Taming The Structure

In a conversation tonight, I was talking about style and how it is affected by the experiences around us (such as being forced to write in a particular style of writing). What I noticed, though, was that my friend still sounded excellent. The tone of voice, her rhythm and timing, they were still the ones I have always known as hers. When I mentioned this to her, she said, "The poetry within me will never leave. It's taming the structure that I have trouble with."

And that is why I keep people like her in my life. Anybody who can so perfectly and eloquently explain the heart of a writer is worth holding onto.

Communication is natural. We do practice it. We do think about it (especially in writing). It does grow and is affected by our experiences. But despite all of that, it still comes from us naturally. Some amount of our writing is a stream of words. Nobody I have ever seen carefully and precisely selects individual words from thin air, nor from a word bank. They let loose a deluge of language, then tidy up the loose ends.

And no matter how much you are affected by outside sources, your sound, your voice, your style, they will always be there. They are always in you. If you ever get out of practice or ever get into different habits, your words may not flow as smoothly or as confidently, but you can always tame that structure and reclaim your composure.

There is truth to the saying that if you don't use it, you lose it. But fear not, for nothing is lost forever.