So-So Results
Topic: So-So Results
If we?re in the habit of writing everyday, some days will yield much poorer results than others. Does this mean we shouldn?t do it? No, this means no such thing. It means that we take the good with the bad and deal with it. Even our worst writing days can provide us with marvelous gems that are well worth the effort.

Just to fortify our mission to write everyday, keep a pile of your bad work. Highlight the gems hidden within. On a day that we can?t find the inspiration to write something new, pick up something from the questionable pile and redo it. Choices would range from re-writing the piece to doing some heavy editing. We might just want to take the general idea and start with a clean slate. See if we can rewrite it better than we did the first time.

If we remain true to writers, we are also reading as much of other peoples? work that we can. While you read, make a note of anything you see that really ?works.? I certainly don?t mean to copy passages, but make a note of general ideas that made the article. We never, ever want to copy someone else?s words. Maybe it was a certain type of description that just made everything clear.

All of this, of course, assumes a self-imposed deadline for writing. Self-imposed deadlines allow us the luxury of re-do. If we have a deadline from an editor, we may have to revisit the piece later the same day. If the piece is as bad as you think, walk away from it and do something else for a while. Then, pick the work up with a fresh eye. It may be that there were four really good sentences on the entire page. Maybe we can start with these four sentences and re-write the rest.

Find a method that works for you. Experiment with different ways to improve your work. We want to be flexible enough that we don?t want to box ourselves in. Yet we want to have enough discipline that we can meet our deadlines and turn our quality work in the process. We just need to remember that everyday will not result in a masterpiece even if that?s what we would like.

From Point A to Point B
Topic: Point A to Point B
It is generally a good idea to have a complete plan when we begin a project. We have an idea of what we want to say and where we are going. Unfortunately, life doesn?t always work out that way. Sometimes, we are able to identify Point A and Point B but aren?t sure exactly how to get there.

My advice, in this instance is to go ahead and write what we know. Once it is down on paper, the path from the one to the other may become clear. If not, we have our starting and ending points and can set this aside for a later date. It may be that we simply haven?t given thought to how to connect the dots. On the other hand, maybe we thought the two points would be enough to make our case. Once we actually write it out, we find this is not the case. Either way, we may be able to fill in the blanks at another time.

I?m an advocate for writing everything we can about a subject and then pruning the unnecessary information afterward. I?m probably wrong for thinking in this way, but I don?t believe in stifling creativity when it is flowing freely. The worst case scenario, in my opinion, would be that we may write enough to complete three works instead of just one. There?s nothing wrong in that.

I suppose it depends on what we?re working on. If we have specific guidelines for what needs to be accomplished, this overwriting can get us into trouble. We need to adhere to posted guidelines for any job that we tackle of a professional nature. Never presume that you know what?s better for a publication than the editor. You?d never see another offer of work from them again. Once you?ve established yourself, you might be able to make suggestions. Until then, hold your tongue.

If the project is one of our own choosing, the more words we write, the merrier we?ll be. We may have just written the first three installments of a serial.

Keep Going
Topic: Keep Going
Let?s say you?ve done all of your homework and you?re ready to start writing. You know what you want to write and you have a plan for writing it. You sit and the computer and the words come. You?re moving along quite nicely when all of a sudden words just gush forth. The gush is welcome except that it isn?t the exact path that you had previously outlined. What do you do? Don?t stop the flow!

If the words are coming that easily, let them come. They can always be moved later. As long as the words continue, go with them. It may be what you?ve just written will be better than your original plan. If not, they can be moved to another area of the document or to another document completely. They may even provide the foundation for a totally separate work. Nine out of ten times when this happens to me, I am able to use what I wrote. Never turn off the fountain, though, when it offers a wealth of words.

Instead, learn to use your word processing program to your advantage. Take advantage of the cut and paste feature. Move the words or paragraphs you?ve just written to another place. You might move them to a blank document until you know whether you can use them. Please, please, remember to save your work often. Save the document you?re working on and save the piece you moved. It is always better to be safe than sorry. You wouldn?t want to lose that valuable work should the computer fail.

To this day, I still use the backspace key to fix mistakes. I backspace over everything I just typed, erasing letters and words, to re-type something very similar. I am consciously trying to break myself of the habit. It is so much more efficient to use the arrow keys or the mouse to return to the spot where a letter needs to be added. I can save myself the retyping if I would remember to do this. I can also go back after the fact and fix these errors if I would do a better job of proofreading my own work.

Fixing errors after the fact allows your flow to continue without interruption when you?re writing. The first priority is to get it down. If you stop too often to fix the little things, chances are you?ll lose the train of thought that got you going in the first place.

