Have you ever noticed how many good writers have done a little acting or played in a band or orchestra? Whether it was a school drama club, a garage band or an Off-Broadway production, writers often have a history of performing in front of an audience.

I think we writers are all actors and directors at heart, since our craft requires the same pace of rising and falling emotion, and timing, as a stage play. We pull scenery and actors out of our imaginations and then act out our stories–on stages which exist only in our minds–before we put them on paper.

This can be a problem.

I don’t know about you, but I could never write in a public place, because I can’t resist hum-mumbling the dialogue as it appears on my computer screen. I’d be embarrassed if anyone ever saw how animated I can be when I write, nodding my head, raising my hands and scratching my brow. Also, I like to have LOUD jazz or rock ‘n roll music playing when I’m searching for the words, although, since I like to be seated at my writing station by 5:30 am, the neighbors are not always big fans of my work ethic.

So, maybe you could think of your writing as a non-simultaneous performance art. Sure, there is a little time delay between you and your audience, but once you publish, we can still see into your soul.

doug@dscooperbooks.com