I follow writer Nathan Baugh on LinkedIn and enjoy his insights about writing, communication, storytelling and building audiences. His site is named “World Builders” and he offers a newsletter that I enjoy reading. I love his tagline:
“The newsletter to make you a smarter storyteller.”
His most recent newsletter offered wisdom that crawled into my circuitry. Maybe it’s because I’m juggling projects and trying to hone the effectiveness of my writing across genres. Maybe it’s the natural evolution of wanting to do better, be better. I’m not sure.
The advice Baugh imparted isn’t new, but it reminded me of the importance of readiness. We can soak up all the input in the world but if we don’t have the capacity for marination – to make meaning – it couldn’t be more meaningless, could it? I can be quite adept at nodding, smiling, acknowledging helpful hints, but it’s the application of the medicine, the technique, that matters. Letting it sink in until I know precisely how to make use of the message.
Two things jumped out in Baugh’s latest offering, Fewer Ideas, But Better:
Fewer plots, but better. Fewer characters, but better. Fewer themes, but better. Fewer scenes, but better.
When you scrap one part of your story, it doesn’t just simplify. You’re actually giving the other, more important parts of your story space to breathe.
Editing…simplifying.
All of which led to a little gaming on my part. As I draft short pieces like this blog post, I’m trying to step away before publishing. Give the piece a little breathing room before I return to it, see if I can whittle a few words while zeroing in on the point.
Baugh’s perspective prompted insight about who I am as a human, who happens to enjoy writing. The human always comes first…words flowing from the inside out, reflecting the interior. Head, heart, memories, hopes, dreams, worries.
My glimmer was this: I have a nasty repetition habit. Saying something one way, and then another – and, for good measure, occasionally sidewinding around one more time to be sure the reader has the best shot at gleaning…whatever it is I’m trying to say. And that, my friends, is a personality foible.
After years of wrestling to be heard as a child, my communication default in adulthood carries that faint echo, even now.
Make sure you’re heard, Vicki. Understood.
Thank you for reading and to Nathan for providing a gateway to self-understanding.
Vicki 😊
https://www.worldbuilders.ai/p/fewer-ideas-but-better
Hi – I’m Victoria, Vicki, Dr. Vicki. I hold a doctorate in Adult Education and I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and author of Surviving Sue | Eckhartz Press.
Check out this link to learn more about my book “Surviving Sue” – all about resilience and love.
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Victoria Ponders 
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