Tag Archives: writing

In Praise of Nothing

Yes, it is another Wrist to Forehead Sunday. I have spent the whole day doing nothing much and now I’m going to write about it.

Some people have to be up and doing every minute. When you waste time, these people argue, you are wasting your life away. Another school of thought says, if you enjoyed yourself, the time was not wasted. I say it wasn’t wasted either way. If it wasn’t fun, maybe you learned something. Or maybe you did something useful you weren’t even aware of. Or perhaps you just recharged your batteries.

My day today was a battery re-charging sort of a day. I lazed around. I read a Georgette Heyer novel. I’m watching Snapped. Most importantly, I hung with my husband and dog. How could I possibly consider the time wasted?

I have the next week off at work. I have big plans: to run, to write, to clean and more. But today I did not do any of it (unless you count this blog post as writing, which I suppose I do). Right now I am having a day where I’m just doing nothing.

And I think that is pretty OK.

What if None of my Guesses are Right?

It does not matter how bad I have been all week, I cannot, I simply cannot be good on Lame Post Friday.

That statement just cries out for some half-baked philosophy on what is “good” and “bad.” In this context, apparently “good” is “good writing,” a manifestly subjective term. Although, I guess by “good” I must mean a blog post about something OTHER THAN the fact that I have nothing to write a blog post about. Something I wrote earlier today and, dare I say, edited. Maybe thought about. Maybe made a little bit “better” than something I just type off the cuff at the computer.

Well, here is my problem. Every time I write something foolish (like this, I hope), I get Likes from other bloggers. Apparently my writing off the cuff is extremely entertaining to some people. On the other hand, perhaps they merely hit “Like” because I have made them feel so much better about their own blogs because mine is so bad (note the absence of quotations this time). In any case, I have been encouraged in my folly.

My other problem is, it’s kind of fun to just sit here rattling on. Editing can be hard work. For one thing, unless it is really obvious which is the better way to say something, it leads to some very uncomfortable second guessing. I hate second guessing! For one thing, it very often turns out that none of my guesses are right.

I’m hoping for some running commentary tomorrow. In the meantime, happy Friday, everyone.

It’s a C Not a K, by the Way

So there I was, writing about a minor Mohawk Valley adventure I had and I thought, “This is kind of dull.” It had been hard enough to start, because I am getting a little tired of beginning blog posts with “This day we went here and did this…” I could not think of anything better, so I told myself, “Just start with that and you can change it later.”

I started. I wrote. I was quite unsatisfied. I wrote the preceding paragraph. I spent the rest of my breaks at work NOT writing. I came home and, um, still did not write. Finally, I thought, “It’s Non-Sequitur Thursday. I’ll type in the paragraph about not liking what I wrote, type in what I wrote, and let my readers judge (even though I often say, ‘Don’t judge’)”.

The other night, Steven, Tabby and I took a drive out to the KOA Kampground by the Herkimer Diamond Mines to visit some relatives who happened to be staying there. What a nice setting for a pleasant summer evening. I’m sure the Herkimer Diamond Mines would make a fine blog post. In fact, we visited there once in my pre-blogging days. But Tuesday all we did was hang out at the Kampground.

The Kampground is located across the highway from the Diamond Mines, right on the river. As we sat visiting we could watch some kids cruise by on inner tubes. Then we would see them walk by on the other side of the camp site, headed back for another run. It looked like a fun way to spend an evening to me.

After a while Tabby wanted to walk so I took her around a little bit. The inground pool looked inviting. Tabby seemed interested in going into the laundromat, but it had a sign saying no pets in the building. We saw some cabins that looked nice but did not get very close to them. That is the way I like to camp, by the way: with all the comforts. Point and laugh if you must.

Well, I guess that isn’t terrible, but it isn’t terribly interesting either, is it? However, it is short and to the point. If only I could think of a punchy headline, I think it would fly for a Non-Sequitur Thursday. Hope to see you on Lame Post Friday.

And What Have We Learned?

I had a Wrist to Forehead Sunday but refrained from having a Middle-aged Musings Monday. If I promise faithfully NOT to have a Wuss-out Wednesday, do you suppose it would be OK to have a Tired Tuesday? Hmm, it’s no good. I can’t make that promise.

I really, truly did not intend to write Yet Another Post About How I Can’t Write a Post (once again, it is not WHY I Can’t Write a Post, because I don’t know why). I made up my mind to write at work before my shift started and on breaks. While I was working, I pondered things I could write about. I pondered long and hard, with the result that I never saw the guy show up with the cooler of Gator Ade. Another co-worker dubbed me unobservant and thinks I should not drive.

