Thursday, December 9, 2021

writing...

 

Jelled

The idea jelled as soon as they started talking.

routine helps, other things help, nice paper, good pens, but the basic thing is "do you want this thing written more than you want a slow cup of coffee, an extra 2 hits on the snooze, lasagna from scratch vs. spaghetti on the stovetop, in fact anything cooked from scratch, making do with what you have vs. fixing or replacing, not as a function of money, but of time....." there are all these suggestions -- read some of the books by writers about writing, Steven King (good!), Anne Lamont (classic), William Zimmerman (classic also in a different direction). Don't remember who, but he (it was a he) said he sat down every morning and didn't get up till he had 500 words he didn't hate (novelist). and I would add one more thing -- READ -- read old (like 1800"s), read poetry, read jane Austen, and other authors who use rich language, Faulkner, and the lovely Old school science fiction writers who will encourage your mind's flexibility. I ramble on, and/but.... Using words skillfully is our heritage, and to claim it is a worthy aim.