The writing process: ANIMALS OF CHRISTMAS

The aim of art is not to represent the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.

 

--Aristotle. (anticipating modern art by a coupla millennia!)

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     Being neither Aristotle nor a modern artist...hmm, why do I like this quote? Because...oh, before I go there--if you have a thought or a response to this quote, why not pause for a moment and phrase it in terms of a comment at the bottom of this posting?

     Okay, I like this quote because it indeed applies to art, but also poetry and prose, where significance is the goal. Not for my writing to be significant (although that'd be nice!) but for my ability to enhance or clarify the significance of the underlying truth. Great poetry explores truth from unique angles, offering the reader a different way of looking at, or through, reality. Story-telling is expected to be entertaining, of course, but if the characters don't bump up against some profound truths now and again, well, what kinda story is it that doesn't involve love or death or heroism or the clash of ideals and reality?

     I wrote THE ANIMALS OF CHRISTMAS to be, primarily, entertaining. Along the way, as should have been no surprise to me...the characters started to take on life of their own. The animals revealed their unique insights into events around the time of Jesus' birth. Was this intentional, like writing an allegory or a moralistic tale? Not at all, I just set out to have a whopping good time writing stories for my grandkids' enjoyment. But as I mentioned--encounters with truth will occur--and that's what happened in these stories.

     In the next few posts, I'll talk about my writing process. Inspiration and perspiration, Spirit and serendipity--big themes for me.

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Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.

 

Winston Churchill

A Restless Mind?

What helps luck is a habit of watching for opportunities, of having a patient but restless mind.

 

--Victor Cherbuli-something, 19th century novelist.

[Cherbuliez. Never read him, have you?]

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"...a patient but restless mind." I like that. Dunno if I've got it, but it sounds like something desirable to me. What do you think?

I see those qualities as opposites...but not quite: a teeter-totter twixt patience and impatience, between going slow enough to truly see, yet not just siting and gazing at the sunset (or television) w/o ever engaging the mind/imagination, w/o asking a question or wondering about another possibility.

Reasoning and decision-making and luck are marvelously intertwined, suggests Daniel Kahnman, in THINKING, FAST AND SLOW. He says that our minds are wonderful at not only leaping to conclusions but then in mounting a sturdy defense for those conclusions. "Fundamentally, the native decision-making process is lazy," he would say. The challenge is to learn to take a restless few steps backwards to gain a broader perspective, to ask some hard questions, or challenge some basic assumptions.

What keeps the mind "restless" yet "patient"? I've got a few ideas, but would love to hear yours before I answer my own question...as impatient teachers far too oft do!

MICHELANGELO:

 

   "The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark."

 

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Now, what goal(s) do you think old Mikey had in mind?
--Sistine Chapel? check.
--David?.............check.
--Go down in history as one of the greatest...? I'm bettin NOPE on this one--it's not measurable/attainable, and reeks of narcissism.

 

But, isn't every creative person a narcissist? Ya know, "PLEEZ, look at ME and what great stuff I've painted/sculpted/composed/written!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![etc.]"

 

Anyhoo, back to setting goals...I read this a long time ago: good goals are S-M-A-R-T goals:
S--SIMPLE: you can state it inna few words, no more than a ppgh.
M--MEASURABLE: there's something you can objectively measure/assess, as in "Write 100 pages a day. Paint the south side of the barn today. Run a marathon this weekend."
A--ACHIEVABLE: you don't have to be Superman or Wonder Woman...guess that eliminates the hunnerd pages a day, huh?
R--RELEVANT: if you don't really care and nobody else does--what kinda goal is that? "Hi, I wanna be irrelevant today. Vote for me for Congress."
T--TIMELY (or, TIME-COURSE): "I wanna build the best typewriters in the world" just aint gonna cut it anymore...or, it's gotta time-line that works...such as, "I'll finish writing this chapter of my book in ten days, take a day off, write the outline for the next chapter the next day, edit for the following morning, then start the first draft of chapter two that aft."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria

 



Human life is inherently creative

Human life is inherently creative. It's why we all have different résumés.
It's why human culture is so interesting and diverse and dynamic.

Ken Robertson

Quick, name one book that you love!

Now, scroll down to the bottom and enter it as a comment.

Thnx. Now, can you list reasons why you loved this book? Share 'em if you'd like... but I'm as curious to know that you can put your finger on some reasons as I am in knowing what they are.

In keeping with today's quote, I'm betting that each reader thought of a different book title--we are marvelously diverse and interesting. See, you're not boring at all! And don't let anyone say otherwise.

As a singular creation of the good Lord, what is your unique pursuit/calling/interest/service-to-others? Comfy in that knowledge, in that role?

If not, then do some reading in that department. Pursue the areas that delight you, that fulfill you, where work and play are almost hard to separate. Then, I'd suggest some passages from the Bible, such as "...but whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, as serving the Lord..." (blending a coupla words from Ecc 9:10 into Col. 3:23). Another might be the very simple Matthew 6: 33, "...seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Read a bunch of the Bible's mentions of something like, "...with all your heart," or, "whole heart," just to get you started.

Okay, itsa very short sermon...so, I'll take up an offering and say, "Amen." [the offering would be what you've entered in the comments section...THNX!]

DREAMING.

It is as easy to dream a book as it is hard to write one.

Honore de Balzac, novelist (1799-1850)

 

 

 

It is easy to dream, both day and night. In fact, to this writer, I'd file dreaming under "play" rather than under the heading of "work."

 

Work comes when we try to make a dream a reality. So, that cutesy saying, "Dare to dream" or "Dare to dream big!" is just that--cute, but without putting some oomph into it, it only a dream.

Now, some dreams are pure pie-in-the-sky; others, more realistic. Some dreams may be attributed to a whisper from the divine, and others attributed to too many anchovies on your midnight pizza!

 

Seriously, I think dreams should be examined in light of one's personality, gifts/skills/desires/training. Some dreams are just the brain piling and filing...some dreams are just plain entertaining...and I think some are the serious outcry of the heart and mind and soul, and had best be heeded.

 

Had any of that third kind lately? I had one of a fictional character--I'd never met her, but she was crystal clear in speech and in looks and behavior. She strode into the dream like a queen before her underlings. Her speech was posh British. Her sense of humor--well, what can I say...she punned...in Latin.

 

Now, maybe this was just a simply entertaining dream...goodness, where it came from is beyond me (hah!) as I hadn't read or seen anything that at all resembled this character. Read any Brit-lit lately? No. Any strong females in any of the books I'd read recently? Not really. No midnight pizza, not of any flavor!

 

So, what to do, what to do? I wrote her down--I figger she'll be useful as a character is some story, someday.

 

But, to make the dream come true, I would be better off to ask meself:

--what story?

--when you starting it?

--why haven't you started it while the dream is still vivid?

--all right, shut up, I'm going to start right now.

P.S. I did start, and she is hilarious in her role. Now, to decide how big to grow her!