On the cover of a writing magazine, I saw the most inspirational quote from Mickey Finnley. She said,"I am a writer, it is my job not to look away."
Fiction or non-fiction, art is inspired by life. Real life with all its bumps, bruises, pimples, bad hair-dos, and dirty looks. Real life with its awkward conversations, stifling moments of embarrassment, stinging insults, and ugly behaviors. Life is rife with material too good to not be true.
I am further inspired to fuel my literary fire with more people watching, eavesdropping on intense conversations, and studies in mundane absurdity.
You should all do the same. Take notes and keep writing!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Eight Year-Old Storytellers in a Grown-Up Writing World
Eight year-olds are the finest storytellers I know. They don't leave out details. They tell you everything, whether it takes five minutes or twenty minutes to finish their tale. Children gesture and mix up words and talk a million miles a minute. Younger kids only want to hear stories for their own entertainment, but eight year-olds have mastered enough language to want to emerge as their own traveling bards.
Eight year-olds tell the story just like it was. The dialogue rambles and the characters often have no goal or objective. The plot is hard to follow, but there is no doubt that the flight of imaginary fancy was worth the trip, defined story structure or not. Children's stories deal with simple subjects that everyone can relate to. There are no over-arching themes to be analyzed. The stories are told for the joy of telling them just to share. But, of course even eight year-olds have to grow up.
Most adults are too organized, too in control of their own emotions,judgments, and imaginations to write anything real and compelling. It takes a unique grown-up to really see the world just as it is. No prejudices or wounded egos. No bad experiences or bitter assumptions. It then takes this unique adult time to mix all the hard knock experiences of life into the story with maturity and nuance. It takes a great writer to remember how to be an eight year-old all over again.
After the story is written, the real hard work begins for the grown-up part of the writer though. Submitting creative writing is all about rejection. Skinned knee after skinned knee. Years go by and you don't get picked for the kickball team on the playground. The half-finished manuscripts laugh at you like the big fourth graders. And, other accomplished writers seem to always be passing secret notes behind your back about how to get published.
But don't forget, new children turn eight every day. And new writers, with a unique voice and style, are always being discovered.
Eight year-olds tell the story just like it was. The dialogue rambles and the characters often have no goal or objective. The plot is hard to follow, but there is no doubt that the flight of imaginary fancy was worth the trip, defined story structure or not. Children's stories deal with simple subjects that everyone can relate to. There are no over-arching themes to be analyzed. The stories are told for the joy of telling them just to share. But, of course even eight year-olds have to grow up.
Most adults are too organized, too in control of their own emotions,judgments, and imaginations to write anything real and compelling. It takes a unique grown-up to really see the world just as it is. No prejudices or wounded egos. No bad experiences or bitter assumptions. It then takes this unique adult time to mix all the hard knock experiences of life into the story with maturity and nuance. It takes a great writer to remember how to be an eight year-old all over again.
After the story is written, the real hard work begins for the grown-up part of the writer though. Submitting creative writing is all about rejection. Skinned knee after skinned knee. Years go by and you don't get picked for the kickball team on the playground. The half-finished manuscripts laugh at you like the big fourth graders. And, other accomplished writers seem to always be passing secret notes behind your back about how to get published.
But don't forget, new children turn eight every day. And new writers, with a unique voice and style, are always being discovered.
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