Thursday, October 18, 2007

Style of Writing

A friend got me thinking - what is my style as a self taught writer?

I love to write sentences that ebb and flow and take the reader on a visual merry-go-round into worlds full of new wonders where the mind can take time to contemplate our existence and the existence of the imaginary. I love to be quick, to the point, in your face. Sometimes, well, not always, but on an occasion, yes, I will purposely slow you down, well, because I want you to pause for a moment to take in what is coming next.

I wasn't taught how to write. I wrote. I grew. My writing grew with me. I think you have to be honest with yourself and be able to throw whatever comes into your mind onto the paper. It takes guts. I think there is something called "over editing". Not all sentences should be perfect. Some aren't right. So there. Deal with it. If I wanted every little thing in my writing to be perfect I would lose what makes my writing a piece of my soul. A portion, if you will.

Where do characters come from? How do they form? If you have an answer, I'd like it. Where do ideas come from? I say God, what say you?

Elizabeth sat down at her computer after a long morning of ringing phones and wedding pictures. Her desk still contains the remnants of post-it notes and telephone numbers. It's easy for her to talk to people on myspace. She can answer their messages in-between phone calls. Today felt more like a Monday to her, maybe it's just the weather, or her lack of sleep. Only a few rain showers, even though she wanted it to pour all day. Elizabeth dreaded the thought of having to waste water on washing her car. She keeps a thin coating of dust all over the exterior.

I can tune everything out in order to write. It's a gift. I just ignore the world and keep going, word after word, page after page. As long as I'm inspired. Lately, I've had writer's block. It's a horrible disease. Good thing it's not contagious.

~Elizabeth