Abigail M. Schilling

I write a lot. For every sucky word I write on here, there are a thousand more. For every non-sucky word on here there are a million more. Most of these words are saved as little TextEdit files on my desktop or on scraps of paper in different folders in my car, in my room, in my closet. I have so many words.

I was asked tonight what makes good story telling. In order to properly answer that questions I went and rifled through the folders. All the notes I took in class, the things I scribbled during random lectures with visiting writers. All the things I sopped up so fast I didn't have time to remember.

"Voice. Voice. Voice."

"Attitude. Passion. Confidence."

"Remember your audience. Have a topic. Pay attention to detail."

"Edit. Rewrite. Edit."

And in between all these notes are other things I have written. Half-finished stories, letters to old friends, and so many ideas I got overwhelmed.

But I promise this isn't all about me. If there is one thing I'm obsessed with (besides finding out what is under my laptop keys) it is My Audience.

Every time I read something I've written I read it through new eyes. I read it as every one of my readers. What do they think when they read it? What do these things mean to them? Does she think this is about her? Does he see himself in this voice?

And so, sometimes, when I don't blog, or when I don't really blog content, or when I don't return your email or your phone call, it doesn't mean I'm not thinking of you.

It also might mean that my shift key is stuck.