Have more fun.
Now we can discuss the question. It's:
How can I make my writing better?
How can I move ahead when I'm stuck?
How can I decide what to revise first?
How can I come up with a great idea?
How can I take over the world????
HAVE MORE FUN.
If you're having fun, you will write. If you're having fun, people will want to read what you write. If you're having fun, the world will take notice.
The only trick is being honest about what is fun for you. Do you love the sneaky, submerged detail that suddenly surfaces and scares you witless because OMG, he's NOT what he says he is? Do you adore the slow, swoony waltz of a emerging romance? Do you revel in rhythmic jousts of clever word play? Do you thrill to the discovery of the elusive fact? Do you devour lines of poetry like warm bread with strawberry jam?
Do it. Dare to follow the fun today.
Even being MAD can be fun, if you discover how great you are at it.
Every time I see this title face out in a bookstore, I want to stomp my feet for the glee-filled fun of it. I love everything about Mouse was Mad, from the fat, red furious letters and pinkly angry ears of the mouse on the front to the slow-building fury of the perfect prose inside. Just don't tell Mouse I think he's cute when he's mad.
Here, here.
ReplyDelete"These things are fun, and fun is good."
Yes to Mouse was Mad!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes yes yes to fun while writing.
I've been re-reading Jane Yolen's Take Joy. Have you read it? It is such a good reminder that we have a choice in the matter...
Love Debbie's comment - she beat me to the Seussian punch. And I adore that angry rodent - and his author.
ReplyDeleteOff to HAVE MORE FUN,
Kelly
Oh. Oh oh oh.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for both the reminder about FUN which I need need needed so much today (what with the tissues strewn about by sneezing children and the n key flaking out o my laptop and me just today deciding that one third of my ovel . . .er, novel . . must go).
And thank you just as much for randomly choosing Mouse to shout about. I'm so glad you love that guy as much as I do.
xo
Perfect advice! It's so easy to fall into the "take yourself too seriously" mode.
ReplyDeleteBig YES to the mouse book!! :)
Mouse Was Mad is one of my favorite new picture books this year. It's just so darned much fun to read.
ReplyDelete"Have more fun" is a good way to deal with life in general. It's the rule I use to run the children's department at the library, and I think it's one of the reasons people like hanging around here so much.