Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

‘Your window to the world might be your own front door.  Your shiniest day might come in the middle of the night.’  Two lines from the Blackhawk song “That’s Just About Right”.  I identify with those two lines.

I am not sure I will ever do any thing earthshaking.  Nor will I ever be the President or some CEO of a corporation.  I realize maybe what I do in my own backyard might be important.

Notoriety or fame is overrated.  I remember reading in Bob Dylan’s autobiography how he wanted fame early on and then got it and wished he didn’t have it.  He wanted his children to have a normal existence and they could not.

Some weirdo was always showing up on his doorsteps.  Anonymity is really a gift.  And the famous lose it.  Dylan bemoaned its loss.  And realized fame was not what it was cut out to be.

I will continue to do what the Lord has called me to do.  Whether or not others recognize it.  The words I write if they impact at least one person they served their purpose.  I will continue to reach out and love the people around me.

The words from this song remind me to continue writing for it still matters to me no matter how many people read it.  So I continue for I know I have to.

Tags: "That's Just About Right", anonymity, Blackhawk, Bob Dylan, children, continue writing, famous, God, God calls you, music, notoriety or fame, reach out and love, the Lord, window to the world, words I write, write, writing, writing matters, your backyard, your own front door
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“How great art thou?” is a question that does not help a writer.  Of course, you will always have doubts of your talent.  Those doubts really do not help and all they do is split your concentration.

You are asking the wrong question.  The right question is to be, “Am I getting better?”  Not am I matching up to someone else’s work, which is implied in the question, “How great art thou?”

Only one person can answer the question, “Am I getting better.”  That is yourself.  All you can do is improve as a writer.  And the benchmark is your own work.

As far as publishing your work, that decision whether your work is accepted for publication is not yours.  Yes, you have to put it out there but you can not become overly concerned with that.

It prevents you from writing as well as you can if that is in back of your mind when you are writing and editing your work whether it will be published.  Your job is to get it as good as you can.  That is it.

I believe everyone has talent but somehow you have to get beyond anyone’s expectations including your own and write as honestly as you can with the least amount of affectation and be whoever you are.

You are who you are.  And when you can demonstrate that people will want to read what you have written.

Tags: affectation, am I getting better, are you a good writer, be who you are, benchmark, doubts, editing your writing, everyone has talent, expectations, improve as a writer, publishing your work, publishing your writing, put your writing out there, read, read your writing, split your concentration, write honestly, writer, writing, you are who you are, your talent, your writing
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They almost did not make it on time:  She had gotten in the wrong lane and drove four miles unnecessarily.  They finally got to the carnival and she bought her excited kid a balloon.  The helium balloon was silver and quickly became a refugee.  It escaped her child’s grasp when she was jostled in a crowd.  The four year old was crying so hard she was trembling.  There would be hell to pay.  Her mother had been bamboozled and hounded by a salesperson who had tenaciously assured her, her kid would not lose the antler shaped balloon if she tied it to her pinkie.  Soon the balloon soared in the sky quickly became ant like in the sky.

Her Mom complained of her loss to that pretentious salesman stationed at his desk in his cranberry velvet suit.  He was the quintessential quick talker who knew how sacred her kid’s balloon was.  He explained to the bawling child the synchronicity of all balloons.  Of course not in those words, but said all balloons were born in the sky and when they were released they returned home.  He gave the child a torn velvet clothed doll to calm her down.

The kid left him clutching her doll tightly to her chest.  She had quite an adventure today.

Tags: adventure, all balloons born in the sky, all balloons go to Heaven, balloon, balloons returned home, carnival, four year old child, God, helium balloon, her child, lost balloon, mother, quick talker, salesman, short story, synchronicity, velvet clothed doll, writers, writing
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I write only non-fiction.  At least I call it that.  I have not been able to write fiction.  In fact, the prospect of attempting that has me terrified.

I know a fellow writer who has the opposite problem:  she is terrified of writing non-fiction.  I find that interesting.

There are authors I have seen who do both–write non-fiction as well as fiction.  To me that is also interesting.  I wonder what percent of authors can do both.  I really have no idea.

It would be interesting to me to explore that.  My mind just rebels every time I even consider writing fiction.

Should I just accept that?  Or should I explore further if I am able to compose fiction or just leave it at that:  I only write non-fiction and that is okay.

Tags: afraid to write, authors, fellow writer, fiction vs non-fiction, non fiction, write fiction, writers, writing
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Writing is not an end point but a journey.  You never really arrive.  Writing is a process.  Someone called my short article on journal keeping (which can be found on http://www.siggyscafe.com) a ‘blurb’.

