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Tag: "fiction writing"

What writers can learn from Tolkien

I stumbled upon a link to a forum post recently called, “What Fantasy Writers Can Learn from Tolkien.” Yes, I am a Tolkien nerd. No, I don’t write fantasy. Despite these two things, I think every writer can benefit from reading this post.

For those of you who don’t want to read all of it (though I think you should! It’s very well-written), here are the main points I took away from it:

  • Take the time to create a history for your story or novel. Even if you don’t write fantasy, readers need to feel drawn in and surrounded by the world you’re creating.
  • Don’t overexplain everything. It might feel weird, but keep some things mysterious or hinted at and let the reader keep coming back to find out more.
  • Write from your passion – themes and thoughts you keep returning to personally are bound to translate in a complex and evolving way in your writing.
  • Trust that your readers want to participate in and explore your work. By leaving certain things open to interpretation, you are making readers partners in the creative process.
  • Check your facts!
  • When writing, don’t resist letting the story or characters unfold in a different way than you’d intended.
June 23, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post

Do writers think they’re as great as their readers do?

In my last post, I talked about how a bit of mindless housework helped me to overcome writer’s block. Later that day, my husband and I went out for lunch and I asked him a question I had been thinking of during the said mindless housework:

Do writers think they’re as great as their readers do?

I had wondered about it because, as I uncrumpled and smoothed out sheet after sheet of newsprint, I noticed that I don’t really feel very connected with any of my stories. I mean, I do feel connected, but not nearly as much as I feel about some of my favourite short stories others have written. I can easily read Lorrie Moore’s Dance in America every month and still love it as much as I did the first time I read it – and that’s just one example. So it made me think – does Lorrie Moore hate Dance in America? Does she lose herself in it the same way I do, reading it? Or does she think, “Now why did I make him say that?” like I think about my own stories? I mean, I’ve never finished a story, sat back and thought, “This is among the greatest things ever written.” I’ve only ever thought, “This is finished now.”

I’m not saying I don’t like my work. I do. I just never like it as much as I like Lorrie Moore’s, or Alice Munro’s, or AS Byatt’s.

My husband’s opinion was that writers probably can’t disconnect themselves from their own work enough to adore what they write the same way their readers do. And, basically, I’m not a freak who writes consistently boring stories. Which, I suppose, was the secondary, underlying question to that.

So, what do you think? Can writers hold their work in the same high regard as their readers? Or, because they created it, are they always examining their work with a critical eye?

May 26, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post

Have writer’s block? Do something completely monotonous!

Yesterday morning I woke up early (finally back to my usual schedule!), made some coffee and sat down to do some work on a couple of short stories. I worked pretty well for a while, until I stopped to make breakfast and chat with my husband. After that, everything kind of went away.

I took a break to help him finally deal with the leftover moving boxes that were waiting to go down to recycling. First, we had to take all the discarded newsprint out of each one, spread it out flat, rinse, repeat. Let me tell you, there was a lot of newsprint. However, it turned out to be great for working out the knots my brain was making. I got to focus on something other than worrying what the buildings in Winnipeg are made of (yes, it’s important), so every 10 minutes something awesome popped into my head and I went promptly to write it down.

I’ve also started taking a walk every day – there’s a good-sized park near my new apartment so I have plenty of new places to see. I’m finding this is also helping me to think of new ideas or ways to improve on my old ones.

It’s not revelatory, I know. But really, it works! Do something monotonous, try not to get a repetitive stress injury at the same time, and I bet your writer’s block will go away.

May 24, 2010 | 1 comment | View Post

Some news

I’ve been making some fairly superficial posts on this here blog lately, as my brain has been full of exciting news. After nine years of living in Calgary (and 11 years for him), my husband and I have decided to move back to Toronto. I’m very close with my parents and my mother had a stroke two years ago. It was a minor one and she is doing much better than stroke victims usually are, but still, my urge to move home has transcended simple homesickness since then.

It’s all happening quite quickly – we’re moving in May. I can still work for my clients virtually. I didn’t expect to be able to pick up my freelancing business and transfer it to Toronto, so I’m very lucky. We’ve even got an apartment. Now, the next hurdle is finding a Canadian moving company that is BBB accredited and gets generally good reviews – a harder task than it seems. If anyone has a recommendation, I’m all ears!

I’m excited to move but, at the same time, a little nervous. Toronto is my home (in fact, I’ll be living a nine-minute drive from the first place I ever lived), but I’ve lived in Calgary for so long. I’m such a Calgarian about some things. My initial reaction to learning there was no independent cafe in my neighbourhood was, “UGH. I’ll have to drive!” That’s just not true in Toronto! It’ll be interesting to see the ways in which Calgary has made me regard city living.

Well! In writing news, my husband has a short story of mine in his hand right now, ready to mail to a literary magazine. That makes two stories I have out in the world, something that hasn’t happened in quite a long time. I feel good about it. I had actually given up on one of the stories for several months until, inspired by my last post, I decided to read it again. I liked it! Very little work was needed, which is always exciting.

Lastly, I want to share a video my friend Gail posted on her blog, called The Future of Publishing. As Gail describes it, “If you are at all concerned with the future of publishing, or think that books are a thing of the past, then you need to watch this video.” And speaking of Gail, she was actually interviewed by The New Yorker! Here’s her blog post about it. Congratulations Gail! When I’d heard about the interview, I joked to her that I should’ve given her a story to sneak into the slush pile – that’s ethical, right?

(Photo from Flickr user yorkville.)

March 22, 2010 | 5 comments | View Post

Putting your writing in a drawer – it works!

So, you know that saying about writing something, putting it in a drawer, and coming back to it much later to see if you still like it? I don’t know who it’s attributed to, or even how long this mystery person recommended putting away your writing. Nine months? Nine years?

Either way, I’m here to tell you it works. The other day, I unearthed a story I’d written seven years ago and completely forgotten about. I was prepared to pull my face off in embarrassment as I read it, but the shocking thing was – I actually liked it! At that time in my writing life, I didn’t focus too much on traditional story structure or really even a traditional plot arc. I’d come across examples of this earlier, more experimental writing that made me roll my eyes, but this one pleasantly surprised me. If I may toot my own horn a bit, I found it was smart and flowed quite well. Of course, I’m not going to go into details about an unfinished story here, but suffice it to say that it just needs a small bit of polish (I mean, I really like plot and characterization now) and I’ll be happy to send it out into the world!

Success! It’s almost like I didn’t really have to do much of anything to get a completed short story. It’s like a gift from Me of the Past.

Seriously – who said that thing about putting your writing away in a drawer? Part of me thinks it’s someone ridiculous like Plato, but maybe it’s Zadie Smith. Does anyone know?

March 15, 2010 | 1 comment | View Post

Photo post: Where I write

Yes, this looks like an ad for Ikea’s Poäng chair, but it’s not. This is my favourite writing spot in the house. There are windows along one wall and continuing for a bit around a corner, so I feel surrounded by light. And, okay, the Poäng chair is pretty comfortable too.

March 5, 2010 | 3 comments | View Post
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