Helpful Writing Hints
I’ve been reading a just okay book by Derrick Jensen called Walking on Water. In it he writes graphically about sex, writing, and education, three things I love. He says some not-so-new things about writing like show don’t tell and never bore your reader. The way he phrases the latter caught my attention - what you write should be better than sex for the reader. (I’ll have to really start honing in on the post-partum audience or I’ll crack from the pressure.) His advice for how to do this is to LET GO (exclamation point throw things at the wall for emphasis!)
This is where I have trouble, where I’ve always struggled as a writer. I think far too much about my audience. About what they might think of me. Or not think of me. (I don’t give a moment’s thought to how often I write fragments.) In the past I’ve largely been able to overcome the problem by either not writing or by burying all my writing in the backyard under the weeping willow tree. God forbid someone should see into my inner soul and realize I have feelings, or insecurities, or that I like to write haiku about my feet.
Blogging has made me re-visit this old problem, only this time I really can’t bury my posts in the backyard. I mean, shit, I’m paying seven bucks a month for this site! If I had it to do over again, I would not tell one person I know about this blog. Then, when I write ’sex’ and ‘things I love’ in the same sentence, I wouldn’t feel hives breaking out in my underarm pits. (Have I mentioned before that I’m Catholic?) Now I wrote ‘underarm pits’ and my hands are starting to shake.
I read other bloggers who truly put me to shame, like Redneck Mommy and Motherhood Uncensored, they’re just so funny; but I can’t LET GO the way they do. If I put ‘the’, ‘butt’, and ‘up’ in the same coherent sentence, I’d need a sedative. I’d stay up all night and wonder if Chuck and Mickey read my blog today or what about our bank teller? What’s he going to think of me now? Really, I think I could get over everybody else if my own mother hadn’t finally figured out how to turn on a computer. And if my sister hadn’t put me in my mom’s favorites. And if she didn’t have a piece of paper next to her computer that says: How To Get To Meg’s Blog:
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Turn on computer
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Put right hand on mouse
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Slowly move hand…
If my mother had given birth to the woman who wrote this post, she would never have time to eat for all the St. Jude novenas she’d have to squeeze in! The day might come when I’ll find the peace I need to really LET GO as a writer, but for now, if you happen to notice strange words stuck in sentences where they don’t belong like ’self pleasure’ or ‘hemorrhoid’, just know I’m practicing.
NOTE TO MOM: The book I’m reading by Jenson has nothing graphic in it about sex nor do I actually love it. That was just my hook.
You’re in my favorites too! Check you everyday, sometimes twice. but no pressure. (hee)
I used to worry a lot about what people did or did not want to read on my blog. Then I just had to let go and write for myself. One could go crazy trying to please everyone!
Now I still censor myself a little because my grandma reads my blog!
Don’t sell yourself short, you made me smile today. We all different and unique don’t compare youself to others.
Oh and you’re in my favourites as well, right along with Motherhood Uncensorsed.
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