It is passion that drives us, as well as each and every character in our fictions--the tension between what the characters want and what keeps the characters from having what they want. Yearning. Writing is about capturing that. What did Hamlet yearn for? The strength to avenge his father's murder. What did MacBeth yearn for? Power. Sovereignty over his own life. The respect of the woman he loves. What does Pearl yearn for? Dignity, respect, a voice. What do you yearn for?
About Me
- Theresa Williams
- "I was no better than dust, yet you cannot replace me. . . Take the soft dust in your hand--does it stir: does it sing? Has it lips and a heart? Does it open its eyes to the sun? Does it run, does it dream, does it burn with a secret, or tremble In terror of death? Or ache with tremendous decisions?. . ." --Conrad Aiken
3 comments:
I suppose I should explain what I mean. I tend to be fairly level in my positive emotions. My strong emotions are mostly negative ones--fear, worry, anxiety (don't get me started on terrorism). Passion is just not a word that comes to my mind. I care about things and people, I care deeply. But passion? That's a higher level than I feel. And I don't (consciously) tap into MY emotions when I write. I tap into the characters. They become individuals in my mind and they tell me what to write I can't write what they wouldn't do. It would feel wrong to me and I'd have to edit it out. And the tension between them might come from yearning but it is their yearning, not mine. I really am able to separate them from me.
I'm an introspective person and I started tapping into my inner self around the time I was 7 or 8. Sometimes, I think I've spent too much time inside my mind. :) I'm not driven by passion. I'm driven by intellect and logic that is tempered by compassion (which is different than passion).
I was a psych major, btw. And I'm 51, so I've spent a lot of years in my introspection. heh As for what I yearn for.... Nothing. I've got it all. A loving hubby, a job I love, time to enjoy my hobbies, enough money so I won't end up on the street. My characters, however, have a lot of things to yearn for, and some of it isn't nice at all.
i write too, and have been published, but i write purely for peace in my soul. if i feel like writing, and my soul is needing soothing, i write, and it comes freely. if nothing in particular is going on in my mundane life, then i seldom write. wanted to comment on the kitties.........love them. have a black one myself, 17 yrs old. thanks for sharing your journal. regina
http://journals.aol.com/wumzels2/SEDUCTIONOFLIFE/
You ask "What do you yearn for?"
For me...a Universal Truth about love, life and death... As it is now, I can only tell my children what I believe is the right thing and can only hope that I'm steering us in the right direction as I'm but an amateur navigator... Its deep deep water out there...
Thanks for the comment Theresa, they mean a great deal, especially from a Pro like yourself.
Scott
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