Writers and Silence

Today's posters urge us to listen to the silence so that we can hear more clearly. Listen to the silence? Does that seem strange? Not if you give it some quiet thought.

I used to walk for exercise. There was a lovely walking path in our neighborhood with wooded backyards bordering each side. School children used the path as a shortcut to the nearest elementary school. I avoided the hours when the path would be noisy with the shouts and laughter of children. Instead, I aimed for the quiet times of the day.

As I walked and viewed the vegetation and the sky, my mind centered many times on a story idea I'd had earlier. As I listened to the quiet, the bones of the story or essay began to form in my mind. There were no distractions like I had at home. No telephone ringing. No tv that a family member was watching. No doorbell announcing a friend or neighbor. 

On that curving walkway, all alone, I could think and allow the seeds of a story to take root and grow. When I returned home, I jotted notes to remind me of what I'd written mentally while walking. There were times when I could hardly wait to shed a jacket before sitting in front of my computer to begin writing.

A silent place can be pregnant with promise. Your mind is free to wander and find new possibilities. Be quiet. Be still. Be thoughtful. Listen! 

Move away from the harsh glare of the screens in your life--tv. computer, ipad, cellphone. Be quiet and listen to messages that come from the soft, silent world around you. 

When you're having a problem with whatever you're writing, pay heed to what Albert Einstein says in one of our posters today. '...I stop thinking, swim in silence, and the truth comes to me.' The next time you are wrestling with a writing problem, give it the silent treatment. It might help. 

Heed the adage that says 'Silence is golden.' There is a time and a place for crowds and music and laughter with others, but we must also use the hushed and still moments to our advantage. Listen carefully to the quiet.