The Art of Writing.

Hi everyone!

Today I would like to talk about my writing process/progress, but before I start there is a (more) important thing I need to discuss first.

We deserve to imagine a world without prisons and punishment, a world where they are not needed, a world rooted in mutuality. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have heard of the Black Lives Matter movement. When I was thinking about a topic for my new post it was the first thing that sprang to mind. I feel like I should say something about it, because I get its importance and support it 100%, but I am also aware that even though I know, I don’t know. Pretending that I do would be ridiculous.

So instead of sharing all of my opinions on the matter, I urge you to go online and educate yourself first. There are tons of ways to do it. If you don’t know how to start, simply use Google or social media channels like Twitter or Instagram (#BlackLivesMatter). You’ll find tons of information on there.

What I can do is recommend you a book. I am currently reading When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir, written by Patrisse Khan-Cullors (co-founder of the BLM movement) and Asha Bandele. It’s sad and heart-breaking, but it’s also the truth and we need to hear it. Go read it if you already haven’t!

Book Reviews

I also have some reviews to share with you. I have (finally) finished two books:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Last week I re-read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and I can only say that I still love it as much as I did when I was a kid. It’s such a fun story that makes no sense whatsoever, but that’s probably what makes it so good.

The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The other book I’ve read is The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis, another excellent piece of work. I feel like I should read it again (and again) to fully understand it all, because even though I think I got it, I don’t think I’d be able to explain it to someone else yet.

You have to help me. Speak to me. Per favore, I beg of you. Now we’ve arrived at the part where I am going to talk about my writing progress. I will warn you though, because after reading this you will most certainly think I am insane. ;)

I have one book I’d like to talk about in particular, since I’ve been working a lot on it the past few days.

When I come up with an idea for a new story, it usually just comes to me. Sometimes in a dream, sometimes when I am awake, doing something non-writing-related, but never when I actively try to think of something.

The idea for this book started with nothing but a feeling that there were two people ‘out there’ with a story that needed to be told. I didn’t know what they would be like, look like or what their story would go like, but I did know it would be worth telling. It took me about a month to figure out their names and personalities. It took me another to figure out where they came from and what their relationship to each other was.

What I got so far was this (I literally am showing you my notes): two guys, best friends, like brothers. Live in the desert. Neighbours? Hayden and Lowell. Hayden’s very protective, something dark about him. Lowell’s younger. Boyish. Adventurous, but easily scared. Maybe something with an animal (fox?). Other world/planet, not earth. Sci-fi/fantasy.

That was literally all I had when I started to write.

After writing about three chapters I was still struggling a lot, so I forced myself to write a summary for myself, so that it would become more clear where the story was headed. This is what I wrote:

“At the centre of the world lies Ailene, the city where everything comes together. For decades, ambassadors from all over the world have come here to discuss the future of the planet. All this time the countries have lived in peace, but when a new terrorist organisation rises that plans numerous attacks to ‘cleanse the world’, everyone is in danger.

To this day, the Council has been most important in securing the world’s peace, but now there is a terrorist sympathiser in their midst. Luckily, the Organisation of World Security is aware of this.

In the middle of the desert, far away from it all, two boys grow up alongside each other, their brotherly bond defined not by blood but by the love they share.

Amazed by the world’s magic, Lowell’s heart is filled with a deep longing for adventure. Even though he’s easily scared, he always finds the courage to start another journey.

Aware of the true dangers of this world, Hayden has only one concern: protecting the people that he loves. Spending most of his time making sure Lowell stays out of trouble, Hayden follows him on his adventures, all the while struggling with this ever-growing darkness that lives inside of him, and feeling like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

But it isn’t until Hayden gets chosen to go undercover at the Council of Ailene as their new intern, that their true journey begins.”

Writing this summary was a huge struggle, but it has helped me a lot because it gave me more insight into the story. There was still something missing though—something that kept me from falling in love with it. So I went back to the beginning and wondered what had made me believe the story was worth telling in the first place. It was the characters. I know I made them up myself, but it felt like they already existed, like they were real people wanting me to tell their story. Yet along the way I started focusing on the plot so much, that I'd almost forgotten about them.

So I worked on getting to know Lowell and Hayden better. I’ve written about 20k words now, and I am in love with the story, because I know and love the characters. That happened when I started to listen, a little like Michelangelo listened to his marble in Oil and Marble. (Does that make me crazy or a genius? Perhaps a crazy genius. Or maybe neither. You may decide.)

For example: A few days back I was writing about Hayden, and I wanted him to say and do a certain thing, but it felt like he was screaming at me to go into a different direction with his story.

I listened and now he’s got a—oh wait, I am not going to tell you that. I don’t do spoilers. (Says the person who accidentally spoils everything, always.)

Anyway, it changed the story a lot, but I truly believe it made it better.

But honestly, I don’t think I am insane by ‘hearing’ my characters speak to me. I think it’s an important part of creating any art. Whether it’s writing a book, carving marble or painting a painting, there’s always something that needs to guide you to reach perfection. Maybe it’s the part of your imagination that guides you towards beauty, or maybe it’s something else, I don’t know, but I do believe it is important.

With this in mind I will end my post. I do have a question for you first though, since I am curious: If you are a writer yourself (either books, poems, songs or something else) or an artist in any other way, do you recognise this? Does your art ‘speak’ to you as well?

Let me know in the comments (or any other way) and don’t forget to subscribe and/or hit the like button!

Stay safe, and never give up on your imagination!

Love,

Annabel

Used quotes: “We deserve to imagine a world without prisons and punishment, a world where they are not needed, a world rooted in mutuality.” – Patrisse Khan-Cullors

“You have to help me. Speak to me. Per favore, I beg of you.” – Michelangelo Buonarroti in Oil and Marble, written by Stephanie Storey.