Cold Turkey

I read an article recently that said we should stop writing about writing, that it’s been done too often.

Then, I noticed a couple of writers I appreciate had recommended the piece, so I took the author’s advice to heart…until I realized the rest of the people I follow were still writing about writing.

So, here I am, writing about writing again.

It has been called to my attention by a well-meaning editor, that I am way too fond of parenthesis. I knew I was comma-happy, but I hadn’t noticed that before. So, in an effort to improve my writing, I am challenging myself to write at least one piece without a single set.

So far, so good.

I wrote my first opinion piece yesterday, and it went over about as well as I expected, considering the subject. Nobody was mean though, and it was good practice, so I consider it a win-win.

I believe I have finally found my voice. Or more accurately, I have determined the style of my voice. No matter what I attempt to write, it always seems to come out casual…which shouldn’t surprise me, because I am casual.

So, between that, and the fact I don’t do conflict well, I don’t see a lot more opinion pieces in my future. Not that I won’t share little bits of my opinion now and then.

I picture parenthesis around that last sentence. What do you think?

Anyway, I discovered my voice accidentally, while struggling to write a poem. The same poem I’ve been trying to write since I joined Medium, two months ago. I keep thinking, if Mike Essig can create multiple poems every single day, surely I can write one silly poem about spring. I chose spring as my subject because, in theory, it gives me many beautiful things to describe. Not to mention, spring is one of the things I’m most passionate about. How can I go wrong?

But, my casual voice is really loud. Or, I wasn’t blessed with the gift of metaphoric thinking.

Either way, I am poetry-challenged.

So, let me just come out and say it, before spring is over…

I love, when the breeze is just right, how the lilac perfumes my world.

See?

And now, a song. One that perfectly describes my feelings for Medium:

♪♫ And it’s killin’ me when you’re away, I wanna leave and I wanna stay
I’m so confused, so hard to choose
Between the pleasure and the pain
And I know it’s wrong, and I know it’s right
Even if I try to win the fight, my heart would overrule my mind
And I’m not strong enough to stay away ♫♪

Lyrics by Apocalyptica, with Brent Smith…if you like Shinedown and strings, you will probably like this song.