Geronimo-ing: Or Why I Write

Geronimo!  Originally the name of an outrageously brave Apache warrior, the word has evolved into a battle cry in the face of reckless danger.  Geronimo is what outlaws yell in Westerns as they plunge over the side of a cliff on horseback—unaware of what lurks on the other side.

This kind of explains how I feel about writing my first mystery novel.  Aside from trying to figure out how in the heck to put the plot together and plant the appropriate clues, I also don’t know what’s next.  Novel #2?  A different genre maybe?  More magazine articles and blogging?  These questions may sound trivial, but I'm trying to build a career with no set path, and failure is not an option.

In this case the beauty of the non-plan seems to be the unknowns.  My writing is evolving, as is my life, and all that evolution brings about a new being—a new sense of who I am.  Perhaps that is what I love best about the craft of writing.  Every time I sit down to write, I bring more to the table.  Or maybe the table brings more to me?  Regardless, there is a certain headiness in knowing that I will be fuller, richer, and more grounded simply by writing.  It’s like being paid twice.

I can’t think of a single occupation that has been as transformational for me as writing.  Even when writing about something I'm already familiar with, I come away a changed person.  There is something wonderfully fluid about ink gliding across paper, or even fingers pausing above the keyboard, pregnant with hesitation.  A thought is captured, a phrase is turned, a word is penned.  See all the movement?  When things move they can’t stay the same, and neither can I.  It’s worth the Geronimo!

I would love to hear about the kinds of things that are transformational for you.  Please feel free to share a comment.  Thanks for reading my blog posts, and if you enjoy them, will you consider subscribing?

Marianne Smith
Writer At The Ranch

Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time
http://www.writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com