Monday 8 April 2013

GOALS - A to Z CHALLENGED

G is for GOALS

Each post for the A to Z Challenge is the challenge I set for myself.

Sometimes people's goals
conflict ;)
















For me, in writing, G is for Goals because it is the difference between theoretically writing and challenging yourself to produce sections or chapters that build up to the end.

HAL LONGLEAT AND THE TROUBLE WITH TRUTH
Hal licked at the rough and torn skin beside his nail. Then, he gripped his hands over the top of his hat. He edged away from the shadow and risked moving little further forward. He climbed on to the water trough and rested a hand on the stable wall for balance. He still wasn’t tall enough to see over the crowd. It wasn’t that he cared about the result. He had to know what was happening.

Could YOU have been gifted with the ability to identify and eliminate weak and brittle phrases from your work? To the uninitiated, these interlopers look like quality imagery.

CLICHÉ RAIDERS: REWRITE!

•           give a dog a bad name
•           give up the ghost
•           glutton for punishment
•           goes without saying, it
•           goes from strength to strength
•           grasp the nettle
•           greatest thing since sliced bread
•           great unwashed, the
•           green with envy
•           grim death, like

FOR G, I CHOSE GOALS WHAT IS THE SUBJECT OF YOUR G POST?          

14 comments:

  1. your challenges to yourself are easily things i shoud work on too!
    and i love the challenge of rewriting cliches. i need to print these out and try some!

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    1. Hi Tara
      You're more than welcome to join me on my quest to find the sharpest (impossible to ignore) kind of writing ;)

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  2. Vonnegut's advice that a protagonist should always have a goal, even if it's a glass of water, stands up. It's a sound place to start from.

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    Replies
    1. Hi John
      Any kind of goal - for the writer or the mc - is essential :D

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  3. I set goals for quality over quantity. The challenge of rewriting cliches is a great one.

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    Replies
    1. Hi M Pax
      Thank you. Clichés are comfy like saggy end of the sofa - easy to slip into ;) You're right quality is important too. I worry because I often find that today's quality is tomorrow's clunky.

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  4. Goals are so important. I'm always creating goal lists.

    A to Z Participant
    Cherie Reich - Author and Surrounded by Books Reviews

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    Replies
    1. Hi Cherie
      I like the idea of having a Goal List - it will fit well with all the other lists I live with.

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  5. Having goals is the only way I get anything done. I'm a fan of them! The trick is not to have too many goals at once. Otherwise, you're going to get overwhelmed and get nothing done.

    Julia King at http://juliawritingjewelsking.blogspot.com/

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    Replies
    1. Hi Julia
      Thanks for stopping by and commenting. You have made a good and valid point, there's nothing worse than suffering under the weight of self-expectation.

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  6. New goal: avoid using "green with envy." Thanks!
    Kathy @ Swagger Writers

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  7. Great job! Mine was also goals but totally lame. LOVED yours! I'll be back!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Claudia
      I'm glad you liked my Goal's post. You are welcome to call back whenever you like ;)

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