A Writer needs many things, many of them things everyone needs, food, shelter. income, ability to communicate. But a writer also needs a particular ability to write, and also ideas to write about. They need a curiosity about things too, if they are going to remain committed to their life as a writer.
Writing can be a lonesome business, just you and the black page/screen. And a need to fill them with words. If you don’t actually write, can you call yourself a writer? Or are you a ‘gunna’ because one day, you’re gunna write this, or that, but not yet, because this and that reasons.
Once a previous gunna actually begins getting their words written, they often realise the beauty of actually writing, and they’ll wonder why it took them so long to start. But one of the reasons some of them quit is because they never feel the thrill of getting the best words written in the best possible way, and they feel like failures, and go somewhere else for their interests in life.
But if writing is the thing that wakes up your creativity and joy in life, go for it, be creative, explore what you like to write, and what you feel you’re best at writing. Put your thoughts to the test, and share your words with others to see if others agree.
Look for inspiration everywhere you go, take not of any interesting things you see, or hear, or learn, and think about how you could use those ‘found’ interesting things, to add even more interest to your writing. If other people are interested too, cherish those people, they are your potential readers of your words, buyers of your books, listeners to your talks, and followers of your blog!
But not everyone will like what you write, so as a writer, you need a thick skin, and the ability to step away from any hurt caused by negative words and responses to what you do with words. Not every book will be loved by every person, and that doesn’t matter. We are all different, in what we like, and do. That means there’s less of a crowd, which makes it easier for you to step up and shine!
So share your words, grow a hide, be curious, get on with living your life, and write your words!
When you write creatively, you’re a writer. Many of us take a long tome to actually acknowledge this, and claim the title, but it’s true, if you write, you’re a writer. And if what you write is poetry, then guess what, you’re a poet. The words don’t have to be published, or even shared with anyone else. There are many writers and poets who have many written words tucked away, hidden from the world that may be desperate to read those words, without realising, as you don’t realise it either.
So, there are many of us writers and poets. And of the many out there, what we all love is getting an inspiration, that lights the fire of our imagination and mind, and the words come. For some they feel they need that inspiration to come from something within themselves, or from Nature, or some such thing. Others feel fine using writing exercises, and things such as a five word challenge can be their inspiration.
Or an inspiration can be a happy accident, where two different things come together, adding up to, not two, but fifteen, and something far greater than the sum of its parts has emerged. Certainly, I feel my current writing adventure was one of those happy accidents, where a phrase, and an idea have come together, and an Anthology is on its way to coming into the world.
I enjoy five word challenges too though, and am finding that the more often I do them, the better I get at doing them. I know many of my writing friends enjoy doing five word challenges, because members of writing groups I’m involved in do them, and produce marvellous pieces of writing with them.
Nature, though, Nature is my biggest inspiration, in my life, and in my writing. My usual writing position at home, during the day, gives me a window into Nature, with flowers, trees, creatures, and the sky all bringing me peace, ideas, and conflict too, sometimes – all inspirational.
My front yard inspiration
Today I was watching an ant. It was in my back yard, I was standing watching the goings on in and around some ant nests, and one ant was carrying something, so I decided to watch where it would take it. WE often think of ants as being purposeful workers, but this ant wandered around one tiny area, about 30cm x 30cm, carrying that burden over difficult areas, backwards forwards, over and under weeds, toward a next hole and away, back again. Then I looked away and the ant was gone!
Well the ant of course could have still been there, because there were ants all around the nests, but I couldn’t see one carrying that piece of whatever it was. And of course, to me, all of the ants around that nest look exactly the same. I was only able to see that particular ant because of the ‘whatever it was’ it had been carrying. So, burden gone, interest gone? No not really – the idea of carrying a burden, a thing, giving one a sense of purpose is definitely an interesting idea to write about, in many ways.
What could it mean to the one with the burden, or to be burdened and to put it down, and go back to normal life. Does carrying, or having a possession make you more important than others, or give you a sense of purpose? These ideas could certainly be inspirations for many kinds of writing.
