A Glimpse into a Writer’s Wandering Mind

Aliens, Trolls, and Centaurs escape onto the pages of a book, but what really goes on inside the mind of a writer? On the outside we appear spacey; distracted, forgetful, and unfocused. We are; just in a different way than it may seem. A writer is always writing, even when there isn’t a pen in their hand. We easily slip into a million different worlds on the edge of our consciousness. Think of all the stars in our solar system, and imagine each one represents a different idea. One is a thrilling murder mystery. The next is a tumultuous love story. After that there is a lusty romance novel. Maybe some super weird science fiction sh*t adjacent to that. There might even be some mermaids and Unicorns in the corner. The possibilities are endless. We aren’t checked out. We are checked into the chaos living in our heads. We feel things very deeply, and our experience with the world is complex.

I have a hearing impairment; which allows me to tune out the real world without much effort. I sink deep into my thoughts without even realizing it. I could see a weeping willow, and suddenly I’m laying beneath my favorite tree in my grandparents backyard. There is a cool breeze blowing across the lake; which gently rustles the leaves above me. The seemingly endless limbs sway gracefully, whispering the secrets of a thousand lifetimes. The drooping branches represent balance, and harmony. The trunk symbolizes strength, and stability. In its presence I feel connected to the earth; the universe, and my soul. It’s magical, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I caught sight of a fairy dancing among the fronds.

Where was I again? It took a split second to go down that rabbit hole. It typically takes a little longer to get me to snap out of my reverie. Please pull me back to earth gently when my head is in the clouds. I think of J.K. Rowling, and I wonder how often she slipped into the land of Harry Potter throughout her days. Perhaps she spent even more time visiting Hogwarts in her mind than she did writing about it?

As a lover of words; I sometimes find phrases that move me repeating themselves in my head like lyrics from a song. A line from a novel or a movie that touched my heart Twenty years ago will randomly pop into my head. A million beautiful phrases swirl around my cerebrum at any given moment, just waiting to be brought to life.

I can often be seen frantically typing on my phone; trying to quickly jot down a thought before it disappears into the abyss. Occasionally, the conversations I have in my mind might accidentally get spoken aloud. I can assure you, I’m not as crazy as I look. The line is thin though, and I definitely walk it.

The scariest writer is the one that isn’t writing. We are an intensely passionate group of people. If all of that emotional force isn’t being unleashed, we are literally bursting at the seams. I believe all artists share similar characteristics. Singers, Painters, photographers, and designers are all working on something the world needs. At times it may feel like we don’t have a choice. There is important work that must be done.

I didn’t write anything for years. Years. I can’t believe I didn’t explode. I’m not even sure why I stopped. Now that I’ve started again, the floodgates have opened and everything is pouring out. Creativity is a product of the soul, and you can only ignore the call for so long. Eventually the universe will line up all the stars just for you.

I know that I’m finally doing what I was meant to do, and I’ll never stop.