There are too many books I haven’t read, too many places I haven’t seen, too many memories I haven’t kept long enough.

--Irving Shaw--

There's something about that quote that I resonate with. Let's start with books:
--first, I keep a list of books to read. Some have been recommended by friends. Others I've read reviews. Others are continuations of series.
--then, there are the lists of "best books of..." the 20th century...the decade, etc.
--finally, there are the "Great books." A few colleges make this cluster of classics the foundation of their curriculum.

Last year I read 125 books. 37 were non-fiction, or so they claimed! This year I'm putting a bigger emphasis on classics of fiction/Great Books, and on non-fiction.




Next, today's quote laments places not yet seen...I know that tugs at a lot of people's hearts and minds. Mine too. We drive by a little copse of woods and I think, I'd love to go poke around and see what there is to be found--a stand of wildflowers? artifacts of yesteryear? a glimpse of wildlife? a memory to be stored away for a rainy day?

We drive over a stream and I wonder, what's around that next bend?

We go thru an historic town and I think--I'd like to mosey around, then read some of their local history.

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I guess those are some of the reasons that I write: I can explore, analyze, and remember--some of it fictive, some factual, and all of it a feast for my God-given curiosity--may it lead me straight to the Source!

Idealist? Pessimist? Realist?

An idealist believes the short run doesn't really matter.

A cynic believes that the long run doesn't count.

A realist knows that what's done or left undone in the short run determines the outcome in the long run!

--journalist Sydney Harris.

The true realist has to look at the above quote with a grain of salt. I think Mr. journalist was going for a sound bite.

The short run doesn't matter to an idealist? Tell it to Beethoven: "Buh-buh-buh-bumm."

The long run? Howzabout Churchill's famed speech: "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense." [While modern mythology has Sir Winnie uttering this as the full text, it was actually on the 2nd page of a 2-page speech.]

What I'm doing today is what any writer does--grabs self by the scruff of the neck, sits down, and writes. And, doesn't give up. Short run, long run, intermediate...just keep plugging. Keep a long enough perspective so that the number of tiny steps along the way doesn't overwhelm. Keep a short enough perspective that the long haul doesn't daunt. How do you walk all the way across the USA? One step atta time, sure...but one needs a vision of the rolling waves on that distant short to make every step feel worth the effort.

Don't feel like it? Tough.

Love it? Great, but don't expect to coast on good feelings alone.

Feedback, positive or negative? Gotta decide if that matters a little, a lot, or NOT.

Goal.
Plan.
Action.
Persistence.

Day One--Writing About Writing

In this blog, I'll be taking on a number of topics, including: A look under the writer's hood; books that I love, and, today: WRITING ABOUT WRITING...

Now, writing about writing, that seems absurd, at first glance. Okay, I took a second glance, and it's still absurd: why not just write?

Since everyone and their uncle...okay, everyone and her aunt?...okay, then, half of everyone I know seems to want to be a writer, how will I keep this from re-reiterating that which is iterated to a fault? Perhaps I can interest the other half (would that be my better half? Half of everybody else's better half?)

Who doesn't enjoy reading a good joke, just a simple one that gets to the point with sufficient speed to satisfy? That is just plain fun...but, isn't it better if, instead of proceeding like an arrow to the mark, the teller stammers a little, totters on his bad leg, caroms off the wall once or twice as he tries to follow the footprints of the punch line there in the dusty reaches of his memory. Oops, right, ..."And the dog looked up at his owner and asked, So, if you wanted an answer, ask a question, don't say, 'Speak!'"

Sorry, I'm wandering...but, it's a rather intentional pursuit of my stream of conscience, since that is sometimes the way I write fiction. Non-fiction, different approach entirely...I'll work from an outline, I'll summarize and cite and rewrite after the fact, but fiction...well, I like the Stephen King approach: "Take strong characters, throw them into a situation, and see how they react."

Part of the discipline of writing is just that--discipline--and this blog is one of the disciplines of a writer who is determined to entertain, amuse, and intrigue his audience, all the while honing the creative craft. I will be writing about my inspirations, my role models, and will include occasional snippets or links to things I've written. I intend to spice up every day with an interesting quote...today's is from Stephen King (fellow Mainah and a truly great writer, although I don't always love his genre or his potty-mouth!) Do let me know if you never want to read it again, or if it resonates in any way with you and your life, eh? Unlike some publications, this is not printed on pretty colored paper, and thus will not be as appealing, visually, as a liner for your cockatiel's cage. Functionally...hmm, less absorbent, too.


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Other than writing to please yourself, I'd advocate only one thing: to write every day. The basic fact of novels…is that even the short ones contain a lot of pages. Stephen King.
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[additional postings, which are less goofy, can be accessed by clicking on a month in the column on the right...and, if you'd like to subscribe...the very bottom of this page offers the opportunity to subscribe via email, so that you'll receive a notification every time I post a new page. Of course, you could then delete the email, or fwd it to all your enemies, or label it spam or canned ham...so many options!]