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A Writer’s Block of Stone, Public Journey #001

I attended a writer’s class recently for five weeks. Christopher Laney (writer, pilot and all around amazing human being) lead the group. I have struggled with writing. It isn't the need for stories to tell or a lack of love for words that holds me back, but one of my blocks is that I sit down to write and what comes out, for all of it’s potential, isn't that good. It has ‘good’ in it, but it just isn't the ‘perfect’ piece I would like to write – so, I write only rarely – when the inspiration bludgeons me to action.

Christopher shared an analogy with us. In the same way a sculptor must begin with a block of stone in order to carve a work of art, the writer must begin with a mass of words and begin the process of carving piece from them. I have been experimenting with this approach by writing free-form for 30-40 minutes and then slowly sculpting something from the mass of ideas and words generated in the free-form time.  I thought it might be fun to share one of these sculpting projects with you, so I have posted below the mass of words from which I will be seeking to carve something akin to an essay. I plan to post another phase of this next weekend, and I invite you to return and see what has been released from this writer’s block of word stone…

Rivers, oceans and streams collect things – rain, mud, branches, sand, and the dead. Dead birds, fish, people. He went to sleep with the fishes.

Time heals all wounds, well time allows for adequate decay, anyway. It softens, swells, expands until it pops- melts looses from its form (lets loose itself?) and changes into the collective. In water we are all borg – resistance is futile – really it isn't present at all.

Finally it becomes homogeneous – a mixture of all things , formless, laps with all tides and waves, a rocky cradle of the world’s mush – oatmeal of everything.

Some would say we came from the sea, an evolution of undaunted genetics that have to, must evolve – gather its one self and form to conform to demands of our own becoming. So with the waxing and waning, the tugging of the moon’s tidings upon us – a planetary massaging of our little planet – we have become this formed p[lace and these formed creatures, plants, people and things.

Some speak if coming from and returning to our creator, and if such is true then we are created by the hands of the sea. See then the sea in all of us? See all of us in the sea?

We do return to the sea – the splashing of childish play and delight (I witnessed many occasions of children and adults witnessing the sea for the first time – they have been in-landers all of their life and never seen the sea. That seems strange to me – what a change of perspective that must be – to see the sea, to see and feel for the first time the sea from which we are created?), the percussion of a dead body dropped form the pier, the trickle of mucus-like decay through soil, water tables and into the streams that feed the sea – we all return. We return and melt and blend in to the great sea – dissolved and transported.

Then some poor fool turns on a tap and drinks us.

Coffee Stories Tweet

I want to know this - What is the best coffee experience you have ever had?

Save The Critters

By way of Dena, I am supporting a simple contest that could raise $10,000 for a local animal shelter. Just vote here for the Rockingham County Animal Shelter.

It will only take a click and a few lines of text to vote. Go! Thanks.

Bye.

6 of One...

I have been tagged so that I may embrace blogging self-centeredness and force the same on others. I will enjoy this. Thank you bellamocha for the tag, and now on to the task.

6 unspectacular quirks of mine

1. Locks – I think locks should be locked and latches latched so I do both regularly (obsessively?).
2. Poetry – when I try to describe my thoughts, ideas, or concepts they naturally come out in poetic images and expressions. It is as natural for me as water cascading over mossen stones... heh.
3. Trilogy – I tend to think of three examples and categories for everything. So doing this list of 6 is like doing it twice as far as I’m concerned.
4. Tall sitting – I am average height (5’7” – ok I’m short) but when I am sitting I tend to be the same height as much taller people. This means my legs are short and the rest of me is tall.
5. Questions – I love asking questions, especially when it is in response to a question. My colleagues and family find this habit aggravating. I like it – the habit and their aggravation.
6. Attitude – I am courageously committed to the belief that my attitude does in fact decide my life’s path. It isn't that I don’t sometimes feel sad, negative, and disparate – and I believe it is my responsibility to manage my outlook and that my success is directly proportional to how well I do just that.

Taggage – I tag Dena, Monica, Paige, Mr. Althouse, Addict and Simonne.

Here are the rules from Bellamocha:

1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they've been tagged.

Have a great day!