I've loved writing since I was eleven years old. There's no accounting for it really. It just gave me something to do. Now, despite that, and high English grades in middle- and high-school, I still don't know the basics. Periods? I can handle that. Commas? Sure, why not. I can even rock a semi-colon or two.
So how, how did I miss the lecture on Point of View? Or, I don't know, dialogue tags? I'm sure I wasn't sleeping during that class (granted, I was actually probably trying to finish the daily crossword puzzle before my English teacher because, hey, that's what we did. Everyone else reads for thirty minutes. We did crossword challenges.)
Now, fortunately for me once these little issues are brought to my attention, it becomes a quick fix to ensure that they aren't repeated. But still, don't I feel like a ding-dong? It's intimidating, to say the least, to look over my writing and then consider how many conferences and classes various acquaintances have taken, helping them master these little issues throughout the years. Then there's me. I can put words in a sentence! Look! I made you a macaroni picture of my dog! Put it up on the fridge! Love it!
Okay, I have a measure of incompetence in this, I'll admit that. Did I pay attention to verbs and nouns and pronouns? Pft, no, I bullshitted my way through that. Let me tell you, if it's not a person, a place, or a thing, I'll never be able to figure it out. So yes, perhaps the technical aspects of writing continue to elude me (dialogue tags. Dialogue tags.) But with all things, such as mentally reminding yourself that 'because' is Baby-Eats-Candy-Apples-Until-She-Explodes and 'it's = it is', it becomes a matter of memorization and application. I think. I hope.
It's always a little depressing to realize that you've been creating what is, arguably, a simple mistake for so long.
But there is always a silver lining to any story, a redemption for our protagonist, who needs it at this point, let me tell you.
You see, while I take part in writing forums and communities and read blog posts and try to take away as much as I can from them, there is one things about myself that I can't get over. I don't get stuck. Or at least, I haven't so far. Every once in a while there will be a comment. Help, I am at this point and it could go like this or this and I don't know what to do. Or I hate my story, I want to stop, what do I do?
I love my story. I know which way to go. I've got a map that's revealing itself to me as I go. Maybe I don't know what step I'll take in two weeks, but the minute I get there, I'll know what I need to do. It's not meant to be a gloat (although I am proud of what I have created and how intricate it is in my mind.) It's just pure, damn luck that, while not necessarily technically-wise, at least I've got a bit of a creative leg up (maybe? Who knows. I don't. Whatever, man. I don't even...)
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