Finding the Flow
Have you ever seen a piece of artwork or read a poem or a book that was done so beautifully that it seems simple and effortless? And then you think to yourself, I can do that. I thought that about writing. I have a degree in English so I have all the rules of grammar covered. And I read. I read alot!
I’ve read books where the prose just rolled off the tongue. And the story was woven so intricately that you can’t even tell you’re hooked until you try to put the story down or until it comes to a close and you find yourself saddened by it because you have become such a part of the character’s lives that you don’t want to see them go.
I woke up one morning to find a complete novel banging around in my head dying to get out. It never required any thought at all. I saw it play out before my inner eye as though it were on the big screen at the theater. I knew the theme, the plot, the characters, the twists and turns and the ending as well as I knew my own name. So I think hey why couldn’t I be the next J.K. Rowling or Cornelia Funke?
Why? That seems to be the biggest question of my life now. Being someone who thrives on researching “How To” books, of which my personal library is full. I began the task of learning what it takes to write a book. I must’ve spent a cool grand on them. Well they all basically had the same information in them. How to write a character sketch and a plot outline and how to strategically keep your reader turning the pages. So I spent the better part of this year filling up notebooks and computer files with all the information I already had in my brain. I researched the things I wasn’t sure how to make work and I starting pounding away at the keyboard. I got about five chapters into it before I printed it out and read it back to myself and while the story is there, it is just not flowing the way I want it too. It seems awkward and lurches along like an old car with a clogged carburetor. So I knew I had to go back to the drawing board. The problem with that is now my confidence is waning and I’m not sure how to proceed.
Then I was sent this tiny clip of an artist performing her craft, and it inspired me so that I wanted to share it with you. What this artist does is exactly what I want to feel when I am spinning my little yarn. I want it to appear effortless and awe inspiring and just plain beautiful. I want to reach my readers in such a way that my story becomes a thread woven into the fabric of their lives. In order to accomplish this daunting task, I am going to shelve my chapters for a time, and get into the zen of writing. By this I mean, I will be making it my religion for an undetermined period of time and writing freeflow exercises for ten minutes everyday with a really fast pen and some cheap paper. Somewhere in the midst of the non-thinking out pouring of words that will ensue from these exercises, I should be able to un-block my chi and begin my novel fresh and with more confidence.
I want to thank all of you who have supported me through this entire endeavor. I know I’ve been a little crazy at times and have probably driven you all a bit crazy. I think I’m moving in the right direction now.
Now for those of you that would like to see what I’m talking about please click the link at the bottom of this page. (I hope it works) it should just open up in your media palyer, if not just copy and paste it into your browser. And Enjoy!
http://www.sandfantasy.com/videoclips/just_imagine_long.wmv
P.S. Thank you Rochelle for sending this to me you’ll never know how deeply I felt its message.