About Writing

(13th April 1998)
Do you like writing? I don't mean writing a few paragraphs about this and that, and put it up on your homepage. I mean writing stories, letting your fantasy take you away, possibly to other realms, and just write about your experiences.

Or maybe you don't want to even try for some reason. You don't want to write because you believe you're not good enough, or because you believe no one is interested in reading what you write. Or possibly because you don't see the point in writing as you have no intention of showing it to anyone after all.

If this is the case, throw those thought away. Let's think a bit about what writing is all about: It's about communicating. And this you do all the time - you can hardly avoid it, can you? And how do you communicate? You talk and listen, both with words and gestures, with different tones, expressions in your face, signals with your body. You talk in the phone, face to face, shout to your parents, whisper sweet words to your beloved. You write letters, both on paper and email, to friends and the newspaper. And you do things together; Play football, go fishing, or dancing. Go to a concert, or play in a band. Dress up, and having just plain fun together.

You also tell stories, using words and gestures, telling about what people said, and what they did. All based on the experience you have from doing things yourself. Remember that big fish you had when you went fishing alone? The one that got away? It was a real big one, wasn't it - at least your friends were impressed. Or how you pulled that big contract ashore, all by yourself? And how about the story you told your daughter when you put her to bed last night - she was a princess, wasn't she? And her father a handsome prince when you married him, but he left everything to stay with you. Whether she believed you or not, she certainly seemed to enjoy the story, and went to sleep with a smile on her face.

What am I saying here? I'm saying you can tell stories, and if you can tell them, you can write them. Maybe they will be enjoyed just by your friends, or your children, or maybe by a world-wide audience. And the internet can help you getting your stories out. Don't have a homepage yourself? Well, there are many places you can go to have your stories published. (I for one accept stories and poems, preferably with a fantastic element...)

Do have a go at it, and discover the fun you can have in the process!

If I like writing stories? Indeed I do - and I'll see if I can set aside more time to write much more than I do at the moment.