Friday, June 10, 2011

A Box of Chocolates

INK ROCK has been tagged!  Eli Ashpence graciously included me in a meme floating around that asserts Writing is NOT like a Box of Chocolates while seeking to discover a personal definition of what exactly writing is from different authors. The person tagged is then to finish the sentence, “Writing is like…,” post it on their blog, and then tag three others to join in the fun.

Though I can’t for the life of me find the passage to get an exact quote, one part of Stephen King’s On Writing that stuck in my head was when he likened writing to a sort of telepathy, a supernatural dialogue between two people, the writer and the reader, where images and scenes from the author’s mind appear in the reader’s, as if by magic.  Basically, mind reading. 

This is definitely part of what writing is for me.  There is a communicative value in the words on the page and though the conversation is one sided, there is still something being said between two people.  Try not to think about the whole “I wrote this now so in the future you can go back in time and read my thoughts.”  Your brains, they will melt.

Adding to King’s definition, writing is like astral projection.  Through the author’s ideas, as a reader, I feel as though I’m traveling, exploring the places, cultures, and characters in the book.   Yet physically, I don’t even have to leave the comfort of my favorite reading spot.  This is why INK ROCK focuses on the connection of place and prose.  Haven’t you ever just “felt like you're there” when a good book is so well written, it can transport you to its world?

That’s writing.  Now if only I could figure out a way to rack up frequent flyer miles through all this astral projection. 

Tagged: 

Mindy McGinnis - Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire
Alexa Martin - Dirty Girls Diary and author of Girl Wonder
Caroline Tung - Caroline in Space

4 comments:

  1. Nice. I like it. I know that 'astral projection/telepathy' feeling and it can be incredibly satisfying. Especially when a reader mentions peripheral details you imagined, but didn't specifically include in the writing.

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  2. Nice! This meme is expanding. Glad Ash tagged you so you can share this with us. If you want to check out the other responses to this meme, you can find them here: http://readywritego.blogspot.com/2011/06/follow-yellow-brick-road-of-memes.html

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  3. Thanks for the tag, by the way!

    First, the title of your post has caused Forrest Gump's voice to play on repeat in my head! Thank you. :) Haha, I do love that movie!

    Second, I love Stephen King's analogy about writing! I never thought of it that way before (re: telepathy) but it makes total sense.

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  4. If Stephen King told me that to be a writer, I would need to punch myself in the face every morning, I'd do it! ;)

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