I’m feeling thankful this week, and not only because the political robo-calls have finally stopped ringing my phone off the wall. I truly enjoy Thanksgiving week. It’s my time to take a breath, share some food with friends and family, and appreciate the last autumn moments before the rest of the holiday craziness kicks in.
The list of things I’m thankful for is long (and that in itself is one of them), and I thought I’d compile a few of the writer-related ones for this week’s post:
Christopher Sholes – The name doesn’t ring a bell? (Me, neither. I had to look it up.) He was a mechanical engineer, born in Pennsylvania in 1819, who invented the first practical modern typewriter. Say what you will about the inefficiency of QWERTY (which was actually the contribution of Sholes’ associate James Densmore). I’m just happy that my fingers can tap across the modern versions of those original jam-prone keys;
The internet – Yes, it can be a sieve into which I pour my time and creative energy, only to watch them drain away through a thousand little holes. But, really, what would writers do without it? And think how much paper and postage it saves;
Beautiful writing – It awes me, moves me, turns me Elphaba-green with jealousy, and ultimately makes me want to write just as well…even when I know I don’t have a snowball’s chance;
Awful writing – Dull dialogue, preposterous plotting, clichéd characters…and I can’t forget to mention Excessive! Use! Of! Exclamation! Points! (A personal pet peeve.) Those pitfalls remind me that writers are human, we all make mistakes, and the time it takes to polish a manuscript is usually well-spent;
Shared wisdom – Tweets, blogs, essays, webinars, magazines, classes, conferences, interviews…if I’m not learning and growing as a writer, I have only myself, and Awkward Family Photos, to blame;
Community – I admit, I’ve been awful this year about getting out to NCW activities to commune with my fellow writers. But just knowing this great group is there makes me feel supported; and
All of you – Whether you read one of my posts this year or all of them, I’m so grateful for the time you spent here at The Writing Bug.
What’s on your Thankful Writer list this week?
1 comment :
I like your last one....community. As solitary as writing can (and sometimes needs to be,) the cast of writings characters in the community make it a wonderful place to be.
Without all of you, there would only be an I, and that would not be enough to make a great story.
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