Monday, June 23, 2008

Is WRITING your Passion?


Are you too busy to write?

I often hear that one is just too busy to sit down and write. A friend of mine says if you sit idle for one second, that second can be used to WRITE. Do you take your child to the playground? Take a note pad with you, and scribble your heart out! One word doesn’t make a sentence but it does create an idea.

Example: Walk. What image is conjured in your mind when you read that word? It is only one word but it conjures so many images. Are many people walking? Is it you alone on a path? Is a walk a morning routine that you have made a useful part of your day?

Write. What image does that summon up in your mind? Is it YOU that you see, sitting behind the keyboard tapping out words that are making sentences growing into an article, surpassed the article limit and turned into a full blown short story?

Action. Now that’s a tough one because in my mind’s eye this brings too many images. But most of all it brings ME into action. I place myself in many scenes, whether it is walking, running, swimming, playing or driving, I am building a story using me. But wait, I see others in action too. They’re talking, whispering, shouting, eating and moving.

Now I have something to build!

My morning walk begins in the park. I see two women walking in front of me. I’ll give them names Mary and Judy. Mary and Judy are taking their morning walk when a dog leaps out of the bushes and jumps on one of them. The dog is not being playful , he is on the attack. From out of nowhere arrives a man on the scene calling out to his dog, Whimsy.

"Whimsy, you bad dog." He takes the leash that Whimsy still has around her neck and Jack begins pulling him off the scared woman. I watch as the three of them (four if you include Whimsy) begin talking (not Whimsy of course.) Whimsy has begun her playful look-at-me tail wagging episode and from a short distance I can see the apologetic Jack making amends.

Now they all begin walking down the path, making a bee-line for the café that is ready and waiting for the morning commuters. They head in that direction and I can only imagine what will take place next.

Did you just read all that? From a simple walk, a simple action, I made characters, built on the tension, and gave three (four if you count Whimsy a part of the scene) characters a chance to bloom into a story. It is THAT simple!

So what are you waiting for? Time? Time is not going to last forever you know! If you don’t take action NOW, there might never be enough time for you to find the passion bubbling within you to be all that you can be! And that is the passionate writer you always dreamed that you would one day become.

Now find some classes (WVU is a great start) Find critique groups, get some imperative feedback, read others work and comment on what you read. Only then will you understand all the little cogs that are in the workings of a writer’s mind! And that my friend, is YOUR passionate mind

2 comments:

Unknown said...

What a great, simple way to show us how it's done.

Thanks

Granny

Anonymous said...

Wonderful advice, Joni!

I often tell my writing students and writing friends to create characters, plots, scenes, etc., in their minds when they are waiting in line (at the bank, grocery story, anywhere).

Time is the number one complaint that I hear from other writers.

If writing is important one makes the time.

Take care,
June