Writing With RCS: Don't let a wag dog your tale. Some of your best writing may go a bit like the example below:

Reread it. You are likely to find both useful material and useful inspiration in the words, sentences, or a paragraph you have written.

I remember an English teacher of mine , an ex-bosun's mate of the U.S Navy. The dog example above reminds me of his frustration with me. "Damn it, Richard," he once said, "Try this: write "I like dogs because they have four legs, wag their tails, and bark." Then write a paragraph each, about what you like about legs, tails, and barks Finish it with "That's what I like about dogs." Hand it in and forget about it."

He may have been trying to tell me something about simple organization and completing assignments. By having a bit of your previous writing in mind you could have material well worth organizing and "handing in."

Keep Writing. It doesn't all have to start the same..... or end that way.

by Richard

Growing, Organizing, and Writing

Write With RCS: You grow as you write. You organize your writing for your readers.

Some of your best writing may go a bit like this:

       You start writing about a dog you had. Then you are writing about sadness. Then you are writing about personalities of dogs. You keep writing. You find that you are writing about the effects of the past. Then you write a poem about names. You are thinking. You are cooking. Then you write an autobiographical self-analysis. Then you write a story about your family. You are bringing out different aspects of your material. You are preparing for some very good writing. Hang onto this work for awhile.
Reread it. You are likely to find both useful material and useful inspiration in the words, sentences, or a paragraph you have written.

       I remember a English teacher, an ex-bosun's mate. The dog example above reminds me of his frustration with me. "Damn it, Richard," he once said, "Try something like this: I like dogs because they have four legs, wag their tails, and bark. Then write a paragraph each about legs, tails, and barks Finish it with "That's what I like about dogs." Hand it in and forget about it."

Keep writing. Write in "comments" just below this post.

by Richard

You Can Write: Stuck? You don't have to fight to get unstuck

Write With RCS: It Seems we can all feel stuck. It can feel so bad that one may feel like giving up. When it gets that bad you can do this:

Talk out loud. keep talking out-loud as though some one were listening. Talk about comparing words to meanings. Talk about cooking and growing. If that doesn't work or you can't do it. quit.

I don't mean that you should quit forever, I mean just lay your work aside for a time. You want to write and there are actions you can take to start you writing and keep you writing until you write something good. You might take some time to consider what is going on with you, Are you hungry? Is there something in your life that needs doing other than your writing.

By the way, "talking out-loud" and the rest of that little paragraph above could prove helpful.

Do you have notes? Keep your notebook and a writing implement handy. You notes can help your writing. The little essays I've posted about writing here are not much more than my good notes. Check out the other pieces available on this blog. They are intended to be helpful.

Right now you might try sitting Comfortably and completing a writing cycle. What's a writing cycle? Its easy if you have a timer, watch, or clock. I have a little timer I like. If you have one, set it for ten minutes. You are about to do ten minutes of focused involved writing and then stopping to see what it adds up to, or what it is trying to add up to. Your focus might b your topic or theme. Your involvement might be sincerely writing that which you feel. For perhaps a worst case example, you might have written, "I'm stuck, stuck stuck and it sucks, sucks, sucks!" It might not be deeply sincere, but it could be an approach to your feelings.

To complete a writing cycle start putting words and sentences on paper and keep doing that for ten minutes. A timer is useful. No need to be much concerned about quality yet. Try to include include something that you know you wanted to write about. When you complete your full ten minutes, stop for a minute and then look back over that which you have written. Then try to write a sentence or two or even a short paragraph of what your cycle seems to be trying to add up to. So, you are reviewing what you have written. Good for you. When you come to a thought, feeling, perception, image you can gather up into one sentence or assertion, do so. Write it down.

You wrote. You are writing. You are a writer. Do not be squeamish about letting yourself write badly. You are writing. You are a writer.

In your next writing project your purpose could be to cook and grow and not take your work as a disaster to be stamped out. Keep writing. Self-development and growth are occurring as you write. Such personal growth and development is not a waste of time. It is a big deal, an important happening. When you cooperate with the process it is a great doing. Keep writing and keep growing.

You might at some point try to see cooking and growing as a sort of global task; seeing all your writing as interdependent, seeing that no parts are complete until all parts are done, seeing that you want to get your material to interact, seeing that the important interaction is writing and summing up, and seeing what it means to alternately work in words and work in meanings.

little warning; I can imagine one of us trying to do all of the above at once and so doing experience a sudden and extended case of crossed eyes. There are some valuable suggestions above that which may best be considered one at a time, beginning, say, tomorrow.

Understanding what it means to see your writing as interdependent can better your writing. No need to do it all today. Cooking and growing take time and can be better done with your conscious cooperation.

You can let your goal be good writing. Your best writing is probably mixed-up with with your worst writing. You can find some excellent parts in what you have written. Some of your best sounds, rhythms, and textures, and some of your best insights may come from your most careless writing.

Your purpose on a final draft and editing might be to get your meaning straight and to use the best words you can to express that meaning.

There is a reason for the "comment" page below. I love to read comments on specific posts. I read them and try to answer each one.

Keep writing.

RCS