I am the only writer in my family. Most of my friends do not write. When I told an acquaintance that I wrote poetry and articles, he looked askance and asked, “What do you want to do that for?”
‘Why, indeed?’ I asked myself later. What is it about me that gives me utter peace after I’ve spent a few
hours scooping ideas from my head and spreading them over a blank computer screen?
Well, we all have our gifts. Some of us are created with a yearning to communicate through writing: not speaking, not music -- writing. I love writing whether it’s a diary entry, a friendly letter, or a piece for a contest. Journaling was a valuable catharsis while my marriage was failing. In happier times, I felt the thrill of learning that my writing had been accepted by a publisher. Knowing somebody else wants to read what I wrote was confirmation for me. It’s also addictive.
To help maintain any habit, one needs supportive paraphernalia. Here are the items I know I need:
- Clear head space:
It is not possible to have the capacity to write creatively unless I have some clear space in my head. Creativity needs room to flow freely. When in mourning, one does not have the resources to handle anything else but the healing. The mind is filled up. There is no room for thoughts outside of the current crisis. At the same time, having the drive to write gives a way to assist healing by writing out feelings and experiences. Healing takes time. Creativity will return when the mind is ready.
- Coaching:
Back in the blur of raising a young family I saw an advertisement for a correspondence course on writing for children. It was in a magazine I perused while waiting in our doctor’s office. (When you have four
children, your only free time is in the doctors’ office, child on floor playing with previously infected toys, waiting). I remembered that advertisement and decided that since I wasn’t totally consumed with child rearing anymore, I would take a writing course and see how I would do. When I finished that course, I took another. Besides learning how to write better, I also learned that not all courses are helpful. Some are better than others, but I did learn something from all of them. The day came when I knew I wasn’t a “beginning writer” any longer and I needed more than the basic courses. All went well while I took these classes. I got exclamations from my teachers. I even accomplished a published story. It was later, much later, that I realized I was going to have to do better than the simple offerings I produced for those assignments if I was going to get anywhere in the publishing world. Some of the classes were good and I don’t think it was a complete waste of time. It required me to think about thorough character development, explicit scene descriptions, and dialogue that kept true to the plot.
One particular workshop was not the earth-shaking experience I hoped for, but I did learn I wasn’t a very good children’s writer as I listened to others read their work. On the positive side though, I picked up many ideas for things like overcoming writer’s block and I jotted down some experiences during the exercises that have since been the basis for some stories and poems that came later.
The company of others in the profession:
Although some writers don’t seem to need this, I covet interaction with other writers who give out advice
and support. Many writers prefer their reclusive life, but I have cherished my time spent with my writers' group.
- Reading books on my craft:
Reading books on writing has also been a big learning experience, albeit having to remember to pick out what pertains to my life and leave the non-applicable bits in the book. I plan to keep reading more books by other writers in future.
- The right location to write:
Do you need a particular place to write or could you do it anywhere? I crave a quiet spot more than I need a computer at a proper desk. I’ll sit outside on a summer day with pen and paper as long as it's quiet. Some prefer to write in a restaurant, surrounded by people. I suppose there has been, in the annals of history, a writer who hunched in an attic corner in the dead of night. (Actually, come to think of it, I have hunched on the couch in the dead of night many times.) Ann Landers wrote in her bathtub. Steven King describes the grandiose office he remodelled for himself in the dining room, and then realized that it
stifled his creativity. Remembering the value of living a crowded family life in their previous tiny home, he returned the dining room back into itself and chose a small nook in a closet for writing. Of course, a computer is an eventual necessity for the final product, these days.
- Endurance and patience:
Canadian writer, Peter Eyvindson thought he’d break the Guinness World Record for having the most rejection letters from publishers. Anne Frank’s diary went through fifteen rejections. J.K. Rowling’s manuscript was rejected twelve times. Twenty-seven publishers rejected Dr. Seuss. These people eventually succeeded because they did their best work, had faith in their product, and kept trying until they found the right publisher.
A writer’s characteristics are strengthened with training and practice. Not everyone wants to spend their free time tapping out a parade of ideas. The enjoyment of doing this makes that person a writer.
