Procrastination Gets a Bum Rap

Today I will answer a question found on the Discussion Forum.

Help! *`Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?' The first line won't come and I sit and stare at the blank screen!

Alice: `Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
Cheshire Cat: 'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to'
Alice: `I don't much care where--'
Cheshire Cat:`Then it doesn't matter which way you go'
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Lewis Carroll

Now, most would advise this writer to just write anything to get some words up there. Even if it’s ‘I want to write but can’t think of anything!’ about a hundred times. That’s supposed to unblock the imagination so the story hidden deep inside can come out. I’m not going to say that. I’ve tried that logic, but found it got in the way of procrastinating so I don’t advise it anymore. Procrastination is a good thing, and we should learn to appreciate it more. It’s been getting a bum rap for too long.

I’m a pretty good procrastinator, but only if I have a deadline, such as this newsletter. Without a job to put off, procrastination has no purpose. The first and most important requirement is your promise to do something.

Don’t become frustrated because you can’t begin your story today, there's always tomorrow. Go vacuum the floors or wash the cat, and while doing that, think about the story.

Stay positive. Instead of saying, "I can't...," "I should...," or "I have to..." say, "I want to vacuum first...", "It would be a waste of time to start without researching..." and "I don't want to." Being honest with yourself is always a confidence builder.

Here are some ways I've used my computer to procrastinate almost any chore.  They all work well.

Take the side of the computer off, and get out a blower of some kind, I use the air pump that came with a air mattress I bought about seven years ago.  the mattress didn't last long, but the pump was worth the money!

Blow away all those dust bunnies that clogs up the air vents and fans.  You'd be surprised at how dirty it gets in there.  When you're finished, trying to find the screws to put the side back on takes another hour or two.  (I never did find mine).  None of my computers have their sides on.

Clean inside the system of your computers. Those registry cleaners are powerful! If something is 'cleaned' that you find you really needed, you get to find it again. Woo!

Study your system devices. Some may actually need updated drivers and searching for them can take loads of time..

Defrag your hard drive. I gained a whopping 3% in my disk.

Clean out the internet history and cookie folders in the windows directory. Do it one file at a time, checking each.

Read your e-mail.

To help your self-esteem, (depending on the final score) exercise your memory while procrastinating, try this one. Keep score. Erase the passwords you stored in the auto-log on of all your browsers. See how many you can remember on your own before clicking ‘forgot password’.

Clean out the windows temp file one file at a time. Open them to be sure there's nothing you want to save. This is also good for the memory. "Where did that file come from and what was I supposed to do with it" is kinda time wasting.

Real procrastinators don’t need excuses, but having a real one might save you some irritation. "I didn't finish the story on time for the contest because my computer broke’ is a good one. This is especially useful for contest judges. And it will be the truth after messing with the settings all day.

Changing your handle to 'without internet' or 'computer broke!' will alert all who are concerned what you've been up to. "ah, procrastinating again, huh?"

Search the web for anything.

Call it research rather than surfing though. Keeping a writer's mindset by using a writer's word is good for warding off your guilt complex. Researching the net is informative and can be very useful in wasting time and putting off what you don't want to do today.

Clean out the crumbs that's accumulated between the keys on the keyboard.

Read your email again..

Repeat for as long as it takes.

Now you're ready and able to start your short story or submit your newsletter.

According to an e-mail notice, my deadline has arrived.

Happy procrastinating!

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Read With Skill

Learning to review depends largely on how well you’ve learned to read. When readers read a story, they bring along their own experiences and understanding. The author tries to guide the responses, but inevitably each reader will perceive it in their own individual way. Ethnic background, education and life experience all contribute to the images they see and their response to the story.

As reviewers, we can and should make an effort to understand what an author seems to be getting at. Writers can tell a great deal, but they cannot and should not tell us everything. They write for an audience they assume will know at least as much as they do about the topic; and they depend on their critiquers to know how to read with a certain, basic skill. 

Learning to read comprehensively and to make reasonable inferences will pull the reviewer beyond his own experience level and he will be better equipped to read with understanding even those works out of his familiar genre. Read with common sense and make notes. Ask yourself if that gap you noticed is important to the story; if not, it isn’t a mistake. It’s indeterminate and the reader is free to fill it with his own images.

