About those ABORTIVE ATTEMPTS...

On Tuesdays I work with a Writers Group down at Backstreet Community Arts here in Newnan, although “group” might be too optimistic a term for such an irregular thing. So far we have not bothered achieving any kind of structure or praxis, and attendance is — shall we say — whimsical.

Still, my experience there has shown me firsthand how the Precepts of Lichtenbergianism impact artists who aren’t sure they are artists. When people tell me how much the book has meant to them, I’m flattered but also kind of surprised. It’s like the videos from Gary Gute’s class on creativity out at the University of Northern Iowa — what a trip to hear my own words and concepts actually being given credit for improving someone’s life!

Of those words and concepts, it’s the Precept of ABORTIVE ATTEMPTS that seems to be the one that breaks down the barriers and lets the light in. When a new writer shows up at Backstreet I ask them what they want to write, and it doesn’t seem to matter what it is, they all say the same thing: “I’m not really sure how to get started.”

That blank page, man. There’s nothing scarier than having to make that first brushstroke on the canvas, that first sentence on the page, that first chord on the staff — and it always comes as a relief for the writers to learn that they are under no obligation to create a perfect thing from beginning to end. Just scribble that magic phrase at the top of the page — ABORTIVE ATTEMPTS — and let ’er rip. Fix it later.

The other key to getting beginning writers started is the whole KING OF HEARTS FALLACY thing: You don’t have to start at the beginning, go until you reach the end, and then stop. The idea that they don’t have to write their memoir in order is absolutely freeing to them. Just start scribbling; put everything in some kind of order later. (NOTE: That order may not be chronological, another reason not to write from beginning to end.)

Recently on Mastodon, someone I didn’t know or follow responded to one of my posts that had been boosted by one of my followers. He had been fascinated enough by the post to go check out Lichtenbergianism.com, and he commented that he seemed to be on board with all the Precepts except ABORTIVE ATTEMPTS, because he didn’t write the phrase on his rough drafts.

I assured him that as long as he was creating crap/doing it wrong and then making it betterer, then he was doing it right. Welcome to the tribe!

Go thou and do likewise.