Years ago, one of my acting professors told me that in order to make something good happen on stage, you had to first dig through a pile of crap. Or something like that.
The idea is there though-in order to produce good art, you must first get the lousy art out of the way. In order to be good at something, you have to suck at it first. So, I've been experimenting with that recently. The past few days, I've been writing with my inner editor turned off. I had a silly idea for a story, and instead of dismissing it, I decided to write it. I've written about 500 words so far, and to be honest? It sucks. And I love it. There is ONE sentence in all of those words that I actually might use. One. But that's how it works! In order to be a writer, we must read a lot, and write a lot. You have to dig through the mines to find the gold.
I'm having so much fun writing without being concerned about whether or not it's good. It is more liberating than you could ever imagine. I'm writing it to entertain myself, not to pitch it to editors. I think that when we turn off the fear of "will my story sell", we are more honest in our writing. I think that the one sentence I got from this lousy story will lead me into another story--a better one. It's simmering in the back of my head, and I can't wait to taste it.
I've kept my promise so far to read an essay, a short story, and a poem every night. I really am enjoying it! You know, it's like a cheese platter. A few bites of delicious, rich, creamy words followed by a sample of something fresh, and light. Then a small serving of something tough, with a sharp aftertaste that sticks with you for hours. A sampler platter of words. Does this take anyone else back to the word and letter market in The Phantom Tollbooth? Each letter had a different taste, and you could combine them to make even more flavorful words? I remember the first time I read that passage. Maybe that's why I always compare reading to eating.
Anyway, I've been devouring the stories in my giant book of Ray Bradbury shorts. Every night, I go to the table of contents and pick a random title that sounds intriguing. The other night, I read "The Burning Man." I had trouble falling asleep after that one. I find myself absolutely furious when I reach the end of certain stories, because I need to know what happens next. How can he deprive me of that? What do you mean I never find out what happens to Doug, and his Aunt Neva? My mind runs wild with all the possible scenarios. And then, when I've exhausted my imagination, I can't help but think "Bradbury, you wonderful genius." And then I'm up for hours, still stuck in the story.
For essays, I've been working out of Emerson's "Nature." I love it, because I often find myself shaking the book, wanting to shout "Yes! Exactly! I feel that, too!" It amazes me how connected I feel to his thoughts, and ideas. I think I am going to go back and re-read it when I'm done, just to delve a bit deeper into it. On a first reading, you only touch the surface. I want to go scuba diving, not snorkeling. I want to explore these ideas in a submarine, not a kayak. It's such a joy.
I love poems, but my experience with them is minimal. I'm thinking about switching them to a morning read, that way my mind is sharper when I open my anthology. By the time I get to the poem at night, I just want the shortest one I can find, so that I can read it, do my nightly writing, and go to sleep. I don't let myself taste the words, even though I know how delicious they can be. I like the idea of starting my day with a poem. I drank coffee for a year in college, only because I liked the idea of starting my day with a cup o'joe. I eventually replaced it with juice, water, or tea. Instead of coffee, I think I'll have a poem. Yes, I'd like a grande Poe. I'll take it black.
(ba-dum dum.)
In any case, I'm really enjoying my new writing and reading routine. I encourage you creative folk to give it a try. Feed your brain, and stuff your head. Thank you, and goodnight.
Posted with Blogsy
No comments:
Post a Comment