For example:

If a story is written of two women, one younger than the other, will not knowing their ages matter? Are their physical looks relevant to the story? It completely depends on the context. If the information is needed, you should be able to draw it out by making a reasonable inference. Listen to the sound of their voices. Their choice of words will help show personality and ages. You won't have to be told. If it isn’t needed it only adds wordiness to a story.

If one character calls the other “Aunt” and her parents are never mentioned, we may wonder where her parents are, but perhaps it isn’t any of our business. We can draw our own inferences. They are possibly dead or on a long trip. If not knowing doesn't interfere with the plot, there isn't a need to know. 

Stories include indeterminacies (passages that are open to interpretations) and gaps (things left unsaid; such as why an aunt rather than the mother is caring for the young woman). If the aunt is referred to as ‘stately’ at one point, we should be able to comprehend she is from a well-off family, and probably past middle-age.

As we read, we keep re-evaluating what we have read, pulling the details together to make sense of them. It’s a process called consistency building. By the dialog and action we will be able to determine which woman is the older. Readers will begin to see their physical appearances through their personalities, dialogue and emotion, and their personal (readers) experiences. They want to see themselves or someone they know. They want to put themselves in the writers world. Experiment by not describing the main character by specific physical attributes; use the personality - the attitude and voice. Give readers the opportunity to become the main character and they'll love your story.

Learning to read comprehensively and drawing reasonable inferences are skills that will make reading more enjoyable for you and the author you’re reviewing. If you finish the read with unanswered questions, mention them in your feedback. They may be intended 'indeterminate gaps', but the story should be understood. The reader needs to know as much as the main character knows, or some details are missing.

© Copyright 2006 

Getting Read,Reviewed and Rated

With excitement you think: “Will anybody read it? Will they like it?”

You’ve decided to join a writing workshop to show your work and hone your skills. You’ve read in the ad’s that, ‘members read and give constructive reviews,’ and you definitely want to be read! Did you quit reading before the end of the sentence?

With excitement you think: “Will anybody read it? Will they like it?” Then, you take the plunge and, Merry Christmas! It was read! And it was critiqued. Oops.

“ but I did'nt expect anyone to rate my things! the "SPELLING & GRAMMAR POLICE"sent me a low rate!”

I’ve had more then a few express surprise at actually being reviewed. They don’t think to proofread or check their formatting, then they’re hurt when they receive a low rate.

Being critiqued is not easy to take by anyone, but especially for beginning writers. Writing is our personal thoughts and feelings, our ‘babies’- and we want to protect them for as long as possible. But remember, reviewers are not judging you. I know that’s hard to accept, and you won’t believe it at first. Your words are you, right? You’ve poured your heart and soul into them. You’ve looked forward to being read and enjoyed - praised. Believe me, I know.

If someone gives you an honest opinion of where your story isn’t working for them, try to be gracious. Don’t slam the reviewer or make excuses. Try to view your story through the eyes of the reader and understand for yourself why your point isn’t getting across. Read what the reviewer had to say.

Don’t edit or delete your work simply because one reader didn’t understand it or your feelings were hurt. I have done both to my regret! Wait to see what other reviewers say. By clarifying what you meant to say, you don’t need to change the story - only the way you chose to tell it. If one reviewer makes a suggestion, and you don’t agree, then leave it alone. It’s your story. If several make the same suggestion, it would be to your advantage to at least take another look at that area.

The opportunity to have someone look at where your story is going wrong and offer advice should be treasured. Learn from the reactions of your readers; they are your future audience. That’s why we’re here.

The Excuse

“but it’s supposed to be slow-paced. I wanted the reader to think.”
“ my character is supposed to be inconsistent.”
“ you weren’t reading it right. You didn’t get it.”
“ but I wanted to leave the readers in suspense.”
“I intended to write with ambiguity.” (New writers love that one, and they accomplish it well.)

There’s nothing wrong with your story containing any of these elements. What is important is that the reader must be able to understand why you wrote it that way.
A writer who needs to make excuses for his or her writing is missing the point. The idea of writing a story is to take readers into your make-believe world for awhile, and make them believe it. Write so your words are clear enough to carry the images from your mind into the minds of your readers.

