22 Comments

Matt, sometimes plagiarism helps. When I'm in doubt, I often turn to the more than 1,400 comments and recommendations in Amazon for the book "How to Avoid Huge Ships." Many are Homeric in scale, and contain a comedic genius of Kilgore Troutian proportians. I'm crappin' you negative. Take a gander: How to Avoid Huge Ships https://a.co/d/9ujUm2c

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Sir, you have made my world a better place with this comment. I now not only better understand the dangers posed by huge ships, but have something far more worthwhile to do with my time than writing or raising children or gainful employment. When I am undoubtedly someday confronted with a huge ship, I will avoid it; nodding to the heavens for the gift of the How to Avoid Huge Ships Amazon reviews page.

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Music can alleviate writing toil, go away for a tune or two.

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I'd mostly be for fiction, but I sense a lot of it would be taken from lived experiences and "reality" in general.. Today's reality is truly unlimited material for writers. I really appreciate the few people, like Matt, that refuse to be bullied or silenced.. I'm sick to death of all the gaslighting and downright lies of corporate media and the government. .it's nice to have some good journalists out there that aren't bias. Gives me a bit of a push to be more fearless in what I say or write.....and yes @mom, strangely is a good term however that only breaks the surface... I just think writing again will ease my horrible anxiety there. I'm pretty introverted, so hanging out with people doesn't really happen too often. I rarely hang out with my husband either.. I honestly spend more time with my dogs, and that's the way I prefer it.. So I am really need to get moving on the writing. I know it will benefit me in many ways.. If I decide that my handwriting sucks, I'm going to try something new and just write through it. I know I can do it.. I have a lot I can write about... I'm pretty sure I can get some words down before a block hits (I hope anyway)

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Also true of commercial art in general. As an art director I very often end up in the same place, I guess sort of gnawing on mediocre ideas hoping they will get better or pushing an artist to keep redoing when I honestly know the piece isn’t going to improve any more. Editing your ideas is such a big part of producing art. You have to know when to give up.

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I got such a laugh-sometimes we should have our own guardrails married to a great sense of humor! More please! This is better than therapy. 🤣

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Matt,

I love this new venture of yours. The Writing Life is a welcome respite from the necessary but, at times, exhausting Racket.

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This is comforting even though “overconfident” is the opposite of how I’m feeling today.

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"You will find yourself trapped in a cycle of building and tearing down misshapen sandcastle-paragraphs on the way to an ingenious passage you’re sure is just ahead. It’s not ahead. You’re lost."

Been there, done that. (laughs)

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Strangely comforting 😁

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Matt your head must be spinning most of the time. Love it!

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I got hooked by the "Rule #3" part. So what are rules 1 and 2?

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Rule 1: quit now

Rule 2: only even numbered rules count

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Matt, you’re obviously assuming I know the paragraph sucked to begin with.

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Why isnt this rule 5?

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No child has ever stopped trying to want to walk after only 5 attempts, no it's just a joke... Yes, it is clear that inspiration is a difficult quality to master and develop, but everything remains always possible for those who have faith in what they do, and who stick to an idea that they appreciate above all else.

It is very often by dint of getting lost that we end up finding ourselves. I mean, written expression has difficulties on several levels, and the basic level is indeed the mastery of the language in which one expresses oneself.

We can always use an online translator to put our thoughts and emotions into comprehensible form. The important thing is to transmit and make understood the substance of our thoughts, and the form can vary somewhat according to the authors.

If the devil hides in the details, I think that God observes the generality through the details, the generality in the deep conviction that everything is possible. The generality in the expressions of the daily positive energy that emerges from our person. The generality of public opinion which always knows how to recognize the seriousness and the good will of someone who expresses himself from the heart.

Very good article, thought provoking...

Sincearly ❤️😃 😄😉

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Surely there is nothing exclusive to a bad idea that somehow gives you more or better discipline or character than working through a good one. The artist’s noble suffering in pursuit of an idea is fine, but suffering for a bad idea means you have a bigger problem. It also wastes time you could be spending on good ideas. (And energy.) Art is about creative choices, and good artists make good creative choices. Floundering or wallowing around in bad ideas doesn’t improve your skill with good ones - it means you missed the boat at the most basic level of discernment.

What Matt is talking about is how to apply a level of discipline to this foundational struggle - go ahead and do it but be smart enough to know when to move on.

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Matt and Anyone on here please respond with your rules or opinions.

I want to write and I have a limited vocabulary. Using an AI app doesn't count as my writing.

What do you consider to be "my" writing?

To consider it my work do I have to open a dictionary, learn new words, close the dictionary, and then write?

Or if I am writing with my limited vocabulary but during or after it's written can I use a computer's thesaurus or application?

Lastly, if you think using an application or a computer thesaurus is fine, is there a maximum limit on the number of times I can use a thesaurus?

Thank you

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Thanks!

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