Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Wed, May 21 2014
Keeping the fire going
Process is something that my engineering husband knows well. When he works, he sees the beginning step, the middle steps and the end step as a continuum of process. The axe has been sharpened, the wood has been cut and stacked, the work tools are laid out and the engineer can concentrate on the process. He knows that if he skips steps somewhere along the way he may risk reliability, quality and even safety. Integrity needs to be present through a whole project. Proper process leads to satisfaction.
Being a creative person, I love jumpstarting the beginnings, but I often bog down in process. Middles can become muddles and endings are just sad. What is a sense of accomplishment for an engineer can translate into a sad state of melancholy and grieving for a right-brain-dominant writer or artist.
I can understand why actors sometimes long to be directors and producers, particularly in the film industry. Actors are often thrust onto a set and told to present work that may be placed out of order, or even cut from the end product. Their sense of being finished may not come until the film has been released and they often have very little control when it comes to the overall presentation and the feel of a film. Writers do have to contend with editors and publishers, though there are increasing numbers of writers who bypass these now in favor of self-publishing.
Both process and creativity have to be involved in writing. I keep trying to remember that on days when my original idea has burned down a bit and I have to make myself get up and put another log on the fire.
posted at: 08:24 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
Process is something that my engineering husband knows well. When he works, he sees the beginning step, the middle steps and the end step as a continuum of process. The axe has been sharpened, the wood has been cut and stacked, the work tools are laid out and the engineer can concentrate on the process. He knows that if he skips steps somewhere along the way he may risk reliability, quality and even safety. Integrity needs to be present through a whole project. Proper process leads to satisfaction.
Being a creative person, I love jumpstarting the beginnings, but I often bog down in process. Middles can become muddles and endings are just sad. What is a sense of accomplishment for an engineer can translate into a sad state of melancholy and grieving for a right-brain-dominant writer or artist.
I can understand why actors sometimes long to be directors and producers, particularly in the film industry. Actors are often thrust onto a set and told to present work that may be placed out of order, or even cut from the end product. Their sense of being finished may not come until the film has been released and they often have very little control when it comes to the overall presentation and the feel of a film. Writers do have to contend with editors and publishers, though there are increasing numbers of writers who bypass these now in favor of self-publishing.
Both process and creativity have to be involved in writing. I keep trying to remember that on days when my original idea has burned down a bit and I have to make myself get up and put another log on the fire.
posted at: 08:24 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
