If you’re like me, you laughed and did a double take when you first saw the title of Augusten Burroughs’ memoir Running with Scissors. Talk about a catchy visual and name. Who could not pick that book up when strolling through the aisles in Barnes & Noble; the title practically grabbed us by the necks and defied us to try and ignore it.
Today, however, I want to talk about the idea of Writing with Scissors, not a book name–although it is (something about Civil War Scrapbooks). No; the reason this scissor-visual is on my mind today is because that’s exactly what I’ve been doing as of late. Chopping and cutting and red-lining text. My own and that of my retreat clients. Because we all have too dang much to say.
Well, not initially. Getting all that text up and out of us is the thing that frees us from the insanity of lugging it around–countless character traits and lessons learned and story lines caught around our ankles and tripping us like 1,000 lb. refrigerator boxes wrapped around our pant legs.
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” ― Maya Angelou
But at a certain point you’ve got to let it go, am I right? Once you’ve birthed all that slop onto the page, it’s now time to pare it down. Edit. Rewrite. Slash and burn. Kill your darlings. Nix the boring stuff for words and phrases that sing. You’re making your work digestible and easier on the eyes. Don’t be misled by the “work” of it. Your tenth or fiftieth or hundredth draft may be hard won. Or exhilarating. Or both. But make no mistake, this is healing work. Because too much excess–within or without–spoils the goods and robs the mind of ease. You can quote me on that.
“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”
― Mark Twain, The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain
The greatest joy I experience while writing comes in the rewrite. I’m obsessed. You should be too. But before we can get to that, we’ve got to start. I’ve been giving myself the gift of getting my words down daily. It’s not easy. I have an app launching in the spring (more on that soon) and incredible clients to midwife–lucky me! The man and dogs in my home are a pretty tempting diversion, too:)
But, as you may know, the writing wants what it wants. And I’m listening and showing up.
If you’d like help listening and showing up, I have some great last-minute news!
Has the Carmel Writing Retreat been calling you? There are very few chances to join me for this magical opportunity to jumpstart your book this year (I’m cutting my retreats by more than half to focus on my upcoming app and book). But I have a last-minute opening for NEXT WEEK’S retreat (Feb. 3-7). Got an intuitive hit you belong there, or a friend who does? Contact me quick and explore the possibility!
You’ll flip for the extraordinarily beautiful, mild-tempered Northern California. We’ve got an American gal living in Afghanistan for the past few years who’s aching to see the ocean. (I can’t wait to see her elation at the views from every room!) Another gal is coming from freezing New York dreaming of sunshine. We’ll have it. In spades.
And, who knows? Maybe you’ll be the author of a beautiful, catchy book like the cover seen above by Samantha Bennett, recently called “a classic” by none other than Seth Godin! (Another YBBBP success story. And, of course, you get YBBBP when you sign up for Carmel.)
Either way, let us know in the comments below what you’re committed to getting done this weekend, this coming month, this year. Declare it and make it so!
Looking very forward to meeting and working with you soon.
Yours,
Linda
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You probably don’t realize that you and Merry [my toy poodle] have changed my life, my writing and enriched my soul. Thanks for taking a chance and letting a dude conceive and “give birth” under the tender supervision of The Book Momma!! Love you so much!”
~Alan Corbett, Memoirist, Nature Photographer, Alaska
From my Lake Arrowhead retreat earlier this month…
