Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
Again with the Weekend! The days are speeding up, but the temperature is remaining in a good, ‘hot enough for you?’ range.
This is, of course, the Ten Things of Thankful, ‘the bloghop that Lizzi built’. I describe it that way, not because anyone is depending on me to identify the creator of this thing of ours, but to remind myself of the power of the initial simple steps, (whenever) we set out to self-improve ourselves. Often, at least for me (and therefore most clarks), the hard part is not getting started on a path of improvement, it is remembering the success that I’ve achieved. Let me re-phrase that, when we succeed at improving ourself, (really truly, fundamentally), the new state becomes the ‘always state’. Our lives change. Which is what (many of us) are after. But the drawback is when life changes, reality changes, and the new me becomes the only real me. It takes a lot of imagination (and effort) to remember that old me, the pre-improvement me, not for any morbid or negative purpose, and certainly not for the ‘well, you’re really still that person, not this new person, purposes. The value in ‘remembering before’ is in the reinforcement of the efforts that went into getting to where we are now. We did it once, and we can do it again, (as in, further improvement).
Ok! I don’t know what brought that on, but I’m grateful that the hostinae at the TToT are so tolerant of my, less than rule-straight manner of writing.
2) (well, ’cause I got one right above… about the co-hostinae here at the TToT?) I appreciate that I still retain the tendency to, upon hearing a random, but odd phrase, be able to hold on to my initial reaction long enough to write it into a post. Item 3 that follows, came out of nowhere, earlier today, while in conversation with Denise about clarks…
3) the phrase: ‘clarks can be so low-self-standardized’ I laughed out loud when I heard me say that, as did Denise. Which, if you’re keeping up with your Wakefield Doctrine studies, this ‘startled laughter’ is one of the markers of the ‘rogerian expression’. I will leave it to you, the Reader, to go here and read up one of the truly charming qualities of our rogerian brethren.
4) credit to Una, when she goes out into the backyard, she’s clearly there to work. She sits, (upright, not like laying down), and faces out towards the woods. Keeping watch, of course.
5) credit to Phyllis for doing the things she enjoys, which included this week, the annual, ‘go to the beach after work and go swimming under the full moon’ (I”ll try to find the vid from last year’s swim).
6) the Graviteers. As a group, does what groups do best, (when groups are good), i.e. despite the vacations, they are all, collectively and one-at-time and alternately, sending in the photos every day (except Sunday). There are tons of demands on our time during this time of year, but not a day in the Summer has gone by without the photos arriving and being posted. good group
7) just completed an online seminar, (about how to write a Query Letter). Sent in my sample synopsis and sample letter, one more step up the road taken. They promise to send me a critique in a couple of weeks, which is the reason for this exercise, i.e. the critique, ’cause when I send out Query letters, agents do not send letters back, (at least I haven’t gotten a letter back), that include suggestions on how to make my query more effective.
8) Chapter 17 of Almira comin at ya this weekend. So, guess who’s coming to dinner? (that’s unfair, Chapter 17 will only set up the dinner at the Gale Farm, the actual dinner should not show up until Chapter 18. I’m kinda looking forward to the challenge, to have a Chapter entirely one scene, ‘dinner at the Gale Farm’. Long before and many degrees colder, Almira is on the mend, staying at Annie LoPizzo’s, although with the frequency of visits from Sterling Gulch, one might be forgiven for thinking that it was his apartment! You think he’s fallen hard for our Almira, or what? We also get to look in on Frederick Prendergast, busy keeping the Mills churning out the profit for the Essex Company and if people get hurt achieving his goals, well, there are plenty more where they came from, (mostly central and eastern Europe), (I mean a lot, like a majority of the population of Lawrence MA in the late 1800s, early 1900s were immigrants from Europe, attracted to the opportunity for work and the, relatively, decent living conditions).
9) (will have to spend more time) on the Book of Secret Rules (Secret Book of Rules), may come back a little later. It’s a real good thing.
10) (speaking of the BoSR/SBoR), SR 1.3 binyons!
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