Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Fri, Jan 29 2010
Happy trails to you
Have you ever walked a trail loop in a state park or similar setting? You can usually begin your walk near a parking area and there are often several trails that begin, including longer, more strenuous hikes to a place from which to catch a magnificent view. There are often paved, level walks for those who use a wheelchair or who want to enjoy the forest without breaking a sweat. And then there are the loops. These are often shorter than some of the other trails and may be seen by veteran hikers as a baby route. If I choose a trail loop I see the all-business hikers go by me with their backpacks full of trail mix and water to keep them going while they seek that zenith of scenery they can reach only by working every muscle in their bodies. Here I am on my little loop, looking down at mossy, fallen logs and gazing up at, in one instance, giant redwoods with branches that sweep from top to bottom of trunks and sway in the breeze and leave me with the scent of ancient times sitting in my nostrils.
Yes, metaphor is afoot here. Life has a variety of trails and we each walk in them all at some point or another. The loops may not be the rockiest or the most scenic, but they can be the most fulfilling if we come back to the parking area with a sense of having been somewhere important.
When we write we use them all. There are level trails with corresponding ease of movement and rocky banks with shallow footholds and painful grabbing places that require care but have huge rewards in terms of story climaxes. Then there are the loops that seem circular and easy at first, but are ultimately full of internal growth and completion of life processes. Every story needs them all. Every life needs them all.
posted at: 18:52 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
Have you ever walked a trail loop in a state park or similar setting? You can usually begin your walk near a parking area and there are often several trails that begin, including longer, more strenuous hikes to a place from which to catch a magnificent view. There are often paved, level walks for those who use a wheelchair or who want to enjoy the forest without breaking a sweat. And then there are the loops. These are often shorter than some of the other trails and may be seen by veteran hikers as a baby route. If I choose a trail loop I see the all-business hikers go by me with their backpacks full of trail mix and water to keep them going while they seek that zenith of scenery they can reach only by working every muscle in their bodies. Here I am on my little loop, looking down at mossy, fallen logs and gazing up at, in one instance, giant redwoods with branches that sweep from top to bottom of trunks and sway in the breeze and leave me with the scent of ancient times sitting in my nostrils.
Yes, metaphor is afoot here. Life has a variety of trails and we each walk in them all at some point or another. The loops may not be the rockiest or the most scenic, but they can be the most fulfilling if we come back to the parking area with a sense of having been somewhere important.
When we write we use them all. There are level trails with corresponding ease of movement and rocky banks with shallow footholds and painful grabbing places that require care but have huge rewards in terms of story climaxes. Then there are the loops that seem circular and easy at first, but are ultimately full of internal growth and completion of life processes. Every story needs them all. Every life needs them all.
posted at: 18:52 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
Time flies when you're writing fun
In real life, we often lose track of time when we're busy concentrating or are engaged in something we enjoy. Time doesn't really go any faster during these activities. We know that, but we still speak of time going faster. Likewise, when we read an exciting story we can become so immersed in the whole thing that we lose track of time. Writing such a story might not be exciting during every phase of the work, but if the story is a good one, a writer might lose track of time while caught up in some scenes or sections. If that isn't happening at all on a project it might be time to rethink the whole story. If it's not making time pass quickly for the writer, it's likely to have a similar effect on the reader.
posted at: 00:25 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
In real life, we often lose track of time when we're busy concentrating or are engaged in something we enjoy. Time doesn't really go any faster during these activities. We know that, but we still speak of time going faster. Likewise, when we read an exciting story we can become so immersed in the whole thing that we lose track of time. Writing such a story might not be exciting during every phase of the work, but if the story is a good one, a writer might lose track of time while caught up in some scenes or sections. If that isn't happening at all on a project it might be time to rethink the whole story. If it's not making time pass quickly for the writer, it's likely to have a similar effect on the reader.
posted at: 00:25 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
