It was our first live classical concert and it didn't disappoint. The musicians played with exceptional ability. The audience cheered at the right moments. But it went beyond that. The orchestra members took the audience outside the notes with their antics and the singers' emotional reactions to words they had sung a hundred times reached into souls
The experience made me think about writing. As a writer, you can follow all the rules of grammar, character development, and setting but it doesn't mean you'll have a best seller. Like the orchestra members, an author must be the master of his/her art. He/she must go to the place where the tears flow, the laughter rolls and even though you've read the same piece a hundred times, still let it move you. (If it doesn't, you may want to do some editing.)
I pray that all those who are attending the conference go there ready to learn the art and return to their writing desks with passion.
One of my favorite bits of advice from an author was 'You have to know the rules in order to break them." I use this same philosophy with my English students. Once you know the rules, and have demonstrated that you know them, you can break them. (This doesn't apply to the rest of life of course!) :)
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of Sigmund Brouwer's challenge last year at conference: share your story. Stories capture people's imagination and invite an emotional response. Master writers do this skillfully. Thanks for the reminder, Tammy :)
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