Writer's Mind: Crafting Fiction

I have a wealth of knowledge on my bookshelves so a few weeks ago I selected Writer's Mind: Crafting Fiction by Richard Cohen, purchased in April 2003 in New York. What is it about a second time read that somehow makes the book seem new and unread? It's a bit like seeing a good movie the second time around many years after the first time and it being clearer or more meaningful this time. I think it has to be about where I was in my mind the first time and how now, I really felt like I was absorbing and understanding the author's knowledge, but I think it also has to do with the shift in my writing development, which includes writing fiction.

The book's preface sets the scene and paragraph one states:

"A writer is someone who is always learning to write.....everything that happens is a writing lesson. When the love of your life betrays you, it is a course in characterisation and dialogue. Surreally adaptable, writers spend their lives camouflaged as doctors, patients, etc..."

This is so true and it's why I am writing a memoir called 'Under the Caribbean Sun' about my experiences in Jamaica between Sept-Dec 2007. It is a great way to come to terms with the good, the bad and the ugly issues of a challenging experience and is a powerful way of getting to know your inner most feelings about love, relationships, travelling, culture etc.

Part One: CRAFT (Pg 6, para 5):

"...writers are people who become themselves by writing. We are here, and we have to sing about it. Our writing is separate from ourselves and does not reliably explain anything about our lives, yet our writing is ourselves, more truly than the selves that go to the bank and have lunch with friends. It is our calling and our call."

Yes, yes, I like the 'calling' and this I felt strongly when I had a vision of my first book Brown Eyes - it felt so right even though when I had the initial thoughts, there were lots of unknowns and I so enjoyed allowing the creative process to unfold.

Every chapter in the book includes further reading references and a Do It Exercise so I started off with the following one:

1. Think about why you write or want to write. Refine your thoughts until you can state the reasons in a paragraph. Compose the paragraph in your head; you may or may not actually write it on paper.

Here is my response:

I want to write because I have a love of words, language, craft. It is about self-expression and creative-expression. I have found the writing process insightful and inspirational and pleasantly surprising as you never know which way your story will go. 'Re-living', especially through writing autobiography or memoir is revealing and sometimes therapeutic. I find that writing also enhances other performing arts that use/adapt words, e.g. film, theatre etc.