The Eccentric Writer

Photo credit: John Schnobrich  Years ago, I came across an article addressed to high school-aged writers. I don't remember the name of the author or the article, but I do remember that it answered the following question: How do I find time for writing in my busy schedule as a high schooler? What sticks out in my mind is that the answer was somewhat contemptuous. It was along the lines of "If you don't have enough time to write, you don't really care about writing and you need to seriously consider what your priorities are." The author acknowledged that his answer may be offensive to some. I'll be honest, I wasn't offended by it at the time. I was either in middle school or early high school and I assumed that he was probably right since he was an adult and I was a kid. Looking back on that article as a junior in college, I am offended. In many ways, high school isn't great preparation for "life," but one thing it gets right is that it's b...

We've all heard that to write well, you must read a lot, but in the modern age, I believe that movies can also be an excellent source of inspiration. In this post, I'll discuss five movies that are about writers. The reason I've chosen these movies in particular is because I feel they have some of the best portrayals of what it really is to be a writer. 1. Misery I have to start with Misery because it's an adaptation of a book by the God of Writing, Stephen King. The protagonists in King's novels are often writers themselves, as is Paul Sheldon of Misery . After becoming severely injured in a car accident, Paul is taken in by a nurse, Annie Wilkes, who lives in a remote farmhouse. His writing is not the main point of the movie, but it plays a key role - Annie reads the latest installment in Paul's romance series, and she finds out that his heroine dies at the end. She becomes more and more visibly unhinged as time goes on and forces Paul to write a different man...

According to Stephen King, to be a good writer, one must be a good reader. According to Lydia Blythe, this is absolutely true. Listed below are ten recommendations of books, short stories, and poetry that have affected me in my life and inspired my writing. 1. The Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan This book holds a special place in my heart, because a copy was given to me by a local library when I was a runner-up in their writing contest. The author was a guest speaker at the awards ceremony, and I had the privilege of meeting her and having the book signed. The Dreamer is based on the life of the poet Pablo Neruda. It explores his childhood and the challenges he faced growing up of wanting to write poetry in a home where his dreams were not accepted. He came across many obstacles, but history speaks for itself - Neruda grew up to be a famous and successful poet. The book is about following one's dreams and staying true to oneself even when others do not accept what that self is. Beautiful...

I have some things to say about art. Why do we think of it the way we do? This is going to be very rambling, probably. Ah, well. This is what it is to be an eccentric writer. I've just awoken from a brief nap after a very strange day. Mark Twain would be disappointed in how many times I'm using the word "very." The alternative is swearing, though. I don't think I'll edit this other than for grammar and spelling. Anyway. The first thing I'd like to say is that I'd like to say once and for all that art is hard work, and I'd like for people to stop complimenting artists on their talent, as though when we complete some kind of piece it was because of some inherent ability that we have no say in. While each person's ability to create art is a talent, talent is more of a muscle than some magical ability. At this moment, I haven't written much lately, which is why this is the way it is. Gertrude Stein would be proud of me (I think). I've talke...

Photo credit: Andraz Lazic I am of the not-so-humble opinion that every human has something within themselves to create. Some have the capacity to be creative in multiple ways, and some will only ever pursue one creative endeavor. I determined at an early age that I want to write stories and poetry. My brother has always been one for composing music. These are somewhat more mainstream creative endeavors, but even if your talent is lesser-known, I still believe that everyone was created to create. In my last post, I discussed the difference between writers and authors, and how I believe that anyone who writes is a writer. However, I mentioned the fact that many writers aspire to become authors, and that to become an author, one must share one's work publicly. And how that is a bit frightening, to say the least. It is intrinsically terrifying to share something you have created. Why? Generally, humans fear criticism. Some fear it more than others, but being criticized is never a whol...

Photo credit: Nate Smith "I want to be a writer." That's what I would always tell people. That's what I always wanted to be when I "grew up." Being a writer has always been my dream. Something about it just thrilled me to my core. A writer. That's what I wanted to be. And yet it was always out of reach. I entered small contests and won a couple, but I wanted a novel that I could hold in my hands and that people wanted to buy. It was not that I sought fame, but I did wish for something physical, proof that I had written something worth reading. I wanted proof so that I could tell people "I'm a writer" instead of "I want to be a writer." I defined "being a writer" as being officially published, having a book on my shelf to look at and flip through that I made. But this is not what it means to be a writer. This is, in fact, the definition of the word author . Being a writer and being an author are two very different things...