Jus' Write It!

More than 2,000 years ago, the insightful Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman scholar and statesman (106-43 BC) said, "Times are bad, children no longer obey their parents and everyone is writing a book."

Is it any different today? No chance! I am writing one too! It is about the humorous life experiences of a well-known family from Central Ontario. They live on "A Little Slice Of Heaven" and frequent the Stephen Leacock Museum, the Orillia Farmer's Market and Couchiching Beach Park; they just love the Sunshine City.

Buddy, the main character in my book, feels like he's earned the right to say something on every subject on every occasion. Ms. Lucy, his loving wife, thinks he is just too talkative. As a compromise, they agree to have this little "Let's Talk About It" series. Surprisingly, his counsel is wise and relevant.

In addition to the book, I'm also interested in poetry. Some of my poems are currently available online.

There is nothing like the thrill and excitement of having your work published. My first foray into the publishing world is based on a true-life experience titled "He Was There!" It was published in the January 2005 issue of the Canadian Messenger of the Sacred Heart.

Rule #1: Aspiring writers should ALWAYS have a pen and paper handy to write down new thoughts and ideas as they come along. Little nuggets tend to pop into your head at the strangest time and in the strangest place.

Sometimes they will appear while you're in the shower or as soon as you get into bed. They will also show up while you're driving, gardening, shopping, or any one of the other things that you do. Write down those priceless treasures and you'll find that they fit perfectly into a piece that you are or will soon be writing.

Write down every thought and idea that comes to mind. God may have chosen you to do some great work for the benefit of all mankind. My friend, there is no reason why God should not choose you. As Moses said to Nefretiri in that great epic, The Ten Commandments, "You may be the lovely dust through which God will deliver His people!"

If God choose to give a special gift to humanity through you and you choose not to respond, you will lose the opportunity to do something great during your time here on earth. So the least you could do is write down those thoughts and ideas for another great soul to complete God's work.

Be nice! Write down your thoughts and ideas or they may be lost forever. Some of your thoughts and ideas may have the potential to positively change the way we live. Sadly, they will follow you to the grave if you do not use them or share them with others. Always keep a pen and a scrap pad with you, even when you go to bed. Take a note of thoughts and ideas as they come along. Transfer them to a diary or electronic document at the first opportunity.

I write for fun so I generally don't have to worry about writer's block. In fact, I hardly ever need to choose a topic because they usually choose me. Topics literally pop into my head and stay there until I commit them to paper. They tend to come at the strangest time and sometimes at the strangest place. Fortunately, I don't drive and shower at the same time or there is no telling what the caliber of my topics would be.

• Believe in yourself
• Never ever give up on your dream
• Read, Read, Read
• Write for yourself -- have fun!
• Write everyday -- whether you feel inspired or not!
• Write a short book or short stories -- people like short easy-to-read articles
• Write about the things you know best -- your life experiences
• Write about you dreams, your goals or your aspirations
• Write anywhere -- in the comfort of your home, the park, the doctor's office
• Writers don't need to be brilliant, witty or exceptionally talented
• Share the bedtime stories you tell your kids
• Never use a big word if a little one will do
• Great cooks share their favorite recipes and special tips
• Good gardeners share their knowledge and experience with fellow gardners

Most important, think before you write! The passage of time has the uncanny ability of proving you right or wrong! Consider these ...

• "Inventions have long since reached their limit, and I see no hope for further development." Julius Frontinus (Highly respected engineer in Rome, 1st century A.D.)
  
  
• "Everything that can be invented has been invented." C. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899
  
  
• "Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927
  
  
• "This telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. This device is inherently of no value to us." Western Union, 1876 (internal memo)
  
  
• "I think there is a world market for maybe 5 computers." Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943
  
  
• "Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons." Popular Mechanics, 1949
  
  
• "640K of RAM ought to be enough for anybody." Bill Gates, Chairman of Microsoft, 1981
  
  
• "I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." Editor, Business Books, Prentice Hall, 1957
  
  
• "We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." Decca Records, 1962 (rejecting the Beatles)

Last, but not least, 1953 was a very good year! I was born, Sir Edmund Hillary and his guide became the first humans ever to reach the top of Mount Everest and ... [More]

You cannot create humour out of happiness. Drama and humour come from trouble and sadness and mankind's astounding ability to survive life's unhappiness. I have never regarded children as my main audience. The real fans are adults, for they have memories of what it was like to be a child and can appreciate much more deeply than can the youngsters. Charles Schulz, cartoonist.

Editing is like surgery. I cut out the bad stuff and the story is cured. Unfortunately, your column for tomorrow died on the operating table. Cassett & Brookins, cartoonist.

When I was younger, I wanted to retire at forty. Independently wealthy! Something went wrong somewhere. My current goal is to retire early and spend my latter years doing what I want to do -- reading, writing, traveling, fishing, etc. Life is too short!

Never say that again! If you ever feel that life sucks, stop whatever you are doing, give your head a shake and go to the nearest library. Get a copy of Night, Dawn, The Accident by Eli Wiesel. Read it and then take a moment to write to me. If you still feel that life sucks, read Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe and then write to me.

• My favorite Dictionary
• The History of Poetry

Many people have a book inside their head just waiting to be written. Will you write yours?

