A Writer's Book of Days: A Spirited Companion and Lively Muse for the Writing Life by Judy Reeves

Author:Judy Reeves [Reeves, Judy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781577313120
Publisher: New World Library
Published: 2010-08-25T22:00:00+00:00

{JULY}

Literature is an act of conscience.

It’s up to us to rebuild with memories, with ruins, and with moments of grace.

— ELIE WIESEL

GUIDELINE 7

KISS YOUR FROGS

It happens to every writer: sloppy, rambling, unintelligible, boring writing that is going anywhere but where you want. If you write at all, know that you’re going to produce some stuff that’s way to the left of good, lopsided and croaking on some withering lily pad. It’s the frog-kissing phenomenon of creative writing, and it happens to the best of us, even to seasoned pros.

First-draft writing doesn’t have to be good, it won’t always be good, and even when it is good, among the good will be some not-so-good. For many writers, understanding and accepting this fact has a powerfully freeing effect. Natalie Goldberg has given what some writing practitioners say is the most valuable advice they’ve ever received: “You’re free to write the worst junk in America,” she says. Anne Lamott also has a name for that rough stuff we all write. She calls it “shitty first drafts.” It’s the swampy, mucky stuff that holds little promise for happily-ever-after.

At any given writing session you may write something you like, or your writing may embarrass you in its awful triteness. Sometimes you won’t be able to put a coherent sentence together, and other times your writing will be fresh, creative, even elegant. The point is, just show up at the page, no matter what.

Remember, this is just practice. You write what you write. Besides, who can say from the marshy edge of any pond which frog gets transformed and which kiss holds magic?

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