If you feel the need to explain, then you haven’t achieved the goal yet. No one said it was going to be easy; in fact, it’s very hard. You’ll cry and tear up more than one writing during the journey. Just be sure you always keep the original. After a while, you’ll go back to it one day and see it in a new light. You really will.

New writers make excuses for their work. We all did. The best way to get over doing this is to read and review other new writers. You'll learn to revise, tighten and polish until every word shines. Keep practicing - it's good practice, and, it works.

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Paul Smith -- Typewriter Artist

Hate Has Become the In Thing

It seems that the country has turned its negativity into political power, and it's so magnetic that it's slowly pulling us all in.  I can't believe what I hear and how easy it is to divide into groups, one against the other. 

This division has no purpose but to grab more votes from those who are easily led.  Why do they fall for it?   So many just do not have the capacity to think for themselves, or to think logically.  The lies are blatantly 'in your face', but the blind, deaf, and needy don't want to see or hear or even have to think too hard.  They're so easy to persuade to jump from the cliff.  Why do they have to drag the rest of us down with them?  Why do they have so much hate in their hearts?

Many citizens forget (or were never taught)  who is supposed to be in charge, and are freely tossing away all their rights.  For what?  What will be their reward?  Embracing miserable poverty and complete domination.   Who really wins?

 

 

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Is it okay to dream of becoming an amateur writer?

Many people write for fun only and are content to be called amateurs. Even amateurs should aspire to write the right way, and that is where I stand at this moment.

Today’s internet opens the doors to e-magazines, blogs, and web sites to help writers get started. Online writing groups allow you to post your writing and receive feedback on it. Honest feedback will help you learn what you don’t know, so be sure the group is made up of writers of different skill levels. In other words, at least a few should have more skill than you have.

Do you dream of becoming a published author?

Do you want it more than anything and willing to set aside your ego and work for success? That’s the huge first step that I’m still wrestling with.

The next step is finding out what you don’t know, and practicing with all your heart to learn the craft of writing. There are rules that can be broken only after you learn to use them correctly; there are rules that can never be broken, and they are important. I’m finding out those things I don’t know, but it’s a slow go.   One of those things is finding that my biggest fear in writing is posting my work publicly.

It’s the rockiest path I’ve ever tried to walk.

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Cheapskates Avoid Stress Better

I like cheap, the cheaper the better. I use yard sales and thrift shops a lot.

As young parents with little money, we learned to make-do, to get along with what we had. I have completely furnished a two-bedroom house for fifty dollars, and it looked good. My husband painted and re-glued while I cleaned and polished. Authentic old furniture magically appeared as antiques to friends and family. They eyed it greedily and we glowed.

Our house was always filled with a passel of kids, so nicks and scrapes were common to our furniture. I didn’t stress over them because I knew furniture was replaceable. And cheap. Another bonus is that old furniture was better made than the new, lower-end stuff. I’ve owned both and believe me, low-priced new furniture is pure junk! You’re wasting your money.

As the children grew older and our finances improved, we bought new stuff and it was nice, but we didn’t enjoy it as much. Is that strange? Not to me. Kids can’t romp and play on new furniture. They can’t bring a snack into the living room and enjoy family conversation or games when Mother is worried about stains and scratches. The fun is taken right out of the day when a child is banished to the kitchen. Kids are more important than ‘stuff’ and they give hugs. Mine have good memories of their childhood and I’m glad to say I helped.

Now that we are retired grandparents on Social Security, we’re back to the thrift shops. This time for yard toys. Slides, swings, rocking horses and tricycles - even a Little Tyke playhouse was added to the backyard for five dollars. These are good, top-of-the-line toys that other kids have outgrown. The cost is minimal. The memories the kids will have of visiting their Grandparents will be priceless.

I don’t see the sense of spending hundreds of dollars for toys that will be outgrown or forgotten too soon. I would rather spend as little as possible and do without the stress if something breaks. Wouldn’t you? Of course you would.

If the kids are old enough, they can help clean the new toys, maybe paint a trike for a younger brother or sister - apply some decals. They will develop pride and self-esteem through their artistry, they really will. Do you see those runs in the paint? Dab their length with a bright candy color, or gold. Bring them out to be noticed. They’re supposed to be there!

