So, I am struggling to maintain my claim that I am still, in fact, a “writer.” I journalled as a pre-teen and a teen. I took creative writing. I wrote essays using large and splendiferous thesuarus-worthy words. I was trained as a journalist…that’s a “writer,” right? Then I wrote for some newspapers. I wrote (and still sometimes write) for the magazine I edit now. And this organization keeps sending me to SFU courses: creative magazine writing, direct marketing copywriting, and the Write!Canada conference. I am even a “professional” member of the Word Guild. But since people keep asking me to edit, I have less and less creative hankering to be the one to put the words on the paper, rather than the one rearranging the words someone else put on the paper. I guess I should just stick to what I’m good at (which, I figure, is what people keep asking me to do: edit), but it feels funny to be trusted to edit other people’s work without them really knowing any of the material I used to “output” on a regular basis. Then again, it could be that my writing is actually so atrocious and nonsensical that my peers and bosses wouldn’t let me touch a blank piece of paper with a 10-foot pole. Hmmmm…..
However, other than journalling, I was never a “writer” by passion anyway. I only write when people ask me to . . . and even then, only when they offer me money to do it. You see, I am a “service provider,” a term I learned at work last year. I produce copy and ideas only when the aforementioned factors are present. I am not freelancer material as of yet (I still don’t understand how they live on such an unreliable income, especially with families . . . and no benefits!). I think it’s a trust issue. Working from home at my own pace would be ideal . . . but I don’t think I am trusting Christ enough to provide what I need. Clearly, I have control issues. I am also a realist (which is an optimistic definition of “pessimist,” really). Until I see income, I’m not counting on it.
Anyway, all that said, I am attempting to massage my writing muscles and have dug up this book I bought last year. Let’s see how many I do before I forget about it again. The author even gives basic rules for using this workbook. Why can’t everything have basic rules? Then I can decide whether I want to break them . . . or if I could even abide by them at all.
Basic Rules to Keep in Mind While You Are Writing (or to rebel against if that’s more to your liking).
Keep Writing: Don’t stop. If you hit a block, write the last word over and over until something new starts flowing from your pen. Usually it’s the word “and”. Write “and and and and and and and and” and soon you will be writing “and I am sick of writing the word and. I am also sick of … ” and you’re off and writing again!
Don’t Edit: Editing is left-brained work, and these exercises are right-brained fun. So don’t go back and cross out or change words. Keep moving forward. And don’t worry about spelling or grammar. There’s plenty of time for that later. Just make sure you can read it!
Let Yourself Go: Don’t worry about the end result. Give yourself permission to write junk. Don’t hold back. Don’t filter. Go on an adventure.
Be Specific: Use all your senses to describe things. Use your sense of smell to describe a cab, your sense of taste to describe a computer. The best way for readers to recall what you’ve written is to be specific: Not “toy”, but “plastic Batman figure missing an arm”.
Don’t Negate Your Work: Be proud of what you write. Know that the only rule is to fill the page, usually in 10 minutes … and you will have accomplished that!
Have Fun: Or maybe it’s time to get a new hobby!
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