First Wednesdy of the Month

It is that time of the month, for another edition of  Alex's IWSG (Insecure Writers Support Group).  Be sure to visit Alex Cavanaugh, he is a author and super Ninja blogger  ;D .   Go here to join in  or visit others. Some writers share their experiences, their feelings and what it is like to be part of this gathering.  It is a great group of talent n' support and you know you are not alone in this battle!  All creative types struggle and here we can share.    Thanks Alex!

I'm late today, a force field of imagination beamed me elsewhere.  Sorry, about that, but I am here now, lol 

I want to share my Twilight Zone experience, with you.  Last week I did a prompt on Poets United, it was for Sound.   I shared a poem by poet Theodore Roethke.    He is well known for writing sound into his poetry.   I was looking at books a few days ago on my Kindle.  I decided to load a sample of this book,  The Right To Write:  An Invitation And Initiation Into The Writing Life by Julia Cameron.  This is what the Introduction said:

"In Decmber 1067, under the baleful gaze of a gargoyle high in an upper cranny of Georgetown Library, I came across a line from the poet Theodore Roethke.  He wrote, "I learn by going where I have to go." 

My eyes bugged out of my head, 'huh?'   I read it again....it was late, was I seeing things. Was I asleep in bed with my Kindle on and dreaming this?   NO....do you hear the Twilight  Zone show soundtrack playing....


 We all dance with shadows and ideas, don't we...  I mean when we write, we all enter THE TWILIGHT ZONE!

I want to share some other findings I have discovered in this book.   The author shares it is our birthright to write. "We should write, above all, because we are writers whether we call ourselves writers or not."

In school she shares about how we go through "transitions".  She states that sorting starts to happen in school...you know you get a paper that says on it, "Well Written".  Okay, maybe you didn't...maybe you read your story to a friend and they loved it.    Or maybe you had the paper that said "You stray from the topic a bit here"  try to "Stick to the point."   It is the innovative word choices, combinations, with fee associations, that allows our words to sing.    She states,  "Academically we are inclined to a rather pedestrian prose denuded of personality and passion, perhaps even a bit elevated in tone as if writing is something to be done only from the loftiest of motives, a kind of distillate of rationalism trickled onto the page."   (Wow, that says it all....)

She thinks:  "In our current culture, something much less healthy is afoot. Writing is not forbidden, it is discouraged. Hallmark does it for us."     She thinks it becomes an antihuman activity...what do you think?    "As a result, most of us try to write too carefully. We try to do it "right." We try to sound smart. We try, period. Writing goes much better when we don't work at it so much. When we give ourselves permission to just hang out on the page."    She mentions writing should be comfortable like your favorite pajamas....   What do you think?  We should indulge ourselves first and tweak later....do you write this way or do you struggle?   Do you remember those "transition days"....

I haven't only glanced at this book, but I love this view:

"Left to its own devices, writing is like weather.  It has a drama, a form, a force to it that shapes the day. Just as a good rain clears the air, a good writing day clears the psyche."   She says the best way to do this is just to begin where you are...

Do you think writing is like weather?   Have any rainbow moments lately?  How is your weather, I mean writing these days?