Dressed in black on white, words on a page dance in my imagination forming elegant shapes. I love movies. I love video games. I love music. I love the visual arts. Yet, nothing can top the intimacy formed when perusing letters congealed into a hidden story of inward reflection. It is the most modest of the grand. The noblest of humble pursuits: a writer. I have been stringing words on a blog since 2003. An intertwined necklace of stories took shape. It was my parenting duties that obliged me to sit next to my children and watch with them youTube. Talented young men and women, mostly men, making videos that entertain, provoke and mine laughter like ancient gold from a tomb. That was the start of my youTube author life.

“Perhaps I should make videos” — a bothersome idea popped into my head. “No, no, no. I am a writer and a blogger, video is not for me” the reasonable side asserted. Alas, I didn’t listen. At first I picked up my digital camera which is capable to shooting short videos. Over time I picked up a camcorder. Luckily, I am technically minded and so figuring out the video editing and the basics of sound manipulation wasn’t that hard. O the fun to be had with video effects. Blur, swirl, you can transpose one video on top of the other, make shapes appear and disappear and even have conversations with yourself. You can create your own evil twin and place her in the same space as the innocent you and bat it out to no end. Hey! I can record myself making favorite recipes for future generations to enjoy. Being a youTube author is actually enjoyable, but is it useful?

“It is all fun and giggles, until somebody pokes their eye out” My mother would say when in my childhood, excessive rough housing occurred.

I write a simple word – The. Images pop into my head – tree, grass, lawn, a wooden chair. What will happen next? The Book. Books stacked on top of each other on top of the wooden chain, the top one swirling around as if dancing, bottom ones escape leaving the top book feeling lonely. The Book of. A woman falls asleep on the book, she looks super bored. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! I am editing a video in my mind’s eye with each keyboard click. A story needs to form an image in the reader’s mind. When I place moving images on top of my words, am I spoiling the reader’s enjoyment?

Using stop motion animation and voice-over I can make any random object develop a personality. Shoe, a plate of humus or a statue …. everything is talking to me. I can’t look at a blade of grass without thinking, what is it saying? what is it yearning for? how does it react when I step on it? I look and look and stare and then I listen. A youTube author needs a different mindset. It’s a state.

I write differently these days. Words yearning to be recited – out loud shared with a crowed. I remember nightly readings while tucking my kids into bed. It has been years since one of them demanded that I read them into dream land. O the fun and giggles we had. I would make up character voices and they would shriek with delight. Today they mostly read in silent privacy. I want to write in loud flickering turquoise color. A visual fitness that dances off the page.

My Words Want to Dance