On Creative Writing, Linda A. Lavid [read ebook pdf .txt] 📗

On Creative Writing

c2008 Linda A. Lavid

www.lindalavid.com

* Introduction.

* Getting Started.

* Chapter 1

Plant the Seed ~ Story goal.

* Chapter 2

Water the Sprout ~ Plot.

* Chapter 3

Tend the Bloom ~ Scene.

* Chapter 4

Fill the Garden ~ Development.

* Chapter 5

Dig the Weeds ~ Rewrite.

* Author’s Note.

* Appendix I.

Illusion is the first of all pleasures.

— Oscar Wilde

Visualize …

Before you I stand, a decidedly middle-aged woman, round, doughy and blinking through smudged glasses. It’s six p.m. We’re in a VFW Post drinking bitter coffee from Styrofoam cups. I’m worried. It’s my turn to disclose. All eyes, expectant, are on me. I clear my throat, swallow, then say, “My name is Linda — ” I stop cold. What will you think? That I’m a fool, a loser? I want to run, but I’ve come this far. My confession tumbles out. “And I’m self-published.”

A palling silence fills the room. I recoil waiting for the jeers, the scoffs, the room to empty out. Remarkably however, from the last row of seats, a voice calls out (maybe it’s yours), “Good evening, Linda.” Relief sweeps through me. I am among friends … or at least one.

Backstory …

Seventeen years ago, I embarked on writing the great American novel. At the time I had completed an advanced degree and wanted another challenge. Writing a novel seemed like a good idea. It was an inexpensive undertaking for a single parent with young children and a full time job. Certainly I could steal moments in the early morning hours or during lunch. There was only one problem - I never demonstrated any particular talent for writing. In fact, my worst subjects in high school were English and typing. Hardly portentous. But I was a reader with an interest in the stories and foibles of human nature. So, with a sharpened pencil and a nice, fresh pad, I took the plunge and began to write. In record time, however, I discovered that the subterranean world of creativity twisted darkly. I also learned I knew nothing, nada, zippo, about writing fiction. But I was up for the challenge - in the beginning.

I read books on writing and took copious notes. I deconstructed to make the process understandable to myself. I struggled with tense and point of view and story … Well, um, it’s about two sisters and they have a friend who committed suicide. But it’s a mystery. And they want to find out why it happened. I haven’t quite worked out the details, or the beginning, but I know the end and that’s a start. I think …

Over the years flashes of inspiration sparked then burned in roiling, despairing seas. I puzzled, avoided, and gave up too many times to remember. What kept me going? Certainly not accolades or desperate bidding wars for print rights. What kept me going is what On Creative Writing is about. It’s about craft, technology, and getting from point A to point B. It’s about how to stay the course and not get lost. It’s about what I’ve learned from both writing fiction and publishing my work.

So where am I today? I’ve published two collections of short fiction, a novel, a book on writing and publishing as well as two e-books. All were well received and garnered wonderful reviews. My fiction has been used in college courses and published in award-winning journals. I have taught both short story and novel writing classes as well as moderated writing groups. I’ve learned and grown but most of all I’ve taken charge, not only of my writing, but of the publishing and marketing of my work. Thanks to the technology of the 21st century, a golden era for writers approaches, which is a clear departure from the situation of a short seven years ago.

The publishing world of the late 20th century was grim. Due to a couple of decades of diminishing returns and the buyout of many publishing houses, conglomerates heavily invested in an increasingly small pool of writers, who they tagged as “best selling,” a self-fulfilling prophecy of their advertising dollars. One only has to look at the New York Times bestseller list to see this recurring truth. But such is the way of the American free market, where products are branded, pumped, then sold to the masses. Not necessarily a bad thing. After all, John Grisham is very entertaining. The problem was, it left many voices out of the mix.

Enter the equalizer - technology - and suddenly the world, along with publishing, shifts. Computer technology, software, and the Internet have converged and dramatically changed the landscape for the independent writer. Every step, from writing to rewriting, from book design to publishing, from marketing to selling has changed the publishing paradigm. Manuscripts no longer need to languish on shelves, or be sent dog-eared through the mail for another go-round with an agent or publisher. The waiting is over. A writer can now publish his work quickly and at a reasonable cost. Marketing outlets are infinite given the virtual nature of the Internet, and never before in history has the relationship between writer and reader been so intimate. It’s exciting. But with this freedom comes a huge responsibility to your readers, to yourself. The task is daunting but hardly impossible. I somehow managed, taking one step at a time.

