Tag Archives: glee

Copy-edit

Copy-edit: (v) to edit for publication

Although classically it is portrayed that writers suffer “blockage” and are unable to come up with ideas—or even the next line—the truth is,  when a writer is inspired with a good story, the characters often become so verbose, and dare I say overbearing, that the end result is an overabundance of syllables, paragraphs and even chapters.funny wisdom on words that begin with a C

There is actually only one rule in writing, and since there’s only one, we shall not call it a rule, but rather, refer to it as a smiling opportunity.

That would be: “Don’t do anything to interrupt or impede your own story.”

This is why it’s important to copy-edit a book, a story or even an article (such as the one I’m writing to you).

It is not fair to the reader, to get him or her all tied up in useless information about the entwined colors in a particularly plush davenport—when what is happening on the couch is the real gig.

Some writers become fussy and sentimental about one particular thought or character’s involvement. But as you age and mature, you realize that the reader is what you’re writing for—not the approval of other writers or publishers who would jump up and down in great glee if they got the chance to reject a submission from Ernest Hemingway.


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Avoid

Avoid: (v) to keep away from or stop oneself from doing.

 One thing we all definitely share in common: the first word we heard that stuck in our early childhood memory was more than likely “don’t.”dictionary with letter A

Our parents were certainly more concerned about the things we should avoid than the things we could enjoy.

The acceptable objects they passed our way either looked like peas or had the appeal of a bowl of them.

The things they told us to avoid sparkled, plugged in, looked like candy or just screamed potential glee.

In that way we were immediately instructed from our diapers that good things are important but boring, and bad things are dangerous but deliriously enjoyable.

Most unfortunate.

I still have a list of things in my life I avoid–but my way of determining what to avoid is no longer based on being electrocuted or poisoned.

Here’s my test for what to avoid:

I avoid all things or objects which instruct me to avoid. What do I mean by that?

  • I avoid bigoted people because they want me to avoid people they are bigoted against.
  • I avoid drugs because they want me to avoid precious independence of choice and decisions that I treasure.
  • I decided a long time ago that I don’t need a glass of alcohol to be sociable.
  • I don’t need to take LSD to find God.
  • And I don’t need to hate people of color so I can appreciate my bleached-out complexion.

It may have seemed like a good idea to pass a law of Prohibition against alcoholic beverages, but every time we try to avoid, we end up spending a lot of time with avoiders.

And they are the ones who are disgruntled about being cheated out of fun and determined to spoil the joy in the lives of everyone around them.

 

 

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Antique

dictionary with letter A

Antique: (n) an object such as a piece of furniture or work of art which has a high value due to its considerable age.

For a brief season in my life I had more money than I needed and therefore convinced myself that I needed more money.

It’s amazing how greed does not go away when you find yourself in the black after bills are paid, but rather, settles as a black cloud over your soul, convincing you that if you don’t lay up more treasure, you will be swallowed by some catastrophe in the future, yet unseen.

So even though most of my journey has been spent clapping my hands in glee when the electric bill has been paid and cleared the bank, during this particular odyssey of finance, I became obsessed with a new word.

Investment.

Yes. Everything needed to be an investment.

So I was told my counselors (who were many since they discovered they could siphon off my wealth via giving advice) that houses were a good purchase.

I was told that if I bought a beautiful white grand piano, it would only appreciate over the years.

And of course, it was necessary, since I was now a person of worldly ilk, to go antiquing.

I was supposed to go to little storefronts which were jammed to the gills with fishy deals, and listen to someone explain how “this table was once in the den of Johnny Appleseed,” and had “already trebled in value and would certainly continue to do so.”

Having an untrained eye, to me it looked like a beat-up piece of wood which should have been broken up to fuel a fire years ago.

When I pointed this out to one of the enthusiastic “antiquers,” he stood back in horror and said, “It’s old. So it’s worth more money.”

I explained to him that I was getting older, and no one found me more valuable. He laughed a little (after all, I was still a potential sale).

Here was my discovery:

  • I bought houses and barely broke even on the turnaround.
  • That white grand piano had to be sold for less than half of its original value.
  • And all the antiques I purchased were viewed by garage sale people as worthless clumps of nothing instead of the posterity of Mr. Appleseed.

There is a bliss to poverty.

You don’t have to wonder what you’re going to do with all your money.

Macaroni and cheese still tastes good on Day Three.

And most importantly… you don’t have to deal with antiques.

 

 

 

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