There are three things, then, to consider today. 1) Never interrupt a flow of words even if they are not exactly what you wanted. 2) Be flexible enough in your plan that these outbursts can be worked into the piece. And, 3) know how to use your software efficiently so that you have the advantage of the first two considerations.

On Writing
Topic: On Writing
This one was written awhile back as an article in the Wired Poet Newsletter. I thought it would fit in well with some of the things we've been talking about.

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For some of us, writing is as natural as getting dressed in the morning. It is something we do. It is much like breathing and living. The spontaneous expulsion of words to paper is a necessity. The artist in us must express everything about life. We look at things differently and we express them accordingly. We do so because we can.

We write to create an artistic response to our universe. Life without art is bland. Written art is simply another form of expression. The tools for writing are easily accessible. We need an idea, a desire to express the idea, and the means to output the final product. These days, no one needs paper and pencil since we have computers. Since we all have ideas, it is only a matter of publicizing those ideas.

Some of us just have more success in writing our thoughts than in expressing them verbally. Personal, or face-to-face, communication contains three basic elements: the words themselves, tone of voice, and body language. Coordinating all three of these elements leaves some people at a loss. Even the words themselves can become mired if we suffer from a speech impediment or are self-conscious. We may exhibit too much or too little emotion in our words than intended just because we need to get them out. If we hesitate too long or speak too fast, our meaning may be lost. If we are shy, we might never release the words.

The blank page is an inanimate object and does away with everything but the actual words we wish to convey. We avoid confrontational issues when we write since we only share our thoughts with paper or computer screens. The paper does not talk back or argue. We are in control of our words and have the freedom to erase and modify easily. The spoken word is often hard to take back. We must remember, though, that the absence of other elements means that our words must carry more weight and must get their intent across correctly.

Writing is an outlet. Rather than keeping things bottled up inside, we jot them down. Some of us can purge our minds in our writing. We write it down and then move on. The problem addressed is safely onto paper and does not need to reside in our heads. We safely release the toxins that have built up in our systems and we can go forward. Along the way, our written pollution may find sympathy and understanding in another?s eyes.

Eventually, we learn to maneuver our ideas into more acceptable formats. Our writing evolves. When we share our written work, we enter a learning process. Instant feedback can spur us on and help to make our words better. We receive validation of our voice and acknowledgment of our existence. We are recognized and affirmed, and, are challenged to do more and do it better.

The internet is one such outlet for the written format. The blank page on the internet can take many forms. Posting our words on the world wide web helps us to normalize our insecurities and insanities. By sharing our thoughts, we form bonds with people of similar thoughts. We learn. We learn that we are not alone and people will listen to us. We learn there is so much more to learn.

Try Something New
Topic: Try Something New
We are always willing to try a new recipe. Why shouldn't we do the same with our writing? Many recipes teach a method. Ingredients can be interchanged and substituted to create many different, wonderful dishes. The same applies to our words. If you're a bit intimidated by trying something totally different, try the substitution bit.

I suppose what we would do in the substitution method is stick to our usual format and select a subject or topic that is foreign to us. Maybe we've never done a humorous piece or a romantic poem. Humorous romance sounds like it might be fun! Seriously though, try something different.

Maybe we've always written free verse. It might be time to try another type. Can we create a concrete image out of what we've written? Would a tanka or haiku be better suited to our mood today? How about taking something you've already written and paring it down into a haiku or tanka? Doesn't that sound like fun? This is a great exercise in discipline.

Whatever you attempt, please make it a serious effort. You might find that you've got a real knack for such things. I like to think that I have a knack for writing articles. Whether that is really true remains to be seen. I should try submitting an article somewhere. This is just one more thing to add to my "to do" list.

I realize that much of the stuff I write in this blog becomes repetitive. Most of it is stuff we don't evern consciously think of most of the time when we write. I am simply trying to raise an awareness for everything that goes on when creating a written page. The more aware we become of these items, the more natural it is to incorporate them into use. At least, I hope that is true.

For instance, how much attention do we give to transition. Transitional clauses help us to shift our focus from one issue to another or one place to another. They help to keep our readers moving forward in a smooth motion. We can't effective jump around from one thing to another without providing some kind of transition. Please overlook the fact that this is exactly what I have just done. Any way, the more we are aware of these items, the more effective we become is using them. Also, knowing why we use them helps a great deal. Knowing gives a reason to our madness.

So, try something new. Pay attention to how all the pieces fit together.

