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
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How fiction isn't fiction after
all, memories and the joy of writing
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