Ask Aunt Scriba:
Writing Advice Like You've
Never Seen
By Aunt Scriba
Dear Aunt Scriba,
How can I use fear to help my writing?
Thanks,
Kelly
Dear Kelly,
You often hear writers being encouraged to use the things they love as an
inspiration for their writing.
You've pointed out another powerful writing prompt: fear. Here are a few
suggestions of ways to use fear to assist you in your writing efforts.
1. Close your eyes for a moment. Hold on a minute-- finish reading this first.
Okay, now think about the most frightening dream you've ever had. No, not the
one where you show up to a TV interview about your upcoming book wearing a
homemade ballet costume and a Princess Leia wig. That one is pretty scary,
especially for the guys, but you can do better than that.
Dig deeper into the recesses of your subconscious... can you recall any shadowy
menacing creatures or those gut-wrenching sensations of falling off the edge of
a precipice? Good. Now get out some paper and start writing! As soon as you've
stopped crying and rocking back and forth, that is. No one said the writing life
would be easy!
2. Afraid of spiders? Place a jar of them (lid removed) in the doorway of
whichever room you usually do your writing. That should help keep you at the
desk where you belong instead of heading off to the kitchen for yet another
snack or wandering off to the living room to watch TV for "inspiration."
3. Imagine yourself unable to pay your electric bill: no lights, no computer,
and worst of all, no morning coffee. That ought to generate some valuable
motivation for writing those query letters you've been putting off.
See? Fear can be your friend.
Best,
Aunt Scriba
P.S. I recommend using non-poisonous spiders-- unless you have a particularly
persistent problem with straying from your desk.
* * * * * *
Dear Aunt Scriba,
Sometimes when I'm reading a blog or website I run across a misspelled word,
error in subject/verb agreement, or other editorial misdemeanor. I've made it my
mission to contact the author in each case and inform them of their mistake. I
figure I'm doing my small part for the good of the English language. I always
include the following little poem in the e-mail I send:
"Take a look at what you wrote;
Do you see the error?
Flawless writing, I must note,
Is becoming rarer."
What do you think of this approach?
Sincerely,
Language Lover
Dear Language Lover,
I must say, taking on the entire World Wide Web to police bad grammar and
spelling sounds pretty daunting. Are you sure you wouldn't rather spend this
time working on a novel? At any rate, don't be surprised if, one day, you get a
poetic reply from one of these errant authors, along the lines of this:
"Thank you for your little note
Pointing out my error.
Nice to be a victim of your
Language Reign of Terror."
A word of caution: you might want to set aside your crusade when visiting
websites of publications for which you hope to write. An editor who's just been
roundly criticized for the wording of the writers' guidelines is an editor who
won’t be chomping at the bit to run your article about antiquing.
Best,
Aunt Scriba
* * * * *
Aunt Scriba is
many things: writer, mentor, coffee drinker, and mediocre gardener. She has a
wide range of writing experience including newspaper and magazine columns,
anonymous comments on blogs, melodramatic verse, and a recipe for chili (with
beans).
Have a writing-related question for Aunt Scriba? E-mail her at
ask@auntscriba.com. She'll give you the information you need-- or lie
trying!
