Creative writing - looking for some advice

kd101

Hi All

Looking for some direction - all tips appreciated. I work in a normal non-creative (boring?) occupation but I've always been a bit of a dreamer and enjoy losing myself in fictional worlds.

I tried my hand at writing a few scripts not to great success and have generally never really committed to writing much of anything. I'd like to give it a shot and have a few ideas.

I don't know whether to dive into it. Or to aim to write some short stories before tackling anything longer. Or to take a class. Or to read a how-to book. Or to pick another activity entirely.

Obviously the dream would be to write a book that people enjoy reading and buy - but I accept this is unlikely to happen - so is there still a point? I think so!

So anyway I decided to put pen to paper this afternoon and wrote the following - interested in your thoughts on it and more generally... thanks to anyone you takes some time;


_____________
- Intro to "20% Blue"

I awake slowly to blackness in a comfortable bed. My left arm is snugly tucked beneath Becky whose deep slumber continues. I’m aware of the challenge it will be to extricate my arm without rousing Becky. Yet I feel optimistic, I can extract my arm without awakening her, and it’s going to be a good day!

Since we met ten months ago my life has been a delight. She is joy. The energy fizzes from her. Of course, in the morning I’m not always looking for fizz – so I must tread carefully.
With my left arm trapped, I reach with my right hand for my watch on my bedside locker. It was a pointless endeavour as I cannot see the timepiece. I strain to reach further. I must get my phone. I shift slightly in the bed to grab it. I succeed. I light it up and it shows it’s 6.40 am.

The phone remains in my hand and I consider what website to check. The light of the phone is strong in this deeply dark bedroom. The brightness of the screen lights my space on the bed. There’s a blue-ish tinge to the light. That’s pretty strange. Using the phone as a torch I direct the beam at my right arm. This is odd. My still awakening brain needs to get to work. There must be something obvious here – why does my arm look blue? And my shoulder?

With one functioning arm I manage to raise the bed sheets and bring my new-fangled torch below the covers. I’m entirely naked. ****-the-bed, I’m entirely blue. My heart beats a step quicker. I’m fully awake. My brains churns through the possibilities. It’s a lighting effect. It’s the drinks and drugs I took last night. But I didn’t imbibe last night. So it’s just the colour of the light. I need to work this out. I can’t be blue! I shine the torch at Becky. She’s not blue. Oh ****.

I’m beginning to lose my cool, but I keep it together. I know this is all just something simple I’m not putting together. I am not blue. Must get out of this room. Must not wake Becky. I dig my left elbow hard into the mattress to create some manoeuvring space. I get closer to Becky and use my body to raise hers. She moans. Sexily. No time for sexy sleepy moaning. I extract my left arm and pull away from her. She remains asleep.

I nimbly roll myself from the bed. Quiet as a mouse I tip toe across the carpeted floor. It’s a short silent trip to the door. I smoothly open the door and escape.

Becky’s New York condominium remains in darkness and is quiet, save for the soft electronic purrs and clinks of various appliances and gadgets. I make my way to the bathroom and flick the light switch. I do not turn to face the full length mirror just yet. I breathe heavily. In and out. I rub my eyes and tousle my hair. This will be OK. I turn slowly to the mirror.

Sweet Mother of ****, I am blue. My ****ing heart can’t handle this. I move my face close to the mirror. I pull down the skin below my eyes. ****, my blood vessels are also blue. I stand back. I take in the entire image reflected back at me. I’m entirely blue. Mouth open, tongue out; all blue. Turn to my left; all blue. Put my back to the mirror and swivel my head back; all blue. Facing the mirror, I sigh again. This is all in my head. I’m a naked uncircumcised man. I pull my foreskin back. My entire penis is blue, bell-end and all.
I turn to the faucet and run the cold water. I splash water onto my face and rub and rub. It’s not blue paint. I take my razor blade. I’ll cut my lip.

****. ****ity **** ****. My blood is blue.

I drop to my knees. I’m crying now. I’ve lost it. Obviously I’m not blue, but my brain thinks I’m blue.

My uncle was schizophrenic. He had a terribly hard life. Medicated up to his gills, socially incompatible with the world – that’s not me. But then, it wasn’t him until he changed. I’ve read up on schizophrenia. This wasn’t described on the symptoms list. But maybe the list wasn’t comprehensive, after all I only read one pamphlet.

I turn onto my side on the bathroom floor and lie there awhile. I close my eyes. I open them again and I look at my sprawled body. Still blue. I just need to think this out. I’m OK. I breathe and recall my previous evening.

I met Becky in this apartment at 7pm. I outlined my daily toil of working as a junior “journalist” (read: re-wording press releases) for NY Independent Press. She outlined her joy at photographing the preemies in Saint Mary’s Hospital. We ate pasta primavera while listening to Tanlines. We put Fox News on mute and mimicked the newsreaders.

The largest decision of the evening was that we would not have a drink. The craft beers continued to chill and the French wine remained corked. We got cosy on the sofa around 9pm and by 10pm our physical entanglement began. I expect it was shortly before midnight when our bodies demanded slumber.

There was nothing Blue there.

I drag myself to my feet. I turn to face the mirror with my eyes closed. I beg to Jesus that the reflection will be White-boy and not Blue-man.

Well **** You Jesus.

taelor

Your writing is excellent!

The age old advice for writing is to just do it. Set a goal and start writing, make a schedule if you need and aim for a specific number of word per day.

There are loads of websites, youtube videos and podcasts that help get into the language of writing with great advice for beginners.

One podcast that I have found particularly inspiring when I started getting into writing was writingexcuses.com, 15min podcasts with great advice from excellent authors. Mainly Genre Fiction focussed but applies everywhere

EDIT: Also, check out NaNoWriMo for a great excuse to write. I wrote my first ever novel that way

RoyMcC

Well that was a whole more interesting than a lot of stuff that I read And first person present tense isn't the easiest.

Totally agree with taelor's advice. Just write, write whatever, see where it takes you. Accept that you're unlikely to be Stephen King (yet) and just enjoy the process.

kd101

Appreciate the advice.
I will write and then write some more. I will also revise what I originally write and make it better.

thanks and good luck