Another Column at MyShelf.Com

Back To Literature, Past
A Literary & Poetry Column
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson


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.


2008 Past Columns

 

© MyShelf.Com. All Rights Reserved.