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Wednesday, 11 December 2013
14 comments:
“I'm using my art to comment on what I see. You don't have to agree with it.” ~John Mellencamp
“Allowing an unimportant mistake to pass without comment is a wonderful social grace” ~Judith S. Marin
“I don't ever try to make a serious social comment.” ~Paul McCartney
“I'd make a comment at a meeting and nobody would even acknowledge me. Then some man would say the same thing and they'd all nod.” ~Charlotte Bunch
“Probably what my comment meant was that I don't care about the circumstances if I can tell the truth.” ~Sally Kirkland
“We're not going to pay attention to the silliness and the petty comments. And quite frankly, women have joined me in this effort, and so it's not about appearances. It's about effectiveness.” ~Katherine Harris
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This is really great advice. Thanks for sharing it, and I'm glad you found your way out of the Valley of Despair!
ReplyDeleteHappy reading and writing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines
Thank you, Laura--actually, I'm looking at this post now and thinking, 'darn, I should have remembered this a few days ago' when I hit another such valley! But we will persevere... :D
Deletevery timely advice :) Dipping in and out of the valley, decided to cut the boring bit, lets just hope I've something left!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, but sooner or later most of us hit the Valley! Kudos to you for working your way through it and recognizing that some judicious pruning was needed, too! :-)
DeleteGood advice indeed Sarah. Editing is such a pain but oh so necessary. And sometimes it darned well hurts :) Great post and such wise comments...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan! I used to never edit until I reached the end of the story, but heck, if you're lost in the woods, then it's sometimes best to stop and get your bearings! So glad you stopped by! :-)
DeleteIt's so hard to let go of those little darlings, but sometimes they find a place in another piece. Great advice, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteI've had to learn how to let go of a lot lately, Andrea, and I think, in the end, it means I'm growing as a writer. That's not how it *feels*, though. It feels like I've regressed! But I think that's only because I'm no longer satisfied with what passed for my 'best' before. :-)
DeleteI hate "This is utter crap" syndrome. Tackling it is what the Insecure Writer's Support Group is all about.
ReplyDeleteI hate it too, Michael, but I suspect that most writers (at least those with realistic views regarding their writing) hit that wall at some point during the creative process. You are quite right to point out the value of an objective critique group to help you through it. Sometimes your instinct is right--there *is* something wrong with the story and you need to fix it. But most of the time, it isn't the garbage you think it is--it just needs work. ;-)
DeleteYAY for making it through the valley! I too find it really hard to let go of stuff I've written. Like it somehow didn't mean anything if I end up cutting it! But then I try to remember that writing is a process and each thing I write gets me where I hope to be, and sometimes, it's just the act of doing it, not the product that matters!
ReplyDeleteAnd that nothing is ever wasted! Even scenes you cut end up telling you something about your characters. They leave their imprint, even if you never use them. :-)
DeleteGreat advice, and I love learning about your process!
ReplyDeletevitajex@aol dot com
Thank you! I still feel like I have a lot to learn, but I don't mind share what I have learned along the way--hopefully someone else will avoid making the same mistakes that I have! :-)
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