not original thoughts

writing on writing, something I haven't done in a while. I've been writing about the nonsense that is around me every day. I pay attention. I see things, some of it I notice. When I notice something peculiar it sets in motion a process that begins like that scene on the pirate ship in the Goonies, when the Fratellis grab the gold on the balance that Mikey wanted to leave for One Eyed Willie, remember that? And then the dusty, creaky, threads of the intricate booby trap start moving, slipping through the whining, old pulleys. Remember? Yeah, I do. And that's what my brain does when I see something interesting. Once it has started I can't stop it (hence the blog). So, here's the dilemma: sometimes the old pulleys and ropes fail to uncover anything worth dumping out of my head onto the page. But I have a solution.

I'm a thief. If I don't know how to say it, I go find someone who does, and *borrow*. If I read my archives I can point out the words, or phasing, or idioms that did not come straight from my own head. Sometimes I take a vague notion and sometimes I take entire phrases. I would feel really, really guilty about this (being an academic who is fanatical about proper referencing) but I had a writing teacher, well I've have a number of writing teachers, but one who told me explicitly that when I am writing creatively, steal! Take formats that I think work. Use words that resonate with me. Take phrasing I like and use it obsessively until it has my signature on it. I steal what I think I would say if I was more clever. I take the stolen bits, add them to my brain soup, shake, and pour into the chilled glass of this blog.

I have decided that it is a good thing. Stealing. It has made my writing infinitely better. It has also allowed me to try things out. It has allowed me to put my writing in front of other people. It has allowed me to write about things that would otherwise just race around inside my head kicking up dust. Stealing has been good for me and my writing.