An introduction, sort of

So I have come to write with the writers, and while I’m excited about being here, I must confess to feeling some trepidation.

See, I’m of that party that finds it easiest to say, “I’m not really a writer.” Or, “I don’t have anything to write about.” Or, as a last resort, “I just don’t have time to write.”

And yet, from time to time, I get pressed into service writing something for someone. A bio of the boss, for instance, which I was asked to do recently. Or a little advertising copy, which doesn’t exactly thrill me, but it’s always interesting to see what I come up with. Maybe not Madison Avenue grade, but I seem to have a knack.

It’s odd, I guess, not to think of myself as a writer. I started my career at 19 as an Army journalist, and over time I became pretty handy at ferreting out facts, and telling stories of ordinary enlisted men doing ordinary jobs. (Shameless opportunistic plug: I talk about the place where I did that here. Hope you’ll take a peek).

After those Army journalist days, I somehow wound up on the graphics and production side of things, and that’s been my career most of the time since. As design director for a weekly arts and entertainment journal in the late 70’s, I did get to write the occasional interview… and lots of snappy headlines. Later, I helped start a monthly music magazine, and once again, conducted interviews, wrote reviews, and edited other contributors’ copy. More recently, I wrote for our local newspaper: hard news, features, you name it.

The upshot of all this is, I am pretty good at collecting facts and getting them down in a half-decent form. But I’ve always been leery of trying the creative thing… unless you count two “novels” I started writing nearly 30 years ago. Oh, they were ambitious, but I decided they were crap, and that was that. As a teenager, I tried my hand at a horror story… pure purple prose in the Lovecraftian vein. But beyond that, my purely creative output has been… well, fairly nil.

Nevertheless, I arrive here willing to give creative writing another try. I do enjoy the act of writing very much, and I’m hoping that with all the great examples here, the fine encouragement offered, and some excellent prompts, my creative ice will melt away at last. Who knows where the waters will flow? I’m eager to follow the stream!

Re: An introduction, sort of

well, great to see you shining so brightly here, K-E!

as for the 30 years ago novels and your teenage horror stories… yeah, they count, I count them, absolutely!!! :)  that's what it's about!

and those judgements?  like “crap”?  welcome to the club, K-Eyes. we are many, you're in the best of all possible companies! (or so. does that sound funny in English? well, you know what I mean).

GREAT havning you around.

love,
Gabriele

Re: An introduction, sort of

I ditto Gabriele, dear K-Eyes. I'm delighted you are here.

I personally believe that everyone is 'a writer'. Some choose to focus on it as a medium for expression others do not.

There are those who do not write, or who cannot, but there is always an expression of self, whether it is through planting sunflowers or simply breathing.

We all have stories to tell, and if they are written down or spoken out, these stories are more than just words. They are artful and courageous expression of our selves, of our souls, even.

I do not make much of a distinction between 'creative' writing and writing in general. It's all creative. We are creative beings, simply by living. By stringing words together we are threading the beads and jewels of our lives. You have to make choices, no matter what you are writing about. These choices are your unique choices. Even if you are writing a computer operating manual, it's creative. 

in this creative dance of being, there actually is no 'bad' or 'good' expression of self, how can there be? ( in spite of what I wrote about your and my “Truly Awful” writing pieces!). The only important thing is are you enjoying yourself?

And, is there 'more' here for you? ( I mean 'here' in the largest sense). Do you feel that there is something 'wanting to be written/said'?

I feel honoured to have you as part of our group. You started two novels?  A horror story? Do you know how many people who 'want to write' never get that far? Millions, more even.

The only suggestion I'd have for you at this moment is something I'm going to be writing on in my next Notes Along the Way, and is for many of us: use your own life experience as stomping ground. This is one of the very best ways to discover your voice, to find out what and how you like to write, and it is also the best way to experience all the possibilities inherent in 'fiction' if that is the yearning you have.

In a way our lives are fiction… Ours to play with and see what happens when we string together the beads and jewels slightly differently…

I'm very much looking forward to reading more from you.

Love,
Sandra

Re: An introduction, sort of

Thank you Sandra (and hello Kaleidoscope Eyes, welcome!). You have such a glorious expression. I love the idea of my life as fiction.

For you see I know when you write your responses, you are writing them for all of us, taking us all deeper into the depths with you. Deeper into our own selves, as God created them to be….'artful and courageous'. What a delightful mode of communication, both personal and groupful at the same time. I guess that's the delight of blogging, which I've never tried before, if blogging includes posting in pods.

If my life is fiction, then I don't have to deal with all this freakin reality anymore. The whole idea of reality really just jacks my jaw. It never did feel right to me, kind of skewed or off or arbitrary. Whose reality? This workshop is one of the few places I've been where my reality seems to mesh with the reality people around me are experiencing.

Of course it's a lot safer behind this screen….

Hope to see you around, K-Eyes, and that you find the threshold you have crossed to be as sacred and mysterious as you could hope it to be. Looking forward to reading the Stars & Stripes of your soul.

Love and Peace,

Tom

Re: An introduction, sort of

If you read the lives of writers, their lives are more interesting than their fictions!!!

I think this place is great and am happy to see so many people offering inspiration and kudos to others….

:)

Re: An introduction, sort of

The whole idea of reality really just jacks my jaw.

I should send you to my early blogs inspired by the 'create your own reality' dictum… but I'm not that cruel!

I agree very much. We are not in the business of reality here, dear Tom, as far as I'm concerned we don't know what this is. We have so many  mapmakers out there trying to discover what reality is, and although I'm interested in their findings (to a point), my sense is that everything is a matter of perception - and this too I'm not sure about. Who is perceiving? (on this, you might like to have a look at the Douglas Harding videos on my blog ” What is your relationship to the Earth”)

For me, even the discoveries of quantum mechanics are in the realm of map-making - exciting ones yes.

Writing is, for me, a way of exploring as far and wide and deep as I can go, and to share what I discover. Is it truth? I don't know. Is it reality? I don't care.

If you read the lives of writers, their lives are more interesting than their fictions

A lovely point Aley! It is why I try to encourage 'my' writers to write from their own experience - at least for a long while before they dive into 'fiction'.

And as I said, to me, it's all creative, all 'fiction' - what will ring true, in the end, is what I call emotional truth, and this can only come through if we are willing to take a risk in our writing, to go where 'we don't want to go'.

It doesn't have to be all angst and tears, but unless everything, and I mean everything, 'is on the table' our writing will be limited, and so too our lives.

Thanks to both of you for your wonderful input here on Diving Deeper.

~ Sandra