11/27/2018
Why is it that when I want to format my document, I first have to go to “Paragraph,” and only then can I choose “Line Spacing?” Isn’t “Line Spacing” a much more common and crucial tool than “Paragraph?” It seems like it is, as every document has to make that choice. Well, the document doesn’t, of course, but the writer does. I don’t even know what the “Paragraph” choices are, a clear indicator of how often I use them. Which is never. On the other hand, for those who use a PC instead of a Mac, none of this makes sense anyway, because you PC users can format to your heart’s content, paragraphs be damned! I think…I’m not sure because I have a Mac, which makes this question a terrible way to begin an entry. But begin it I did, so now I have tricked myself into writing about Line Spacing. Or Beginnings, I’m not sure yet.
Before I was a full time writer, in my other, earlier life, I remember reading and hearing about that horrifying, dreaded “Writers’ Block.” (I’ve had that, too.) But writers also talk about how sometimes their writing can write itself. Many, many years ago I did my Master’s Thesis on the comic strip, “For Better or For Worse.” The reason I chose it was because a. I really liked the strip and b. If you’re going to write about something for a year, it might as well be about something you like, and b. I like comic strips. (I also like potato chips a lot, but that is quite a different point).
As part of the process of writing my thesis, I learned about the difference between cartoons and comic strips. I read about the history of their evolution and all sorts of other interesting trivia, which would never come in handy in a trivia contest because frankly there never are questions about the difference between cartoons and comic strips in trivia contests. Also as part of my thesis about comic strips, I interviewed Lynn Johnston (who does the comic strip). She was really nice and I enjoyed the interview, very pleasant. She explained that the characters themselves often tell you where to go; they lead the story that might feel very little in your control. I feel that way about my writing all the time. It is out of my control. Ha!
I sent Lynn Johnston a copy of my thesis and a thank you note, as I had also done right after our interview. (After our interview only a thank you note, of course, because I hadn’t written the thesis yet). A little while after I finished my Master’s thesis, Lynn Johnston wrote about one of the characters studying something in school and questioning its usefulness. The character asks many questions about the subject, as the teacher talks on and on about how important it is to learn it and study it (whatever it was). And after it was all said and done, the punch line was, “Why?” I have to say that I still like your comic strip, but I admit I don’t read it religiously like I used to. It hurt my feelings a little, Lynn.
