Sunday, April 28, 2013

Lost Threads...

Writing is like a drug; once inspiration hits, I go into a frenzy trying to write everything down before my creative juices dry up. I go for months without writing anything substantial, and then inspiration may come in the form of a snatch of dialogue here, a facial expression, a weird walk, social and political issues, or salacious fantasy; and then I’m off. I try to write everyday, but sometimes I don't quite make it.

I have to feel passionate about a story, a concept, or an idea, otherwise everything I write feels and sounds like crap! I have the insatiable habit of rewriting and editing a piece until I’m sick of it. I write and rewrite plays and short stories over and over until I lose the thread of my original thought. The story becomes blah, and I’m disgusted with myself. I have to scrap that story or play, and start from the beginning. The pieces are better, but in the process I've lost some of my fire and passion for what I originally wanted to write. Writing for me is a chore after the first four or five edits and then I finally lose interest in the piece. Am I really a writer?