Reflections about Writing

A few months ago I was asked to write a series of reflections about writing for an author blog interview. Funnily enough, I didn’t use the following reflections because I decided to think about them a little more deeply.  You might say to digest their meaning. The words were important enough to write so maybe they required some more contemplation before I delivered them to the world.

The first reflection was simple and made complete sense to me.

1. Stories can inspire us, enrich our lives and help us to consider things from another point of view.

Photo taken by me

Sunrise over the Water

I now use this reflection on my business card because its significance to me is how I view stories. So when I wrote these words I understood them and they understood me.  I value the power and persuasion of stories.

The second reflection was more internal in nature.

2. Stories can become us, they can help us discover new things about ourselves.

Photo taken by myself

Sunrise over the Grass.

I guess this was about me turning the reflection inward to understand more about who I am as a writer.

The third reflection  could be how we perceive  a collective piece of writing or perhaps it’s simply about the process of writing itself.

3. Stories urge us to question, deconstruct and then reconstruct their meanings, and sometimes this process makes us feel uncomfortable. That is a writer’s way.

Photo taken by me

Sunrise over the Trees

This reflection could have two completely different meanings depending on the person reading it. One person might think it means that a piece of written work can have us questioning its true meaning. I guess Shakespeare would be a good example. How many times has his work been pulled apart to find its true meaning in some kind of reconstructed analysis.  That process may have scholars or students feeling uncomfortable having to participate in such analysis. However, it’s often worth participating, if simply just to challenge yourself to think broader than what is expected or assumed.

Another person might think the meaning of this reflection is about how we as writers question ourselves and our work.  At times it’s necessary to pull our work apart only to reconstruct the words, in the hope, that we will be more satisfied.  This whole process can be very unsettling, but it’s often worth it.  It’s a writer’s way to learn and grow.

So there you have it, sometimes a collection of words can mean different things to different people. And there lies the beautiful ugliness, the truth and the lies, some hiding and some exposed, in the stories that we write.

So until next time. Be brave and bold in your chosen field of creativity. And never be afraid to explore new techniques.