I’ve Been Cheating Myself!

Or It’s Hard To Write Sitting On Your Hands

Sometimes the challenge is not to tell the damn story, but more like, Damn! Tell the story!

See I wrestle with the task of recording my adventures. As much as I enjoy reading and films, and exploring and such, it appears I’m the type who lives more for the doing rather than the telling.

I will travel, give speeches and master classes, meet good folks and influential people, and have unique and sometimes scary adventures. And then … go on to the next one, and the next, and the next.

Diaries and journals are wonderful things to help a writer or anyone for that matter, keep track of the monumental as well as whispered moments in our lives. I know this, feel this, and have experienced the benefits many times. After all,writing about these things offers the opportunity for us to reflect on the experience. To gain some additional clarity or insight.

Still it is often a supreme effort for me to chronicle these chapters in my life.

But theres hope. Recently, thanks to a writer friend’s suggestion, and some mentors (yes, you are NEVER to old, or pro to learn from others), I’ve formed a plan.

Remind myself this is not the novel. It’s just notes to help remember.
Set a time to do this and stick to it. (i.e., once a day before bed, or thrice a week, early morning, etc.)
By hand or digitally let it be sloppy. No editing unless the word or remark is misleading.
If you can’t write it down (due to whatever) record Audio works just fine and you can transcribe it later.

Our thoughts and experiences are precious fuel for our creative process and projects. They are the characters, settings, issues, challenges, and emotions from which good stories are born. To relegate them to the back of our mental closet, or attic, or forgotten tombs beneath our mundane castles is to CHEAT ourselves of genuine, quality inspiration.

So … don’t.

Okay, that’s it for this post.

Now, go forth and be brilliant.

–Alex Simmons–

*Tell The Damn Story co-created by Chris Ryan, Alex Simmons, & Tim Fielder

About Alex Simmons Says

Alex Simmons is an award-winning freelance writer, comic book creator, playwright, teaching artist, and educational consultant. He’s written for Disney Books, Penguin Press, Simon and Schuster, Marvel, DC, and Archie Comics. Simmons is the creator of the acclaimed adventure comic book series, Blackjack. As a teaching artist, Simmons has created and taught creative arts workshops for students and educators in the US, Europe, West Indies, and Africa. Simmons has served on panels and delivered lectures on children’s entertainment mediums, as well as empowering young people through the arts. Simmons founded the annual family event, Kids Comic Con, as well as three comic arts exhibits, which have traveled abroad. He is currently developing a comics and creative arts program for children all over the world. During the past 35 years, Simmons has participated as a member of arts and education boards for several New York State nonprofit organizations, as well as one in Nigeria. As a teaching artist Simmons has worked with youth through the Bronx Community College, the Christopher Barron Live Life Foundation, Apollo Theater In-School Arts Program, Henkel McCoy, Upward Bound, New York Council on the Arts, Children’s Art Carnival, Wings Academy, and NYU Creative Arts Team, to name a few. He has been a panelist at many literacy and arts events, and he has been a guest speaker at numerous colleges and educational institutions here and abroad.

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