WWADD

           What would a dog do? 

        If we lived our lives like a dog lives their life, the world would be a better place. We'd be happy with the same food every day. We'd wag our tail a lot. We'd be happy even if our walk was occasionally cut short and wouldn't whine about it.  We'd sniff each other's butts and...Okay, perhaps that is one canine habit we don't have to adopt.

Foley---not the brightest bulb...I think he's looking up at the sun,
thinking, 'Hey!  That's a really huge ball. I wonder when they'll throw it for me?'

         On Sunday we had a family get-together at my mother-in-law's; since she lives just a couple of blocks from us, at some point, my husband got Foley and brought him down.

      My granddaughter, who's five, loved the idea of being in charge of someone/something else. After all, she's told all day what to do and how to do it and when to do it. So she was enthralled with being able to walk Foley around on his leash.

     Unfortunately, Foley was not thrilled. He was in a fenced-in yard. 'What's with the leash?' he wondered. He wanted to play ball. Being led around by a little kid was stupid, from his perspective.

      But he tolerated it. And made the best of the situation. As Riley walked him around, he got to smell a few good smells. There were breaks where she'd drop the leash and he'd get to chase the ball for a while.

       As writers, as teachers, as humans doing their best to keep their head above the water--here's my lame analogy, Hope--we try to make a bad situation work for us. If we get a piece rejected, we revise it so we can submit it to a different publication. If we face writer's block head on, we put the piece away for a while and let it marinade. If we get a story shot down, we tweak it, we revamp it, and send it out again.

       Be like Foley. Turn a negative situation inside out...Put a positive spin on it. And don't stop trying...

Don't Dip...Dive!

       When I was a kid, I never dipped my toes--timidly and demurely--in the water at the swimming pool. (I must admit, my demeanor ain't never even shook hands with demure.) Never worried about the temperature of the water, I'd always boldly dive right in. Even if the water was a bit cold, that initial blast of cool water was refreshing...

       Often when women surrender to swimsuits that have skirts (personally, I'm on the hunt for one that's formal-length, with a long Princess-Diana-style train), they take less risks. They might wade in the water. They might dangle their legs in the pool as they sit on the edge. But dive right in? Not always...

photo by pjhphotos

       Usually, when I have trouble beginning a piece of writing, it's because I am dangling. And I've developed a habit of dangling for 2-3 days before diving right in.

       When I slice right through the surface, sometimes it's a bit of a shock. I get blasted by a beginning that's not quite ripe. However, I come up for air, and start flailing around as best I can, heading to the other side.

       Just like my swimming is smoother after I get into the groove, so is my writing. And later, I get the chance to clean up the messy bellyflop-of-a-beginning.

       Fellow writers: dive in! I dangled on Monday night and last night. Tonight I need to jump right in...

(Sorry, Hope. There are no evil beavers in this one, but it was the best analogy I could pull off this morning...)

       

Writer's Block

         Most writers get stuck in a rut.  The words don't flow.  There is no floodgate opening and the lines rushing out...not even a trickle.

         As writers we have to find out what works for us.  What gets us writing again?  What writerly habits can we develop that help combat writer's block?

        I once read one writer's way of making sure he wrote every day:  he did not go to the bathroom in the morning, upon waking, until he had written a whole page.

       Thinking of how urgent that need is, right after getting out of bed, I thought, ' I'll bet it is sometimes a fast page.'

       What are some things you have found that works for you as a writer?  How do you combat writer's block?

photo by Harriet Picturebug

You Know More Than You Think You Know...

    Writers will hit an impasse, and then the flow of words slows down and then...stops.  Putting words down on paper is always more effective when you have a friend or colleague to share your thoughts and plans with.  After all, we write for an audience, not so our words can be read by ourselves, in a dark closet.  However, sometimes you don't have anyone around to give you feedback.

     Try this:  Imagine a critical person that you know. Pick someone who does not like your writing. Imagine they are there, with one eyebrow raised in doubt.  And imagine they are listening to you describe your writing piece as they sit in their pajamas...

      Write a letter to this critic.  Tell them about the piece, describe your obstacles and well as the strengths, and outline what direction the piece is going to take. 

       I did this activity as part of Gateway Writing Project's  summer institute.  I scoffed at it.  I thought it was a ridiculous strategy; I was sure I did not know more than I thought I knew.  But I was wrong.  Writing about it, as I envisioned an overly critical person, gave me some new ideas and some new insight.

         Try it.  And I would love to hear what your secret is when battling writer's block.  Send it my way!  (The music idea I'm sending you is marvelous music to write by.  It's also great driving music.  I got it because the title of the CD is The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster, and I was interested in if, indeed, this singer was phenomenal.  She is.)