Writer’s block is the bane of scribes everywhere. Clever, insidious and destructive, it saps us of creativity, industriousness and time.
Well, I don’t believe in writer’s block. I'm sure many writers will disagree with me and consider it blasphemy, but I believe writer's block is a sham. There, I said it.
Let’s be honest. A more apt description for writer’s block is procrastination, aversion or laziness (I can personally attest to employing all three). Simply put, it’s an excuse to not put in the effort. Yes, we are creative. Yes, our profession requires more brains than brawn. Yes, yes, we all have special talents. And, no, writing isn’t easy. It takes dedication, resolve and a certain gift. But, unless you’re writing for yourself and strictly for fun, it is a profession, a career, a business, In other words, show me the money. And even if you are writing for yourself, "writer’s block" is the perfect bulletproof method to slip that poem, short story, essay, script or whatever into a drawer so you can "get back to it later."
Bottom line: We have assignments, projects, jobs -- and deadlines. Don’t rely on the crutch of writer’s block. Don’t sit around waiting for your muse to mystically ordain the computer screen. Per my previous post (Inspiration), writing = ass in chair. It’s as simple as that.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Inspiration
Who can’t use a little boost every now and again to spark some creativity and motivation? Here are a couple of favorite quotations about writing. The first one addressees the art of writing, the second, the business end of it. Though differing in tone, verbiage and audience, each is eloquent in its own right.
The first quote is by Duke of Buckinghamshire Sheffield (1649–1720), in his Essay on Poetry:
Of all those arts in which the wise excel,
Nature’s chief masterpiece is writing well.
The second, attributed by various sources to director Oliver Stone and author Tom Clancy among others, is snappy and succinct:
Writing = ass in chair
Whoever wrote it, I’d just like to make one comment: perfect.
The first quote is by Duke of Buckinghamshire Sheffield (1649–1720), in his Essay on Poetry:
Of all those arts in which the wise excel,
Nature’s chief masterpiece is writing well.
The second, attributed by various sources to director Oliver Stone and author Tom Clancy among others, is snappy and succinct:
Writing = ass in chair
Whoever wrote it, I’d just like to make one comment: perfect.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Please Guide Me
No matter what skill level a writer achieves, style guidelines can still prove confusing. Do you use AP, Chicago, MLA or something else? There are so many out there it’s tough to juggle the rules for each.
Allena Tapia, the Freelance Writing Guide at About.com, a terrific all-purpose site, has a couple of helpful posts that cover the basics of the most popular style guides: What Is a Style Guide? and
Style Guides - MLA, AP Style, Turabian - Oh My!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
The Story of My First "Real" Sale
On my home office bookshelf is a tome that I started reading some time ago then abandoned for some reason. The best laid plans ... etc. and so forth. Anyway, the book, First Words: Early Writings From Favorite Contemporary Authors, is an anthology, collected and edited by Paul Mandelbaum, that is a fascinating glimpse into the embryonic calling of such celebrated wordsmiths as Norman Mailer, Joyce Carol Oates, Roy Blount, Jr. through the examination of their stories, novels, poems and other very early works -- grade school papers, in some cases.
It got me to thinking about the commencement of my own writing career. Back in the day, collecting clips mostly entailed getting poems published in small literary publications. When not rejected (which was frequent), payment for acceptance was always a contributor’s copy (or two) of the magazine. I wasn’t making any money, but that wasn’t the point. I was honing my craft while racking up the bylines. My name was in print, and how cool is that?
That is until I sent my poem "Twist of Faith" to Theme Poetry, a small magazine which I believe has since folded, for consideration. The poem was a raw response to my mother’s death and how I grappled with that stark reality. Because it was so close to my heart, I was delighted to learn the piece was accepted for publication -- and they sent me a check to boot. I was beyond giddy because this was my first sale that actually involved the transaction of currency. There was a problem, though. I received an acceptance letter and a check, but no copy of the issue my poem was published in, which I later learned I needed to purchase. The price for a copy of the issue? $5. My first writing paycheck? $5. Such is the lucrative, glamorous life of a writer.
ByLine Magazine published an essay I wrote about the whole puzzling ordeal.
