If you read the comments on this site, you know that DailyWritingTips.com is a collaborative enterprise: I post, and visitors correct me.
But, seriously, visitors’ comments are a valuable part of the experience, and you are encouraged to weigh in with your experiences, opinions, and insights.
My posts are based on my experience as a professional writer and editor and my research into grammar, usage, style, and other editorial issues. I also have an extensive background, and I’ve edited for several prominent publishers and other organizations, but such distinctions are not necessarily ironclad proofs of skill, and they don’t mean that I’m always right (or that I’ve explained something well).
That is why we welcome visitors’ comments, and much of the information they provide is well written and well reasoned, and contributes significantly to a collaborative effort to enrich site visitors’ knowledge about writing.
I respond as time permits, though I also welcome it when visitors respond to each others’ comments. In addition, several of my posts have resulted from visitors’ suggestions or questions. (I reply also to visitors who send notes directly to [email protected], but I prefer that they share their thoughts with others in the comments section.)
DailyWritingTips.com is a great online resource for people who care about written language to congregate and learn from each other. The most prolific commenters — folks like ApK, Cecily, Deborah H, JK Brennan, Kathryn, Peter, Precise Edit, Rebecca, Roberta B., Sharon, Shirley, Stephen Thorn, and thebluebird11 — as well as others, enable us all to develop our skills. Please add your name to the roster by sharing your thoughts with the rest of the DailyWritingTips.com community.
(Note that email subscribers, in order to visit the site and leave their comments, must click on the title of the post they receive via email.)
Holy Mackerel, I got mentioned in a DWT article!
This is going in my press book.
I find myself truly inspired by this article. Way to go, Daily Writing Tips!
Well I must say that today’s post was really inspirational for me. I have been wanting to write my thesis for the past two years, but have not seriously sat down to do it. I guess I keep waiting too long now for the right time. I am committing to commence some serious writing for at least two hours today.
I concur that writing is not easy, apart from the points you mentioned, I think it also takes discipline to write consistently. Let’s face it sometimes you don’t want to write but in the face of deadlines and schedules, we must muster the discipline and WRITE. Discipline is a prerequisite for writing consistently.
Having taught theatre arts and English for 150 years (It seemed that long, okay?), I can relate to the article regarding finding time to write. Teaching English to students who were not interested, bugged the hell out of me, but grading their papers caused me to love the dawn’s early light; that’s when I finished and went to work. (Okay, another exaggeration, but I did spend long hours grading.)
When I was the director of theatre and taught acting, I was in heaven, I thought. I didn’t have to teach; I played with the kids every day and called it teaching. But, I also directed plays and musicals. My day started at 7 a.m. and ended somewhere around 10 p.m., and weekends meant extra rehearsals. Yeah, we did some extraordinary productions–Shakespeare, “My Fair Lady,” “West Side Story,” among lots of others–but that was all I thought I could do because at the end of the day I was exhausted. Couldn’t concentrate on writing. Brushing my teeth put me in a coma. (Oy! The hyperbole.)
Retired now for 13 years, I write every day, as long as I want, and have completed and published two novels. I have a website where I blog, and rave and share stuff with anyone who drops by. Perhaps I died 13 years ago and went to a heaven that is a keyboard and a computer screen.
My point, I guess, is, jobs seem to flat out keep us from writing. Catching two hours a week is brilliant, but I slept those two hours when I taught. Is that an excuse for not writing? Absolutely not. It is a reason, but not an excuse. Even with my schedule driving me every day, I could have found two hours a week.
When I was in college, I studied all through the day, mostly between classes. Even if I had only ten minutes between classes, I studied. Rarely did I have to maul the books at night unless I had a big examination looming.
So, while teaching, there was time. I just didn’t use it like I had at university.
I write now because I have to, not because I want to. I am compelled to write each day, and if I don’t, I find I can’t sleep. Whether I blog, write an e-mail, lash out at some opinion I find egregious or work on a novel, I write. Putting words together is what I do, and I’m grateful that I have abundant time to do it. I always had time. I just didn’t do it.
And, that’s my tip, for what it’s worth: Do it. Whatever you have to do, do it. Oh yes, you do have the time. I think it was Upton Sinclair who said the secret to writing is “placing the seat of the pants on the seat of the chair.” My fanny is flat because I agree with him. Do it!
