A top writing tip that could lead to an hilarious scenario

I recently read one of those ten tips pieces written by someone who presumably has been there and done that and knows ways to make life more productive. One tip made sense but also made me laugh at the potential consequences.

That tip was to go on strike when you write. That means you do nothing else. No cooking, no fetching, no washing, no playing uno with the kids, nothing. So basically you sit and write and tell everyone to look after themselves.

I can't help but imagine what would occur in some households if this were to happen. The poor cat would feel starved and neglected so basically sit on your head while you try to write and dig their claws in. If you lock them out of the room the relentless scratching at the door will drive you mad and you may also need to drive to Bunnings for things to repair the door.

You would have kids helping themselves to biscuits and cereal and spreading it all over the house. Every light in the house would be on and every TV on and at full volume. Piles of dirty washing would make a trail though the house that may or may not lead to the laundry.

Plus I'm assuming the writing can be left for brief moments? So you would have to tip toe past the mess and kids and crazy cat to go to the loo. Coffee making? Surely you couldn't go on strike to the point you couldn't operate the coffee machine? That wouldn't be right. So you block out all the requests for food and pleading for help with craft projects and getting past the boss level on a game to use the coffee machine. Only no milk, or sugar or coffee... So who will pop to the shop while you are on strike? 

In all seriousness though it could be a good idea if used with obvious limits that don't allow for colourful scenarios as above (which is of course what the writer intended). You could take chunks out of certain days, have coffee and biscuits by your side and 'go on strike' for a few hours. It would not be nearly as hilarious though.

It's funny but I already do that only its when the Wests Tigers are playing. I go on strike for the full 80 minutes. At half-time I will listen to non rugby league related items briefly if necessary and put the kettle on or pour wine. Otherwise unless it's life threatening it must wait till Full-time. Maybe it is time I tried that with my writing too?

What useful time management tips do you use? Or alternatively what are some silly ones you've heard?  

    

              The owner of this house was a writer that went on strike 

               ( statement may be untrue ...) 

I don't have a problem with McKinnon or Smith. I do have a problem with 60 Minutes.

I can't remember the last time I watched 60 minutes. A few years ago probably. I remember watching a story that was so one sided that I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It used to be the kind of show that featured stories told professionally. It was true journalism. Now it is little more than a TV version of a tabloid.

I broke my 60 minutes drought as I wanted to watch the story on Alex McKinnon, the rugby league player who became a quadriplegic after a horrifying illegal tackle in a game last year. The story started off well. Stories from Alex's youth, funny anecdotes from his family and documentation of what seems to be a great love between him and his fiancé.

Where they starts to lose it was at the point where they obviously wanted to cause dissent, to get people talking, to make something pointed in order to shock viewers...keep them watching. Never mind it was only part of the truth.

Now I think McKinnon is a brave man who deserves the outpouring of sympathy he is receiving. It is a huge tragedy that a man so young has been so injured. When his mother spoke about how she felt when he said he wanted to die it truly touched me. I hope too he gets a bigger settlement from the NRL so he has the money he needs to live the rest of his life.

However today Cameron Smith, The Australian and Melbourne Storm Captain has been left shocked after being labelled the bad guy by 60 minutes, this program that should be led by guidelines of responsible journalism.

During the program they showed McKinnon sitting with Liz Hayes watching the footage of that terrible tackle. McKinnon found it hard, obviously and was trying to describe why he moved his head the way he did. The big surprise... The pointy part of the story that Liz Hayes & team seemed so keen to deliver was that McKinnon had no malice for the Melbourne Storm player who lifted him in the tackle, the player who was suspended for 7 weeks but rather was angry at Cameron Smith for his on field comments at the time.

It is fair to say that looking at isolation at what Smith says it does give the viewer a bit of a jolt, just as it does Hayes and McKinnon who are viewing it together. 60 minutes put the footage together just perfectly for best effect. McKinnon on the ground, his face stricken, unable to breathe and unable to move. Then carried off on a stretcher... The mood sombre. Then Smith is arguing with the referee about the penalty that went against his team. The referee tells him the penalty stands, the player is on report, it is an illegal tackle. But Smith does what many a captain has done before and will do again, he argues the point. 60 minutes make sure you see and clearly hear him say ' if he doesn't duck his head, that doesn't happen' Then go to McKinnon's reaction as he watches with Hayes. He is upset. He suggests that arguing over a penalty when someone comes off on a stretcher is fucking ridiculous. 

Now reading this you may think he has a point. I did at first. People are saying how did Smith not know how serious it was? How could he blame McKinnon for his own injury? Well I imagine if Smith were to see the footage he would agree it was not his best moment. Arguing over a penalty that injures a player to the extent they have to be carried off on a stretcher seems petty and unsympathetic.

But 60 minutes leave it there. A brief positive mention from coach Wayne Bennet about Smith's character and that is it. No talking to Smith or the Storm. Nothing. Just an seriously injured man watching footage of the moment his life changed forever reacting to that pain in front of a camera.

That's not responsible. They didn't need to show him watching the footage. They didn't need to focus on Smith but they chose to in order to spice things up. All the family shots and loving moments overshadowed by introducing a villain simply because they could.

Smith when he was on the field didn't get to watch the replay over and over. Perhaps he truly didn't know the extent of the injuries. He did what a captain would do... Try and argue against a penalty. Was it bad form to argue so long? Yes. In hindsight might he realise that those comments can be construed as blaming McKinnon for his own injury? Absolutely but that does not excuse the one sided reporting. If 60 Minute had done its job and reported all the facts it would have reported that despite McKinnon's suggestion that Smith never got in touch, Smith and other Storm players tried to visit him in hospital several times but were denied. They should have mentioned that Smith was instrumental in the Rise For Alex fundraising campaign and that Smith wore McKinnon's number as a sign of respect. They didn't.

If you want to call out Smith for his comments then do so but 60 minutes showed little integrity by the way they handled the story. When you leave out relevant facts to make your version more poignant then that is not journalism. So little wonder I stopped watching the program. Somehow I don't think I will be going back.