MAY DAY

No, It is Not a Distress Signal…

But I do feel like dropping into Warp Speed and shooting off to a galaxy far, far away.

Why?

Because I’ve spent the morning reading some amazing articles by Illumination writers, and I’m humbled to be here in your presence. What do I have to offer?

Then, I looked at my “dashboard” and saw all the numbers had returned to $0.00, which is what I expected, but still was shocked to see. I’d worked so hard to get them up a little. Talk about a zero-sum game.

But then I remember something I read this morning by a bright young writer, Zsanyla Cabansag:

“Never stop writing.”

Zsanyla posted this in a wonderful article

She went on to list some great reasons to “never stop writing”:

Never stop writing because writing means learning, and learning is constant.

Never stop writing because all of your words count; be it an adjective or a noun.

Never stop writing because it’s the only way to uncover the intricate possibilities of the world.

Never stop writing because you have the power to change the world.

I told her I couldn’t stop writing because a day without reading and writing seemed so empty. I need my daily Medium fix.

I’m not out to change the world, but I do know that what we put out there comes back to us magnified and sometimes transformed in ways that make us better.

The more we put into a piece of writing, the more likely it is to find a home in someone else’s mind and heart.

In my writing I strive to convey meaning and understanding. As an engineer and technical writer for many years, I learned how to present a case and make good arguments for a particular point of view. I found ways to persuade with facts.

Now, I hope to become better at expressing emotions and appealing to the reader’s heart. I want to try fiction, but it scares me. I feel like a man walking out on thin ice: will it hold me? Do I have the right equipment? What if I fall through? Will someone come to my rescue?

As I ponder these questions, something that stuck in my mind from writer-friend and fellow Illuminator Holly Jahangiri came to mind: Practice, practice, practice.

We learn by doing. I know that. I also know that there is much truth in something Pastor Robert H. Schuller said many years ago:

Starting is half done

So, if I want to write fiction, I best get busy and write some or polish up some that I’ve written and post it, eh?

I just finished reading the bio of Besom & Bletherskite, which enthralled me.

She has such a joyful way with words.

Alison made a wonderful video introduction of Illumination which you may know about from Dr Mehmet Yildiz’s reference to it in his article:

In the above article, Alison says:

“I have written and continue to do so mainly for the simple love and joy of it. I write on Medium because my mind is filled with words which demand to be set free and this is a site filled with writers, which pleases me greatly.”

Those are my thoughts exactly. Thank you for expressing them so eloquently, Alison Tennent.

Dr Mehmet Yildiz also talks about joy in his article. He says

Joy adds meaning to our lives.

The best way I’ve found to add joy to my life involves helping others to enjoy their lives. Writing that enlightens and entertains brings joy to both the reader and the writer.

More than just practice, practice, practice, the novice writer needs a coach, someone to read what he writes and give him feedback on ways to improve. Sometimes he’ll need a gentle nudge; other times, only a swift kick in the pants will do. A good coach knows which to administer and when.

I like to think that my fellow reader-writers on Illumination will give me such feedback. I know that if you like what I write you will tell me, but I hope that if you think it is garbage or needs improvement, you’ll let me know that, too. I’m always open to constructive criticism.

So now it is May Day and a new month: time to set a new goal.

This month I plan to write more poetry and fiction and see how that feels. Four weeks in May, four works of fiction and four poems? That seems doable. I’m sure other projects will come to mind as I read your inspirational posts.

Stay tuned.

I’m still contemplating the dreaded bio, too. Reading what others have written has given me some ideas. Perhaps I’ll factor that into the mix, though I think you are getting to know me pretty well through my writing, and perhaps that is more honest than what I might say about myself. I could do my bio as a work of fiction and pretend to be someone else. That would certainly be more interesting than telling you who I really am. But honesty and integrity wouldn’t let me do that.

Stay well and enjoy reading, writing and connecting. See you down the road.