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Random Photo
from the Photo Galleries
2005 - LCC - El Paso, TX:
I managed to get out of this stranglehold with a deft twist of the arms, in a move dictated by Zoe. I can only hope any attacker would be as accommodating.
Zen and the Art of Writing
Here's Dale:
While doing research for the first book in my samurai mystery trilogy, Death at the Crossroads, I had to read a lot about Zen. It struck me that some of the Zen principles are instructive to a modern writer, as well as a 17th century samurai.
Zen is experiential. You study and think about it, but you master it by doing. Writing is the same way. A book like Meg's How to Write Your Novel can be very helpful when you're learning the craft, but the only real way to learn is to write. A lot of things are like that. I can read books about trumpet playing for the rest of my life, but I'll never learn how to play the trumpet until I pick one up and practice.
Zen also teaches you to move forward, looking neither to the side nor behind. When we write, we all have a little gremlin sitting on our shoulder, whispering negative thoughts into our ear. It's not good enough. It won't sell. I'm revealing too much of myself. Whatever the gremlin is whispering, we're better off ignoring it and pushing forward. Even if we decide the gremlin was right, we've still completed the project, and learning how to complete writing projects is critical to success.
Finally, Zen teaches you to understand yourself. Too often writers embark on projects because they think they're commercial or fashionable, not because they have a passion for the project. Understanding yourself will prevent you from embarking on writing things for the wrong reasons.
Copyright 1998 Dale Furutani
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