Hard-up writers cheat with them, indescreetly. Dressed in rain coats, they walk straight through the store to the Language section and the writing instruction books, a seedy bookshelf corner where ideas are being peddled for cheap. The writers stand there so they can be propositioned by the titles: The Write-Brain Workbook: 366 Exercises to Liberate Your Writing, The Writer’s Idea Book, Unjournaling: Daily Writing Exercises that Are NOT Personal, NOT Introspective, NOT Boring!. Liberated writing? Not sure what that is, but it sounds good. Not boring? Yeah, I don’t want my work to be boring. Ideas? I don’t have any. I’ll take them all! What these publishers are selling is addictive – in high demand — and writers are willing to pay top dollar for mind-blowing inspiration. (more…)
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Tags: Writing Instruction
Anyone sitting near the wall tried not to touch elbows or legs against the radiators while they wrote. No one ever noticed the steam clouding the winter windows, which was a tragedy considering that the most beautiful words often find a way to pens held by new hands and guided by fresh thoughts. Those puffs rising in little tea-kettle smoke signals somehow avoided description in the pieces read aloud to the class. (more…)
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Tags: Writing Instruction
The best writing advice I was ever given involved a profane analogy that’s stuck with me for more than a decade. What made it so extraordinary is its directness and that it came from an intelligent, well-spoken professor who trusted me enough to speak plainly. He endeared himself and gave away knowledge in a way I could never forget, which is what talented teachers do. (more…)
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Compilation
Friday, November 14th, 2008
(NOTE: Stutter-starts are a common occurence in the writing trade. Often a writer sits down to let the words flow out with wonder and imagination and winds up with only a few incoherent sentences. In the last week, I’ve written several random notes and paragraphs. Since these short pieces were written in various tones and on differing subjects, I thought it would be more challenging if I pieced them together.)
Burned leaves suffuse the backyard air with white smoke blowing from matted piles. The smell is sharp, dry and Maple sweet when breathed deeply. Somewhere in this syrupy smell is a connection to the lazy fall afternoons of my childhood. (more…)
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Tags: Free Writing, Writing Instruction
Done and Done
Thursday, October 30th, 2008
My freelance writing projects are finished for 2008. I wrapped up my piece for the December/January edition of Urban Times late last night.
Given that the word count was 800 words, I spent entirely too much time finishing my assignment, but I wanted to end the year on a good note. The last two have been the best for my professional career, and I also saw advancements in my personal writing. I’ve come to discover what I consider important in my writing, what some other writers refer to as voice. (more…)
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Tags: Urban Times, Writing Instruction
