I doubt it.

"Doubt is the beginning of wisdom."

If doubt is the beginning of wisdom, is a question the beginning of a good story? As Stephen King says, he takes a strong character, throws him into difficulty, and then, wonders how the character will work his way through the difficulty.

Now, this doesn't work so well if the character is not well formulated. Some writers will develop their characters, writing several pages about each character, before they ever think about putting the character into a story. This feels a little formulaic for me; having tried it both ways, thus far I prefer to let the character develop in the midst of the stresses and strains of the story. Granted, I still have a fair idea if the character is wise and witty, plodder or speedster, fussy or messy, literalistic or willing to bend (or break--oh my!) the rules.

Where do characters come from? Usually, mine are purely imaginary. Oh, there may have been a leaping-off point, where one deed or phrase or behaviorism caught my attention in real life, but I think most authors are sufficiently creative to craft their own reality without much cribbing from the folks around us. Besides, how'd you feel, seeing yourself inside a story, waking up to:
   "Yipes, get me get away from this person--I don't know them, I don't want to know 'em, and I don't like the way he's looking at me, like a hungry lion stalking a lame gnu!"
   Heavy breathing in the background.
   "Help! Let me out of this story!"
   A wet gurgle that may have passed for laughter was the only reply.

   Being caught in that story...now, that would be bad gnus, baby!

   Okay, some characters are full of doubts, wonders, questions, and insufficiencies. Others are strong and capable and rarely doubt themselves. A story populated by characters of only one of these types wouldn't work terribly well, and certainly wouldn't smack of reality, would it? Sorta like you and, too much or too little doubt--either extreme doesn't set the stage for success. Solomon, by the way, would disagree with my opening quote; Solly seems to think that awestruck reverence for God is the beginning of wisdom. Whattaya think of that?

"Never in doubt...sometimes correct."

Did he say "bum" and "glue" in the same sentence?

ACME Bum Glue: Apply to your posterior. Sit. Write. (Do not use while writing in the nude.)

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Today was another day that needed a richer and thicker application of "bum-glue." Sure, there might be a different or better name for it: stick-to-it-iveness; persistence; old-fashioned work ethic. And I'd bet we all have areas in our life where we don't need it--but, others...uh-huh, direly needed. I am so easily distracted...but I wouldn't call it writer's block: the only block is the block-head who would rather play, read, chat, listen to Pandora, peruse FB...you name it, fiddle, file, sort, anything rather than work. Truly unique?--not. So, let us, as some wise old Hebrew feller urged us, "consider how to stir up one another to love and to do good works."
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"Just do it.".--NIKE.

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"Tell me what you measure and I'll tell you how I'll perform."

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WHY WRITE?

"Why write? You may as well ask me, 'Why breathe?'"

--Anon.

 

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Why write? Good question. Perhaps the same answer would arise if you asked a different question: Why does an artist do art? Why does a weight lifter lift heavy weights? Actually, the answer to the last question was demonstrated one early afternoon, in my office. I had just met a fellow who wanted to know if I'd be his doctor, in case he had any problems. As he told of his good health, he said, "I'm a weight lifter. I like lifting heavy things," which he demonstrated during this little oration, by lifting up my metal desk with one hand.

Why write? "Because I like to" is a true and simple response, albeit incomplete; some folks just have to, there's a certain compulsion, an itch that must be scratched. Or, as with my weight-lifting patient, "Because I can and because it's fun." Perhaps there's also an element of, "I wouldn't feel fulfilled or complete without writing."

There's another angle, one that only dawned on me this autumn (2012): "I write because I am created in the image of God, the creator of all...and when I create something, I am obediently acting in the image of my Father!" Yes, our creativity may be an act of worship!

Created anything lately? Want to? Go for it...creativity is natural for us, and it is a gift of God (sadly, I believe that our educational system does an excellent job of stomping out creativity. Uniformity of outcomes, the one right answer, sitting quietly and raising your hand...not gonna maximize creativity, IMHO.)

Nuts to that...let's focus on the positive side. The Bible is full of creativity--look at all of King David's poems, the Psalms, and all those fascinating tidbits of wisdom by Solomon Davidson in his Proverbs. He makes Poor Richard's Almanack look as deep as a puddle!

