13 February 2012

Origin of Man O' Clay

Today I'm participating in the Origins blogfest brought on by: DL Hammons, Katie Mills, Alex J. Cavanaugh, and Matthew MacNish. Thanks to all of them for hosting!

Hop around a little from any of the links above and read how this same dream of writing got started in so many different ways.

As I mulled over my dreams of writing, I realized I can't quite place where, or when, mine began. Somewhere between my home school days when my mom made me write every day in that stupid journal, and those late nights during college when I sat in my empty room with a passion to write and nothing to write about, I just knew.

I knew I had to tell stories.

And I guess I've come a decent way from what my mom got out of me; "I just want you to write whatever you feel like writing." Many feverish minutes later she read, "I hate this journal, I hate this journal, I hate this journal..." Sorry mom - and thanks, too.


I have to say, though, that my dream for writing must have blossomed every time I read something wonderful - that is, full of wonder. I remember reading C.S. Lewis in the front yard on sunny afternoons; one day in particular we (mom and I) read about the interaction between Trumpkin and Susan in Prince Caspian. Susan defeats the dwarf in a shooting contest, and through that and a couple other feats by the children, he warms up a bit. Eventually the stubborn and faithless dwarf comes to believe in the children, and in Aslan.

I suppose it's times like those that spoke to me, and without my knowledge the seed was planted. The fruit of that still-blossoming tree is something yet to come, in a way. Publishing would be great, but really I want to see people changed. Isn't that why we write?

We know we've been changed by what we've read - it's only the dynamic Trumpkins we like because we see the growth - and we want to do the same for someone else.

(I thought I was done with this post, but Saturday night I was reading Run with the Horses, by Eugene H. Peterson and came across this:
William Stafford was once asked in an interview, "When did you decide to be a poet?" He responded that the question was put wrongly: everyone is born a poet - a person discovering the way words sound and work, caring and delighting in words. I just kept on doing, he said, what everyone starts out doing. "The real question is why did the other people stop?"
That feels familiar, and I hope I never stop delighting myself in words.)

My story started with stories, and so it will continue. God makes good and beautiful things from the dust; may he continue with me as I remember I am but clay.

23 comments:

Sarah said...

I can't really say changing people with what I write is the reason that I do it. I write because I feel joy while I'm doing it. But you know, you're so right about how some things we read change us forever (and for me, CS Lewis has done that several times!)

Tara Tyler said...

yay mom!
great beginning =)

Matthew MacNish said...

Hey Man. I'm just dropping in as an Origins co-host, and am now your newest follower. Nice to meet you!

DL Hammons said...

I stopped...and then I found it again. I guess writing is in all of us to some degree, and the ones who re-embrace it have more or a re-birth instead of a ORIGIN. Thanks for sharing yours todays. :)

Annalisa Crawford said...

I love that quote, it kind of sums up what I've always thought. New follower here!

Theresa said...

Amazing quote and perfect for this blogfest.

I love that your mom pushed you. I credit my mom for giving me the age old advice "Write what you know." Simple, but it worked.

New follower *waves*

Heather Day Gilbert said...

As a homeschooling mom, nice to know those seeds (however difficult they were to plant) do grow into something usable at some point! I'm teaching middle schoolers for our co-op right now, and I really love it. Nice to meet you via the bloghop.

J.L. Campbell said...

I like the thought of 'delighting myself with words'. Also never looked at the fact that all of us are born poets. Interesting stuff to think about.

Margo Berendsen said...

I know what you mean about those Trumpkin moments - mine was Edmund's change of heart in the first book and the coming of age story My Friend Flicka. Ah, such great memories! That quote you shared - wow, that just gave me a chill. Spoke straight to my heart. I copied it - thank you for sharing.

New follower, my post is at How my writing dream began.

nutschell said...

Hi! I'm dropping by from the Origins blogfest. I started out as a big reader as well and evolved into a writer fro there.:)

Your newest follower,

Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Unknown said...

Wonderful quote. I've never thought about that. I think people are frightened to write because it becomes so technical. I love C.S. Lewis...funny, J.R.R. Tolkien helped me discover him, too!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

There probably wasn't much of a story in "I hat this journal," was there?
Thanks for participating in the blogfest!

Rachel Schieffelbein said...

No one has inspired me to write more than C.S. Lewis. :)
Thanks for sharing your story!

Sylvia said...

I so love this :) You have to be a great reader to become a great writer!

Am a new follower too :)

LynnRush said...

He makes good and beautiful things from dust, indeed!!!! Write on! :)

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

LOL At least you were writing something.

Melissa Sugar said...

Way to go mom. I am a new follower. I just stopped by from the Origins blogfest. Great story.

Jeremy Bates said...

this website got some truly useful stuff on it!

Ian Anderson said...

Thanks to everyone for stopping by - I'm planning on returning the favor soon!

Mina Burrows said...

Journal writing sounds like it was force fed just like eating vegetables...only now it's a good thing. Neat story. Now following.:)

Jackie Jordan said...

Yes, change is why we should write. I am in total agreement. Publishing would be nice, but once we receive proceeds our labor of love becomes somewhat like a job. And, that just wouldn't do ... at all.

Trisha said...

Do you still have those journals your mum made you write in? Would be great to read back through them I imagine :)

Ian Anderson said...

That's a good question, I should see if they're still around!

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