tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178630154876720486.post1301828293781747885..comments2023-07-01T23:01:02.733+08:00Comments on The Wilful Sunflower: Putting life back into itSunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337112813380109771noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178630154876720486.post-39324895122833214762010-08-18T15:22:38.785+08:002010-08-18T15:22:38.785+08:00My writing rarely takes blood and sweat... and act...My writing rarely takes blood and sweat... and actually the more spontaneous it is, the better it is, which means I should write faster and not think :pSunflowerhttp://wilfulsunflower.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178630154876720486.post-91471240819935892092010-08-18T13:40:40.975+08:002010-08-18T13:40:40.975+08:00Confession time: I'm a wordsmith who turns in ...Confession time: I'm a wordsmith who turns in his first drafts, too. Just because I know better doesn't mean I follow the advice.<br /><br />Or do I know better? It's hard work and everything I write takes every bit of blood and sweat it can wring out of me, but it gets the job done and gets it done well.Caedmonhttp://sakamuyo.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178630154876720486.post-45458208083546564412010-08-16T23:00:39.912+08:002010-08-16T23:00:39.912+08:00@Sharon, my problem is that I always used to get a...@Sharon, my problem is that I always used to get away with submitting my first draft... so I'm not used to the thought of producing "shitty first drafts"! <br /><br />@Alex, no wonder you thought <i>wordsmith</i> was "elitist" and "trying too hard"! This explains everything!Sunflowerhttp://wilfulsunflower.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178630154876720486.post-72297505774188768582010-08-16T20:28:59.249+08:002010-08-16T20:28:59.249+08:00Hate to crush your ego further, but I happen to ag...Hate to crush your ego further, but I happen to agree with Cameron. A while back, I started referring to myself as a "documenter" instead of "writer".<br /><br />*runs off before Sunflower can throttle her*Alexhttp://bunnysprints.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178630154876720486.post-82033060036087783112010-08-16T18:34:03.192+08:002010-08-16T18:34:03.192+08:00Glad this hit home. I think Cameron says it bette...Glad this hit home. I think Cameron says it better than any other writer on writing I've read. Lamott's "shitty first drafts" is also quite right. You have to be prepared to put down the wrong ideas in the wrong words en route to the right ideas in the right words.<br /><br />I always use a quote from Toby Litt in my classes too, saying that when you write you must be prepared to make "a complete arse of yourself". My classes usually titter at that, but it's true.bibliobibulihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16456636355933524132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178630154876720486.post-53095503647313677272010-08-16T11:50:56.504+08:002010-08-16T11:50:56.504+08:00Anne Lammott's book is Bird by Bird and Julia ...Anne Lammott's book is <i>Bird by Bird</i> and Julia Cameron said much the same thing, except I left that part out *grins* Cameron said that writing is listening & jotting down what you hear rather than trying to come up with something. She said we're just taking dictation. I'm afraid my writer's ego is huffy at the mere thought :pSunflowerhttp://wilfulsunflower.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178630154876720486.post-52274990849725922292010-08-16T11:08:48.140+08:002010-08-16T11:08:48.140+08:00"Writing is about getting something down, not..."Writing is about getting something down, not about thinking something up."<br /><br />I need to change one thing in that; writing isn't so much a need to get something down, but a need to get it out.<br /><br />Anne Lamotte wrote a book about her writing process which I loved (I should find it again). She taught me the importance of writing "shitty first drafts" that are nothing more than getting out whatever it is that's trying to get out. Editing can come later if someone else is supposed to read it. Even then, I have to remind myself not to worry the words to death.Caedmonhttp://sakamuyo.orgnoreply@blogger.com