Today I feel like a fake, that I shouldn't call myself a writer at all. I feel like I've been fooling everyone, or trying to, including myself. Sure, I can wax poetically about what it's like to have the soul of a writer, but I haven't a single story to tell. I've got nothing to say, nothing to write about but the lint in my own navel, and I'm getting tired of staring at it. If it's true that I love to write, then why can't I do it? Why aren't there stories all lining up inside of my head, pushing and shoving to be the first to get out? Why doesn't it just happen?
It's just me dreaming again, a story I've created in my head to give meaning to my life; well, at least that's one story.... Dreaming is easy, but making that dream a reality, now that's something completely different.
Well you're not a fake, that's for sure. A quick look back at your posts prove that. You love words and can use them.
ReplyDeleteI actually don't believe that all writers have to have millions of stories all fighting to get out of their head. I think creativity comes from finding a single seed and nurturing it. Which is not to say that we can't have more than one thing on the go, of course. Remember we were talking about 'writing rubbish'? Well I do that most mornings in an attempt to do Julia Cameron's Morning Pages. Most of it is nonsense but just now and again a tiny thing can creep through, be expanded and find itself as a bit of flash fiction or in a story or even in the novel that I've been trying to finish for the over two years..
One of the best things Ray Bradbury says in Zen and the Art of Creativity is 'Relax and Don't Think'. Just write. Let if flow. See what happens. You may think nothing is there but it is. It really is:-) I suppose what I'm trying to say is, you've got to write a lot to write a bit.
Flipping heck. I've written an essay to you. Apologies:-)
No need to apologize Lane. I usually write essay like comments too. ... The strangest thing happened last night. I was all bummed out because I didn't have a story to write, but last night a personal story that's been niggling at me to write popped into my head again, and I sat down and almost finished it. So today I will finish it. I know where it's going, just have to get it down. Now I'm feeling a bit like a drama queen, but I guess that's what I'm like sometimes. ... And I think you're right about the writing a lot to write a bit. I'm just now figuring that out with all the false short story starts that are building up in my folders. There are bits in them that make me not what to toss them out. Even though they will never become a story on their own, I keep them around because I like those bits, and might use them one day in something else.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lane for your response. Think I should go check out Ray Bradbury's book.
((((HUGS))))
Hi
ReplyDeleteI'm back. Here is a link to one of my blog posts. If you scroll down you will see Fizz on a beach. She is black and white.
http://coffeegranules.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html