Today was another proofreading and editing day on my second story which is now my favourite one. It is unfinished as there are several more parts to it that seem to be floating around in my head. It is almost good enough as it is but as I read it (tell it) out loud I wonder if a listener would fully understand what I’m trying to say. With a restricted word count to adhere to I have to be choosy and cut my story to the bare minimum to get my point across. I’ve discovered that I’ve fallen into the habit of over doing the descriptive flourishes as up until recently my storytelling has been mainly for very young children. They responded so well to my over the top style and would beg me to tell stories, my way, over and over again. However, I know the literary critics reading my stuff once I’ve submitted it to the literary contest won’t be so loving. Most likely they are smug intellectuals who get their jollies from reading out loud to each other all the poorly written drivel that passes their way. All this effort to tweak a story is beginning to wear me down but I haven’t thrown in the towel yet. It has given me enough time to procrastinate about starting my third piece.
# 5
Filed under humour, retirement, storytelling, teaching, writing
An Embarrassment of Freedom 
It seems that “they” like succinctness, don’t they? Oh well, you can be wordy in your blog stuff, and more to the point in your contest stuff.
🙂
They want a short piece of mind blowing writing.
been off-line for days…very funny – the cross-outs…you’re trying to write for “them”…always WAY tougher than writing for yourself…which is what ALL good writing is. i suggest you just “damn the torpedoes” and write something as descriptively muscular, and true to yourself, as u can and they can like it or leave it…am i outta line here? continue…
Feeling increasingly more confident with my budding style and learning from my coach about how to deliever it…between your inspiration to be brave and lay it on the line and her criticism I’m getting my writing in shape…