"Two wrongs may not make a right but a thousand wrongs make a writer.”

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Honest Scrap (The Writing Edition)

I recently received the Honest Scrap Award (writing edition) from Jemi Fraser. Thanks Jemi! I love this award because I don’t think there is anything harder than writing.



As a recipient, I’m supposed to tell you ten things about my reading and writing life and then pass the award on to seven other writers. I’ve ignored rules in the past. But here we go…

1. I first realized I had a way with words when I was in college and a classmate asked me to compose a letter for her disputing an unjust decision, telling me, “You have a way with words.”

2. I used to read comic books and I read every Zane Grey book in the library.

3. I like to read the dictionary.

4. I know how to milk a cow and have taught a calf to drink out of a pail with my fingers in its mouth. (I just had to throw that in.)

5. I do most of my writing on my laptop but I have to print out a page before I can see what needs to be changed. Something about seeing the words on paper slips the editing process into gear. It’s like the saying . . . How do I know what I think until I see what I say?

6. I and my siblings grew up without television but had a first rate collection of World Book Encyclopedias, library cards, two daily newspapers, and a bookmobile. (Though all we really wanted was a television!)

7. I once wrote an Ekphrastic poem for a poetry class, (a poem based on a painting) and a sestina (nightmare!) in the same week.

8. I've been known to read and edit my work while driving.

9. I often get up in the middle of the night to write.

10. I believe you can ignore the rules as long as you first know how to observe them.


So without further fanfare, I would like to pass this on to (drumroll...) Charlie at Approaching Utopia , Travener at The Big Litowski, Amy at She Writes Here Now, and to Paperback Writer, who are four very scrappy writers. Check out their blogs and you'll see what I mean.

I reserve the right to pass Honest Scrap on to three other writers in another post. (See #10) And thanks again, Jemi, for this honor.

13 comments:

Unknown said...

lol! Love that you're reserving rights. #10 is a great rule of thumb.

I also kind of like to read the dictionary... The thesaurus fascinates me too. Granted, so do the word verifications, which aren't words at all. Atert is the non-word of the day! :)

Anonymous said...

Like you, some of my best "writing" is done in the car. Of course it's when I'm driving which means it stays in my head until I get home.

Thanks for partaking in the award. It's nice to learn more about the writers I follow.

I love your number 10. Rules are made to be broken, with careful deliberation.

Charlie Rice said...

I like this particular award because it honors honesty in writing! Thank you. Very cool of you. :)

Yvonne Osborne said...

Nisa,
Thanks, Yes, I had to reserve rights because I like to deliberate and procrastinate. Ditto the thesaurus.

Cat,
Thank you so much. Yes, I'm rather partial to #10 too.

Charlie,
I thought so too. You're very welcome.

Carolina M. Valdez Schneider said...

Congrats on your award!

BTW, I LOVE that you like to read the dictionary.

Travener said...

Thanks, Yvonne. Not sure I can come up with 10 things about my writing life -- 10 that I want to reveal, at any rate -- but I'll give it some thought.

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

You're definitely scrappy and deserving.
I need printed pages, too, when it comes to editing or just seeing with fresh eyes. And, is there a trick to milking a cow?

Jemi Fraser said...

You're welcome Yvonne. I love the fact that you can milk a cow - AWESOME! You just know that's going to come in handy in one of your upcoming books :)

Yvonne Osborne said...

Carolina,

Thanks!
And special thanks for being #30!!!

Travener,
You're welcome. I didn't think I could come up with 10 things either. That's why I cheated a tiny bit.


Tricia,
Thanks. There really isn't a trick. Just watch out for the tail and that they don't kick you.

Jemi,
Hmmm you think so? Actually I did lend my experience with calves to a character. Thanks again. This was fun!

Unspoken said...

Hah! I click on your choices, and much to my shock you name me! Sweet you are. Thank you! I am honored to receive this, and delighted it came from you :).

Yvonne Osborne said...

Amy,
You are very deserving.

Thank you.

Jean said...

You know, TV is highly overrated.

Yvonne Osborne said...

Jean,
Well, I do now. Glad to hear you're of the same mind. Quite frankly, TV sucks the creativity out of the individual and leaves an empty complacent shell easily filled with any nonsensical drivel.

Now I feel better.