You Never Know
Topic: You Never Know
Each week I receive a column via email. The column is written by a woman with MS. This woman is known as a humor columnist. I?m not sure the title is entirely appropriate, but for lack of a better title, this is what she is. The article is generally written one month previous and is emailed when it appears in her local newspaper. A selected group receives the column by email. It is also posted on a web page on the internet.

I stumbled upon this column quite strangely. I was researching missing persons for our high school reunion database and received an anonymous email with a link to the web page. I started reading about this woman. I don?t remember her from high school, but the column has become my weekly conversation with her. She?s two days younger than I and she totally amazes me.

The columns are little glimpses into her life. She talks about her pets, her aide, her husband, and sunshine. She loves the sunshine. Her strength and optimism are astounding. She no longer has the strength in her voice to use the voice-to-text function of her computer, so she dictates her column and someone types it for her. She?s very vocal about handicap parking and wheelchair access as well.

She wrote once about having to replace the small appliances in her kitchen. These appliances were dear to her because they had apple appliques on them. After purchasing new appliances and exiting the store, she remembered the appliques and immediately turned back into Wal Mart to find some. It was a lost cause. There were none to be found.

I happened across some apple stickers in the dollar store one day. I remembered her story and bought a couple of packs to send her. She dutifully applied them to all of her appliances when she received them and her kitchen was back to normal.

Another time, she wrote about hooded sweatshirts with attached mittens. She couldn?t find them any where. She had searched high and low on the internet for them. The sister of the man who originally made these sweatshirts showed up at her door one day with several samples for her.

When she wrote about a magazine that she and her husband were starting, I subscribed. I also reviewed the magazine for a newsletter I was writing at a time. The second year of my subscription is almost over, but I will renew again. This magazine even published one of the poems I submitted. One feature that I missed in the last issue was a submission from my friend. All other issues contained something by her. The last one didn?t. I missed it.

I would feel the same way if the email suddenly stopped. I would miss it terribly. The email tells me that she?s doing alright. I have to remember to account for the fact that the article was written a month earlier. Awhile back, the web site hadn?t been updated for a few weeks. I emailed her to make sure everything was okay. It turned out that the friend who updates the web page had fallen behind. Ever since then, I?ve been on the email list.

I suppose the whole point of this post is that our writing can affect people in ways that we cannot possibly imagine. This gives us one more reason to write and write well.

Spoken Versus Written Words
Topic: Spoken vs Written
When we write, we do not have the audio or visual cues that are available when we speak. We don?t have tone, inflection, body language, volume, or emotion. We can?t cover our blunders with ?forget I said that? because the words will continue to stare at us from the written page. We have a responsibility to convey our message and all of the audio and visual cues that go with the message. We only have to write it.

We do this by the actual words we use, in how we use those words and also in how we punctuate those words. We use colorful language, spelled correctly. We use description, narration, explanation, and any other tools we have. We do it carefully and we do it correctly. We proofread our work and evaluate it ourselves. Then we move forward and find our readers.

Many of us stumble or blunder some when speaking. Those blunders are more obvious when writing. We have to watch our spelling, grammar, and punctuation. When we speak, no one knows whether we can spell the words we utter. It doesn?t matter. When we write, it matters very much. Grammar is a totally different story. We speak a certain way because that?s how we are. When we write, however, who we are isn?t important to the reader unless it is an autobiographical work. The message is what?s important. Grammar becomes important for this reason. Punctuation provides additional assistance in our expression. It can help to show excitement, pauses, etc.

How the words flow on the page will determine whether the reader will keep pouring through those words. If he stumbles, it interrupts the flow. Each time he stops to consider our errors, it is one more opportunity for him to abandon our work. It is not up to the reader to determine whether we used a word correctly. It is not up to the reader to find the errors in our grammar. It is up to us, the writers. The better our flow is, the better chance we have to make it all the way through.

Misspelled words, incorrectly used words, grammar and punctuation are all things that cause our flow to be interrupted. They cause our reader to stumble. We want our work to be a pleasurable experience that imparts a message. If our reader becomes battered and bruised when attempting to read our words, we have not succeeded.

To summarize: Presentation matters.

Don't Lose the Message
Topic: Don't Lose Message
Our first priority is the message. There is a reason we take the time to write. There is a message we want to convey, whatever that message may be. We need to get this message to our audience. If our reader never finishes reading what we have written, we have failed to deliver our message. We need to give them enough to keep them interested but not enough to overwhelm or bore them. We need to keep them reading until the end. And, we need to have them understand what we say. Failure anywhere along the way and we may as well not have bothered to write in the first place.

