Angela Scott
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Write like there's no tomorrow

5/20/2011

9 Comments

 
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With the Rapture on everyone's minds (whether you believe in the concept or simply mock those who do, which is wrong by the way), it got me thinking . . . what if tomorrow really didn't come?

Now, for the purpose of this blog, I'm thinking in the terms of writing--such a minor concept in the act of being translated or having been left behind to face God's wrath. (If tomorrow I should be Raptured, I'm quite certain I'll be too busy believing in miracles to think of much else, and if I'm NOT Ratptured, which is more likely, I still think I'll have bigger things to contemplate like which house to loot and how fast I can read the Bible).

But anyway, let's think about our writing and nothing else for a moment, shall we. Just for kicks.

If we knew tomorrow wouldn't come, what would you write today?

Would I write a blog? Probably not. Don't get me wrong, I love blogging. I do. But on my list of things to write, a blog wouldn't be it. Maybe I'd quickly drop a line saying something like, "See ya later, suckers!" but for the most part, I don't think 'd waste my precious time blogging.

Would I spend my day editing? You know, I probably wouldn't. I mean, I'd hate to leave a legacy of my crap-writing behind for others to have to decipher and read, but you know what I'd rather do . . . write.

I'd sit down at my trusty laptop and just attack the keyboard until the letters rubbed off and my fingers were raw and possibly bleeding. I'd write and write and write, until either the Good Lord or the devil himself came for me. That's what I'd do.

I'd free write.

I wouldn't care about my passive voice. I wouldn't care about my punctuation and exactly  where to place my commas. I wouldn't care if I had talking heads or shifting POV. I wouldn't care if I had plot holes or undefined characters. I wouldn't care if I crossed genres or who my audience was. I wouldn't care if an agent liked my work or if I would someday be published. I wouldn't care if I had a one million word manuscript or only enough to fill a novella. I wouldn't care about tensing or adverbs or be so critical of myself or . . .

I wouldn't care about any of that at all.

I'd write for the fun of it. I'd write because I LOVE it. I may even toss in several hundred exclamation points just for the heck of it (the poor exclamation point gets dissed too much).

I'd just write.

I think, for myself, I get so caught up in all the technicalities and the business side of writing, that I sometimes forget why it is I write in the first place. Sometimes I forget that writing is supposed to be for fun, for joy, for entertainment.

But if I only had today to write, I'm quite certain I wouldn't forget. I'd remember.

That's what I'd do. If I only had today, I'd write and write and write and have a grand time doing it too--a crazy lady without boundaries, slightly schizophrenic and completely euphoric.

Since I know that I'll more than likely be here tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that and so on and so forth, I DO have to remember the technicalities and the business side. That's a part of writing--a large part. It can't be ignored. Not if I want to be successful anyway. It's just the way it is. Hopefully, though, I won't let it be the LARGEST part of why I write. Not anymore.

I'll do my best to remember.

Because someday, tomorrow really won't come.

If you only had today to write, how would you spend your time? What would you do differently? What would you write? What writing rules would you toss out the door?


9 Comments
Brooke R. Busse link
5/20/2011 04:14:29 am

I don't know if I could forget all that, even if today was the last day I would write. It's too imbedded in my mind.

Reply
Violeta
5/20/2011 05:53:22 am

I know what you're saying, I really do. I would probably imagine how my second book works out (finally) and free write as well. However, if the world was ending tomorrow, hands down, I'd be outside fooling around with my friends. Wouldn't imagine anything better than that. :)

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Laura Pauling link
5/20/2011 07:17:46 am

I'd spend time with my family and loved ones. Hands down.

Reply
jeanne kraus link
5/20/2011 08:46:09 am

Hmm. In case of Rapture... Anyway, interesting question. I think I would write something about life, sort of time capsulish and tell about my family and seal it in plastic. Because, as you know, plastic never degrades and if the world comes to an end, there will still be plastic. With my writing in it. Aliens can study it. Future "people" can study it. I want to leave my word in some way.

Reply
Angela Scott link
5/20/2011 09:25:09 am

Just to clarify, if I knew there would be no tomorrow, I would most definitely spend my last hours with my family. I'd max out my credit card, fly in family and friends from other states and have the best darn "The end of this life as we know it" party. My last hours of life would indeed be spent with my family having a ball. NOT spent at my laptop while my family watched on.

BUT, this blog wasn't about what I would do if I were a mother or a wife and it was the last day on earth. This blog was about what I would do differently as a writer. And I'm hoping that I will remember those things and try to implement them in my life now and not wait until my time was almost up to decide to make changes.

*I've had a couple of weird twitter responses to this blog entry and the comment above made me wonder if I came off sounding like a weirdo who'd rather spend her time at the laptop writing when the end of the world came instead of in the arms of my loved one. Again, I'm not a weirdo (I swear). I'd be with my family too.

Reply
Andrea Hunter link
5/20/2011 09:37:12 am

Sometimes I think these doomsday threats serve as a reminder that no one is guaranteed a tomorrow. It may sound morbid, but I don't know when there will be no more tomorrows for me. Does anyone, really? So, writing like there is no tomorrow is good. I'm just not sure I could stop minor editing while I write. And I don't think it really makes a difference. I'd still be writing like mad! If there's no tomorrow for me, then I think the quality of the message is important!

Reply
Brooke R. Busse link
5/21/2011 12:53:00 am

Here Angela, hopefully you'll get this award before the Rapture comes. -looks around as it's May 21- The weather men aren't reporting it yet so maybe you will.

http://brookerbusse.blogspot.com/2011/05/im-on-fire.html

(I just realized the above probably sounded pretty stupid but that's okay.)

Reply
Nancy Lauzon link
5/22/2011 02:10:32 am

Hi Angela,

I couldn't have said it better myself. On the last day, I would write like nobody was going to read it. I'd write without worrying about technique, or editors, or getting published. I'd write like I did before things got serious, when it was still fun.

I'm working on a memoir -- I know, I'm not famous, so who cares? It's for my future great-grandchildren. I write about who I am, where I've been, what I've learned. I'm thinking of publishing it someday, just for them.

Maybe 'working' is the wrong verb. Dabbling. I'm dabbling on a memoir. So I'd spend the last day writing for my future family. In addition to spending time with my present family, yadda yadda. Geez, can't people read the question?

http://nancylauzon.blogspot.com

Reply
Brianna Renshaw link
5/29/2011 12:28:09 pm

I too struggle to remember that writing for the sake of writing is a worthy pursuit and to not get too caught up in the technicalities.

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