Bob
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Writing is like a first kiss. The prospect creates a palpable anxiety
that tightens the chest and inspires impatience. How do I initiate
this thing? Part of the problem is that no one is sure of the exact
right angle from which to begin. No amount of preparation can prevent
it from starting out awkward and sloppy, so the first time is
inevitably a disaster. Fortunately, though, with patience and
practice, anyone can learn to do it well. Ultimately, it’s quite a
thrill. |
Carol
|
For me, writing is like going to Happy Hour on a Thursday night when you have to work early Friday morning. Despite potential obligations and deadlines, hanging out with friends or colleagues after hours is generally a lot of fun. I always find the spontaneous repartee and fast paced conversations inspirational. With no preparation and little planning my words flow and everything and everybody is engaging and makes sense. Unfortunately, as the evening progresses my attitude often changes. The once humorous banter turns into a raging argument and my own lack of forethought leaves me hungry since I skipped dinner. Sometimes even the best and most honorable intentions turn out lackluster and less than admirable in the daylight. At this point I'll generally head home with my mind a buzz; I'll make a tentative plan with the knowledge that tomorrow I really need to buckle-down and work. |
Carrie
|
Writing is like traveling to a distant destination: I have some idea of where I'm going, but I don't know much about what I'll actually discover upon arriving, and, of course, I have to get there first. Sometimes I'm driving and armed with a map, and I make good time; more often, I take a less direct route, either by choice, taking in the scenery along the way, or by accident, given my wayward sense of direction. Travel acquires a certain rhythm: road, grass, cows, exit ramp; road, trees, cows, rest stop; road, grass, horses, country store...unless I get really lost. Then it's gas station, roadside, map, backtrack, map...and the occasional hitchhiker, preferably one with good map-reading skills! With a little effort and roadside assistance, I finally arrive at my final destination, frequently exhausted, sometimes exhilarated, and almost always relieved. |
Ellen
|
For me, writing is like running. Sometimes I run on the treadmill where the path is cushioned and I know exactly what I’m doing, how long I’m doing it, and where I’m going. It’s like being on autopilot. Other times, I run outside. Here, I meander, jumping over and around obstacles, losing track of the time, and almost always ending completely worn out. While running inside provides me with a sense of comfort and safety, there is definitely something to be said about taking that unexpected turn when you’re on the open road. With all the bumps and miscalculations that running outside involves, I may not end up where I expected, but I’m usually not far from home. |
Gigi
|
Writing is like rock climbing. As I approach a climbing site (or a writing project), I have a goal, some tools and tricks, some experience, some enthusiasm, some trepidation. I study the rock for a while, figuring out how to approach it, and as I climb, there's progress…and getting stuck and backtracking and rethinking (…and, I confess, some slipping and swearing and a bit of panic now and then). And there's always a belayer-a fellow climber who can offer feedback from a very different perspective. And when it's finished, there's immense relief and satisfaction at the top. |
Jackie
|
Writing is like cooking for one. It is entirely possible, when cooking for yourself, to come up with fabulous and tasty meals. It's also difficult-you can't exactly buy a quarter of an onion or half a can of tomatoes. So there are a couple of solutions. You can laboriously reduce the recipe, using fractions and calculators to figure out what 1/6 of two teaspoons is; you can guess and hope it turns out OK; or you can just make the whole thing. And for me, writing-at different times and in different contexts-takes on all three of these characteristics. Sometimes it's tedious, sometimes it's disastrous, and sometimes there's just too much to make sense of. There are often lots of steps and lots of ways to mess up, but almost always there's a way to fix it. But sometimes, everything ends up just right, and that's a pretty cool thing. |
Julie
|
For me, writing is like being in a long distance relationship. In the
absence of the other person, I have lots of ideas about what that person
is like and what I want to happen when we're together. When we're together,
those ideas may be realized: this person is just how I imagined; our
time together goes as I expected. It's more likely that I discover my
ideas don't match reality and the person isn't who I thought; our time
together is different from what I expected it would be. In this case,
I adjust my ideas. It used to be that revising was what I dreaded about
writing and relationships; now, it's the saving grace.
|
Ken
|
Writing is like swimming in the dark. Without direction in unknown waters it can be scary and frightening, but in a familiar setting it can be exciting and exhilarating. Take a deep breath and sink below, your thoughts are your only company. Burst through the surface and find your bearings. Seek out the beacons on the shore, the moon on the horizon; use your guideposts to find your way home. A quick sprint will leave you exhausted in short time. Merely drifting among the waves will lure you off track. Handful by handful, pull your way to the beach. Stop. Pause. Float. Relax. Swim again. Develop a plan. Let the sand between your toes signal your success. Crawl, step, and walk up the beach to the dunes. Look back at your fresh footsteps; exhale and smile.
