by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I’d been wanting to read something a little different, so I glanced through my TBR (to be read) list. Keith Richards’ Life was on there, and I figured I couldn’t possibly go any different than that. I’d become interested in him because I’d read an article in the Times UK a couple of years ago that Richards had always had a longing to be a librarian.
The book was an interesting read—definitely eye-opening in sections. :) And entertaining, since I have such a quiet life and am a pretty reserved person and Keith Richards…we’ll just say that Keith and I don’t have much in common. Well, except for the fact that we’re both parents. And one other similarity—the way we both observe the world through a lens:
The radar is on whether you know it or not. You cannot switch it off. You hear this piece of conversation from across the room, “I just can’t stand you anymore”… That’s a song. It just flows in. And also the other thing about being a songwriter, when you realize you are one, is that to provide ammo, you start to become an observer, you start to distance yourself. You’re constantly on the alert. That faculty gets trained in you over the years, observing people, how they react to one another. Which, in a way, makes you weirdly distant. You shouldn’t really be doing it. It’s a little of Peeping Tom to be a songwriter. You start looking round, and everything’s a subject for a song.
Richards, Keith (2010-10-26). Life (p. 183). Hachette Book Group. Kindle Edition.
Some days it all comes naturally to me and everything is a story. Some days I have to remind myself that I’m looking for material, words, character descriptions and quirks, etc.
If you ever find yourself blocked, a change of scenery can frequently do an amazing amount of good. Not only are you escaping your house and whatever might be distracting you/keeping you from working, but you also have the opportunity to be inspired by other people and places.
I’ll sit in the carpool line at the high school and work to finish my page goal that I start each morning. I have the car off and the windows down and I’m completely surrounded by characters…usually the same characters each day, too, so the characters’ stories unfold as a serial. The woman who comes in backwards on the one-way school driveway each day (even though a cop stopped her a week ago and gave her a warning.) The grandfather who listens to World War II era songs in his car while eating a pack of crackers. The middle aged guy who drums his fingers on the side of his car while staring off into space.
I’m a character too, writing every day as I wait. I push my seat all the way back to accommodate my laptop. Sometimes I’ll accidentally blow my car horn from enthusiastic typing. :)
Do you write on the go much? Do you feel like you look at the world through a lens?
Image: MorgueFile—Procrastinator
Elizabeth – Oh, now you’ve got me intrigued about that Keith Richards book! I’ll bet it’s interesting. And I know just exactly what you mean about looking at the world through a lens. I do that all the time. Sometimes I do it while I’m writing but often just when I’m…living life. I can’t help observing people. But I think we have to be observers if we’re going to write stories that ring true. It’s an occupational hazard.
I love that quote! It really captures how writers feel. I’ve always felt like I was more observant than other people (although sometimes, I’m completely lost in my thoughts and notice nothing at all.) I wouldn’t have thought of songwriters the same way because to me it’s mystifying how someone can just make up a melody and lyrics. But now I see that they do it just the same way we do.
This is perfect timing for me, Elizabeth, because a dear writing friend told me that’s exactly what I need to do in order to incorporate metaphor and description into my fiction writing. Pay attention to the sensory world around me. Now you’ve intrigued me about Keith Richard’s book.
Karen
I do write on the go, but I use a legal pad.
Very funny about the horn.
Every day I go out to a restaurant, usually fast food, sometimes the falafel house, and write for a couple of hours. I got into the habit as a student, and I have done it ever since.
And yeah it does have a distancing effect. (I don’t do it to be social but rather the opposite.)
I consider the lens effect to be something different, though. One of our faculty describes why she likes to teach drawing – because one a student has taken a proper drawing class they will never see the world the same way again. Drawing makes you LOOK at the world.
I’ve found that to be true in both drawing and writing.
We are much more observant than most people. And since I’m also a photographer, I look at scenes differently, too.
People are interesting to watch!
Margot–His book is interesting–it actually had a lot more about music and musicians who he’d found influential than I expected. I think you’d probably enjoy at least the first half of it. :) He came across as very bright, very sharp…despite making a lot of bad choices, obviously.
Definitely an occupational hazard! And how I survive parties–taking mental notes of what I’m seeing and the people there. :)
Diane–You’ve got a great eye for photography. And I bet that means you frame the shots around you in every day life, too.
Megan–There seem to be a lot of similarities between songwriting and fiction writing…except they have that added task of finding the perfect accompanying tune. Richards talked about that in his book, too. The musical stuff was very interesting.
Yep, I’m with you–sometimes I’m totally lost in my own head (*especially* if I’m writing on the go!)
Alex–And always surprising!
Karen–It can be fun…particularly at coffee houses, places like that. :) It’s not a tough assignment and I usually get a good deal accomplished, on the writing end. At home, the dryer timer is always going off (or the dishwasher needs to be unloaded, or the cats want to be fed…)
His book was interesting….an odd mixture of topics. He told it, so it’s a little stream-of-consciousness in places. And LOTS of drugs…wow. :)
Teresa–Legal pads are good, too!
The Daring Novelist–Sounds like the best kind of habit! You don’t even have to schedule in your writing time because you’ve always got it planned and you automatically head out to do it. And yeah…definitely not to be social. A couple of times my characters in the carpool line have tried to talk to me and I was very, very short in my response. Felt bad, because I’m ordinarily friendly, but….it’s my time to get writing done. If I start talking with these folks, it’s going to mess me up!
So for you, maybe the lens is a *zoom* lens…noting all the detail in people and settings.
Wish I could draw. Sigh. I’ve always wanted to be able to draw more than write…and I can only make stick people. It’s pitiful.
Sorry, I’m still trying to get past the image of Keith Richards as a librarian! ;-)
Mike–Isn’t that great? And apparently he has this huge, messy, amazing library at his estate. He wants to catalog his books. And while he was mulling over cataloging, he was remembering how he always wanted to be a librarian. Libraries would never be the same again!
This week I’ve only been able to write on the go, but in my case it’s been my notebook out of my backpack.
And Richards wouldn’t be the coolest librarian I know :-)
Deb–Notebooks are perfect! And…I know librarians that are *much* cooler than Keith. :)
I was never a big fan of the Rolling Stones and probably won’t read the book about Keith Richards. The next biography on my list is the book about Zlatan Ibrahimovic, recommended by the kids.
I agree that people watching is very interesting. I do that too >:)
Cold As Heaven
Cold–Okay, I had to look up Zlatan Ibrahimovic, I’ll admit (not being cool enough to know)! Swedish soccer (or football, y’all would call it.) Sounds like a great player. :) Good that you and the kids can discuss books together!