The result of all my mental meanderings was a scene for my novel which I may or may not be able to use. I do not regret writing it, of course. No writing is wasted. If you can’t use the writing itself, at least you learned something from writing it.

Ooh, do you suppose I’m learning anything from these paragraphs? Well, I am disciplining myself NOT to quickly erase everything I just wrote. I know, some may feel my prose is not worth saving, but how can I tell that if I don’t re-read it? It is difficult to judge a thing as soon as you have written it. Usually you either love it or hate it. The best thing to do is to read it later with a cooler head.

And that is where I run into a problem with this sort of a post. I am sitting at my computer, typing off the cuff; I want to hit “Publish” and go. Save the draft and read it later? Oh well, there’s an idea, but I don’t know that I will get the opportunity to do so. Stop this obsession with making a post every single day? That’s crazy talk!

I comfort myself with the thought that standards are different for an informal blog such as this one. And even a rough draft may amuse someone. As always, tomorrow I will strive to do better. And Happy Tuesday, everyone.

Hit Publish and Go Back to Enjoying my Sunday

It is Wrist to Forehead Sunday. I haven’t worked on my novel, I haven’t even written in the TV Journal. My brain is on strike or vacation or maybe it was never that good to begin with (say is ain’t so!).

This is the part where I usually surprise myself and come up with another 200 words or so that are not that unreadable. I hit publish and go back to enjoying my Sunday. But today, it seems, it is not going to be that easy.

The weather is delightful. It has been a beautiful weekend, sunny and warm. I had a very enjoyable Saturday afternoon and evening with my husband, Steven, including two or three Mohawk Valley adventures. Really, I have no reason to feel I have nothing to write about.

I suppose these things happen to a writer sometimes. I keep thinking I will write an extra post and keep it in my Drafts section for just such an emergency. Sometimes I get a post or so ahead, but I always use them right away. Well, I wouldn’t want them to get stale or outdated.

Today I haven’t had any Mohawk Valley adventures, unless you count a trip to Hannaford for groceries. Ooh, wait, I did write a post about that once, a long time ago. I mostly spent the day re-reading an Agatha Christie novel. It is very instructive to re-read a mystery novel. You see where the writer put in all the clues and say, “How the blankety-blank did I miss THAT?”

So it looks as if I have once again written over 200 words. Perhaps I’ll go work on my novel now.

Waaaait a Minute

So there I was, determined NOT to have a Wuss-Out Wednesday. Unfortunately the determination came upon me late in the day. I spent my breaks at work writing my novel. I was at first greatly encouraged to be putting new words on paper, even, dare I say, moving the plot forward.

And then I thought, Waaaait a minute (like I do for plot holes in cheesy movies), would this character REALLY do this? Or would she be more likely to… I should make THAT character have the idea to… (I know this sounds very silly, but I am determined not to actually talk ABOUT the plot at this point in the writing). Rather than re-write the scene just then, I went to make a note to myself that it was that character’s idea, not this one’s to blah blah woof woof.

Then I thought, Waaait a minute, would SHE think that was a good idea? I was instantly paralyzed. So I worked on Cryptogram puzzles till the end of break.

As I went back to work, it occurred to me that, yes, that character MIGHT in fact have that idea. And the OTHER character (not this character, a third guy) would agree. And she wouldn’t like that he agreed. Conflict!

And now I’ve said too much.

Anyways, with all this on my mind, I did not write a blog post today. When I got home I thought to take my schnoodle Tabby for a walk and write a Pedestrian Post. Steven graciously accompanied us. It was a very nice walk and not a thing happened worth putting in a blog post (I know, since when does that stop me?).

So here I am, over 250 words into not having a post to write. Um…. maybe I could just hit publish and, as always, try again tomorrow.

I Could Go for a Bloody Mary

Once again, I spent time before work and on breaks working on what should have been a perfectly acceptable blog post. And it’s just not there yet. Luckily, it is Monday. Having skirted Wrist to Forehead Sunday with another Running Commentary, I feel free to have a Middle-aged Musings Monday.

What I was musing about today veers a little into half-baked philosophy. And into religion, which Mohawk Valley Girl usually stays out of (likewise politics). In fact, I was about to stay out of it today, but I don’t have a whole lot else and, really, one must not shy away from controversy. I’m not sure how controversial I’ll be, half-baked as I usually am. But here goes.

When people think God is punishing them, how do they know? I mean, it seems easy enough: I do something wrong. Something bad happens to me. God must be punishing me (or Karma or the Universe; I’m non-denominational).

Boy, wouldn’t that be nice, if I thought I only did one damn thing wrong!

