Wednesday, August 27, 2008

A Few Words about Words...

I have been nursing severe sinus issues... probably for quite some time, but especially since finishing last weeks jury duty. The courtroom where we heard the case had a thermostat (remotely controlled from a building about two miles away, on the other side of the local river) that must have felt it important that the room be able to double as a meat locker after finishing cases for the day. Starting last Wednesday I have been constantly blowing my nose in an effort to be able to breathe (blowing, sometimes, with mixed results).

I finished the short script last Friday, and have sent it out to one person for a reading, and am preparing two printed copies for others to read. I have also submitted it to "my" writing group for review...

Now, with that said, I had my first class last night, and the prospects look... interesting. As I think I have mentioned before, I have that jumbled ball of nerves floating around - I'm excited, because it's a writing class [which means, you know, I have to write stuff!], but at the same time, there is the nervous tick of not having had this instructor before - not knowing how he grades or really how he even runs the class [overall].

There are actually stories [published] that we will read and discuss from an artistic standpoint [to think about other ways of building a story, etc.]. I have already started looking over the three [have read one, and marked the other two] for next week, and can already see part of where the idea of "other ways" can go.

Here, however, is the meat of why I was moved - first thing this morning, to create this post... More "Words from Wheaton" (hey, that's kinda catchy)... As I have mentioned before (by means of cross-posting, linking back to Wil's blog, or others), I like seeing other writers having epiphanies... Even the few times that I have had my own, it has always been a good feeling to actually hear other [read: professional, published] writers say the same thing. More specifically, admitting, without a lot of ego, the process of hitting walls and trying to break through - finding a way for a story to work, realizing that the approach may need to be retooled, or the story completely rethought.

Growing up in the pre-digital age, the writers I read were huge, living on pillars and pedestals. Granted, this was the mind-set of a thirteen year old, interested in telling stories, mentally trying to comprehend the art of writing. In seventh grade, my friend Chris and I talked about (and even did a basic plot storyline) for a trilogy... and other than a few efforts of thirteen year olds trying to start a book, it didn't get too far. Trying to understand how a writer could assemble a book - let alone a series - became one of life's assumed mysteries.

Now, as Will demonstrates in this post, there is a huge advantage for us writerly/creative types - peer support for the isolated. Also, for those of us still in the early stages of (what I want to develop into) a writing career, the digital age helps to find those authors that are wanting to come down off of their pillars, to bee seen as normal people, and in some small way, to help those that are interested, build their own pillars.

It is always good to have proof that I am not the only one. [read the linked post, and you'll know what I mean]

No comments: