As a child, I loved to write. I can't remember ever not writing.
I was lucky enough to have a friend, Pat, who was as besotted as I was by books and writing. In our school vacations, we would curl up for hours on end, writing, writing, writing. Our furious scribbling would be broken only by the occasional bleat of "Pat? can you listen to this for a moment?" or "What's a word that rhymes with 'autumn'?" [The answer: not much, unless you resort to 'caught em' or 'sought em']
I suspect that there are a lot of writers who can identify with this sort of joy in creation. It still happens now - I can easily lose hours in my story world.
But it's not quite the same. Now, I also think of writing as a business. I want to write - it's all I've ever wanted to do, really - but I also want to get paid for it. I have to worry about deadlines and corrections and back cover blurbs and tax deductions.
Not so when I was a child, caught up only in the wonder of creating good guys and bad guys, amazing adventures, and heroic actions. I can still remember one perfect day. To me, it encompasses everything about the joy of writing.
I was sitting all alone, without a sound to be heard anywhere, getting ready to write the first words on a page of a brand new book. My 'writing room' was an enclosed section at one end of the back verandah, and right at that moment the sun was streaming in through the window, bathing me in warmth at my desk. I could see dust motes drifting slowly through the sun.
The desk at which I sat had been made by my grandfather, and had an old-fashioned lift-up lid. The legs were the curly iron supports of an old Singer treadle sewing machine.
I sat there, full of happiness, with a blank exercise book in front of me and a few carefully - aligned pens in the groove on the desk. I couldn't wait to start. I was literally breathless with anticipation of the adventures to come.
I picked up the pen, and started to write.
The joy of writing. It's something you should never forget.
You're a writer because you love to write; because you can't not write.
So when terrible things happen in the world, as they did on September 11, 2001 in New York; or when a Tsnumai wiped out hundreds of thousands of people at Christmas in 2004 - and it seems that nothing is worthwhile, and you will never feel really safe again - think of what gives you joy.
Not just your family.
Not just the happiness of living in a safe world.
Think of the joy you get from your craft - from your passion. And think: this might be what you were put on earth to do - live joyfully, doing what you love most.
(c) Copyright Marg McAlister 2001
Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/
shuttle from Midway Glen Ellyn ..FIVE MINUTES ... Is All You Need ........to phone a... Read More
The tiniest things can be so useful when you come... Read More
You are the only one who knows what being a... Read More
As many authors are fond of stating, "Ideas are all... Read More
Story Structure Templates are the fastest way to write screenplays.... Read More
I'm willing to bet that quite a number of you... Read More
ESSAY 2Andre Malraux once said that what interested him in... Read More
The only way to become a writer is to write.... Read More
Your struggling to sell just a few copies of your... Read More
Day after day, writers tend to sit for hours writing... Read More
Q. I'm staring at a blank screen with an equally... Read More
Sure you can write, but can you write crisp, compelling... Read More
Writing is a muscle that needs exercise to stay in... Read More
Has the thought run across you mind that you might... Read More
Screenwriting is a competitive trade. To distinguish yourself as a... Read More
The Benefits of Co-Publishing There are a number of publishers,... Read More
If you find your sentences filled with commas, and they... Read More
'Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always... Read More
If a writer considers writing to be a task, he/she... Read More
11 Secrets from an Experienced InterviewerOne of the unwritten rules... Read More
Style manuals are all well and good, and in fact,... Read More
I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of... Read More
Whether you keep a separate spiritual journal or just want... Read More
On the first day of a bright and shiny new... Read More
There is a psychological nuisance so powerful that can deflate... Read More
shuttle from O'Hare North Chicago ..Being a great writer is no longer enough if you... Read More
So, the decision is final. I am a writer.Actually, I... Read More
You know, I really hate it when someone catches me... Read More
Arrogance has a bad rap. We think of arrogant people... Read More
Sometimes a freelance writing career can feel very much like... Read More
The short-short story has been likened by some as being... Read More
In the current job market, many editorial workers have turned... Read More
1. SECRETS TO SUCCESS2. MAKING A POWERFUL FIRST IMPRESSION3. AVOID... Read More
Suspense novels are probably the easiest novels to write. Suspense... Read More
If you're getting rejections from your submissions, please don't quit... Read More
There are so many ways for writers to make good... Read More
SO YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER?Many people have entertained... Read More
Part 1 of this article discussed the experience you need... Read More
Almost everyone could profit from enhancing their writing skills. From... Read More
10 - You will always have a job. As long... Read More
The Hottest Word on the WebDid you know marketing people... Read More
Take out a white piece of paper and place it... Read More
The journey to having my first novel for children published... Read More
Imagine a three hundred page book was in the author's... Read More
A few months ago, I wrote a guide entitled: 101... Read More
Word processors are so widely used now that I tend... Read More
Our Image-Driven SocietyWe live in a new image-driven society. It... Read More
If you're a writer, you're in business. It doesn't matter... Read More
What am I supposed to give Anthony as a wedding... Read More
If you dream of turning your book into a best... Read More
Writing |