We want to do more than say "the room is red." We just don't need to spend three pages on it. By then, our reader no longer cares that the room is red. He won't even care why he needs to know that the room is red. In poetry, especially, we don't have the luxury of wasting needless words on equally needless descriptions. While "the room is red" is a little too Dick and Jane even for me, "the room was the color of hell and being in it warmed me uncomfortably" is sufficient. This example is far more interesting than the "room is red" but doesn't go overboard.

Several principles we've discussed previously come to mind:
KISS - Keep It Simple, Sweetheart. Don't bury the message in unnecessary information. The room is red is much less important than the character is blind. Give the proper weight to the details.
Have a Plan - have a pretty good idea of what you're going to write before you start. The plan can and will change as we go along, but we must have an idea of the direction in which we are heading.
Who, What, How - understand the message and the audience. The hardest part is keeping the audience interested long enough to get the message.

Poetry in generally is shorter. It is succinct. We want to choose our words very carefully. If succinct isn't working for us, perhaps an essay would be a better fit. Always, though, keep the message, plan, and audience in mind. If we lose sight of any of these, we've lost everything.

When writing poetry, one possible objective is to make the reader think. However, any images presented should come easily. They should fit within the context of the rest of the poem and not be overwhelming. The same for descriptive phrases. Part of the wonder of poetry is being able to describe something without using a whole bunch of extraneous words. If it gets overwhelming, you'll lose the reader.

That's the last thing we want to do.

Back to Basics
Topic: Back to Basics
Remember those very simple questions of who, what, where, when, how, and why? These become two-dimensional when dealing with writing. We have one dimension of the author and another dimension of the writing.

The Author
Who
Well, that would be you, the author.

What
What are we writing today? Will it be a story, a poem, or a song?

Where
Where will we write? Will we write at home, at work, in the library?

When
When will we write? Now sounds good.

How
Will we write longhand or use a computer? Maybe crayons would be more in keeping with out mood.

Why
This is probably the most important question we need to answer. Why are we writing. Words can be used for a variety of reasons. We can express something, explain something, create something, or whatever else suits us at the moment. Knowing why helps us to answer all the other questions.

These are very basic questions and using don't even require acknowledgement, but they actually do need answers every time we write.

The Writing
Who
Who are our characters? Who is telling the story? Why is the story inteded for, our audience?

What
What happens in the writing? If this is a poem, what are we writing about? What is the outcome? What do we hope to achieve?

Where
Where does the story take place? This can be very broad or more definitive. Is it in another country? Is it in a dark room?

When
When does our story take place? This could get really interesting. Is the story in the past? Does it take place in the future? We could even base our story in the present.

How
How will we get our message across? Will we present the message straight out or will we use other means such as imagery or inneundo? Will it be a serious piece or will there be humor involved?

Why
Why does this message need to be delivered? Someone needs to care in order for our writing to be worthwhile.

I haven't decided which of these questions is most important to the writing. In order to be successfull, all of them need to be carefully considered. It sounds rather dumb to use such small words to evaluate our writing, but I think they are valid issues.

What do you think?

Why Bother?
Topic: Why Bother?
Why bother? That's a very good question. We bother because we hope someone will "get it." We bother because we hope someone will understand. We bother because we hope our words will affect someone. Write your heart out!

What happens when we get a bad review of our work? Get up and walk away! Don't hit the delete key; don't reach out and slap at the computer; don't blow up; and certainly, don't reply, not yet. Just take a deep breath and get up and walk away. Once the initial reaction is over, come back and deal with the bad review.

Most online boards try to foster an atmosphere of encouragement. Some people never seem to get the hang of that. Some people never learn tact. Both of these are critical when reviewing the work of others. When we review another's work, try to find something positive to say. Try some of these:

I see that you've been revising this piece. I like what you've done so far, but maybe just a little bit more. I see...

I like the idea behind this poem, but I have a problem with....

The opening to this is wonderful as is the ending. The middle, however, might work better if...

Each of these comments starts out with something positive even when we have something not-so-positive to say. Each one of these tempers the initial reaction to lash out. Hopefully, each of these will have the writer evaluating the ideas presented.

Now, back to the bad review. Is there anything in the review worthwhile? Can we ignore the lack of tact and lack of people skills in order to gain something from the comment? While you consider the review, also remember why you bothered to write the item in question in the first place. If you can respond rationally to the review, then do it. Otherwise, wait for another day.

Remember, too, this is the opinion of one person and not necessarily the opinion of anyone else. If the suggestion doesn't make sense, or even if it does, it is your work and you don't have to follow the advice. You might make a comment as to why you won't follow the advice just to show that you considered it. Don't, and I mean don't, stoop to their level.

Some people just never get the fact that there are feelings attached to works of art. Some people don't play well with others. Let's try not to be one of those people.