With Halloween still going for a few more hours, tonight’s prompt is focusing on fear. Remember a time when you felt afraid. Truly frightened. Write about what happened to you – explore the emotions brought on by facing this fear and writing about it. Our histories – scary, sacred, stories – are worth getting on the page.
Posts tagged ‘inspiring’
October 6, 2010
Why Write?
Keep writing. Keep doing it and doing it. Even in the moments when it’s so hurtful to think about writing. –Heather Armstrong
Writing can sometimes feel like the loneliest most pointless activity ever. Reading over the reams of words I’ve scribbled onto hundreds of pages, or reviewing a poem or a short story I’ve attempted can be depressing and tiring. Why did I bother? Who’s going to read it? Publishers reject most of the stuff they receive so what’s the point? Is what I’ve written even any good? How can I tell?
Good news. These are questions any writer has to wrestle with. It’s true that for most writers, especially as they’re starting out, very few people care if they’ve written their novel or told their story. That can feel terrifying. But what any real writer discovers is what matters is the act of writing, the excitement of creating something out of nothing, the pleasure in seeing your characters come to life, not getting published or getting a book on the bestseller lists (writing isn’t the best way to go about making money—I’m pretty sure trading in stocks or working as an accountant might be the way to go about that).
Sometimes writers forget that the point of writing isn’t publication and rave reviews. It’s wonderful when people read your work and report back on it. But more wonderful even than that is the thrill of crafting your imagination and making your words do what you want them to do.
I write because I love it. Eight years ago, I received seven rejection letters in one week. As I picked up the latest one from my mail box, I slipped and fell down the stairs to end up lying in a crushed heap of pathetic misery on the ground (with a very sore ankle). Sure, as I lay there, I asked myself all those questions about the point of writing. But I picked myself up, ignored the despair and got on with working on my next project.
For me, the point of writing is that it inspires and informs me. It thrills and excites me. It helps me understand my world.
August 27, 2010
A Place to Write
Where do you do your writing? It’s a question I get asked often. I have a small office at my house that overlooks a deck and some leafy summertime trees. When it’s winter, the window becomes glazed with frost in spectacular patterns. I sit with my back to the view and with a bookshelf to the right of me. It’s filled with books I mean to read and photographs of my family. Opposite I have a painting that is dear to me; the desk if filled with CDs, pens and notes. I think anyone wandering in (not that anyone’s allowed to wander in!) would find it a cosy place to write. But I’m lucky to be able to write off a home office as a business expense. Before I could do that, I always tried to make a little spot that was purely for writing – a small desk in the corner of my bedroom when I was a student or a comfy chair in the living room where I could cuddle up with a laptop (not such a good idea if you value your back.) It’s worth a little thinking time. A place that is dedicated to your writing is essential. It shows you (and those around you) that writing is important.
