I’m
discussing the writing process today instead of formatting as I promised. It is
a holiday weekend after all, and formatting is a rather extensive and boring
subject. I promise I’ll get to it next week and try to use bullets to make it
simpler for you to find what you need.
Several
people have questioned me about how to get started writing. I always think back
to my graduate school days when I took a course that required us to write on
demand. The professor would come into class and give us a topic, or not, and
then we were required to write for fifteen minutes. His advice was to put the
pen (or pencil) to the paper. If we didn’t know what to write, he said to write
our name, address, telephone number, whatever came to mind. Hit the panic
button, right? But before we knew it, most of us were writing like crazy. At the
end of the writing session, we had to share what we had written with the class. It was a daunting
experience, but in the long run it built up our confidence as writers. However, I
still remember my heart pounding the first few times I had to read!
These
days when I’m working on a project I try to write at least 500 words a day.
Early morning is best for me. I get up and make coffee, let the two dogs out
for their morning run, and get settled at my computer. I’ll do a quick email
check and let the dogs back in. With one or both dogs on the rug at my feet, I
begin by rereading what I wrote the day before. I’ll make corrections and maybe
embellish it a little; once I’ve read the previous day’s work I’m in the mood.
I write until I’m out of ideas or hit a snag. Usually I make it to 500 words
more or less. Then I stop. Of course, I’m still thinking about my story during
the day and sometimes late into the night. I might go back in the afternoon and
add more to the story. But I wait until the next day to review. It’s tempting
to go back and start editing and adding to what I have written, but I leave it.
My advice is to start each day with a review of what you wrote the day before. You’ll find
yourself back in the groove. It works for me.
As
I mentioned, this is a holiday weekend. In remembrance of all who have served
our country:
In Fanders
Fields
John
McCrae
May,
1915
In
Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between
the crosses, row on row,
That
mark our place; and in the sky
The
larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce
heard amid the guns below.
We
are the Dead. Short days ago
We
lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved
and were loved, and now we lie
In
Flanders fields.
Take
up our quarrel with the foe:
To
you from failing hands we throw
The
torch; be yours to hold it high.
If
ye break faith with us who die
We
shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In
Flanders fields.