I’ve been working on my second novel for a
couple of years, but I always get stuck on the motive of the murderer. Why did (she? he? Wouldn't you like to know?) do it? Everything else is flowing smoothly, like butter on the pancakes I ate
this morning. Boy was that some kind of
good. Vermont maple syrup, but now I’m
distracted, which is what happens to me all the time when I write. I realize that when working on my novel, I
don’t need an hour here, an hour there, I need a day here, a day there – yes,
whole days. I need to let my mind
completely sink into that strange and inviting land of creativity. It is only there that my little helpers (okay, that sounds weird, but I don't have a good name for them yet, so hang in there with me) feel
safe enough to come out and do the work.
They whisper plots, dialogue, action, settings; they tell the story, but
I have to be quite enough to listen.
They took me into the woods recently – a walk with the dog, or so I
thought. The dog took off while my
creative helpers gave me the answers I’ve been trying to force through my own
brain for months. Ask and you shall
receive. Listen and you will hear. Sometimes things take time. I can’t force creativity. Instead I have to make its bed, serve its
meals, bow at its invisible feet . . . and wait.
Give me this day, this glorious day, and I will write you a
story you will not believe.
I hear "they" is considered perfectly grammatically acceptable in some circles.
ReplyDeleteOMG, Anna Monet, you are so funny! How do you know me so well? I actually had "they" on there for a while, but I just couldn't do it. Next time. Thanks for the permission. I can't wait until you are my writing teacher. That's gonna rock!
DeleteYes, I will only allow you to use neutral pronouns. As soon as I can talk myself into doing it too.
DeleteDear Lava,
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read your first book! Now...I can't wait to read your second one, when it comes out...and would love to hear more about the story and characters as the manuscript progresses. What is your process like for creating a beginning and ending? I know it's different for all writers...some already know the ending and write the whole body of the story knowing...and some let the ending evolve naturally...and others do something in between the two. Is it always the same process for you?
I love how you view creativity. I feel this way, too. After watching the Elizabeth Gilbert TED Talk that you sent us I've totally agreed with and been inspired and encouraged by the perspective that creativity is something larger than ourselves that we can seek guidance from, and that needs to be nourished and not forced.
Lava, the ending of your post holds my most favorite line:
"Give me this day, this glorious day, and I will write you a story you will not believe."
I believe it.
Take care,
Emma
I can picture you sitting there trying to coax little creative demons out onto the paper. Trying so hard to get your novel going in the direction you need it to, Good luck with the book; I bet it will be great.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I just finished a collection of essays by Barbara Kingsolver, and in one she writes about muses and how nice it must be to have the luxury of waiting on one. She describes hers as wearing a backwards baseball cap, carrying a bat, and saying something like, "Yep, there goes the school bus, you've got six hours until it comes back, unless you want to get another job." Someday I'll have a work ethic like that. Right?
ReplyDeleteAnything you write is interesting, and I suppose that's why it's so hard to write something fixed on a point...
ReplyDelete