Old And Tired

A good writer looks for a fresh way to say things. A hack uses clichés. I just reread my last entry, and it's full of clichés.

Granted, I wrote it on the fly, with just a cursory glance at it for typos. Heh heh.

But really, it bugs me. And because I am a perfectionist, I will let it continue to bother me. Or I could just consider it a call to be vigilant about what I put out there. Even a quick blog entry deserves attention!

Now, how many of you have noticed my excessive use of contractions and adverbs as the first word in a sentence?

Comments

[Margaret]

We are not picking apart your writing though, dear Alison. We are just enjoying what you are telling us. And cliches are fun;they became popular because they express in a few words what would take a paragraph of explanation.

[melanie]

dont be so hard on yourself. it messes with the decor around here.

;-)

[Karan]

I dint notise mistake.

[misschrisc]

I think your blog should be a place where you can write freely. If you start editing too much you'll lose that liberal, easy diary voice that's so much fun to read. You risk making it sound too professional & stuffy and *yawn* booooring. I've read blogs like that. They read like legal doctrines!

You are in your pantoufles here amongst friends. Relax and be whoever you are day to day.

[AlisonM]

The general consensus is that the vast majority of the population have experienced a paradigm shift that prevents them from noticing cliches. I wouldn't worry too much about it! ;)

[Monty]

I know that my paradigms have shifted too. Not one image of food, nor a gorgeous cat, nor any more insight into the cat. I have have contracted so badly that my adverbs and hemmorroids are smacking together. More cat stuff. And Some food stuff, before I wither up and fall over.

[Mist 1]

There's no use crying over spilt milk. Don't try to bite off more than you can chew with that whole perfectionism thing.

[Thomas]

Perfectionist or detail-oriented, it's six of one and half a dozen of the other. You can;t have your cake and eat it too, so let them eat cake. The future ain't what it used to be, so don't worry, be happy. The only ones looking for mistakes are searching for needles in the haystack, which means the pricks are looking for sweets for the sweet. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself, and what is fear anyway but a fart in the windstorm? A wise man once said that striving for perfection is like herding cats. So take it all with a grain of salt and let bygones be bygones. True brilliance in writing is like pissing your pants: Everyone can see it, but only you feel it's true warmth. So stop trying to please everyone, and instead invite them to please themselves. It's like what they say: Give a man fire, and he'll be warm for the night. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

[coldbear]

Je trouve que tu as un bon équilibre entre ecrire vite (ce qui renforce l'impression de vie) et écrire bien (plus lisible mais plus distant).

J'aime ce que tu écris...

[ally bean]

I think that the problem is where do you draw the line between a blog post being a newsy little letter home and a blog post being a feature article in a magazine? I have no answer to this question, but that's where I get tripped up as I write.

As far as I'm concerned whatever you write is fine. And if you don't like it, delete it.

[Neil]

Blogging is itself a cliche.

[LittleMike]

Not that we noticed it, because we didn't, but I think it may be a symptom of the transition from the predominently French speaking life you had to the predominently English speaking life you are now living.

[Mille Pattes]

T'es dure avec toi même !!!!

.... alors comme ça, "cliché" en anglais se dit "cliché".

Je vais me coucher moi ignare moi ce soir !
bisou

[ptooey]

You mean we have to be GOOD at this?

Aww, crap.

Hokay, here's a fresh way to say things.

Vomisittiling proods muh woobibidetter.

[bhd]

I think you should continue to let it bug you. Forever.

[meredith]

Don't be hard on yourself, your writing is fine. I like what misschrisc said, she has a good philosophy that I am going to try and follow from now on :)

[Monty]

OK, I tried a fresh perspective. I had an adverb this morning and it was terrible. I'm sticking with some brie and wheat thins. Now, about that cat.........(can you hear my fingers drumming on the table?) Is the cat allowed on the new coffee table?