It is difficult to call to mind those things that have an influence on our writing just as it is to identify what influences our lives and the way we live. There is much that we can recall. We all can point to family; my grandfather always said this or that, I remember the way my father looked or acted, my mother was a single mom, we grew up poor or privileged, we lived on a farm or in the tenements or in a war-torn country. These things are easy to recall and, certainly, they have all had an influence on our writing in one way or another. They have had an influence on who we are. But what about those people, places, events that are not as easy to recall or identify? Have you never been in the process of developing a character and realized, oh my gosh, Walter is beginning to sound just like that friend of my Dad’s he talked about so often? Well…if you haven’t I would be surprised. There are simply too many influences that we cannot recall or that we are completely unaware of to answer the question asked far too often; “So what has had the most influence on your writing?” In a recent interview I thought I did a pretty good job of giving a thoughtful answer to that question. But, on reflection, I think I did not. The question posed was broader than that but came down to the same thing. They wanted to know which of my rolls in life, teacher, director, actor or writer had the strongest influence on my work as an author. I tried my best to explain that perhaps my career as an educator and what I needed to do to prepare for that role gave me the perspective, the training and the opportunity to be a teller of the written story. The more I engaged my students, the more we discovered about stories together and the more I heard their stories the more the world opened up to me as an author. Well…all true I suppose but is that really the whole story? No, of course not. What about that actor whose insight and creative genius, without my even registering it, set me on a path that turned out to be the most important influence of all on my writing and I never knew it or gave credit for it? So, I simply suggest the following: When, as writer, you are asked that ubiquitous question (and you will be even if it has already been asked) maybe the most truthful response is, “I don’t know. Maybe your asking me that question might be it. We just never really know do we?”
PORTUGAL BLOG 3 – OUR LAST DAYS….IN LAGOS
CABO DE SAN VICENTIby me Standing thereon the edgeorthe tipthe Romans saidthey said the tipthe tip of the earththey said As they stoodwatchingwatching the sunslideslide down the horizonto be swallowedonly to be swallowedby the sea Standing there I thoughtponderedI ponderedis life my lifelike thatlike the sun does it toolike the sunget swallowed by the universe…
PORTUGAL BLOG 2 – THE CLIFFS ARE CALLING
It is difficult to be in Lagos and not be drawn to the cliffs. For many it is all about the beaches and the surf ( which are indeed beautiful ) but the cliffs are magical, mystical and eternal. Even though the number of walkers has increased and some of the ancient paths have been…
PORTUGAL BLOG – MUSINGS OF A TRAVELER
Let’s begin here, in Portugal, excluding the god awful twenty one hours airport to airport that is unfortunately necessary when we travel. Let’s just begin here. A couple of nights in Lisbon to shake off the jet lag. A beautiful and comfortable bus ride and here we are in Lagos; in the Algarve; in the…
Author | J E Delehanty 
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