Guest Blog: Lily Lawson - Write What You Want

Freedom and indecision.

Much as I appreciate being allowed free rein, like a menu that’s the weight of a hardback novel, the choice can be somewhat overwhelming.

My every day writing habit left me some time ago when I realised I had to come up with the goods for this post. You will likely be relieved to hear that I dragged it back and put it to work before I attempted this.

Some of the things I write end up in books, or as blog posts or on social media. Some lie in folders unfinished wondering if their turn will come. Some are recluses that may be discovered long after the memory of their creation has left me, or my body has decided its time on this planet we call Earth is done.

I owe it to all of those who may perchance read this blog to create something worth reading and of course (should you be doubtful) I am attempting to do so.

On the surface writing is easy. Once you have the ability to form words, sentences, paragraphs etc you are doing the thing. Here’s the twist – it has to do more than make sense.

‘The cat sat on the mat’ makes sense but it’s hardly thrilling.

Let’s see if I can make it more interesting.

‘The cat sat motionless as every being in the room held its breath. One movement on the mat could set off the landmines positioned across the city to reduce its intelligence buildings to rubble in the event of invasion. Alarms would sound and a five minute timer allow for personnel evacuation. Each alarm had to be disabled in that time to stop the landmines being triggered. There was one expert for each building, and they were all in the room watching the cat.

Catherine D’Souza (the cat) was loving every moment. She held all the cards, and she knew exactly how to play them.’

Where did that come from? No idea.

What happens before or after? Again no idea.

There is joy in writing what comes, and I love it.

However sometimes expectations are different, and adjustments must be made.

I love both.

I don’t write novels so not plotting and leaving things to go where they will works for me. But I can use prompts and word count restrictions if required.

Not writing a book intentionally, just writing and then deciding what to include, may mean I write more than a writer or poet who writes with the aim of creating a book. Both are equally valid approaches. I know myself well enough to know that if I set out to write a poetry book or short story collection I would likely never get there, and it may stop me writing altogether. I tell myself that amid the unfinished, or in my eyes unworthy or unsuitable for publication stuff, is enough poetry or stories that make the cut.

I love blank pages – I even wrote an ode declaring my love for them and I think, if we allow ourselves to admit it, we do write whatever we want.