Inspiration is the thing that takes our writing from ordinary, to something more, something greater, from the mundane to meaningful and perhaps magnificent. Use the world as your inspiration and look with eyes, and mind, and all of your other senses, if need be. Inspiration fed gives much to the writer, seek it, feed it, benefit from it. The world needs your words!
I’m finding some sense of control, as I work through putting together this anthology “Plague Invasion – Creative Writing Responses to Covid-19”. I can do this one thing, and I can stay at home to do it, and that’s what I know how to do, staying home and putting words into order.
my view if I get off my bum and look … part of our front yard
It helps me to do this, and I hope it’s helping those who are getting working on it with me, writing their own story about how their life is right now. These are not good times. Stay safe, maintain your social distance with other people, wash your hands …
And if you write anything that relates to Covid-19, and would like to share your words with others, please consider submitting it to me!
My view out in the front yard again. I love these lovely tall pine trees, that the Galahs also love, when it’s time to check out the pine cones in the trees, to eat pine nuts.
As in the image just above, the creatures are going on with things, finding food and shelter where they can, and they’re not having to thing about this pandemic that humans are having to think about, and deal with. Animals have their own things to worry about, and that road just outside of our driveway, has often been a sad scene, when the Galahs are eating the pine nuts, from cones knocked down onto the road, and fall victim to a car. Life and death, right there …
It saddens me to see that, but well, we have to die from something, and chowing down on food you enjoy eating, would be a good enough time to die. It would be quick, and so painless, I hope. I wouldn’t want to die that way, and really, can’t see any point in thinking about how I may eventually die. I just hope it doesn’t happen for a long, long time.
But back to more positive thoughts. I hope we can get through this together, doing the best we can. And I want to catch up with friends again, and share hugs with them!
I had an idea, an excellent and caring idea, one that would, or at least could, bring hope and understanding to many others. It was an idea for a book, an Anthology, on a less than lovely thing, a virus, but with a lovely effect on those who will read the words within.
This idea is still with me, even though the fire in my mind has calmed somewhat. Life happened, and keeps on happening, and in this Covid-19 world, life keeping on is an excellent thing, isn’t it? The garden has been part of the reason for a slight step back, but it’s under control, and I’m back on board with this Anthology now.
Old photo, same garden, the plant is being supplanted, perhaps …
I have a number of submissions for this Anthology I am going to put together, and edit, which is great. But for an Anthology of note, which is what this Anthology may end up being, many more works, poetry or prose, or both, are needed. I have a vision of this book being at least 80 pages long, but at the moment, it is far fewer pages long than that.
I know there are people, friends, and others who intend submitting their work to me for this Anthology, so I’m sure it will easily get to 40 pages at least, but that is not a noteworthy length for such a subject, one that has captured us and held us prisoner, in many ways. Even those who are still able to work, do so with an altered sense on what is ‘safe’.
I would love to have a piece from a medical person, talking about how this virus has brought on changes to the way they do their work, or about how in many ways it has brought better awareness in others about the skills they have learnt in their working life, and how we all should apply those skills to our own lives, to keep safe, or at least safer …
I’d like to have something from a musician, writing about new ways of sharing their work with others, or teachers who have, or don’t have students at their school. Or what about all manner of workers, performing essential services, who are unable to be as close to those they love, without much vigorous cleaning of themselves, and their things that may have been infected as they work … I want these stories, and more.
Writing about this anthology, on this blog, and posting other blog posts, as thoughts occur to me on a variety of other subjects, these have brought more people to my blog, some of whom have liked my words, and made connections with me. I would love every one of those beautiful and thoughtful people to think about their life now, and how it is affected by Covid-19.
Every person in the world could have a new and different way of looking at this virus, what it means, where it came from, and what the future may bring in this changed post-Covid-19 world. Or is there actually a post-Covid-19 world possible? We don’t have a vaccination yet, though scientists and medical people are working on it. And even if there was a vaccination, would enough people have that vaccination?
