The Station’s Alive…

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…with the Sound of Music!

Sound of Music, Belgian style:

I want to know where they practiced that. Must have taken forever.

Oh, Winston

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While trying out StumbleUpon, I came across a page of quotes. Some were funny, some were inspiring, and some were none of the above. Several of Winston Churchill’s “contributions,” however, seemed particularly applicable to writers and their craft. Behold,

Winston Churchill’s Tips for Writers
With Commentary by Jenn

“Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.”
When do we writers need enthusiasm more than while submitting our work to be published? Keep your spirits up! Someone out there is bound to want your novel.

“Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.”
Who cares if your first draft isn’t riddled with wit? Just keep writing and see what happens!

“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”
Getting our stories critiqued might be the most painful thing we can do. But as Mr. Churchill said, it’s necessary in order to make your work the best it can be.

“Do not let spacious plans for a new world divert your energies from saving what is left of the old.”
When the going gets tough, don’t abandon your current project for newer, “better” stories. Don’t get distracted by temptation, and stick with it!

“Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.”
This could go many ways, but I’m going with: it’s good to know the rules so that you know when to break them.

“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”
Don’t get lost in the realm of planning. You need to get your ideas on paper if you want anyone to read them. It’s called “writer” for a reason.

“I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.”
Be open to constructive criticism. You will not always be right, no matter how tempting it is to believe you know all the secrets to the universe.

“I never worry about action, but only inaction.”
If your story is becoming more stagnant than the local pond, inject some conflict! That’s bound to churn up the waters. [/metaphor]

“If you are going through hell, keep going.”
Hell = The Middle. ‘Nough said.

“If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time – a tremendous whack.”
Obviously, don’t be as blatant as “The theme of this work is…” but you can have one of the characters say what the theme is in their own words.

“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you can see.”
Backstory-riffic! The more you know about your character, the more you can do with them in your actual story.

“The length of this document defends it well against the risk of its being read.”
Translation: don’t write a Bible-length novel. No one. Will. Read it.

“I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.”
This isn’t really advice, but I can totally see some characters saying this. You are, of course, their Maker, and you will probably never be prepared to meet your characters.

I hope you feel inspired or, at the very least, well-advised. Enjoy your weekend of writing!

Jamming Session

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As a percussionist, I like to play with whatever comes to hand. But I’m nothing compared to these guys. Make sure to lock your doors before you leave your house, so they can’t destroy it during their jam sessions.

Dancing Across the World

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You can dance anywhere, even if only in your heart.

~Author Unknown

A few years ago I was introduced to Matt’s dancing adventures. I re-visited it this week and found some more videos, including one where he dances with masses of people (re-posted below). Enjoy!

Where the Hell is Matt?