That might be but it took me a lifetime to write.  Several decades of journal keeping.  My wife also did a masterful job of editing it.

I am well aware I will never write the great American novel.  I simply am not motivated that way.  I simply want to write something and get out as quickly as possible.  I am conscious of that.  I strive for simplicity and clarity.  I accepted that a long time ago.

The longer pieces I have written in my lifetime were very difficult for me to do.  I have written only a few short, short stories.  I find it interesting that a fellow writer who has the opposite problem — keeping the word count down — recommended that on some longer pieces she wanted to hear more detail.

Maybe I need to take her advice.  It certainly would stretch me.  There really is no point in which you have arrived as a writer although you might consider publication of a book one.

At every point you write, you whole past is impacting your writing.  Writing is always a process and journey.  Otherwise you are constantly repeat (constantly repeat (or) are constantly repeating) yourself.

Tags: blog, blurb, editing, journal keeping, my wife, publish a book, repeat yourself, short stories, siggyscafe.com, simplicity and clarity in writing, the great American novel, took a lifetime to write, web site, word count, writers, writing, writing is a journey, writing is a process, writing is not an end point, you never really arrive, your whole past impacts your writing
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A sense of wonder has to fuel your writing.  You have to allow yourself to be surprised by the unexpected and unknown.  And then be driven to write about your discoveries.

Writing about what you see and seeking to bridge the unknown and mystery is what fuels your writing.  Trying to fathom what you do not understand and stretching yourself in the process forces growth.

Underlying all this is your sense of wonder.  It comes and goes for most people.  And you can’t be overly concerned if life appears static and dull.  It will change again when you least expect it to.

You have to pay attention within and without.  And have the patience to note the simple things occurring around you.  Life is composed of many simple things.  And miracles always occur around you.

You just have to pay attention.  Your sense of wonder kindles your imagination and fuels your writing.  It gives it power.

Tags: a sense of wonder, be driven to write, be surprised by the unexpected and unknown, fathom what you do not understand, give your writing power, growth, have patience, kindle your imagination, life is many simple things, life static and dull, miracles always occur, note the simple things around you, pay attention within and without, stretch yourself, wonder fuels your writing, write about what you see, writers, writing, your discoveries, your writing
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Simplicity and clarity and honesty go hand and hand in writing.  And it always has to be personal–something your reader can grab, identify with–the more honest the better.

Realize your personality always comes through your writing.  You can’t really hide who you are.  It is really impossible to write anything without revealing you anyway.

I made a decision a long time ago.  I had to strive for simplicity and clarity and honesty if I were to be any good as a writer.

You can not write with clarity if you are not open.  And then again striving for simplicity and clarity forces you to remain as open as you can.

Readers usually appreciate honesty.  And simplicity and clarity and honesty go hand and hand so always strive for those qualities.

Tags: be open in writing, can't hide who you are, clarity in writing, God, good writer, hand in hand, honesty in writing, readers appreciate honesty, reveal yourself, simplicity in writing, writers, writing, writing is personal, your personality in your writing, your reader
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Writing is a renewable resource but first you have to tend to yourself.  Let’s compare writing to a forest.  If you cut down all the trees and do not replant, the forest is gone.

If you want to write, you have to do simple things like taking proper care of yourself.  Yes, even things like eating and sleeping right.  You can get away with it for awhile but not forever.

You have to order your life a certain way.  I can’t tell you how.  You have to figure out what works for you.  You will never run out of ideas and the words to express them.

Of course, you have to regularly sit down and write.  There is no way to get around that.  Otherwise the window of opportunity is gone.  And you can never go back but forward.

You also have to mull things over and permit yourself to do nothing occasionally or something totally unrelated to your writing.

Some of this requires empty spaces.  Your brain is always working even when you are not aware of it.  If you don’t do this, your words will peter out eventually.

Writing is only the tip of the iceberg.  You simply pick it up at some point and record that which is yours.  You live to write not write to live.  If you treat yourself right, you will never run out of ideas.

