Thursday, February 2, 2012

No More Goal Dates for Me

I think I need to quit making goal plans with goal dates.  Why?  Because the very next day, I start breaking it.  It reminds me of Romans 7:8-11.  That the contrariness of knowing the Law makes you know what sin is and makes it that much easier for sin to come in.

Every time I set a date, very soon I find distractions and excuses that set me behind.  Well, no more.  Instead, I'll just work on my writing every day of the week but Sunday, and it will get done when it is done.

Context is Queen

On a writing forum I visit, there is a discussion about eliminating certain words from a manuscript.  But that reminds me of a discussion about grammar tricks, such as when to use who/whom, and inevitably someone suggests its best not to use tricks but to understand objects, subjects, and such to understand when to use which word.

I think the same must be done for eliminating "overused" words.  You put the word there, and unless it was a pure error, it had a function.  Understand the function of the word to make sure the replacement word has the exact same function and weight and still fits voice.  Also pay attention to what happens if you revise the sentence into something else entirely, for you still have to understand the function the sentence was playing.  In this case, if you intend a different function for the sentence, make sure it fits in the broader picture of paragraph, scene, voice, etc.

Basically, if content is king, I say context is queen.  Make sure you pay attention to her too.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

A Thought on Goodness and Writing

I was reading a discussion today on a writing forum, and it made me think.  Some people believe the only good work is one published by a traditional publisher.  So then, by this definition, what was the work before the publisher said "yes"?  Neutral?  Moderate?  Okay?  Bad?  Or was it possible it was good before and good after?

I'm not saying this to discount the worth of traditional publishers--they have their worth or they wouldn't be around--but to inspire confidence in writers that they can produce good works on their own too, no matter what they end up doing with them after they write "The End."