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WRITING IN THE CROSSHAIRS?
All writers I believe write in the crosshairs.
If you have beta readers and have submitted to agents/editors, you know the feeling of being in the crosshairs of their evaluations.
Ouch. But no pain, no gain.
But I am thinking of the imagry of the hunter.
He fixes his aim at his target, looking through his scope.
The image is hardly crisp at the beginning. He must adjust the lens to achieve crisp clarity and the best chance of hitting his target.
Writers are like that hunter.
At first the image of our tale is blurry.
We tighten the focus with revealing dialogue, vibrant characters, engaging crises, and creative descriptions. Pacing and plot tighten the image even more. Sometimes we get it with dead-on clarity. Most times we don't.
No one but Shakespeare is perfect. If you don't believe me, ask Harold Bloom or any university English professor.
It is a tricky endeavor writing in the crosshairs.
How do we focus quicksilver humans into concrete mental images?
Take flames. They look like objects but are really processes.
Humans are like that as well. No human actually is complete. He or she is in the process of becoming.
But becoming what? We answer that question with our choices.
But there is more to my title than that.
We all write the movie of our lives in the crosshairs.
That endeavor is more tricky. We don't get the luxury of time to reflect, muse, or ponder at leisure.
Life is a harsh mistress.
As we struggle, she flashes us that "beauty-queen" smile:
all sharp teeth and no heart. And in her games of chance, the House ultimately wins.
Like Indiana Jones we must make it up as we go along.
We plan and prepare. Life gleefully throws her monkey wrench into our preparations. We must write our lives in the crosshairs of illness, accidents, dysfunctional humans, and our own inner demons.
We are all in Life's crosshairs, and none of us know when she will pull the trigger. We just know that she will.
This is what my blog is all about:
How to maintain a measure of grace and peace in the crosshairs of Life.
I haven't figured it out yet.
Let me know what helps with you.
I am currently listening to "Mourning Tree" by Leaves' End.
The romance of my haunted, undead Texas Ranger, Samuel McCord, and his immortal love, Meilori Shinseen, has echoes to it of the tragic love of Arwen and Aragorn.
Here is a music video I think you may like:
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A comparison to Arwen and Aragorn implies love unrequited, doesn't it? Sad for Sam and Meilori.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent explanation of the name of your blog, Roland, and something to remember. We are in the sights of readers and other writers stopping by 'our place'; therefore, we must watch our etiquette online, and smile pretty for the cameras. (hide those pointy teeth. . .)
BTW - am reading Hibbs like a fiend, should be done soon.
People are all in the process of becoming - excellent!
ReplyDeleteI find grace and peace through my faith.
I love the image of focusing in on a target of the story that is in our head coming out on the page in crisp accurate detail. Very cool.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I can feel the crosshairs on the back of my neck! I love the analogies. It's also a good reminder...Someone is watching. Even when we think no one is.
ReplyDeleteD.G.:
ReplyDeleteSam and Meilori are often at cross purposes: she out of Empire and he out of his noble heart. But they both love each other during the storms.
I try to be a good cyber host and remember that I do not all who come to visit so to be kind to all. :-)
Alex:
My faith is my lodestone and you can find it tucked in the shadows of all my books. :-)
Shell Flower:
I am so happy you liked the analogy!
Words Crafter:
The idea of invisible witnesses vein all my novels in some fashion. I can feel those crosshairs all too easily these days!