Write On

Inspirational song: This Song (George Harrison)

I noticed a weird thing about myself today. I realized that I really like breaking down the fourth wall. I like pieces of writing that are self-aware-- songs that reference themselves, especially admitting how difficult it is to write a song, essays and prose that speak directly to the "dear readers," or plays that allow for a pause while an actor gives a meaningful look out to the audience. I like throwing open that door and allowing my readers a chance to see into my mind to see my process, and I like it when other authors do the same for me. It makes for an odd little existential moment, when a song tells me how hard it had to work to be born, when a novel winks at me as if it knows when it is making a preposterous statement. I feel like someone has invited me in to an inside joke, like I am part of the In Crowd.

This evening was my second trip to the local writers group at the library. This time, I had advance warning of the prompt, and I wrote a personal narrative on one of the four topics provided (parents, grandparents, siblings, or children), and included all of the five challenge words listed under my topic. I wrote a page about my brother, and oddly, I found it easier to be completely honest and personal with a room full of strangers than I am with my feelings when I talk to him. Ironically. that was the subject of my essay, how rarely we've spoken of such things to each other. I wasn't the only one who felt inspired to write something very personal and heartfelt. I think 95% of us wrote in the first person, and opened up to show a very vulnerable side. I wonder what led us all to delve so deeply. Was it because of the subject itself, because family inspires such closely held feelings? Whatever it was, it made for some beautiful poetry and prose tonight.

I'm really happy I decided to join this writers group. It's going to be the push I needed to amp up my expectations of myself. I can do three paragraphs a night, no problem. But coming up with new flash fiction? That's going to be a challenge. I'm ready, though. The prompts will help a lot. The last couple stories I wrote (and actually finished, which is the hard part) each stemmed from tiny little picture that appeared in my head. Now I need to learn to do that from a phrase. Next week's prompt is "A Simple Plan." The story is in here somewhere. I just need to have a direct conversation with it, so it lets itself be born.

No pictures tonight. Everything is in our heads this time. Use the pictures you have stored in yours to illustrate this evening.