I happened to see an old friend last night and whenever we see each other he always asks about my writing. And every time I have nothing to say. Which is frustrating because just a few nights ago I was flipping through my book thinking about why I haven’t written more. I have no excuse.
But I got to thinking about it. What’s my favorite part of writing? And I’m not sure I even know the answer. I’d like to think it’s the fact that I get to create something. But it’s been so long that I think I’ve forgotten what I really loved about it. And that’s sad. The even worse part is I still have no idea when or if I’ll get back into it. *sad face*
What’s your favorite part of the whole writing thing?
Johnny Reads 
Honestly? This will sound megalomaniacal, but it’s playing the role of God.
When a person writes, or tells a story, or what-have-you, they create something from nothing. This something has its own rules, its own machinations, and part of the fun is discovering the beings who dwell within that new creation. Another part of that fun is throwing turmoil into their otherwise uneventful lives to help both them and others (and us, ourselves) learn something about our mutual existence.
I guess, too, it’s the weird sort of alchemy that comes from creation and art in general. Bringing plans to life. Releasing the statue from the block of marble. Pulling the sounds from the natural world and presenting it anew as music. That sort of thing.
Plus, I like to entertain. There’s nothing quite so satisfying as meeting a kindred spirit who “gets the joke”, as it were.
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That sounds pretty right to me. Who wouldn’t enjoy to some degree creating something completely on their own? A place. A conflict. Characters. I understand that. And if course entertaining is nice too. How great is it to create something and then have someone tell you on their own how much they enjoyed it?
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I agree with all of this, but also want to add it’s like I’m leaving a piece of my soul here one Earth that will exist after I’m gone. My mom was an artist and I have her paintings. Now that she’s gone I know something of who she was before I was born and as someone other than my mother.
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I love first drafts. When everything is possible, and my job is to make fences and keep that from happening is the best.
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Whoa. You’ve gotta be in the minority, right? I’ve been under the impression that most hate first drafts. Writing them. Editing. Rereading. All of it. Definitely a unique thing to enjoy, I’d say.
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Oh, don’t get me wrong. Editing and re-writing suck. Drafting that first virgin story is what I’m talking about.
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Hmm. I just need to get more first drafts done.
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Those long talks with my imaginary friends? Living out a fantasy? No… I think it’s the creationist high I get from writing. When I step away from a particularly good writing session, I feel invincible.
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Hmm. Does that happen often? Those great writing sessions.
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Fairly often, yeah. I’d say at least 5 out of 6 times. But I haven’t kept track. I definitely get a writer’s high.
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Ooh. You must have a secret formula then.
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Yeah, I sit down and I write, even if I don’t want to š
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Ha. I guess it’s not so secret now.
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It’s hard to articulate. It seems like your other followers like the creativity aspect of it, but I never feel like my possibilities are infinite or that I’m much of a creator at all – I don’t “create” stories so much as I “discover” them with all their walls already in place. My creative process never begins with a blank page so much as it begins under a rock.
There’s something about getting these ideas out of my head and into reality. There’s something about creating work that moves people. It’s part catharsis, but also part of the way I connect to other people. It’s difficult to do that on my own…I’m not the most socially eloquent person. The feeling of having accomplished something is probably my biggest motivator, overall.
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Hmmmm. I’m not sure I have anything to ask or add to this. You said it quite well.
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It’s escape. It’s leaving behind my real life where I sometimes feel like I have little or no control and entering an entirely new world where I am in complete control.
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Hmm. I can definitely see that.
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This is embarrassing but I’ve been having trouble writing since my dog passed away in March. In the last month I’ve been slowly getting back into it mainly thanks to some free writing exercises. I can say from the past that when I start working on my book it’s kind of like coming home and greeting old friends. Does that make sense or am I babbling?
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Ha! It makes sense. I’ve said a million time I want to revisit Andrew and Sydney. (My characters) but I still haven’t. š
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That’s not weird at all. I actually had somewhat of a writing career before 2005…then, the love of my life (“the one who got away”) and I broke up. Several bad relationships (including an aborted engagement) and very little writing followed. Two years ago, she and I reconnected and rekindled. ‘Lo and behold, I’m back on the wagon and cranking out work again.
Loss is a big factor in decreased productivity. The only thing I regret about my years off is the time wasted. If only I’d been able to see the future, that everything works out, things might be easier or farther along than they are now. But sometimes a person has to work on other things, you know?
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I’m so sorry for for the difficult time you went through, but thank you for sharing this. My husband and I don’t have children and Lacey was our little baby.
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Absolutely. Pets are a part of the family; there’s no denying that. They enrich our lives and are pure love.
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My favorite part is coming back to a piece after letting it sit, and realizing that it’s so much better than I thought after months of writing it. It has as much potential then as it did on the first day. It’s the best feeling.
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Hmm. I can’t say I’ve experienced that since I have so little writing experience. But I imagine it being a rather nice feeling.
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I struggle with an answer as well. I know it’s not the editong or at least not the editing I subjected myself to as a new writer. I haven’t been at it a year yet. I have a book I wrote with NaNo that I am going to follow through with NaNo next month.
I also have a book I have been writing since February. I finished it after torchering myself with trying to write and edit. Then I decided to add more to it. I used the NaNo method of just writing for the addition.
I love my characters and their story. I also love just writing it and then coming back and editing.
Good luck finding your muse or spark of inspiration again.
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Hmmmm. So it sounds like you like every part of it, besides the editing. And thanks.
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When I get to give myself a mental high-five and say, “Dang, that’s some good writing right there,” when I read something I’ve written or have an idea for plot or characterization. When I get what I call the ‘writer tingles.’ That’s when I feel like the idea or dialogue is just so good I literally get goose bumps.
I live for those moments. Of course, I like a lot of other parts about writing, too: delving into new worlds (when writing fantasy), creating characters, imagining new ideals, crafting prose, blah, blah, blah.
But the first things I mentioned? Yeah, those take the cake.
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Ha! I think that’s happened to me maybe once. I can’t remember what it was I’d written. But I remember thinking it was so much better than what I’d remembered.
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It doesn’t happen all that often to me, either, but it’s a super sweet feeling when it does happen. And it fuels me to continue writing, hoping that those moments happen along more frequently.
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I can imagine. That’d be quite nice.
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My favorite part is getting to share my opinions, words & things that inspire others. Plus I love reading it after!
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Hmm. Sharing is sometimes the scary part. Cause you have no idea what they’ll think.
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I like to create worlds. I see my stories as movies in my head and If I don’t get them out they tend to take over. Ha ha
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Hmm. What kind of stories do you wrote?
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Write*
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