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| 1950 me |
"There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories." --Ursula K. LeGuin
I came across the following in a 1990 Writer's Digest buried deep in my files (and I thought that publication date sounded old):
"The cover of the January 1950 issue of Writer's Digest..." (Wait! 1950? I was only a year old in 1950!) "...featured this list of New Year's Resolutions:
1. I will write 500 words each day, at about the same hour.
2. I will write for a definite market and I will carefully read and study that market.
3. I will seek only professional editorial advice and ignore what the homefolks say about my manuscripts. (A newspaperman, a person who loves books, or a minister is not a professional editorial adviser.)
4. I will believe in myself and my ability.
5. I will keep abreast of the best work done in the writing field that interests me.
Really, is there any new advice all these years later? The rules of writing are timeless, aren't they?
What fun to go back and see what earlier generations said, see common threads. What will future generations say about the writing of today?
How far back do you go with your writing? How successful are you at 1950-style resolutions?
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