As a writer, I find that words consume the better part of my days.  Not only do I use them in ways many people might not, but I can't help but to consider their deeper meanings, their collective place in this world, their power.  Words inspire, relay ideas, break hearts, and give hope.  They define cultures, start and end wars, and relay the most complex of ideas.  They affect people in ways that only actions might prevail and take our minds to places both abstract and profound.

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For the writer, words are the fundamental building blocks for creation.  Not much compares to taking a blank screen and transforming it into something tangible and real to the mind's eye, one word at a time.  A peer recently compared it to playing God.  I disagree.  Writing does not make one god-like; it makes one an artist, a vessel of the muses, a spokesperson for both the beauty and evils of humankind.

I can't speak for all writers, but I truly know I write because I must.  I write because there is much unsaid in this world, too much, and someone needs to fill in the missing piecess.  I believe that, through literature, mountains can be moved, people changed, and minds affected.  Through words, writers have purpose.  Through words, anything is possible.
 


Comments

Kate
03/15/2011 15:32

I agree.

One of the reasons I've always hated the notion of "sticks and stones..." is that I know words are powerful enough to create emotion -- both positive and negative -- that can last far longer than physical effects.

I know what you mean, too, about writing because you must. In my head, there are stories to be told, people to reveal, and art to be created through words, and the notion of leaving all of it forever hidden in my mind would mean a life unfulfilled.

In referring to playing God (if you were talking about me, haha), I was commenting more, I think, on the responsibility we have to our characters (both real and imagined), and how, if we're not careful, we can fall away from being truthful to them. I should bring Ian McEwan's book sometime, as he explains these thoughts much more eloquently than I do. :)

I'm still working on my nonfiction piece, but have started thinking about my new fiction, too. Getting to read and help with your most recent draft has gotten me excited about fiction again, and I get to go through the excitement of meeting my characters and designing a new world. It's daunting, but fun, as you well know!

Anyway, thanks for writing this. It's a brief, yet poignant take on the writing experience.

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Lisa Lane link
03/15/2011 19:50

Thanks for the reply, Kate. Yes, you did help to inspire this post. Thanks again for spending the weekend with me on the computer, sifting through every word of my most prized work. It wouldn't be where it is right now without your help!

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Kate
03/18/2011 14:07

Awesome. Let me know when you're ready for Round 2. :)

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