Presented below is a thought from me on writing, a quote from someone else on writing, an excerpt from that writer, and a discipline/habit to implement…
We will be focusing on being a learner today.
A Thought
“The more we devour knowledge as writers, the more we craft astute and captivating content.”
– Austin Alford
A Quote
“When I was growing up, my house was filled with books. My mother was an educator, and my father was a history buff, so our home was a virtual library, covering every author from Beverly Cleary to James Michener.”
– Jeff Kinney (Author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series)
An Excerpt
The first page of the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
“Tuesday
First of all, let me get something straight: This is a JOURNAL, not a diary. I know what it says on the cover, but when Mum went out to buy this thing I SPECIFICALLY told her to get one that didn’t say ‘diary’ on it.
Great. All I need is some jerk to catch me carrying this book around and get the wrong idea.
The other thing I want to clear up right away is that this was MUM’s idea, not mine.
But if she thinks I’m going to write down my ‘feelings’ in here or whatever, she’s crazy. So just don’t expect me to be all ‘Dear Diary’ this and ‘Dear Diary’ that.”
A Discipline/Habit to Implement
Jeff is an avid reader and a devourer of books.
Reading something like Diary of a Wimpy Kid is not quite like delving into the depths of Lord of the Rings, but it requires a profound understanding of the art of writing, simply by being an avid reader.
The same principle applies to any aspiring writer: immerse yourself in the type of writing you wish to pursue consistently.
Your vocabulary will flourish, you will discern your preferences, you will learn from mistakes, and uncover what works best. Embrace the role of a perpetual learner!
Let’s ask ourselves this week: How often do we read or listen to music or look at paintings, or read poems, or scripts for educational purposes?
Put Pen to Paper this week and have fun!
If you want to share this with other fellow writers, just copy and paste this link:
www.austinalford.com/Newsletter