WRITER’S FLOW
Most authors at one time or the other face an event called “writer’s block,” and I’m no exception. I’ve been working on a manuscript opus for over four years now entitled, “The Sword of Kamehameha,” set in 11th century Japan and Hawaii. Two of those years have been spent largely in research both in Japan and Hawaii, visiting museums and meeting with various authorities in period history, sword-making, myth and lore. I put it aside — rather too gladly I fear — to write and publish THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor. And now I’m tempted to do the same for a sequel to my newly released work and another manuscript that’s more than half finished called “Shadow,” about a mentally challenged street person — a former theoretical physicist who was on the brink of discovering an entirely new physics and whose “illness,” unrecognized by him, was his physical existence in multiple universes. I’ve already written a good introduction to the Japan portion of “The Sword of Kamehameha,” but today I was musing on why exactly it was so easy to put aside.
It’s not for lack of good content or a strong storyline. It’s not a lack of memorable characters. It’s not due to my own disinterest. What it has to do with is that every time I add to it, I end up without chicken-skin. You know, that almost otherworldly feeling of lightness and exhilaration that comes of its own when watching a particularly engaging performance, scene in a movie, chapter in a book. It’s something “stumbled upon” that leaves one with the feeling of how good it is to be alive. That’s what’s missing. Call it “writer’s block” if you like, but it isn’t exclusive to writers or authors, and isn’t really a block per se. It is definitely something missing. Like the pinch of herb or salt necessary for a new recipe to explode with animated gusto in one’s mouth.
The question for the writer or author is where to find the spice or salt. And so, I’ve spent the day mulling over where to find the missing piece that will elevate my manuscript to excitingly experiential. I think, in my case, it’s typically my predilection to narration. The characters, interesting enough, need to “come out” more in dialog. Once they do, they seem to take over the story and my role changes from creative artist to scribe, and the challenge is to record all they have to say quickly enough not to lose anything.
I’ve often shared with co-authors William Maltese and A. G. Hayes about this phenomenon, in fact, in a bit of correspondence with William today. So where am I and my “Sword of Kamehameha” manuscript today. The characters and I both seem to be waiting to hear William and A.G.’s opinions. Odd how characters can take on a life of their own — ask any actor about this — and right now they seem to be reawakening. Now that’s what I call “writer’s flow.”
The Edge of Madness
It’s not for lack of good content or a strong storyline. It’s not a lack of memorable characters. It’s not due to my own disinterest. What it has to do with is that every time I add to it, I end up without chicken-skin. You know, that almost otherworldly feeling of lightness and exhilaration that comes of its own when watching a particularly engaging performance, scene in a movie, chapter in a book. It’s something “stumbled upon” that leaves one with the feeling of how good it is to be alive. That’s what’s missing. Call it “writer’s block” if you like, but it isn’t exclusive to writers or authors, and isn’t really a block per se. It is definitely something missing. Like the pinch of herb or salt necessary for a new recipe to explode with animated gusto in one’s mouth.
The question for the writer or author is where to find the spice or salt. And so, I’ve spent the day mulling over where to find the missing piece that will elevate my manuscript to excitingly experiential. I think, in my case, it’s typically my predilection to narration. The characters, interesting enough, need to “come out” more in dialog. Once they do, they seem to take over the story and my role changes from creative artist to scribe, and the challenge is to record all they have to say quickly enough not to lose anything.
I’ve often shared with co-authors William Maltese and A. G. Hayes about this phenomenon, in fact, in a bit of correspondence with William today. So where am I and my “Sword of Kamehameha” manuscript today. The characters and I both seem to be waiting to hear William and A.G.’s opinions. Odd how characters can take on a life of their own — ask any actor about this — and right now they seem to be reawakening. Now that’s what I call “writer’s flow.”
The Edge of Madness
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