Saturday, 10 July 2010

Why write? For flowery reasons!

Why write?   
The easier question to answer is: Why read? Books are the great escape, only dreams can rival them. However, you get to select the books. 
Within the pages there are endless opportunities -- to be brave or depraved, grateful, or gratuitous -- to experience anything or everything, without the fear of prosecution or persecution. 
Then there is the learning.

But why write?   
Writing gives the writer the opportunity to live in more than one dimension at the same time (sometimes in multiple realities). Writers, who love their work, get to live the journey and enjoy living a life where their control is absolute. 
When my Beta readers are leafing through the pages -- or spinning the mouse – I love to watch their faces.  But, I know everyone who has read my work. Imagine knowing that people you have never seen are able to access the world and the characters you have created? Your creation? 
Imagine, at some later date, meeting people who have enjoyed it – that would be a whole different kind of life-adventure.

A little while ago, I discovered Robert Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions. It has become one of my main planning tools. (I need to know that I have considered emotion in-depth.) It is a check list I use when I am writing. 

Will is, currently, somewhere turquoise – between green and blue – anxiety caused by fear and amazement.

Why write? I write because I get to experience every one of those emotions, in the words that paint pleasure or pain onto the page.

I get to experience every one of these emotions in real life too. Take a look at the "Advanced emotions to Advanced opposites" table - see what I mean?

6 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing this with us. It's great to take a new look at life. Any thing that helps me to improve my skills as a writer is great by me.

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  2. Jamara - you are welcome. It is also very pretty too ;)

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  3. It's fascinating! And yes, beautiful. Thanks for this. You're right--books allow us to experience many lives within our own. I guess that's why I'm addicted to reading and writing them.

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  4. Very cool! Reading and writing are all about emotions for me as well. :)

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  5. Haha thanks for the comment on my blog Elaine! You're right of course, armed with tube socks i would have been a much braver man - the giant wouldn't know what hit him!

    Great looking blog, glad to be following!

    Cheers

    Rick

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  6. Hi Anne
    Reading has always been compulsive behaviour for me. I find it fascinating that the lives we create are even more addictive! :)

    Jemi
    Writing, and reading,are probably the safest way to experience the roller coaster of emotions.

    Hi Rick
    Thanks for stopping by and following.
    I think we are on to something: everyone else thinks the Superhero's powers lie in the pants they wear on the outside of their tights. Their secret is safe with us ;)

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