Tags
#IWSG, Anne R Allen, Insecure Writer's Support Group, New Year's Resolutions, Rottweilers, writing, writing rules
I think it’s appropriate that the first post for 2017 is for IWSG. If you want to know more about this, click the icon below.
January question: What writing rule do you wish you’d never heard?
Easy: write every day.
I heard this rule while still very impressionable and it is enough to produce crippling anxiety when life happens and a day – or even days – is missed.
Some writing rules are just annoying – mostly because these “rules” are just guidelines that work for one writer. Or are twisted versions of actual style rules. As Anne R Allen mentioned in her post about writing rules, anyone can make a meme about their favourite writing rule and spread it across social media – even if it results in the blind leading the blind.
Over the last fortnight or so, I haven’t been able to write. Not because my neighbours decided to sing karaoke to welcome the New Year until after midnight every night or because of the increasing craziness of blowing things up from eight until three – at night! (Yeah, we’re talking fireworks.) I can write through most anything (as I learned last year with the flash floods and scary lightning).
No. A twisted ankle turned out to be the result of something malignant, something hidden, something monstrous. Despite all the tests being negative for anything malignant, it turned out that Emmett had an aggressive form of bone cancer. It had started in the twisted ankle, skipped the bones, metastasised in the lungs and other organs, and returned to eat away the bones. In only four weeks. I had to euthanise him two weeks ago.
The only thing I was able to write in all that time was a short story for the blog for Christmas Eve – featuring a Rottweiler.
So, about this whole “write every day” thing… It worked out really well for 2016. Despite the anxiety…
If you’ve read my blogposts in December, you’d have noticed that I had a really great year in my writing career. Though I hadn’t consciously set most of those goals, I’d achieved them anyway.
Does that mean that I have to set goals for 2017?
In the frame of mind I am right now, I’d probably tap into my dark side and take over the world like a Sith Lord.
So setting goals is probably not a good idea right now.
I know that pain is part of life and so is loss. I also know that I’m going to be okay in time – I’ve lost fur-babies before.
I think I’ll start with a to-do list for today – which includes doing the IWSG bloghop. And maybe I’ll check in on Twitter and all the other social media I’ve neglected. And if I’m really brave, I’ll write down the outline for a series that has been haunting me. Or I’ll give in to my anxiety and just cuddle with Tony and Cal while binge watching Arrow and then The Vampire Diaries and possibly all the Avengers movies…
Anyhow, I hope that you have a great 2017. Any New Year’s Resolutions you’d like to share? Which writing rules irritate you endlessly?
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Erika Beebe said:
What a great post Ronel! You made me laugh! At an early hour too. I’m sorry about your pesky neighbors, and everything else keeping you from writing. I have a few loud neighbors too. LOL. Goals are good. I set mine recently and they’ve helped fire me up. I wish you much luck with your outline and movies. I think I’ll put the Avengers back on my radar too. 🙂
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miladyronel said:
Thanks, Erika. Good luck with sticking to your goals.
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patgarcia said:
Oh my dear, I know where you are at, at the moment. In 2008, I lost my furry friend, my cat, who had been with me for 22 years. It takes time. One of the things that has helped me tremendously is writing and participating with a few close friends on Social Media. I sincerely hope you find what works best for you.
I wish you an awesome 2017 and Happy New Year.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat Garcia
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miladyronel said:
Thanks, Pat.
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Megan Morgan said:
This ‘rule’ has given me so much angst over the years too, mostly because that’s not how my brain works. I tend to write in huge, infrequent bursts. Yet I still fret over how long it’s been since I last wrote, how much I have done….argh!
So sorry about your doggie! I hope 2017 is a better year for you!
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miladyronel said:
Thanks, Megan.
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Deb R.H. said:
I’m the same way, Megan.
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emaginette said:
I’m sorry about your pup. I’ve been there too and it sucks. 😦
Anna from elements of emaginette
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miladyronel said:
Thanks, Anna.
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L.G. Keltner said:
I’m sorry to hear about what happened to Emmett. Losses like that are tough, and of course writing is going to suffer because of that. The write every day rule has given me grief too. Sometimes circumstances dictate that we need to focus our attention elsewhere. There’s nothing wrong with that.
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miladyronel said:
Thank you.
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Deb R.H. said:
Sorry to hear about your dog. 😦 We had to put a couple of cats down, one of which my dad had to put down then travel down to us to let us know. The other was just a kitten. That was hard.
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miladyronel said:
Thanks, Deb. It’s difficult when our fur-babies leave us – especially when they’re still young.
