The act of writing is very much about the five senses. But, how do we know there are only five?

I've wondered if there are other basic senses we just don't know about. I don't mean a sixth sense like ESP. Beyond those metaphsical senses. What if there is something just as physical as sight but since we don't have eyes we can't see it?

We know music because it's a sound and we can hear sounds. Hearing is one of our five senses (sight, touch, smell, taste and hearing). We know what we like to eat because we can smell and taste it. It seems to be there could be other things we will never know, things we aren't equipped to sense.

I have no idea what other sense we might be missing. How could I? I don't have the sense to figure it out. But, it does seem possible for something like that to exist. After all, there would be no music if we couldn't hear it. Just as there would be no words if we couldn't read them.

Could you argue in favour of something you disagreed with? Could you take the side, against your personal beliefs, and come up with a great debate? Debating is a skill. It's not easy to come up with strong, winning points when you don't agree with the overall ideas. But, as a writer, that is what you have to do, sometimes.

If someone pays you to write, speech write or ghostwrite something for them, you have to do it to the best of your abilities. Once you take on a job you need to do your best with it. Your personal opinions can be useful as you will already know the reasoning behind the opposite point of view.

I think one challenge would be keeping your focus and not letting your own point of view creep in to influence the writing/ debate. It would be so easy to slip in a subtle zinger. So easy to not try to really come up with the best points and just settle for your first ideas. But, you'd be selling yourself short that way.

As a writing exercise debating against yourself is a great way to get your brain working. Could you apply this to writing fiction too? If you were stuck at a point of choice for a character, would it help to write a scene where they do the opposite to what you feel they should be doing? By writing what you don't want them to do could you not find what you want them to do, think or feel?

Are we there yet?

Isn't is a good thing we have kids to remind us what's important? How often do you look ahead and think of the time when you will be there? Where is there? If you aren't really sure it's time you made plans and put them in writing. Where do you want to be in your writing? Is it a career or a hobby? What's your genre of choice, what's your style? Fiction or non-fiction? Would you be happy as a freelance writer forever or would you like to become a publisher, a magazine editor, or someone who writes best selling romance novels or technical masterpieces known to only a select few?

Are you there yet?

What is there for you? How successful, famous, wealthy or happy do you need to be to be there? Which matters most? Is fame what will be there for you? Then you need to think about making yourself famous. Consider publicity, get your name known. If it's wealth, then learn more about contracts, collecting your money and maybe using an agent. If it's happiness that will be there for you... you're on your own. Everyone has a different version of what makes them happy.

How do you get there?

What a silly question... you write yourself into it!

What if you're already there and you just don't see it?

Make a list of your achievements. Take time to get any you may have forgotten or don't think of as all that great. Now, think of where you were when you decided you wanted to write. Would that list seem impressive? Could you be closer to being there than you thought? If not, make plans. Decide what you need to do to get on track and stay there until you get there.

Happy writing.

I was downstairs, getting some cereal and looking at the breakfast dishes my Mom left when my brother came to take her to the airport this morning. I was thinking how we imbue (there's a 20$ word for you) inanimate objects with feelings, thoughts and ideas. I mean, it was just a coffee cup, but it made me feel a twinge of sadness. Funny how that cup is still exactly where she left it, as if waiting for her to finish her coffee. Meanwhile, she is on the plane, flying back down to Florida, right now.

Anyway, that's how the idea started. It got me thinking that we do the same thing when we write. After all, words are just flat letters on a flat page or computer screen. Whatever life they have, whatever feelings they have, are life and feelings that we give them. Not just in fiction writing where you have to make readers care or have an interest in reading about your characters. But, in non-fiction too where you appeal to reader's curiosity, make them read on, hear what you have to say. Make them want to read about and consider your ideas.

So, writing is in fact like being Dr. Frankenstein - giving life to inanimate objects. Though the writing isn't a dead thing being brought back to life it does compare as the same words and letters have been used over and over for so many generations of writers and read by so many generations of readers. Words can be a dead thing if no one gives them that spark of life.

That spark is what lifts writing off the page.

This morning I lost my voice. All yesterday I could feel it faltering and I knew it was just a matter of time. So, here I am voiceless and the only person home to wish myself a Merry Christmas. Don't misunderstand, I'm not feeling sad or whining. I'm busy wrapping presents and cooking dinner to take over to my sister's house this afternoon.

Anyway, what does all this have to do with writing? The voice, the very thing you most depend on for communication. Think of it, all that you can do with a voice. Words on paper can't show mood as easily and effectively as a words spoken. Of course, all communication has the possibility of being completely misunderstood. But, it's much harder to misunderstand something you see and hear live and in person.

How do you bring that to paper? What can you do to establish tone of voice, inflections on certain words and the mood of the writer/ character? Writing, "Joe was angry", is more telling than showing. You're a writer, you're creative, right? You can do better.

"Joe suddenly shoved all the papers off his desk. Watching them fall to the floor, his eyes gleamed, they looked so non-threatening down there. Nothing he couldn't stomp all over. But, those were just papers, it was the people behind the papers who really mattered. He gathered the papers. Sitting down at his desk, Joe put his head in his hands and began reading the income tax form."

Actions speak louder than words.