Writing is an evolutionary process that must be trusted. You must believe that there is a story within you. You must believe that it will find its way out. And you must believe in your talent to nurture it into a stunning story.

The secret to great writing is to be part of the process. The story knows from the beginning where it is going. There is no sweeter moment than when your characters tell you what they want to do and say.

The writing process begins with a creative urge, a desire to express something. With the emergence of that idea comes a wonderful creative feeling. How do you nurture that idea? How do you make it grow?

Think about the idea and write the first draft from the heart, from bursts of creative joy. Don't correct the spelling or improve the grammar; just "play in the sandbox". There are no rules or restrictions. This work will act like a shot of adrenalin to your heart. More ideas will flow, and the story will evolve until it matures.

The second draft is to be written from the head, analytically. Let the story evolve into what it wants to be. Don't be too rigid! Don't feel confined by your original outline.

By now, you are beginning to understand and enjoy the characters in your story. Nurture that relationship until you become best friends.

You will soon be ready to visualize the book cover and the posters that will adorn the bookstores when your story is published. Believe in yourself. The story is inside of you; you must let it out!

Every writer has two natures: the heart and the head. The heart is the passionate creator, the emotional artist, the child, and the intuitive subconscious. The head is the detached critic or editor, the parent, the logical and analytical scientist or surgeon.

Good writing utilizes both natures but operates like an alternating current between the two. When you're in the creative, artistic mode, you shut off the head. You encourage the creative flow.

Once the creative energy is expended, the parental side takes over and cleans up the mess. Write from the heart; edit from the head. Back and forth you go until the head and the heart agree.

The good LORD gave us a brain with two hemispheres; both are important! The right hemisphere focuses on the intuitive, artistic side of creativity. The left hemisphere focuses on the analytical, scientific side of creativity. Learn to use your greater talent without abandoning your lesser talent. [Back]

1. Do you remember these infamous words from the song, Mona Lisa?
   
   "Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep.
   They just lie there and they die there."
   
   Don't leave your dreams on your doorstep!
   
   
2. Many successful writers were turned down by numerous publishers before their first book was published.
   
   Theodor Gisel's first book was reportedly turned down by forty-three publishers. Eventually, a friend published the book for him. His pen name is Dr. Seuss; he went on to write forty-six other books including The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham.
   
   Louis L'Amour received 350 rejections before he made his first sale. He since wrote more than 100 western novels with over 200 million copies in print.
   
   
3. Protect your dream. Don't let anyone take it away from you! If close relatives or good friends ask questions like ... Who made you a writer? Or, Why are you wasting your time writing? Or, Who will ever read your writing? Beware! They are inadvertently trying to take away your dream.
   
   You are writing because of a dream that God put into your heart. It may be to record a specific incident for posterity or to reveal some words of wisdom for the edification of all mankind. The purpose may or may not be clear to you at this time.
   
   Unfortunately, some of your relatives and friends don't understand the dream that God gave to you hence those questions. Do not let those questions deter you from fulfilling the dream that is now resident in your heart.
   
   Instead of trying to explain the purpose of your writing or arguing with them for not being supportive, you need to stay focused and work relentlessly to achieve your dream. Only then will time appease them with the appropriate answers to their questions.
   
   In the late 1800s, the director of the Vienna Court Opera told Mme. Schumann-Heink, "You can never be a singer." She did not allow him to take away her dream; she went on to become a world renown opera singer.
   
   In the 1940s, Chester Carlson took his idea to twenty corporations. They all rejected his idea. In 1947, the tiny Haloid Company accepted his electrostatic paper-copying process and became Xerox Corporation. [Back]

Why?

1. The award-winning author Pierre Berton said, "I do not think it is possible for anybody to become a writer unless he has started out as a reader."
   
   
2. Reading will allow you to learn from 'published' writers -- when you read, pay attention to the writer's style and choice of words
   
   
3. Most important -- remember that you are you and will always be you -- develop your own style! [Back]

Every book begins with one page and every page begins with one paragraph. Every paragraph begins with one sentence and every sentence begins with one word. Every word begins with one letter.

Could you write one letter today? What about one word or one sentence or one paragraph or one page or maybe even one book? Write everyday -- whether you feel inspired or not -- the ideas will definitely come!

Writing in the first person is acceptable e.g. "I was sitting on the bench or I bought a picture." A first person narration appears to be talking directly to the reader. [Back]

Why?

1. One of my personal treasures is the book Second Thoughts by Mort Crim. On page 173 he wrote about a young aspiring writer who asked Jim Burnstein, the successful screenwriter, "How do you write a script the studios will like?"
   
   Jim replied, "Forget the studios. Write for yourself. You can't write a good script unless it comes from inside." [Back]

Why?

1. If you had access to unlimited funds ... Where would you go? What would you do?
   
   Would you tour the world? Sail the seven seas? Fish for blue fin tuna? or Drive a red sports car?
   
   
2. You were blessed with an active imagination; use it to tell the world about YOUR dreams! [Back]

Why?

1. Melville's Moby Dick opens with three small but memorable words "Call me Ishmael."
   
   
2. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet was written at approximately a Grade 4 reading level.
   
   
3. In his legendary "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King used words at the Grade 5 reading level. [Back]

All the characters in these stories are fictitious.
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely
coincidental. Any slights to people or organizations are unintentional.
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