If there is a legend, there is a woman behind it. #fact

I was a huge "Little House on the Prairie" fan, and to a young girl growing up, the adventures on the prairie were real. With anticipation, the family recently visited Walnut Grove and the Ingalls Homestead. I discovered there that the books and television series were not all real. Characters were added, scenes were created, and - get this - Mary never got married. Hmph! 

Talk about shattered realities (and just a tad bit of drama.) Nonetheless, I was intrigued enough by what I saw to want to know more about the real Laura Ingalls Wilder. I picked up a book from the gift shop, "Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Woman Behind the Legend."

Laura Ingalls Wilder was an extraordinary woman. Although her story is very engaging, my take aways from the book had less to do with her life or her legend and more to do with her growth as a writer:

• She didn't start writing until the age of forty-four. 
• She started off "looking for items that were unusual or unique. Later, as she discovered possibilities existing in the common things that could be observed everyday, she never lacked for subjects." 
• She carved out time to write and "became a disciplined writer able to produce throughtful, readable prose for a general audience and to meet regular deadlines."
• She wrote stories and her editor (her daughter) "shaped the material into publishable form."

Writers write. I know that writing is challenging. I know that, like anything else, growth as as writer takes committment. It did then, it does now. #fact The thing is, I want writing to be easier, to come easier, to - at times - be anything but what it really is. #fiction 

So, straight from the very place where fact and fiction intermingle, I got a writing wake up call from the little house on the prairie. 

Writing can be a real chore. Or, it can be fun.

I read somewhere that writing is fun once you get good at it and being good at it makes your communication skills, your creativity and your powers of reason that much stronger. Blah, blah. 

Well, "good" is relative and you don't have to be good to have fun, you just have to want it. Need a refresh? You can try something new or take a look at  something old from a new perspective. Now, let's have a little fun.  

The Idea

When I can't put two thoughts together, one thing that keeps me writing are the times I've sat down to write with nothing more than my good intentions, a blank sheet of paper and a wisp of an idea only to watch a post develop right in front of my eyes.

Is it ground breaking, is it breathtaking, does it repeat or rhyme?  Does it linger, does it blast, does it spin on a dime? Does it question, does it challenge, does it inquire or suppose? Does it push people away or does it bring them in close? Don't judge, don't measure and don't you fret. Don't format, don't structure, at least just not yet. Capture, observe and don't try to hide, your creativity is showing, go along for the ride.

I write for times like this when the anti-writing demon is out of sight and I can't write fast enough, or neat enough, to capture the flow of ideas.

The Shape

My wisps of ideas come from things I've read, conversations I've had with others, in response to specifc requests, insights or questions, or right out of the blue on my drive into work. After capturing the idea, I begin to frame it up. Yup, I picture it, sketch it and begin to look for its shape.

Does it start from point A and circle around back to there? Or does it have four equal sides, just like a square? Does it start from point A and move in a straight line? Does it blow past Point B, is the idea still mine? Are my ideas parallel, never to meet? Hmmm, what if they intersect, what could that mean? For a rant or a rave to get off my chest, the exclamation point is up to the test. It may build upon a foundation to prove a point but do I need it less triangular to shake up this joint? 

No, you'll probably never need to diagram a post for your English teacher, but pondering the geometry of a post could be fun. Really.

The Why

Yes, writing can be a chore and it can be exercise in discipline. Writing, like a geometric proof,  (last geek reference, promise!) can systematically lead your reader step-by-step from the premises of a proof to the conclusion . . . or it can take them (and you) away to a place they've never been before or even one they didn't know existed.

Writing can be many different things but there is only one thing that writing really is. Writing is an exercise in trust. Writing requires you to trust that, if you write, the ideas will come. Writing requires trust in yourself as a writer and trust your words.

No matter what shape they are in.

 

Photo credit iStock Photo

Two things I've got on my mind lately are writing and credibility. I took up leadership credibility earlier last week so today I'll toss out some thoughts on writing. 

I just started reading Thinking Write by Kelly L. Stone. Besides thinking the title of her book would have been an awesome name for a blog if I only would have thought of it first, I was drawn to the tag line, "the secret to freeing your creative mind." Now, my mind could use a little freeing these days. I love to write, am committed to writing more, would welcome a little mula for my writing . . . but now I digress.

I am finishing up chapter 2, The Anti-Writer. The term "anti-writer" is basically the doubt that works against a writer and it does not work alone. Along with the anti-writer comes sabotaging actions. Two scary dudes. I am only up to Chapter 2 and already I have an assignment. For the next two weeks, I am to write down all of the negative thoughts and comments about my writing or my abilities as a writer and ways I sabotage my writing efforts. Ach, who needs 2-weeks! I know the voice all too well. I am going to give myself a 2 minutes on each to capture the thoughts and actions right here, right now.

Ready? Here goes nothing:

Anti-Writer Thoughts: Not good enough, others are better, don't know how to do it right, not interesting, not relevant, too much like everyone else, will run out of ideas, can't write more than 500 words, no one would ever pay to read, too difficult to break into the field, not enough time, don't know how to market, too personal, not authentic enough, not original.

Sabotage Writing Efforts: Twitter, Facebook, Google Reader, email, Yammer, laundry, too tired, not enough time, thinking must have an entire afternoon free to write, paper is not quite right, pencil is too dull, pen doesn't flow easily, coffee is too hot, water is not cold enough, need perfect writing snacks, television, have to exercise.

The rule follower in me will continue to capture the thoughts for a few days although I expect them to be variations on the same thing. I already know a few things I can do right now: recommit to posting here at least twice a week, post on Raising Tarah once a week, and carve out 30 minutes per day to write.

To jazz me up, I bought a new red Moleskine notebook that will be at arms length throughout the day.

What tips do you have for me to keep the words flowing? What has worked for you?

I had a phone call yesterday with someone I was talking with for the first time. After getting to know each other a little, the conversation turned to me and the blog. Seems as though he had heard some pretty positive things about me and came here, to the blog, to check me out.

He read through posts from the past few months and do you know what he said? He said something to the effect that my reputation was obviously not built on what I've written recently. Now, I don't have the exact words, I was a little stunned to capture it word for word, but the message was clear. When I say stunned, don't hear that in a taking offense kind of way at all. He was articulating what I already knew, but needed to hear. How'd he do that?!

While I have been looking into the new year, my writing has dropped off. It has. I lost a bit of inspiration somewhere along the line. My posts were "light" and in some cases, I was posting to fill the space. In one sense I knew what I was doing and in another, I had no idea. We talked about me setting time to write regularly, recapturing depth and getting back to what I know. You could say it is blogging 101 or writing basics. 

I say it was a gift.