Posts Tagged ‘Laughing’
Defy The Dipthong…Discover Your Voice
I’ve been writing for many years now – I try to not to remember exactly how many, as it reminds me of my age. I’ve written a 50,000 book and two other shorter books, and countless blog posts. and one thing I’ve learned, amongst many, is all writers have their own unique style. For example, you can use lots of words in big paragraphs, almost ongoing forever and ever, or you can
use
one
word
paragraphs.
And you can begin sentences with the word ‘and’ (I have a friend who does this a lot..).
None of these habits, or ‘quirks’ are in the rulebook of writing. I’m not sure I know many writers who sit down to write have a big book called ‘The Rules & Laws of Writing’ which they constantly check to ensure their writing fits the model.
Which is because there should never be lots of legalistic rules when it comes to writing. Every writer should be free to express themselves in their own language, their own style, their own unique way.
Including you.
Read MoreWhy It’s The Screw Ups Who Change The World
For the longest time I’ve thought to do what I do as a writer, I had to have it all together. Or at the very least, give the impression of having it all together. ‘The only way people will respect me and follow my writing is if I at least appear to have my life sorted’, goes the argument.
I’m sure I’m not alone in this. Many of us are told from a young age that the people who ‘make it’, the people we should aspire to be, are the ones who have it all together.
You know who I mean. The ones who manage their life well, earn lots of money, can (and occasionally do) boast about their achievements, who manage their time, energy and money perfectly. The people who have so many strategies for every single area of life they have them coming out of their earholes.
We all know this type of person.
And we’ve all be seduced by this story – whatever path we choose to follow. I was for a long time. I looked at other writers and thought ‘If only I had my life together like them’ or ‘If only I had their character or integrity’.
But it’s a lie.
Read MoreLife Can Kill Us…But Sometimes We Must Laugh
Last year I was on holiday in Malta with two friends. We were on the bus home from one of our days out. It was an open top bus, and lovely weather, so we sat on top at the front.
Now, two days before, I’d got out the bus on another trip, and tripped over the curb, landing flat on my face. So we were, in light of this, having a chat about my clumsiness.
I was trying to argue this event was a one off, and I wasn’t clumsy. My friends insisted I was. It was all in jest of course, but nevertheless I was adamant I wasn’t clumsy. I was moving to the edge of my chair, making my point strongly and articulately. I was right in the middle of making my argument, when the bus ran over a huge bump in the road.
I fell forward, straight onto the floor of the bus, head into the lap of my friend.
And we all started laughing. Me possibly hardest of all.
Because if you can’t laugh, then you’ll never be able to deal with life. If you take life seriously all the time, you’ll be crushed.
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