Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
(Well, no, today’s subtitle does not have any direct bearing on things around the Doctrine. Well, maybe it does. (See below for the fisher cat reference. (See below that for the delayed gratification)).
Fisher cats….sounds like they’re back (very non-feline sound) (well, maybe like some cats might dream of sounding like, or cats did crack and got all messed up and in a fight, then maybe it would be mistaken for a cat)[1]
Dogs Una and Drexel and Joules [2]
Warm September weather [3]
Blogs and the internet [4]
Joined a (‘real’ world) writers group! If my experience writing this blog has taught me anything, it’s taught me that I need to stay un-comfortable. Everything I learn, each advance I make becomes a part of who and/or what I am, and that is how it should be. But with the integration of the new and novel comes comfort and the risk of complacency. And there is, all my sincere feeling regarding the equivalency of the virtual world when it comes to the people I count as friends notwithstanding, a certain effect of concretosity* that is not a bad thing. (And not, in and of itself necessarily a good thing…just a thing). [5]
So I thought, lets find a writers group, then I can get uncomfortable!
I joined Romance Writers of Rhode Island. It happened that their first monthly meeting (after a Summer break) was in September. So I showed up.** (New Readers: the emphasis I’m placing on the fact that I actually walked into a room full of published writers has everything to do with being a clark. And, if I might be so bold, one more example of the efficacy of this here Doctrine here.) [6]
Anyway…. They were all very nice, courteous and friendly. I sat in the back of the room (of course) and one woman invited me to join her and her friends and did it, (the invitation) so well that I actually got up and sat in the offered seat. I sat and listened to the conversations going on around me before the meeting started.
And, hey! speaking of ‘Almira’ Chapter 26 is due out by weeks end. Good news is that I’m beginning to see the connections that are forming among established elements of the story leading to the climax in 1939. [7]
Had a very enjoyable conversation with an associate who’s a scott with a significant secondary clarklike aspect. Remarkable combination of energy and erudition…. think combination of Don King and Stephen Hawking. (lol! damn! I gots to get me some photos) [8]
Hostinae Spotlight of the Week! Michelle!
Unless I wrong (yeah, like thats gonna happen!) (lol) Michelle has been a host of this here bloghop here since it started. Her blog is ‘Getting Literal‘ and, she’s like huge over in the Hub Pages (many of the people I count as friends came her from there). Michelle lives on the other side of the planet. And…. and did a really cool walking vid tour of Singapore… like totally live. very cool Of course she’s on the Facebook. What say we all click over to her site and test her provider’s bandwidth.[9]
Secret Book of Rules (aka Book of Secret Rules) Secret Rule 1.3 [10]
* not a ‘real’ word
** I believe Woody Allen is credited with the saying, ‘80% of success is just showing up’.
Your hosts
Join the Ten Things of Thankful Facebook Group
About clarkscottroger
I am anxious to hear all about your real world writers’ group. My local library hosts one and I have been toying with the idea of attending. But you found the courage to actually do it!
in all modesty, I owe the courage to the Wakefield Doctrine (long, but totally fascinating story, though)
Thanks for the shout out, Clark! I think I owe you guys a better walking tour. I’ll have my vid ready when I hop over somewhere next. And how cool to meet writers in real life!
A writing group. In real life. I think that is a novel (pun intended) idea. Thanks for the inspiration. I’m floundering a bit in life – in my writing and reading as well, but I feel the gravitational pull (nuther pun intended) back to reality. Don King and Stephen Hawking. Quite a combo, but then scotts and clarks are – I should know.
yeah, the impulse (join a writers group) was not natural, except to the extent that the Wakefield Doctrine is natural… from the very first post I’ve found it possible to keep pushing myself beyond what my normal inclinations to play it safe would have me do.
Excellent! The joining of the writers group. Yes, as a clark, uncomfortable should be a state present more often than not. How else will we get shit accomplished lol
Dogs mentioned? Most excellent representation of the canine kingdom.
Michelle! I remember the walking tour through Singapore. Yes! We need a followup tour from you. Been too long :)
I’m really liking Almira. It’s a story that, while it must end (and I look forward to finding out what happens) I don’t want it to! I’m getting caught up such that well, with the lack of tv viewing options these days, the world of Circe and Lawrence has been keeping me quite entertained!
I think you’ve addressed this a bit before, but this post got me wondering about your ideas about clarks, scotts, and rogers and aging. (Not that I’m calling anyone old.) Are clarks more comfortable being uncomfortable? Do rogers care less about pack mentality? Do scotts think, “Oh, well. It’s not worth the pursuit.”?
Very good question (particularly how it is framed)… so good that, if you don’t mind, I’ll use it for a Post topic for tomorrow’s Doctrine post.
Of course I don’t mind. I’ll tune in tomorrow to read the response.
Congrats on making the leap to real life situations, with the joining in at a local writing group. After nearly a year, I can say I highly recommend it. Though all are likely not created equal, they serve a most excellent purpose, which hopefully you will find out for yourself. I assume you plan to keep attending?
The blogging thing is great and I owe it a lot, but it can become comfortable, and that’s not the reality of writing. We can soon feel like nobody really visits or reads, at least not enough of a critical eye to our writing. It becomes another meeting place, though virtual, for friends. This is great, but something extra is added when we take our writing and risk public ridicule in a group of other writers. Hope to hear more about your particular writing group, here at this here Doctrine, in future TToT posts.
When my wife Phyllis graduated from college and was looking for her first position as a chemist in a lab, the first thing she did was buy a lab coat. Before any job offers arrived, simply bought and put on a lab coat around the house.
There is something about doing the things that people who do what you want to also do….do. So it made sense to find some published writers and try to hang out with them. Surely I’ll acquire something from the risk.
I am very excited for your writer’s group adventures because go you, Clark! That took some serious unclarklike balls. I totally get it. That said, here’s a great coincidence…I found a local-ish writer’s group this weekend quite by accident and I do believe I am going to join and show up for stuff. It’s a little bit of a drive, which makes me insane because I really am a nervous driver when it’s not just around my usual area. But I’m going to step outside of the comfort zone and do this. So we can support each other in being out there clarking around in the writer’s group arena.
Thank you… (fill in the obvious jokes of a full spectrum of color from 5th grade white to scottian blue)
I’ve always believed that if I want to develop a skill then I need to find people who do it better and hang around them… not easy for our people, I’ve never been big on doing things that I’m convinced will cause others to laugh at me….because that has ever happened …lol
But the Wakefield Doctrine was been a source of ‘extra drive and motivation from the day I hit publish on my first post… so, it’s kinda like, ‘well, I gotta!’
Hey, GET YOU, with your real group of writers :) Part of me hopes they ask you to breakfast ;)
lol
we clarks sure do know how to keep it unreal!
hopefully no one will ask me directly why I’m writing a book! (the answer is: the Wakefield Doctrine… serially, it’s all about learning to write good enough to write the Wakefield Doctrine book so that everyone will read about it and such)
(yeah, no matter how obliquely we explain it and not matter how far into the real world we might get, we identify ourselves as Outsiders… scotts and rogers would not be inclined to cite a deliberate effort to transform themselves as the reason for doing something like this).
oh well, what are gonna do
They have a thing where members can bring in work to have the group critique it, so I figure… in for a penny, in for a pound (as you people might say)…. and, yes, not only do I enjoy suggestion ordeals to my friends and fellow clarks, I look for chances to self-apply the concept to my own self