Azur's Musings & Missives

By Azur - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in On Writing

Saturday, March 26, 2005

Have we blown things out of perspective?

People are as pre-occupied with the Schiavo case as if it were 911 or the tsunami. In fact I think some people care far more about Schiavo than they did about 230,000 or more victims of the tsunami and their loved ones. How can that be? At that time I was unprepared for the fact that many people... Sign in to see full entry.

When the going gets tough, people keep it simple.

Is your head buried in the sand? I heard someone say the other day that at times when the world is experiencing great transformation that people adopt the most simplistic of views. Everyday I read posts here where people explain matters in terms which are black and white. I believe people are... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, March 24, 2005

Who are you to tell others to take the hard road?

Be a martyr not for others. I have no right to ask you to take the long and winding road. Even if I am on the hard road too I have no place to think you should join me. At the moment many people who are riding along life's freeway are asking others to take off their boots and hike barefoot through... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

They Sucked Me Dry

Inquisitiveness is great but when everyone is looking to you for guidance and advice it is draining. This week at classes students asked me question after question about assignments. One boy was frighteningly bright and asked me a very good question and used a word that I could not for the life of... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, March 21, 2005

Unclog your blockages

Writer's block real or imagined? So many people just can't get the words out. Why? I am not sure that writer's block exists. I think that sometimes we cannot write because we are overwhelmed by other things going on in life. Or sometimes we are paralysed by fear of failure or concern that we are not... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, March 20, 2005

Robbing Peter to pay Paul

I hate to see people being exploited. I hate to be exploited myself. Regular readers know that I am teaching newswriting at a couple of universities. At one I am paid for my teaching and for marking and assessing the work. At the other they have told me that I am expected to mark but I am only to be... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, March 17, 2005

Are you using precision writing tools?

I scan the blogs in the "on writing' section here seeking gems. I like to see people who are really making an effort. It's great to set yourself goals and projects but they need to be highly focused in a number of ways. You need to be clear about the style of language, the genre, the kind of... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Are bloggers interested in writing?

It would be great to see more debate and more blogs which discuss writing. Sign in to see full entry.

Don't write yourself off

I scan the blogs in the "on writing' section here seeking gems. Occasionally posts are inspiring. I like to see people who are really making an effort. It's great to set yourself goals and projects but they need to be highly focused in a number of ways. You need to be clear about the style of... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, March 14, 2005

I GOT POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON MY CLASSES LAST WEEK

A writing student emailed me to thank me for my "great tutorial". She was concerned because she was going to miss this week's class and so we arranged for her to come to my other class even though she can't be there for all of that. Just when I was feeling a little pleased with myself I received an... Sign in to see full entry.

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