Tag Archives: writing

Webster Is Not Much Help

Do you suppose that MRI sucked out my brains and that’s why I’ve been so stupid all week?  Yes, yes, I know you’re asking what my excuse was before the MRI.  Must you make such obvious jokes?

Welcome to Non-Sequitur Thursday.

It really is a brain dead feeling.  It doesn’t seem like Writer’s Block, because that implies that there is something behind the block struggling to get out.  It isn’t exactly Writer’s Blank, either, because my brain does have a kind of, well, cluttered feeling to it.  But I can’t think, I can’t write, and it is very distressing.

Having said that, I remind myself that I just now wrote two paragraphs and one sentence worth of words and am embarking on another paragraph.  That does make me feel marginally less distressed.

The sentence that has been sticking in my head this morning is, “One must have a topic.”  It seems that sentence should include the phrase “in order to write,” but I’m not sure whether to put it at the beginning or the end of the sentence.  Any thoughts?

I realize that at times this blog seems dedicated to disproving that sentence.  How many posts about nothing at all have I written?  Anybody opening his mouth to say, “All of them,” can just close it (you know who you are).

This brings us, actually in a kind of a sequential fashion, to my philosophical question for the day.  Then again, half-baked philosophy is the purview of Lame Post Friday, so that makes it a kind of a non-sequitur once again.  Be that as it may, the question is:  Is it inherently better, worse or the same if I compose a post about nothing at the keyboard or if I write it in my notebook while at work (on a break OF COURSE)?  Discuss amongst yourselves.

Bonus question:  When was the last time you saw the word “purview” used correctly in a sentence?

Note to self:  Look up “purview” and see if I used it properly.

 

Sorry, Folks

I’ve got the dreaded Type It In And Backspace It Out.  I didn’t want to have a Wuss-out Wednesday on Veteran’s Day!

We went out to a nice dinner at PK’s Pub in Herkimer.  Then I went to the pick-up rehearsal for Lunch Hour at Ilion Little Theatre.  These are two perfectly blogworthy activities.  And here I sit, wanting to go to bed and trying NOT to look at the television.

And feeling like I really ought to backspace out the preceding paragraph.

All day at work I knew it would be a good idea to write a blog post.  My brain just would not seem to do it.  My brain still will not seem to do it.

This is what happens sometimes to people who try to write a daily blog.  We screw it up.  It’s embarrassing.   Humiliating even. We hit Publish anyways, but we don’t feel good about it.

Sorry, folks.

 

At Least I Got a Blog Post Out of It

Early on today, I knew I was going to stop by Ilion Free Public Library.  You see, I am attempting to write an article about Russell Park for Mohawk Valley Living magazine and wanted more background.  So far I have the story of me and Steven walking through the park and a work friend’s reminiscences of boyhood visits there.  I wanted more background, especially about the park’s history.  Another work friend said they probably had a whole file in the local history section of the library.

What a great idea, I thought.  The library will hook me up, and I can also write my blog post about the visit.  You see how I utilize my resources for multiple purposes.  I felt pretty pleased with myself.   And that should have given me my first clue that things would not go as planned.

When I walked in and made my request to the librarian, she said, “Let me look up the hours the history section is available.”

Oh dear.

I had already missed the hours it was available today.  Tomorrow they are closed for Veteran’s Day.  Thursday evening I can come in between six and eight.

Feeling as foolish as I usually feel, I explained how I do not have my act together and my deadline is fast approaching.  In my defense, I had planned to write an article about quite a different topic, only that fell through (long story, may make another blog post).  One of the VERY nice librarians volunteered to go upstairs and see if there was anything they could photocopy for me.

While she was gone, I couldn’t help noticing the ongoing book sale on a couple of carts right next to where I stood.   Ooh, that one looked good… oh, I already have that book.  Then I found one I hadn’t read.  By the time the lady returned, I had two hardcover, two softcover and a book on CD by Bruce Campbell (I adore Bruce Campbell).  She had not found anything. I thanked her for trying.

“Hang on, let me go and take one more look,” she said.

I paid for my purchases while she went.  She still did not find anything, but I told her how much I appreciated all the effort.   My deadline is on Friday.  There is a chance I could go Thursday night and still get it together.  As an added incentive, I noticed the library is having a pie sale on Thursday.  I do like homemade pie.

In conclusion, Ilion Free Public Library is a great resource with extremely helpful people.  As for me, I mean to begin earlier to write my articles and do my research in a more timely fashion.

The library is located at 78 West St., Ilion, NY.  Phone number 315-894-5028.

 

Oh Yeah, I Have to Vote, Too!

I knew early on today that is was Bad Attituesday.  I’ve had worse attitudes.  I think.  But have I written worse blog posts than this one is turning out to be?  I’m no judge.  Come to think of it, don’t you judge me either! (You know who you are.)

Yes, it is All Lunch Hour All The Time.  Opening night is Friday at Ilion Little Theatre.  I think it’s going to be a really good show.  The set looks wonderful.  If you’re curious you can probably see some photos on Ilion Little Theatre Club’s Facebook page.  Or you can come see the show.

