog post, it’s stupid. Write something good.

How many of you out there take advice? Let me see your hands.

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