Looking for the way home

It was in high school when I first discovered that I enjoyed writing. I used to write my short, bizarre stories in longhand until I was able to afford a typewriter which made a world of difference as I could then actually read what I'd written. When I got my first computer it was like a whole new world opened up as the images and thoughts flowed from my mind through the scurry of fingers into the keyboard and onto the screen. Back then writing was not something I did, it was more something I had to do. I had to get it out of my head and into written form.

Since that way-back-when epiphany, I've written reams of material though mostly short, slice-of-life type stories that sought to capture a moment in time, a feeling or a single situation out of context with any particular continuity. Writing was my joy, my hobby, my avocation. I could even teach others how to get started or improve their own writing. I was happy.

As such stories go, one day came along and poof! I don't know why nor how, but the catalyst that allowed, enabled, motivated, whatever me, was simply not there. Make no mistake ... the desire is still there and whatever talent I may have certainly has not gone away but the connection from mind through fingers into keyboard and onto screen seems to have short circuited. Sure, I can occasionally still do bits and pieces of creative exposition, but it's not like it was so I'm trying to find my way back.

I hope that by going back to basics and working through the process that I will rediscover the joy I have known. If nothing else, I hope to learn things that I don't know (which is probably a lot). It may be that I'm not suitable for inclusion in these courses and I will accept that determination should it come about. However, I intend to get back what I've lost and if not this way, then another.

Thanks for your consideration.

Oh you've still got it Eryn- that was writ reel nice. :)


Tojo

Hey, good luck eryn. You seem thoughtful and articulate, not to mention determined! Maybe it's a stage of development or something that you're going through--longterm writer's block!?
Either way, i look forward to reading whatever you write;)

xx

Eryn, there's a sort of -- ahem -- constipation that is induced by life demands. In my case I was a manager over some four dozen folk. The need to keep it all organized, businesslike, and sounding professional made it so that it was extremely difficult to let that part of me go that I needed to be able to release to be healthy. And creative.

I developed my own form of freelance. Then I found out that other writers had used it too, Sylvia Plath being one and Hemingway being another. But none of that means it works for you or anyone else. But you have to try everything, I understand.

I got up way before I needed to. 3 AM in fact. and I wrote until the rest of the house had to get up. (changed of course depending on age of kids, etc.)

What did I write? I began each morning with one "honest" thought (Hemingway) and wrote spontaneously, without editing (even for spelling) as fast as my fingers could move -- from those pages, when I would read them over on a weekend (usually), I would find 2 or sometimes 10 worth doing something with. Those went into a separate file, and the rest got deleted.

Eventually, from all of this semi-conscious meandering and babbling, the germ of an idea for a story would form, or for a group of poems, something. And then I could use those pages I had saved to begin something "real."

It was a hard way to accomplish what once had been so easy for me, but it kept me "alive" and a few of the things I did in that period even turned out good.

I hope you have similar luck.

hJ

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Eryn

It was in high school when I first discovered that I enjoyed writing. I used to write my short, bizarre stories in longhand until I was able to afford a typewriter which made a world of difference as I could then actually read what I'd written. When I got my first computer it was like a whole new world opened up as the images and thoughts flowed from my mind through the scurry of fingers into the keyboard and onto the screen. Back then writing was not something I did, it was more something I had to do. I had to get it out of my head and into written form.

Since that way-back-when epiphany, I've written reams of material though mostly short, slice-of-life type stories that sought to capture a moment in time, a feeling or a single situation out of context with any particular continuity. Writing was my joy, my hobby, my avocation. I could even teach others how to get started or improve their own writing. I was happy.

As such stories go, one day came along and poof! I don't know why nor how, but the catalyst that allowed, enabled, motivated, whatever me, was simply not there. Make no mistake ... the desire is still there and whatever talent I may have certainly has not gone away but the connection from mind through fingers into keyboard and onto screen seems to have short circuited. Sure, I can occasionally still do bits and pieces of creative exposition, but it's not like it was so I'm trying to find my way back.

I hope that by going back to basics and working through the process that I will rediscover the joy I have known. If nothing else, I hope to learn things that I don't know (which is probably a lot). It may be that I'm not suitable for inclusion in these courses and I will accept that determination should it come about. However, I intend to get back what I've lost and if not this way, then another.

Thanks for your consideration.

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you now have level one access ---someone will contact you shortly with your first task