Points of Honor, Literary and Otherwise

– STUFFING SENTENCES TO JUST UNDER their carrying capacity.
– Never starting a blog post with “I.”
– Writing exactly to required or desired length.
– Being there on time.
– Repeating verbatim anything someone wants said to another.
– That only what I actually heard appears inside quotation marks.
– Writing a one-sentence lede. (Mostly.)
– Writing a snappy lede. (“If you can do that, you’ll never be out of a job,” quoth a mentor.)
– Reading the entirety of the daily newspapers’ “opinion” (letters and editorials) section.
– Keeping an open mind, even when it’s difficult.
– Not speaking in absolutes. (Present sentence excluded.)
– Crediting my sources.
– Not complaining.
– Staying at least a week ahead on blog posts.
– Being kind to frazzled sales clerks and waiters.
– Asking and relating/explaining as accurately as I can.
– Using the phrase “Take your time” as often (and to as many people) as necessary.
– Waving at passing cars.
– Not speculating.
– “Killing my darlings” (per Wm. Faulkner via Stephen King) before they see the light of screen or page.
– Making an effort to pet stray cats.
– Greeting passersby with at least a smile.
– Pushing through my anxiety.
– Speaking difficult truths.

(And yours?)

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