I've always felt like I could be a writer. You know, poems, stories, songs. I'm really good at descriptions and editing. The trouble is that I can't manage to write a story to edit or a find a subject to describe. And I can't write a poem to save my life.
Prime Example:
There once was a girl from the Nile
Who sat in the sun for a while
She started to bake
So she jumped in the lake
And was ate by a big crocodile
Okay, acceptable as a limerick, yet lacking something. Am I wrong?
This little dilemma all started back before I was born when I decided to become artistic. And when I was old enough to move, I did a little dance and called it art. And then, when I was old enough to pick up a crayon, I made a mark on a paper and called it art. And then, when I was old enough to reach the piano, I pushed a few keys and called it art. And now, I am old enough to write, and if I put a few words together I feel like they have no purpose; no meaning. That is, of course, if I can figure out which words to put together.
I seem to be able to write about things that I am not satisfied about, though, so I guess that's a start.
Maybe I'll call it art.
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3 comments:
I wish I could offer some advice on how to write something with purpose and meaning, because, you know, it's something I think I'm pretty gosh-darn good at. Except it's not an easy thing to explain.
For me, it's a matter of getting an idea that isn't entirely related to anything -- for example, a cult of people who drink coffee and take illegal stimulants in the hopes that they can reach some sort of spiritual nirvana through sleep deprivation -- and letting the idea rattle around in my head until I find something of (supposed) significance that I can use idea as a springboard to talking about -- like a dissection of religion in general.
I guess, then, the trick is to not rush an idea. To not sit down and start writing just because something crossed your mind. This goes against a lot of advice I've read, where people suggest writing something the moment i strikes you, to get it out so you don't lose it, but, I think, that too often results in random ideas that never go anywhere anyway, because they're not connected to anything that you want to say.
Does this make any sense? It feels a bit like it turned into some sort of lecture on writing.
In closing, the advice you may have heard -- "write what you know"? Ignore it. If people only wrote about what they knew, there would be a whole lot of ludicrously boring literature in the world.
It occurs to me that my advice was specifically about writing fiction, and not necessarily, say, writing blog posts. Which is maybe what you were talking about. Or not.
No, I was pretty much talking about fiction.
And thanks.
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