by Bruce Brady @BDBrady007
Now it’s your turn to
confess. What do you find most pleasurable in your writing process. Please
share. Let’s keep the conversation going.
TWEETABLE
One Writer's Love Affair with the Keyboard - @BDBrady007 on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Bruce Brady is an author, writer and playwright. His work has appeared in Focus on the Family’s Thriving Family, www.ChristianDevotions.us, and on stage. Currently, Bruce is working on a Young Adult Novel about a boy who must deal with the death of his dad, being bullied, and helping his mom through her grief. His first five pages took third place in the ACFW South Carolina Chapter’s “First Five Pages” contest.
I’ve failed miserably. And I’m not
ashamed to admit it.
Some of you know that I struggle with a
health challenge that kept me from writing anything for several months.
was
in such pain that I couldn’t sit long enough to write. And when I tried a
standing desk, I discovered I couldn’t remain in one place without those
annoying pains forcing me to move. And just to add to my woes, I suffered the
emotional pain of not being able to express myself through the written word.
My solution was to try writing with
voice recognition software. I tried. Honest I did. Okay, I tried for a couple
of hours. But I couldn’t give up my keyboard.
I love the experience of my fingers
dancing merrily across the keys. Perhaps because I type so much faster than I used to. Or maybe because there’s
something about the feel of the keys. I’ve also noticed I seem to be more
creative when typing. I’m not sure
why, and don’t know if it matters. The mere sensation of my fingertips lightly
floating from side to side over the smooth plastic surface of those little
buttons gives me inexplicable pleasure.
I
tried to slough it off as a crazy notion. But whenever I can’t sit down and
tickle the ebonies, I feel I’ve missed something. So I’m sure it’s not just a
passing fancy. It’s been going on nearly four years now.
I’m grateful that God has blessed me
with a desire to write—to entertain and educate others through the written
word. I appreciate His giving me a love for not only the readers, but other writers,
teachers, and publishing professionals who live to help authors succeed. I’m
also thankful He has favored me with an indescribable joy from the simple
process of gently tapping my fingers on the keys.
I’ll continue to strive for proficiency
in the use of speech to text writing because I understand it’s more productive.
And pray He will give me equal delight from that process, and even hope my
creative thoughts will flow more freely. Yet in the final analysis, I know I’ll
continue to write by using a keyboard. Maybe I’ll only use it for edits. But
I’ll use it. I can’t help it. I just can’t give up my romance with a keyboard.
TWEETABLE
One Writer's Love Affair with the Keyboard - @BDBrady007 on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
When he’s not writing, Bruce spends time learning from and helping other writers. He serves as Mentor of Word Weavers International’s Online Chapter, and as a member of Cross ‘N’ Pens, The Writer’s Plot, ACFW’s National and South Carolina Chapters.
The most pleasurable thing for me about writing is seeing what insights come unexpectedly. Writing is like cracking a hard nut. If I work at it hard enough I get a tasty treat that feeds readers as well as me.
ReplyDeleteBruce, your voice through writing or speaking is impactful. You inspire me.
Teach on!
Thanks Carolyn. Although this will sound like a mutual admiration society saying, I really am inspired by you and your writing. God bless you, and thanks for being my friend.
DeletePraying you feel better. I don't like voice recognition either. It puts words on paper that my mouth would never say;)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you need to wash your voice recognition's mouth out with soap. I agree it's sometimes an awkward experience, but I know authors who couldn't make deadlines if they relied strictly on typing. Thank you for your prayers, they're working.
DeleteWe're grateful too, Bruce, that God gave you the desire to write. Many are blessed as a result. :) It's hard to pinpoint my favorite part of the process but I think it's the simple act of "dumping" what's swirling around in my mind and seeing it come to life on the screen. Thanks so much for sharing today's post with us and I'll be praying that you fall in love with the new process in unexpected and delightful ways!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cathy. I cherish your friendship and have learned a lot from you. Keep blessing others with your swirling thoughts, and thanks for the prayers.
DeleteJust said a prayer for you, Bruce.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about my keyboard. I'm soooo much better at writing my thoughts than speaking them. My mother's a writer. I remember watching her type when I was little and thinking, boy, I wonder if I can ever type that fast. And I can. :) I can type almost as fast as I can think.
Great post. Love your honest.
Thanks, Julie. If there's one thing God is teaching me, it's that I, we, must be honest. Even in our fiction. I also had the pleasure of watching my mom type, but she was a medical secretary at the time. Still, even with the advantage of having a computer, I don't think I can type as fast as she did on an IBM Selectric. God bless you, and keep writing.
DeleteBruce,
ReplyDeleteI understand what you are saying about feeling more creative when you let your fingers tap dance across the keys. I've never been able to figure out why I seem to write better that way, as well. In all honesty, when I sit down to write and put fingers to keyboard, something unexpalinable happens. It's like unlocking a treasure chest of golden words that I never knew were there, and I am so much richer for the discovery. This, too, is from God, for He loves to give good gifts to His children.
Embrace this time of stretching and new discovery of words that flow from voice rather than fingertips. Out of the heart the mouth speaks....where creativity is born.
Trish
Thanks for the encouragement, Trish. I know God is pleased with your encouraging others to live and do as Jesus did. I needed a lift at this moment, as I'm researching medicare and healthy eating alternatives (I know, there not related, but that's how my mind works) and you have provided that uplifting. God bless you.
DeleteEver since I learned how, I've always been a proficient typist. When I was writing my first manuscript I always had a notebook next to me to jot down thoughts and ideas. But the keyboard is where the magic happened. Sometimes I never knew where the next turn would take me. It was like driving in a new town, and every turn took me to a new experience, a new destination. The keyboard is my magic carpet. Who knew there were words hidden behind those 26 keys?
ReplyDeleteType on Bruce. Your name is on my bulletin board and I continue to keep you in my prayers.
Jocelyn
When I was twenty years old, I decided to move to South Carolina and become a writer. The only writers I knew where from the dusty shelves of the public library in my hometown. I also could not type. I had a semester in typing but I was far from proficient. So I bought a typing program and practiced on my personal computer. Many years later, my kids stare in awe as my fingers dance across the keys. Typing will always hold a special place in my heart because I set a goal and saw it through. The sound of moving keys on the keyboard will always be music to my ears. Thanks Bruce for reminding me how far I've come to make my dreams come true.
DeleteThank you, Jocelyn. I know the experience you speak of. Aside from an idea at the start, I never know where the story is going until I reach the end. I find this exciting because I don't like the mundane or routine. And, as always, I covet your prayers. God bless.
DeleteHappy to be of service, Shaneeka. It's good to know someone else is having a love affair with a keyboard. Keep writing and dreaming. God bless you.
DeleteThank you Bruce for all you do! You are a great mentor and supporter. The pleasure I get out of writing, is when I read my book to the children and watch them enjoy God's story. I love to encourage them to pray and ask God to show them their path.
ReplyDeleteJann, I know that same joy from teaching Children's Sunday School. While I love my adult friends, there's no joy like watching a child understand something for the first time. The good Lord has blessed my wife and me with many such experiences. Thanks for your kind words, and your devotion to keeping us in your prayers. They are working.
Delete