my art of storytelling
My art… (or lack, thereof)
I’ve thought a lot lately about storytelling, my ability to “spin a good yarn”, per se, and why the heck I can’t spit out more than 100 words at one time when I’m with a group of 2+ and it’s my turn at the spotlight.
I can be funny. I can! Just not on demand.
I can be interesting. I promise! Just, only to fellow nerds like me.
I can be inquisitive, sensitive, approachable, and sometimes — perhaps? — fascinating (though that does usually happen by accident).
So… what’s my problem, you ask?
I love my mother. I swear! But I think I’ve finally figured it out.
She’s a pastor. No, that’s not the problem! … For the past thirty-odd years, she’s spent her life learning about and analyzing theological subjects, preaching to people, sharing her thoughts, and rambling on with her opinions on whatever ol’ topic may come up. And I’ve spent my 34 years listening, watching folks’ expressions as they listen to her, and deciding to bite my damn tongue.
When it’s my turn to talk, what do I do? I stutter over the backstory, stumble through names and character descriptives, and double back on my tale as soon as I realize I left out an important tidbit of information. I’m so careful when I write, making sure my written words don’t match the words rattling around in my head. I think I’d fail miserably if I tried using a voice-recognition software to create and write a novel.
This may just explain why I think I’ve finally latched onto a system for getting my first draft down on paper. (ha HA! I managed to pull this back around to writing! Bet you were wondering, weren’t you? ) I’ve been following this basic process for the past two months — I know, not all that long in the grand scheme of things! — but it’s proven successful and is keeping me interested (for the most part, forgetting that whole the-first-draft-is-crap thing).
Curious yet?
Wait, dear hearts. I’m hoping to give more detail in a subsequent post. Which may just take me another month to actually post here, but that doesn’t mean it’s not in the forefront of my mind.