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National Classy Day 2024

🍾 Despite all the madness going on these days, it’s National Classy Day and that’s something to try to live up to. 🥂

Classy To The Last

I’m an amazing cook. And I’m a gentleman but can belch the entire alphabet. Classy. ~Jussie Smollett

I don’t know that I could manage the whole alphabet, but my friends and I used to belch quotes from The Exorcist for funzies.

Being classy may be an ideal to aspire to, but it’s typically something you maintain a veneer of for social situations or work encounters.

Apart from that, it’s kind of a big ask.

Some people do this naturally. Some people have the sort of personality that considers this to be important.

I’m not one of those people.

Not that I’m some cave-dwelling troll, but I’m a lot more interested in comfort than I am in things being just-so.

Thing is, I own it. That’s who I am. In my humble opinion, being authentic is also classy.

So, let’s be classy, stay-at-home-in-your-jimjams hobbits together.

Stay Classy

Classified – That Ain’t Classy (VIDEO)

There’s a lot of things these days that are miles from classy.

Maybe it’s because people don’t know how.

To help us all out, I grabbed these helpful tips from the National Classy Day entry on National Day Calendar

How To Observe National Classy Day

On National Classy Day, reflect on those who’ve graced the world with their best qualities and made it a better place. Who would you recognize on January 17th? There are other ways to celebrate the day, too!

• Bring joy, laughter, or a smile to someone. Share a funny story, pun or joke.
• Remind someone of their goodness by complimenting them on a talent, skill, or accomplishment.
• Encourage someone to strive for their goals.
• Look for the positive in your day.
• Give someone a little grace. We all have bad days and a little kindness goes a long way.

No matter what you do, be classy. Share stories of graceful inspiration with the world by using #NationalClassyDay on social media.

That wasn’t so hard, now was it? Be encouraging and delightful and you can leave your Armani tux and diamond cufflinks in the closet.

☁️ All 🤔 Due 🧐 Consideration 💡

Too often we… enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. ~John F. Kennedy

So, I had a bit of a hot take on Saturday. My assertion that voice and theme are basically frou-frou stuff that only the literati care about.

It occurred to me to challenge those assertions. After a great deal of research, I’m pleased to find I was only slightly off base.

Many authortubers have spent hours on these topics. Having viewed more time that I would prefer to have spared on the topic, I feel the same about voice.

Voice is in the eye or ear (for 🎧 audiobooks) of the beholder. Professor Tokien writes differently than Ernest Hemmingway who writes differently than Jane Austin who writes differently than Charles Dickens. So what? Go figure. Different people with different life experiences and perspectives will tell different stories in different ways. I need to find an author’s voice? Nah. Hard pass. They’re painting the roses red because they’re obsessive. Not my problem.

On theme, there is a split of opinions. There are those, who probably trend toward discovery writing, who express that they just start writing the typical surface-level stuff (characters, plot, description, setting…) and discover the plot as they go.

I heard an anecdote that when Stephen King‘s wife read over the first draft of Carrie, she noticed a lot of references to blood. King hadn’t noticed that until she pointed it out, but went back and really leaned into it. So, it’s certainly possible to discover your theme as you go along and polish your prose with more thematic elements, foreshadowing and so forth.

On the other hand, I heard this interesting proposal for using a theme to help you construct your plot and core dilemmas from the jump.

How to Write THEME Into Your Story

So, whether you’re a meticulous planner or a diehard pantser, theme will certainly enter into the work.

It might be deliberate. If so, you have to temper it against becoming preachy.

It might be inadvertent. If so, you need to go back and see if you can identify your theme and lean into it.

After my bout of research, it had my mind racing to apply it to The Sentinels so I can get back on track with that project.

But not just now. Work is still pretty busy and I’m generally worn down to a state where I can genuinely appreciate my ❄️ long Winter‘s nap ❄️ while it lasts.

Will I make it all the way through January without getting back on the story writing jag? I’m not sure.

Not sure I even want to.

A couple weeks off has been plenty and this theme stuff has the 🐝 bees in 🐝 my bonnet 🐝 busily buzzing 🐝.

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That’s it for this classy Hump 🐫 Day. Share a smile, be encouraging and you’ll be splendidly classy, too.