Preface
Reader, dear Reader, I see you dare go there. Caution!
You do realize, do you not, that words are tricky, powerful, and frequently have an energy and mind of their own? A writer is at their mercy. Therefore - so is the Reader... ah, but the Reader is just along for the ride.
The Writer on the other hand, well, pity the poor Writer! Writer has to deal with the words. Words are often coquettish and need prolonged encouragement to show themselves on the page while the writer squirms anguishingly, tempting and cajoling them to appear, to arrive, to gather - to cooperate!
Other times it is just the opposite and the writer is drowning in the flood that can't be abated - flushed about. Slow up, or, do slow down - just be slower; we're losing chunks of words maybe whole portions of works. Wait! Then, it's gone. The swimmer is exhausted, where did they go? What is left? What is left to work with? We try again. The slopes are slippery.
The author wants to lead. The author wants to be in charge. So, here I am; I shall write about "such and such"; I type the title - "such and such".
Then the words begin to arrive, here we go, wait, no, you words are going the wrong direction! You are not meant to have a mind of your own. Look what you words DID!!! This isn't "such and such"! It's not "such and such" at all! You did "thus and more", not "such and such"! Oh, well here we are. Let it be. I was planning to write "thus and more" eventually, anyway. So, there! Are you satisfied!
Then the calms - the sweet times - the times of gifts of words from whom or where, the writer is not sure, but it happens. Wherever the source, Whomever the Source, however it happens, it's greater than the sum of all the author's talents - and it is so sweet. Those are the times for which writers write. And, frequently, most usually, I write during the night - stringing together, these silent words, into the night.
I am not sure where this book will take us. Dear Reader, climb on for this ride; we have a long way to go... let me know when we get there.
You do realize, do you not, that words are tricky, powerful, and frequently have an energy and mind of their own? A writer is at their mercy. Therefore - so is the Reader... ah, but the Reader is just along for the ride.
The Writer on the other hand, well, pity the poor Writer! Writer has to deal with the words. Words are often coquettish and need prolonged encouragement to show themselves on the page while the writer squirms anguishingly, tempting and cajoling them to appear, to arrive, to gather - to cooperate!
Other times it is just the opposite and the writer is drowning in the flood that can't be abated - flushed about. Slow up, or, do slow down - just be slower; we're losing chunks of words maybe whole portions of works. Wait! Then, it's gone. The swimmer is exhausted, where did they go? What is left? What is left to work with? We try again. The slopes are slippery.
The author wants to lead. The author wants to be in charge. So, here I am; I shall write about "such and such"; I type the title - "such and such".
Then the words begin to arrive, here we go, wait, no, you words are going the wrong direction! You are not meant to have a mind of your own. Look what you words DID!!! This isn't "such and such"! It's not "such and such" at all! You did "thus and more", not "such and such"! Oh, well here we are. Let it be. I was planning to write "thus and more" eventually, anyway. So, there! Are you satisfied!
Then the calms - the sweet times - the times of gifts of words from whom or where, the writer is not sure, but it happens. Wherever the source, Whomever the Source, however it happens, it's greater than the sum of all the author's talents - and it is so sweet. Those are the times for which writers write. And, frequently, most usually, I write during the night - stringing together, these silent words, into the night.
I am not sure where this book will take us. Dear Reader, climb on for this ride; we have a long way to go... let me know when we get there.
2 Comments:
I have been at your blog now for the better part of an hour and I'm just getting to the good stuff. I already want to meet you, be your friend, have you as my mentor, hang out with you but not get in the way of your creativity, and just love you. This intro to your book set me free from the worry of not---putting out all the time. It set me free for thinking I was going in sane when the words were choking the life out of me. It set me free from the sheer joy I get when it does flow but I'm afraid it's not good enough. I could hug your neck right now. You understand me.
Delightful perspective on the creative process!... Deb
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