Week 6 - Writing Is Hard

One of my university lecturers used to make the whole group chant this at the beginning of every creative writing seminar. He would circle the class, like a cross between Malcolm Bradbury and some crazed hyena on heat and look for any member of the pack who was falling behind. "What is writing," he would cackle hysterically (OK - I may be getting slightly carried away, but you get the point) and some poor soul would have to stand up and intone his mantra: "Writing is hard!"

This would then be followed by two hours grappling with different forms of poetry: iambic pentameters, Elizabethan and Petrarchan sonnets and so on. Not the happiest memories, but in the best traditions of morality tales they did teach me a lesson. I was a terrible poet. True, the total output of my published works amounts to one poem (easily my best - but still not that good) so there was the most modest form of success. But much more importantly, it taught me to really love words. Not just like them in a "thanks for the date, I'll call you" way; but to love them in a "every waking moment is a torment unmatched in the annals of hell when I'm not with you" manner.

While I may never trouble the short list for the next poet laureate (or for that matter, the poetry corner in the local church newsletter), trying to write poetry has significantly helped my prose writing. The point here is that you don't need to write for publication - and you certainly don't need to write for some trochee-obsessed academic - but if you write poetry for yourself, it will provide a strong foundation on which your words of prose may live.

If you feel like dipping a toe into the babbling brook of poetry, then I heartily recommend Stephen Fry's That Ode Less Travelled. It is an inspiring book in all the best ways and will give anyone even remotely interested in poetry the tools of the trade without having Stephen circle you cackling like a failed witch from Macbeth. Here's the link: http://www.stephenfry.com/shop.html.

Poetry has certainly helped me develop a rhythm to my writing as well as find my own voice. As I got to the end of this week and my self-imposed deadline was approaching a day earlier than usual (in order that I could queue up to be one of the first people to buy Apple's new operating system...I know, sounds a little sad. But if you own a Mac, I know you'll understand (note to self - try not to aleienate the 99% of the population that use that Windows thing).

Anyway...as I headed towards the deadline quicker than a Leopard chasing its pray, the value of developing your own voice became apparent. As can happen sometimes (but not often enough) when writing, the characters took over. My rather poor typing skills were no match for their actions; but finally, I got to the end of the week's chapter and I even managed to introduce a new twist that I hadn't seen coming.

Yes, writing is hard; but it can also be the most rewarding experience. As long as there's no one chanting at you at the same time.