By Peter B Forster
‘Oh I have
always been a writer. All my life I have snatched words out of the air. Even as
I woke in the morning my first thought would be to catch their bright burning
flame, wield a pen like a branding iron and scorch them deep into a sheet of
velum. The pain of the world writ large in raw hide…’ How many times have you
heard that kind of pretentious twaddle from a writer?
When I was
asked to provide an original piece of work for the magazine and one that might
provide some useful insights about the process of writing to the readership I
was stumped. Words usually pour out. They jump and bubble. I let them go and
watch as they dance around the page like a row of chorus girls. I have never
experienced the dreaded yips. Or the cold hollow whistle of an empty head. But
that is because I think the gift of writing is within us all. It is not a
unique talent; there is no magical formula. All you need to do is write down
your thoughts. We all have them and it is as easy as that.
Of course
that is pretentious twaddle as well because if it was easy then anybody could
do it and if it was true we would all be bashing out books all day long.
‘Oh I’ve
always thought I would write a book one day…’
How many
times have we heard that? Of course every single person on this planet has a
story. And everybody thinks they can write it down.
But they
don’t, do they and why not?
It is easy
to say creative writing takes discipline and hard work, but that goes without
saying. If we all have the gift then anybody can sit down with a lap top. With
the press of a button the flood gates are opened and the words just spill out.
It is as easy as ABC. But if that is true what makes the difference between
words that dribble out with the graceless hum of a splattered cowpat and those
that slip off the tongue with a lyrical roll and move with a rhythm that
captures the imagination? I think it is personality. If a
writer can harness their own unique personality and transfer it on to the page
then the words come to life. They have a personality, power and majesty all of
their own.
Well maybe,
possibly, perhaps.
Peter is a consulting Counseling Psychologist in a busy East London community health setting. He has published in
academic works and provided chapters in books for counselors’’ psychologists
and psychotherapists he nurtures a love of and talent for creative writing. He
attends writer’s workshops, written and performed poetry as well as provided
lyrics for jobbing musicians. Currently he is fulfilling his ambition to write
full length fiction novel. Peter’s academic
work can be found in Tribe and Morrissey (eds) Handbook of Professional and
Ethical Practice for Psychologists, Counsellors and Psychotherapists.
Brunner-Routledge (2005) web: www.peterbforster.com twitter: @peterbforster
