Thinking in managable units
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I woke up this morning with several ideas that I wanted to get down on paper. All but one escaped before my coffee was made. But the one that stuck with me, and whose entry into my thoughts I owe to Suzanne's gentle sheparding, is the concept of thinking in bite size pieces. It makes so much sense, and we all are familiiar with the it's simple wisdom. It, in fact, pops up in all spiritual teachings, from Budhism to Episcapalianism to AA. I pride myself on truly trying to live one day at a time, and staying in the now, and on not being tricked by life into becoming scattered and thus paralyzed.
The epiphany here, for me, is that I had never thought of applying this simple first principle to my writing. I am excited that for the first time in my life I am thinking, this morning, about how to write the next good sentence, rather than the next six volume study of the universe, as I have always, so unsuccessfully, thought of doing in the past.
Does this make sense to anyone? Or is it so basic that I am simply a dunce, for just now, in my dotage, stumbling into a vague understanding of it?
About Ron
I am an ordinary, air-breathing, mortal person, born not five miles from where I now sit --NewHarmony, Indiana--
But, I find myself living among the rich, carpetbagging, Phony-Baloney elitists that have overwhelmed us here in New Harmony, Indiana....
Connections
Ron’s Favorite Books
To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, The Complete Short Stories of Somerset Maughm in two Volumes, Something of Value by...
Managable Dux
I am grateful to Suzanne's prodding on this, and to Red Room's provision of a "place" in which to think freely among other thinkers, rather than in a secret closet, as life often requires of us to survive.
Hi Ron, I can completely
Hi Ron,
I can completely relate to this. It's wonderful to have "A-ha" moments, as you have; and what's really great is that through writing, we continue to find those moments of self-discovery and it seems to be a way to also stay in touch with our "beginners mind"--to always challenge ourselves to view the world with fresh eyes. I'm happy to hear that you feel excited and the task is more manageable, bite by bite. The excitement really comes through.
A-ha!
It does have me excited and I think the break through is as much spiritual as literary. But then again, it could all be caffeine.
biting and chewing are two separate actions
Of course you need to bite before you chew. And this is the best part. I break everything down into smaller manageable parts and take it a day at a time. That's all I'm capable of chewing. My writer's mouth always waters at all the delicacies floating around waiting to be written. There just isn't enough paper or pens of hands to write it all down before it escapes into the aether. I'm left with mere morsels...
The dietary habits of insects
Thank you Quenntis, I was once told, by a good friend, that a piss ant could eat a bale of hay if he did it one bite at a time.
Ron-I agree with you too.
Ron-I agree with you too. The one true sentence, isn't that what Hemingway was always in search of. Too often we dive in, at least I do and all that comes out is one big garbled mess. Good luck.
A big garbled mess
A light bulb seems to have gone on for me. I see now, that all of my life I have sacrificed the possibility of writing good simple sentences, by being too fixated on my inability to produce dazzlingly beautiful volumes.
I believe I see the path to become a better writer. On the other hand, it could be that I am simply suffering the effects of too much strong black coffee.
And I will add that I consider any writing tips, no matter how basic, to be a kindness and not an assault. Try me on that. I am here to learn. I never finished high school and barely paid attention during the period that I actually did even attend. Right now is the first time in my life I have had the leisure to learn. I honestly seek any corrections.
Pummel me, I'll like it! I promise!
Ron, I would never guess
Ron, I would never guess from your writing that you didn't finish high school.
Coincidentally, just yesterday I was reading an article in the Financial Times about successful companies and executives. And the reporter wrote that one of the things successful companies and people do better than their peers is gradual, consistent change and improvements. Bite sizes, not tectonic shifts.
When I was in business school, we were taught always to delegate in manageable bites, otherwise people become overwhelmed. I do think that is the way to get things done, even if it is just at the mundane level of cleaning a closet. One can't and shouldn't ignore the larger picture. But when it comes down to getting it done, one has to find the divisible parts and systematically go after them.
cleaning a closet
One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received, that has never failed to help me when I have needed help, and that came at a very low point in my life, was that I start the day by tidying up my shaving area immediately after my morning shave. It creates both order and a feeling that I control at least that little piece of the turf. Always works for me, if I remember to do it.
Yes, and it's funny how a
Yes, and it's funny how a slight shift in thinking can really change a perspective. Success begets success, and even if one has to define it at an initially minuscule level, just to kickstart oneself, with practice and consistency, amazing and big things can happen.
A journey of a thousand miles. . .and all that jazz.