“Far better it is to
dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure,
than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer
much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor
defeat.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
I'm taking a week off from work to
write and edit before classes start back. I'm on my second day, so far, so
good. I did a lot of writing the first day. I believe it was somewhere around
five to six handwritten pages and a thousand or so typed. I edited three
chapters of my first book. I haven't worked on the book for almost six months
and I have to said being away from it for so long as given me a new look at it.
I enjoy what I had done with the
book so far and I’m very proud of my writing but there is still a lot of work
to do.
I wrote two different prologues for
the story and I’m going to post, later, the prologue I am not using. When I
post it I’ll add some pictures of the editing work and why I’m not using it,
but now you have something to look forward too now. (I’m thinking near the end
of the month.)
I'm going to try hard with this
blog to be raw and unfiltered with my word. I haven't, to be honest with you,
put a lot of work into this blog because of a crippling fear I have. My
dyslexia make me extreme self-conscious of errors in my writing. Most the time
it is errors I can't see or know and my friends along with my family point them
out to me. I want them to point these errors out because it's how I learn but
to put something online for someone I don't know to read terrific me.
I fully understand that my blog
maybe the first and only writing someone may read from me and if the grammar or
spelling is off then they might not believe I am a real writer. A belief
I have a hard time with most days.
I’m trying hard to dawn the title Dyslexia Writer with some form
of confidence.
Grammar and spelling are not the
things that make a story great or enjoyable but they are the tools to help make
the story better. As Stephen King puts it, "Grammar and spelling are tools
you need in your toolbox." He later says you don't always have to use the
tools but it's better to know they are there than not to have them at all. You
wouldn’t try hammering a nail with a screwdriver. You need a hammer for that.
The right tool for the right job, in other words.
My problem is tow fold. One, my tool box is a
little dent up and hard to open. Second is I am missing a few of the tools
because the box is too small. I am not trying to say I'm dumb or stupid but to
say I understand my blight. I'm fully aware of what my mind does or doesn’t do
and how it works. Which is not like everyone’s else and I’m thankful it. By no
means would I every want to change how I am. I like me and I like my problems …
they are after all mine.
I am the Dyslexia Writer.
I take this title so they can't use
it against me. It is mine and I have the power over it. As long as I keep it
then they have no power. I also wear it as a shield. Sometimes, my confidence
is so fragile with my writing the only way to keep myself going is to shield
myself for a little bit.
I’ve taken down many of Facebooks
posts out of fear I got something wrong in it. No one said anything to me. I
just talked myself into thinking there was something wrong with grammar and
spelling. So I took it down. Then again, I’ve had many people point out errors
in my posts and I spend some time trying to understand how I got it wrong. I
hand write what the errors are and keep them to the side for later uses.
There is a burning want in me to
share this struggles with the world. I daydream about being on a T.E.D stage
after having published a book talking about how I became a writer in the
foolish hope it will would help someone out there. I know, I really do know, it
is a foolish dream but it is a dream that makes me smile and gets me through
the long days
I can’t name any writers like me. I
know they are out there but I feel they are scared to let people know because
being a Dyslexia Writer is
paradox and contradiction. Plus, it’s really easy to make fun of us and to
discouraged us. Many writers who fight this battle hide with it. I don’t blame.
I understand why and I have been doing the same for a long time now.
I am trying to set myself as the
hero but no means do I want that; I am just trying to share my story.
So I feel there is someone out
there who needs to hear, “You can do it.” I understand how hard it is but you
can do it.
If I ever wrote a memoir the main
forces of the book would be my fight to become a writer. I think the title
would be something like this; ‘Can You
Edit This for Me? My battle with dyslexia and my mind.’
So what I'm trying to say is I'm
going to spend this year working hard on bringing you into my world with this
blog. I'm going to write at least two times a month and really welcome you into
my struggle with all of this. I hope you
enjoy it and I hope you come along for the ride.
“Writing is a lonely
job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference. They don't
have to make speeches. Just believing is usually enough."
― Stephen
King
With a handshake,
No comments:
Post a Comment