Preferences

I was thinking about my favorite instruments today. I came up with three: trombone, cello, and bassoon. After I had those three, I started laughing. It occurred to me that they are all the exact same instrument. The only difference between the three is that one is brass, one is string, and one is woodwind. They all have the same qualities that I enjoy. They are low in sound, but not the lowest (tenor, specifically). The higher ranger of the instruments can be played to sound pomp and regal. The lower range can create a dark, somber sound, overflowing with raw emotion.

I do not think it is a coincidence that I like three instruments with such great similarities. I think it is far more likely that I have a preference for sound. I also think that I have preferences for many other things. And, I must say, I do not think I am alone.

I enjoy many kinds of writing. A good poem, an essay, a short story, a novel, a comic strip or book or novel, I like them all. But I don't like all works within those media. I like writing that makes me think of something I have never thought of before. The funniest jokes are the ones I can't see coming. The most effective drama creates a scenario or an action I have never considered. A powerful poem paints a picture I have never seen and puts me inside it.

There is a woman who I have had a number of writing workshops with. We have the exact opposite opinion on nearly everything. Whenever I write something twisted, she tells me that she wants to see it end predictably and sweetly. Neither of us is right or wrong, we just have different preferences.

I suggest that you find out what your preferences are. If you don't know, then figure out what all the stuff you like has in common. It could be very specific and concrete (robots that are powered by human brains) or it could be vague and abstract (thinking things I haven't thought before). In either case, once you know you can much more easily determine if something is or isn't your cup of tea. Or, in the case of the writer, it may help you figure out your all-encompassing central idea.