Tagline to Rhythm

2024.10.04

Good morning that wonderful way.

Maybe you developed a tagline to start with now.

It helps.

Reminds your body what you're doing.

Heard a prolific bestseller type author say: "Writing is a physical exercise."

Wise words from the page turner.

A good tagline, too.

It's something we do. There's a bit of thinking. Some dreaming. But the act of writing is an act.

If your hands aren't making hieroglyphs, you ain't writing.

Daydreaming is key.
Staring off into space is key.

But they're not writing.
They're setting the mood. Stretching warm-ups.

Writing isn't thinking. I mention that often.

Thinking about sentences is editing. Before, after, or during the act of creation.

Editing makes strong sentences stronger.

Only English teachers, critics and grammar do-righters (a.k.a. people scared to write anything original), like writing with editing first.

All readers love writing whose editing comes second.

It's immediacy. The act of creation is lacking from the pre-editors. There's no infection of the moment of the idea.

I go back and correct after I wrote a word or two sometimes, but that's experience. I stop after some words and wait to hear the next one start in my head voice, then go.

That's part of it.

Some writers, and artists of all genres, don't like the word flow. It creates a sense of magic to our crafts.

Which is cool. That's the right word, cool, because it's socially exceptional. It stands out. It's cool to have a sense of magic to what you're doing.

But after you've done it for some time you know it's work. Like all other work, it's something you do.

Replace the word flow with rhythm and you're right.

Poor writing is a song that misses the beat.

Editing without keeping to the rhythm of the piece is like singing off-key. Something is out of place, and the reader knows it.

"Easy reading is hard writing." <– Another author said that; it's too early to Google it, and I'd lose the rhythm.

"Rhythm supersedes all else in writing." <– I said that.

"And most likely, Life." <— I responded to myself with that.

It's why interruptions from day to day life infuriate artists. It gets us out of rhythm, kicks us offbeat.

Find your rhythm today and have a better day.