Shiny new objects

Hello to all!

Are any of you out there suffering the same thing as I am? Information overload? Come on, don't be shy. I'm sure there are far more than me in this leaky rowboat. The worst part about it is: I am not sure if I can break this nasty cycle. I have a great deal of writing tools and lessons on my hard drive, but, every time there is a new one released, then I fall right in and buy it.

 Over the years, I have collected many of these articles. I'm sure many of them would have been useful, if I had bothered to actually do anything with them at the time of purchase.

Have you found that a lot of these ' shiny new objects' have a core value that is taken from an even older one? Sure, they are written as if they are new, but a study of most of them will reveal old ideas wrapped in new descriptions, some very bad, some not so bad. Some are even actually rewrites of the original idea, but they still hold true to it.

What a waste of money, not to mention a disappointment. Of course, this scenario usually refers to some idea that was profitable in the first place and has been turned into evergreen for the consumers. The old-time merchants and writers didn't try to reinvent the wheel. They simply placed the idea in a new setting and continued with it. Why try to remake 'Romeo and Juliet" or the 'Taming of the Shrew'?

Agatha Christie and numerous other authors have mentioned that their best plots came from the Bible or Shakespeare's plays. Well, why not? Both of these have every scenario that anyone can imagine in them, and also the emotions as well as the five senses. Okay, it means returning to the days of actually reading a book made of paper at times, but it really is worth it.

Even if you are up to your ears in ideas and writing, take a few minutes out of the schedule to evaluate these old writings. Even if the language drives you nuts, you will pick up something extra. I'll bet on it.