Writing is hard and yet unbelievably FUN and ESSENTIAL sometimes.

[seren_ccd]

Anne Stuart is writing about writing, publishing and her life for 40 days on her blog over here. I'll admit to not being a massive fan of her books (although I love how effortlessly she can set a tone or a scene), but she has some interesting anecdotes and it's nice to read about someone who has really managed to be a full-time writer consistently throughout the years.

She quote Annie Dillard on yesterday's post and I just loved it and had to share:

“One of the things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. The impulse to save something good for a better place later is the signal to spend it now. Something more will arise for later, something better. These things fill from behind, from beneath, like well water. Similarly, the impulse to keep to yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it is destructive. Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes.”

I know that I don't do this enough. I hoard ideas, thoughts, lines, characters, saying that I'll save them up and use them when it 'counts'. I'm trying not to do that anymore. Because chances are, I'll either forget what it was and then it will never get the chance to be out there on the page, being given the chance to grow or explored.

Also! It's April 25 and that means I can share this picture:



(I'm afraid I don't know the original source.)

Happy Friday! Wooo! ♥

Comments

[fringedweller.livejournal.com]

What writing blogs do you follow?

[seren-ccd.livejournal.com]

Hmmm:

Jenny Crusie (http://www.arghink.com); The Paris Review (http://www.theparisreview.org) (sort of highbrow, but sometimes they have something lovely), Rachel Aaron (http://thisblogisaploy.blogspot.co.uk/) (but not always), and Chuck Wendig (http://terribleminds.com/ramble/) (because he can be hilarious).

There was another one that I read for awhile, but I can't remember it!

[hiddencait.livejournal.com]

I think that's from Miss Congeniality LOL

[miera-c.livejournal.com]

Well that kind of justifies my instinct to just kind of barf up every idea I have as I have it. I don't seem to write in a linear fashion, so I just put it all down as it comes to me and then I have to fill in the holes. It's clumsy and I'm always terrified I'm going to do a lot of writing that I'll then have to cast aside because it won't work. I hate the idea of wasting effort. But I'm more afraid of having some kind of inspired idea for a scene and losing it because I don't write it down immediately.

[seren-ccd.livejournal.com]

Oh, I knew that! ;D I meant the person who cropped the photo. That's one of my favorite movies that I just don't watch enough. I really do want world peace!

[seren-ccd.livejournal.com]

I think it's a good instinct! I hate the idea of wasting effort, too, but half the time I think that's what writing is. And it's not wasted, it's just not right for that particular story. I definitely err on the side of hoarding and I really need to stop that.