In order to write well, it is good to write creatively. And in order to write creatively, it is important to write about something you love, or are passionate about, or that fascinates you. While writing freely, it is important that we try to keep our writing appropriate for this audience of our peers and teachers.
It is possible that you don't realise what you love. Most of you will not love freedom, until it taken away from you. Most of you will not know you love your parents, until they have to go away for a long work trip and leave you to get the train everywhere and microwave your own meals every night. Most of you will not know how much you love music, or freedom of speech, or freedom to gather in social groups, until a purple-eyed alien dictator descends upon earth and makes us all their servants, and sees no use for music, free speech or parties.
This is of course not fair. You do know what you love. Steaming hot dumplings on a winter night. Seeing your grandmother beaming at you in the same moment that she reaches for her wallet to stuff your pockets with cash. Watching your younger sibling understand something for the first time and see yourself as they were, awe-struck and lit up, but in slightly smaller shoes.
Maybe we should leave people out of it for the moment, because we all know people are the constant in this frantic equation of life. There will always be somebody we love or who loves us - but will there be something?
I love gardening. I am steadily getting better at it. Then every winter I plant very little, water even less, and watch previously healthy plants wither desultorily. Weeks later in warms up and spring unfurls its colourful carpet of calendula blossoms and cornflower stalks. In the few hours it takes to scatter a few seeds and re-stake the snowpeas, I love gardening again.
I love cooking. I especially love baking. I love that this decadent, sensory and functional habit (or hobby, or pastime) is so useful to others that it gets me out of feeling guilty about not doing more domestic duties, such as scrubbing the bathroom. What even is scrubbing? I know general sanitation is crucial to human survival, but it does not fascinate me the way that the more fun things like cooking or gardening do.
Some things I do not love, but I find fascinating. I am fascinated by countless things. How countries choose their flags. How some women decide to be nuns, and not (most of the) others. How people figured out that ground cloves would taste good in cakes. Why some people choose to ride the escalator when taking the stairs provide efficient, free exercise. Why women are encouraged to wear makeup and not men; why men are not encouraged to wear skirts, when most would look great in skirts. I am fascinated by certain periods of history - the French revolution, the resettlement of Celtic lands by Romans and Vikings, the Tsarist era and Russian anti-semitism - and by certain cities: Venice, Melbourne, Dublin, and other places less urban and more unruly such as Australia's regional towns and remaining wilderness.
Increasingly, I am less fascinated by people and more curious about their moral or ethic conduct. Or misconduct. Theft fascinates me. I have tried to write a novel about an art heist, and I find it challenging to make the villain believably evil. Who would steal art? Then again, it is easier to write about the theft of art, than, say, the theft of a person. I will leave that to the true crime writers.
In summary, I have been through many stages in my engagement with fascinating things, I have been passionate many times.
These passions have included: Wing Chun Kung Fu, Ocean swimming, non-ocean swimming, camping and hiking, poetry, weightlifting, writing, learning how to cook curry 'from scratch', traveling to South East Asian countries, learning more about my heritage, bushwalking, wine-tasting (not recommended or permitted for another 3-5 years for this readership), baking, postgraduate literary studies on Joyce, Scrabble (very passionate) and gardening.
I have expressed these passions through:
Baking muffins, writing a PhD thesis on Joyce, joining my local community garden and growing my own edible plants at home, spending time reading and writing at my local library and spending time overseas or in interesting places.
The reason why you will be writing about your passions and fascinations is because recognising these things as forces for motivation will result in writing that reflects true feeling and genuine conviction. Also, your passion or fascination will generate expertise.
THINK AND WRITE
So this is your task. Answer these questions in a post on your blog.
- what am i passionate about?
- how do I express my passion?
- what more do I wish to know about my passion?
- I am not sure yet what I passionate about, but I know that ___________________ is something I find fascinating. Why does ________________ fascinate me?
- What are some other things I find fascinating? (consider at least three things.)
Homework:
Choose two items for your 'Showbag'. These must be physical items, but they can be written.
eg a song lyric written on a bit of paper; a piece of colourful ribbon; a postcard. a drawing, part of a map...
