Writing : A Creative Aspect

Why do I write ? What else is there ?

 

I have been writing a long time. Words have more meaning to me than math. As a matter of fact, I am very bad at math. About 5 years ago, I was writing poetry. Constantly. I couldn't stop. If a song came onto the radio, I blotted out the words, and wrote my own lyrics. There was always a notebook, and pen handy for me, even in bed. In the dark. I wrote over 2 thousand rhymes.

A few years ago, I decided to combine two ideas into one novel. The stories were similar, and I wanted the characters to meet one another. So, I began researching history, and mundane facts in order to lend a bit of authenticity to my novel. Some of the characters actually lived, but it was more fun making people up.

 But I didn't simply write about them, I became them, and peered out through their eyes. It was, and is, a marvelous head trip. I don't usually dispense advice to other writers in order to dictate "should, and ought" for the mere exercise it provides.

I believe that when we create from the heart, the head finds it a lot easier to tell a story. Granted, writing can be a complicated process. I found that I hated typing up dialogue, so I used it sparingly. I wrote so many chapters obsessively that I frequently lost track of the order they should be in. Tsk Tsk !

Editing is not my strong point, but I found that my writing improved the more  I wrote, and sometimes the glaring mistakes mortified me. So, they mortify. It will pass. I was delighted to find that I could write simply by sitting down without notes or a plan. My characters pulled me in. I became them, and gave "myselves" a free rein.

Life Is sweet.

J. Marks

Reviews

[Christoph]

I've just checked out your books and I'm glad reviews are enabled here, because I really wanted to say that I've enjoyed your writing and would encourage you to keep going.

The way you speak of writing here, it's clear as day why your stories are compelling.