Last week at the grocery store, I almost walked by the cover of February’s O The Oprah Magazine. But then I saw the headline, “Tell Your Story: A Top Novelist Shows You How.” With a shrug, I tossed it in the basket and hours later when the Little Dude conked out, I read the story thinking I’d get the usual stuff (write every day, revise like crazy, etc.). What I found was a treasure.
Wally Lamb wrote about his work with inmates at the Janet S. York Correctional Institution. There are some real gems in the article but my favorite is this:
Michelangelo, the 16th-century artistic genius, once said this about his work:
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” My inmate
students, you, and I are damaged angels-in-waiting who have the potential to
sculpt our best selves with the aid of paper and pen.”
Well, it was tough yesterday to reach my BIAW goal. Even though I took two Tylenols, the right half of my face felt like it was going to melt off. After a week away from my WIP, I couldn’t seem to tap into the story or my characters. (They’re probably talking behind my back with Tamara, Isa, Aggie & Nely!) But I wrote. I wrote my ten pages that carved deeper into the stone, bringing me closer to the angel waiting inside.
And to be compeltely honest with you, I also didn’t want to look bad!
Vamos! Let’s write! And if you want to join The WIPS, send an email to [email protected].