Anyways, we’re not talking about me. Let’s try an historical example. When Mary Tudor, also known as Bloody Mary, ruled England, a lot of stuff went wrong with the country. She thought for sure God was punishing her for not bringing everybody back into the fold of her religion. So she kept burning those she considered heretics. Bad things continued to happen. She thought she probably had not burned enough people so redoubled her efforts.

Do you suppose it occurred to anybody at the time that perhaps she was being punished FOR burning people and not for NOT burning ENOUGH people? I’m not saying that’s what I think God had in mind (I do NOT pretend to know what God thinks), I’m saying, HOW COULD SHE KNOW?

This whole topic is a lot more complex than I am making it right now. However, this is what I pondered at work today, when I wasn’t working on the blog topic that didn’t work out. And this is what I’ll post. We’ll try for a Mohawk Valley adventure tomorrow.

I Wrote, I Typed, I Hit Publish

Do I dare have a Lame Post Friday after taking a sick day on Wednesday and writing a ridiculous post on Thursday? I actually don’t see how today’s post could be anything but lame. I am going to be very pressed for time after work today. I am attempting to write something before work (which you are currently reading) that I can type into the computer later (um, right now; so time-warpy). Possibilities swirl through my mind. Can I pick one and go with it?

Today is Friday the 13th and it is a full moon. The last time I remember that happening, I was in California in the army. I thought it was so unusual I suggested we have a bonfire on the beach and cook hot dogs. Some friends were into it, but we ended up at my house. I cooked the dogs in a frying pan on the stove. It was a fun time.

On some Friday the 13ths, you can find a television channel showing the slasher flicks of that name. There’s some cheesy fun for Mohawk Valley Girl, although I confess my taste in horror runs at least ten years previous to ’70s slasher flicks.

In any case, I have other plans for the evening. Steven and I are going to attend the theatre (pronounced thea-tah, if you like). We are going to Ilion Little Theatre’s production of Funny Money. It should be a fun time.

What often happens in these cases, meaning when I hurry home and get ready to go someplace, is that I end up posting some fast thing pretty much making fun of myself for being so unorganized. How many times can I get away with that? I was determined not to let that happen today but to write something beforehand.

How’m I doing so far?

And that was all I wrote. Now it is VERY close to the time when I must go. It’s Wrist to Forehead time! But I wrote, I’ve typed, and now I will hit “publish.” Happy Friday, everybody.

Well I WAS Writing

This is embarrassing. Remember yesterday, I took a sick day because it was just too much trouble to type in all I had written for a post. Today I am feeling much better, thank you, and I sat down to type.

And type and type and type.

What a long-winded yahoo I can be! Digression after digression! I found some of them fairly amusing, but perhaps I flatter myself. Doggedly, I kept typing, thinking I could edit. Ooh, but I’ll just leave that one in. Oh, and that’s a good one. Hmm, that could be a whole other blog post.

I was almost up to 1,000 words and I wasn’t done typing. I’ll be honest: it was too much me even for me.

On the one hand, I feel strangely vindicated. After all, yesterday I had to think it was a little wimpy of me. I only had to type the thing in, didn’t I? Yet I took a sick day. Now I see if I would have tried to type it in, I would have been in tears. As it is, I’m getting a little wrist-to-foreheady.

I think it is shaping up to be a pretty good essay, all about the problem of setting vis a vis the novel I am currently writing (I determinedly refuse to say “attempting to write”). Sometimes writing about writing is a good way to ease back into writing. And sometimes the only blog post I can manage is writing about not writing.

200 or Bust

This is not so much a Wuss-out Wednesday as a Bloggers’ Sick Day. And now that I think about it, I’m not so sure I can legitimately call it a sick day. I mean, if it was a real sick day, couldn’t I just type in one sentence and done? Sick day. Means I don’t have to do it.

But I won’t feel happy until I write at least 200 words. Can I manage 200 words? Maybe 150 would be OK. I feel obligated to say at this point that I DID have something written for today. Only it was long. I can’t type in that many words. I’ll save it for Non-Sequitur Thursday.

I did not feel this awful all day. I had rather an OK day at work. But my sinuses were bothering me to the point where I took a decongestant. Now I am so lightheaded I question if I have any brain left. I know, I KNOW many of you were questioning if I had any brain to begin with. What a dull, obvious joke. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Now my word count tells me I am over 180 words. I question how accurate that is, since it is taking me two sentences and more to get to 190. I guess it doesn’t add each word as I type it. Ooh, ooh, I looked away and now it says 226. Score! I’m going to lay back down and continue to watch the room spin.