A recent post on the AOL journals message board asked: "what should I write about?" I believe the poster had recently started a journal and simply had no clear idea what to do with it, but they hit upon the key issue that faces all writers: "what should I write about?" Every writer has faced the blank sheet of paper, pencil in hand, and been suddenly possessed of an equally blank mind. What to write about? The most common answer we hear is, "write what you know," but that is not satisfying, and many writers indeed write about what they do not know. At least, they start out not knowing, but do the requisite research to produce a knowledgeable article on a topic.
Non-fiction writers, that is. Fiction writers have a tough time because they need an original idea upon which to base a story. Science fiction writer Barry B. Longyear wrote a humorous foreword to his short story collection It Came From Schenectady, in which he meets this topic head-on. Barry maintains that, "members of the Science Fiction Writers of America are supposed to answer (the question "where do you get your ideas") with a post office box number in Schenectady. You send in two dollars and a self-addressed stamped envelope, and you will be sent back an idea." Apparently, the SFWA zealously guards the stockpool of ideas available to its membership, and has concocted a catchall answer to prevent the public from discovering its whereabouts. Perhaps John Scalzi could enlighten us a bit on that topic. Barry also recounts that, "Roger Zelazny says that every evening he leaves a glass of milk and a dish of cookies on his back porch. In the morning the milk and cookies are gone and on the dish is a slip of paper containing an idea." Idea fairies! Why wasn't I told? I believe I'll try that tonight. I'm so desperate for ideas I'm cruising the AOL message boards.
I switched focus to fiction writers there, but non-fiction writers face the same initial dilemma. Sure they can research the snot out of a topic, and write an article with a great degree of authority, but what topic? And yes, even us lowly journalers/bloggers must answer the question. "What should I write about?" If you look back through this journal you'll find I started out quite simply, recounting family outings and events. Even today I regularly write about myself and my family. I guess that's what I know. But I also have written some pieces revealing my personal opinions on several topics, including politics, parapsychology, and internet culture. What spawned those journal entries? In some cases, specific comments made by others that I wanted to respond to in longer form than is really feasible on the message boards, like this topic. In other cases, they were just thoughts I had during the course of a day that I mentally bookmarked for further development, a skill I am working hard to perfect. In the past, I've always had opinions on current events that I would develop mentally, and then forget about. Recently, I have made a conscious effort to physically record the gist of my thoughts when I have them so I can remember where I was going with them at a later date. maybe I'm a bit lame in this area, and other people don't have the same slipperiness of mind as I do, but I have what I feel are deep thoughts on a subject, then hours later when I'm sitting in front of the computer, I find myself thinking, "what should I write about?"
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7 comments:
I find myself becoming inspired and then I write. I never know what I will write about/photograph next, but something comes to me. It may sound cliche, but it comes out of the blue... I find myself paying attention to what goes on around me and something becomes the inspiration to write/photograph next (I consider my journal to be photographic essays with writing, the one works off the other). I follow my gut feeling, whatever that may be, and the rest flows. I try not to dwell on it. I have no idea what I will write about next. As I had no idea what my last entry would be but it just happens based on whatever is going on around me. There is a process, and I find it's the same process (for me) most times..........it's just one little thing, one grain of sand, one something that becomes the catalyst.......and no matter how small or perhaps, how insignificant it may seeem.......if you go with it, the rest will follow and a journal entry (or whatever it is that is being written) will come out of it. I have kept my journal mostly theme based, so I have the challenge of finding something new within the theme, and sooner or later, I will find that I'm done and the Journal will be complete.
Sorry to be long winded, but this is such a great question. I loved reading your ideas, and look forward to reading how others are inspired to come up with their writing content! :-)
~JerseyGirl
http://journals.aol.com/cneinhorn/WonderGirl
Hmm, some really good observations here. I agree with Jersey about the best topics being ones that just pop into your head. If I sit down & try to force it, nothing comes. The hard part is many of those fleeting ideas don't have enough substance.. and often I don't figure that out until 1/2 way into the subject matter. Idea fairies!- now there's a concept. Maybe that's what brings us ideas in our dreams? ¤Holly
So far I have not had a problem writing...but I'm recounting actual things that happened in my life..so it's flowing very nicely...I'm working on a story line in Word now that one I do have to stop and think because it's a storyline so it's actually harder. Your journal is always interesting...Sandi http://journals.aol.com/sdoscher458/LifeIsFullOfSurprises
Very well thought out Paul.... my journal is so new that I'm not sure where it will go, but I find these things sometimes take on a life of their own. I find myself reading the message boards, my e-mail, and watching the news differently. These are all sources of interest for me, therefore good fodder for the journal. I'm trying to explore the writing end of these things. I have a good friend who is a writer (actually gets paid to do it <g>) and he says the only way to learn to write is write. He has been after me for years to try my hand. Two of his first fiction sells (actually his very first one<g>) were from ideas I gave him. I had great ideas, but couldn't get from idea to story <sigh> It did get me a wonderful steak dinner at my very favorite restaurant though.
Great Ideas Paul....Love the entry. And great song you were listening to btw. I happen to love Dylan and the Deads versions as well.
Mish
i wonder, what should i comment about.....
Ah, the Schenectady gag. This has been around since at least the 1970s, probably earlier. Frank Herbert used to answer the ideas question with the one-word answer "Schenectady," IIRC, and Harlan Ellison wrote about it in one of his introductions.
I even wrote my own Schenectady story in the mid-1970s. In my version, someone takes the one-word answer literally. Wanting to be a writer himself (herself? I forget), this shmoe drives to Schenectady. The adventures my clueless protagonist has along the way provide ample material for his or her first bestseller.
Everyone at Clarion hated the story, but that's beside the point.
There is a certain element of obligation in these blogs. If one wants readers, one must write, frequently, well and interestingly. And then plug the heck out of it. I'm still trying to suss out that second part!
Karen
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