Statement of Poetics

For my creative writing class last year, we had to write a "Statement of Poetics" in which we were to talk about the type of writing we do, what we have learned about ourselves as a writer, and what we plan on doing in the future. I started to write one and it was just too boring so I decided to try something a little fun. This creative version of the assignment was the one I turned in and the teacher loved it, I even chose to read it to the class on the last day of the semester. So, I thought it would be a proper introduction to me as a writer... and, just to let you know, I am not conceded... this was all written with a sense of humor. Keep in mind, this is not perfect and I may yet make some changes, but I thought I'd post it anyway.

Cheers! :)


A speech to all those who have the attention span to listen:
Across the lands and sea there are millions, no billions, of people pondering upon the same age-old-question, “Who am I?”. I don’t want to puff myself up into a glorious being, knowing that I have found the answer, but it is bound to happen anyway. I... (pause for dramatic effect)... am a writer. That’s right, a writer. The creativity that flows from my mind astounds even me. What, you may ask, is so important about being a writer? Well (square shoulders and give a flip of the hair to show superiority and flattery) let me tell you the dangers of my trade. I do not flounder about in silly poetry that gushes with love and nonsense (no offense to poetry, I love it I just can’t write it all that well) no, no I go behind enemy lines. I... (pause for a long period of time, maybe thirty seconds and emphasize the next few words) am a fiction writer. That’s right, a fiction writer.
Fiction is associated with make-believe, fairy tales, and fakery all too often. These are horrendous misconceptions that could lead to the downfall of the human race. How? Well that is another speech, I’ll give it to you sometime. You will have to clear about three hours of free time on your schedule as it is a hefty subject. Now, at this moment, we are talking about fiction writing as a most noble profession. The stories we write are construed as simple imagination, but it is so much more than that, oh yes, so much more. I become my stories. I dive into them, much like Meggie does when she reads herself into the Inkheart book in Inkspell. Meggie’s talents are pretty impressive, I must say, as reading things to life is pretty handy, but I have met her and I still think that I hold more power for I am the one that creates those words she reads to life. Yes... I am like the goddess of the written word. I control the worlds and the lives of those who live within them. With only one word, I can decide who lives and who dies. It is exhilarating but a very dangerous power to hold. Sometimes, I’m afraid, the characters rebel on you, they start to do their own thing. I have been trampled, stabbed, and shot by so many rebellious characters looking to take control of their own story it is a miracle I am not dead. I, however, am a fiction writer which means I am strong enough to withstand such trials, so I learn from them.
Now do you see what I mean when I say poetry is not such a dangerous art. Sure, it’s interesting and intriguing, but has a character from Emily Dickinson’s poems ever physically rebelled and tried to kill her? I think not! Over the life time of any good fiction writer, there are dozens upon dozens of instances of near death experiences caused by some rebellious character or characters. Creating life is dangerous, especially when you try to control it. I have since learned to only control the things happening around my characters, they can react however they want but they can’t come after me for controlling them if I am no longer doing so. That would be like rebelling at God for creating a storm. Nope, I am the goddess of the place in my books, not the characters anymore (I learned my lesson on that one).
I now see several people staring at me as if I am insane... well... maybe I am. Maybe insanity is an essential part of writing fiction. If it is, I accept it warmly because that is exactly what I do. I don’t write poetry, I don’t write simple little stories with happy little endings to keep the kiddies entertained, I don’t write according to some strict structure of story, no, I take control. I write stories that are my own. I write scripts, screenplays, but most of all, I write books. I create worlds that become so real, it can be scary. Of course, it takes a lot of time and a lot of energy but hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day and it took God six days to create this world. I am not as efficient as that, but what I do best is fiction and I am sticking to it.