The Creative Connection

Avid readers have all experienced the words of a story coming alive, saturating our senses, dancing off the page, becoming visual.  We see them, hear their voices, feel their tension.  And we have those gifted writers to thank for our experience.

Creative artists have the power to influence and infuse us with all the intensity of our first love.  No matter the art form, we are priveleged and owe a vote of thanks to those who allow us, even for a brief moment, to see the world, others, and ourselves, a bit differently.

And this morning, I think of those who work in film who have brought written works to visual life on the screen.  A team of dedicated, talented artists whose combined gifts see us leave the theatre, richer, wiser people.  The screenwriters, producers, directors - forgive my ignorance in not being able to mention all - know the power of harnessing their talent, together as a team, to wow us.

And I'm not talking just about the gifted 'Ingmar Bergman' types, but all those who have so delightfully entertained us from the classic movies of Spencer/Hepburn to the chiller thrillers of today that infuse our imaginations to the point of leaving us shaking in our beds. 

What's your favourite film?  What film has so inspired you that you are able to see connections between our our lives, the world around us; the world that wouldn't rotate so beautifully without the vision of artists? 

Speared, Run Through, and Loving It!

And readers, what about you?  Have you ever been speared?  By a writer whose opening line lets you know you're in good hands.

You know yourself to be in the sacred place; you are, without a doubt, in the presence of creation.  You see, hear, smell, the texture of the writing.  You bond, form a trusting relationship with the author.  You journey to the end not wanting to reach it. 

You run the gamut of emotions, perhaps some intense enough you have to put the book down and pace.  And at other times, the prose is like your favourite soft pillow, a place to rest, to let go of your own reader awareness.

If you've experienced just a few of these, then the tip of the spear has penetrated.  If you've experienced all of these and more, then you too, reader, have been speared, nailed to the wall, run through.

And what book, what writer has speared your heart?

TAKING THE PLUNGE INTO TWITTER ...

and, wow, oh my, yikes, who'd of thought, what a strange world we live in, and proud of it.

Now it will take me awhile to find my way around, get my feet on the ground, before I can start just having fun!!!!!

I don't think I'll be disappointed as I saw familiar names of those who I respect and would give most of the hours of my day to if I could.

And now I'm proud to say:  I can be found on twitter @ writers angst

Now that's my id, but maybe I need to add something else, but I, for one at am a loss to say. 

Oh my, if only those beloved members of my family who have passed on could have lived to see this.

Cheers!

Gotcha!

One of my favourite things about reading mysteries is trying to figure out the culprit.  To me, looking for the hidden, and sometimes not so hidden clues, and trying to outwit the writer by seizing on the killer's identity before the end of the book, is fun and exhilirating.  It whets my appetite and stimulates my curiosity button into overdrive.

If my 'killer deduction' method works, I pat, thump, and preen my reader ego until my right hand tires.  That's how it always was until my detecting skills collided with the ingenious plotting of those writers who can outwit me with one hand behind their back.

I'll only mention two - yes, there are many more.  Agatha Christie's novel, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, knocked me down a notch or two and, more recently, Hakan Nesser's, Borkmanns Point, stimulated my curiousity button to the nth, however, I had the culprit.  And then, an intelligent single, devious sentence, made me doubt myself.  It was a clever gottcha and I loved it!

How about you?  Ever been fooled? 

The Hum in the Heart

The fall is my favourite time of year and judging by fellow writers and readers, I'm not alone.  What's not to like about the visual landscapes this time of year - brilliant colours - orange, however reigns supreme.  All those pumpkins - saw some pumpkin people early this morning pushing a lawn mower, a wheelbarrow, and one jumping in a pile of leaves.

Writers are not the only creative ones.

And speaking of writers, how many of you out there feel the creative juices begin to flow at the sight of such colourful imagery?  I, for one, at this time of year, know that my creativity knows no bounds, there are countless stories bouncing around deep within just waiting to be told.

I hum in time with the beat of my, oh so, creative heart.  Sadly, it passes, as always, but for today, I rejoice in being a writer.

How about you?

Sweat, Blood, and Tears

I'm on the brink of starting my third WIP and once again, I'm being sabotaged by those nasties pop up from the dark, hidden until I'm ready to write, recess of my mind - not again, who do you think you are? - didn't you learn anything from your last two failures - go back to being an obsessive reader and leave writing alone - where is your sense of dignity? - masochist!-  and so on, and so on, and scooby, dooby do!

Never mind the support I have received from readers of my manuscripts, the enjoyment my kids took in the short stories I wrote for them when I could squeeze out time from a packed, working full time for a living schedule.  And the newsletters I wrote for various organizations I belonged to over the years and reaching way back, the scary stories I would tell my friends in the middle of the night, the prize I won for the best essay on returning to school.  In fact, I was so thrilled I still remember the title - Come September. 

No, I can't take any encouragement or confidence from what happened in the past, doesn't work, not a bit.  And I can take any encouragement or confidence from the present, doesn't work, not a bit, and the future, well now that is a differerent kettle of fish!  It's filled with images of my name on the NY Times best sellers list, a legion of adoring fans, and last but not least, money enough to pay the bills and keep writing. 

So fellow writers, what do you do to get beyond these horrid nasties to write what you know is going to be the 'I can't put it down, didn't want it to end' book.