Rambling on writing
I just read a book called “Writers [on Writing].” Now wouldn’t you think I’d love a book like that? Well, I didn’t. I couldn’t relate to most of it because a lot of it had to do with fiction and I can’t do fiction, either in reading or in writing.
My own writing is very reality based, practical, unsentimental. It’s mostly founded in the urge I have to tell people about some experience I’ve had within the context of, Here’s something I did/discovered, and here’s what you can learn from this.
One of my favorite articles was one I wrote a long time ago called, “How to be Good Houseguest.” It was totally based on my own experiences as both a guest and as a host. In fact, I turned that into two more articles and sold one of them to Woman’s Day. (But alas, they never published it.)
And after going on many group trips with my friends, I could write a great piece on how to plan/carry off a group vacation. In fact, I tried to sell the idea to Island mag a while back, but no go. It’s now on my list to pursue with Budget Travel.
In my job, I write a lot about health issues – especially weight loss. And I’m always coming across stories that think deserve a wider audience. Like for instance, last spring I interviewed a woman who was about to go in for a stomach staple and at the last minute, decided to try one more time to lose weight on her own – and she did it! She lost 80 pounds and she went from looking like Two-Ton Tillie to Katie Couric. Plus, she inspired her two kids to lose weight, and her 17-year old son ended up getting on the wrestling team as a result.
Well, I think her story would make a great article in a women’s pub — not as a weight loss testimonial, but about what it was like for her to be overweight. She told that story beautifully – about how her little kids couldn’t even hug her b/c she was so big around, etc. etc.
I’ve got that on my giant Things to Do list, too, but I'll probably never get around to it. Although after writing about it just now, I’m sitting here thinking, “Wait a minute, why DON”T I pursue that!??”
It all gets down to time, I guess. If I weren’t so busy writing for other people, I’d have time to go after the things I WANT to write about! But then, nobody pays you for doing that, either. It' s my constant dilemma.
My own writing is very reality based, practical, unsentimental. It’s mostly founded in the urge I have to tell people about some experience I’ve had within the context of, Here’s something I did/discovered, and here’s what you can learn from this.
One of my favorite articles was one I wrote a long time ago called, “How to be Good Houseguest.” It was totally based on my own experiences as both a guest and as a host. In fact, I turned that into two more articles and sold one of them to Woman’s Day. (But alas, they never published it.)
And after going on many group trips with my friends, I could write a great piece on how to plan/carry off a group vacation. In fact, I tried to sell the idea to Island mag a while back, but no go. It’s now on my list to pursue with Budget Travel.
In my job, I write a lot about health issues – especially weight loss. And I’m always coming across stories that think deserve a wider audience. Like for instance, last spring I interviewed a woman who was about to go in for a stomach staple and at the last minute, decided to try one more time to lose weight on her own – and she did it! She lost 80 pounds and she went from looking like Two-Ton Tillie to Katie Couric. Plus, she inspired her two kids to lose weight, and her 17-year old son ended up getting on the wrestling team as a result.
Well, I think her story would make a great article in a women’s pub — not as a weight loss testimonial, but about what it was like for her to be overweight. She told that story beautifully – about how her little kids couldn’t even hug her b/c she was so big around, etc. etc.
I’ve got that on my giant Things to Do list, too, but I'll probably never get around to it. Although after writing about it just now, I’m sitting here thinking, “Wait a minute, why DON”T I pursue that!??”
It all gets down to time, I guess. If I weren’t so busy writing for other people, I’d have time to go after the things I WANT to write about! But then, nobody pays you for doing that, either. It' s my constant dilemma.
posted by Keash at 1:02 PM
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