|
Mike
|
Writing is like a coffee mug: warm, comfortable, and useful, but never able to hold enough. But writing is also like skiing on aquatic mammals: very difficult to do on porpoise, although Webster’s defines porpoises, like purposes, as very gregarious. Then again, writing is also like looking for sunsets: setting up camp and building a small fire somewhere in the Sangre de Christo mountains, cooking up ideas between dawns, and never walking quite far enough to see them all, or see the best one, but surprised by another one every day |
Rania
|
Writing and dancing are twins. Dancing or writing alone in a room of one's own can be a joyful relaxation and a healthy exercise. Even when dancing with partners, the ease and the beauty of every move is sharpened with time, and a constant emulation of the experts. As your confidence grows and you acquire better skills and tricks, you become the professional dancer /writer who can accomplish the most intricate moves with ease and grace. The secret to this success is fueling the desire to write into your work to achieve a phenomenal dance with words. |
Risa
|
Writing is like catching a creature. You work out techniques to make your attempts more successful, but the pursuit and capture are different every time. Finding your creature-your idea, your argument-is usually the most difficult part. They're small-they could be nearly anywhere. You're daydreaming at the Daily Grind when you spot a perky green lizard sunning on the bricks. You weren't expecting her, but it's exciting to see her so you put down your latte and get to work. For the capture itself, sometimes you're sneaky - quiet and patient, creeping along. Other times the writing's a mad dash - the frog has noticed you and it's starting to move, so you have to get moving too. It's a messy splash through the water-a little less graceful than you might like-but it gets your heartbeat going, and shows you what you're capable of. Often you find more success when you enlist help: someone to show you possible escape routes and help you close them off, someone to follow the crab with a flashlight while you chase it along the beach at night. And really, it's not so bad sharing the glory with others when you're holding up a crustacean in triumph. |
Shanny
|
Writing is like hiking in a forest without a map, or compass, or guide, toward a destination you can't clearly see, for reasons you don't completely understand. The effect is disorienting but not without certain charms. For one thing, hiking is a learn-as-you-go challenge. You can only prepare so much, then you have to lace up your boots and figure things out on the walk. For another, it may be difficult to know whether you're on the trail, but it's often revealing to look back over your shoulder and see from where you've come. One of my favorite authors commented that he hates writing but he loves having written. That's how I feel about writing. And hiking. |
Thu-Mai
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Writing is like painting a picture. Deciding how and where to lay the first dab of paint can be the most difficult part of the process. There is always a negotiation between relentless expression and controlled technique. As the canvas becomes filled with expressive brushstrokes, the image takes shape. The final masterpiece may turn out to be a contemporary art abstraction or a methodical renaissance painting. Either way, writing, like painting, is a personal expression of ideas, experiences, and style. |
Vicki
|
Writing is like making a piece of pottery. I have all kinds of ideas about what I'd like to create, and I can spend hours daydreaming about what a beautiful bowl or plate or vase I'll have when I'm done-but at some point I have to sit down with a big, slimy lump of wet clay and get to work. Bending over the wheel can be tiring, and it's discouraging when an almost-finished piece collapses in a heap. After the basic form has dried, it's time for my favorite part-decorating and glazing it in preparation for the final firing. I have to remember to leave myself enough time to get the details just right-it may take several tries to make a good handle for a mug or find an appealing combination of glazes. The object I end up with may not match my vision perfectly, but it's usually functional, and sometimes it's even kind of pretty. |
Waitman
|
Writing is like building an airplane in the air. The basics are the same. There are certain parts that you have to have. And some are more important than others. However, you can decide if you want to build a fighter plane or a 747. The choice is yours…but chances are if you don't build the wings and engine first, your construction exercise will come to a painful and speedy conclusion. Save the tray tables for later. The key to building an airplane in the air is that you can never stop working. Once you have the frame built, the skin on, and the engines going, you need to move on to controls, the things that can change more exactly the direction you are traveling (instead of say, flying or not flying.) When you have finally added your name to the tail section and monogrammed seat cushions…and the landing gear, you are ready to land your creation for your adoring public. And the best part of it all is…they will all be amazed that you were able to do it. |