First and foremost, you must write the darn thing. This involves writing, rewriting, editing, head-bashing, then more of the same. Producing a book-length manuscript is hard work. In my case it took years. There were several false starts - inching upwards, then sliding back - a very steep learning curve. I began from the precarious position of having no training, formal or otherwise. I didn’t have a clue. But I suspect most writers feel the same. How one writes or learns to write is tricky.

There are several aspects to writing fiction. Rendering what John Gardner in The Art of Fiction describes as a ‘vivid and continuous dream’ is a complicated affair. Story is created from the imagination of a writer, who in turn must translate it onto a page of symbols so that another person can read, absorb, and experience the story in a similar fashion. It’s a remarkable process when you think about it. So, are you up for the challenge or is the writer’s quintessential question nipping away inside: Do I have the talent?

We imagine talent as some huge reservoir of subconscious knowledge that some lucky people are born with. We think of Shakespeare and Mozart and Einstein. But the truth is we all have talents of many kinds and measures. Think of your family and friends, and assuredly you can name many of their strengths unique to them. Talent is nothing more, or less, than an individual ability. And while there are gifted writers, I do not believe that having an innate talent is imperative to become an author.

Fiction demands a working knowledge of many points of craft. And while mastering craft can be daunting, each one of us has skills to meet the challenge. If you have an analytical mind, cause and effect will be solid. If you are intuitive, your story will take imaginative twists. If you are emotional, you will have a true internal compass to tell a riveting story. If you are a global thinker, you will see the whole. If you are a detail person, your story will be tight. If you are a visual, auditory, or tactile person, your story will be vivid. If you are curious, writing will never bore you. If you are empathic, your characters will be believable. If you’re old, you’ll bring a wide array of experience into the process. If you’re young, your story will be fresh. If you’re stubborn and relentless, your story, at last, will be finished. So what’s your talent? Most likely you have many, some not even touched upon.

Before going further, I propose that writing can be both taught and learned. I also submit that the quality you need most is neither talent nor knowledge but the mad, unrelenting desire to tell a story.

And with this passion, walk to the end of the diving board, loosen your shoulders, and take the plunge.

Getting Started

Nulla dies sine linea. Never a day without line.

— Horace

This e-book discusses the specific, salient points of creative writing. But first a bit of history���

When I decided to write a novel, I had the impression that writing fiction would be easy, a winsome process that would fly on the wings of creativity. What fun to finally let go! As I’d mentioned, prior to tackling the craft of fiction, I had just come out of graduate school where, for three years, I had been enmeshed in writing academic papers that tended toward the dry and esoteric. The thought of freeing myself from the objective to the subjective was exhilarating. Perhaps, looking back, my naivet�� was a good thing. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have started. It took me three years to complete my first book-length manuscript that was, in the clear light of day, unreadable. During those early years, I did two things: I read books on writing, and I wrote. Neither was a bad thing, but besides taking an inordinately long time, I kept making the same mistakes over and over again. And when it came time to rewrite, I didn’t know where or how to start. The writing books were clear, concise and redundant in what they had to say. I poured over them with gusto and did a lot of highlighting. But the wisdom that spewed forth never seeped into my brain for any practical purpose.

The tasks of writing is rife with fits and starts. Some aspects may come easily, while others will prove more trying. Looking back I can now identify three critical activities, that once incorporated into my writing life, were and continue to be, of immense help.

Join a writer’s group. In the absence of attending a writing program (an option not available to most of us), the advantages of joining a writer’s group are tremendous. It is in this environment that craft can grow and flourish. Often, members in a group are diverse, not only in what they write but where they are on the writing-publishing-marketing continuum. Put all the members together and a synergy takes place, whereby a wide base of skill level and experience can be freely shared. Besides having your writing reviewed, critiquing other people’s work is likewise helpful. Figuring out what works and why is a critical developmental step in learning how to write well. And there’s also the commiseration factor. Like babies to new mothers, writing is fascinating to writers, but in the company of non-writers such discussions may leave you standing alone, drink in hand, looking furtively to where your friendly listener disappeared. Writers’ groups can be found in bookstores, continuing education programs and on-line. It’s been my experience that libraries have the space and are amenable to having community meetings. Should you want to start a group, I’ve included a Writer’s Group Guideline in Appendix I. Membership can be open or restricted, receptive to all genres or focused on a certain kind of writing. No matter how the group is configured, there’s gold in ‘them thar hills’.

Write daily. Yeah. I avoided the daily quota for years: too much pressure, performance anxiety, fear of failure, you name it.