What is a story?

A story can be almost anything. We are so much accustomed to telling stories, stories are so ingrained in our psychic and physical makeup, that storytelling and storyhearing can be said to be an essential component of human-ness. 

What is a good story? Ah, thereby hangs a tale.

Second Thoughts

“Where there is no vision,” observes the Book of Proverbs, “the people perish.” 

But vision is hard. 

Revision is easy. At least, I find it so. 

Once there is something substantive down on paper, I can see that something is wrong with it, and I can fix that. Then, I can see that something else is wrong with it, and I can fix that. Eventually, by a painstakingly iterative process, I can get it down to where it’s pretty good.

But getting something substantive down on paper in the first place: that’s the hard part.

Where does that first thing come from?

A Deep Well

Some people believe that inside each one of us, there is a deep well of creativity just waiting to be released as a bubbling fountain of expression.

I find that is true, but it’s hard to get it started. The more I write, the easier it comes. But the pump needs priming.

Writing every day helps, because then you can just continue whatever you were in the midst of writing yesterday. But sooner or later, you finish that project—at least, you finish the first draft. Then, it is ever so tempting to lose yourself in almost endless revisions. That’s a lot more fun.

Red Smith said, “There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.” 

Perhaps you wonder, Gentle Reader, why Your New Favorite Writer bores you with all this drivel. 

Because I have to write something. That’s why. 

I keep telling myself that once I get the first draft out on the page, then I can revise it and revise it to the point where you’ll find it noble and inspirational. Or at least acceptable. 

“Aha! I’ve caught you out, O New Favorite Writer! You’re admitting, in black and white for all to see, that it’s all in the revision. In other words, writing the first draft is a mere formality. Perfectly trivial.”

Well, perhaps so, Dear Reader. But let me point out that if it were not for the every-Tuesday-morning character of this blog, I would not have written anything at all. Then where would my much-vaunted revision chops be, O Reader?

And it is the same across the board. I would not write this blog except for the deadline. I would not write a short story except for the need to prove I can write a short story. (The jury is still out.) I would not write a novel except for having gotten some screwball idea about a story I could tell in long form, and then feeling compelled to stick it through to the end.

“So, what are you kvetching about, O Writer? You impose all these deadlines and burdens on yourself.”

Yes, but complaining is half the joy.

Enough, Already

I’ll see you next week Fair Reader. After all, I’ve got a deadline.

Blessings,

Larry F. Sommers

Your New Favorite Writer