Tuesday, July 5, 2011

On writing

I keep many journals some I encounter daily. Others, full, lie forgotten. I unearthed one of these yesterday, flipped through it and read...

How to begin? The first word is key. "If"--no, that's no good. "When"--no. "There"--no. "The"--no. "I" perfect. It loudly declares not only the voice but also the subject. Immediately it tells the reader this story is about me. I like that.

Next word "don't"--a nice strong word.

Then what? I don't drive--no. I don't swim--no. I don't speak--no. How about... Yes, that's perfect--write.

Now, my reader is wondering, what does she mean she doesn't write--she can, she has.

The last word is critical. It completes and clarifies. That word--well.

Read the entire sentence, "I don't write well."

Should I end with a question mark? No, a period will suffice.

Next sentence...

I need to come with a better system so gems like this don't get lost. Any suggestions?