George Orwell said, in his 1946 essay, Why I Write:
From a very early age, perhaps the age of five or six, I knew that when I grew up I should be a writer. Between the ages of about seventeen and twenty-four I tried to abandon this idea, but I did so with the consciousness that I was outraging my true nature and that sooner or later I should have to settle down and write books.
All writers know the faith it takes to put words on paper. We have seen the faith required to search for the right word, the right phrase, the right nugget of truth that will mark our work as top-notch. Ultimately, we know the gut-wrenching faith it takes to turn our written baby over to someone who might reject it outright.
We know hope too. Even after we have been kicked to the curb by an agent who probably didn't even read the first sentence of a query, hope prevails.
After a few days of chocolate and Kleenexes, hope surges again. Maybe the next editor will love it, buy it, publish it, and send it to be included next to J.R.R. Tolkein's on the front table of every bookstore in the country. If you are a writer, you know that hope is real.
One element, however, sometimes gets lost when faith and hope begin to emerge in our writing journey. That element is love. Sure, we love it, or we wouldn't stress ourselves out to learn how to do it better, to find someone to publish it, and to put ourselves on the chopping block of rejection time and again. It's almost a given that we love it. The problem is we forget that we love it.
You know, real writers would write for squirrels if they would listen. But too often, the longer we write, the less we remember what we love about it. Our focus shifts from writing for love to writing so others will love what we've written.
When we write for the love of it, every frustrating moment is an exhilarating challenge. Shaping those picturesque phrases in our minds into something coherent and fluid is like no other experience. The very act of putting that last piece of our word puzzle into place has no equal.
I remember the journals I kept, the poems I wrote, and the short stories that are still tucked away in some old notebook. I wrote those not to gain love but because they were burning a hole in my soul to be put on paper.
Then I began writing not for love but to gain love. I became convinced that I had to twist my writing to meet what others believe is marketable or publishable. And so I let my love for writing morph into wanting my writing to be loved, sometimes at all costs. I twisted myself into a pretzel, learning perfect grammar, point of view, and the correct way to write a marketable manuscript.
Learning and growing in your writing is one thing, but when that gets so tangled in the rules that you forget why you started in the first place, that is another thing. Love is the key to writing real. As the Bible says so eloquently:
"In the end three things shall last, faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13
Hannah Quinn(416) Hannah Quinn (64 days 17 hours ago.)
April,
Excellent article, and oh so true! It's in the fires of the need to express that true creativity resides. And what a wonderful, delicious place to go to. I always start any writing class I run with creativity exercises followed by some free writing. Then, and only then, do we get down to the technical, how-to side of things and workshopping. Respond to this comment
April Lorier(3,468) April Lorier (63 days 19 hours ago.)
Hannah, thank you so much for stopping to comment! In all of my writing classes, I was taught to write with my "right brain".... just write and don't stop to edit or correct. Then the NEXT day, critique with your "left brain"... edit, rewrite, etc. with the analytical side of your brain. It's impossible to use both sides at the same time and have good results. Respond to this comment
sue thom from nj (63 days 20 hours ago.)
hi april,
i thought this an excellently written piece,
with so many truths. i WILL take it to heart.
thank you for sharing and reminding,
my best regards,
sue thom Respond to this comment
April Lorier(3,468) April Lorier (63 days 19 hours ago.)
Thank you, Sue. All of us writers are in a learning curve, so every little nugget of truth helps! Thanks so much for commenting! Respond to this comment
Leo Ponder from Tyler,Texas (63 days 6 hours ago.)
(remember the journals I kept, the poems I wrote, and the short stories that are still tucked away in some old notebook. I wrote those not to gain love but because they were burning a hole in my soul to be put on paper)
This about describes a true writer! Thanks for reminding me
Leo Ponder Respond to this comment
April Lorier(3,468) April Lorier (62 days 22 hours ago.)
You are so welcome, Leo! Sometimes, it's hard to remember that, with all that interrupts us, isn't it? Thank you so much for responding with a comment! Respond to this comment
Rebecca Ashby (63 days 5 hours ago.)
Your article inspired me tremendously! It made me remember that my gut wrenching experiences spelled out in words are what the reader is searching for. Thank You so much. Respond to this comment
April Lorier(3,468) April Lorier (62 days 22 hours ago.)
Rebecca, words are "visual" and are the paints of a writer. If you were PAINTING your experiences, you would use many appropriate colors to make the viewer "get it". THAT's what we do with words! Thank you so much for stopping to comment! Respond to this comment
Dianne Lehmann(1,861) Dianne Lehmann (63 days 4 hours ago.)
Hi April. As everyone has said, this is a very good reminder about why we write and how we should write...from the soul and inspiration. It's hard, though, not to care about how your writing will be received. I will keep your words in mind the next time I sit down to write something. Especially the part about worrying about the details the next day! Thank so much. Respond to this comment
April Lorier(3,468) April Lorier (62 days 22 hours ago.)
Yes, Dianne, use right brain on day #1. Use left brain on day #2 and #3, and so on, until you get it like you want it! Respond to this comment
Teresa Ortiz(2,736) Teresa Ortiz (62 days 23 hours ago.)
Hi April, what a timely article!! I needed it. I was already beginning to feel like this and think, is this what writing is about? I am so glad I took it to the Lord and remembered why I write. Your words seal it in my brain. I hope I never forget it again!! love ya! Teresa Respond to this comment
April Lorier(3,468) April Lorier (62 days 22 hours ago.)
Aw, Teresa, I think I can safely assume you WILL forget it more than once. Write it in the back of your Bible! That way, you always have a reminder. Love you, girl! Respond to this comment
Teresa Ortiz(2,736) Teresa Ortiz (62 days 20 hours ago.)
Hi April, then perhaps I should write it in the front of my bible? :-) I started the book, the tears came on page one. I'm in big trouble...:-) Respond to this comment
Myla Madson (62 days 3 hours ago.)
When I was younger i wanted nothing more than to be a writer. Somewhere a long the line I also got the notion I wanted to be a PUBLISHED writer. My one and only rejection hurt so bad I didn't write again for more than ten years. It does take courage to put yourself out there for the world to view.. and to judge you. Thankyou for the article, I try to remeber what's important but I know the minute someone is critical of what I write, you'll probably never see or hear from me again! lol Myla Respond to this comment
April Lorier(3,468) April Lorier (62 days ago.)
Myla, I prayerfully hope you did NOT mean that last sentence. Remember: we write because we LOVE writing. Do you chose your dresses, shoes, hairdo based on praise? You're a talented, beautiful woman with a good mind. A little criticism? Oh, puleeze! Swat the fly and keep on writing! Respond to this comment
April Lorier(3,468) April Lorier (45 days 19 hours ago.)
Thanks, Jonathan. Why wouldn't I encourage you? You're talented and a nice man, to boot! Boy, we read OLD material, don't we? ha! Respond to this comment
Was
this article helpful to you? Leave a Public Comment or Question:
Disclaimer: All information on this site is
provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice
provided to you by any health care or other professional or
organization.