So, as you may guess, I do not have a lot of time to compose a blog post.  I wrote other things during breaks at work.  Oh, OK, I also talked to my husband on the phone during lunch.  I’m not apologizing for that; husbands are important.  After work I was typing in my articles for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  I need to work on them more, and deadline is fast approaching.

And I just remembered, I’m supposed to bring something to rehearsal.  If only I could remember what it was, that would probably improve my attitude considerably.

I hope to see you again on Wuss-out Wednesday.

 

Write, Write Again

So you may have noticed that I have been going through some crisis about writing or rather not writing.  Too many foolish posts, not enough writing otherwise.  What’s a blogger to do?  Seriously, I’m asking.  What do other bloggers do?  Never mind, I probably couldn’t do what they do anyways. We all must find our own path, or something profound like that.

All that by way of saying here is another Monday Mental Meandering, BUT… I actually wrote something other than a blog post.  I need to get my articles written for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  I tried to work on them over the weekend, but, well, if you read my blog posts you’ll know that didn’t work out too well.  I went to work early this morning and tried again.

At first I failed. I sat at my little table (there is a little table near my work area I can sit at during breaks.  It is most convenient) and stared at a blank page.  I just couldn’t get the lead.  I could just hear some superior type saying, “Never mind getting the perfect lead, just write SOMETHING.  You can always revise it later.”  Well, I have found that that method — if I can even do it and I can’t always — is only effective some of the time.  I turned back a page and worked some more on a letter to a friend.  One could argue that that is at least writing something, I suppose.

Anyways, I made no more progress than that until lunch.  When I wrote two perfectly good pages!  Yes!  I’m back!  Fist pump!

I went back to work feeling better about everything.  As usual, my mind began to wander.  I thought in a vague sort of way about writing this and writing that.  I thought about some totally unrelated topics such as a doctor’s appointment, the upcoming holidays, and the present I have to get for my great-nephew’s first birthday (not sure the exact date; must check that).

And then I started to think about a story.  I liked the idea (NO, I’m not going to tell it to you now!).  Suddenly the first sentence was in my head, and I liked that. I grabbed a piece of scrap paper and wrote it down.  I wrote another sentence or two as I continued to work.  Then when I finished my clean-up and still had a few minutes before time to punch out, I sat at my table, opened my notebook and wrote some more.

It was fun!  I LOVE to write!  I want to write some MORE!

I see that there is one small problem with this blog post.  I think writing about writing is much more interesting when you actually talk about what you are writing.  Well, sorry about that, but if I do that I may never write it.  However, once I actually finish something, I may write a more interesting blog post about it.  I’ll include a Spoiler Alert.

 

A Modicum of a Blog Post

I realized earlier today why I keep having Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  Many years ago, I recognized that I was not wired to take advantage of Sunday as a productive day. I used to say to myself, “There’s no point in trying to get anything done on a Sunday.”  So I let myself off the hook.

Well, lately I have not been letting myself off the hook.  Oh, I have not been being productive, obviously not.  However, I have been TRYING, sometimes with gritted teeth, to get something, anything done.  It has not worked out for me.  What was I thinking?  You can’t go against nature!  At least, I guess you can sometimes.  For example, when it gets cold and snows, you can go inside and not freeze to death.  That is not the kind of sensible act I am talking about.

I actually did get a couple of things done today.  When Steven came home from work, he wanted to finish the outdoor work I started yesterday.  I went out and got to work while he changed his clothes, and we finished it together.  Well, technically, he finished it, because my sister Cheryl called while we were working, and as you may know, I feel it is important to talk to family members when possible.  Still, I helped (and if you just flashed on the old Shake-n-Bake ad, sorry).

A little later, Steven and I drove to Ilion and took a nice walk in Russell Park.  I must write a blog post about that place.  I had never been there, and it is really cool.  When we got home, I started cooking supper.  Yes, I said cooking; getting us dinner did not involve dialing a phone (which I always make Steven do anyways).

Now I have composed some semblance of a blog post.  I call these things a modicum of usefulness (and I have the added advantage of using the word modicum in a sentence, something most of us don’t get to do every day).

And what of my plan to become more productive and finish that damn novel?  I’m still working on it. Right now I feel it is time to move on to the movie-watching portion of the day.  After all, there’s no point in trying to do anything on a Sunday.

 

I Plan to Make a Plan

I have been letting myself off the hook a lot lately, and not just with making silly as opposed to “real” blog posts.   The problem stems from my rule of Any Writing Counts.  On the one hand, it does.  Putting words on paper works your writing muscles.  I don’t mean just the muscles in your fingers and wrist, either.  I mean your brain, if you have one, and they found out when they did a CAT scan on me that I do.

However, writing blog posts and letters or postcards to friends and clever Facebook posts and comments on other people’s blogs and entries in my TV Journal… however fun they may be, however useful they may be to my writing muscles, will not get my novel written.   Only working on the novel will get the novel done.

