I may have some talent, but it won’t get me very far. It might open doors. It might not. The world can be a fickle place, and it’s true that there are many, many people who are more talented than I. If, then, talent isn’t enough to get me very far, what is?
Archives for September 2013
Write Right: All Aboard for “Al+”
A number of words begin with “al+”; however, a number of them do not. They are common misspellings to which even I have succumbed upon occasion. I try to keep all the words organized and correct, but, yes, even the person behind Write Right is human. I make mistakes. I use the wrong word, sometimes an altogether wrong and non-existent word.
The Curiosity Gap
One reason I recommend writers start en media res, that is, “in the middle of things,” is that it creates a curiosity gap. Readers want to know what led to the middle in which they find themselves. They want to know what happens next. It may be a ploy to capture attention, but it’s one that works without fail. I know; I’m the person caught in the aisle at Half Price Books reading the first chapter in a book because it piqued my curiosity.
Do the Honorable Thing and Apologize
The past few years, I have dedicated myself to saying “I’m sorry” more often. It’s been a journey because my perfectionist self doesn’t like to apologize. She’s rather proud. She doesn’t like to admit when she’s failed.
Don’t Feed the Piranhas
When I say, “Don’t feed the piranhas,” I mean, “Don’t feed the paranoia.” The two words have similarities outside both beginning with the letter “p”; feeding either only increases the frenzy of the paranoia and the piranhas. They get a taste of blood and flesh and go in for the kill and, in so doing, produce madness, mayhem, and broken relationships or business partnerships.
This is What an Editor Does
And now, because I missed the deer whole, I want to cut back the honeysuckle – just enough to see I think. See through.
To more?
To beyond and not here?
I am thinking that cutting can shift a thing – release a space, be a new pattern laid.
That clearing a space is like crafting a question.
Lia Purpura, On Looking