Ramblings on Reading and Writing

I just tried to read some recommended flash fiction and got frustrated with clumsy sentence structure in the first paragraph. Instead of finishing the online short fiction piece, I jumped down to the comments, most of which raved about how "lovely" the piece was.

Is it just me? Am I a reading snob? Or just impatient? My unwritten rule is if I have to reread two sentences within a paragraph in order to glean the meaning, I needn't traverse further.

But I'm mournful about what I may have missed. Others found the piece to be delightful. Maybe they were just being nice? I'll never know, because ... well because I have an unwritten rule that I just put into writing.

Dear Writers: ENGAGE ME in the first paragraph... please!

This is easy for me to say because I have officially sworn off writing. I already blogged about it (http://jackiedoss.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/i-have-sworn-off-writing/), so it must be true. I do not have to live up to my own standards. Ahh, the taste of freedom! At this moment, it tastes like warm yeast rolls right out of the oven, with a dab of butter.

Am I a Writer, or a Wannabe?

I'm a writer wannabe. I have spent a lot more time wannabe'ing than writing.

I have never been paid for my writing, unless you count the monetary prize I won on behalf of a lady who bid $50 for my writing services at a silent auction. After receiving acclaim and $500, she took me to dinner.

The story above is a glimpse into the self-esteem issues of most writer wannabes. We know deep down that we're good at it. We've received accolades from the time we were young. We shine in the universities with our insight and well-turned phrases. We teach and encourage others to write. We don't finish manuscripts.

I had planned a lengthy essay about how important it is for us wannabes to use the "say it and claim it" mentality to motivate ourselves, because if we keep saying we're wannabes, well... you know. I could wax eloquently for several more paragraphs, but the demons in my head are giving me an untold number of reasons to stop.