Just a thought
No Comments »14th December, 2006; Category: Just a Thought
I’m not hard to get along with but sometimes the world just won’t cooperate.” Ashleigh Brilliant.
Don’t you just feel like that some days?
Nobody loves me, everybody hates me, think I’ll go and eat worms.
That’s what the positive thinking gurus forget. Yes, we have control over our own thoughts, responses, reactions and how we deal with the cards life deals us, but it seems that the whole world is reading a different script. It is like we are dancing to a different tune, marching out of step and swimming against the tide.
Just a thought: about writing and life
“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” – Benjamin Franklin
Lofty goals but certainly worthy aspirations nevertheless.
Those who aspire to be published writers need to be constantly striving to write what others will want to read. In an era when becoming a “published” writer is easier than ever before – I speak here of blogs in particular – the temptation to churn out absolute rubbish has become almost universal.
Despite its obvious shortcomings however, blogging is becoming one of the most powerful social movements of the modern era. And it’s only in its infancy; the long-term potential is staggering. If you don’t believe me, think about the ubiquitous mobile phone. As recent as twenty years ago they were bulky bricks one lugged around if you could afford it. Now look at them. Personal, instant communication is available and mostly affordable to all.
So as writers we owe it to our readers to strive to “write something worth reading.” And if we can’t do that, Benjamin Franklin tells us to “do something worth writing” about. Perhaps in today’s language we might say: “get a life.” But make sure it’s a very interesting life, a life others will want to read about.
Of course, those of us who are really clever might be able to do both.
Just a thought – about pizzas, writing and publishers
Why does a round pizza come in a square box?
Why indeed?
Would it make more sense to use a square tray when making a pizza? The logical conclusion of that would be that the box for each pizza could be smaller thus saving on cardboard and therefore less trees cut down. Now I am not in the business of making pizzas, so there is probably a very sound reason why round pizzas are delivered in square boxes.
Too often I hear that writers are like pizza makers who try to cram square pizzas into round boxes, or are wasteful and try to put round pizzas into square boxes. Writers need to study their markets carefully. It is no use sending a children’s picture book text to a publisher who only publishes scientific texts for academics. It sounds a ridiculous example, but I believe it happens all too frequently. Writers who fail to do their homework (read market research) just set themselves up for rejection.
There are many useful resources available to writers these days, including market guides in both printed and electronic form. Successful writers use the internet to do their market research. Many publishers these days publish their writers’ guidelines on their web site. At the very least, check these out before submitting your writing to them.
Just a thought – about words, thinking and writing
Why do you have to “put your two cents in”.. . But it’s only a “penny for your thoughts”? Where’s that extra penny going to?
Some of our idioms are rather interesting and even contradictory – or at best, rather confusing when you stop and think about them.
The thought quoted above made me think – dangerous habit, I know. As writers we need to be quite careful about the words we use, the expressions we incorporate in our work and the idioms, similes, cliches and other phrases we so lazily include in our articles, blogs and stories. Original and memorable writing takes effort.
Original writing that expresses old ideas in new ways will always appear fresh, interesting and compelling. It will be like applying a coat of paint to an old building; it will still be that dilapidated structure, but will look great, or at least quite a bit better.
Related article:
- What is an idiom? – includes a definition.
Just a thought
No Comments »2nd November, 2006; Category: Just a Thought
How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?
Words are strange.
Words are powerful.
You never know exactly what they mean, or how they are being used by a writer or a speaker. There are so many nuances with words in English which just add so much colour to our language. In the quote above, two words, “murdered” and “assassinated” are used. To that we might add “slaughtered” and “man-slaughter.” Why not just say “killed.” That is because each word has different shades of meaning, each word has implications for the reader or listener and each would draw on different emotions.