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!

Three Things Thursday, Day Eleven!

1. I have the place for us to eat. Station 21 in downtown Provo. We’ll need a head count, so let me know if you  are coming. (22 W Center St, Ste 140)

I’ve chosen this place because they have a place where we can eat AND do our readings.

2. When? April 8, 2013. That’s the second Monday of April. (We can’t do it on April 1, because Kyra is in court. On April Fool’s Day! Scary.) As far as what time, we’ll decide on a late lunch or an early lunch. If you have a preference, let us know.

3. Be prepared with three pages of writing to read out loud. Depending on how many people there, depends on how much we get to read. There’s this old Hollywood saying (or, um, some saying) that goes, “Leave them wanting more.” Even if you want to read your whole novel to us, just choose 750 words.

Here is our quote. I quite love what Miss Flannery says here.

And I think she is dead right.

“People without hope not only don’t write novels, but what is more to the point, they don’t read them.”