By Will Riddell
Hey, I’m Will. Maybe you’ve seen my name in The Echo? If you haven’t, go grab a copy. I know we’re all busy scrolling and clicking these days, but perhaps you’ll find the crinkling of the paper strangely relaxing. It’s worked for me.
As I prepare to hit the open road and leave college in the rearview mirror, I thought I might share a few thoughts about writing and life. My thanks to Isabelle LaPapa for putting this up on the blog. She is a fine writer, as are many of the students who have been trained by Professor Linda Taylor. If you haven’t seen my name over at The Echo, hopefully you’ve seen hers. Now, shall we dive in?
First, if you want to be a good writer, make sure you are reading great writers. I recommend Stephen King. He has such a way with descriptions that he even makes strawberry pie scary. Pick up a copy of Thinner if you don’t believe me. I can’t — and will never be able to — write like Stephen King, but spending time with his work is seeing storytelling’s full potential on display. I often find myself thinking about his words — and how he placed them so perfectly together — long after I’m done reading.
Second, find what inspires you and stick to it like dirty gum on the underside of a middle school desk. For me it’s great food, a plane touching down in an unexplored location, the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean, and Michael Jackson’s performance at Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. All of these things demand the engagement of my senses. If I don’t engage, then I’ll miss something – and I don’t want to. What inspires you nudges you — maybe even shoves you hard — out of bed in the morning, even if it means facing the anxiety, fear, addiction, and uncertainty that plague your life.
Third, good writing is built on small details. Don’t be afraid to describe the pitter-patter of rain on a roof or the little moon tattoo peeking out behind someone’s right ear. If you see a man holding a cigarette, how is the smoke behaving? Those are the words that stick like the dry gum below the desk. The color in your writing comes from those itty-bitty details. A lot of people think good writing is long sentences with semicolons and commas to spare. Keep it short. Find those little details. That’s writing.
Finally, enjoy the ride and keep it going. Whatever map you’re holding, toss it in the nearest wastebasket. If you actually get to where you want to go, you might end up bored. Keep looking around the corner and peering over the horizon. You just might get a glimpse of something worth pursuing. You don’t have to play the same cards your family played because you have your own hand. And, because you’re a writer, you’ve already got a pair of aces to lay down when the time comes.
Photo by Matt Halls on Unsplash
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