You have a great idea for a
story or an article. It's perfect and the thought of sharing it with others
knows no bounds.
There is your computer, your
desk, and you are ready. Fingers on the keyboard, and you click away putting
those special thoughts into black and white form. Something is happening – it
isn't the same story - everything is different and someone stole your Emmy
Award.
What happened? Between the great
ideas in your head and the reality on paper – something did definitely happen.
Before you check out the latest crime statistics in your area, take a moment
and a deep breath.
Your story is there but in your
mind's eye it was complete, total, and without any errors or revisions
necessary. It was just there – a perfect, pretty package that needed no ribbons
or fancy paper. What you have on paper is reality - this is your story in the
form the world will see. Your thoughts are there, the words are there, but they
do need the ribbons and fancy paper.
Each person has their own way of
thinking - their own way of reacting. We don't even think about it - it's just
there. We don't flick a switch and we don't push a button. It's just there and
there is good. Every writer soon finds out what that burst of energy, that
literary genius really is. It's the birth of a story, an article, a poem, or
whatever the final outcome will be. Without this "spark" there would
be no literature in the world.
Did you ever touch an outlet the
wrong way, or pull a plug and that white/blue spark just rushes out? Well,
writing is a lot like that. When that spark came, it made you jump. It
motivated you to stop doing whatever you were doing. It directed you to take
precautions. You realized that you had to do something at that very moment.
Well, writing it just like that.
The spark is there but it comes in a beautiful rainbow of colors. It does give
you a jump, and you will feel that you need to find paper and pencil and write
this down. It motivates you to start thinking beyond that initial idea, to
gently mold it, weed it, and then redo it in the form that it will finally
take. You have to take that first step or nothing would happen. There would be
no literary work coming forth.
Many of the greatest writers in
history wrote gems that came to them on napkins, the back of envelopes, or even
matchbooks. The main point is that they did write them down so that they could
refine their thoughts, polish them up and have something that they could be
proud to offer to the general public.
Now take a second look at what
you typed. It doesn't seem so bad. Maybe, it could use a little work, a tuck
here, and a push there. The monumental first step is looking right back at you.
It's there - you have it down on paper. You didn't forget it, lose it, or throw
it away. Whether you continue on this thought trend is entirely up to you. If
not, put that piece of paper in a file folder that you can aptly call
"Genius".
You can go to sleep tonight with
the knowledge that your folder has the start for a literary giant if and when
you take the time to work on it. Check your "Genius" file every so
often. That same thought will take on different meanings, new outlooks, and
strange new directions. The main point is - it's there. You saved it - and the
future of literature will some day thank you when you transform it into the next
bestseller or classic.
Welcome to the wonderful world
of writing!
Copyright Arleen M. Kaptur 2002
Arleen has written numerous
articles, e-books and the novel SEARCHING FOR AUSTIN JAMES
Arleen's webpages: http://www.rusticliving.info http://www.webspawner.com/users/rusticliving/index.html