Friday, March 6, 2015

What you love, what you fear, and what you hate

 
 
 
 

 
Aren't we all sick of snow and cold?
 
Besides taking care of and socializing the kittens
I have been reading a whole bunch.
 
My friend called and wondered if I wanted to go to a workshop in October
....oh isn't possible that October will be cold?
It's a rewrite and revision workshop.
Well since my computer has been down,
I haven't written much
Until....
I listened to a lecture by Ray Bradbury on my Ipad
It was a lecture about writing.
Wow, I love this guy.
He is kick ass about writing.
I remember one of my favorite shorts by him,
 
Bless Me Father For I Have Sinned
 
He stated in this lecture, that for him ,writing is about someone saying they connected
with what he'd written....that they were thankful for what he had written
that they found joy in what he wrote
hopefully as much joy as he had in writing it
Joy...why you should write--
It should bring you joy.
 
He went on to say that the three things that  you should examine in yourself
 are
what you love
what you fear
and
what you hate
 
 
Then he went on to give this advice:
Don't start trying to write a novel.......yea sure...I don't have to worry about that..
Start by writing a short story a week! ..
 
that's 52 short stories for a year....yikes...
 
Then he said it is imperative that you
read
One short story A DAY
one poem A DAY
....and not the modern poets....they're crap, he said
look to the masters...like Frost and Pope
Then read
One essay A DAY
.....on varied subjects
 
He assured...that if you do this, you will fill your head with stuff
and if you write one short story A WEEK...they won't all be crap
there will be good stuff
 
If you hit a writer's block....dump it....it's not truth
 
So I started to do all this...and man....oh man....has it lit my wick
 
one story a week
I actually think by next month I will be writing two a week
love, fear, hate.....
 
Now to word associate
 
I also took out some class notes from a prior workshop
where we were to listen for "found language"..eavesdrop
 
My were:
 "nobody's going to be arrested"
"he's all whiskers and gray"
"I like the reverse"
"I steep my tea bag a bit longer"
"my mouse is frozen, now what?"
and "lady slippers are behind our cabin"
 
Why not start with these, I thought
 
Bradbury's Martian Chronicles started out as a collection of short stories
and a publisher in New York said they didn't publish shorts
But could he go home and outline them to form a novel?
...the rest is history...
 
Snow...cold...who cares...I'm busy
 
Oh, I just finished a delightful book
 
A Man Called Ove
 
Maybe give it a look
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 





9 comments:

  1. nice...
    that is some good advice...
    (except about us modern poets...just saying)
    ha...

    cool that is has fired you up too....

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    Replies
    1. that's what I thought...many good modern, current poets..like you Brian....But I take what he has said seriously....he said many modern poets and writers don't have metaphor...and he insisted that there must be metaphor

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  2. A fascinating insight into becoming a writer!

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    Replies
    1. I just ordered his book..Zen of writing....Bradbury and Zen..has to be a good book

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  3. Now you've got me fired up, thanks for sharing.
    I'm a Bradbury fan too.

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    Replies
    1. ha....now we expect many great great things from you now Rel!

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  4. Ray Bradbury is one of may all time very favorite writers. I loved his book "The Illustrated Man". In my head I can see him turning on his side by the fire and the tattoos' changing again! When I see someone with a lot of tattoos I think of that book! I so look forward to your further writings! God Bless you!

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    Replies
    1. ha....I am rereading that right now.......too bad for the world that he has journeyed on

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  5. Love this post...and you're back!

    ReplyDelete

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