Every writer has their own place of inspiration, their realm of solitude from which the are able to tap into the well of literary creativeness. Ralph Waldo Emerson chose nature as his muse when writing “Walden Pond." Ray Bradbury is said to have written “Fahrenheit 451” in the basement of a UCLA academic building, where he paid 25 cents to use the typewriter, writing at sporadic intervals until his work was complete. One of my recent favorite authors, Ken Kesey (“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest") wrote much of his work while under the influence of LSD.
My mind works best in a coffee shop, with a piping hot cup of strong joe; or two, or three, depending on the length and deadline of the work.There is just something about the dull chatter of conversion both intimate and business-like, drowned out by the soft, smooth rock playing over the speakers. Dead silence is the enemy of my creative tendencies, as the lack of any stimuli lets my mind run too wild. Sure, an open mind is a blessing when writing, but focus is also needed to turn one or two ideas into something to be comprehended by the reader. Wild streams of consciousness need to be saved for personal diaries.
Technology is taboo in my writing world. Nothing can ruin a writing flow like a quick glance at Twitter. Soon enough, your smooth surrealist story is being written by Donald Trump and wait... What was the score of the Bengals game again? Turning off (or at least silencing) my cell phone allows me to pretend I'm out in the wilderness for a bit (or like I'm 80) and fall off the grid. I find that losing grasp of a great idea and interrupting a flow is easy to do, and hard to return to after being distracted. Lack of any other obligation eventually leads me to become enveloped in what I'm writing, and the content almost types itself.
Another stipulation is running before my writing duties are to occur. Not only will random ideas enter as I run, and thus manifest themselves onto paper once I start writing, but I find myself to be much more alert, energized, and clear headed after a good long run. My writer's muse must experience the “runner’s high” as well.
Sometimes I keep it old school and write with actual papyrus and ink. I feel as if I can jot, cross off, and doodle as I wish when writing inside a good old college ruled notebook, and the availability of ideas never dries up. Paper doesn't require me to backspace, delete or undo. Plus, if a less than acceptable idea makes its way into fruition, I can ball that sucker up and toss him in the trash can, ridding the world of unworthy literature once and for all.
The more I read, the more I desire to write. Something about admiring the work of other writers creates a sense that i must to do the same; produce thought and fiction for the benefit of others. In a conversation with a friend the other day, we came to the agreement that, all other career and life aspirations aside, the one thing we both were intent on accomplishing before death, was writing a novel.
Not only can writing reach others, but I believe there is no other creative and emotional outlet better than writing; besides painting and other expressive art forms. When writing, the paper listens, and there is no need for intervention of another party, biased or non. Writing allows you to say what you want to say, how you want to say it. Publishers be damned, the writer is granted his freedom of speech and uses it dutifully.
It may be a hermit's pleasure, this love of writing, but I think a little alone time can be beneficial to even the most ravenous of extroverts. Learning to be alone and “entertain yourself” through art is a skill requiring mental fortitude and a certain amount of inner peace. Both can be admired and lead to a sense of self sufficiency that is dwindling in this world.
This is the reason everyone, young and old, male or female, Republican or Democrat should write. Imagine a world in which individuals, before outwardly acting, could pen down their emotions, longings and dissatisfactions with life in general. Could we solve wars through writing books? Maybe not. However, maybe if we made pen-pals with our foes overseas, we could all just be a bit more understanding of each other.
And if at first you don't succeed, take the wise words of Earnest Hemingway into account and don't be discouraged, for he says…
“The first draft of everything is shit.”
Write on
