Branching out with my writing
From Ray Bradbury’s Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You
I hope a few of Ray Bradbury’s thoughts speak to you as a writer/creator.
From Ray Bradbury’s Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You
I hope a few of Ray Bradbury’s thoughts speak to you as a writer/creator.
From Ray Bradbury’s Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You
Excerpt 1:
“I needed that approval. We all need someone higher, wiser, older to tell us we’re not crazy after all, that what we’re doing is all right. All right, hell, fine!”
Yep, I guess that, along with the daily accountability, is why the My 500 Words Facebook group is one I’ve stuck with and visited daily.
These folks are in the trenches with me, many/most of us writing to explore, writing to reflect, writing to release, and sure, some folks are writing to publish, which is certainly just as valid and definitely exciting.
And so Ray B [easier to type than ‘Bradbury’…I think it’s the combination/sequence of the letters] found that validation from a revered 89-year-old art historian, Bernard Berenson.
While I’m not a famed art historian, I hope that my comments and content can provide some validation to fellow writers.
Excerpt 2:
“But it is easy to doubt yourself, because you look around at a community of notions held by other writers, other intellectuals, and they make you blush with guilt. Writing is supposed to be difficult, agonizing, a dreadful exercise, a terrible occupation.”
With this excerpt, Ray B draws the contrast between himself [“I believe one thing holds it all together. Everything I’ve ever done, I’ve done with excitement, because I wanted to do it, because I loved doing it.”] and many other writers.
As I write this post, as I consider my age, as I think about how I am not overly enthused by rewriting, followed by rewriting, followed by rewriting…and then marketing, I wonder if I’ll ever get anything published. This is not a ‘woe is me’ proposition. It’s just a moment of self-reflection, of revisiting [probably daily] what is more important to me when it comes to writing.
More from this book next week when Ray B addresses the muse…
From Ray Bradbury’s Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You
Excerpt 1:
“I needed that approval. We all need someone higher, wiser, older to tell us we’re not crazy after all, that what we’re doing is all right. All right, hell, fine!”
Yep, I guess that, along with the daily accountability, is why the My 500 Words Facebook group is one I’ve stuck with and visited daily.
These folks are in the trenches with me, many/most of us writing to explore, writing to reflect, writing to release, and sure, some folks are writing to publish, which is certainly just as valid and definitely exciting.
And so Ray B [easier to type than ‘Bradbury’…I think it’s the combination/sequence of the letters] found that validation from a revered 89-year-old art historian, Bernard Berenson.
While I’m not a famed art historian, I hope that my comments and content can provide some validation to fellow writers.
Excerpt 2:
“But it is easy to doubt yourself, because you look around at a community of notions held by other writers, other intellectuals, and they make you blush with guilt. Writing is supposed to be difficult, agonizing, a dreadful exercise, a terrible occupation.”
With this excerpt, Ray B draws the contrast between himself [“I believe one thing holds it all together. Everything I’ve ever done, I’ve done with excitement, because I wanted to do it, because I loved doing it.”] and many other writers.
As I write this post, as I consider my age, as I think about how I am not overly enthused by rewriting, followed by rewriting, followed by rewriting…and then marketing, I wonder if I’ll ever get anything published. This is not a ‘woe is me’ proposition. It’s just a moment of self-reflection, of revisiting [probably daily] what is more important to me when it comes to writing.
More from this book next week when Ray B addresses the muse…
Just thought I’d include samplings from some of the blogs I follow.
As you can see below, my interests run the gamut.
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From ShapeShifter Fitness
Best Black Bean Burger Recipe Ever
I’ve always thought it’s impossible to match a good beef burger when matched up against any black bean burger, but after eating making these it’s honestly a toss up, and I could go either way if given the choice.
Here’s the recipe link:
https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/the-best-black-bean-burger/
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From thewriterscafe247
Trying to Overcome My Shortcomings As a Writer and As a Person
Problem #1: Too Many Ideas, Not Enough Stories
Problem #2: Working on Too Many Projects at Once
What to do next?
Step 1: Turn off Streaming Services
Step 2: Give Myself an Achievable Goal (not based on word count)
[Note from me: I appreciate the writer’s honesty and his ‘solution-based’ approach to this post.]
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Musings From Dirty SciFiBuddha
I think it’s totally possible to “follow my bliss” and be fulfilled.
But first, I have to demonstrate the brutal/ruthless honesty required to know myself—to know what my “bliss” even is—by tracking the evidence/tendencies that reveal not just my shining glories, but also my darkest failings.
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From Roses in the Rubble
Brainy Blessings
Seems to me this prayer from Saint Thomas Aquinas is relevant for all of us!
Grant me a penetrating mind to understand, a retentive memory, method and ease in learning, the lucidity to comprehend, and abundant grace in expressing myself.
[Note from me: There is more to the prayer. I narrowed it down to what most clearly spoke to me as a writer.]
For a PDF of a quick look at Maria Popova’s brainpickings.org: Click Here.
Word Inventions