Summary

Kristine shares her personal journey and humorous insights on becoming a writer, emphasizing the importance of editing and the transformative power of writing.

Abstract

In a blog post titled "WRITING MADE EASY: My Recipe for Writing Superiority," Kristine recounts her path to becoming a proficient writer, beginning with her childhood experiences with reading and television. She reflects on the evolution of her relationship with storytelling, from being traumatized by "Charlotte's Web" to finding comfort in television shows that became a staple in her family's life. Kristine humorously touches on historical aspects of writing, such as the silent 'W' in 'writing,' and contrasts modern conveniences with past realities, like the absence of indoor plumbing. The post culminates in a tongue-in-cheek "recipe" for writing excellence, which includes a significant portion of editing and a dash of tears, suggesting that writing is an accessible skill that can be mastered with dedication and practice.

Opinions

Kristine believes that the silent 'W' in 'writing' is a source of amusement, imagining its pronunciation in the 17th century.
She expresses a fondness for television as a storytelling medium and credits it with shaping her early understanding of narrative.
Kristine reflects on the dramatic impact of books, particularly "Charlotte's Web," which she humorously blames for a temporary aversion to reading.
She emphasizes the importance of editing in the writing process, alluding to it as the most critical ingredient in her "recipe" for writing.
Kristine suggests that writing can be enjoyable and accessible to anyone, regardless of age, but humorously cautions those over 35 about their limited time.
She shares a personal anecdote about attending a book reading by Jenny Lawson, hinting at an entertaining story she plans to share later.
The author's tone is light-hearted and self-deprecating, using humor to engage the reader and convey her love for writing.

WRITING MADE EASY

My Recipe for Writing Superiority

Thanks for coming to my blog. First, let me tell you a story

I know what you might be thinking? How did Kristine get so good at this writing thing?

First of all, it is spelled WRITING. Not Riting or Righting as some might think.

The silent W comes from old English and was apparently pronounced throughout the 17th century. Can you imagine! What a crazy time to live. Wuhriting. I can’t stop laughing imagining a kid saying that word.

Now I’ve stopped laughing because I looked up the average life expectancy in the 17th century and it was 35 years old. I only started writing after I turned 35. What a waste of my life if I lived then!

Although, they didn’t bathe because there were no water pipes, so maybe it was for the best.

Oh, and don’t get me started on flushing toilets. I spent weeks at the family cottage as a child and they had an outhouse. Get this… with two seats! Like you’re going to do your business beside your brother or something.

Archaic!

Back to writing. Let me tell you a story (that’s funny because writers tell stories).

When I was a child, I read a book. Not just any book, it was Charlotte’s Web. Well, did I cry at the end (sorry if that is a spoiler alert)?!

That shirt might say happy, but someone def read Charlotte’s Web to her. Photo by Arwan Sutanto on Unsplash

I was traumatized. Truthfully. So I began the long journey of forgetting about books and watching television. I had Gilligan’s Island, M.A.S.H., Laverne and Shirley, The Bob Newhart Show, Love Boat, Fantasy Island. Look — I was busy.

You remember the jingle, right?!

A three-hour tour

Can we say, word worm?

Sorry to start it for you.

As I was saying, I was definitely a product of television. Our TV was on all day, even when no one was home. TV became an extension of our family, of a sort. You see, I lived with a single father and my younger brother. We had each other but we needed something to keep our mind off the strange living situation we found ourselves in. My goodness, if it wasn’t for Young and the Restless, I would have thought our lives were the most dramatic of all.

I grew up a bit and still didn’t like books so I started watching shows like Cheers, Diff’rent Strokes, Happy Days, The Cosby Show, Dukes of Hazard. Wow, it really was a special time. My dad, brother, and I would sit on the couch and watch together each night. Sometimes we would even give each other shoulder massages.

After that decade of TV, it was on to Survivor, Seinfeld, Friends, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Golden Girls. RIP Betty White. Have you Googled her yet? Oh, please do. I’ll wait.

Am I right? So sentimental. Now all of those Golden Girls are gone. I often thought of having a place with a lanai at that time of my life. In fact, I still think it is a good idea.

So peaceful.

So peaceful that it would be the perfect place to write. Bring out a journal and a pen and get to it.

Recipe

One part idea

One part writing

Seventeen parts editing

Two parts tears

There you have it, folks. A perfect recipe for writing (or riting 😂) superiority. I’ve only been writing for a couple of days, but it seems easy and fun. Really anyone can do it. (If you are over 35, you are on borrowed time though.)

Good luck. Oh, and have I ever told you about the time I went to see a book reading by Jenny Lawson? Let me tell you. It was chaos.

But I’ll save that for tomorrow’s dinner.

Ciao for now!

Author edit: Oops, I forgot to add the link for the ‘skip to recipe’ badges. Glad you made it all the way through.