I'm doing something this week that's never been part of my vocabulary: Creating writer's deprivation. The physical act of stopping a writing process. The 2nd draft of Scrambled Eggs is brilliantly running smoothly. Paragraph structure, sentence tightening and reader focus inside a Twitter and Face Book generation are locked solidly in place.
Why stop? For a week! In the business of Radio, it's extremely easy for an on-air talent to locate crutches, habits, formats of presentation that seem unique and fresh but to a listener...it's a delivery that gets in the way of their enjoyment.
Writing is no different. Patterns that make the writer say , "Wow" whip from out of no place only to be spotted in nearly every place. Being aware of my writing style reintroduces me to thirty plus years of Radio aircheck sessions with Program Directors trained to keep true to a listeners reasons for tuning in and out. Especially in what's called a PPM market versus the old fashioned diary rating system. Every seven second break counts in Radio. So should every page in a book.
If a Radio listeners needs aren't being met why are writer's putting so much focus on the final scenes of their books?
Julia Cameron from The Artist Way gets credit for bringing me to the forefront of deprivation. In her book The Vein Of Gold she trains the creative mind to become physically aware of where they get their high, rush or fix. Grocery store chains with massive amounts of magazines near the checkout counter. Stop looking at the covers for a week and watch your life change.
Deprivation can also be a dangerous game. The writer inside demands attention. If I can't feed him he'll locate a new addiction. I'm ok with that. Gene Simmons of KISS loved the idea that Peter Criss and Ace Frehley wanted to stretch out and do solo projects. It introduces the Artist to newer ideas and a fresh scent of passion that's always available to come back to the origin.
Do I fear my writer locating a different story? Not at all! I have so many book ideas living and breathing in my head that he'll jump into any puddle of mud to find his next outlet. I treat my writing self like a partner. For "us" to work there has to respect. I've spotted some crutches being used and the decision is deprivation.
Keeping the writer's heart and eye fine tuned is a process not a project. Inspiration to a writer is better than sex. Influencing your writer to take chances is better than make up sex. The final page of your book being written is like stepping onto a cloud marked: Welcome to Heaven.
I've recently tapped into a brilliant book for writers called
Why We Write. Gish Jen's Wisdom for Writers:
Writing is ridiculous if you're doing it for money. Do it for a deeper satisfaction.
Readers are always interested in what's going on in other parts of the world. Gish Jen believes writers should challenge themselves to write with an international viewpoint.
Keep your stories away from becoming lectures. It's something much deeper.
I'm doing something this week that's never been part of my vocabulary: Creating writer's deprivation. The physical act of stopping a writing process. The 2nd draft of Scrambled Eggs is brilliantly running smoothly. Paragraph structure, sentence tightening and reader focus inside a Twitter and Face Book generation are locked solidly in place.
Why stop? For a week! In the business of Radio, it's extremely easy for an on-air talent to locate crutches, habits, formats of presentation that seem unique and fresh but to a listener...it's a delivery that gets in the way of their enjoyment.
Writing is no different. Patterns that make the writer say , "Wow" whip from out of no place only to be spotted in nearly every place. Being aware of my writing style reintroduces me to thirty plus years of Radio aircheck sessions with Program Directors trained to keep true to a listeners reasons for tuning in and out. Especially in what's called a PPM market versus the old fashioned diary rating system. Every seven second break counts in Radio. So should every page in a book.
If a Radio listeners needs aren't being met why are writer's putting so much focus on the final scenes of their books?
Julia Cameron from The Artist Way gets credit for bringing me to the forefront of deprivation. In her book The Vein Of Gold she trains the creative mind to become physically aware of where they get their high, rush or fix. Grocery store chains with massive amounts of magazines near the checkout counter. Stop looking at the covers for a week and watch your life change.
Deprivation can also be a dangerous game. The writer inside demands attention. If I can't feed him he'll locate a new addiction. I'm ok with that. Gene Simmons of KISS loved the idea that Peter Criss and Ace Frehley wanted to stretch out and do solo projects. It introduces the Artist to newer ideas and a fresh scent of passion that's always available to come back to the origin.
Do I fear my writer locating a different story? Not at all! I have so many book ideas living and breathing in my head that he'll jump into any puddle of mud to find his next outlet. I treat my writing self like a partner. For "us" to work there has to respect. I've spotted some crutches being used and the decision is deprivation.
Keeping the writer's heart and eye fine tuned is a process not a project. Inspiration to a writer is better than sex. Influencing your writer to take chances is better than make up sex. The final page of your book being written is like stepping onto a cloud marked: Welcome to Heaven.
I've recently tapped into a brilliant book for writers called Why We Write. Gish Jen's Wisdom for Writers:
Writing is ridiculous if you're doing it for money. Do it for a deeper satisfaction.
Readers are always interested in what's going on in other parts of the world. Gish Jen believes writers should challenge themselves to write with an international viewpoint.
Keep your stories away from becoming lectures. It's something much deeper.
No comments:
Post a Comment