Wistful Wednesday

How Knitting and Writing Are Similar

For those of you who read last week's post by me, you know that I shared something that I do when I'm not writing - knitting! Here are the details on my latest ambitious project. I jumped into this project with a gung-ho attitude, confident in my past successes and then it happened - I hit the wall, scrapped the project and started something else. But an email from my older daughter prompted me to try again. Which then prompted the topic for this week's post. Don't you just love it when that happens? So here it is, my take on how knitting and writing are similar:

1. First and foremost, they are each a craft. Yes, there is some talent involved and some people will excel at their craft more than others, but crafts are a learned thing. I truly believe that, if you can understand and follow directions, you can learn to do just about anything. The key to this is patience and time. Don't expect it to happen overnight. Don't try to take shortcuts. Pay attention to what you are doing now and don't focus on the finished project and what to do with it then. That's how mistakes are made. Stay in the moment, pay attention to the craft, and the future will take care of itself.

2. The next similarity is simple: They each begin with an idea upon which the foundation is built. For this knitting project, I wanted to make a hat, so I searched for a pattern and when I found the one I wanted to try, I started to gather together the supplies I would need to accomplish it - knitting needles, cable needle, stitch counter and, of course, yarn. When I write, I decide which idea I want to tackle and gather the tools I need to accomplish that - computer, notebooks, research, and the germ of an idea. This brings us to:

3. The beginning. In knitting, you begin by casting on the stitches you need to build the foundation of your project and then the first row is the establishing pattern - the setup. In writing, you decide where you want to start your story, then you lay your foundation with a hook that will draw your readers in and establish the story - the setup. In the beginning, it might not seem like much and you might look at your project and wonder how you're going to get it from this starting point to the fabulous end product you see (either on the pattern or in your head, depending upon whether you're knitting or writing), but by the time you reach the middle, you will begin to see a clearer pattern/path develop. All you need to do is press on through the oft-times difficult middle to get to the more difficult end. 

4. Speaking of the end, sometimes it doesn't come out quite the way you expected. Case in point: While knitting my hat last week, I hit the wall - the one where I realized, after several rounds of knitting, that the project was not coming out the way it looked in the picture. While doing the decreases to shape the crown, the pattern of the flowers was completely lost. Stitches no longer aligned with one another. I kept on going for awhile, thinking maybe it wouldn't be that noticeable once I tied up all the loose ends (literally), but then I stopped and decided not to continue for one reason: It would be noticeable - to me. Being a perfectionist, I felt that I just could not slap it together like that, even if it was only for my pleasure. So I tore it completely apart and actually started to make another hat with the yarn. But then I got the email from my daughter and she had checked out my post and was really excited about seeing the finished project. So I decided to give it another try. And I pulled apart the other hat (it wasn't the right yarn for it, anyway) and started again. Only this time, I am paying closer attention to the pattern to figure out where I went wrong. How does this relate to writing? One word: Revision. How many writers have gotten to the end of their story and realized that some of it didn't gel but tried to finish it anyway, didn't like the result and abandoned the project? Only to revisit it after some thought, go through it with a fine-tooth comb to figure out where it went wrong and finish it properly? Thank heavens for second drafts!

5. The end product. If you follow through, pay attention to the details, persevere, and just keep at it, in the end you will have a project you are proud of - one you might even debut in public!

So there you have it, how knitting and writing are so similar. With each one, you can make a whole lot of something out of nothing!

Wistful Wednesday

Revision: The Result

Not too long ago, I posted about the art of revision and supplied a series of choices for the opening of a YA story I'm working on. Here (hopefully) is the final product:

I always knew my name would get me into trouble one day. I just didn’t think it would take this long. Maybe I have a slow fuse or a short attention span or something, but, anyway, it finally happened - I snapped. And my name got me in trouble.

Seriously, with a name like Irene Goode, the probability ranked pretty high, if you know what I mean. Well, I guess Irene’s not too bad – unless you’re like a certain someone who shall remain nameless (Bridget Taylor), who once told me, “We had a cow named Irene once. We ate it for dinner.”

But she was one twisted sister. I mean seriously twisted. Even in grade school. Who would name something and then eat it? Or even say they did? That’s a demented thing for anyone to say, but really disturbing coming from a seven-year old.

Yeah, so tell me something like that and you make an issue out of the first name. But most of the time, it’s not so bad. Not great. (Like Maxie or Roxie, my idols!) But not bad. Oh, no. The problem is the last name.

Goode.

Do you know how hard it is to live up to a name like that?

I do.

So what do you think? Did I make the right choices?

Wistful Wednesday

Hey, this was supposed to post last Wednesday, but I don't think it showed up, so I'm trying it again!

Revision: How Do I Make

This Better?

I thought I’d do something a little differently today. I thought I’d show you a little glimpse into the process of revision. Below is the latest of many incantations for the opening of a YA novel I’ve been working on for some time. But, like all of the openings before it, it just lacked the punch I was looking for. After weeks of trying to come up with a better opening, I submitted this portion of the opening to an online contest for the feedback and in so doing, had a breakthrough. I finally came up with something that I think packs the punch I was looking for, as well as conveying the information I wanted to convey in this section. Following this version is the new version. I invite you to read both and tell me what you think. Which one does the better job of conveying the information? Or do I still need to work on it? All suggestions are welcome.

Version #1:

I don’t ask for a lot. Really. In my family, there’s not much to ask for, anyway. I guess you could say that demand out-weighs supply. But even if there was anything to ask for, I wouldn’t. It’s just not me. I’m kind of happy with what I’ve got so why ask for more when I don’t need it? Still, it would be nice if, just once, I could ask for this: To get through the day without someone making fun of my name.

Just once.

