Comments on: On Writing

By: Catherine Sherman

Catherine Sherman — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:13:52 +0000

I’m in the same boat. So many great ideas, or so I think, until I get to chapter three, and then I think, Oh, I’ll set this aside because it needs too much research right now, I’ll just start this other one, which will be easier because it’s more about what I know, but then it seems too ordinary, and on and on and on. Maybe I can’t write long works, which is why I went into journalism. A deadline and a paycheck focus my mind tremendously. I have the perfectionist problem in the extreme, maybe because I have also worked as an editor. I find I write better in long-hand, maybe because it’s harder to delete and rearrange and re-write. I don’t finish those hand-written masterpieces, either. My husband jokes about finding scribblings on paper all over the house. I tried writing thoughts on note cards and putting them in a box, thinking that the book would practically assemble itself. Didn’t happen!

I like your tweet of imagining your characters as movie stars. I tried cutting out people from magazines as my characters. Maybe I’ll try that again.

I need to feel I’m accomplishing something, so I’ve volunteered to write for some newsletters and thrown myself into photography. I’ve also been designing cards for quick satisfaction, as Jan knows. Hallmark is quaking in fear!

Blogging helps, too.

I’d like a writing partner, so I’m eager to hear from you how that goes. I’ve suggested to friends in town who write that we at least meet once a month, but they freak out at the pressure…. Good luck with the writing. Just know that we are out here eagerly awaiting your book.

Catherine, I sincerely hope you finish yours too! I’d love to read it. Janelle

By: Crystal

Crystal — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:52:23 +0000

Yay! Congratulations! You have to let me read it. At least send me some of the first few chapters. And you should definitely do Nanowrimo with me next year.

You got it! Nanowrimo here we come! Janelle

By: Jan Marshall

Jan Marshall — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:47:53 +0000

I’ve got all the same books. I swear people have made more money writing about working through Writer’s Block than they have from their own writing. I even read portions of Stephen King’s book On Writing to my third graders. (Okay, I skip over his cocaine addiction and focus on the importance of rewriting.)

Personally, I’ve found that since I’ve been blogging, it’s freed me to write whatever I feel like without worrying that it has to be PERFECT. The first time I ever wrote a first-person story, it was published in a major magazine. It just seemed so easy, so when the next one wasn’t, I was devastated. I envision a group of editors running interference and trying to block, when in fact most of these editors have probably been laid off.

I just read that publishers aren’t buying anything so many writers have decided to …(dare I say it?) – Self Publish. But, or course, first you have to have a work to publish. And the key word is WORK. I’ll be eager to hear how this goes, Janelle.

Jan – Thanks for the kind words and key advice. I will be working! It’s doing that little bit a day that is helping. Hopefully by the time I’m done there will be a publisher and people will be reading more! Ha! Ha! Janelle

By: Mary Vetting

Mary Vetting — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:09:46 +0000

Janelle I always, always, always enjoy stories about your life and experiences. They are interesting and funny and remarkable and repeatable (I’ve told people about stuff you’ve told me and stuff you’ve written in this blog to great response!). Please write about your life.

Mary, I’m your biggest fan too. Bless you!