You have to be brave, foolish or both, to stick at this writing game. Actually for most of us there is no choice; we are driven to put words on paper no matter what. I saw a great title for a lecture yesterday that sums it up nicely: “Why Write: Living the Writing Life Regardless of Publication, Recognition, Money and Fame.” to be given by Valerie Martinez at the Taos Writer’s Conference. Valerie has a good point – we have to find other reasons to stick at the writing, day in day out. And if it is becoming too routine, too much like Groundhog Day when you hit your desk each morning, you have to find other ways to keep yourself (and your reader) interested.
When I teach writing workshops, a question I always ask is, “what are you going to give up for your writing?”That always gets the heart a-fluttering. Another I ask is, “what risks are you willing to take for your writing?” You can make a list of them and see just how far you can go. When you start to feel scared, it’s a good sign. When you feel terrified you know you are on the right track.
Apply the same question to your characters; raise the stakes, put them in situations you would never in a million years put yourself in. After all it’s just writing; you can always hit the delete button. Make sure you leave it a couple of days or weeks before you do. You never know .. you might have just found the key to your plot conundrum in that risk-it-all moment. Isn’t that what we crave; excitement, risk, pay off. Start practicing. Take a risk today! Do or say something you wouldn’t normally do. Have your characters do the same and watch the sparks fly!
Risk having the journey of a lifetime and join us (and PATTI SMITH) in Fes this June. Places still available! Check out the budget options for students, poets and attic novelists!
June 6-16: Sacred Song, Sacred Story, Fes, Morocco (in conjunction with The Fes Sacred Music Festival).
Nov 24 -30 : Mekong Meditations, Luang Prabang Laos. Find yourself in a writer’s heaven.
Jan 9-21, 2014: Moroccan Caravan. Fez, Tissardmine, Erg Chebbi, Marrakech – a 12 day desert journey.
Feb 2014, Temple Writing In Burma – Green tea and Buddha’s in a brave new land.
March 8-15, 2014. Breakthrough Writing in Fiji – Eat, Snorkle, Write, in Fiji’s hidden paradise.
(Cliff diver photo by Kfengler via Wikimedia)
