Monday, March 24, 2014

~Shhh... I've been having an affair ~






   


"Ink and paper are sometimes                     passionate lovers, oftentimes brother and sister, and occasionally mortal enemies."

                                        - Emme Woodhull-Bache











Writing is like being in love

There's that first flush...when you come face to face for the first time,
 ( in this case when you first meet your story.)
"Hello" says Mr. Story "How do you do?"
"Hello." I respond with curiosity. "My name is Terri...and you are???"

It doesn't take long before you enter into the 'Giddy' phase. Just like when you first meet your true love it's all you want to talk about. It's certainly all you can think about. And just like new lovers everywhere, you are in a rush to find out everything about them, no detail is too small. In this phase when all the pieces begin to tumble out willy nilly, it's hard to remember that I'm the one writing the story. Because in the beginning, I feel like an observer. All the facts are simply being REVEALED to me.

Unfortunately at some point you have your first fight... it's a difficult blow when you realize you don't understand one another after all. What were you thinking? You ask yourself. You might be ready to throw in the towel.
But then you kiss and make up.

The words on the page become your love song. Sweet nothings whispered in your ear. Sometimes I've made a spectacle of myself as the right words have taken me by surprise. I dance around the room with a big goofy grin on my face, like a sixteen year old that just got asked to the prom.




So I think you get the picture.

But not only am I in love, but sometimes it's like I'm having an affair. I sneak around and write a line or two or jot down my notes with every spare moment I can snatch from the day. I'm constantly writing secret love notes. Or recording some random bit of dialogue on my phone to capture later.
"What are you doing?" asks innocent Hubbs
"Nothing....nothing. Pay no attention to me." I say with a guilty grin.

Yes, it's quite obvious to anyone who is looking.
 I'm having an affair with my writing.





4 comments:

  1. I love that image of you dancing around with a goofy grin on your face. You make writing sound truly joyful.

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    Replies
    1. Every writer has a few of those moments...that's what we live for. :)

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  2. I think you've hit on something that most writers may not even realize, even as they are, as you say, displaying all the signs and symptoms of amore. Also like being in love, we can't see the whole picture clearly, which is why we need beta readers. Funny how this works, isn't it? Great, insightful article!

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  3. Oh, you naughty thing!!!! Do tell more :) I hope all is well, and look forward to hearing more progress, Terri. Spring is always full of inspirations. But, first, we gotta kick winter to the curb!
    Cheers,
    Loi

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I'd love to hear from you. So sorry you have to jump through a hoop to leave a response...but evil spammers ruin it for everyone.