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cleemckenzie said:
I like Hemingway’s rule! That works for me. Writing everyday just doesn’t. Loved your post and really appreciate your stopping in at The Write Game to say this morning. Come again. I love my visitors.
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miladyronel said:
Thank you.
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Lidy said:
Sorry about your dog. It must’ve come as a shock.
The write everyday rule woulds sometimes make me feel that there’s something wrong with me for not writing everyday. Like I’m not really a writer. Life happens and sometimes you’re not able to churn out a page or more. Some days you’re lucky to squeak out three to four sentences. Besides even when I’m not writing, I’m thinking about writing and storing away story ideas.
Happy 2017!
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miladyronel said:
Thanks, Lidy. Writers never take a vacation: we’re either writing or thinking about writing 😉
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Crystal Collier said:
For me, spilling that anxiety into the written page is super cathartic. I’m so sorry about your pup. What a rough time.
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miladyronel said:
Thanks, Crystal.
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Anne J. said:
Sorry about losing your fur-baby. 😦
And about the noise… I’m glad I’m not your neighbor then as you wouldn’t like us and our signing and guitar playing (connected to speakers) because hubby plays Rocksmith! Lol!
Congratulations on a wonderful 2016 of reaching writing goals!
By the way, I’d love for you to respond to our invitation for our Cinderella Anthology Project 🙂 I enjoy reading your stories and it will be great to see your take on an old classic – https://ithinkisayido.wordpress.com/2017/01/04/invitation-write-your-own-cinderella-story/
All the very best for 2017!
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miladyronel said:
Thanks, Anne. I’m okay with singing – as long as it isn’t midnight on a weeknight and all the dogs in the neighbourhood are whining along 😉
Thanks for the invite – I’ll go check it out.
Happy 2017.
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Anne J. said:
Ah, I see your point. The image is there.. 🙂
I sure hope you’ll share a story with us. It will be a kick-ass Cinderella story, I know!
Thank you. Much love and hugs xxx
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Alex J. Cavanaugh (@AlexJCavanaugh) said:
Very sorry about Emmett. Pets are family.
Bet you wanted to blow up your neighbors.
Binge watch the Avengers movies first. Then get down to business.
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miladyronel said:
Thanks, Alex. Yeah, my neighbours are lucky to have made it this far into 2017.
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Patricia Lynne (@plynne_writes) said:
That was my answer too!
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Patricia Lynne (@plynne_writes) said:
About the writing rule, I mean. Just thought I should clarify.
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miladyronel said:
I know 😉
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miladyronel said:
Great minds think alike 🙂
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C.D. Gallant-King said:
So sorry about your pet, we’ve all been there. It’s both better and worse when it happens quickly. And yeah, the expectation of having to write every day hanging over your head can cause crippling anxiety sometimes.
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miladyronel said:
Thanks, C.D.
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awshannonauthor said:
I’m sorry about your dog. I can’t imagine how hard it was. As far as writing rules…I write Monday thru Friday and I take weekends off for family and friends. Although I think I’m going to pick up sat mornings for a while to get ahead. I need that down time to be refreshed.
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miladyronel said:
Thank you. Sounds like sound advice 🙂
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tara tyler said:
i’m glad you had a good 2016 but I’m sorry that it ended so sadly and I totally understand as I’ve lost fur babies before too
keep writing at your own pace and have a great 2017!
also wanted to thank you for stopping by my Cradle Rock post at Ken’s!
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miladyronel said:
Thanks, Tara.
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Stephanie Faris said:
I would be in exactly the same place if something happened to my beloved Shelby. I mean, I KNOW something will happen someday. It breaks my heart every time I lose a furry friend, but I know all we can do is make their time on Earth as wonderful as possible. They give us SO much love and companionship.
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miladyronel said:
Thanks, Stephanie.
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pjlazos said:
So sorry about your dog. I have a dog and two cats and they are part of the family. Even had stockings at Christmas.
I’m just tired of rules and writing makes me happy so the two are mutually exclusive, I guess.
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miladyronel said:
Thank you.
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Christine Rains (@CRainsWriter) said:
My sympathies about your dear pet and congratulations on a great year. Here’s hoping that 2017 will be a wonderful one for all of us. Cheers! 🙂
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miladyronel said:
Thanks, Christine.
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shivashishspeaks said:
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miladyronel said:
Thank you.
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Pingback: Writing and Blogging Plans for 2017 | Ronel the Mythmaker
Sunny Lanning said:
Love your Rotties, what beautiful faces. To apply rules to writing is stupid, really. Everyone is different. Stephen King admittedly throws away hundreds of pages, too, that he wrote just to write every day. I write when I feel something. You do you, and you’ll be alright.
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miladyronel said:
Thanks, Sunny 🙂
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