I am a writer. This is not negotiable.

I read a lot. Books and blogs primarily. I have an excellent attention span but little patience for bad writing or information that doesn't add to my life. As you can see from my blog roll, I focus on writing blogs. There are some amazing blogs out there, offering sound advice, voices of experience, and challenges to readers. And, of course, some blogs offer nothing more than what Steve Martin calls "Pure Drivel".

Charlotte Rains Dixon over at Word Strumpet is one of the amazing bloggers who nourishes my writing appetite. Several days ago, she asked her readers, "What are your writing non-negotiables?" Normally I respond right away but something about that question caused me to pause, reflect on my beliefs - not just as a writer but as a person - and inventory my negotiating skills.

Let me stop for a second to confess that I am not good at confrontation. Scares me to death. I have a visceral reaction to it. Red face, increased heart rate, cotton mouth, itchy palms. However, when it comes to writing, I am the Karate Kid in crane stance, facing Johnny Lawrence of The Cobras, saying, "Bring it."

C'mon, Johnny. These legs pack heat.

I haven't always been this tough about my writing. For years, I cowered under the blanket of bullying, believing my "little hobby" was a waste of time. But after 39 years of living, I'm done with submitting to the voices of ignorance, jealousy, and control. It's personal. And I'm willing to take names.

So, Charlotte, what are my writing non-negotiables? 

1. I don't negotiate with terrorists (those critics - inner and otherwise - who aim to terrorize me into an inert, catatonic, non-productive state).

2. Write when I can, because I can.

3. Remember that what works for others may not (and probably won't) work for me.

4. Write until the end...of the sentence, paragraph, page, idea.

5. Write for me. Audience is important, too, but I write to breathe and fly in the blue skies of freedom.

 

Whew. I did it. 

This old dog has learned new tricks

I went to my favorite coffee bar last night with some friends. Good conversation. Good coffee. Writing (I won't qualify my writing as good because it was "writing with velocity", as Charlotte Rains Dixon calls it). But I got words on the page. And that, my friends, IS good!

Bottomless cuppa joe, great pens, a corner booth, mood lighting. Yes. You=jealous.

I used to write scenes, mostly random, never knowing where to put them or how they would fit together. But now I have a plan, or structure. Ever read "Story Engineering" by Larry Brooks? Well stop everything and go read it. Now. That's good stuff, peeps.

I owe it all to my good friend over at Ars Longa, Vita Brevis, for holding up a mirror and that book. She woke me from my self-induced slumber of ignorance. If you haven't read her latest post "On Magpies and Art", then I HIGHLY recommend you mosey over there and prepare for brilliance.

For the first time in a long time, I am excited about writing. I feel like I had a puzzle in front of me but all the pieces were upside down, and pieces from several different puzzles littered the mix, making the task of putting it together seemingly impossible. The light is on now. The puzzle pieces are right side up. And I've got my Mod Podge on standby.

I can always count on Buddy to keep me in line.

It's too much to hope for a weekend of writing, so for now, I pine for a few hours of writing bliss. Perhaps tomorrow...