A Week in the Writing Life, 28 October 2023
A short one this week because I started it at the last minute lol.
Finally, it’s starting to feel and look like a proper fall season around here. And I was thinking I’d have to go through another weekend in the 70’s. Definitely not.
Anyway, this edition of the newsletter is going to be short because A., I had parent-teacher conferences three nights in a row this week, B., I was working on another book review to be featured here on this site (and others), and C., I realized around Friday night or so I hadn’t even started working on it until then. So, you’ll get what you get this weekend.
What I’ve Been Writing
Last week, I mentioned I was working on a couple of book reviews. The first one of these I am planning on releasing Sunday. The book review will be about Iowa author Tyler Granger and his debut book, Iowa Trouble. I’ve just gotten to know Tyler recently as we’ve run into each other at multiple book fair events around Iowa, and his debut intrigued me as I got to know more about it. I’m looking forward to sharing it with you, as well. Since book reviews are pretty common on the Internet, I’ll make that review available to everyone.
In case you are curious, my Goodreads profile page is here. Go ahead and visit it whenever you can.
Not too much progress on The Yank Striker 2 this week for all the aforementioned reasons, but I am hoping to get some more progress on it this weekend. I’ve also been doing some additional planning and sketching out for that project and the pro wrestling thing I’ve been toying around with. I’m considering doing some short stories connected to (and perhaps becoming part of) the larger series, and quite a few of those might be free posts as well. I’d like everyone to see what’s coming up and what they might want to try to read when it comes out.
The Birth of a Wrestling Story
Fiction is the lie that helps us understand the truth. - Tim O’Brien I’m not really an expert on other people’s creative processes. Having been in different writing groups for more than a decade, I’ve heard everything from those who proudly call themselves “pantsers” (as in seat-of-the-pants) and those who meticulously pl…
What I’ve Been Doing Having to do With Writing
I’ve been considering getting a new logo/profile pic for the site. I’ve settled on a couple of pics I ran through some art processing apps that don’t suck. I was considering putting up a poll to see what you guys thought, but I’m leaning toward showing them to my daughter Maddie and see what she says. She’s usually got good judgement on those things and might be brighter than me when it comes down to it.
Writing Advice for the Week
This week, it’s time to talk about the last of George Orwell’s six rules of writing, which have been a fun activity for me over the past month or so.
Orwell is a literary hero of mine, who laid down this set of rules in an essay called “Politics and the English Language.” The entire essay is worth a read.
So, number six and the last on the list is:
Break any of these rules sooner than say anything barbarous.
A few months ago, I decided rather than trying to come up with my own bits of advice (which can be hard to do on a regular basis), I decided to take a look at other bits of writing advice on the Internet and elsewhere and comment on whether they made sense or not, which was an easier lift for me. The point I’ve been trying to make with these commentaries is other than some basic ideas like capitalizing the start of sentences and adding punctuation at the end of them, most writing “rules” should be considered guidelines, things considered but not always followed under every circumstance.
I’d long thought Orwell was of a similar mind as me, and this “rule,” in my opinion, proves it. This is his way of saying do what works and what is right in a given writing situation, and not be bound to do something because a style guide insists you do it in every circumstance. Consider the situation, consider the reader, and then make the best choice for the given moment.
Writing Quote(s) of the Week
It is nice to be creative without someone looking over my shoulder.
A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul, and that, I am sure, is why he does it.
Roald Dahl
Not sure how having a Lego collection when I was a kid fits into this, but all right:
A writer - and, I believe, generally all persons - must think that whatever happens to him or her is a resource. All things have been given to us for a purpose, and an artist must feel this more intensely. All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassments, all is given to us as raw material, as clay, so that we may shape our art.
Jorge Luis Borges, Twenty-Four Conversations with Borges: Interviews by Roberto Alifano 1981-1983
Where I’ll Be and Where You Can Find my Books
Currently, I have one book event on my calendar. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, I will be at the Elwell Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds as part of the 8th Annual Indie Author Book Expo. If something else comes up, I’ll let you know.
I’ve got links to my books in paperback and ebook format in the sidebar here, but you can get them in person at these fine Iowa bookstores:
Beaverdale Books, 2629 Beaver Ave # S1, Des Moines
Pella Books, 824 Franklin St, Pella
The Book Vault, 105 S Market St, Oskaloosa.
All three are great independent bookstores who deserve your support.
Final Thoughts
Hope everyone has a great weekend, and keep an eye out for the book review I talked about up top. Take care, everyone.