The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Lessons From WritingLand

         I have been struggling lately with balancing things. Blogging vs. not blogging regularly. Working on shorter pieces vs. working on a longer project (which is on the side of the road right now...I've got the flashers on, and the sign posted in my back window that says, "Send help" but no help has arrived yet). Being open and free-flowing vs. stifling myself (like Edith Bunker).


       While I'm going back and forth on those seesaws, I will say I've learned a few things in the two weeks or so. Here are some of the things that smacked me upside my head:


      * Regularity is a good thing. If we're constipated when it comes to our creativity and our work ethic, we suffer. After reading Lisa Ricard Claro's post about what we should strive for in our writing and our blogs, I realized I had been very inconsistent when it comes to posting. So, I'm going to be posting on Mondays and Thursdays...at least until I get into another rut. (If you go to Lisa's website, not only will you get loads of information, you might also get to take a gander at a hunky hunk--you can get your fill of Philip.)


     * Writing is healing. I've been trying--for the last year--to get a particular story published. It's a story about a friend who is healing after tragedy hit her family. It's a story of strength and forgiveness and unimaginable sorrow.


     I've written the story several different ways, from several different slants, to no avail. This week--finally--I got word that someone might be interested in publishing it in an anthology. Two days ago I read the story aloud to my friend, to make sure there was nothing in there she didn't want laid bare. (Reading things herself hurts her head due to a traumatic brain injury.) By the end, I was crying, as was she.


    And if you want to read one of the most exquisite lines about healing and pain, go to this article on Jean Ellen Whatley.  (A "security box" might pop up, but just cancel and you'll land on the article.)




*  And I know that three is a magical number when it comes to writing...but I only got two things rattling around in my brain today. (And since technically two means I can claim I'm talkin' 'bout plural lessons, I can avoid being corrected.)


    Have a great rest of the week, and place your bets on how long I can last posting twice a week--on a regular schedule. And if you want to comment on the importance of regularity (but don't get too brown about it) or about Lisa Ricard Claro's brilliance or the poignancy of Jean Ellen Whatley's words--I'd love to hear from you.




     






     

13 comments:

  1. I am regular person and routine, the known, is where I function best. But for do long I have been OFF. Someday maybe I can get straight. Good for you to have a plan!

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    1. Claudia--We will see how long I stick with the plan!

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  2. Congratulations on your story. It's a heart-rending one that deserves to be told.

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  3. I started blogging Monday-Friday. Then I went to 3 times a week, and then twice a week. Now it's about once a week or so. I figure posting when I want to rather than keeping to a schedule doesn't cause anyone who reads Critter Alley to pass out from horror. I've totally taken the pressure off myself when it comes to blogging, and it feels good.

    Hope your story finds the perfect home. I agree. Writing IS healing!

    Pat
    Critter Alley

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    1. Pat--"Pass out from horror"? You are too funny. Your posts make me laugh (when you're writing about your four-legged friends) and make me think when you write about writing. (I started out posting almost every day too, and it's become the trickle that is this.)

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  4. You know, I popped over here earlier and you flummoxed me with your kind words, so I left without commenting because other than a mighty "Thank You!" I'm not sure what to say. More than anything, I'm thrilled that you took something of value from my blog. As a blogger yourself, you know that a lot of the time we throw stuff out there because it matters to us personally, and we have the hope that at least one person will gain something positive from it. You do that consistently here, Sioux---offer something of value---and that's why I, and all your other readers, always come back. And now I know to check in on Mondays and Thursdays for Sioux's Views. Already the week got better. :)

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    1. Lisa--Yeah, you and the other two of you. ;) Now it's MY turn to say "Thank you."

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  5. I like to keep a schedule. Two-a-days for me. I don't do it to help anyone. Sorry. I do it for ME ME ME! If anybody wants to read it, so much the better. As you know, one of my blogs is wilting on the vine. I don't care. It's an outlet. The other sometimes might occasionally give someone a tiny spark. The sun even shines on a dog's butt some days. A broken clock is still right twice a day. And SOME people might need a fix of cliches every now and then.

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    1. Val--Your "secret" blog is not wilting on the vine. It's just that not many people know about it so it's only Kathy, her clothesline and me that enjoy the fruits of your labor.

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  6. I, too, am struggling to find that regularity. Well, here's hoping we can get back on track-

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    1. Shelly--Perhaps a miracle will happen for both of us?

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Thanks for your comments. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by...