Love/Hate Relationship With Famous Quotes

Garth Beyer

A couple posts ago I shared content from a handout given by Adam Schrager, WISC-TV. He quoted Mark Twain for saying “I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.”

That quote was actually written by Blaise Pascal. Not Mark Twain.

There’s an entire faction of study that seeks confirmation of who said what in the history books. It’s all fascinating of course; it’s something I love about famous quotes, but it makes me wonder why any journalist would consider using a respectable quote from the past to strengthen their writing.

Couldn’t Schrager have just said, “it’s worth taking the time to make a letter shorter.” Schrager is already a credible source to be making that statement. Why credit someone else? Especially someone who never even said it.

Even when considering using quotes that are verified, perhaps any Winston Churchill quotes. They are all solid. They are all persuasive and informative. Certainly many of them pack a punch. But still, could you not write it better? Could you not angle it in a way that is more comprehensible for readers of this time and accept the credit you deserve for stating it in such a way?

We can’t keep living in the press of the past, no matter how well spoken people were at the time. And, quite plainly, if I wanted to read what Winston Churchill, Mark Twain, or whoever is wrongly attributed to a famous quote has to say, I’ll pick up their books.

But when I pick up your writing, I want to read your writing.

/rant

Trendsetting To 2014

Garth Beyer

Design

  • It’s statistically proven that what people care more about in occupations than money is purpose.
  • Every day I read about people trying to find meaningful work, some finding it.
  • All the workplace infographics I come across point out that people want flexibility, space to grow into and a bit of freedom for how they accomplish their tasks.

These are the most significant trends of 2013.

Now nearing 2014 these trends are shifting. In 2014 they will be as follows:

– It will be statistically proven (blatantly noticeable) that people will not settle for an occupation that doesn’t align with the purpose they see for themselves.

– Every day I will read about people creating their own meaningful work. They will have quit searching for someone else’s box to fit in.

– All the workplace infographics I will come across will point out that people will construct their own schedules entirely (with some regularity near an average), they themselves will be the only roadblocks in their way, growth will be infinite, and along with their complete freedom to carry out tasks their way, they will have ever more pressure to be unique about it and accomplish more tasks throughout the year.

Which I have summed up to be 2014: The year of design.

 

Stay Positive & More On This As 2013 Comes To A Close

Garth E. Beyer

Photo credit

Showing Up

Garth Beyer

They say showing up is half the battle and half the success.

Gift

Most of your audience are all still kids in some ways. One way being is that they only care about those who show up. It doesn’t matter how great of an idea you have or how much you love them. If you don’t show up, they won’t care about you.

Then again, showing up might mean you need a gift in hand.

 

Stay Positive & What Do You Have To Give

Garth E. Beyer

Photo credit

When’s The Next Time That

Garth Beyer

you will do something for the first time.

Too often people are only asked “when was the last time you did something for the first time?”

Equally important is to ask how you can make the next time feel like the first time?

However, it’s so seldom that we ask when is the next time you will do something for the first time? Let alone actually plan it.

 

Stay Positive & Don’t You Have Some Planning To Do

Garth E. Beyer

10 Lessons From A Successful #NaNoWriMo

Garth Beyer

NaNoWriMo

This year (2013) was my first year attempting National Novel Writing Month, shortened to #NaNoWriMo. I am ecstatically happy to report that it was a success. I will be editing the book through December and January and will have it available hopefully at the end of January.

Here are some of the best lessons and reflections while writing.

1. Stick to the schedule of 1,700 words a day, but don’t beat yourself up if you skip a day. I skipped a total of 9 days. It was fun having a larger word count to write some days. It mixed things up.

2. No editing. No review. No changes.

3. Following lesson two. Keep writing forward. How you ask?

4. Remember that you can do absolutely anything. I was riding in a car looking at the scenery and saw a park. I thought to myself “my main character should go to a park.” My main character never did, but I realized I could do anything I wanted.

5. Go at it with the goal of surprising yourself. I didn’t plan to share the novel with anyone or sell it on Amazon, but I will because I surprised myself with how good I think it is.

6. When you’re sticking to the schedule of 1,700 words. Stick it out in one sitting.

7. Keep your fingers on the keyboard as often as possible. Don’t sit back to think, don’t drink water to think, keep your fingers on the keyboard and think. Each time you lift your fingers off the keyboard, you’re disconnecting yourself from the story.

8. It never gets easier. You will have your spurts of incredible writing sprees and inspiration, but each day that you sit down to write, you’re essentially starting over. I laughed each time I would check off my writing on the calendar because each day is the shape of a square. “Tomorrow I’m back to square one.”

9. Coffee.

10. Do NOT talk about your story while writing it. I don’t care who is asking or why they want to know. I don’t care how good you think your story is or how many people are asking to hear about your story. I don’t care if you’re being bribed or blackmailed. Do NOT talk about your story while writing it. Just to set it in stone for you, I’m going to repeat myself a third time. DO NOT TALK ABOUT YOUR STORY WHILE WRITING IT.

NaNoWriMoGarth

Stay Positive & Next Year, Do It All Again

Garth E. Beyer

Photo credit