Good Advice!

Well, the thoughts and events that happened today came about after I read Jamie Todd Rubin's blog today about his math teacher's advice that helped him with his writing.  His math teacher's advice was "Do not erase."  This was to help see where he was making mistakes.  This was of course good advice.  Show your work is something I am forever telling my kids.  If I can't see what they did I don't know how to help them.  The way that Jamie linked this advcse also to his writing was very good.  He suggested keeping all of our old words even if we cut them out of a story, or if we throw the whole story out because it is terrible.

I have three 3-ring binders full of my old stories.  Most of them are just ideas.  They are little parts of stories.  Most of them are truly awful. Some are written when I was 12 or 13 years old.  Some of these stories even have little pictures or diagrams that I made to go along with the story.  They are old and bad.  But I do keep them.  I don't think I will ever use or need them.  The funny thing is that until today, I didn't realize that I write or keep things differently now that I am writing on my computer.  When I edit, I do just cut things out.  They are gone.  Not like my old copies.  I may need to think about doing this differently.  Making a second copy rather than just changing things.

So this is how I started my day.  I was thinking about my writing.  Thank you again Jamie!  Then as I moved on to other parts of my day, I continued to think about the story idea that has been forming in my mind.  It has been there near the surface for about a week.  But I didn't know where I was going to go with it, or what I wanted to do with it.  I have been just waiting and researching hoping that something would light the way for me.  And there it was.  I sat down at the computer with just a few words in my mind and a name.  I started the story.  I didn't get much written, just over 300 words.  But at least it is a start.  And more importantly, I think I have a path I want to follow with it.

This then led me to a box that was across the room.  This box holds my old journals.  For some reason this afternoon I felt the need to open that box and look through some of those old words.  I read through my thoughts during college and the year or two after.  It is strange to think about now.  But what I was writing about back then, was 'writing.'  I don't know why it has taken me over 20 years to realize that I have been moving in this direction.  I wanted it back then.  But I did nothing about it.  I just wrote for myself.

I am still doing that now.  I write for myself.  I write because I have to.  I write because if I don't my brain will explode.  But the difference is that I am finally brave enough to do something more.  I guess Jamie's advice of never to erase was a very good thing for me to hear today.  I must have needed to read those old journals.  I think it was very good for me to remember that this is something that I have wanted for a very long time.

But now, it is time for me to get back to my story!