The Magic If - Tracy Krauss

'The Magic If' is actually an acting technique introduced by iconic director Stanislavski to help actors portray emotion on stage. Basically, an actor is asked to imagine certain situations and draw from his or her emotional memory. Sometimes, an action or even an imaginary object is added to help the actor react in a convincing manner. In a nutshell, actors should ask the question, "What if...?" and fill in the blank. (Example: If an actor is asked to portray fear, he or she could ask the question, "What if a gunman had a gun pointed at me?") I won't go into all the finer details, but when I saw this month's writing prompt, I couldn't help making the connection. (I do teach theatre arts, after all...)

The prompt reads something like this: "...what if you had a whole year free to completely focus on your writing? If financial considerations were magically taken care of, would it change how/what you write?"

Now this is a 'what if' scenario I can really get into! I don't think it would change what I write as much as how I would accomplish it. And it would certainly change the amount I would be able to produce. I can imagine myself finishing three to four full length novels per year instead of the paltry singular I've managed so far. Plus, think of all the time for online tasks that often get brushed aside. Maybe I could even make a bit of money at this gig!

I'm sure reality wouldn't run that smoothly. Murphy's Law dictates that when we have more money we spend it, so I imagine it is the same with time - more demands would eat up the hours. I am actually blessed to have a small taste of this scenario every summer. As a teacher, I have two months each year when I can focus more exclusively on my writing and it tends to be quite a productive time for me. It is something I am very grateful for.

Until the time I can quit my job, I intend to be satisfied with that - although it is fun to imagine...

Tracy Krauss continues to dream about writing full time from her home in Tumbler Ridge, BC. In the meantime, she will keep plugging away - one novel, play, or short story at a time... To see what writing she has managed to accomplish, visit her website: http://tracykrauss.com or sign up for her newsletter to keep up with all the latest.