Hi Mark, I enjoy reading your tips, and I make a point of it almost every day–at least I scan the email to see what it’s about. The main reason I don’t comment (I think I did once or twice) is just lack of time or I see your point, good stuff, no questions, nothing controversial etc. I’m not one to go around correcting folks, either–I could be busy 24/7 if I wanted to do that 😉
I think a lot more people would comment here if that effort also allowed them to showcase their blog or latest blog post, if they have one (or am I missing something? I guess I’ll see when I post this :). While I’m not personally fond of the practice of bloggers rushing to be seen, get the first comment in, say “Great post” and run, it is a motivating factor for many who do want to participate in a more meaningful way. I’ve thought that there must be a reason for not providing that here.
I’ve also noticed that blog comments go way down in July and August–holiday/vacation time.
One of my creative writing teachers said she found it helpful to get up an hour early, go immediately to the computer and write whatever came to mind in a half-awake stupor. It often resulted in a wonderful subconscious inspiration, which then gave her momentum to continue.
This is such an important topic for writers! When I was a journalist, a deadline and the immediate financial reward kept me in line. However, when trying to write a novel that no one was waiting for, I soon found out that establishing a routine was the only way to go. The thing that worked for me was waking early and writing with that first cup of coffee, and the spontaneity that was still lurking around from my recent brush with the unconscious.
Even if you can only afford a half hour in the morning, if you do it every morning, it’s really surprising how quickly your project builds momentum, and your confidence grows.
What is the correct way to hyphenate “bottom right hand corner.”
I ask because I commented in a previous post but, unfortunately, nobody answered.
Esteban:
It’s the right-hand corner at the bottom, so “the bottom right-hand corner.”
(It’s not the corner at the bottom right hand, so you wouldn’t hyphenate after “bottom.)
Mark
The recent post by Ali Hale is truly inspiring especially for aspiring writers like me. I enjoy reading the posts here in DailyWritingTips and look forward to more learning and sharing. Thanks, Mark!
I visit almost daily as well and appreciate your openness to input in the comments. I regularly share your material too, Mark. I really appreciate your consistently interesting and informative stuff!
OK, I was last, but not least LOL. I subscribe to the daily DWT postings, and it’s the ONLY thing I subscribe to. I also recommend DWT immediately when I encounter someone who seems to have that spark of actually caring about language (and all that it encompasses). I save some of the emails if the topics are of particular interest to me, especially if the topic covers something with which I have trouble (like parsing sentences!). As you know, I’m very disappointed that we are no longer able to be notified when comments are posted to a particular topic of interest (I know you explained the reason to me, but I’m not happy about it). I look forward to the daily DWT posts, and I can’t imagine how I never got this one from 8/10. I’m glad I came snooping to check the archives 🙂
The “frequent flyers” you mentioned provide cogent and sometimes funny responses at this website, and when I don’t see folks like ApK, Precise Edit or Kathryn, I miss them!
Hey, maybe we need DWT T-shirts, mugs, mouse pads, key chains….LOL
‘Jobs seem to flat out keep us from writing.’ Point made, Fuller. Precisely what’s been happening with me all these years. I’ve had at least half a dozen false starts. The thing is writing comes. You can’t force it out of you. I’ve noticed that ideas are best expressed when I really am in a mood to write.
Are there any grammar or writers’ groups that actually meet together for mutual encouragement?
This is very good site for copywriters and bloggers. I love to read it, i am new here. I have few question in my mind PLZ answer.
1) Is it save to use Youtube videos on my blog, are youtube videos come under public domain?
2) Are images from images.google.com with no watermark come under public domain?
3) If not then how I get videos and images under public domain that are free for use ?
PLZ reply.
2IT Pakistan
Nothing you find on the web is 100% free of copyrights.
There are even media trolls, companies who litigate infringements of copyrights from media being posted on the internet.
Therefore, the safest way is to write for every specific image or video to their respective owners as deep as you can get (admins of the respective sites are a surer shot that it can appear).
You should familiarize yourself with Copyrights Act in your own country and in countries where you are to do business. But in any case, seek professional assistance from an intellectual property attorney or a legal council.
===
Sorry Mark, for irrelevant post. Could you move the question and the answer to a separate thread?
No, Laraine, but there are some who meet apart.