My Stalled Writing Career

[kressel]

BS"D

Here's a book review that sort of picks up where I left off on lj:

Comments

[netiimvzaviyos]

I have somewhere around 3 to 5 book ideas swirling around in my head. I've resigned myself not to doing much about them until all of my kids are in school.

[kressel]

BS"D

May Hashem help that when you reach that stage, you'll do better than I'm doing.

[vettecat]

Sorry it was disappointing but glad that at least parts of it were enjoyable.

[kressel]

BS"D

May Hashem help that when the time comes, you'll do better than I'm doing.

[vettecat]

I don't have any desire to write, but thank you for the good wishes.

[kressel]

BS"D

Oops! Meant that for Rivka above.

[carlalute]

I'm trying to do the pro-writing thing now as well. While writing is a love and passion, it's a job too. Particularly if you're trying to tackle it at a professional level.

But consider this, while you're being a good parent and working at law office in Manhattan (sounds like a TV plot), you're also gaining fresh experiences and getting a chance to observe life at a certain angle.

While that may not manifest itself as a story right now, it can easily become story fodder.

Do you feel bad because you really truly want to be writing, or do you feel bad because you don't want it as much as you did?

If the former, it may be a matter of just making time to stare at a blank screen until something comes out. But if it's the latter...maybe it's just time to take a break and live life for a bit, let the writing come back when it's ready.

[kressel]

Do you feel bad because you really truly want to be writing, or do you feel bad because you don't want it as much as you did?

You know, I thought it was the latter, but now I'm reading On Becoming A Novelist by John Gardner, and my heart flutters at the thought of writing again. It's just that I figured that if I'm really going to be good, I'm going to have to revisit a certain time in my life that I may not necessarily want to make public. It was when I was a Luna taken advantage of by an Alex-wannabe.

[carlalute]

I realize they say write what you know, but I have as much or more fun using writing as a means to explore and understand.

I was harrassed by a guy kind of similar to Draco back in Junior High. I didn't make the connection until later. But I got caught up in the idea of Harry and Draco becoming friends and writing a story to explore redemption as a process. Long story short, I used an attraction to Hermione to motivate Draco's change, which means he spends a large portion of the fic slowly making peace with her...first changing his behavior and eventually giving an actual apology.

When I finished the fic, I realized it had been extremely theraputic for me. I had put myself in the shoes of my bully, and gotten the apology I always thought needed. (Draco bizarrely taught me a lot about empathy.)

Sometimes good writing can come from a place of pain, but life is a full spectrum. If not going back there is what's stopping you from writing, why not let the writing take you place you want to go.

[kressel]

Possibly the best writing advice I ever got is to write either your most cherished wish or your deepest fear. I got a story about a college rabbi out of that. I was dreaming of grad school then. G-d answered by sending me to an employer who started me off in paralegal school. I no longer work for him, but I sure do love the program. It's sort of taken the place of my writing for publication.