It is possible that you don't realise what you love. Most of you will not love freedom, until it taken away from you. Most of you will not know you love your parents, until they have to go away for a long work trip and leave you to get the train everywhere and microwave your own meals every night. Most of you will not know how much you love music, or freedom of speech, or freedom to gather in social groups, until a purple-eyed alien dictator descends upon earth and makes us all their servants, and sees no use for music, free speech or parties.
This is of course not fair. You do know what you love. Steaming hot dumplings on a winter night. Seeing your grandmother beaming at you in the same moment that she reaches for her wallet to stuff your pockets with cash. Watching your younger sibling understand something for the first time and see yourself as they were, awe-struck and lit up, but in slightly smaller shoes.
Maybe we should leave people out of it for the moment, because we all know people are the constant in this frantic equation of life. There will always be somebody we love or who loves us - but will there be something?
I love gardening. I am steadily getting better at it. Then every winter I plant very little, water even less, and watch previously healthy plants wither desultorily. Weeks later in warms up and spring unfurls its colourful carpet of calendula blossoms and cornflower stalks. In the few hours it takes to scatter a few seeds and re-stake the snowpeas, I love gardening again.
I love cooking. I especially love baking. I love that this decadent, sensory and functional habit (or hobby, or pastime) is so useful to others that it gets me out of feeling guilty about not doing more domestic duties, such as scrubbing the bathroom. What even is scrubbing? I know general sanitation is crucial to human survival, but it does not fascinate me the way that the more fun things like cooking or gardening do.
Some things I do not love, but I find fascinating. I am fascinated by countless things. How countries choose their flags. How some women decide to be nuns, and not (most of the) others. How people figured out that ground cloves would taste good in cakes. Why some people choose to ride the escalator when taking the stairs provide efficient, free exercise. Why women are encouraged to wear makeup and not men; why men are not encouraged to wear skirts, when most would look great in skirts. I am fascinated by certain periods of history - the French revolution, the resettlement of Celtic lands by Romans and Vikings, the Tsarist era and Russian anti-semitism - and by certain cities: Venice, Melbourne, Dublin, and other places less urban and more unruly such as Australia's regional towns and remaining wilderness.
Increasingly, I am less fascinated by people and more curious about their moral or ethic conduct. Or misconduct. Theft fascinates me. I have tried to write a novel about an art heist, and I find it challenging to make the villain believably evil. Who would steal art? Then again, it is easier to write about the theft of art, than, say, the theft of a person. I will leave that to the true crime writers.
In summary, I have been through many stages in my engagement with fascinating things, I have been passionate many times.
These passions have included: Wing Chun Kung Fu, Ocean swimming, non-ocean swimming, camping and hiking, poetry, weightlifting, writing, learning how to cook curry 'from scratch', traveling to South East Asian countries, learning more about my heritage, bushwalking, wine-tasting (not recommended or permitted for another 3-5 years for this readership), baking, postgraduate literary studies on Joyce, Scrabble (very passionate) and gardening.
I have expressed these passions through:
Baking muffins, writing a PhD thesis on Joyce, joining my local community garden and growing my own edible plants at home, spending time reading and writing at my local library and spending time overseas or in interesting places.
The reason why you will be writing about your passions and fascinations is because recognising these things as forces for motivation will result in writing that reflects true feeling and genuine conviction. Also, your passion or fascination will generate expertise.
THINK AND WRITE
So this is your task. Answer these questions in a post on your blog.
- what am i passionate about?
- how do I express my passion?
- what more do I wish to know about my passion?
- I am not sure yet what I passionate about, but I know that ___________________ is something I find fascinating. Why does ________________ fascinate me?
- What are some other things I find fascinating? (consider at least three things.)
Homework:
Choose two items for your 'Showbag'. These must be physical items, but they can be written.
eg a song lyric written on a bit of paper; a piece of colourful ribbon; a postcard. a drawing, part of a map...
Comments
Post a Comment