And What Do You Do?
“I write,” is the answer. It should be enough of an answer, but it never is because there’s always the next question.
“What do you write, dear?”
“Stories.” That should shut them up, but it doesn’t. They want to know the type of stories, the publisher, the genre, the ……….. on and on and on.
The question they should ask is: “And where did that desire come from?”
I’m still waiting for that question. The answer is different today than it was yesterday, and it will probably be different tomorrow. Today’s answer: “It’s not desire, it’s obsession.” But that wouldn’t stop the next barrage of questions, would it? No.
The next answer closest to the truth is: “The stories are out there, and they pick someone to communicate with, and it all flows from there – sometimes the right person picks it up and turns it out to the world and lots of people read it; sometimes not.”
Close, but not quite the truth. What is my truth when it comes to the need to tell stories?
The need to escape. Some of this need came from my childhood (not so good, but most people can say there were lots of ‘not so good’ childhoods out there). Some from the fact of lots of siblings and one way to stay out of the way of a fist or boot was to be the one telling the compelling story (a good lie, in fact). Some of the need comes from the failure to walk through this life as a whole person – the feeling that something’s missing – and only a story with a character who has some of the things I want to [you know – fix, be as good as, etc.]. Some of it comes from the need to be doing something that doesn’t cause any more pain to my arthritis.
The stories have always been there, they’re still there, waiting, but they don’t wait just for me – they sing to anyone with ears. For example, I had a great idea (concept, outline) for a story about a town trapped inside a dome – 2 years later, out comes Mr King’s story. And you’re right, mine wasn’t finished – but so many things were similar (of course, his writing was uber better, because at the time, I was a newbie – not anymore!).
Now, I take the idea, play with it (with pen and paper) to do the compelling concept, and outlay the initial steps of a beat sheet. This part alone can change how the idea (or scene) that started the process was not what I thought it was. Something grows, becomes more powerful, and sets itself solidly in the mind. From there (with a bit of thought and storyboarding) it becomes a living, breathing thing. It becomes its own being, with its own life – and I am tasked with breathing life into that creature, to watch it be born and grow and – the final bit, the hard bit – leave home to do their own thing.
Is that the start of a good enough answer, do you think?
Oh, and here is the 4q outline.
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Writer At Work – Beware The Claws!
