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Somewhere on the shelf, in a drawer, or in a box lurks the haunting of writers new and old; Stacks of notebooks, intermixed with table napkins, envelopes, receipts, most containing unfinished works of art. These works may possibly be the next best seller, or could have been, had they been coaxed to conclusion on the page and into the publisher’s hand. Often remnants of works are inspirations coming out of nowhere when least expected, grabbing for something to write on, and then somehow the piece disappears into a neverland of words.
Many thoughts and ideas that come to writers are transcribed from brain to page in partial thoughts for future editing. Many rarely see the light of day again, let alone become complete works. And the notebook on the nightstand is full of 3 am thoughts. Yet, when the morning sun hits the page, was it really an inspired work or was it only a dream?
At the time of inception, the idea for a poem, short story, novel, or article seem monumental, the greatest thing since Atlas Shrugged! But somewhere in a busy life (as most writers have to make a living working for the man), moving from moment to moment without completing that last pinnacle thought is far too common.
What a parallel there is between daily life and writing. Think of news stories you’ve heard, oh so devastating at the time! The story is covered by newspapers, every radio broadcast, on the internet, CNN, all of them! In a week, a month, a year, most are old news and we have to be reminded to even recall what the story was about and rarely do we even hear of it again. Aren’t these unfinished works in our lives, in the lives of others across the globe?
As the wind blows in Kansas to refresh the air, events whether dramatic, horrifying, triumphant, or jubilant, blow through lives to keep ideas and those next best seller thoughts from stagnating. For the writer, these winds blow on a regular if not constant basis. Just as a news story is long forgotten, words often end up swirling like the leaves on Maple Street around the writer’s mind until something is done with them; often ending up stacked together on the shelf, hoping to be thought of again someday.
The good news for most writers, and their readers, is that the creative winds continue to blow. As long as the ability to assimilate to paper, typewriter, and computer exists, these finished and unfinished works build a treasure trove, lying in wait for the heirs to find and cherish long after the writer is gone.
