writing

by Winston Ash on Founder Journal

The Mountain

I fight.
I got this, I can do this.
Then something gets in the way.
And I overcome it. Then another. And another.
I fear I won’t get there. The path gets harder. Uphill and steep.
I crawl, scratch, and scramble. Almost there.
Then I crest the peak. And realize this is the beginning.
The top is much higher.
At these times, I pull out the file.
The one with all the notes everywhere.
What does it say?
The words I need to see.
Get back to work.
Keep shipping.
Write and rewrite. Then do it over again.
How many times? I don’t know.
When will it be over?
That I do know.
When I’m shocked by the ending.
 
by Winston Ash on Founder Journal

First Draft

The idea is there.
 
The story stirs in my mind. Why do I want to do it? Spend years writing a book. Think of all the other things I could do with this time. Shows watched, friends partied with, and hobbies taken up.
 
BUT I’m invested in the book. Hooked from the first sentence written. Not a little either. I knew at that moment the whole book would get written. Whether it ends up in the garbage or on the store shelves, doesn’t matter. The Muse, the Soup, God, whatever you want to call it, spoke to me. Not a voice but a feeling. Creativity and light poured from my brain onto paper. Yes, I wrote. Yes, I edited. Yes, I did it. But it didn’t come from me. Or, it did. I don’t know.
 
I know this. Every time I write, I’m pulled deeper into this world. Sights and sounds reach me. Details that were words before take on life. The world shifts and I see myself there. Want to know the most interesting thing? I smell the fields on fire. I taste the fear of not knowing. The anguish of betrayal. The pain from falling. The desperation to survive. The horror at what I’ve become. While writing I know I’ve struck gold when my heart races. The beats pick up, I sweat a little. Hoping my character makes it. Willing her forward. It’s a rush like no other.
 
I know how it ends. I wrote the ending, in my mind. But the details of exactly what happened keep changing. It’s exciting. I’m getting to write my own novel. The characters will do what I want them to do. I explore the human experience through my different characters. Each reaction or nuance came from me.
 
Writing is hard… and exhilarating. It is also exhausting. Living your characters in your mind. Thinking. What would they see next? How would they react? Who are they becoming?
 
by Winston Ash on Founder Journal

Learning through Reading

I enjoy learning about syntax and grammar. My goal is to be a better writer. By learning the proper rules. And then by doing things as I see fit. My favorite writers are the ones who say what they mean and no more. No long winded speech. No misused words. 

I’m reading, “The Redbook”, and find it enlightening. I didn’t know the least bit about all the rules. Still in the beginning of the book, yet already it has helped. 

I hope that through paying more mindful attention to my writing that it will improve. Only time can tell. 

Learning is a hobby of mine. 

 
by Winston Ash on Founder Journal

Intense Writing

The third cup of coffee. It does it every time. When I need focus, when I want to clear my mind, and put extra effort into writing. Nothing else does this for me.
 
My brain kicks into overdrive. Thoughts pour out. No filter. Perfect for the type of writing I’m doing.
 
Writing action scenes is intense.
[Tweet “I’m there. In the scene imagining what would happen. I can see the details.”]
My senses kick into overdrive. I smell the dew in the air, feel my heart race, and know the weight of the actions. It’s an intense experience.
 
Today, I wrote a scene about a gun battle. I pulled the details from my training. Vivid is the only description.
 
Here’s an excerpt:
” I sprint to the left of the door. Blinded from the flashbang. Slam into the wall and fire 3 shots through the door. They want a fight. Here it comes.”