This is a continuation of the topic of of unlearning how to write poorly.
Mr. Miagi, I want to learn how to write narrative fiction.
Anonymole-son, you must first learn wax on, and wax off. No, no no. Not like that, like this. Ah, better. Now keep going.
(later)
How’s this Mr. Miagi?
Very nice Anonymole-son, you have mastered one of the but many techniques required to write excellent fiction. Now for your next lesson…
~~~ Versus ~~~
Mr. Kanloon, I want to learn how to write narrative fiction.
Here’s some paper and a pen. Go for it. A writer writes, am I right or am I write?
(later)
How’s this Mr. Kanloon?
What the fuck is this? This ain’t narrative fiction. This is some dissertation shit or something.
But you said, a writer writes.
Yeah, but this sucks. Now you’re gonna have to unlearn all those ugly bad habits you picked up learning on your own thinking that you could just keep writing and that would somehow cure you of writing like shit. Nope. Wrong-o.
(Sheesh, where’s Mr. Miagi when you need him?)
Anonymole - apocryphal agitators 
500 a day is plenty. IF. I watched Leap! with my grandaughter last night, and there’s a mechanism I use (too much) in there. The ballet instructor says words to the effect of “It’s not enough to dance the steps.” He taps the girl’s chest. “Passion makes you a dancer.”
Balanchine once said, “I don’t want dancers who want to dance. I want dancers who HAVE to dance.” Think about that wrapped around your 500 words a day. What if 500 was all you got?
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Further. A girl from India commented that God Bless the Child was great if I wanted people to cry. You saw beer bottles. You were an omniscient, uninvolved spectator. No tears in the author, no tears in the reader. No spreadsheet will ever quantify that.
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[You know, I’ve got this growing list of Phil H. sayings on my desktop. I think there might be 25 or 30 in there now.]
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> You were an omniscient, uninvolved spectator.
YES! Now we’re on the same wavelength.
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Yeah, writing 500 words a day isn’t going to cut it. And don’t get me going on that NaNoWriMo thing!
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You have a great writing skill.
I love those lines, “you have mastered one of them but many the techniques required to write excellent fiction”.
A true writer.
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Someday, I hope. With perseverance, encouragement and a bucket of whoop-ass served up by Mr Phil H.
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