An article about creative people...

Some weeks ago I got an article sent to me about creative people. Since I was not that impressed with it, I'm not going to link to it... But it got me thinking! And my mind played a trick on me...!

A few years ago I attended a retreat at Lilleskog. One of our teachers were the very wise man Magnus Malm, you could even call him a sage... for you not knowing about him, he is a writer of what we in Swedish call uppbyggelselitteratur (literature-to-get-get-you-on-your-right-path-with-a-smidge-of-inspirational-issues). He is writing within the christian faith tradition. As a writer and lecturer he has a knife-sharp intellect, with a knife's edge of humor.

We had a talk and he gave me some pointers about creativity, in his case writing. I've always thought that I wrote those pointers down. This morning I looked through the notes from that retreat and I didn't find anything about those pointers... My mind tricked me!

So here are his pointers, as I remember them...
We talked about the creativity, and how I wanted to get there but ultimately didn't got there. At the time I sent applications to design schools and art schools, because I thought I had something to contribute, and they seemed to think that I did not...

Anyway, what Magnus Malm told me was this:
A lot of people think that they will write "that book", on their vacation or when they retire. But that is not how a book is written! You just don't sit down in front of your computer and write a book. No, a book is written on napkins, tissues, receipts, and various pieces of paper. These notes can then be transformed into a book.

That is how I remember what he said...

I took this to my heart, and started to have notebooks in my backpack so that I could write down ideas. Although it took some time before I used them... These scripts that I've written recently has started out as notes and then ordered in the computer.

So what has this memory given me?
1) I always have notebooks with me or in my proximity.
2) I try to keep myself open for new ideas and when I get them I write then down.
3) I create documents on my computer where these ideas are further worked on and developed.

Maybe this will be of help to you, I hope so, it sure has helped me!

Take care!

Writing continues

I've been enjoying this period of writing. As I've written before it has gone smoothly. Today I might be done with my current script, well so far as to be ready to send it off to my friends to read and to give input.

I've been thinking about the theme of this script, it's in the horror/thriller genre, can I do it? Will it work?

A funny thing with the horror/thriller genre is that it only works, when it works. When the reader gets frightened/scared. Hmmm, maybe it's a drama with some slightly scary moments, or with a smidge of scariness...

Take care!