Silence That Voice

I saw that quote recently and fell in love with it. It is such a great way to look at writing. I know the quote talks about painting but you can adapt it to anything creative really. Writing can be such a daunting task on its own but it’s even worse when you start comparing your work to other published authors.

Don’t Go There. Just Don’t.

I do that all the fucking time. Like, honestly, I know very well that comparing yourself to others is a black hole from which you might never come out of. It has frozen me in the past, it has haunted me, beaten me to a bloody pulp and left me for dead. Almost. But man, that is not where you want to be.

Comparing Myself To Others

I mean, sure, it is bound to happen that when you read a novel, you might think, ‘Holy shit! How did that even come to him?’ I often do that when I read a Stephen King novel. The man never ceases to amaze me with his choice of words, description or plot. There’s a reason why he’s my idol in the writing world. But then I often fall prey to the inevitable, ‘I’ll never be like him. I suck.’

Yep. Horrible thought that can cause an avalanche effect and bury me alive. 

But, don’t worry, there’s a positive outlook incoming.

What I Aim To Do When All Seems Lost

I did survive all these thoughts. I did get back up on my feet and hobbled over to the writing desk. Why? Because it is in my fucking blood to write. It is who I am. As a whole, I am a creative being. I never stop creating. It can be overwhelming but it is who I am.

Writing is where I feel free and where there is no limit to what I can do.

So, it does not matter that sometimes I doubt my talent, my skill, but it does matter when I allow dark unreasonable thoughts take over. I feel those feelings but then carve them into a ball and kick it away from me. Fuck you dark thoughts!

I am a writer and I will bloody fucking write! You just watch!

I get fired up. I get passionate. Because if I am not going to be passionate and fired up about something as important as this, then life will be a miserable time on earth. Writing. Creating. It brings me utter joy and even though it is hard work, it makes me happy.

What I Like To Imagine When I Fire Up! ^^

So! To those dark thoughts, to that voice that often speaks up against me? I say this: I will silence you. I will silence you by writing. You will never stop me.

I am a writer. That’s that.

 

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Day 1 / Hot Desk Fellowship

Today is a special day.

I am starting my Hot Desk Fellowship at the Centre For Stories. What’s that you might ask? Well, it is an opportunity for writers to have a dedicated space for their creative work. You also get opportunities to attend events, workshops, etc.

How I feel inside about this awesome opportunity!

When I was told I had won it, I was gobsmacked. It came at the right time though. I’ve been having a lot of ideas but there was always something happening. Something that required my attention.

I was getting distracted.

I have a space at home for my creative work but it can be difficult sometimes to motivate myself to stick to just the one thing for the day or even for a couple of hours. My mind is always racing with ideas and I sometimes can’t focus.

I’ve got to be laser-focused!

With this Hot Desk Fellowship, on top of all the cool things that come with it, I get a place where I have to focus. It’s a lovely open space with light and books around. Ca me donne envie, mais tellement! When I’m using some French you know I’m pretty hyped up! That little thing means that where I am right now is making me want to work.

I often write up some scenes as a warm-up before getting deep into a work-in-progress (novel or short story). I guess every writer has his own quirks when it comes to his craft. So today instead of writing a mock scene, I thought I would write some words about this fellowship.

I aim to be super productive today.

Get something meaty done so I can feel a sense of accomplishment. The good thing is that there are other people too here. There’s a girl across the room from me who also won the Hot Desk Fellowship. We are both working on our own thing and in silence but there’s this common creative energy in the air and that’s just fucking awesome.

I summon thy creative energy

But anyway, time to finish this off and get to work on my WIP. I am super excited for it as it is one of those stories that seem to want to pour out of me. This is good.

I’m good.

 

If you’re interested in finding out more about Perth’s Centre For Stories and the many amazing things they do, check out their website at centreforstories.com. 

An Old Thing But A True Thing

I don’t know about you but when I read, I tend to space out. A lot.

I’m the kind of reader who can burn through a whole chapter but then spend two hours on the first page of another chapter. It usually happens when a word or a particular line triggers an idea in my head and without meaning to, the idea rolls on with or without me having much say in it.

Thinking of my own stories while reading

This is one of the reasons I love reading. The first reason is of course for enjoyment and for escapism, like a lot of readers out there. But the other reason is the way a story can lead me to another story of my own.

The thing is the ideas that do form in my head often have no link whatsoever to what I am reading at the time. Reading is, in essence, a gateway to my own creative space. That’s some deep stuff right there but it is the truth.

A word. A line of dialogue. That’s all it takes.

A writer needs to read. It’s an old thing but it is a true thing.

My imagination and creativity are nourished through various means but one of the biggest slices of said nourishment comes from reading. If anything, to be taken on a voyage in another writer’s story is an experience in itself.

You admire what others do and sometimes you find out what you wouldn’t do as a writer. 

That’s the beauty of it as well, sometimes you read a story and you think to yourself ‘I wouldn’t have done it like that.’ Just because it works for one writer does not mean it will work for all writers. Reading helps shape your craft and it gets you closer to where you’re meant to be.

You learn from the good and you most definitely learn from the bad.

There are authors you connect with more than any other authors. I know I often pick up a book just because I know I like the way that particular author writes. The story might not be the best but the writing will carry me through.

Then there are writers you stumble upon who make you wish you never met them in the first place.

Does this mean it was a waste of time to read their work? Of course not. 

Because even from these books that do not connect with me, I learn a lot. For example I could be reading a description in a story and I would think, ‘Damn, that’s an awful lot of time to spend describing a brick in the wall. Eesh! Not doing that. Ever.’

I love reading, especially when it makes me space out because that space is a great place to be. I feel alive in that space. I love how words can cause such a range of reactions from me. From all parts of me. From the reader to the writer while not forgetting the child who loved reading all the stories in the school library.

You read, you learn, you write. 😉