To all the young people out there...STAY IN SCHOOL!. ==================================================== Jerry Aragon, The Humor Doctor email; humordoctormd@yahoo.com Articles: (47) It will take me a while to put all my articles on my site, but until then, you can view them at the following: Ezine Articles.com |
Writing is easy... all you have to do is to stare at a blank page (or screen), until drops of blood form on your forehead... Gene Fowler |
"The final paper you submitted, Jerry, is one of the worst I've ever seen. You must turn in another paper, or you will not complete the course." Those were the words of one of my writing instructors, Dr. John McCollister of Writers Digest School, as he rejected my final paper. Obviously, I was not a happy camper! Back to the beginning: I was not on the high school or college newspaper staff, nor did I major in English, journalism, or communications, so I do not have a writing background whatsoever. Several years ago, I was invited to join Southwest Writers Workshop, by the then President of the organization. With over 1,000 members nationwide, S.W.W., has some of the most talented and accomplished writers in the country. Needless to say, I was flattered. But, I didn't join the organization right away because, as a wood carver, I am out of the art and craft world, and not out of the writing world. So, I did not feel comfortable around writers or writing for that matter. And, that's because I didn't feel comfortable with my writing skills. But, as my interest in writing grew, and in my 40's, I decided to hit the books, and try to improve my writing skills. I took, and completed three writing courses. And, I had just about completed the Writers Digest Course when my writing instructon rejected my final paper, as noted earlier. But, he was right! I had been on the course about six months, and I wanted to get it over with, so I submitted a pile of trash. (garbage in... garbage out) So, after about a month of pouting and crying, I wrote another final paper. This time, it was accepted and I completed the course. After completing the course, the final letter sent to me by Dr. McCollister is too lengthy to publish here, but at the end of the letter he wrote: "Richard (Jonathan Livingston Segall) Bach, once said: 'Some of my greatest friends are those whom I have never met in person." He was speaking of those whom he had gotten to know through their writing. I feel much the same about you, Jerry. You have to ability to communicate, not only the facts, but feelings through the printed word...that's just talent...plain and simple. Keep writing, Jerry. Let us know at Writers Digest if anything "hits" for you, and we'll shout it from the roof tops." As you might imagine, Dr. McCollister's words are very special to me, and he has inspired me and given me more confidence in my writing, despite having rejected my first paper. =============================== A few months ago, I received an email from a fellow named Orley, who I did not know. His initial email was riddled with spelling and grammar errors, so I was not impressed. He askd me if I could go over to his site and check for spelling/grammar errors, etc. Well...I'm not an editor or a grammarian, but since I've been online, people have helped me all along the way, so I have to help others as well. So, I decided to go to his site and take a look. Orley wanted to go into business for himself, and he had a nice colorful Front Page, with lots of buttons and links to other places. And, yes he did have a few spelling and grammar errors. But, I really didn't know how to handle the situation, so I decided to just be honest with him, in a supportive way. I told him the following: * Website building is "publishing," and if a person is going to be in the publishing business, it would have to be their best. * Like a resume or job interview...first impression is everything. His website and emails would have to be his best, and in Orley's case, his awful emails would be his downfall. * I told him that nobody would do it for him, but himself. I also told him that he had already won the biggest battle, and that is, that he already knew that he needed help, and wanted to do something about it. A big plus for him! I certainly did not enjoy doing this sort of thing, and I had no idea what his response would be, or if he would respond at all. Later that afternoon, I received a nice email from him, thanking me for being honest with him. He also told me that he was planning to hit the books, to improve his writing skills, and would go back to school. I was glad to hear that. Many of you may remember the old television commercial of the 1980's, where a mechanic looks straight into the camera and says: "You can pay me now...or you can pay me later!" So, as in writing, you can pay now, by taking the necessary steps to improve your writing skills...or you can pay later, when nobody returns your messages, and not much traffic at your website....the decision is yours! I think everyone will agree that writing is easy...we all do it everyday. But, writing WELL is not so easy! After all, we're talking about the English language here, and that's a nightmare in itself. My advice? Do what Orley did. Be honest with yourself. If you think you need to to improve your writing skills, go to the library; buy a book; take a writing course...you'll be glad you did! Nothing comes easy...so, if you want to do something easy, why don't you try brain surgery! |
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To all the young people out there...STAY IN SCHOOL!. ==================================================== Jerry Aragon, The Humor Doctor email; humordoctormd@yahoo.com Articles: (47) It will take me a while to put all my articles on my site, but until then, you can view them at the following: Ezine Articles.com |
