Writing is not a performance art. We don't stand up on a stage and create a novel in front of a live audience. Thank goodness, huh? (Actually, I quite like performing, but not in that way!)
Our performance comes when a book or story is published and out there for everyone to see.
I read an article about a rising opera star that really inspired me. It talked about all her grueling hours of rehearsals as she prepared to perform at Covent Garden, and how terrified she was the evening of her dress rehearsal. It got me thinking about how it might apply to writing. Do we not have to put in many grueling hours before our creations are ready for their performance?
This line struck me: Relaxed, focused, and prepared, she entered the stage for the dress rehearsal—and had a wonderful experience.
Relaxed. Focused. Prepared.
I realized this is exactly how I need to approach my writing sessions.
The article went on to say:
“At her core she is incredibly focused, and by the time she had an audience, she was prepared to give a career-changing performance."
There it is again. Focused. Prepared. And think about it. A career-changing performance. Isn't that what we all want our books to be?
So, that's what I'm thinking about now. How to put in the time and the effort, the focus and the preparation to see that my novels deliver a career-changing performance.
5 comments:
An interesting take on the writing process...perhaps I, too, need to find a way to be focused and prepared when I'm writing.
Yeah, I haven't done so great at it so far, but I'm still trying!
Beautiful post!
I hadn't thought about taking the preparation for stage and using that as a preparation to write. It's a good premise. There are far too many days when I start writing without focus. I use writing prompts to get me in the right frame of mind, but sometimes I don't . . .and I think I get some pretty sloppy writing when I don't come to my writing prepared and focused.
I haven't done much on stage, but I definitely remember all the warm ups I've done for community and high school theater groups . . .there's a lot of focus and prep exercises before the actual performance.
What a beautiful post. I think that's something we all forget. We witness someone else's career changing performance and not all of the practice and trying and struggle. But we hold ourselves up against that final performance and forget that we'll have one if we practice enough. Great post, Angie!
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