Tags: brain is always working, do nothing occasionally, eating right, empty spaces, God, if you want to write, live to write not write to live, mull things over, never run out of ideas, order your life, record that which is yours, sit down and write, sleeping right, take proper care of yourself, tip of the iceberg, treat yourself right, window of opportunity, words peter out, writers, writing, writing is a renewable resource, you can never go back
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When I read a poem of mine in public, I have the audience for the first ten seconds.  If I don’t capture their attention right away, I lose them so the beginnings of my poems have to be interesting and are important.  I do not read a poem in public if there is any part of it I am not satisfied with.  I can’t read the poem confidently and with the right inflections and feelings if I have any doubts concerning the poem.  I have to believe in the whole package, that the poem was put together well.  So with any piece of writing:  you can’t have any major doubts of it, if you want to submit it for publication.  It has to be as good as you can get it.

Tags: as good as you can get it, audience, beginning of poem important, believe in whole package, God, have no doubts about the poem, poem, poem put together well, poetry, read a poem in public, read poem confidently, submit writing for publication, writers, writing
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You can’t follow trends concerning the subject matter you write about.  You can’t possibly remain genuine.  You have to write about what is deepest in your soul, that which is begging to get out.

There was a popular book out a while ago, “Do What You Love The Money Will Follow.”  Maybe someone should write a book titled, “Write About What You Love Money Will Follow.”  There are no guarantees you will become rich but someone out there will want to read it and buy your book.

I like the famous quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essay of Self-Reliance:  ‘There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction: that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better for worse as his portion;…’  You have to mine the field that is only given to you.  We are all wired differently and have different concerns.  That is all you can explore as a writer.  The better you do it and the more genuine, the more people will want to read it.  No one said you will necessarily become rich in the process but at least some people will care about what you write for it was you, you expressed.

Tags: "Do What You Love The Money Will Follow", accept yourself for better for worse, become rich, essay of Self-Reliance, express yourself in writing, famous quote, follow trends in writing, God, imitation is suicide, mine your own field, no guarantees, people will want to read, Ralph Waldo Emerson, remain genuine in writing, we are wired differently, write about what is deepest in your soul, write about what you love, writers, writing
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When I worked on a poem, it was the most important thing in the whole world.  Until recently, practically all my poems were generated from my journals.  When I wanted to convert an entry to a poem, the time I spent working on it was the most important thing in the whole world.  I would lose myself in the poem.

Time would disappear.  I would first want to get it (the particular experience I wanted to capture) all down.  That was the function of my journal.

I was not afraid initially of being redundant.  I knew I could go back and eliminate the repetition.  Then I would go back, condense it, shape it, get it to the point I could not do any more with it.

Then I would read it to my wife and listen to her reaction and any suggestions she may have.  And go back to it.  This may happen the next day or whenever I had time although I did not want to lose interest in the poem.

I would again look at, refine it and polish it, see what I could eliminate, what got in the way, see if any phrase needed rearranging, if the timing was wrong.  I did not want to tamper too much with the original.  I would work with the poem until I could not do any more with it again.  I would have my wife hear it again.

I was very attuned to how it sounded out loud.  Did it need emphasizing here or there, did I like the way a word or phrase or line sounded to my ear.  At some point I considered the poem finished.  A lot of this was done by instinct.  Some poems I am never happy with.  And others I simply discard or look at some other time in the future.

Down the road I may venture to read it in public.  That takes a lot of courage.  Many do not make it that far.  Few get to the keyboard.  I have to feel the entry has possibilities.  That is somewhat the process of my poems.

Tags: being redundant, capture the experience, condense the poem, courage to read in public, editing your writing, how a poem sounds out loud, instinct, listen to reaction to poem, listen to suggestions about poem, lose myself in the poem, my journals, poem, poetry, process of writing a poem, read a poem in public, read poem to my wife, rearrange phrases in a poem, refine a poem, repetition, time disappeared, timing in a poem, write a poem, write it all down, writers, writing
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Editing your own work is always painful.  Having one or two persons who can give you helpful feedback is invaluable.  My wife is such a person and I don’t take her for granted.  I like what Stephen King said in a book he wrote about writing, ‘take out what is not the story.’  It is not easy to do.  And an outsider is in a much better position to tell you that.  I have one test:  if you take something out of your story (poem or whatever) and you do not miss it, it did not belong there.  The beauty of a well written piece is what is left out–like a beautiful piece of music where every note counts.  You do not want to discourage the reader with clutter.  You want every word to count.  Having said that, it is not easy to do.  A good editor is worth their weight in gold.

Tags: beautiful piece of music, clutter in writing, don't take for granted, editing your writing, every note counts, every word counts, good editor worth their weight in gold, helpful feedback, my wife, poem, poetry, reader, Stephen King, take out what is not the story, well written, writers, writing
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