Sunday, September 25, 2016

Writing is Hard

Now, there's a play on Broadway (soon to closed and but then will be traveling the country, I hope, I hope) that shows some of the very hard work writers do to create your favorite reading material. (or your favorite movie or play)  Especially the last five lines of this song:


Hard to Be the Bard Lyrics SOMETHING ROTTEN

What people just don't understand
Is that writing's demanding
It's mentally challenging and it's a bore
It's such a chore
TO sit in a room by yourself

Oh my god, I just hate it!

And you're trying to find
An opening line or a brilliant idea
And you're pacing the floor
And hoping for just a bit of divine intervention
That one little nugget that one little spark
Then Eureka! You find it you're ready to start
So now you can write, right? Wrong!
You're not even close, you remember that damn it,
Your play's gotta be in iambic pentameter!
So you write down a word but it's not the right word,
So you try a new word but you hate the new word
And you need a good word but you can't find the word
Oh where is it, what is it, what is it, where is it!
Blah-blah-blah, ha ha, ah-ha -UGHHHHHHHH!

The song also celebrates the perks of being famous - which, of course has to be interrupted with more of what we writers call BIC (butt in chair) if you want to keep on being celebrated as famous.
Take it from me - it's 99% BIC and only 1% with the 'being famous' part.

Then it's back to my room, where I resume
My attempt to write a hit
Just me and my beer and the terrible fear
That I might be losing it
Here's a video clip of this song that you might enjoy.

And here's another one.

And a double dose of I hate Shakespeare plus It's Hard from the Jimmy Fallen Show.

Friday, September 16, 2016

Children's Book Writers United

A lot (and by a lot I mean a whole lot) of children's book writers are for Hillary Clinton. If you click on the blue link, you'll see statements from many of them, including some of your favorite authors: