To all the young people out there...Stay In School Jerry Aragon humordoctormd email; humordoctor@aol.com Main Street Humor Clinic/Writing Section |
Write On! |
Writing is easy...all you have to do Is to stare at a blank piece of paper, until drops of blood form on your forehead...Gene Fowler |
I do not have a writing background. I was not on the high school or college newspaper staff; and I did not major in English; communications; or journalism while in college. After being invited to join the Southwest Writers Workshop, by the then President of the organization, I was flattered. With over 1,000 members nationwide, S.W.W. has some of the most talented and accomplished writers in the country. As a wood carver, I've been in the art and craft world for many years and not in the writing world. But, after the invitation, and in my 40's, I decided to go back to the books, and I took several writing courses and classes, to try to improve my writing skills. As if I didn't have my hands full, teaching myself to carve wood, I had to take up an interest in the difficult field of writing! (I must be crazy) "Jerry, the final paper you submitted is one of the worst I've ever seen! You must submit something else, ot you will not complete the course." Those were the words of one of my writing instructors, Dr. John McCollister, of the Writers Digest School, as he rejected my final paper. After working on the course for over eight months, I was really frustrated after I got his note. I threw the letter...the workbook into a corner of my home office, and forgot about it for awhile! My instructor, a communications professor at a Florida university, was right! What I submitted was a pile of trash. I was in a hurry to complete the course, and it showed. So, after about a month of crying and pouting...I came to my senses...submitted another paper...and, happliy completed the course. INTERNET/WORLD WIDE WEB With the coming of the Internet and the World Wide Web, where text dominates, I couldn't be happier about taking and completing the writing courses. It has given me much more confidence in my writing abilities. I cost me a few hundred dollars, but it was well worth it. After I completed the course, the final letter from Dr. McCollister, is one of my treasures, but before I show it to you, I'll share with you some of the things I do and some things I don't do, when it comes to writing; * I am not a grammarian, so I don't worry about gerunds; dangling participles or anything like that! * I don't care if I end a sentence with a preposition, and I don't worry about words modifying each other; verbs...adverbs...etc...etc...etc... * I just write! I sit at the keyboard, and I write just like I talk...I talk to the keyboard...and, my talking and writing are the same....I don't try to change anything. I do care about the following, and is very important to me: * Spelling/grammar: Good spelling and grammar are a MUST! My published pages must look as good as I can make them. * Writing/re-writes; Every page I write, I probably write, AND re-write three to four times, to try to get it right * Editing: I edit my pages for run-on sentences; try to keep the paragraphs short and concise; move paragraphs around (when necessary) to get a balance. As far as all the other technical bla bla bla...I don't worry about it...I just write. As I said previously, the final letter Dr. McCollister sent to me, after I completed the course is shown below, and it is one of my treasures, and is shown below: Dear Friend Jerry: Congratulations! You made it! One of the most valuable marks of a successful freelance writer is his or her willingness to stick with it. You have done that. Not only have you completed each lesson in the Writer's Digest non-fiction course, but also you have a solid record of turning in your assignments a bit ahead of schedule. This persistence is a real "plus" for you. Only three errors on the true/false questions. Not bad at all. Your article idea has solid potential, in my opinion. You have focused in on a frustration for many idea people. On top of this, you draw upon your own experiences and credentials. But it has a long way to go. I've made some comments about your query letter. Be sure to include not only your name and address, but also your telephone number. Some publishers want to get on the telephone right away and talk with you about your ideas. Why not start with the first paragraphs of the narrative, instead of telling the editor what you plan to do? If your lead paragraph is designed to grab the attention of your reader, why not let it also work for you in making an editor sit up and take notice? I have been honored to work with you, Jerry. You've made substantial improvement along the way. If you are ever in the Daytona Beach area, please give me a hoot and a hollar. The coffee pot is always on. Richard (Jonathan Livingston Seagull) Bach once said: "Some of my greatest friends are those whom I have never met in person." He was speaking of those whom he has gotten to know through their writing. I feel much the same way about you. You have the ability to communicate not only the facts, but feelings through the printed word. That's just talent, pure and simple. Keep writing, Jerry. Let us at Writer's Digest know when something "hits" for you. We'll shout it from the rooftops. With respect: John McCollister * * * You can see why this letter is one of my little treasures. Note: If you think you need a little work on your own writing skills, I encourage you to take a course ...you'll be glad you did. Jer |
To all the young people out there...Stay In School Jerry Aragon humordoctormd email; humordoctor@aol.com Main Street Humor Clinic/Writing Section |
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