The process of writing itself can sometime be painful and yet at others it is a blissful act of creation where words flow without much effort. These moments are amazing and go some way to make up for those challenging times where after a few hours I have a paragraph on page that will be deleted the next day. However, because of the fickle nature of creation itself this is not what I enjoy the most about writing. It is the sense of empowerment and expression that putting ideas into writing that keeps me hooked. Obviously in many instances writing is a public act but despite publication it for me it remains a hugely personal act of will, artistry and passion.
Poetry
At most times, my poetry which admittedly is not my strength as a writer is always about representing my views and values. These are times where I will often be direct in my meaning and play with form or syntax to create impact. However, I will not push structure as far as others and while I tend to include some complexity in references and symbolism, they often are not essential to my overall message. In this way poetry for me is often about conveying either a strong critique or a powerful emotion but in a richer way than a simple statement.
Fiction
More my wheelhouse, Fiction for me is about exploring my creativity, imagination, and simple pleasure. Here I develop my craft through the creative process, but I can express a degree of creative joy through exploring characters and working through their interactions with events they face throughout the narrative. In this way through the process, I can explore different ideas, philosophies and aspects of humanity which makes it a process of discovery as well as creation. Through this I can present views and my conclusions of different concepts perhaps as well as poetry but mixed with a playfulness as I write to entertain myself and any readers rather than being focused on delivering a pointed message.
Opinion
Similarly, to my approach to poetry my political and opinionated writing is pointily written to give my views. While crafted to persuade or convince others as with any form of opinion piece this is really a question of style and structure then the purpose. Realistically, an opinion piece is a cathartic release of emotion and passion which at times I have kept tightly secret. In many this is driven by a reaction to events and a desire to respond and give voice to the way my mind systemically takes a part a viewpoint and points out the obvious issues with the opposing standpoint. Obviously, I would like to convince others and open their ideas to key issues, but this is the secondary objective, a bonus.
In all these instances, while the ideas and means of expression might be different for many, any form of writing is about an exploration of self. An opportunity either directly or through subtle exploration to engage with aspects of my identity, feeling or views. This opportunity to find an outlet is what I enjoy about writing the most.
Check out my poems “The Modern Environment”, “Surface Deep” and “Two Lanes” or read some short fiction “The Immortal” and “Cursed”.
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