Comments on: Writing Clean: Freeing Yourself from the Past So You Can Write Today

By: editor

editor — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 01:42:41 +0000

@TL I was just looking at our space center pictures the other day! Huntsville is a cool place.

@JLK When I partake of my fermented works I tend to stare into the middle distance. A little while later, someone nudges me and I wonder where I’ve been.

By: J.L. Krueger

J.L. Krueger — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 01:06:28 +0000

Having canine buddies helps me “walk away” from time-to-time during the day. The foxhound in particular is most persistent about getting me out of the chair to play. It is also better for the eyes to get away from the monitor and look at distant objects for a while.

I think number 2 is critical. I’m always amazed at what I think of or find after letting the work “ferment” for a time.

By: Tekaran_Lady

Tekaran_Lady — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:58:55 +0000

You guessed it. I’m up near Huntsville, AL actually. It’s handy being a science-fiction writer: living so close to the Space and Rocket Center and getting the chance to chat with folks who worked for NASA during Von Braun’s day.

By: editor

editor — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:19:38 +0000

@TL I have a story right now that I have been working on for about 14 years so I know exactly what you mean (somewhat painfully I might add). About the starlings, you must live in the SE. I lived in Birmingham, AL for 2 years and I was always amazed at the clouds of those wicked birds.

By: Tekaran_Lady

Tekaran_Lady — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:26:13 +0000

You know, I actually just got done struggling with this one, and I’m sure I’ll have to do it again sometime down the road.

I’d been rewriting a practically ancient story for far too long and just couldn’t get it to work. I finally figured out it wasn’t so much the story that mean something to me because honestly it wasn’t that great, but I was still struggling with the personal conflict that prompted the first version. Putting the thing to rest and casting off the burden of said conflict did do a lot in the way of freeing me up both emotionally and creatively.

That’s too funny about the geese. Around here it’s more the clouds of starlings you have to watch out for while driving. I swear those birds are suicidal or something.

By: editor

editor — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:16:05 +0000

Wow, just had a flood of memories… This kind of thing really does seem to happen to me quite a bit. My Karma is wicked silly.

By: Karen Swim

Karen Swim — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:10:40 +0000

ROFL!!! Please dig that post out of the archives. I was surprised when I moved to MI to find out that Canadian Geese are mean! I am going to double over with laughter now each time I look out the window at those geese. Oh my gosh, that is the funniest thing Ive heard all day! LOL!

By: editor

editor — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:02:44 +0000

Oooh, great comment, Karen! I love the metaphor of writing and running.

I’ve been thinking about putting up the archives from my old blog, one that stretches back to 2002 or 2001. There is a long post in there about a morning’s run. I think I’ll dig it out later…

Of course, there was that one run when I was attacked by a Canada Goose.

It charged me and then rose up into the air. Flew right into my face. I punched it (what else could I do besides scream and flail)…

Do not punch a goose in the chest. Ever. It hurts.

The goose landed and shrugged its wings like nothing had happened. My hand ached for a week, but my wife called me Goose Puncher for a month.

By: Karen SWim

Karen SWim — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:16:40 +0000

Every time I write I treat it like a run. Every run is different. New day, new run. While I bring my life experience to each run I don’t allow the failures, missteps or disappointments of the past to weigh me down and keep me from enjoying the moment. I lace up and head out fully engaged in the moment. Some days I feel like a gazelle others like a clydesdale but every day I aim to hit my stride and have the perfect run. Our writing will of course be infused with who we are and where we’ve been but it should not be limited or weighed down by that. We must free ourselves to explore new terrain, to step away from ourselves and delve into the world around us.