Tumbling into Wonderland

The one that started it all.

Little did I know that solving the Rubik's Cube for the first time was like tumbling down the rabbit hole.

I discovered a fascinating Wonderland of twisty puzzles.

An entire world of strange and exciting puzzles materialized before my eyes.  Just months earlier, I thought I had finally joined an exclusive brotherhood having solved the Rubik's Cube.

How could so many other puzzles exist beyond the Rubik's Cube?  Had they always been there?  Was I blind?

If it weren't for the original Rubik's Cube, would I ever have been introduced to the other puzzles I have come to love?

And then it hit me.

How different would my life be if I weren't a writer?

Much like my discovery with the Rubik's Cube, I discovered something when I became a writer.  Had I not pursued a writer's life, I might have missed out reading the following books.

WISE BLOOD by Flannery O'Conner

I have always had a love for short stories, but I was not very well read in my younger years.  Sure, I read Poe and Hemingway, but I devoured King's short story collections after I became overwhelmed by his unabridged novels.

Once I reinvigorated my writing life, I found a secret river of writing knowledge that had been rushing in my own backyard the whole time.  I wanted to write short stories and I had to learn from the best.  And that's when I found Flannery O'Conner.

She demonstrated such skill in such a short amount of time, I found I had to read everything I could get my hands on.  So I read Wise Blood.  I really enjoyed it because it was so quirky.  It almost read like a collection of short stories.

Had I not become a writer, I would not have been compelled to read anything but her short stories.

SOME OF YOUR BLOOD by Theodore Sturgeon

This isn't the first time I have discussed this fantastic novel.  In my earlier post, It's the Journey, Not the Destination, I talk about why it was such a joy to read.

But this book also taught me a great deal about breaking the rules of writing.  I could have easily become frustrated early on and tossed the book aside had I not appreciated it for what it was.

You hear stories about garage sale Picasso's.  Well, had I not become a writer, I may have discarded this book and been none the wiser.
MONEY: A SUICIDE NOTE by Martin Amis

When I read this novel, I did not know much about the writing craft.  To be honest, I did not enjoy it too much.  I laughed in a few parts and the protagonist was interesting, but certainly not likeable to me.

Then again, I didn't really know the difference between a character-driven and a plot-driven story.  All I knew was this book was mildly entertaining, the characters were unpleasant, and I felt like the story was rather pointless.

Had I not wanted to learn from the "greatest" novels, I may not have ever read this book.  But this novel was another rule-breaker in many ways.

BOOKS ON WRITING CRAFT

Finally, I doubt I would have read so many books on the craft of writing.  There are far too many to mention.

Although, I certainly would have still read the greatly cited ON WRITING, by Stephen King.  I read anything by King.  I would have lined shelves with boxes of cereal if the box panel copy had been written by him.

What about you?  How do you think your life would be different if you weren't a writer?

It's the Journey, Not the Destination

Ever take a road trip?  Was it memorable?  I bet I can guess why.  You anticipated your arrival.  You shared a camaraderie with your friends or family.  You felt like a pioneer.

Once you got there, you realized the Grand Canyon was just a giant hole in the ground.  But those hours crammed in the back of the station wagon with your siblings remain carved into your memory on a geological timescale.  It's because of the journey, not the destination.

Whenever someone asks me how fast I can solve the Rubik's Cube, I think of those road trips.  It was never meant to be a race.  A road trip is meant to meander.  Besides, I never set out to solve the cube in record times.  It was more important that I learned how to solve the cube, not simply memorize hundreds of algorithms and finger tricks.  (By the way, an algorithm in cube-speak is a predetermined pattern of turns that has a desired effect on a group of little cubies.)  No, my ultimate journey was to be able to solve the Rubik's Cube with my eyes closed.  Would I learn how the Rubik's Cube works at a deeper level?  Would I learn more about myself during this journey?

When I write, it's easy to think the goal is just completing the story.  That's not enough.  It's the journey, not the destination.  Sure, I want to create a finished story.  But, I want my readers to remember, and maybe even discuss, the importance of my story in their lives.  (That's my dream anyway.)

I recently read the novel, Some of Your Blood, by Theodore Sturgeon.  It is a deconstructed vampire story.  Okay, that isn't quite accurate enough.  Some of Your Blood is a deconstructed story.  It is non-traditional in every way.  Yet it is fascinating to read because it is more than the story itself, but how the story is told.  Once you finish it, you'll want to read it again.  Think: the movie The Sixth Sense (but this novel was published about forty years earlier).  Another thing about the story that will get you wanting to go back for more is the "unreliable narrator" aspects of the novel.  It reminded me of Kevin Spacey's character in the movie The Usual Suspects.

If you can create a journey for your readers, then you can tap into something deeper and your story will have a lasting effect on them.  It's not just the story, but it's how you tell it.