Facing the blank page
Our local daily newspaper has always had a full page of cartoons. I enjoy reading these cartoons whenever we get the paper. Some of them are very witty, others are clever and many of them reflect life’s struggles.
One cartoon earlier this week showed one of the characters sitting at an old fashioned typewriter. The caption read:
“Nothing’s more terrifying to a writer than facing a blank piece of paper – except reading back what you wrote yesterday!”
Facing the blank piece of paper is bad enough, but going back over yesterday’s writing and finding it less brilliant than you thought possible at the time is rather embarrassing at best and downright infuriating at worst.
What to do?
Writers have no option but to rewrite. Sometimes it is wise just to scrap the whole piece and start over again. Wait a moment though – don’t totally throw it away or hit the delete key. Even the worst piece of writing can potentially be reworked and used in the future.
The real key is knowing when to give up on a piece of writing and when to slave for hours trying to whip a poor passage into something acceptable. That discernment takes years of experience. Experienced writers know the difference between time that is spent reworking a passage and time taken to totally start again.
I’m not happy with how this article has come out. Maybe I should leave it until tomorrow before I rework it.
Or delete it.
Good writing.
Writing Hint #28: Try Free Writing
Writer’s Block
Dealing with writer’s block can be a real hassle for some writers. You know you should be writing (or blogging) but the ideas just will not come. The words seem to be stuck somewhere and just can’t get out.
Egg Bound
I guess it’s a bit like a hen who is egg bound. The egg is there – but it just cannot get out, no matter what the hen tries to do. This serious condition can result in death, and I’d imagine it would be a rather painful way to go. What we do not want is the death of our writing.
Try Free Writing:
How about trying free writing.
- Bring up a blank screen on your monitor or take a blank piece of paper.
- Set a timer for five or ten minutes – you choose.
- Now write.
- Anything.
- Everything.
- Just random words.
- Meaningless drivel.
- Make it a list.
- List the things you can see.
- Write down what you can hear, smell, feel.
- Make a list of your favourite foods, songs, movies, books or whatever.
- Forget about grammar, punctuation and spelling: just write.
- Cover the page.
- Fill the monitor screen.
This activity tricks the brain into thinking that you are actually writing, and before long the ideas will start flowing, the words will come and you will be off and writing again.
Warm up the brain
Some writers use this technique as a warm up exercise for the day. They do this like an athlete warms up for the main event. When their brains are ready, they then launch into the real writing they have in front of them for the day.
Stretch your writing muscles
I sometimes use this technique in a modified way; I write in my journal. My journal has an audience of one: me. It is not perfect – far from it. It records my thoughts, my feelings, the recent events in my life and my reactions to them. When I have written for ten or fifteen minutes I am often ready and warmed up to get on with other writing tasks. My writing muscles have been stretched and are ready for action.
Good writing.
Further reading:
- Writing hints – another 27 writing hints to help you.
The Adventures of Nancy – travelling home
2 Comments »22nd August, 2007; Category: Adventures of Nancy
Nancy
I thought that Rose was going to leave me behind again on Sunday. I hate it when she does that. I don’t get to go for a ride in her lovely car. I like looking out the window. Boy – if she’d only let me out sometimes I’d chase after those rabbits and sheep and really have some fun. Mind you – I wouldn’t hurt them. We’d just have a really good run and I’d bark at them and tell them to run faster.
Don’t get me wrong – I love staying with Grandpa Trevor and Grandma Corinne. They let me play in the garden. They take me for walks and the fire is so lovely and warm. I could sleep in front of the fire all day.
Well, Rose didn’t leave me behind the other day so I got to see all those rabbits and sheep and cows and trucks and cars on the way home. Now Rose is at work at school so I am using her computer while she is not here.
I’ll talk to you again soon.
Let me know if you like my photo above.
Just a thought – about cups and words
“We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.”
~ Ray Bradbury
I’ve never thought of myself as a cup.
Until now.
Life is constantly filling us with experiences, images, ideas, thoughts, emotions and a constant barrage of words, spoken and written. From that amazing hotchpotch stew can come “the beautiful stuff” that can inspire, amuse, instruct, entertain and even bring tears to the eyes of the reader.
What a wonderful privilege to be a writer.
And what an awesome challenge for the writer serious about the craft.
Good writing.
The Adventures of Nancy – introducing my Mum
1 Comment »20th August, 2007; Category: Adventures of Nancy
Nancy with her mum, Rose
Hi there again.
I’d like to introduce my Mum. Her name is Rose. She is a teacher at Clare High School in South Australia. Sometimes – if I’m really good, she takes me to school with her – when there are none of those funny things called students there. I like smelling all around the classroom where Rose works. If she stays a long time at school I like to curl up on the carpet at her feet. Normally she leaves me home, and then I get bored.
BORED.
I hate being bored. Except when the neighbour’s cat walks past the window. If I could just get out and chase it away. Better yet – I’m sure I’d be able to catch that nasty piece of goods and then the fur would fly! How dare he strut across MY garden with that snooty nose in the air.