Because of NaNo it's been awfully quiet around the blogosphere. I love the fact that in the quiet, I know there are hundreds of you out there pounding on the keyboard, creating people who were not just a month ago, creating worlds and creatures and accidents and secrets and lives. I am motivated by those of you who are steaming ahead, the word count racking up; and I'm consoled by those of you who are struggling along, hoping just to make it through the month alive.
I didn't attempt NaNo this year, but I did make the pledge to myself to get at least 1000 words a day, weekends included, no matter what. I'm pleased as punch (what the sam hill does that mean, anyway?) to say I've done that.
The thing I love the most about writing is how it unfolds itself as I write. When I start, I have an idea of where I'm going, who the characters are, what journey they will take. But as I write, it morphs. The characters become less names on a page than voices in my head - real people, and the journeys deepen and change and grow. There are moments in writing when I have to stop as the ideas tumble into me, and I think, Wow! This is so much more awesome than I thought it would be!
Which isn't to say that I don't doubt my own ability to tell that awesome story. I think the doubts grow the deeper into it I get, because the deeper I get, the less the story is mine. It becomes the characters, and even though I know it's from my own head and my own imagination, it doesn't feel that way. The more it becomes the story of the characters, the more responsibility I feel to tell it well. So it isn't the story that I fear won't be good... it's my ability to write it.
So this Friday, if you are a writer, tell me: what do you love the most about writing? And what is your greatest fear about it?
Friday Bonus: Favorite Blog Post Title of the Week? NaNoWriMOhNo!
I am not the one to ask this to today. (Happy Friday, BTW!!!)
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm loving having all my online writing buddies! Saving my life, for real!
I don't dislike any part of writing at all! Isn't it horrible? ;-))
Oh wow, my favorite part of writing is everything. I love the way I feel when my fingers are flying across the keyboard, almost without thought. I love it when I write that one really awesome paragraph that is so cleverly worded. LOL I love writing.
ReplyDeleteMy fear...is that I'm only mediocre. I know, that's the worst thing to think, but it's true. I'm a horrid perfectionist and can even be OCD to a fault, but...that's my curse. My fear.
I think I love when the words flow, the story tells itself, and the characters become more alive.
ReplyDeleteI love how I can shut everything else out.
I love what you love, discovering the story as I go.
ReplyDeleteI fear that I'm not good enough and will never "get there".
My greatest fear is I won't be able to come up with or tell the next story. It comes with every new first draft. No fun.
ReplyDeleteAh, of course, NaNo! I was forgetting! I have the flu and am so glad I can at least commiserate with writing buddies. I've been told by my daughter-in-law to STAY AWAY from my Grandbaby!
ReplyDeleteAs to what I love about writing I love it when an idea or a character just pops into my head and the story just flows. What I hate is when the words just won't come.
I said I was going to go for NaNo and here I had to get sick.