And, in my opinion, anything that aids brothers and sisters to get along and like each other is a huge bonus and stress-reliever for everyone.

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Consider Publishing Fillers

Technorati Tags: writing, critiques, family, life, flash fiction,


Think About Writing Fillers--No, Seriously!

Even writers who don't like kids might be interested in this one. You don't have to write kids-lit to cash in on these ideas--you only need to be imaginative.

The childrens genre is one of the most versatile of all genres, and gives the creative writer many more opportunities to publish than just writing a piece of fiction. If you're ready to submit your work, think seriously about magazines. There are mags for every subject imaginable and the ones in my copy of the Children's Magazine Market accept a percentage of their work from non-published freelance writers. If you don't have expertise on a subject, research thoroughly and appear as if you do.

Don't think you must stick to children's magazines. Are you familiar with Hot Rod? Many of their readers are in the YA bracket. Ever know a teen who wasn't interested in cars? Not me. Maybe you have tips on easy detailing of cars? Do you have knowledge of low-cost modifications that work? Topics include hot rod cars, repairs, racing, and collecting. They're looking for writers with a strong knowledge of hot rodding who can write with an active voice. How does $250.00 to $300.00 a page sound?

Most everyone has a hobby that could be simplified for children. Sewing simple projects are seen often. It was suggested to me long ago to detail simple quilting techniques for children, but I didn't take it on. Remember what you enjoyed as a child and work a project around it. Write step-by-step instructions simply and clearly, and include photos or drawings of the steps. Most will want a model included (if applicable).

Are you or your child left-handed? Love horses? Pets? Home school? Also, check out any regional historical mags your state, county, or hometown publish.

Visit the children's section in your library and spend time looking through magazines. Read the articles and how-to's to get familiar with the style and voice each uses. They will expect the author to know what they want.

While you're there, find the Children's Magazine Market Sourcebook published by The Institure of Children's Literature. If you haven't seen it in a while, you'll be surprised at the number of magazines that accept children's genre articles. It's a pretty handy thing to subscribe to.

A few more ideas:

Preschool and Kindergarten craft projects that use materials found around the house, like egg cartons, cardboard, paper, boxes, string, crayons, paint, glue, etc. Include instructions to show how to combine paint to make all the colors of the rainbow.

Can you draw? What about a picture book formatted as a colorbook that the kids can color to suit themselves? It keeps the kids and their crayons away from Mom's books for a while.

Magazines always need good column fillers. The shorter the better to leave room for more ads. Realistically, it's the money from the ads that pay the authors.

I was sitting in my Doctor's waiting room one day and picked up a colorful locally published brochure. It was filled with ads, jokes and tidbits of both serious and humorous information. The headliner was a short non-fiction parent-child related article. I opened it to the middle spread and realized I'd read the piece somewhere. Looking at the ending, I found it was written by Jessiebelle™  . Imagine my delight to find something published by one of our own WDC'ers right here in my little hometown. Priceless!

By the way, Jessie, the brochure doesn't come any more. What did you say to them besides demanding your Author copy?

Rebus Rhymes are popular and fun.
Rebus Picture Puzzles.
Word Puzzle Games.
Dot to Dot's.
Themed Poetry.

Are you a writer of Tongue Twisters?

Crisp crusts crackle and crunch.

A flea and a fly flew up in a flue.
Said the flea, "Let us fly!"
Said the fly, "Let us flee!"
So they flew through a flap in the flue.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/rhymes/Twisters.shtml

Kids and parents love interactives that keep kids busy and happy.

The best tip I can give today is to visit your library and read the magazines that publish stories, both fiction and non-fiction. But don't stop with stories, check out what else is being published. You can find most submitting guidelines on the net, but you must hold several issues of any magazine in your hand to study them. It's important to write in the style and voice that they publish if you want them to accept your work. There aren't any shortcuts.

Consider magazines when you're ready to send your stuff in; you just might find your
niche and a few clips to boost your self-esteem and the agent's interest when you're ready to query that book.

Keep writing and good luck reaching your goal!

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