Sometimes things come to you in unexpected ways. Sometimes you just think too hard. I’m convinced that most solutions to problems are really simple. (The execution of those solutions, however, may not be so easy.)
Simply put, I don’t think I’ve been spending nearly enough time considering who my characters are and how their actions affect their lives. Who are these people? What do they want? What do they fear? I look back at some of my stories and notice that they’re nothing more than polished freewrites. More time, more patience, more thought. Take your time.
I’ve been thinking about Hemingway’s ‘The Old Man and the Sea’(which I read a few days ago) and how the old man is like an unpublished writer. (I hope that’s the only applicable analogy. I don’t feel old.) None of the other fishermen believe in him; they mostly treat him with scorn because he hasn’t caught anything in eighty-four days. When people ask what you do and you tell them “I’m a writer,” they want you to put a book in their hands, your book. When you don’t, they may not actually say it, but you can almost see their “Well, you’re not a REAL writer” thoughts forming. I’m really pretty fortunate in that most of my friends and family don’t react that way. But when you meet people, they sometimes want proof.
But nothing bothered the old man. He persevered and I think you have to do that with your writing. Never give anyone else the power to alter or control how you feel about your passion. That would be something to be ashamed of, not being unpublished.
This morning I’m working on a revision of “You Can Say Anything You Want,” a story from Clarion.
Now Playing = “Tangled Up In Blue” – Bob Dylan
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