Go forth and create! You have the full backing of the Father, accompanied by the mind of Christ (1  Corinthians 2:16), and you are fueled by the Spirit of God (John 14: 26--But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.) And God said, "Let there be male and female, creative lads and lasses whom I have created IN MY IMAGE..." [David's paraphrase!]


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You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get." Michael Phelps.
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PLAY!

"That's the truest test of insanity: insane people are always sure they're just fine. It's only the sane people who are willing to admit they're crazy." Nora Ephron

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Sometimes when I'm writing, I try to truly step outside myself, just letting the words and thoughts flow...omitting the usual (nigh-omnipresent) "editorial function," you know, that self-critical feedback that has likely stymied more good ideas than bad ones it has corrected! That's right...as Nora says it so aptly above...just go a little crazy, admit it, and run with it--laissez les bon temps rouler!

Sometimes writing is truly play--using a strong character, I can ask, "What might this gal do?" and just let her have at it...and have her wisecrack her way out of a pinch. At other times, writing is work--the dialog doesn't crackle, the descriptions seem tedious, the plot is as linear and interesting as a six-inch ruler...ugh. Worse, still, when I'm reading something that actually got published despite those same problems! That said, I think I learn more about writing from a shoddy work--"Gee, this is boring and the dialog is stiff and having to re-read the same ppgh three times...I'll just do the opposite. Oh, and, I promise to never use a five-dollar word when a five cent one would be crystalline! Unless I forget and am carried away on the wings of my flowing prose--which is where that edit-function becomes necess!

Sometimes, writing is such fun, I sit here and belly-laugh.
"What's so funny?" drifts from my wife's lips, from down the hall.
"Me!"

Here's a quick ppgh taken from "Christmouse Time," when the brave little mouse meets the Magi:

Leuko walked right into the middle of the street, slowly approaching the strangers.

The nearest camel startled and abruptly started to back up, causing the other camels to bray and spit. The men did not turn to calm their camels, leaving that task to their underlings, as their hands dropped to the hilts of their swords and their eyes scanned the area, looking for the threat that had startled their beasts. Spotting Leuko, they chuckled, but the largest man, he of the deepest voice, dropped to one knee and asked, “Ah, brave little one, do you come with a message?”

Thinking fast, Leuko replied, holding up one forepaw, "Fear not. I come in peace."

Surprise?

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A NICE BLEND OF PREDICTION AND SURPRISE SEEMS TO BE AT THE HEART OF THE BEST ART.
--Wendy Carlos, composer.
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  Sometimes it's just the very idea that is the surprise--what on earth made Andy Warhol come up with the idea of a painting of a Campbell's soup can?
   Sometimes the surprise is held close to the chest till the bitter end: witness Dame Agatha's mysteries (if you've never read Agatha Christie, pick one up, and travel back into a slower, quieter, antiquated time...a time when murder was sneaky and the unveiling was slow.)
   Sometimes a surprise pops up early, or in the middle of things: Haydn's SURPRISE SYMPHONY! (a quiet recording, so turn the volume up...the one and only surprise is at about 32 seconds. Papa Haydn's sense of humor was simple but irrepressible!)
   A good story is filled with little surprises, balanced by little predictabilities: don't you love it when a character is highly idiosyncratic--okay, when they're just plain odd, with several verbal or behavioral tics? Trumpkin, the dwarf doesn't ever offer the same exclamation twice, but he is always alliterative, e.g., "Tubs and tortoise-shells!", "Beards and bedsteads!", and the like. Predictable, yet fresh each time...I love him!
   How true of life, with its predictable routines, but routines that are only a breath away from disruption. One phone call, one misplaced sock, a missed call, and the day is irretrievably altered.
   Been surprised lately? C. S. Lewis was "Surprised by Joy." The other day, I was surprised by a prematurely dying battery in my scooter...except, that still, small voice had whispered, just as I was zipping out the garage, "Hey, Davio, why dontcha bring along your battery charger/cable, just in case." One mile later, I was asking a new friend if I could plug in and recharge. Thanks, Still, Small, Voice...I'll try to listen to you with keen attention, altho I sure can be a doofus when it comes to listening!