A MOVIE IN MY MIND

I had someone ask me the other day an interesting question about writing. They wanted to know if I see a vision of what I am writing as I do it. Actually as I wrote the novel I am thinking of it was like a movie in my brain. As I see this movie my fingers are on the keyboard typing what I see. It may seem unusual to some people, but I feel like I am in a theater watching a film. Of course it is not a full length film in one sitting but each time the film is playing in my head.

I can actually see this man talking to God or walking across America. I can see him in my mind. To me it is as plain as day. Do all other writers, write the same way as I do? I have my doubts, but that is what works for me.

Let me show you what would be a scene in a movie. As that movie played in my head, this is what I wrote when Shane went to the bathroom to shave and saw his dead wife in the mirror:

It was a week or so later on a Saturday morning that Shane woke up and went into the bathroom. He ran his hand over his face and realized it was time for him to shave. He ran hot water into the sink and lathered his face. He remembered that Becky always liked it when he finished shaving. “You feel so smooth. I love a clean shaven face,” she would say. It brought a faint smile to his face as he started to shave. Removing the stubble from his face, he washed off his face before applying some after shave. He moved his hands over his face and realized that Becky was always right; it did feel better.

As Shane ran some more hot water into the sink, the mirror fogged up from the steam. He took a little towel and started to clean the mirror off. As soon as he rubbed a little spot on the mirror, he saw Becky’s face staring back at him. He jumped back startled and took another look in the mirror. Becky was smiling at him. She said, “I miss you, Shane. I love you so much. I’m at peace now and I want you to move on in your life.”

Tears were running down Shane’s face. He said, “I’ll never love anyone but you, Becky.”

Becky shook her head and said, “No Shane, it is time for you to move on. You need to be happy. You need to love again.”

Shane felt that if he ever loved another woman it would mean that he didn’t love Becky anymore. Becky told him that their love would always be in their hearts. She made him promise her that it was time for him to move on. Shane moved his lips close to the mirror and they gave a final kiss. As he moved away, he saw tears running down Becky’s face. Becky’s face faded away in the mirror. Shane just stared at it for a few minutes wondering if he was going crazy. He didn’t think it was possible that he could actually see Becky’s spirit in the mirror but he knew he had.

It is so easy for me to see that in my mind. Words come easy to me most of the time. However, there is those times when I get writer's block. I guess there must be a bad spot in the film at that time hahahaha!! Sometimes writers just need a break, take a step back, do something they enjoy, and before they know it the words will flow again like water in a cool mountain stream.

The life of a writer is different than so many jobs that people do. So many things in life depend on a writer. That song you hear was written by someone. That movie you you saw last night was brought to life by what someone wrote. That book you curled up with on the sofa last night and read with smiles was because someone knew just what to write. Writing is the most powerful thing known to man. No computer, TV, radio, or any electronic device known to man can beat what is written from someone's heart.

Copyright  Larry W. Fish  2014