2011.6.20 Writing: An Obsession

Join me while I reblog another post from the past with reflections about writing and my life as a writer.

I love to write stories—it’s a fulfilling process of creating life from the imagination.

Currently, writing stories is an obsession. I live it, breathe it, consume it—I’m absolutely possessed by the “thing’s” very essence. Ideas for plots and characters bubble in my mind. Yes, I’m the guy with the blank stare that fell out of conversation five minutes ago or awoke in the middle of the night and nearly knocked over the lamp while turning it on because a delicious story idea came to mind.

Even on days when I’m not working on a story, I’m obsessed with new ideas. They call out to me to go back to work and skip that meal, that TV show, that run to the store. After all, I still have one more word to add, one more sentence to fix, one more paragraph to tweak, one more chapter to write.

That’s why it’s good to hook up with friends, even if some of them are a bit crazy. I did that during the past couple days. We joked and laughed and talked about everything but writing, even though some of my friends are authors.

Somehow, this led us to telling ghost stories as though we were around a campfire in the middle of the night instead of in my living room—it was the same kind of atmosphere. All that was missing was the campfire. Naturally, I enjoyed every minute of it, took mental notes, and ended the visit with incredible story ideas. One more word to add, one more sentence to fix, one more paragraph to tweak, and more and more chapters to write.

It never ends. I have a voice inside I can’t silence. Words call out, grab me, and soon I’m writing that next sentence, that next paragraph, that next chapter.

Sometimes the words are flowery. Some readers hate flowery prose. So do some authors. But the poet in me likes to think about it as well as write it. So, when I write “A lascivious young woman reclined in a classic fine-art repose on a lounge chair covered in multicolored satin linens and silk scarves. Her face was the color of the finest gold, ruby and sapphire. Her emerald eyes sparkled. Her long auburn hair flowed down a seemingly endless body of extraordinary purity that glowed like a summer sunset in a garden of carnations and lilies.” … I know someone won’t like it. But I can’t please everyone; I can only please me, which is who I write for.

It’s my obsession. And such is this writer’s life.

Before I go, I’d like to leave you with this quote attributed to the author, Franz Kafka:

“Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.” ―Franz Kafka

Thanks for joining me today for another look back at a 2011 excerpt from my old blog. Until my next post, peace and love.

Steve, 6/15/2024

This post “2011.6.20 Writing: An Obsession” copyright © 2011, 2024 Steven Leo Campbell at stevecampbellcreations.com – All rights reserved.