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| image by Stancu Alexandru via sxc.hu |
The thing that surprises me the most since I started writing is the craft’s versatility. No matter what field you go into you need to have a grasp of basic writing skills to get your point across and market your latest product.
The next time you’re online or watching TV count the number of ads. As you’re enjoying your favorite show or video game remember, someone wrote that.
Writing can inspire or depress; outrage or calm; it has the power to elevate us to a higher state of being, or keep the status quo. It can do all this and more because the only thing that limits it is the writer’s skill.
I have read the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between. But there is always something to learn about the craft, even if it’s what not to do. Everyone can put words to the page, but being a writer is more than that. It’s about transporting readers to new worlds and teaching them about life.
Sure, the mechanics of writing come easy to me, but it’s the art side I struggle with. Show or tell; more details or less; is the plot moving fast enough or does it need to slow down; does the protagonists have the proper mix of strengths, weaknesses and flaws, and does this sound right?
These questions are always in mind when I write. Some days I’ll agonize over finding the perfect words to describe the picture in my head. But other days they bleed out on to the page and I’m let asking, “Where did that come from?”
Writer’s block can be such a bitch, but most days I write something anyways. Even if it’s just a tweet or comment on a blog or news article. But then are days where I can’t muster the energy to write even though I know exactly what to say.
Like anything too much of it isn’t a good thing, so from time to time I’ll take a few days to recharge and refresh. In the past I’d beat myself up for this, but part of the craft is learning you can’t force things. Screw writer’s block in its ass, but when you feel burnt out mix up your routine and work on something else.
There are times I ask myself why I do this crazy thing called writing, and the answer is always the same. Because I live for the moments when everything aligns and I feel infinite.
Have you ever forget you’re the one writing and got bummed when you came to the end? Have you ever found yourself saying, “What happens next?” I fucking love when that happens. How about you?
What things about writing do you love, hate, or find surprising?