Day Twelve, continued!

Monday evening–dinner. Prices are about 8-10 $ a plate.

7 pm. April 8.

The boss has spoken.

Hope to see you all at Station 22.

Let me know if you can come.

Be prepared to read your first page or two.

 

The Day of Accountability AND Day Twelve!

So far we have five people in for lunch and the reading on April 8.

Or dinner. It might be dinner.

I’m not sure when we are meeting yet. Waiting to hear from the boss. But we do have our venue!

So how has the writing gone for you all?

We are nearly done with our marathon. We have just Friday (today), Saturday, Sunday (if you write on Easter) and Monday.

Will you reach your goal?

Will you reach your secret goal?

It’s a for sure that I will not reach my secret goal, which was start a new book.

But I will finish this novel, and I will do the rewriting of another. And maybe even another one, maybe, if my writing partner can come over and work with me.

That’s what I think right now.

Now, a note to Sue–I saw on Facebook that you are a little nervous about learning more and more and more about writing and how to put all you learn into action.

Remember what John Steinbeck said: “When I face the desolate impossibility of writing 500 pages, a sick sense of failure falls on me, and I know I can never do it. Then gradually, I write one page and then another. One day’s work is all that I can permit myself to contemplate.”

Just one day at a time is what you have to do. One day at a time of learning something new and then seeing how to implement what you have learned, one day at a time of rewriting, one day at a time of  whatever you are doing to make yourself the best writer possible.

This really goes to all of us.

One day. ‘Cause that’s how life is, huh?

 

Day Eleven, continued!

“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

Mark Twain is right.

Remember, every word counts.

Each word carries weight. The wrong word is heavier and makes the sentence feel unwieldy. But the right word. Ah, the right word touches the heart of the reader.

Of course, we aren’t searching for that perfect word now. Right (Write= Mr. Hemingway)? We are just putting the words down.

Then we slash, carve, skin, fillet and perfect the piece.

For now–keep working. Just a few days left!

Lance Larsen Tip #3

I’ve been snowed under and I know you’re all holding your breath for the next tip. Sorry! But here it is: wear really tight pants.

Just kidding. I wish. I LOVE wearing tight pants. Always. Everywhere.

And I wish the tips for how to be creative and write poetry and publish books were things like, get a black turtleneck and drink hot drinks. or paint the ceiling of your workspace purple. Or maybe even, consume as much easter candy as possible.

But alas, not to be.

So we have tip #1: Read

tip #2: Write

tip #3: Immerse yourself in other disciplines. Go to a play. Look at art. Learn new music. Watch a foreign film (I wonder why he didn’t suggest seeing GI JOE? I’ll have to ask him that). The more you open yourselves up to different experiences, the bigger your imagination will grow.

“The main thing is to be moved, to love, to hope, to tremble, to live.” ~Auguste Rodin

May all your creative dreams come true!