Category: Just Write

Have you heard of the da Vinci Disease?

Here it is:  You have ideas of what to write about. But you never finish because you never start.  Or you start and can’t find a way to finish to your satisfaction.

You may have a burning desire to write, but there’s never time or maybe you suffer from the da Vinci Disease.

The following is excerpted from “The da Vinci Disease,” by Don Fry, March 2014 issue of the Writer Magazine.

“Leonardo da Vinci never finished anything because he thought he couldn’t achieve perfection.  We all know writers, including ourselves, who can’t (or don’t) finish their work. The root cause is usually a da Vincian rage for perfection, which takes many forms.”

Don Fry’s list of why we don’t finish our writing. Italics are Marlene’s comments.

We don’t start. ‘Nuff said.

Too much gathering.  Some writers keep gathering information but never start actually putting words on the screen. They want perfect information. Raising my hand here. Guilty!

Faulty Organizing. Many writers never finish because they can’t organize their information into what they regard as a perfect structure.  This isn’t about organizing your desk nor files, rather what you want to write and how. Guilty. Again.

Drafting, drafting and more drafting. Many writers never finish drafting because they try to write a perfect first sentence. Gulp. Is there a miniature Don Fry sitting on my desk watching me?

Endless Revising. Many writers simply cannot let go of a piece until they believe it is perfect.

Don, I hear ya and I admit to all of these. So, please excuse me. I’m on deadline to finish a short piece I’ve started, gathered, organized and drafted.  Time for that final edit and then.  . . tap the send key.

To read more about The Da Vinci Disease by Don Fry, click here.

SmokeLong Quarterly publishes flash fiction up to 1000 words.

The SLQ aesthetic remains an ever-changing, ever-elusive set of principles, but it most likely has to do with these kinds of things:

•  language that surprises
• narratives that strive toward something other than a final punch line or twist
• pieces that add up to something, oftentimes (but not necessarily always) meaning or emotional resonance
• honest work that feels as if it has far more purpose than a writer wanting to write a story

We have a special place in our hearts, more often than not, for narratives we haven’t seen before. For the more familiar stories—such as relationship break-ups, bar scenarios, terminal illnesses—we tend to need something original and urgent in the writer’s presentation.

Click here for submission guidelines.

Sonoma County author and writing teacher Stephanie Freele has been published in SLQ:   Breathing Oysters

Have you, or someone you know, been published in Smokelong?  Let me know, and I’ll post on my Facebook Writing Page.

Submit, so we can add your name to the list!

Stephanie Freele

From the Hard Life to the Writing Life by Jay Baron Nicorvo

Put into written words your understanding, and misunderstandings, of the world. — Jay Baron Nicorvo, Jan/Feb 2014 issue of Poets & Writers magazine.

“The Miracle of Mentors: From the Hard Life to the Writing Life,” by Jay Baron Nicorvo.

United Airlines Hemispheres Magazine

“Hemispheres is written for the affluent, curious, sophisticated citizen of the world. Blending long-form journalism with trend stories, think-pieces and service [articles].” — Writer’s Digest Magazine, February 2014.

95% freelance articles, pays $.50 per word and up.

Hemisphere’s Three Perfect Days series is gorgeous photography.  Scroll through for a mental mini-vacation.

Pitch your story. Details here.