« Tarantino To-Do List | Main | It Made Me Laugh »
August 19, 2004
Pen Poised
Ahhhhh....
That's the sound of me relaxing. Which is what I'm doing about my writing. I've realized something in the last few weeks. I need to write less, and listen and watch more. Fully aware of how cliché this sounds, (and saying it anyway!), there are stories all around me, waiting to be written. But, I can't do that if I'm not looking for them. Writing is not just about putting a pen to paper and stringing together some nice sounding words. (That’s the heart of my epiphany, folks!!) Being a writer is a way of life, a state of mind. Though you may not have a pen in hand, you never cease to be a writer, because you never stop observing life. It's not just something I do; it's what I am. That's so hard to say, because you worry that people will think you're pretentious or have delusions of grandeur if you say "I'm a writer". But it's not about that. It's not me being any of those things. It's just me being me. God put this love of writing in me for a reason. To record, to capture, to save. Duh, huh? I guess I should have known that, but I didn't. Now I see that I have the chance to preserve the world around me, to voice the intricacies of life and the people living it. Wow. How cool is that?
I've bought a rather lovely, brown leather journal to carry around with me, just like I'd imagine The Greats to have used. I'm inspired just looking at the thing! When thoughts pop in my head, I'll jot them down. When I see that cowboy in his beat-up car waiting at the stoplight, I'll write about him. When I see the lady beside me at the gym trying to hide the fact that she's crying, well I'll write about her, too. It's not for anything in particular; there are no limitations or expectations for this journal. Its only function is to help me learn to SEE better. I know this will, in turn, help me to WRITE better, but you know what, I don't even care about that right now. What comes will come, and that is sufficient for me. Right now, I only want to do the thing I feel called to do, and that is enough.
The rest will take care of itself.
My So Called Writing | By WonderGirl | 5:25 PM
Comments
I've kept journals off and on ever since I was a teen-ager... and have them in a trunk in my storage unit... looking back sometimes is at once a journey into the past... and at the same time a glimpse of someone different... in a different world... the girl that I was when young men I knew were going off to Viet Nam... the young woman I was when I first married... the ups and downs... the circles...
I still love journaling... there is something wonderful about a sheet of clean white paper in front of me... waiting to be filled...
It's one of my favorite things...
Posted by: Aunt Vickie at August 19, 2004 6:19 PM
I'm a sucker for journals. I love them. I have one for everything: the blog, the very personal one, the cooking one, the research one, the creative writing one, the garden one, etc.
Have fun!
Posted by: Jeannette at August 19, 2004 9:14 PM
I've been reading through your archives and cracking up because you are so funny! I love that you and I have so many things in common.
Hurrah for your effort with the leather bound journal. I've got one myself, had it since I was 15. I only write the most personal things in there. Then I have my daily journals and my blog. Keep going. You inspire me.
Posted by: shannonblogs at August 19, 2004 11:31 PM
Shannon- nice to meet ya! Thanks for the encouragement, it's so nice to hear!
Posted by: Wondergirl at August 19, 2004 11:39 PM
