On the Joys of Writing
Memories, Personal Growth, and How Fiction Isn't Fiction After All
Last year on a Sunday I spent several hours breaking
bread with my very longtime critique group. The
bread was a focaccia strewn with bits of rosemary,
onions, garlic and oregano and, probably, drenched
with olive oil - to which I add more olive oil
and balsamic vinegar as a dip just to be sure
it is really as fattening as possible. I eat the
crust; Leora Krygier (website)
eats the insides. Just like Jack Sprat and his
wife. It's a tradition.
It is not a large critique group. It started
with four of us. We were among about 20 enrolled
in a four-day writers' conference (they now call
it a Studio) at UCLA Extension Writers' Program
(website).
Our teacher, Phyllis Gebauer, suggested we would
be perfect critique partners. We worked together
for a year and then one of our number, Iris, dwindled
away to Washington D.C. I still keep in touch
with her, but not as avidly as I should. Three
little piggies (remember the bread?) left of the
original four.
Then Phyllis, after watching us grow and publish,
asked if she might join us. We - her former students
- were floating on air. This was a kind of personal
affirmation, as exquisite in its way as getting
an agent or a publisher. Our former teacher thinking
we had something to offer her in terms of critique.
That day we discussed websites, a new program
I found on the Science Channel moderated by the
tech columnist at The New York Times (In
California it runs on Friday nights at 8 pm.).
I read a poem (did you know that flowers are all
about sex?), Leora (author of When She Sleeps)
read the beginning of a proposal for a book of
nonfiction (something quite new for her) and Phyllis
read from her work-in-progress, Hot Widow,
and told us that it had been accepted for publication.
JayCe Crawford, our Cup of Comfort contributor,
was attending to a sick friend and we missed her.
She is the fastidious one who keeps our t's crossed.
You can see, we've all published. I now am one
of Phyllis's fellow UCLA instructors. It has been
quite a ride.
So, aside from this ramble from a writer who
loves to write, what's this all about?
Memories and how they affect our
writing, nonfiction or fiction.
Memories are what writing and life (or life and
writing) are made of. In fact, I don't think there
is such a thing as true fiction. Everything, however
made up by playing the "What if?" game, is rooted
in experience. An author describes a room or garden?
She's been there before, or she's reassembling
parts of several gardens she's seen. She builds
a character? No character is wholly original.
No matter how carefully a fictional character
has been drawn, the author has seen those traits
in some individual, some novel, or some movie
before. If that weren't true, that character wouldn't
come off as real.
Memories are what writing and life (or life and
writing) are made of. In fact, I don't think there
is such a thing as true fiction. Everything, however
made up by playing the "What if?" game, is rooted
in experience. An author describes a room or garden?
She's been there before, or she's reassembling
parts of several gardens she's seen. She builds
a character? No character is wholly original.
No matter how carefully a fictional character
has been drawn, the author has seen those traits
in some individual, some novel, or some movie
before. If that weren't true, that character wouldn't
come off as real.
Readers, too, bring their real memories to a
story, visualize it similarly to what they've
experienced. So, what we do every day - as writers
or readers - is important to writing, to what
we bring to a book when we read it.
Oh! That reminds me. It's also about:
Personal Growth and how our friends
help us move ahead.
Today, about one year later. Phyllis's book,
the one we critiqued a year ago, is a reality.
Tomorrow she will read Hot Widow at Pasadena's
famous independent bookstore, Vroman's. Leora
and Joey and I will - of course! - be there. We'll
have dinner first and then be in the audience,
proud little puppies that we are. Cheering.
And one day that feeling we had for a fellow
writer or those book-laden shelves, or that Indian
dinner? One of them is sure to show up in something
we write. I guess all three already have.
Tips
and Tidbits
(Each
month in this box, Carolyn lists a Tidbit
that will help authors write or promote
better. She will also include a Tip to help
readers find a treasure among long-neglected
books or a sapphire among the newly-published.)
Writers'
Tidbit: Writers will find lots
of inspiration, promotion tips and guidance
on craft at my blog,
SharingWithWriters.blogspot.com They
can even subscribe to have posts delivered
to their mailboxes. They'll also find a
long list of other writing-related blogs
in one of what bloggers call "segments."
Scroll to the end of the page for that list
and segments that include other valuable
resources for writers.
Readers'
Tip: Book Expo America is a tradeshow
for publishing professionals. When I was
there this year Cushing-Malloy, Inc, a manufacturer
of books, was celebrating their 60 year
anniversary. They gave out a nifty little
reading light that works as a bookmark,
too. I love it and highly recommend it for
readers. It's not something I would have
purchased for myself, but now I've seen
how handy it is, I would! I'm sure you can
buy one at most good bookstores. |
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