Please?

No, of course not. That never seems to be the case. Inevitably, someone, some time, is struck by the urge to make fun of my name. And how could they resist? With an unfortunate moniker like Irene Goode, they have a lot to work with.

Yes, that’s right.

Irene.

Goode.

That’s me. A born punchline for all the budding comedians of Amory High. Or wanna-be mean girls.

Today, it was Bridget Taylor stepping up to the mike for her shot at school fame. And me. One thing about Bridget: She lacks imagination. So rather than dazzling her classmates with her stunning wit, she fell short with a dull pun. A variation of which she’d been slinging at me since our first encounter in grade school.

“Can you pass this to the Goode girl?”

Version #2:

I always knew my name would get me into trouble one day. Seriously, with a name like Irene Goode, the probability for trouble ranked pretty high, if you know what I mean. Well, I guess Irene’s not too bad – unless you’re like a certain someone who shall remain nameless (Bridget Taylor), who once told me, “We had a cow named Irene once. We ate it for dinner.” Seriously twisted. Even in grade school. Yeah, so tell me something like that and you make an issue out of the first name. But most of the time, it’s not so bad. Not great. But not bad. Oh, no. The problem is the last name.

Goode.

Do you know how hard it is to live up to a name like that?

I do.

Or how about Version #3, which adds more detail:

I always knew my name would get me into trouble one day. I just didn’t think it would take this long. Maybe I just have a long fuse. Or a short attention span. Something. But, anyway. It finally happened. I snapped. And my name got me in trouble.

Seriously, with a name like Irene Goode, the probability ranked pretty high, if you know what I mean. Well, I guess Irene’s not too bad – unless you’re like a certain someone who shall remain nameless (Bridget Taylor), who once told me, “We had a cow named Irene once. We ate it for dinner.”

But she was one twisted sister. I mean seriously twisted. Even in grade school. Who would name something and then eat it? Or even say they did? That’s a demented thing for anyone to say, but really disturbing coming from a seven-year old.

Yeah, so tell me something like that and you make an issue out of the first name. But most of the time, it’s not so bad. Not great. (Like Maxie or Roxie, my idols!) But not bad. Oh, no. The problem is the last name.

Goode.

Do you know how hard it is to live up to a name like that?

I do.

So what do you think? Which version do you like better? And do you have any revision tips for other aspiring writers out there?

Wistful Wednesday

Revision: How Do I Make

This Better?

I thought I’d do something a little differently today. I thought I’d show you a little glimpse into the process of revision. Below is the latest of many incantations for the opening of a YA novel I’ve been working on for some time. But, like all of the openings before it, it just lacked the punch I was looking for. After weeks of trying to come up with a better opening, I submitted this portion of the opening to an online contest for the feedback and in so doing, had a breakthrough. I finally came up with something that I think packs the punch I was looking for, as well as conveying the information I wanted to convey in this section. Following this version is the new version. I invite you to read both and tell me what you think. Which one does the better job of conveying the information? Or do I still need to work on it? All suggestions are welcome.

Version #1:

I don’t ask for a lot. Really. In my family, there’s not much to ask for, anyway. I guess you could say that demand out-weighs supply. But even if there was anything to ask for, I wouldn’t. It’s just not me. I’m kind of happy with what I’ve got so why ask for more when I don’t need it? Still, it would be nice if, just once, I could ask for this: To get through the day without someone making fun of my name.

Just once.

Please?

No, of course not. That never seems to be the case. Inevitably, someone, some time, is struck by the urge to make fun of my name. And how could they resist? With an unfortunate moniker like Irene Goode, they have a lot to work with.

Yes, that’s right.

Irene.

Goode.

That’s me. A born punchline for all the budding comedians of Amory High. Or wanna-be mean girls.

Today, it was Bridget Taylor stepping up to the mike for her shot at school fame. And me. One thing about Bridget: She lacks imagination. So rather than dazzling her classmates with her stunning wit, she fell short with a dull pun. A variation of which she’d been slinging at me since our first encounter in grade school.

“Can you pass this to the Goode girl?”

Version #2:

I always knew my name would get me into trouble one day. Seriously, with a name like Irene Goode, the probability for trouble ranked pretty high, if you know what I mean. Well, I guess Irene’s not too bad – unless you’re like a certain someone who shall remain nameless (Bridget Taylor), who once told me, “We had a cow named Irene once. We ate it for dinner.” Seriously twisted. Even in grade school. Yeah, so tell me something like that and you make an issue out of the first name. But most of the time, it’s not so bad. Not great. But not bad. Oh, no. The problem is the last name.

Goode.

Do you know how hard it is to live up to a name like that?

I do.

Or how about Version #3, which adds more detail:

I always knew my name would get me into trouble one day. I just didn’t think it would take this long. Maybe I just have a long fuse. Or a short attention span. Something. But, anyway. It finally happened. I snapped. And my name got me in trouble.

Seriously, with a name like Irene Goode, the probability ranked pretty high, if you know what I mean. Well, I guess Irene’s not too bad – unless you’re like a certain someone who shall remain nameless (Bridget Taylor), who once told me, “We had a cow named Irene once. We ate it for dinner.”

But she was one twisted sister. I mean seriously twisted. Even in grade school. Who would name something and then eat it? Or even say they did? That’s a demented thing for anyone to say, but really disturbing coming from a seven-year old.

Yeah, so tell me something like that and you make an issue out of the first name. But most of the time, it’s not so bad. Not great. (Like Maxie or Roxie, my idols!) But not bad. Oh, no. The problem is the last name.

Goode.

Do you know how hard it is to live up to a name like that?

I do.

So what do you think? Which version do you like better? And do you have any revision tips for other aspiring writers out there?