Random thoughts, or just magic?

Being an amateur writer in the true sense of the word but enjoying the hell out of myself, there are some things I find amazingly interesting but just flat out don't understand about the whole writing process. I'm positive I'm not the first amateur writer to ask these questions.

Writing these rather small column type pieces is actually quite easy for me. All I need to start the faucet flowing is what I call just a seed of an idea. Almost always not from my feeble mind. Usually gleaned from some conversation at my place of business. It turns out that normal, everyday folks have great ideas, opinions and thoughts and can articulate them in interesting, intelligent and creative ways, if given half a chance. So that "seed" I speak of is actually one hell of a good head start for my blathering on and on about a subject.

The truth is once I get a seed, such as the seed of todays piece, which was simply "Where in the hell do writers get their ideas from?", I just set down as I'm doing right this minute and like magic, all these hopefully pertinent and applicable to the subject words just start flowing out of me like water onto the screen, using the keyboard strokes. I consider myself lucky because back in high school, while choosing which courses to take, my choices included "Typing". Now back then only girls took typing, so of course that appealed to me. Being the only guy with all these pretty girls sounded good to me. Also, typing seemed like it would be a pretty easy class, especially compared to things like Math(Yuk)or History(yuk and 1/2). So typing it was for three straight years. Didn't use that skill for years but now it paid off in spades for me.
See, there's an example of fill thoughts just to add to the story and take up space....heh.....heh....

OK, back to the subject at hand. I have to admit with just a touch of humble pride that quite a few times in the recent past, folks have said to me that my writing was pretty good and why don't I write a book? Well........On to another side tangent here for just a moment. I'm actually one of those crazy reading nut cases. Without exaggerating, I would take a wild guess, I've read thousands of books in my life but write a book? Holy Molly!

How do those great adventure writers do that? To make up an entire alternate reality or universe in the case of Science Fiction or Fantasy writers. Then fill it with original characters, places, scenes, timescapes, conversations, action sequences, danger, love scenes maybe including interesting and creative mysteries? Where do their original ideas come from? I've actually heard several writers say something like this. "I have no idea where those things come from. I just set down and things like that just come out of no where. Almost like I'm just the worker bee and someone or something else is feeding these ideas into my mind."

I once read a book by this psychiatrist by the name of Fritz Pearls. He developed the Gestalt Therapy model back in the 60's to help people hopefully dump all the built up crap out of their systems that might be holding them down. Wew...How's that for nonsense filler? The important thing I did take away from reading his junk though was he said everybody had a book in them if they would just set down and start writing without any editing at all. Just let it flow out like water.

So, am I going to write the next great novel of the universe? How should I know? I'm just the worker bee here, ya know....

So.....here's your assignment for today kids. Set down at your computer or get out a piece of paper and pen and just start writing. See what happens. I'm going to guess here that you'll be pleasantly surprised at what comes out in the end. Hell, who knows. Maybe you'll be one of those people who end up with a second successful career as a famous rich writer.


Now click on the "Comments" link at the bottom of this blog and add your response or thoughts for others to see when they click on the "Comments" link (Try it now!). It makes it far more interesting if we make it a conversation, instead of just my bullshit. Thank you to those who take the time and effort to do so.....
COME ON..........DO IT!!!