Inklings

turn off

Nov 8, 2010 | 0 Comments

One of the hardest part about NaNoWriMo is forcing myself to Turn Off my internal editor, and just let it spew.

I find this troublesome. But it’s a good prescription for what ails me: a hyper-perfectionist writer, who polishes and polishes until the life is rubbed right out of the thing.

There is a lot of cringing going on as the words gush out of my fingers. I want so badly to go back and fix, smooth, adjust. But I can’t, not with that word count demanding first dibs on my brain. Its cry for more, more, more, can only be soothed for a few hours, and then it’s a new day and a new 1,667 words that must be fed to it. No time for reflection on what’s been written. I have to plunge on.

Even if I never use this manuscript, I’ll have broken free of at least one rut. That’s what I keep telling myself.

nanowrimo: 1st day, 1990 words.

Nov 1, 2010 | 8 Comments

photo

Why am I doing it? When it is obviously a CRAZY thing to do?

(Nanowrimo stands for National Novel Writing Month. Participants write an entire novel of at least 50,000 words during the month of November. For this they get — more crazy. Plus satisfaction.)

And, a completed first draft.

I’m doing it because if I don’t, at the end of November, I’ll still be fiddling and twiddling with my firstborn (The Sower). I can’t seem to quit revising it. I’ll be almost in the same place I am right now.

I haven’t written anything truly fresh in AGES. So. Nanowrimo.

I’ve done this once before, and although the book was truly dreadful, I was amazed at what the concentrated effort actually netted me. The pace unlocked me. I hated it. I loved it.

So, I’m doing it. I hope the magic happens again.

that other blog dealio

Oct 27, 2010 | 1 Comment

I’m excited and flattered that a publisher has expressed interest in publishing my “other” blog as a book. (Old School) Yay!!! Publishers liking my writing! That’s a good thing.

There are so many questions, though.

How long should it be? Which posts do I choose?

Do I arrange things in categories, like a cookbook? Or do something like “A year of self-reliance” with a project a week?

How many pictures should it have? On the internet pictures don’t cost money. I can load my blog posts up, no problem. But lots of pictures in a printedÂ book=expensive.

Would I make more money if I self-published it instead?

Would it be dog-ugly if I did?

p.s. if you read the Old School, would you leave me a comment on which post is your favorite? Trying to make some choices…

grammar–does it matter?

Oct 22, 2010 | 1 Comment

(cross posted from Mormon Mommy Blogs)

You say what you want to say. You say it the way you want to say it. Right?

Does it matter if your blog posts follow grammar rules?

There are two sides (at least) to every argument, but the Damsel would like you to consider the following:

1. What is the point of writing? Is it purely self-expression, or is it communication? If it doesn’t matter if anyone understands you, then grammar really isn’t important. If your point is just to bellow a primal scream, feel free to break all the rules.

2. If you want people to understand what you write, then grammar rules are there to smooth the way. It takes practice to write well, but it’s worth the effort because more people will understand you–and that’s the first step in communication.

3. Orson Scott Card has said that in writing, three things are most important: faith, hope and clarity. What is clarity? To write so that your meaning is perfectly clear. Good grammar is a tool to make this possible.

4. Even if it seems that badly written stuff is understandable, you take a risk by writing this way. What’s clear to you may not be clear to someone else when you don’t follow the rules. And, even if your meaning is nice and clear, bad grammar will put some readers off. Maybe you don’t care about that. But the truth is, when that happens, communication ends. And to the Damsel, that’s just plain sad.

5. Not only will correct grammar make you easier to understand, but you’ll look more polished and professional. That doesn’t mean you’ll sound hoity-toity. People will believe what you write. They will connect. Isn’t that what we all want?

So what do you do, beyond taking 7th grade English over again? Here are some suggestions for writing better on your blog:

Have someone you trust proofread your posts before making them live.
Create your posts in MS Word or another good word processor and take advantage of the built in grammar checker. It’s not always right, but it’s a great place to start.
Read a lot. You’ll acquire, over time, a natural feel for correct writing.

Keep in mind that you can still have a comfy, conversational blog style and have correct grammar. Yes! You can have both!