A Writer's Perspective

This is just some thoughts on what it is, for me, to be a writer.

     I've wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember, though I wasn't aware of that until recently.      Now that I have realized how much I enjoy forming stories, characters, situations, etc. I can't really see myself not doing it. It's something that I jumped into for a college coarse, and now, nine months later, I have written a total of about one hundred and ten pages. To be honest, I wanted to put this down on paper, partly to give non-writer's a sense of what goes on in the mind of just one (as I'm sure what I am about to say doesn't hold true for everyone.)

      I used to love reading, even as a young kid. I remember being in elementary school and my brother had bought me a purple-bound hard cover version of King Arthur’s legend, which I had read forty pages of before our car had even reached my house. I continued to love reading, but whenever the thought of writing something of my own came into being, I would either simply brush it off as a dumb idea, or it would be proven to me as a dumb idea, when I would try to write, and I would fail miserably.

      I feel it necessary at this point, to say that I'm a huge daydreamer, and I love to watch or read anything with a great hero and an impossible obstacle that they have to overcome, though the more original the better. I used to sit in the classes of my high school, doodling on my notebooks and wishing for an adventure, maybe robbers took over the school. Maybe one of my teachers was actually a sage-like being that guarded a portal to another, fantastically different realm.

      These kind of daydreams of adventure and danger, continue to this day, if I get bored, or sometimes even when I'm not. I eventually went into a class where we had write stories, though they were nonfiction only, and I was mediocre at it. This served to reinforce my inclining that writing was certainly not for me. The problem was, I was getting all of these ideas for stories, but I could never seem to get it onto the paper, in the fascinating way that they framed themselves in my brain, I wasn't a wordsmith (I'm still not.)

      One thing that changed everything, with regards to writing, happened my sophomore year at college, (last year.) I took a class in the winter semester, in which the teacher had very loose structure. She told us to write whatever we wanted, I believe her words on the first day were something like, “If you want to write erotica for this class, it's still a form of art; If you want to write poetry or fantasy, do so, I only ask that you, is that you write it and bring it to class.” This structure was totally different from anything that I was used to, it seemed to unlock something in me. We had to read our work out loud to the class, and I didn't want to suck.

      I thought through all of my daydreams and ideas, and none of them seemed good enough. (Though I will say, those are all the stories that I've written recently, I'll be in class and just daydream of something I like and I'll write it down.)

     My solution actually involved my mundane job, being a janitor at my college. One day I was sweeping a dusty, spider laden staircase, listening to my iPod, when I began to think of a rough plot. I thought and thought the whole shift, simply focusing on this new story. At nine-o’clock, I went back to my room, ignored my weariness, and my other homework, and I sat down to put it on paper. It flew out of me without thought, and to my surprise, it was taking turns that I hadn't even thought up. It was as if this story was a living entity twisting and evolving of its own accord, and I was simply the medium between worlds.

      This was my first piece of writing, The Funeral. It hasn't won any awards, probably because it isn't all that great of a piece. What I will say is that it exceeded my and my teacher's expectations for the first piece of fiction that I had ever written. What is important, further than that, is that it taught me how to step back from my brain, and just let the writing come out. Even now, I'm sitting here, simply enjoying some music, and this is flowing out of me, I'm not even really thinking about it.

     Now I realize that I'm not published, and I'm no expert in writing. But, now I do it, and the more I find myself writing and editing, the better I get at it. This is something I thought of sweeping that same staircase yesterday. I just wanted to write this to give some insight, and if anyone is reading this, thinking they won't write a lot due to perceived lack of ability, I say, persevere. Once you get the hang of it, it's easy. Once you get writing down, words flow out naturally, and you simply have to work on being a dreamer.

                �" NoblePariah

Author's Note

This is simply my opinion on writing, and it's my reason for doing it. Any opinions welcome.

Reviews

[Acropolix]

If you had started nine months before your teacher's assignment and produced this piece, that would be most inspiring for your fellow classmates. I truly admire your way writing has crossed your path. I was once told that life is like a train. People get on board at some station and leave an another station, to be replaced by new people. I believe you have passed a new station where writing has entered your wagon. I hope it will journey with you for many a league to come. Thank you for your inspiring words!

[NoblePariah]

Thank you! That's a very profound way to look at it, thank you for your wise words of well wishing, and I hope the same for you, and your own writing.

[MoriartyMesa]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO_XnBm4PfE


Opinions are like an open bar tab, after the drink sleeps off. The truth of the Tab Man is always true. You are a writer, published or not. Your work will always have its place in history.

[Marie]

Very interesting. Good writing is all about the story. Not all writers can let it flow like that, but you've discovered the well inside yourself where words spring from. You may think sometimes that it's drying up. But it isn't.

[NoblePariah]

Thank you, I'll keep that in mind as I continue to write, I have had moments where I thought I was blanking, but some time in thoughts of other things, eventually brought me back.

[Wakeofahero]

I liked this alot and couldn't agree more. A dream is only a dream, unless you work for it. Very good, I thought this to be very insighful, and from the heart... you don't see alot of this nowadays! Good job, and I wish you the best of luck in your writing career wherever it takes you! 1

[NoblePariah]

Thank you! I'm really glad you enjoyed it, and I wish you luck in yours as well, or if that isn't your main goal, luck in whatever that may be!

[Tori]

I agree! That's exactly how I feel, like my stories aren't good enough or if I'm doing it just for nothing.But it's what I love to do, to create characters and to go out into other worlds. It is true that you have to keep writing to get better, as you said. I procrastinate A LOT but that's just something I have to work on. You are a great writer! And I would definitely see your work being published one day!

I have a question, I want to take a college course for writing and heard that I should take the English Literature course first, then take a creative course. What do you think?

[NoblePariah]

Thank you very much! I'm glad you agreed with it. As for the college course, I would personally say that an English lit course might help, but it isn't by any means a necessity.(Unless its a required course for the creative writing class, but I haven't seen that yet) It would give you a base knowledge of whatever the college deems necessary, but in my classes, it was only about creative writing, nothing having to do with a literature class prehemtivley taken.

[Tori]

Oh ok.One more question, Do you think it's helpful to get a bachelors in creative writing or just take a course? Or if there is a difference?

[NoblePariah]

Well taking just a course would end up giving you one courses worth of info. I would say if you really want to get good at it the bachelors would be the way to go as it would not only teach you writing directly, but it would also give you other courses that would aid in writing. For example, I'm currently taking courses for a four-year degree in creative writing, but I've only had one creative writing course each semester since I chose that, as the others add understanding to the basic English skills, and could prove beneficial. Plus, if you were looking towards eventual publication, then they would give you more of a chance with a degree in the topic, I would assume.

[Tori]

Thank you so much! That cleared it up a lot because I had no idea where to start, thanks!

[NoblePariah]

Not a problem, glad to help.