I Only Write This so People Don't Think I'm a Lazy Blogger.*
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| Field along rural road in SW Michigan. |
In efforts to help my lofty dreams become a little more focused, I often read books on writing. Oh, dear. By just mentioning the word "writing", I just lost half of my .19 readers. Oh,well.
I've come to the conclusion that these books all fall into one of my self-made categories. There are ones whose message is, and I paraphrase, "Why Your Writing Sucks," then there are the "Write by Numbers" books, the "Please, for the Love of God Read This Book Before You Start Sending Your Witty, Experimental Manuscript Out" (often written by literary agents, publishers or editors), the "How to Write Like Me, a Famous Author." Now, all of these books are immensely helpful, even if they do contradict one another at times. I have Sol Stein telling me to compare my character to a celebrity so the audience has a better picture, then a set of agents saying never to do this because it cements an image in the reader's mind. Some say never, never, never use dreams or flashbacks, some advocate their judicious use. Even this contradictory advice is helpful.
I've recently found a new category. The writing book I am presently reading blows all these out of the water. It was referenced in "Writing Tools" by Roy Peter Clark. I have had it swimming around in the back of my mind for 3 years but recently checked it out at the library. "If You Want to Write" by Brenda Ueland. What a ride! Oh, how I wish I could have met her. The book is advice about writing, but you don't get half way through when you realize it is not, "If You Want To Write and Get Published". She starts at the ground up--or should I say paper up?--and tells us to forget all the criticism, rules and conventions that we've learned in school (they have their place), and write with the very beat of our heart. The student examples she gives are dynamic. The difference between a "willed" writing (or assignment) and a free hand journal entry or childhood memory is dramatic. The first is like an ice sculpture, cold, transparent and unmoving. The other is living, breathing flesh standing in your mind's eye.
The other reason why I like Brenda Ueland is that she loves, for one- William Blake. I think she has a little "William Blake" in her. A quick perusal of Blake's bio on Wikipedia and you'll know what I mean. There weren't many people made like him, and the ones made like him today are quickly medicated or put in psychiatric hospitals. She also quotes a lot of Van Gogh's letters, of which I've put on my reading list. The other authors we both like and admire are "The Russians"- Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky and Chekov. And she criticizes authors who I wouldn't dare say a negative word about in mixed company for fear of a tongue lashing-D.H. Lawrence, Sinclair Lewis. She is a dancing ray of sun, so inspiring, so positive. She encourages free thought writing, lally-gagging, walking aimlessly, and putting off housework to write. What more could I want in a mentor? I suppose it would be nice if I could meet her though. And this category of writing book? I'll call it, "You Can and Should Write, It's Good For You, Even if You Never Get Published."
This is the kind of book that restarts your imagination, your perspective, your perseverance and your goals in writing (or any other creative art). You need to read this book after every defeat, I think. It gives a person another worthy purpose (other than publication) for that gnawing demon/angel that is the urge to write.
*A character in one of F. Dostoyevsky's novels--I think it's "The Posessed" or "The Idiot"-- explains that he only works as hard as he does so no one will find out his little secret-- he's lazy. I think one can judge from the sparse postings here that blogging is not one of my higher priorities.
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