And another Thursday is upon us. I hope my friends in the Midwest and East have recovered from yet another snowstorm. Hopefully February will bring you some relief.
Meanwhile here in balmy Olympia, all is well. I continue to make progress on the novel….I’m 80,000 words into it and still don’t have a working title. LOL No hurry I guess. When I finally finish this novel then I am going to turn my attention to several ebooks that have been in the planning stage for quite some time. By year’s end I hope to have three of those done and published. So it is a busy time here and I’m sure it is for you as well. That’s what we writers do you know….we write!
Today I think we’ll talk about originality, but first a quote.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The world in general doesn’t know what to make of originality; it is startled out of its comfortable habits of thought, and its first reaction is one of anger.”
W. Somerset Maugham
I love that quote but I certainly hope you don’t face anger from the public for your originality.
A truly original thought in writing is rare. The major themes have been done to death, have they not? Truly good writers, however, can take a theme that has been beaten into a bloody pulp, and give it a new twist….a new approach….a touch of originality in how that theme is handled….and suddenly success arrives.
As you contemplate your next article, or your next story, or your next book, look for that new twist…that new approach. I think your readers will be quite pleased that you did.
PROMPT OF THE DAY
Come on….you know you want to write about this. J
WRITING EXERCISE OF THE DAY
Give this one a try and see if it doesn’t get the juices flowing. The Super Bowl is coming in a little over one week from now. Write 200 words related to the Super Bowl. You don’t need to be a football fan to do this; in fact, not being a fan might be an advantage with regards to originality.
TIP OF THE DAY
Take a break. I’m going to go eat lunch and then I’m going to go for a walk. I need it. I’ve been cooped up in this studio for almost three years now and the walls are starting to squeeze me. It’s time for some fresh air and a new perspective.
AND MORE NEXT WEEK
I hope this weekend is restful for you. Spend some down time from writing and think about where you are headed. Are you meeting your goals? If not, what’s holding you back? Are you satisfied with your writing? What can you do differently to jump start your writing career?
Have a great weekend and thank you for stopping by.
Bill
“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 
Love the Super Bowl exercise! Good tips, as always. Just shared on Twitter. See you back on HP!
Heidi, good to see you. Thanks for the visit and GO SEAHAWKS!
I certainly hope my writing is original. The competition is so fierce out there, the only way to make it is to put your personal brand on the written word.
Love the cow. Who does her hair? 🙂
LOL..Sha, I didn’t ask her. It is fierce out there my friend, and there are no guarantees….tough gig, yes?
I love how far along you are in your book writing, but the best advice was to take a break sometimes, too. I seriously couldn’t agree more! Happy Thursday again Bill 🙂
Thank you Janine. Sometimes I think the book is taking too long, but I know it is a process that will take as long as it takes. 🙂
I try my darndest to be original–Sometimes it seems we are taking from others, but with so much info in this world, it is hard to not say similar things.
Great post my friend–have a great day and a fun walk.
New topics are hard to find, Greg, but our approach to those topics can be original…I think that’s the key. Thanks for the visit and have a great afternoon.
Bessie’s story is calling my name!
Well Mari,you better answer the call then. 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to comment.
I’ve had the flu for the past few days, so I am actually behind on what I wanted to get done this week. No point in beating myself up for not getting as much done as I would have liked, right?
Let me know when you finish your novel. I would love to be one of your beta readers.
Donna, I hope you are feeling better and no, there is no point in beating yourself up. Get better and then attack full force. 🙂
So funny, when I am singing a lot, like I am right now, the writing suffers, but when things aren’t moving so much or so well in my singing world, I write quite a bit–I used to think I could pay real attention to both, but I find that both are pretty consuming activities–and one is an outward activity and the other internal–and now, I think I will stretch, take the dog for a walk and practice before I start my teaching day–Happy Thursday Bill!
Great comment Audrey and thank you for it. I cannot divide my attentions; when I am writing I am writing…nothing else at all. I have a very compartmentalized mind that can only handle one thing at a time when writing…funny, though, when I was teaching I could handle ten things at once. Maybe I’m just getting old. 🙂
wow…80K words.
I am a slow poke and need some motivation!
I agree on changing your pattern of writing now and then…it is good for the readers and the writer 🙂
with regards to my writing…i think I do take ideas but try to build upon it by researching on it.
I too gotta walk more often… 🙂 thanks for the reminder, Bill
Ruchira, changing our patterns of writing makes us better writers as well, and that is a worthy goal. I hope you were able to take that walk…thank you.
I could write at least 200 words about Super Bowl! Oh my….I’m still in it to win it with my fantasy team:)) I’ll be happy for you if Seattle wins!
Thanks for the motivation, as always, Bill!
Kelly, there is no doubt in my mind that you can do 200 words on the big game…heck, Richard Sherman gave you all the fodder you need. LOL Thanks, Kelly!
It is a challenge to write creative introductions, but it does draw a reader’s attention. I find your challenge on the Superbowl a good one. From a woman’s point of view, there could be lots of angles to cover.
It is a challenge, Dianna, but I believe writing should be a challenge. I would love to see what you write about the Super Bowl. Thanks for stopping by on a Saturday.
Hey Bill, I’m sorry you keep getting those annoying e-mails from GHB… that’s so weird. Hmmm… maybe try unsubscribing and then subscribe again? I think you might have subscribed on two separate platforms – I was playing around with some things a few months ago, so that’s my bad! Otherwise, just delete the others that come in? I hardly ever post two GHB posts two days in a row…so if you see that, it’s a duplication 😉 Hope you’re having a great weekend! I’ll be honest, a few months ago I didn’t really believe the “be original” tips. But, now I do. I REALLY, really do. I feel like my health blog is finally turning the direction I visualised when I first started. Still, it will take some time to get it exactly right and get more people visiting, but I get it now. Good things take time. I’m redoing my professional website again as well. Taking out the art stuff and just focusing on copywriting and content writing, because honestly, the art is just a hobby. I can’t wait until you’ve finished your novel and have it published. And also looking forward to your eBooks. I’ve got a few ideas for ones I want to do as well, but all in due time. What a waffle! Ending this story off now, have a great day!
Hey Mel, no worries. It’s not annoying….just curious. Another mystery of the internet I may never understand. 🙂
I love that you keep trying new things and re-working blogs and websites. This is a process, and the only way we can reach a point of satisfaction is to change things until we are….satisfied. 🙂 Best wishes to you and thank you for the support on my writing. Slow but sure wins the race, or so I hope.
Hi Bill,
There is no one like you…and how grateful I am to have you in my world. Thanks for this inspiration and motivation as always. Have a peaceful evening. Love, Maria
Maria, what a lovely message to end my day with. Thank you so much; I happen to think you are very special as well.
love
bill