I’d love to receive pieces on and around these issues. And what about those who love conspiracies, why not write something about how it was all done on purpose by the Chinese government, to bring down America, or by America to bring down the Chinese, or whatever other permutations there may be. This Anthology should cover those issues too, so it brings further discussion into the subject.
So, please, this is what I’m looking for – poetry or prose, unpublished or published (as long as you hold the copyright). Up to three poems of thirty lines or fewer, or up to three prose pieces of up to 2,000 words (combined), that’s what I’m after, anything at all in response to ‘Covid-19’. If I like it and it meets the guidelines regarding length, you’re in!
So submit to kittycordo@gmail.com with the subject line of ‘Plague Invasion submission (and your name)’. Of if you’d like to know more about this, send an email with the subject line of ‘Plague Invasion query (and your name)’. Or you could ask a question in the comments section below. I check my comments regularly, and will respond as soon as possible.
That’s it, think about it, send it in. You won’t get a free copy, but if your work is accepted, you will receive a copy at cost price, plus postage and handling, and if you require further copies, they will be available to you at half price. Making lots of money is not my aim with this book, spreading knowledge and ideas is the aim.
Creative people – writers, visual artists, sculptors, photographers, filmmakers, all of us, get a burst of energy, and their whole life can focus on their new fantastic thing. Other people hear about their idea, and give them positive feedback, and the creative one keeps on going, creative fire setting their mind alight!
That’s how it is for me, and on looking at my friends, and other creative people, it looks like it happens for others that way too. Their work is their life, their life is there work, as much as it possible. Of course, some aspects of ‘normal’ life have to go on, but the creative person’s being is focused on their bright and shining ‘thing’.
This state can last for the whole of a project, if things are going well, you’re meeting your goals, and is the best it can be. This is a great thing, if it happens, but the truth is that enthusiasm can blaze and then splutter, and finally going out, like a candle in the wind of indifference. If you think your ‘thing’ is a good one to have happen, you’ll need to work to help keep it going, and the keep your interest in it happening.
Find the resources you need to top up your enthusiasm – I found – How to Keep Your Enthusiasm When You Hit a Slump, today, and it’s helping for sure. Keeping the initial idea, the overwhelming reason, and purpose of the idea in mind is paramount, to keep that keen desire to get that great thing done, and done as well as you possibly can. If the idea doesn’t feel like an important thing to anyone else, it can be difficult to keep going.
But there was a reason why you started out with your big thing, to help you keep on track with it, focus on:
what that thing was,
why it’s important,
how it helps others, and
why it matters in the great scheme of things.
If you can create a list of these reasons, and the writing and reading again of that list fires you up again, and sparks that enthusiasm up again, that’s great. Keep the list for those times when you may need it, when enthusiasm wanes.
You can then get back to your idea, with the fire burning bright again, knowing why you are putting your effort in, and that it is a good thing to put your energy into. Print out your list, perhaps, to glance at when you begin back at that task, and it can help keep the fire burning bright.
On the other hand, if, on looking at your idea, you fail to get any more than a slight flicker of interest happening, then it’s probably good to put that idea aside. It may have been a good thing at a particular time, but that time is gone now, or maybe the time is yet to come. So, if the time isn’t right now, it isn’t the thing for you to spend all of your energy on. Keep the idea on the back burner, peek at it now and then perhaps, but don’t give it your whole being.
Different people have their own things that spark the interest in them, for the important things in life, that make them feel what they do is relevant, and worth doing. If you have those things, or that one overwhelming thing, it can help make you feel your life matters, and that feeling is a wonderful thing to have. It helps you get up in the morning, it helps you to get through difficult times, it gives you reason for being. It is the clue to tell you the answer to the big question ‘Why you are here?’
So remember the thing that means the most to you, and work hard to maintain the enthusiasm, but when that flame flickers, shield it from the wind, and remember that what you are doing is important. Look at your list again, remember the Why?, rekindle the fire, and go!
Words and ideas are my thing, the candle that keeps me alive to life!
It isn’t a failure, to feel this waning happening, it is only a failure if you don’t try to get the enthusiasm fanned, and burning bright again!
Carolyn Cordon - Creative 