Blogging Insights – NF # 64 : Writing Advice
“The only truly universal writing advice is ‘If it works, it works.’ ”
– Audrey Driscol
Or, to put it another way, “It is what it is if it works. It probably isn’t if it doesn’t.”
This comment is the other shoe to go with Bill Belichick’s statement: “It is what it is.” Who can argue with that? I do not know if this is the left or right shoe, but it’s definitely one of a pair.
I’m with Fandango. If it doesn’t work? Unplug it. Count slowly to 20 or slightly faster to 30 and plug it back in. If that doesn’t work, leave the plug out overnight. If that doesn’t work, call someone. Right now, our printer is unplugged. It doesn’t like being left idle for days at a time, so finally, I gave up and unplugged it. When I need it, I’ll plug it in again. (I hate printers.)
As far as writing goes, if you write and are happy with it, count it as a win. If not, try, try again. If that doesn’t work, maybe writing a book isn’t what you were cut out to do. Not everyone who can write was born to be a novelist. Some of us were born to be journalists, editors, tech writers, advertisers or PR people. Or bloggers.
Anyway, writing books isn’t the road to a richly rewarding future these days. The industry is not what it was. Whether or not it will ever be like it was depends on whether or not we manage to teach our kids to read. Pay teachers enough to give them the incentive to help our youngsters discover books.
Not only is the publishing business a hot mess, but education is an even hotter mess. Half the kids graduating high school can’t read and have no concept of grammar, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary … OR … (drumroll, please) comprehension. Of course they don’t read. They’ve never met a book they loved and unless they get the “reading bug” at home, they will never find one.
This “message” is inarguably accurate. I’m not sure if it makes any special sense for writers since it could apply to anything. On a more positive note, it’s a great line. You can say it for so many different reasons and you will always be right. Few things can make that promise.
SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
I’m really glad that my husband and I have been able to pass our parents’ love of books on to our children.
I hope future generations can continue the legacy.
As for the quote, I agree that it is a great line that can be applied to anything.
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I had to work on it. I made Owen write book reports — one per week — when he was a kid and he grew up loving the Hardy Boy and other youthful tales of mysteries and strange things. I was less successful with my granddaughter, but I didn’t have the authority to push her into reading and she had a mother who never read a book. At least I know she knows how to read because that I taught her so maybe someday, the bug will bite her.
It’s hard to teach kids to love books now. There’s so much distraction and so little instruction.
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Haha! Love your take Marilyn.
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Thanks. I think it’s realistic. That whole generation of kids my son’s age who now have grown children were not taught literature in school. We were. We had books to read and book reports to write and I came from a book-loving home. Too many came from homes where no one read books. Someone needs to be an “agent” for reading. If neither parent is interested, it’s hard to make their kids care.
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Absolutely right. We all read so our kids and grandchildren read. But not everyone is into reading and literature.
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