Showing Some Love.

My dearest cousin, even though we have hardly known each other face to face has become one of my favorite humans on this planet. Although we have been separated by miles and miles of country for most of our lives, she and I still seem to have more in common than most anyone else in our family. She inspired me with this whole blogging thing even though our styles are completely different, I think we keep each other motivated in little ways. Her blog, nerdbliss.com was one of the biggest reasons I chose wordpress.com to start my own thing.

Over the last few months, I have lost interest in facebook.com in almost every regard but I find myself sitting there for hours chatting with her and a few other people. Any time I need thoughts and feedback on something I go to her, my fellow scribbling kin. Most nights though, she tries to explain science fiction to me and we shoot the shit about everything and nothing for hours on end.

We both got kindles for Christmas this year and she shared a wealth of information with me about sites to find free books on, it’s something that I still utilize on a daily basis. Tonight I got online and saw that she posted this article http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2012/02/21/25-things-i-want-to-say-to-so-called-aspiring-writers/

At first when I see stuff like that is, oh shit, here it is, this is when I find out that I have been doing everything wrong and I should finally stop kidding myself about what I have been doing for the past year. I keep expecting someone to say how writing is technical and to get anywhere you have to go to years of schooling and understand proper English or little things like spelling.

This article though, was everything I needed to hear, from a ‘real writer’ and I laughed the whole way through, I was in awe, I was comforted and inspired. It was one of the single most important things I have read since I have become a writer, so I followed the links at the bottom and immediately downloaded his book. In most cases, I am hesitant to take advice when it comes to being creative but this guy is on the same wavelength as I am and I will totally take his advice. If he can get me this worked up just with 25 tips to being a better writer, I wonder what I will be able to manage with 500 tips about how to become a better writer. If anything I will have something to look back and reflect on if I ever get insecure and need a boot in my ass.

A few points he makes in this post, can relate to all aspects of life, like,

“You need to learn the rules…in order to know when they must be broken.

You need to break the rules… in order to know why they matter.” Words to live by for anyone I think.

I can’t wait to read this book, once again, I have my cousin to thank. She finds all the cool stuff. We will just agree to disagree about Star Trek, I will just never get it but that is a small, meaningless thing that can easily be put away in the name of love and family. To only have something that simple be the only thing that comes between members of my family and I is almost a miracle. I will never stop being thankful for finally having someone like her in my life.

2/22/2012 7:09 AM