I am inundated with emails every day, all day. I'm not talking about the hundreds from work, but the ones from writing websites. It's my fault. I signed up for them, believing wholeheartedly I'll get to them one day. And I will. Slice of Life helps with that because, in my search for what to post each day, it's a two-fold benefit if I read them now: It accomplishes my goal of "getting to them later" because I love learning about writing, AND I hope it gives you something to think about and apply to your writing.
This one is from www.thewritepractice.com, operated by Joe Bunting. In his email/post today, he states five questions have changed his writing the most. I tried to keep my answers short.
1) Why do you write?
Fame? No. Well, yes. Sort of. My goal is to have writing be my primary source of income. That will take some recognition. I don't need to sell billions like Rowling, King and Patterson. I want my writing to connect with readers like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe did for me, making the realities of imagination unfold and reveal the light of self-discovery. And yes, I want people to read my stories and see them as movies or TV series. Screenplay, you say? I can do that.
Nothing feels better when people say, "I look forward to your writing."
2) How do you change people?
Joe Bunting suggests not asking, "How do I make a living writing?" but, "How can I change people with my stories?" Along with connecting with them, I want to give them an escape, but at the same time, dig into their hearts and souls. I mentioned many times how many of my stories involve a father/son theme. One of my stories may inspire an estranged father or son to call the other, showing grace, compassion and forgiveness, so they can enjoy the rest of their fragile, fleeting lives together.
3) What can you write that no one can?
In short? My life. And although I am certainly not the only one that can do this, I want to write multiple genres of fiction, nonfiction (memoirs etc.), poetry, plays and screenwriting. I love all of them. Oh, and I'm calling dibs on a U2 musical. Not the music, the story. It'll be spectacular.
4) How do you connect your emotions to your story?
Robert Frost said, "No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader." There are times I get choked up when I'm writing. I figure (and hope) if it's that powerful to me, it will have the same effect on my readers. With common themes of hope, grace and forgiveness, it's hard not to write a story that doesn't squeeze tears from the soul. My stories are very character-driven, and through the characters' internal arcs, the reader can't help but pause, ponder and wonder how what they just read will profoundly affect their lives.
5) How can you live a story as interesting as the ones on the page?
This will take breaking down many introverted barriers because one must experience life to do this. Too many people have worldly views but have yet to step away from their homes or work. I have recently come to appreciate biographies more than I had before. Not because celebrities are better than us – they are not at all! – but their lives do get printed and sold. For me, it's a window into how different people grow up. Will Smith gave a picture of Philadelphia and a strict dad I hadn't experienced. Matthew Perry helped me realize the pain and agony of addiction – something I had never dealt with. We are all a different pattern on the same cloth, and I believe when we learn about other people's patterns, we grow into the person we're meant to be. Grace occurs when we cover ourselves with the same cloth rather than attempting to stitch one ourselves.
The best writing comes from experience. Not so much the setting of your story but the heart of it.
Here are some other questions Joe received from his readers:
· Why do I struggle at the end?
· What if no one connects with my work?
· What if I try to write one story, and it becomes something else?
· What do I do with my fear?
· What if I've outgrown my story?
· Does rewriting always make your story better?
Hope this was helpful.
rg
4 comments:
Thank you for sharing this resource and your personal answers to the questions. I promise I won't steal your U2 musical idea, although I do have an Old 97's musical in the works. I also appreciated your comment about biographies. There are many things in life I have chosen not to do because I read about them and decided they weren't for me.
Cheering you on! Someone recently commented, "You're a writer!" And I responded, "Am I though? Doesn't a writer actually write?" This is one reason why I participate in this Challenge. Mining the day for stories or insights is initially just that, routine, repetitive and sometimes rough work. I could tell from your post that you believe in the treasures that we are capable of excavating with words.
Hi Ryan (this will be long). First, THANK YOU for all of the wisdom and advice you offer in this post. You accomplished what you set out to do. I also inundated my inbox with writing inspiration, workshops I haven't brought myself to pay for, and tips I "save for later" only to wind up deleting. I sign up faster than I can read. Here are my responses to your headings/questions:
#1. I write for a lot of the same reasons you do. A book is a goal, but I haven't quite found/created a story. Yet.
#2. I agree-connecting with people can change them, whether it's for a short moment or a longer one. I like to make people laugh and keep things real.
#3. I don't think I'm the only one who can write poetry, but I seem to have a knack for it. And a U2 musical? I. Am. Here. For. It! I'd love a front row ticket.
#4. If I can generate an emotion within myself when I'm writing or after reading what I wrote, I consider my work done well. I don't always know if it generates the same response in others (sometimes I find out it does), but that's how I know I got down to the nitty-gritty of vulnerability. I put myself out there on the page.
#5. "This will take the breaking down of many introverted barriers..." I'll be mulling this over for a while, you've got me thinking about barriers I'm creating for myself. I've also become a fan of biographies. I read Elton John's during COVID. The man is a genius. Bono's Surrender is on my nightstand, but I don't want the demands of work to ruin the experience, so I'm saving it for summer.
You offered so much in this post and I'm grateful. Plus, I'm taking a look at the site you linked.
I commend you for putting this amount of legwork into your passion. It is one thing to say "I want to be a ___" and another to work at it. I always told my third graders, wanting something doesn't make it happen. Michael Jordan didn't just grow up to be Michael Jordan, he worked for it. Harder than anyone else! So thank you for this glance into your dream and the hard work you are putting into it.
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