Why Write? Why Not! 2 - Just Do It

   Do all writers suffer from writer's block?  No, but a lot do.  Don't let it stop you.  Keep dreaming!

  

    I’ll be the first to admit that it’s a lot easier to write when you have a great view. This month I’ve worked from a shaded terrace where palm trees and mangoes frame the blue of the Indian Ocean.  It’s easier when you don’t have a lot of worries to weigh you down. But don’t think I am worry-free.  Everyone carries something heavy.  That is part of being human and alive.

The key is this: keep on writing or preparing to write. Do it every day and have faith in yourself. Tell yourself: I am a writer. I will write today, I will write tomorrow.

Does it matter what or how much?  Not a bit. Will it be a few sketches in a notebook, a description of a character, or a phrase that grabbed my imagination so fiercely that I scribbled it down on a napkin at the cafe?  Cool.  

Durning my darkest days in 2015 I became blocked. This is a part of being a writer and, as is often the case, it was stress that blocked me. My husband was fighting a battle against cancer and the doctors informed us it was fatal, our medical debt was rising, and it felt like my world was melting.

When I penned the first four books, I’d been relatively worry-free. My husband saw I was blocked and he encouraged me to get that fifth book started. I began scribbling the first three chapters while we waited for radiation treatments, and outlined the plot as we sat close and joked around in the chemotherapy unit.

He reminded me that the secret to writing was to write even if it was only a few lines every day. I did and I do. It took a very long time before that fifth book was finished but once I’d healed from the loss of that marvelous man, I kept the faith.  He believed in me and over time I learned to believe in myself.

So, when you feel blocked by life from expressing yourself stick out your tongue at it and just do it anyway. (You know, within reason and legality!) What counts is that your happiness - so dream big and live well.  Write, create, paint, sing, dance, laugh or feel the bliss of contemplating life.  Problems will always arise, but if you open yourself to seeing a way beyond them, you will have the opportunity to express yourself. Just do it - and you will feel the joy.  And if you want to, share your joy with me.  I’m on your side!

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Why Write? Why Not! 1 - Sharing The Joy

Hey, as I begin my 10th book, yes! Wow - 10th! I’ve been thinking a lot about writing. When I’m introduced to someone new, they often say, “It must be great to be a writer,” or, “That’s so cool!” Often they tell me they are thinking about writing a book but don’t know how to begin. Well often, my stories start on the backs of envelopes! When inspiration hits, it often flies as well. No time for that fancy paper blank book! Grab the idea while it’s still around. Maybe it will get used later and maybe not. Collecting those wisps of ideas is the starting point of storytelling. Fortunately, today it rained and that meant I stopped playing and sat down to write.


One of the most poignant lines I know comes from the movie V for Vendetta. The heroine is reading a hidden text that says, "This is the only autobiography that I will ever write and God, I'm writing it on toilet paper."


And you know what? It changes that reader's life. It doesn't matter if the autobiography is true, false, printed, handwritten, lined up in verse, or spattered as paint on the wall. It tells a story that speaks straight to the heart.


They say there is a book in everyone. Sure. Maybe some days I feel like all I have is a comic strip... so I'm taking a break from my work at my writer's desk (aka - the breakfast table) to write about writing!


Yes, I think everyone has something to share - maybe even a book in them. That just makes sense to me - every life is a story filled to the brim. So, if you've been thinking about it - why not join me and just write your story in whatever form takes your fancy?


You don't have to be confined (for weeks as we were last year in France) to the rules of anyone else. (ha ha - yes, a confinement pun...argh) It doesn't have to be a book with X number of Chapters, perfect grammar, or lots of prose.... It doesn't even have to be a book. Maybe you have poetry to share, or photos, or short stories, anecdotes about your family or life. Maybe it's just a "Hey, I'm here and I'm thinking!"
In this digital world sharing has become a way life. And I'm glad. I can post my thoughts and photos and just as easily delete them again if the whim takes me. But take note: That doesn’t make them disappear. Once in a server it will always exist somewhere - remember that whenever you post! I think - so how would I feel about my mom reading this one day?


My only advice - and I know it's biased - is to put out the vibe you want to receive - or as my mom used to say, "In private you can be a mess, but in public - be the best you that you can possibly imagine." I've always tried my best.
Yes, I do cultivate writing in cafes or editing while sitting by the seaside. But hey - sometimes, I'm in my pjs all day just hanging out with a cup of java and writing at the kitchen table and it's all good! What counts is sharing with one another what it is to be alive. So, why write? Why not! You have unimaginable, unique tales to tell. Maybe you'll surprise yourself and write that book! (or a comic strip even....)


Come on over any time. Feel free to join me on my Facebook Page and talk about writing - or about not writing, even! I think the thing about creating is the sharing. The human contact. I want to hear from you - AND - I'll be cheering you on!
Until next time, mes amis, big bisous! (You know sorta virtual French hugs & kisses from La Reunion France)

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