I’m currently writing a reflective piece about a fifty-year friendship which is about to come to an end.
My best friend, Frank, is dying of spinal cancer. I suspect he will be gone by this fall, and when he leaves me, a giant hole will appear in my heart. That is in no way hyperbole. It is very hard for me to even think about this without crying. Frank has meant that much to me over the years, the brother I never had, a man who has been with me through most of the great, and horrible, events of my life.
And he is dying, and it hurts greatly to write about our relationship, but I want to finish it before he dies, so he can read it, so he will know how much I love him.
So I’m writing this piece, and I cry, and my throat constricts as the words arrive. I can only do a couple paragraphs in each sitting because it is too emotionally draining for me. I have only allowed myself to become “close” to a handful of people during my entire life. I have closed off a part of my heart to protect myself from the pain of loss, but Frank is one of those who always held an important piece, and even writing that last sentence has me in tears.
What’s the point?
OUR JOB AS WRITERS
Well, we have many jobs, depending on the type of writer we are. Writers of novels are, first and foremost, storytellers, and they must never forget that fact. Non-fiction writers are fact-gatherers and fact-sharers.
Underlining all of the types of writing is this important fact: we all share the same five senses, and a good writer, one who really wants to connect with his/her readers, will always remember those five senses. It is my job, as a writer, to make a scene come alive. I am the ears, the nose, the throat, the eyes, and the fingers of my readers, and if I’ve done my job properly they will feel as though they are in my scenes.
With regards to my reflective piece about Frank, if I’ve done my job, you, too, will mourn the loss of a quality human being, or you will be transported back to a time of great loss you experienced.
In this particular case, with this particular piece, it will be a painful experience, but one which must be written . . . sweet melancholy . . . a painful celebration . . .
Thank you!
Bill
“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 