Tag: author demons

Writers, Artists, Creators: Feeling Like a Fraud?

struggling author girl-1064659_960_720About a month ago I attended a lecture by the world-famous architect, Dr. Siamak Hariri. A much shorter version of his speech is available here as a Ted Talk.

He spoke about the creative process, the moments of inspiration that seemed to come when least expected and when most needed. He said that all arts, all creative actions and products, follow a similar path and can be found in most professions, even those not normally thought of as artistic or creative.

One statement in particular resonated so deeply with me it has remained in the back of my mind ever since. “All artists feel like frauds.” Continue reading “Writers, Artists, Creators: Feeling Like a Fraud?”

Remembering Author, Poet, and Playwright Oscar Wilde

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Oscar Wilde, Oct 16, 1854 – Nov 30, 1900

While he was in prison, Oscar Wilde wrote De Profundis, a lesser-known work. I say “work” because it was 50,000 emotionally charged words written under abhorrent conditions over a three-month period. Unlike The Importance of Being Earnest, one of the most successful plays of all time, or his remarkable novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, this work was not written for commercial purposes. Continue reading “Remembering Author, Poet, and Playwright Oscar Wilde”

Putting Your Demons to Work in Your Writing

author demons evil-530640_1280Demons. We all got ‘em … what do we do with ‘em. History is full of accounts of famous authors and their addictions. By no means is this post a psychological treatise on alcoholism and addiction, nor is it a preachy “get you act together” post. Everyone one of us deals with something. What we do with it makes all the difference in the world.

If you look back in history, some of it still living, you can find a Hall of Fame of great writers that struggled with some form of addiction or abuse. William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Edgar Allen Poe all have well-documented lives relating to alcohol and its association to their writing … and their death. Many of the early authors may not have linked their demons and health. Continue reading “Putting Your Demons to Work in Your Writing”

Writers Are Not Normal to Normal People

crazy authorI learned some hard lessons in 2013, but hopefully I learned them well. One of the things I realized is: people really don’t get what a writer’s life is like. I’ll expound on that in a moment. First, let me tell you what else I learned:

– Sometimes, the people you meet online will have your back when the people you’ve known all your life, or at least met in person, are the ones stabbing you there. Sometimes your true friends are really your virtual ones. I’m so very thankful for my online Indie Author family.

– Of course, that’s not to say you should trust everyone you meet online. And sometimes the people you think you can trust turn out not to have your best interests at heart. There will always be cliques, and I will always be on the outside of them. But that’s nothing new to a loner like me, really. Sometimes it is surprising (not to mention sad) to discover who’s in the clique, though.

– People who respect you know that your time is worth something and they are willing to offer something in exchange for your expertise. Many authors I know need to learn this lesson. Continue reading “Writers Are Not Normal to Normal People”