Thursday, July 20, 2006

Why write, why drink, why blog.

Why Write

Hmmm…. Not, because I’m a masochist, although it sometimes feels that way. Rejections suck, but I’ve been doing this a while and to be honest, I’ve sort of at peace with them. They no longer throw me into fits of despair.
I sure as hell don’t write for my sense of self-esteem, cause when a book isn’t going well ( and we all know when what we’re writing is only fit to line the cat litter box) it gets under my skin and burrows there until I convince myself I am the worst hack out there.

I write for the possibility. Not the publishing possibility, although that’s part of it. I am consumed by the idea of what a book can be.
I come up with the core concept and it’s bright and shiny and brilliant, and then I see certain scenes vividly, (only a few, sadly). At this point the concept swirling in my head is even more intoxicating than that third cider. The book feels perfect. Cause I haven’t written it and reduced the possibility of that initial concept with my lack of ability to find the perfect phrases, the right pace, or the depth of characterization the story idea demands.
So the short version is, I write, so that someday, the book will match what’s in my head.

Why drink? This one is so easy…. Because as Molly put so eloquently, we’re all brilliant with a couple of drinks in us. And writer talk never flows so well as when I’ve got a couple of pints of delicious cider in my system. And as Maureen and Molly know, drunk writer talk has saved all our lives on occasion. And definitely our books.

Why Blog… I guess because everyone else is doing it isn’t a good reason….
Because talking about books, and movies and writing is pretty much one of my top five favourite things. And Molly and Maureen are scary smart about why certain books and movies are so good.
In which case, who wouldn’t want to blog?

5 comments:

Marcail said...

Brilliant yet simplistic--do what you love and surround yourself with positive energy(people).

Margaret Moore said...

Now you know why I love to write synopses (the kind you do BEFORE you write the book). It's all about the possibilities. I don't worry if I "can't" do something. If I wanna (or my characters wanna), I (or they) are gonna. I can edit later, but first, I just let the story go where it will.

Re the drunk writer part. All it takes for me to get to that state of being is a cola and a gathering of writers. *VBG*

Sara Hantz said...

This is such a cool blog - it totally resonates with me.

I love my writer buddies; I love them even more over a few margeritas - the drink of choice on our girly writing weekends.

As for why write.... I can't imagine my life not writing.

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Soulmates! I write, I drink, I blog, therefore I am... a drunk blogger who likes to write, or maybe a blogger who likes to write when drunk, or maybe a writer who blogs and drinks at the same time?

Hee hee.

Molly O'Keefe said...

God - that's so true about the perfect book that exists in our heads and then we just muck it up!

Long live drunk writers everywhere!

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