It got me to thinking about the commencement of my own writing career. Back in the day, collecting clips mostly entailed getting poems published in small literary publications. When not rejected (which was frequent), payment for acceptance was always a contributor’s copy (or two) of the magazine. I wasn’t making any money, but that wasn’t the point. I was honing my craft while racking up the bylines. My name was in print, and how cool is that?
That is until I sent my poem "Twist of Faith" to Theme Poetry, a small magazine which I believe has since folded, for consideration. The poem was a raw response to my mother’s death and how I grappled with that stark reality. Because it was so close to my heart, I was delighted to learn the piece was accepted for publication -- and they sent me a check to boot. I was beyond giddy because this was my first sale that actually involved the transaction of currency. There was a problem, though. I received an acceptance letter and a check, but no copy of the issue my poem was published in, which I later learned I needed to purchase. The price for a copy of the issue? $5. My first writing paycheck? $5. Such is the lucrative, glamorous life of a writer.
ByLine Magazine published an essay I wrote about the whole puzzling ordeal.
Welcome
I’m Russ J. Stacey, a writer, copy editor, proofreader, and all-around pretty decent guy. Welcome to my blog.
A native New Yorker, I’ve written pretty much all my life: short stories, poetry, scripts, comedy sketches, and other creative urges that overtook me in the early days. I did it for fun, because I was good at it and because, yes, I had to. I first received "real" compensation (translation: $) for my scribblings in 1996, thus officially making me a professional scribe.
A year or so later I snagged a copywriter position with a local advertising agency in Orlando, Florida, soon after moving here from Albany, New York. I was soon a senior copywriter leading a team of three junior writers. After that, I wrote content part time for a local Web site, freelanced for a tourism magazine and tried to find gigs wherever I could, all while working survival jobs to pay the bills. I returned to school, Rollins College Hamilton Holt School, and got my English degree at night. More survival jobs ensued while freelancing on the side until I jumped into it whole hog. When not writing ad copy, marketing materials, press releases and corporate literature, some of the topics I specialize in for various publications are arts and culture, home builders and homebuilding, travel, tourism and hospitality, people and city profiles, restaurants and dining. I’m also a copy editor/proofreader.
Knowles Chapel, Rollins College
Far from being a know-all writer who can impart the art and business wisdom of the ages concerning this craft, it’s a constant evolution and learning process for me. And that’s the great thing about being a writer: there’s always something new to learn and to help you grow. On my blog, I’ll share practical tips, musings, lessons learned and maybe some other interesting issues I hope you’ll enjoy.
So join me on my journey and feel free to leave comments (keep it clean, thank you very much). Hopefully, we can learn from each other.
A native New Yorker, I’ve written pretty much all my life: short stories, poetry, scripts, comedy sketches, and other creative urges that overtook me in the early days. I did it for fun, because I was good at it and because, yes, I had to. I first received "real" compensation (translation: $) for my scribblings in 1996, thus officially making me a professional scribe.
A year or so later I snagged a copywriter position with a local advertising agency in Orlando, Florida, soon after moving here from Albany, New York. I was soon a senior copywriter leading a team of three junior writers. After that, I wrote content part time for a local Web site, freelanced for a tourism magazine and tried to find gigs wherever I could, all while working survival jobs to pay the bills. I returned to school, Rollins College Hamilton Holt School, and got my English degree at night. More survival jobs ensued while freelancing on the side until I jumped into it whole hog. When not writing ad copy, marketing materials, press releases and corporate literature, some of the topics I specialize in for various publications are arts and culture, home builders and homebuilding, travel, tourism and hospitality, people and city profiles, restaurants and dining. I’m also a copy editor/proofreader.
Knowles Chapel, Rollins CollegeFar from being a know-all writer who can impart the art and business wisdom of the ages concerning this craft, it’s a constant evolution and learning process for me. And that’s the great thing about being a writer: there’s always something new to learn and to help you grow. On my blog, I’ll share practical tips, musings, lessons learned and maybe some other interesting issues I hope you’ll enjoy.
So join me on my journey and feel free to leave comments (keep it clean, thank you very much). Hopefully, we can learn from each other.
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