Thursday, February 27, 2020
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
WORDS OF WISDOM
Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.
~Henry David Thoreau, Author (1817-1862)
~Henry David Thoreau, Author (1817-1862)
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Monday, February 24, 2020
Saturday, February 22, 2020
HONESTY
I'm enjoying the workbook It's Never Too Late to Begin Again. It is changing my perceptions of life in general and the limitations we place on ourselves. When I read the chapter on Honesty, it struck a chord with me.
Sharing my true feelings has always been difficult for me. I remember in my childhood that they were squelched by adults who didn't like what I said or my own self-doubt. I shared with my mom years later that when I was in grade school the other kids looked at us like we were Martians. I, my sister and brother was the only three black children in the whole school. The experience was unnerving.
I do admit that I can be my own worst enemy. Procrastination, doubts, and a lack of motivation have been stumbling blocks. I have decided to be more open to my true feelings and to express them. Writing has allowed me to do this and more. With this honesty I have opened up some deep-seated desires I never knew I possessed. This may account for the detachment I sometimes feel in some situations.
A reminder is that writers share parts of their lives with others through their work. This is one of the tradeoffs of sharing with the public. I will be honest with me and my true feelings from now on. I won't let self-doubt stop me. I never worry about my critics (I'm my own worst critic). Onward and upward.
Sharing my true feelings has always been difficult for me. I remember in my childhood that they were squelched by adults who didn't like what I said or my own self-doubt. I shared with my mom years later that when I was in grade school the other kids looked at us like we were Martians. I, my sister and brother was the only three black children in the whole school. The experience was unnerving.
I do admit that I can be my own worst enemy. Procrastination, doubts, and a lack of motivation have been stumbling blocks. I have decided to be more open to my true feelings and to express them. Writing has allowed me to do this and more. With this honesty I have opened up some deep-seated desires I never knew I possessed. This may account for the detachment I sometimes feel in some situations.
A reminder is that writers share parts of their lives with others through their work. This is one of the tradeoffs of sharing with the public. I will be honest with me and my true feelings from now on. I won't let self-doubt stop me. I never worry about my critics (I'm my own worst critic). Onward and upward.
Friday, February 21, 2020
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Monday, February 17, 2020
Friday, February 14, 2020
Thursday, February 13, 2020
NEW DAY EVERYDAY
Over the past several days I wake up with new and clear thoughts about writing. This morning it was about a character I had previously written about. I believe that it illustrates two points I follow.
The first is let the story sit for awhile. I seem to come up with something to add, delete, or highlight. The second is to edit, edit, and edit. If it feels right, I leave it alone.
The first is let the story sit for awhile. I seem to come up with something to add, delete, or highlight. The second is to edit, edit, and edit. If it feels right, I leave it alone.
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
CONVENTION VS.NONCONFORMITY
I have nothing against convention. In the literary world, it's to be successful, stabilizing, and profitable. When someone goes outside the prevailing convention, he/she is branded as a heretic or a rebel. Some of the writers I admire were branded as such. Jack Kerouac (spontaneous prose) and Paul Laurence Dunbar (dialect verse) are examples.
The former was criticized for the non-linear way he wrote. The latter by his own peer of black writers because they believed it cast a negative light on black people as being dumb and unintelligent. Dunbar said that he didn't speak in dialect but heard many former slaves speak that way. He was telling the truth.
I view writers and poets as sages that share the inner parts of their lives. Writing is not limited to one particular way. It is many and varied. People's life experiences are different so it's not surprising to me that their writing reflected their experiences. Kerouac and Dunbar were gifted, smart, and astute writers. So was Herman Melville, a very underrated author who wrote about his sea adventures.
If your writing is different from the prevailing convention, that's okay. Some will read and love it. Jack Kerouac and Paul Laurence Dunbar influenced me as a writer. I'm sure that you have your influences.
The former was criticized for the non-linear way he wrote. The latter by his own peer of black writers because they believed it cast a negative light on black people as being dumb and unintelligent. Dunbar said that he didn't speak in dialect but heard many former slaves speak that way. He was telling the truth.
I view writers and poets as sages that share the inner parts of their lives. Writing is not limited to one particular way. It is many and varied. People's life experiences are different so it's not surprising to me that their writing reflected their experiences. Kerouac and Dunbar were gifted, smart, and astute writers. So was Herman Melville, a very underrated author who wrote about his sea adventures.
If your writing is different from the prevailing convention, that's okay. Some will read and love it. Jack Kerouac and Paul Laurence Dunbar influenced me as a writer. I'm sure that you have your influences.
WORDS OF WISDOM
Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go life is a barren field frozen field.
Langston Hughes, Poet (1902-1967)
Langston Hughes, Poet (1902-1967)
Monday, February 10, 2020
Saturday, February 08, 2020
Wednesday, February 05, 2020
Tuesday, February 04, 2020
Monday, February 03, 2020
Sunday, February 02, 2020
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