Topsy Turvey

I'll try putting the writing stuff on top for a change.

I've reached a conclusion about my rewriting efforts, one that surprised me. I cannot, actually, rewrite anything and make it better than the way I write, at least not yet.

I'm aware of the controversy surrounding "Can Writing be Taught?" and have concluded that, yes, it's possible for anyone's writing to be made better. *Certain* elements of writing can be taught, can be learned, but not everything.

In looking over the original TRE and seeing what I'm writing now, I realize the story is different, if not better. No matter how many times (at my current level) I rewrite it, it's not going to change. It may be akin to painting a salmon room light green to better agree with the carpet, but the room's not changing much.

I can only write as good as I can now. I may never have what it takes to be legendary, most certainly will never be a giant, and it seems no matter how many times I retell Brad's story, it will be the same. I don't know, maybe some day I could turn it into a classic, but I think I'm dealing with realities here.

I can spend years training to run, but at a certain point it's diminishing returns. I think this may also be true of writing, and my time would be better spent creating and crafting rather than in endless polishing.

Also...the shotgun approach may work to my advantage. If I write a hundred stories maybe the odds are one of them will be good!

(speaking of "running," musing on marathons in more...)



The LA Marathon is fast approaching (or, maybe already over and done with)!

I have friends who run, some who ran in the seventies. I was in a bike group back then, and there was lots of training and practicing and sweating and I have nothing against people who exercise. What does bother me, though, is the attitude of many who compete in the LA Marathon.

These people are not practicing to get in shape. I worked with some of them and became disgusted by their martydom the next week. No, they had no interest in running or biking or walking or rolling, they wanted to be in the LA Marathon. The competition was a distant second to participating in the event, of showing off.

I love it when people wrack their bodies into shape and then, on a designated date, lap UCLA ten times, or ride from Manhattan Beach up the coast to Pirate's Cove. They set a date, they test themselves, they see how they do.

This appreciation of sport is entirely lacking in the LA Marathon. It's a corporate monstrousity, with no one other than world class runners able to properly run. These people don't want to run, they want to run surrounded by tens of thousands, to show off, to be seen, and I'd much prefer it if they just did their exercising for their own benefit.