Writers And Readers Understastanding Who We Are

“We are a species that needs and wants to understand who we are. Sheep lice do not seem to share this longing, which is one reason why they write so little.”

Anne Lamott, author

           

           Interesting thought, don’t you think? Nice to know sheep lice don’t write much.  I don’t think they’d find a market anyway.

            On the other hand that first bit, the statement that we are a species that needs and wants to understand who we are, that’s food for thought.

            I admit, every once in a while when I’m writing I get to contemplating why I do write. I enjoy it for sure. I like creating other worlds and stories about them. But at the core there seems there is more. I’ve been writing since I was barely 12, and I mean seriously so with the goal of publication. So why? What was it that spurred me to do that at an early age?

            Throughout history, since man has been able to think and process information, stories have been exchanged, first verbally, passed from one to another, passed down through the years, then via the written word (whether actual words or illustrations). (And now you know the origin of the graphic novel and comic books and movies).  Well, maybe. Seems logical to me.

            If you’re a writer, or a reader for that matter, think about it. Her statement that we want to understand who we are. I have to agree. I grant you we can’t read other animals’ minds and they can’t talk to us directly, so we can’t be absolutely, 100% positive, but it appears we’re the only animals (or insect?) on the planet who are self-contemplating. Who give thought and story to who we are and where we’ve been and where we are going.

Again, one has to wonder why that is.

            Writers write to explore new worlds. Readers read pretty much for the same reason. Together we’re creating those worlds, wandering through them and in that journey questing to understand a bit more of who we are, why we’re here and what the heck we’re supposed to be doing. The confusion can expand to large proportions.

            That exploration, in fact, IS part of who we are. Our explorations and storytelling will no doubt give us even more answers as time goes on. They’ll probably raise a whole lot of other questions as well.

            So who is this Anne Lamott  who gave us this quote? You can read a bit more about her by clicking on her name.  She does a lot of biography, some novels and some non-fiction. She’s also the author of many books, one in particular that’s a great read for writers. BirdBy Bird. She’s on twitter too if you want to follow her - @AnneLamott

            Explore yourself – go write – or at least go read.

Writers And Readers Websites Wednesday - story generators

Yep, a day for story generating sites. There are a lot of them out there, and many are fun to play with when you're fishing about for a new idea.  Go on, let the crazy kid in you explore new ideas. Check out the sites 

Story Wonk

Seventh Sanctum 

Writing Roulette

 

Plot Generators 

Enjoy, play and squeeze those creative juices.

Writers And Artists Nurture Your Creativity

We’re coming up on a holiday here in the US – Thanksgiving.  So, I thought I’d spend a little time musing about creativity and what it takes to keep that part of us pumped up, nurtured and ready to go. Some suggestions, as it were, to help the blocked, confused and wandering – also the steady writers and artists out there who might need to take a breather or find a new path.

          Hopefully some of these ideas will perk you up, give you a new slant or just assure you you’re not alone.

          If you’re stuck on a story or whatever you’re attempting to create – and I know you’ve all heard this, but you probably need to hear it again – for heaven’s sakes take a break. Do something mindless or that will force your conscious brain to focus elsewhere and give your subconscious a chance to free range a bit. Take a walk, shovel the drive (in winter), mow the lawn (in summer), do the ironing or maybe cook dinner. Surprise your spouse with that dinner, he or she is no doubt so used to you being so immersed in your creative work that they rarely see a decent meal. Seriously, give yourself a break, give everyone a break, unclench.

          Here’s something else you can do to enhance creativity. Just watch people. Really. Watch them. People…the things they do and say. They can be funny, startling, offensive, romantic – you know, all that stuff you want to infuse into your creative endeavors, quirks and happenings you want to put into your stories.

Another ~ Let your mind wander. Unhook the discipline for a bit and let it be what it is, let your thoughts take you where they will.

          And how do you keep track of random thoughts that crop up with all this relaxation and subconscious stroking? Well you can easily keep a note pad handy, but if you like you can also think about using your phone to make a record of those thoughts. If your phone has a record feature, use that, if not, call yourself and leave a message in your box. You don’t want to lose those gem ideas.

          Another idea? How about going to the place you’re setting your story or where you most associate with the creative work you’re doing. If you’re a writer and the story is set at a beach and one is nearby, head on down and do some jotting there. Airport? Bus Station? Hospital? Mall? Small town? Go on, take a field trip. Might not be practical if you’re planning on writing about Jupiter or the depth of a volcano is your inspiration for your next creative work. But no doubt you’d be able to come up with variations on a theme.

          Variety is another great inspiration. The more you have, the more likely you’re going to be successful in generating the ideas so vital to your creativity. Start a garden, get a hobby, play with your dog, take up knitting – do more than one! I garden in the summer, create jewelry all year (want to take a peek – I have a little shop on ETSY, Silverstreak) I also knit, read, make lampwork beads in the flame (that really is focus!) and do some occasional bead weaving.

          So the long and short of it is you need to give yourself some time to let the ideas percolate and to come up with fresh one. Deadlines may loom, pressure build, but that doesn’t mean you can skip the creative process in the middle – and that takes some nurturing.

Reading is Not Boring But Writers Are A Little Crazy

I Suspect Writers Are a Little Bit Crazy 

Yes, I mean you and me and all those other writers out there (regardless of what they write).  There are a lot of reasons for my suspicions but I could write another entire book on that so I'll just keep to one sub-topic beneath the general heading for today.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard aspiring writers say, "I'm not a big fan of reading...I just don't have time to read."

What?

You intend to write but you don't read?  I mean if you don't read what the heck makes you think other people are going to read what YOU write?

Oh, they say, I'd rather just flip on the game console or maybe send a text (with letters that look like little better than gobbeldy-gook) or surf the net.  Reading is pretty boring they tell me.

What?

So you don't think YOUR writing is going to bore someone else?

Ahem, let's analyze this truly twisted thinking a bit. From many conversations and my own observations this situation plainly stems from not the reading, but WHAT those people were reading.
Many young people read only because they've "had to" for school or for some learning endeavor.

Remember being forced to slog through a 'classic' in literature class that didn't interest you? Remember being assigned a long read in a dry text at school that held no more interest for you than dust?

Then, maybe later remember when you 'had' to read some technical manual for your work?

Granted, all that can be boring, but it's not reading's fault!

Okay, so I think the problem is plain and if you plan to write or simply want to have a better life you are going to have to read.

Sorry, that's the way of it.

Doesn't matter how you read, whether holding a book or a magazine or at your computer or on your tablet, you have to read.

So, putting aside for the moment the stuff you'll still 'have' to read over time, the key is to find things you're interested in, things that entertain you and/or ignite your passions. Novels, politics, science, whatever floats your boat. Trust me, reading will then be fun.

And, as a bonus, once you've found those things that inspire and fire you, and you actually begin  to enjoy reading, you'll discover lots of new ideas and topics that will engross you for hours, even days.

From there you'll leap into new perspectives, explore new frontiers. On top of that, reading will lead to better writing. Whether you desire to be a 'writer' of some species or just need to write clearly for your job or to communicate with friends, family and colleagues, reading will aid you in those endeavors. New ideas, new words, new perspectives.

And all of that will change your world. And one change spurs another. It's a process that goes on continually. One I've no doubt you'll come to love and embrace.

Write. Read. Be a little crazy.