Each writer comes to their art in different ways, yet there is a thread that connects all of them. We are not the authors of our art. We are but the channelers for the story; the mouths for those who learn to speak through us and with us.

And yet, storytelling, writing, is not as easy, nor simple as all that. To be a writer--an author, a poet, a playwright, an artist, one must be open to those things that we all share:

Love
Fear
Despair
Need
Happiness
Wonder
Inquisitiveness

And yet, these are not necessary to write, as the anecdote of the monkeys and their typewriters shows.

But to be good, to be profound one should have at least a minor in these topics, as it is the key necessary to open the door on Universal Myth; that is, the wellspring of Creativity.

So, how to begin? Simply, read. Read history; read mythology, read how-to-books, read the Classics, read philosophy and the Natural Sciences; and finally, delve into your most beloved genre. If that be (as mine has been) Fantasy and Science Fiction, pick the classics: Isaac Asimov, J.R.R. Tolkien, Arthur C. Clarke, Anne McCaffrey, Marion Zimmer Bradley; then move on to the more recent Class of authors. Somewhere something will present itself that either drives you mad with rage and makes you wonder how this drivel ever made it to the presses; or it will impress you, guide you into imitation. Each is beneficial in its own right.

But once you hit that zenith, there is one truth you must be willing to face, and I know some will argue with this, but it's true: A writer can give over no more time to reading fictional works by someone else. It simply interferes with the stories you're attempting to build in your own head. There are only twenty-four hours in a day and if you would be a serious writer, you must be willing to hand over at least twelve hours worth of your free, uncluttered thoughts to the characters that come to you. Vow to never again read a published novel more than once. Read it only once, very intensely take your time with it instead of breezing through, no matter how wonderful it is and how much you want to know what happens next.

Then set the novel aside; walk away from it; forget it. Otherwise you are in danger of simply re-writing that very novel you're reading currently or have just finished. A very serious transgression, legally and ethically.

Why? Simply, to copy, even subconsciously, is no better or no different than kidnapping someone's child, for that is what a creative work is: A child made of words, dreams, inspiration, gut-wrenching emotion rather than flesh and blood. But any danger to that child hurts as much as it does to the parents of a human child. It may not be with you physically, but delve into creation once and see how real that work becomes. For this reason, fan-fic should be crossed off your list of things to attempt, for the theft that it is.

But this is not to say you must become a hermit, no. Just curb your intake of published fiction; quell your desire to re-read, study, and memorize a novel word for word. Because, in the end, you want your novel to be so unique that no one can pick which authors or novels influenced you. You want your work to be as individual as you are.

Having said that, you must be willing to realize that, due to something called the Collective Unconscious, this is utterly impossible. But try, strive to do whatever you can to make that story yours and yours alone so that when critics and/or fans try to blame you, later, for copying Mr. or Ms. So-and-so Pre-Your-Work-Published-Author, you can truthfully defend yourself. Don't feel bad; it happens to everyone and it's not something we can get away from; when Shakespeare said there are only three stories in the world, he wasn't kidding. But just go into any bookstore and take a look at how many ways those stories have been told. That is inspiring in itself.

The key is to sit back, clear your mind of every story you've ever read, every movie you've ever seen, take a look at the world and the culture around you; studying your own real world's history, cultures, philosophies will give you something on which to build your fictional world. Once you have an inkling of that, sit back and listen. Your characters and your characters alone will come to you, dropping hints here and there which in time will mount up and explode into a brilliant manuscript all your own.

Novels are not written in a day, or a week. Be prepared to spend several years with your characters and their chosen themes. . . and lose sleep, have your friends think you're insane; for once your characters begin talking you might find yourself composing entire chapters in your head. It has a tendency to improve your memory, especially when you forget paper and a writing implement!

Another habit you should acquire as a writer (or I should say, that you might acquire), is pacing. I mean literally walking the floor, pacing. Nothing is better for deep thought. If you can, pace in a pitch black room--say after the household has turned in for the night--your mind will be aflood with scenes and discussions. Something about the prospect or re-lighting the lights, and rebooting the computer seems to get the characters chattering--pesky things! As I said, once you begin in earnest, you might be hard pressed to shut it off until the story has come to its conclusion--a blessing more than a curse, if you really have the bug.

What if you stall? Simple. Do not toss that manuscript aside as a failure; set it aside and vow to think on it later. Take time from it to consider what the characters might have done prior to the story you're building, or what they might do far in the future; or what their ancestors or descendants might have done (or might do). Anything can lead you back to that original tale. Or, these others may bloom into something that overshadows the original idea; if so, go with that instead. Your Muse knows what She's doing; and there might be a reason you stalled on the current one--it might be unworthy of you and you were simply too blinded by the rush. Don't feel it's a failure. Every piece you create makes you a better, more efficient artist in the long run--and yes, writing stories is an art. Whatever you do, continue to think in creative, narrative, lyrical, verbal terms. Once the bug bites, you will find it very difficult indeed not to gleen inspiration from even the most trivial thing; not to mentally ask yourself:

Then consider the world in which they live. Is it prehistory glacial America? Is it medieval European? Is it pre-colonial America or Africa? Is it the Wild West? Is it Renaissance Europe or pre-Revolutionary Russia? or Outer Space, Future? Once you have decided this just attempt your first scene, realizing that in the end it may not even be the first scene. If you don't get more than a paragraph or a page written in your first sitting, do not despair. Write that page or that paragraph, then sit back, pick up a book on your chosen setting or your characters' mundane abilities, and ask yourself the eternal question:

"What if?"

Eventually, the trickle will become an uncontrollable torrent. Good luck, and happy Musings to you!

~Essay ©Webmistress, 2000-beyond.

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