Always Working

It’s Black Friday.

If you’re a shopper, this is the day to hit the stores and stock up on things, while you can get a pretty good deal on them.

For others, it’s a day of relaxation.

And for still others, it’s a day of work.

If you are a writer, every day is a day of work.

Even if you don’t sit down in front of your computer or whatever tool you use to convey your words, you’re still working.  The back of your mind is a swirling eddy of ideas.  They are always cooking.  If you are in the middle of writing something, your mind is still at work on it, even if a single word does not get written.

A writer, unless he can leave his brain on a shelf somewhere, is always at work.

That annoying second cousin that always shows up at family holiday gatherings?  Create a character based on that second cousin, then kill that cousin off.  That rude woman in the store today that snatches the very last bargain you’ve waited for from right under your nose?  Create a character based on her, and make her a villain.

See a group of young people walking along the sidewalk?  Create a scenario that includes these young people…maybe they're on their way to prevent an apocalyptic meltdown of our civilization.  Or on their way to start one.  Either way, your mind is filing these things away for later use, if you write fiction.

If you write nonfiction, perhaps you’re studying the mechanics of each of the young people’s way of walking, and will write it inside that anatomy book that you’re working on.

The possibilities are endless.

A good writer is observant.  A good writer uses what he/she sees and experiences, and uses those experiences in their writing.  It may be fictionalized and exaggerated, or it may be factual and informational.

Either way, a good writer is always at work.

Have a great rest of your weekend.

And, keep reading!

Michael  (T. M.)