Hi,
I told you how much I enjoyed my editing class; I’m using a few of the techniques she taught. Anyway, one of the things she mentioned is that how she had to learn to break some of the rules of writing that were ground into her from childhood, for example: a comma should be used before a conjunction introducing an independent clause—those long winded rules. We adhere to that rule because its ground into us as well, but for some writers they know and incorporate the rules so well, have done it all their writing career that they know how to superbly break them to give us knew and wonderful stories. My best example of who does this so well is Cormac Mccarthy; he breaks rules into splinters and takes your breath away. He can do this so effortlessly because of a few things: his writing skill, deep knowledge of the world and the people he writes about and because he’s fearless at the challenge and doesn’t care if we like it or not, he writes for himself.
Will I ever get to the point to be able to write so well or to be so fearless at it? Honestly, I don’t think so but I don’t toss it out but see is as a possible goal along with my other writing goals: doing it well and loving it.
Enjoy what you’re writing even when you sometimes can’t enjoy the writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Hello,
It’s funny how writers are always trying to improve their writing—at least I do—and by all means at my disposal. I believe I do it out of part fear I don’t know enough as a writer and I’m missing something and part I can always—always do better for my sake and most importantly for my readers. I took an editing class at my local university yesterday and it was good, I learned a number of useful tools and I’m grateful for it because they will help improve my writing no doubt. I have an issue with my editing prowess anyway, I’m not good at it and the chance to improve is welcome.
As we all know, it’s a long-winding-improving road for a writer, no matter how long his career, the object is to get better each novel and along with courage and hard-work it takes knowledge to do so and l take advantage of this fact. The professor is teaching a grammar class and I will be taking it, a brush up now and again is a plus, every little bit helps and I will take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself to make my stories, my novels better and better.
Grab a book like The Everyday Writer by Andrea Lunsford, I’d bet you pick up something that’ll help your writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
It’s funny how writers are always trying to improve their writing—at least I do—and by all means at my disposal. I believe I do it out of part fear I don’t know enough as a writer and I’m missing something and part I can always—always do better for my sake and most importantly for my readers. I took an editing class at my local university yesterday and it was good, I learned a number of useful tools and I’m grateful for it because they will help improve my writing no doubt. I have an issue with my editing prowess anyway, I’m not good at it and the chance to improve is welcome.
As we all know, it’s a long-winding-improving road for a writer, no matter how long his career, the object is to get better each novel and along with courage and hard-work it takes knowledge to do so and l take advantage of this fact. The professor is teaching a grammar class and I will be taking it, a brush up now and again is a plus, every little bit helps and I will take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself to make my stories, my novels better and better.
Grab a book like The Everyday Writer by Andrea Lunsford, I’d bet you pick up something that’ll help your writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Hello and Happy Friday,
Working on the second book, a lot of reading and research; yet doing it no matter what—with a little writing thrown it--and its going well because its part of the writing process isn’t it? A large cog in the machinery of writing. I’m reading about the Iranian revolution and about the CIA; and a piece of the story I was missing for the second novel—how to work out how Owen comes by an important piece of information central to the story—presents itself, the answer I needed to keep the story rolling and it made my day.
I’m not the kind of writer who can plot my novel step-by-step before the writing, who knows what happens before it happens; I of course have an idea of the plot of the story, how it should go, it’s the how to get there that’s my mystery… until I start to read, research, write and think.
Writing is involved, tedious, time consuming, but such a joy and a wonder, I love it and can’t imagine doing anything else. So you write too, it’s worth it everyday.
Write,
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Working on the second book, a lot of reading and research; yet doing it no matter what—with a little writing thrown it--and its going well because its part of the writing process isn’t it? A large cog in the machinery of writing. I’m reading about the Iranian revolution and about the CIA; and a piece of the story I was missing for the second novel—how to work out how Owen comes by an important piece of information central to the story—presents itself, the answer I needed to keep the story rolling and it made my day.
I’m not the kind of writer who can plot my novel step-by-step before the writing, who knows what happens before it happens; I of course have an idea of the plot of the story, how it should go, it’s the how to get there that’s my mystery… until I start to read, research, write and think.
Writing is involved, tedious, time consuming, but such a joy and a wonder, I love it and can’t imagine doing anything else. So you write too, it’s worth it everyday.
Write,
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Hello and Happy July 4th to all who celebrate,
Writing is such a funny thing, you never realize until you think about it how important it is, how much you do it and the big difference it makes to your life if you do it right. I’m popular at my kids school, why? It’s not because I’m the president of the PTA—I’m not--but because I write great e-mails and notes to their teachers in my request for information about my sons or to thank them for what they do for my children. I make sure to put my best words in there to convey I believe them to be great for my children and taught them well and it’s easier for me to write than to do the face to face; I believe my writing helped me have a better relationship with them and helped my children have a good one with them too.
Today I needed a lawyer, to ask some questions and provide some information but instead of talking to him, I wrote a letter instead, well an e-mail as an introduction and to pass along some details. I did the writing because I knew I wouldn’t be able to get my point across, the facts, exactly the way I needed to if I had to speak with him off the cuff, so writing was what I did and it worked. In my note my information was succinct and clear and received the response I needed; verbally, I couldn't of gotten my point across nearly as well as I can using a pen and a piece of paper.
Writing smooths my life out more than I could imagine and that's a tremendous blessing.
Write well and all the time,
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Writing is such a funny thing, you never realize until you think about it how important it is, how much you do it and the big difference it makes to your life if you do it right. I’m popular at my kids school, why? It’s not because I’m the president of the PTA—I’m not--but because I write great e-mails and notes to their teachers in my request for information about my sons or to thank them for what they do for my children. I make sure to put my best words in there to convey I believe them to be great for my children and taught them well and it’s easier for me to write than to do the face to face; I believe my writing helped me have a better relationship with them and helped my children have a good one with them too.
Today I needed a lawyer, to ask some questions and provide some information but instead of talking to him, I wrote a letter instead, well an e-mail as an introduction and to pass along some details. I did the writing because I knew I wouldn’t be able to get my point across, the facts, exactly the way I needed to if I had to speak with him off the cuff, so writing was what I did and it worked. In my note my information was succinct and clear and received the response I needed; verbally, I couldn't of gotten my point across nearly as well as I can using a pen and a piece of paper.
Writing smooths my life out more than I could imagine and that's a tremendous blessing.
Write well and all the time,
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)