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Writer or writing: Editor's Notes #246 October 31, 2017 |
Hello, Of course it’s why you want to become a writer — because you have the liberty to do that, but once you have the liberty you also have the obligation to do it. —Tobias Wolff In this issue: 1. Writer or writing? 2. Tickled my funny bone 3. Interesting Web site 4. Writing prompt 1. Writer or writing? In a technical sense, you could say that a writer is someone who writes. But a writer is much more than that, especially in these days of desktop publishing. Besides playing with ideas and words, writers must often deal with contracts, either with a publishing company or with services to bring their work to production; be visual artists or find visual artwork for their publications; be graphic artists or hire them to choose fonts and papers; be marketers of their creations; be salespeople. It’s easy to get lost in the minutia of the to-do list of a writer. I recently had an email from a subscriber who was cutting back on the reading she is doing about writing so she can write. Probably a good move. If reading about writing is holding you back from writing, something has to change or you may never actually write. In the list of activities in the first paragraph of this article, I didn’t even get to the tasks more directly tied to writing: researching, thinking, outlining, rewriting. These necessary tasks of writers can also sabotage the composing and transcribing of thoughts. My question is, are you writing? Do words from your mind fill page after page? Unless you write, you will never be a writer. =========== 2.Tickled my funnybone Sign In a Non-smoking Area: If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and will take appropriate action. =========== 3. Interesting Web site Tobias Wolff, whose quote opens this issue, didn’t always want to be a writer for the solitude. Watch this brief clip to learn what his younger self yearned for. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyI-lzeZAa4 =========== 4. Writing prompt Sometimes words like writer and writing are related, and sometimes they may not be as closely related as we first thought. Here are some words that may or may not be related. Let your mind ponder the pairs, and when you find an interesting idea, write it down. Remember that I like to see what you come up with, so do send me any thoughts this list inspires. tempt/contempt arch/monarch city/audacity indict/dicate graphology/geography =========== Join Writer's Helper Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WritersHelperEditor Follow me on Twitter @AudreytheEditor Link on LinkedIn https://ca.linkedin.com/in/audreyowen (Email me first so I know how you know me.) =========== If you know a writer who would appreciate receiving Editor's Notes, forward this issue. If someone has passed this on to you, you can get your own free subscription by signing up at https://www.writershelper.com/newsletter.html |
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