Jane's Jottings

Over the decades, I have occasionally dipped a toe in a writing club on-line.  One such membership did not last long:  I misunderstood a given mission, and wrote my own version of what I thought was a writing example.  It turned out, the ‘sample’ that I had followed was NOT a model at all, but a writing entry by another member.  There was an ambiguity in the site’s set-up, I have to say … I have seen ambiguities in communication since I was knee high to a grasshopper.  This can be both a blessing and a bane.  

Perhaps I would have made a good lawyer based on this ability to grasp at a sudden flash of inspiration, a moment of creativity, a different angle.  That said, I suspect that most creativity needed in lawsuits is for the defense team.  There is a basic tenet that a defense lawyer has to believe their client(s) innocent, but I think we all know that there have been many occasions on which defense attorneys have taken on clients for the money, rather than principle.  

Anyway, the writer whose feelings I hurt was convinced that I had intentionally set out to do her harm.  She practically had a nervous breakdown while spouting vitriol.  There was no point trying to explain anything to her, never mind offering an apology; this fragile creature was in no mental state to hear anything other than her own toddler tantrum.  So, I left the writing group.  

This experience occurred around the time that I went back to school to change careers.  As it had been more than ten years since I first went to university, none of my original prereq  coursework was applicable to this go-round of schooling.  I recall dreading taking the English Literature class for which I had signed up – yet better English Literature than politics, especially if the politics class would be taught by someone whose views were the polar opposite of mine. 

English Literature:  “We’ll be analyzing writing to shreds and flogging a dead horse along the way”, I thought.  In fact, the course turned out to be quite enjoyable, AND it encouraged me to start writing poetry.  I felt like my mind was switched on – there are definite advantages to returning to school as a mature student – and I truly believe that God gifted me an ability to write.

My English professor told the class one day that nothing creative is original; everyone gets their idea for a story, a song, or a particular tune from someone else’s earlier work.  I have since reflected on Ecclesiastes 1:9, which states, “There is nothing new under the sun.”  

Inspiration is defined as the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.  Inspiration is also defined as the drawing in of breath, inhalation.  If you think about it, many of us are inspired from spending time around others, discussing all manner of topics.  You might say, we breathe in their points of view.  

I recently joined a specialty writing group on a social media platform.  The group came to my attention in the national newspaper that my hubby and I read daily.  As is usually the case, a primary rule of the group is to be respectful to other members, or risk being ejected from the group.  Most members adhere to the rule.  A number of individuals appreciated my input.  

Then the animals who are more equal than others started to crawl out of the woodwork, getting around the respect rule by leaving ‘innocuous’ comments on “hilarity of today’s posts”, a thinly veiled stab at views that are different from theirs.  Or, there would be a sarcastic mention, “Who knew this site is a thesaurus?” That will teach those who are kind enough to help others!  

I realized that, since I do not write crime novels, this particular site is superfluous to my needs, and – should I ever take that path – I am smart enough to do my own research to get the technicalities right, without asking others to do all the legwork for me.  Some questions could easily have been satisfactorily researched on the internet.  We quickly discover what works for us and what wastes our time.  Let us just say that I recognized I am in a class on my own.  I duly left the writing group.