WD Newsletter: Sucking at writing is part of the process

A double negative makes a positive! [Web Version "]( &p1=%40zZ5CxWoymbFp4XRJXfrcyHooTVVkVgtbaWorVXbDQG0%3D) [header]( &cid=DM119754&bid=1169022544) [Writer's Digest]( &cid=DM119754&bid=1169022544) [Writer's Market]( ) [WD University]( ) [2nd Draft Critiques]( ) Advertisement [kauai writers conference]( ) [Guy Gonzalez]( &cid=DM119754&bid=1169022544) Karen Rinaldi thinks we should be okay with failure in many forms—even our writing. I’m inclined to agree because we can always learn from our failures, no matter how much it may suck at the moment. What doesn’t suck? The great articles we have lined up for this week! —Guy LeCharles Gonzalez Follow [@glecharles]( ) [PRACTICE MAKES PROGRESS] [It’s Great to Suck at Writing]( &cid=DM119754&bid=1169022544) I’ve spent the last two decades devoting myself to an activity that I will never master. Worse, I will never even reach mediocrity. I surf. And I will always suck at surfing. Even though the calculus of hours spent as a factor of my skill level doesn’t seem to justify continued effort, the joy I get from trying (and often failing) makes it worth it because it’s great to suck at something. And nothing gets us acquainted more quickly with sucking at something than being a writer. Surfing and writing are not dissimilar. One embodies physical chaos and the effort it takes to perform within it; the other involves internal chaos and the effort it takes to make sense of it in the form of words. The satisfaction of a well-ridden wave and a well-written sentence bring hits of pleasure that compel me to keep trying to do it again and again. But as any surfer or writer knows, catching a wave and writing well are harder than they seem. Practice makes us better, absolutely, but sucking is part of the process, so it’s best to make it our friend and not our enemy. [Read the full article...]( &cid=DM119754&bid=1169022544) [Writing Sucks image]( &cid=DM119754&bid=1169022544) Advertisement [MFA-Web-Banners-125x125]( ) Spalding’s School of Writing offers affordable, top-tier low-residency programs to serve industry professionals, new scriptwriters, and aspiring professors. Students with a produced script may accelerate their studies. Faculty offer East and West Coast sensibilities. Flexible scheduling, cross-genre study. Apply by August 1. [Spalding.edu/schoolofwriting]( ) WHAT'S NEW [Jerry Seinfeld’s 5-Step Comedy Writing Process]( &cid=DM119754&bid=1169022544) Jess Zafarris shares Jerry Seinfeld’s comedy writing process, including useful tips for aspiring stand-up comedians and writers looking to add comedic elements to their own work. [Read More...]( &cid=DM119754&bid=1169022544) Advertisement [Flash Fiction Contest]( ) [What It Feels Like to Get Your First Book Advance]( &cid=DM119754&bid=1169022544) WD Editor Cassandra Lipp talks about the combination of self-doubt and excitement that came along with her first book advance. [Read More...]( &cid=DM119754&bid=1169022544) Advertisement [AutoCrit]( ) Don't miss your chance to get up to 75% OFF access to AutoCrit – the only online writing and editing platform that confidently guides your revision by comparing to actual published books. Hurry! This offer ends at midnight TONIGHT! [Click here to claim]( ). [Short Short Story: Hari Om Senior Center]( &cid=DM119754&bid=1169022544) Read Reena Shah's short short story, “Hari Om Senior Center,” the grand prize winner of the 19th Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition! [Read...]( &cid=DM119754&bid=1169022544) [A Script Magazine Feature]( ) [Leotards and Jumpsuits]( ) Tom Stempel reviews Captain Marvel, Shazam!, and Us. Explore the screenwriting hits, misses, and opportunities for storytelling and theme that got lost. [Read More...]( ) [Writer's Digest Weekly Writing Prompt]( &cid=DM119754&bid=1169022544) [Write a Negative Poem]( &cid=DM119754&bid=1169022544) In this poem, maybe everything goes wrong. Or maybe everything could go wrong. Perhaps, this is a poem about subtraction. And remember, positive poets: a double negative makes a positive! [Start poeming...]( &cid=DM119754&bid=1169022544) [Writer's Digest University]( ) [Writing Online Content]( ) This course will teach you how to effectively write online articles of all types including news, feature articles, opinion articles, alternative story forms (listicles, charticles, Q&As, and more), and blog postings. [Start writing...]( ) [Self-Paced Course Sale]( ) Please do not reply to this email. We are happy to help you with any questions or concerns you may have. Please [click here to contact us]( ). This email was sent by: F+W, 10151 Carver Road, Suite 300, Blue Ash, OH, 45242 USA [Unsubscribe]( &cid=DM119754&bid=1169022544) | [Web Version "]( &p1=%40zZ5CxWoymbFp4XRJXfrcyHooTVVkVgtbaWorVXbDQG0%3D) We respect your right to privacy. [View our policy.]( )