Thursday, February 4, 2010

The Zen of Writing

Linda Bilodeau writes from her home in sunny Southwest Florida. Her books are: Stepping Through Seagrass, The Olive Branch A Tale of Resistance and The Wine Seekers, all available at www.amazon.com. Visit her website at www.lindabilodeau.com


The Zen of Writing

There are all kinds of reasons people write, some to tell a story, some to make a point, some to construct a memoir. Me? I write because it’s thrilling, relaxing, and creative. Writing fulfills my need to express myself. I write fiction mostly, stories about strong women facing difficult situations.

I find time every day to write even if it’s only for a few hours but most days I manage to put in six or seven hours. I enjoy creating characters, constructing a plot arch, manipulating people and situations and constantly asking What if, what if.

Writing isn’t for everyone just like being a policeman, nurse, doctor or stockbroker isn’t for everyone. You have to enjoy working on your own, enjoy being introspective and have a knack for coming up with unique story ideas.

Are good writers born with a gift? I believe like with any talent, gifts will only take you so far. Yes there are natural born story tellers but I don’t think there is a writer on earth, whether famous or not who can say they pounded out a story without a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.

Being an author takes endurance, patience, and a belief in oneself and though there are times you just have to do it for the sake of the craft, without any accolades, without any hope of selling a piece, I still think it’s worthwhile. That is, it’s worthwhile for me.

Best to you all.

Linda Bilodeau
www.lindabilodeau.com

1 comments:

John Gibson said...

Linda! May I call you Linda? I am a elderly Afro American man who have wanted to be a writer/ not just write but to be a writer for as long as I can remember. The problem is that I have been so busy working to deal with my everyday exsistence until I haven't made the time to heed my on calling.

I agree with what you said about a gift only taking you soo far. Where is a good place to get starte? I am facinated by my own statements that I sometimes write. When I write a letter to friends, they often tell me how much they enjoy reading my letters.Will you be my friend? I believe association helps.