Writing Tip: JUST WRITE
by Dawn Garcia
Writing at SCRIBE Winery, Sonoma. Photograph by Jason M. Hook
“There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.– Shel Silverstein
Writing is a craft much like it is a necessity. The art of story telling, of clarifying your ideas, releasing trapped emotion, healing heartfelt wounds, everything left unsaid – somehow the power of being able to sit down with pen in hand, no boundaries, no limitations, no concern for who may or may not read it – it’s liberating. It’s like a secret club. This wonderful place you can run to when talking seems inadequate. The escape for everything we contain inside comes out in words placed onto a vacant screen or an empty notebook or napkin or back of a receipt. Whatever means necessary to harness the release we so crave.
We write to tell a story. To feel connected. To make sense of what’s going on inside. With so many people out there giving opinions and inflicting their ideas, often times we lose sight of how we feel. It gets clouded by the opinion of others, the influence of outside sources, the continual self talk that tells us not to feel and instead just be commercialized or formulaic. It is that precise moment when we have to silence the chaos and instead be true to who we are as writers. The innate need to pour out the contents of our soul is real and possible and so, this week I implore you to just sit down and let whatever is trapped inside – that great big swell of words – let it thrash out of you onto the awaiting screen. The awaiting blank piece of paper. It is beckoning you. And remember that something at some point pushed you to express all of that untold thought and this – this is what gives you oxygen. And for those of you who aren’t professional writers or lost artists who find the expression of the mighty pen or the clanking of fingers on a keyboard as your solace, you’re here. So sit down and write. Silly, serious, honest, secret, whatever it is – WRITE. This week express yourself. the power of words is one that can change your life. And you are welcome to send it to me. Email me. I’ll answer back.
Your assignment this week: WRITE. Anything. Just write. At least 5 pages.
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There are a great many books that have influenced my writing, my soul, my ability to see life in spite of hurt or chaos.
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
The Diaries of Anaïs Nin by Anaïs Nin
the Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
