what is written
Published September 26, 2008 | 
I’ve been searching for just a little more
But the days girl, just slip away
- wolfmother
A writer can be inspired by many things; The last bit of a red sunset slipping away to hide from the darkness, life’s inspiring victories and overwhelming defeats, tragedies large and small, and of course a paycheck. How the story comes out is not just filtered by the mind of the writer, but also the atmosphere in which it was written. Most writers build their own “writer’s nest”. A place and atmosphere that is conducive to thought transcribed.
Some writers need a place of no distraction. A place void of sound and even image. Others cannot function without a background of white noise. Some, like myself, need a sort of meditative mixture of music, light and aroma. Often the writers chosen atmosphere tells you a lot about their inspirations and natural leanings, often more so than what they have written. The written word after all is often influenced by bias & imagination then translated through the bias and imagination of the reader.
Some cannot find any inspiration in process. Writing manuals and safety articles for them would be a chore if not impossible. Others can only write in an un-tempered flow. They “blurt” if you will. Then when everything running through their minds has been emptied onto the paper, it’s complete. Correcting and editing it, would be “process”, something a “blurter” can’t easily do. Just one reason for editors. Some writers are like mathematicians. Writing to them is simply & logically stringing together an organized series of facts. On the other hand some very imaginative writers find “factual” material a wonderful challenge. A text book well written is after all, a masterpiece of mind over blandness. Expedition Kayaker and man of legend Stan Chladek said once in Canoe & Kayak Magazine, ” I need to drink about a half-litre of wine to get my imagination working. Then, I write very fluently on human sacrifices and bloodletting.” For my part a good “bloodletting” is inspiration in of itself. Of course a bit of wine never hurt.
Blogging has restated a simple truth. Anyone can be a writer. In fact, most anyone can be quite adept with a pen or keyboard. The most important thing is not the person, but that they find the subject that inspires them. I encourage everyone to face the blank screen (or white sheet) and write. No matter the subject. One thing I do believe is that only in a small way does the writer influence what is written, while the act of writing can have a profound influence on the writer.
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One Response to what is written
Excellent piece today, Derrick! I wish more writing teachers could read it, especially those in elementary schools. So many teachers don’t realise the wide variation in motivating factors and psychic sieves children possess which allows them to write or not write to a given topic. Good stuff!