EXERCISE: The Dating Game?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original posting 14 May 2009

I'm not sure what to make of this. But maybe an exercise is the best answer? So pick a number from 1 to 8, okay? Do people really say things like this?

Got your number? Here's what you picked:

1. I don't want to ruin our friendship. A.k.a. kissing you makes me sick.
2. I love you, but I'm not in love with you. A.k.a. I'm cheating on you.
3. I'm friends with all my exes. A.k.a. I'm going to introduce you to everyone I ever had sex with.
4. I hate all my exes. A.k.a. I'm going to scare you.
5. All my exes were psychos. A.k.a. I'll drive you crazy too.
6. Are you really going to wear that? A.k.a. I'll tell you what to wear.
7. I'm so nice; I'm almost too nice. A.k.a. you should thank me for dating you.
8. My mom and I are besties! A.k.a. I'm going to tell her everything about you.

Over here at http://us.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/personal/05/14/tf.dating.translations/index.html
they explain the phrases in a little more detail. You may want to check the article. But the exercise is fairly simple.

Take two people in the early stages of a relationship. Put them in a scene -- coffee shop, bar, dance floor, museum, or whatever you like. And in the course of their dialogue, one of them uses this phrase. The other one has to decide just what this means and how they are going to react.

So what happened?
Write!

skyrockets in flight, afternoon delight...

TECH: 101 Tips (11)

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original posting 15 May 2009

Writers' Digest, October 2004, pages 26 to 33, has a collection of short "nuggets of wisdom" related to getting published. Maria Schneider is the author of the compilation. Take a deep breath, and here we go:

"I see a lot of people who want to be writers, but they spend their time doing everything but writing. They take classes, conferences, do outlines and character sketches, read books about writing -- they do everything but write. My best advice is to write and realize it's a trial-and-error process." Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Hum. You mean that the trick, the secret, the way to be a writer is to write? But... that's like work. Sit down and write? Then write some more? And ...

WRITE!