Before I continue, I just have to give a shout-out to my boy Andy G., who leaves to Korea to teach English for a year next Saturday. This is significant for the both of us in that this man’s like a younger brother to me, and I’ll miss him while he’s there. His passion and compassion will make great qualities to the program, and hopefully he comes back as the same irreverent but a more grown version of the man he is today. Keep in touch, Andy. And no, if you do get married for some reason, I won’t kick you in the nuts like you asked me to. That’s Sunny’s job.

So with the week off I have, I’ll have plenty of time to give myself time to recuperate from the kids, and maybe write a little more in that ubiquitous manuscript every writer seems to have in their back pocket, at the very least for a conversational piece. I’ll be somewhere in NYC away from home from Sunday – Tuesday for some QT with the QT, and then Miami from Thursday – Sunday to visit my fully recovered father.

I love getting tagged for memes, and I can’t figure out why. It’s probably because it makes me feel important that someone would want my opinion … or simply that I get to withhold my best posts for another round, similar to Dwight Howard’s Slam Dunk contest routine tonight (that boy was an absolute slamimal and he can’t be caged).

Anyways, Shelly thinks I’d offer good tips on writing, and I laughed because there’s no way I’m sharing my secrets on this public forum. I never ever share any good advice on writing, and never thought I would either, until Shelly promised to add me on Facebook as a friend. After that, how could I resist?

3. Some Words You Should Never Misspell

Their. Believe. Embarrass. Wednesday. February. Piece. They’re. The. It’s and Its. Can’t.

There are just some words you can’t get away with misspelling, and these are just a few. I’m sorry, but I have a feeling that, if you’re targeting an intelligent audience, there are certain words you wouldn’t dare misspell. Some words you can get away with misspelling, especially if they have more than 3 syllables, but spell-checking and proofreading are your two best friends. That is, unless you intentionally misspelled the word to make a clearly stated point, then that’s cool.

2. Stay On Point, Whatever The Point

Blogs are notorious for their circuitous ruminations, and often, we wonder if the author knows the point they’re trying to make. Sometimes, it’s plainly obvious that the author simply wants to write their thoughts down, but there’s a difference between simply meandering and trying to make your point but not getting there. Even in poetry, I hate when certain poets lose me with their deceptive similes in favor of distracting us from the fact that they’re making no sense. Stay on point. You don’t necessarily have to be concise, but come sharp. I follow the previous statement pretty well.

1. Touch It, Bring It, Pay It, Watch It, Turn It, Leave It, Stop, Format It

Truer words were never spoken. Once you’ve learned the rules of writing, and can format great essays, you can abandon the rules completely. There’s a sense that we have to prove ourselves that we have some sense of literacy, after which we can veer far from the rules, and thus make our own. When I write, I think about the rules of writing for a little bit, then I break away from them until I find my voice.

The reality of this exercise, though, is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Some people need structure when they write, making an outline of their thoughts and ideas before putting down a single word. Others like to read a ton of literary pieces before they write their own, which is a great idea except that some people get stuck on trying to write like someone else. I abide by my own advice; just give me a keyboard and my music list, and I’m ready to rock.

I tag (hoping to awake some sleeping giants):

Amber at bamcabral.net

Harm at simplyharmony.com

Tamara at xanga.com/mental_revelatiions

and

Kelvin at xanga.com/pre_k

jose, who would have more to talk about, but really, personal tragedies are no laughing matter. this says it all …