I have been thinking about this in a vague sort of way for a while now, even as lately I write less and less of all that other writing which I insist counts as writing.  The fact is, I do less and less of everything lately, but that is not what I’m talking about right now.  I have been thinking Work On That Novel.

Today I got a bit of inspiration from another blogger I read sometimes, Dawne Webber.  She recently hit a major milestone, a happy dance worthy event.  She got an agent.  You can click on her name, where I have linked to the post, but I’ll tell you, she wrote a novel, queried it everywhere with no result, wrote another novel, queried it almost everywhere and FINALLY got a good result.

THIS is what it’s all about!  She worked!  She wrote!  She worked some more!  She wrote some more! I have to get to work like her!

But first I have rehearsal for the play I am stage-managing.  And I have to write postcards to some folks (yes, I KNOW, postcards are not novels, but some of the people who receive my postcards really like them and there is no reason they should do without just because I want to write a novel).  And I have to work ten hours tomorrow, go to another rehearsal, and it would be a good idea if I also went running.  And I have to clean my basement, because a co-worker is going to sell him his washer and drier and I need a place to put them.

You see why I need a plan.  Somewhere amidst all the crap I have to do, I must find time to work on my novel.  When I have figured it out, I’ll let you know.  If any of you have any time management tips you’d like to share, feel free to comment.  Thanks.

 

How I Have Missed My Turbie Twist

I thought of that title while I was taking my shower, and I love rhyme almost as much as I love alliteration.  On the other hand, I do not want to make a whole blog post touting an “As Seen On TV” product.  Adding another hand, today is Non-Sequitur Thursday, so why not use the headline?  As the saying goes, waste not, want not.

Once again, the magic of putting fingers on keyboard is soothing me.  I may not be writing good words, but I am writing words.  That makes me feel happy.

I was feeling beyond stressed earlier today.  My sinus — or whatever it is — problems continue to plague me; work is, well, work; I have rehearsal tonight; and I am far from ready for the (wait for it) Halloweddinganniversaweenary Party this weekend.  AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!  Hmm. Primal scream therapy does not have the same effect on the screen.

I know, I know, what a big fat baby.  All I can do is whine and complain.  That may be true, but I prefer to say kvetch and gripe.  Gripe, especially, seems to have a tough, gritty aspect.  Ah, how I love words.

So you see that I continue to struggle with the “real” post problem.  After having such a good week last week. Well, at least I had one good week in October.  It isn’t time yet for the blog to become All Lunch Hour All The Time (that’s the play which is the rehearsal I have to go to) (it’s at Ilion Little Theatre; I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before).

Oh dear, two posts in a row where all I do is whine (complain, kvetch, gripe, whatever).  I hope I can come up with something amusing for Lame Post Friday.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

Can’t Give You Anything But Wuss

Oh dear, it is SO Wuss-out Wednesday!  I am so tired now I don’t know how I’m going to get through rehearsal, which I have to leave for soon so I am REALLY rushing this post.  Steady, Cindy, steady.  You’re only the stage manager.  All you have to do is sit there with the book in your lap and feed the actors their lines as needed.  It is one thing to wuss out.  Let us keep our wrist off our forehead.

Where was I?  Ah yes, making a blog post.  I did start to write a “real” post while at work today, about another stop on the Saturday of adventures I had recently.  I need to look up a few more things about the place (preview of coming attractions).  I had planned to go running after work, so I thought I would make a Running Commentary instead.   Why do I even bother planning anything?

Oh, I did run.  If you could call it that.  It might even be good to write about my plod/shuffle/whatever-it-was.  For one reason, other runners may read it and feel a whole lot better about their own endeavors.  For another reason, it might be more humorous than my current whining.

It’s no use.  Right now I’ve got nothing but whine.  And I don’t dare have any wine or I will fall asleep for sure (no, I’m not an alcoholic, I was making a play on words with whine/wine.  Sheesh!).  All I can do is try again tomorrow. Thank you for bearing with me and Happy Wednesday to you all.

 

Post then Popcorn

In my defense, it has been a week since I published a foolish post about not writing a post.  Perhaps some of you are surprised it took me this long.  I am having quite an enjoyable Sunday, as I often do, but feel not the least bit inclined to compose anything of substance.  I shall therefore type in a couple of paragraphs off the cuff and pass it off as a Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

Steven and I spent the morning cleaning our house for our — wait for it — Halloweddinganniversaweenary Party.  I paused in the midst of cleaning to go running.  As I ran, I realized that when I have mentioned the party in this blog, I always preface it with  “wait for it.” I like that.

I had thought I could do a Running Commentary.  I still have a couple of adventures from last Saturday I have not detailed. We just watched a cheesy movie that may or may not make a good blog post.  I mention these things to give you a preview of coming attractions, although some readers may be sitting there saying in that snarky tone of voice, “Well, why don’t your write them then?”  You know who you are.

In the meantime, we are watching Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.  Yes, Halloween movie viewing is in full force at my house.  I believe a bowl of popcorn is in order, but I wanted to make my blog post so I wouldn’t have it hanging over my head.  You know, my head that has a forehead with a wrist on it.  Happy Sunday, everyone.