My older daughter is my biggest cheer leader. With a great mind for words and mastery of the English language, she has volunteered to take the first pass at a good edit. I can't imagine what amount of time that might take, but I know what it takes to get a grant out the door, let alone a several hundred page book. Monday afternoon she served me lunch, and we were going to have a creative day. She did work-work, plus organized a vlog schedule. I played on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, but the flash drive with the book on it was in my computer bag.
I keep saying to myself it will get done. When I feel a calling to write, and write some more, then amend, adapt, and continue, I'll do so for hours. Until then, I'll try to just enjoy the little moments I spend writing here on this blog, on the two others I am playing around with, and not take my lack of substantial effort too seriously.
Well, I don't know about you, but I when I write, I can only write one word at a time! I used to say a similar thing to my kids when to break them of the habit they somehow picked up in school--when choosing books at the library, they would immediately look at the number of pages in a book, and then declare it was too hard for them if there were "too many pages." I told them to pick a page, any page, and start reading. If they liked what the author was saying, then the book was for them. The longer the book, the more time they had to enjoy it. (And what the hell is a "chapter book?" A book is a book. I wish the schools wouldn't use that term. It scares younger kids away from said "chapter books" and defeats the purpose of teaching a love of reading.) Anyway, I digress. The same philosophy goes for writing: two pages or two-thousand, you will get there, one word at a time!
ReplyDeleteI think schools do several things to discourage kids from reading. Chastising them for wanting to read things that aren't at their grade level or reading things for fun that aren't "literature." Accelerated Reader puts a lot of pressure on kids. Even Book-It can be stressful. My kids liked reading until they went to school. Now its torture to them and it makes me so sad.
DeleteEncouraging reading in any format is good, but to get joy it has to be fun when a kid first learns to read. A lot comes from home more than school.I haven't experienced books and reading as you've both described,for myself or my kids, so can't jump in agreement. I like the advice that reading and writing is done a word at a time.
DeleteI never heard of picking a book for the number of pages. It never occurred to me. But I bet this was what my brothers did.
ReplyDeleteMy kids had to get drawn into it on page one-skip it if that didn't keep their attention. Long or short, page one matters.
DeleteRead about Tom Robbins and how he writes. His aim is one perfect sentence a day.
ReplyDeleteI'll be done in 2056. Good tip.
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