Join the Two Writing Teachers blog for the Slice of Life Challenge.
My husband and I are very different readers. He stays up late and reads mystery novels. I, on the other hand, go to bed early with middle grade realistic fiction. He reads news on his tablet while I read blogs. He reads The New Yorker, and I read Oprah magazine.
But yesterday, he handed me The American Scholar. (He’s the Phi Beta Kappa.) The Editor’s Note was about the writings of Brian Doyle. One essay mentioned was “Joyas Voladoras.” I was able to say, “I’ve read that!” It’s the first essay that Katherine Bomer analyzes in her book, “The Journey is Everything.”
Then Jeff said, “Have your read ‘Leap’? You have to read it.” He handed me his tablet. I finished with tears in my eyes.
Then I read “How Did You Become a Writer.” This is just what I needed to read. For all of you in this Slice of Life Challenge, we are on day 20. The writing is getting harder. We are feeling like everything we put on the page is garbage. So this is for you and for me, Top Ten Things a Writer Must Do as taken from Brian Doyle’s essay.
- Be honest with yourself.
- Expect no money for your writing.
- Listen.
- Energize your verb choice.
- When in doubt, cut it out.
- Make writing a regular part of your day.
- Delete mere catharsis.
- Find the right title.
- Be a witness to the world.
- Submit.
Reflections on the Teche 