Writing Department

I went to my regular monthly writers’ club meeting last night for the first time in 13 months. I lifted this writing gem. It’s attributed to T.M. King. I’m sorry, but I don’t know who that is. Anyway…

“Writing is as easy as strolling down an alley: just put one word in front of the other and see what happens.

“Good writing is as easy as running headlong through that same alley at midnight, toppling garbage cans and stepping on the tail of a screeching cat; stumbling over a bum and a broken wine bottle; fighting your way through a gang of cutthroats—and living to tell about it from a hospital bed.

“Excellent writing is as easy as explaining to your spouse why you were in that alley at midnight in the first place.”

I have a question now: why would anyone step on the tail of a cat that's already screeching? I guess it's just the editor in me, raising it's ugly head.

“When writing, the difference between a carefully selected excellent word and using just any word is like the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”—Mark Twain (they say)