ScriptSuperhero.com

Not all writing is created equal.

I’m all for encouraging young, talented writers. But is it really kindness if a writer is in his or her mid-40s and still writes less well than the average fifth grader, to continue encouraging their delusion that they are destined to be the next Stephen King or James Patterson or Judy Blume?

I think not.

While it wouldn’t make good television, I think sometimes it’s not a bad thing to be a bit more Simon Cowell-like with some writers who just never show any improvement in their skill level. At some point, someone has to say, “That was just dreadful. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever read. I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be mean, but writing for a living is simply not for you.”

Sure, it would be as popular as a colon cleanse to offer anyone that advice unwelcomed. But how many years of rejection letters does it take to have someone decide, “OK, maybe I should try my hand at painting….?”

As a messianic believer, I’m not one to obsess over Christmas gift ideas since I celebrate Hannukah. However, some gifts are appropriate no matter what creed or belief system guides you to the holidays you celebrate.

Other gifts are more culturally specific. Studying up on such matters can add a richness to your fiction if you put in the time to make it authentic, and can really stand out like a zit on a teenage girl’s forehead if you get it wrong.

For example, you’d never see a Christian child get a dradel for Christmas. You’d never see a Muslim child open up a gift that contains a manger scene on Ramadan. And you’d never see a Jewish child receive a Koran for Hannukah.

Writing such things unwittingly takes away from the believability of your fiction. Of course, being aware that such gifts are unusual and out of the ordinary could provide a launching point for a wonderful holiday story. Being culturally literate has its advantages all the way around.

Sometimes a Chrysler 300 accessory can save the world. If you believe this is not so, you’ve obviously never watched an episode of MacGyver growing up.

I’ve never written that sort of show and really admire the creativity and tech know-how it must take to write it. Of course, most of the solutions on MacGyver are utter crap that make good fodder for shows like Mythbusters to disprove.

But wouldn’t it be cool to do? Especially if you got good enough at it that the solutions you made up were at least plausible?

One of the biggest traps for writers, especially writers of longer works, is working consistently toward completion of a project. The longer a work is, the harder it is to stay focused until completion.

That’s because the real creative part of writing comes in the early going. If it’s fiction, it’s the joy of plotting and creating believable, motivated characters.

For nonfiction pieces like my heavy-research oriented true crime work, the thrill is in the research itself, the analysis, the attempt to come up with a fresh insight into facts that often are decades old. In the case of Jack the Ripper, over a century old.

Once all that’s done, and the first draft is completed, the rest is just smoothing and revising and rewriting. That’s the real work of writing, and the longer the project is that you’re working on.

And it’s so much more appealing to let yourself get distracted by other things, other ideas, other projects, other activities entirely, than it is to stick with that one, single project until it’s REALLY done.

Heck, I’m not an auto geek but when I get a solid case of RWS - restless writer’s syndrome - even writing about truck accessories can sound momentarily more interesting than finishing a long project.

But one must find a way to overcome RWS and work consistently toward completion, because the only other option is to never finish anything - and that’s a true waste of time, not to mention that you never actually get published that way.

Home theater lighting isn’t just for movie viewing anymore. In fact, I doubt it ever was given that home theater movies are best viewed in total darkness. At least, that’s how I feel about it.

Instead, I find that a lot of the time, I prefer to do my writing in a well-lit room. It helps when you have to search for notes not to be squinting in the dark or a poorly-lit area.

However, don’t try to pen me in. When I write late and night and I don’t have notes to refer too, sometimes total darkness aside from the light of my computer screen is the best way to keep me focused on the task at hand.

Waiting to see yourself in print is a high-anticipation activity. It’s a bit scary, completely thrilling, but definitely not a way to get a calm, early night’s sleep.

Still, as the day draws close that you’ll soon see your article published alongside other names, you begin to go a bit stir-crazy and start thinking along the lines of tossing a little shindig in celebration.

Still, the cost of party invitations, food, beverages and such can get a bit much for what is essentially a “pat me on the back” celebration.

Best advice? Keep it modest and among friends who actually care if you succeed or not.

Whether you’re a writer or a pregnant mom, but especially if you’re both, Kiki’s Fashions is a great place to shop for maternity clothes. The styles won’t make an expectant mother look like a grandmother or 20 years older than they are; the styles are cute, flirty and attractive.

Women, if you still want to raise your husband’s eyebrows and his pulse while you’re with child, don’t rely on hand-me-downs from the early 1900s. But your “with child” wear from a source that knows how to display your 21st century beauty the right way. Check out Kiki’s.

And with that, ScriptSurgeon now returns you to your regularly-scheduled blog.