About Other Crazy People

Post 759:

            As far as writing stories goes, I try not to offer too much advice. I have no solid authority and have spent eighty-plus years cultivating a flaky persona as to discourage people from asking too many questions of me. So… this is obviously the part where I tip-toe around the fact that I’m going to offer some advice. Contradictions! Hypocrisy! Yay!

            This isn’t so much about writing as what surrounds it. Sort of like the ecosystem a person has to adopt in order to carry out the mad work of making up make-believe. To just get Obviousville out of the way, different things work for different people. More than that, different things work for different people at different times.

            That’s right, you guessed it. I’m “different.”

            The other day I did a writer’s group. There I was, surrounded by other people with crazy ideas, crazy enough to admit to them in public.

            It was pretty cool. I won’t lie, a breath of fresh air, enough to get through my thick head. It’s nice to set actual eyes on other humans trying to do the thing you’re doing.

            Why haven’t I done this already? A few reasons. My intransigence, overblown ego, time, money, lack of faith in humanity. You know, the standard stuff.

            And I’m sort of glad I wrote so much on my own before sitting down in front of others. Sharing ideas and pitfalls, offering suggestions isn’t that big of a deal. I’ve been at this for a while, keeping my work mostly to myself and my band of incredibly devoted and attractive readers.

            You can read a ton of books on narrative forms and the nuts and bolts of storytelling, but there’s something obviously different about getting out there and sharing a creative space.

            Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got a balance to figure out. I mostly want to be a full-time writer to avoid people. Not necessarily to judge people, but to be at a safe enough distance to where I feel safe doing so.

            I think changing up your program and doing a vacay from your own brain space is the main point. If you’re a solitary soldier, try and get some creative buddies to carry you along for a spell. On the other hand, if you’re a leaner, stop leaning and get to work. Just you and the keyboard and your nutty ideas.

            Writing can be daunting and sometimes lonely. Soften the blow. Maybe find a group of crazies like yourself and hang out with them so you can learn how to tell better lies.

            Man, I should give advice more often. This went really well. Cheers and see you after.