by Lucy Ludlow

Created on: December 15, 2008

The writer's mind is a curious and wonderful thing. As different as people are so are the minds of writers. My mind is never still. It stays in high gear! Sometimes I feel that is so even when I'm asleep because I wake up suddenly and have the overwhelming, insatiable urge to write. It may be a poem or one line to a beginning story, but I have to write. It is fervent and constant.

The way one writes or where is sometimes of no consequence. I've started stories, poems, and songs on napkins in restaurants. I've written on the paper towels and scraps of paper from my purse or borrowed a sheet of paper from a friend while attending a meeting or lecture. It is important to us as writers to get the words down, to view, edit, and perfect.

I started writing years ago as a teenager when my favorite English teacher introduced me to the wonderful gifts of literature and writing. We were reading several works by Edgar Allan Poe and I fell in love with writing. My teacher was passionate about writing and literature. He encouraged me and still to this day, he is one that I rely on for criticism and encouragement. After all these years, he has become more than a teacher. He is my mentor and friend.

Writing is an occupation or an outlet, a passion or a release of emotions. So many things can produce such great writing. Sometimes it's an experience, or it could be witnessing an event. Emotional things could even trigger a great one-time work. Think of all the one hit wonders in music. Only once were the words just right to make us feel something in the songs sung. Yet, it was writing and it worked.

The use of words can be romantic, angry, loving, political, outrageous and the impact can affect one or thousands. Words can make us laugh, cry, be confused, and cause us to wonder about any number of subjects. The right placed phrase or word can bring us to a point of questioning ourselves, the world around us or help us realize we have much to be grateful for in this world.

Writers can move and change the way people think and react. There is great power in the use of words. Some like to incite dissention, others write for only peace. There are those who write of love, children, family, and any number of reasons to be happy and have hope.

I may write a poem and feel it has released me from pain. On the other hand, maybe I write to express love and deep devotion. A story line may come to me about mystery, romance or humor. I write to please myself, and I write to entertain others, hopefully. However, there is something about my writing you must know. I write mostly to appease the voices in my head. Nevertheless, to write is the thing. It is a driving force within us.

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