Note to Younger Writer Self
Oh, life is a journey. I get that. I basically wouldn't trade my life experiences since they got me to where I am now. But in a purely hypothetical sense, there are a few writing lessons I might have imparted to the Younger Me at different stages in my life. Here are some:
- Write a million words.
- Write a hundred short stories and master that, but don't be afraid of the novel. There are some writing lessons you just have to learn by writing one, including pacing.
- Don't think about publishing. Wait until you've done 1 and then 2, THEN worry about it.
- You are going to waste a few years when you had NO kids and all the time in the world . . . why weren't you writing so much then when you didn't have so many pressures? Kid, partying in Manhattan is fun, but you know . . . write a little more.
- Despite what I am telling you in #3, learn what you can about the industry.
- All this crap you're going through and are going to go through? You'll end up using it for your novels.
- That crappy romance you tried to write and quit on page 81? It was because you never really had your heart into writing it. Only write what you are passionate about.
- Drink less coffee. It's gonna be an issue in your life someday. Your family will refer to it as your Life Juice.
- You think you have the mothering thing down when you have one kid. Wait until #4. Try writing with FOUR kids, Orloff. Oh . . . you have NO idea.
- Never, ever, ever feel guilty for indulging this writing bug you have. Someday you really will earn a living at it. Guilt is a wasted emotion.
- This has nothing to do with writing, but chances are no matter when I am encountering you on your lifeline, whatever guy you are with? Move on.
41 comments:
Dear Mark:
-you know how you hate having someone looking over your shoulder? This means being a freelance writer would be a good career choice for you.
--you know, at some point you're going to have early success writing nonfiction. But you, being you, will continue to put 99.9% of your energies into writing fiction. Rethink that.
--pay attention to all the life that's around you. Writing's great, but the people around you are more important.
--it's a big wide world. Explore it.
--at some point in your life you're going to designate that moment when you pull into the parking lot at the hospital as a "elevator mood." (Going down). That's a very significant thing. Pay attention to it and makes changes. (You will, but it required more attention than you gave it).
For early me:
Write because you can.
Forget people who say you can't.
Love as much as your heart will take.
Hate as much as the pet rock beside you hates.
Believe there is a higher power greater than all of this that loves you.
Love every minute of your time with your child, even during the trying times.
Mourn less for those who have gone on, but celebrate their lives forever.
In the end, all these things will make you a better writer and a better person.
(I know, sappy, but unfortunately true.)
Mark:
Insightful ones.
I think I also might have told younger me to try film school and screenwriting/plays. I still intend to . . . and still want to make a documentary.
Allen:
Utterly beautiful!
Ah, so true. Don't have anything to add as I've been pushing this story out--tough natural birth and all that, but will be back later to read additional comments.
--every thing life throws at you is fodder for your stories.
Note to Self:
- Writing isn't a competition.
- Critiques are opinions; use what you can, can what you can't.
- Listen to your gut first.
Read and absorb writers like Raymond Chandler, John D. MacDonald, and Stephen King. Earn a degree that you can actually make a living with, then write, write, write.
Form a support network. Writing is full of emotional ups and downs.
--invest in Apple and Microsoft
Pay less attention to words and more attention to craft.
Spend more time thinking about the way people act.
Take advantages of the opportunities you're offered.
Don't write about girls so much.
Write more about girls.
Seek out writers you like in real life and contact them.
Learn about the business and figure out how it really works.
Don't feel bad for wanting to get paid to write. It's possible.
And like Mark said, invest in Apple.
Dear Bets,
Other people being a drain on your energy makes writing a PERFECT career for you.
Try.
Keep trying.
Uh oh. You stopped trying. KEEP TRYING!
Recognize that the more you love your own writing, the more it probably sucks.
You know how mom always said it hurts to be beautiful? It hurts to write well, too.
You can always dig deeper.
I'll take your partying, if you don't want it!
The only thing I'd change would be getting sick. That change might cause a few other changes, but I can live with those concessions.
Ooh! Natasha has me coming up with one more thing:
- Stop whining about that silly eye explosion. It is what it is.
The universe would never let me go back, there's too many people I'd want to save and I'd hate to see the butterfly effect from that.
But, writing:
Dear Merry,
It's not a pipe dream, just fucking go after it.
Quit with the purple prose, you're gonna read that back later and cringe, a lot.
Don't let anyone make you feel stupid. An enviable vocabulary isn't the mark of higher intellect, and character is often built on the common.
Making mistakes is good for the soul and great for future fiction - stop being so hard on yourself.
magolla:
Good luck with the birth. :-)
Kath:
All three are brilliant! Amen to that!
Jude:
Another good one. I am loving these responses today!
Joe:
I've always had that--very lucky in that regard.
Mark:
Ohhhhh, yeah! Wish I had!
Lurker:
Hilarious (the girls part). And true. And wonderful.
Starbucks:
Love the dig deeper idea.
Natasha:
It was fun! :-)
Merry:
Love yours, too!!!!!
This post made me laugh, thanks! I am on page 33 of my "might be a novel" and I am not quitting but I am asking myself if this is going to work etc, etc, etc... So far in my "journey" all I have learnt is, just write and go with it because ignoring it doesn't make "the urge" go away! :)
Mine would be to stop losing myself to the people in my life. I need to remember to keep myself a priority.
Well umm... I'm still a kid, so basically I'm telling myself this.
"Just relax, everything in time. Exploxe all the oportunities that are set in front of you. Books are not the only way to tell a story. Use every one of your talents. Be proud of yourself."
And now back to soul searching...
Love this post!
Mine would be:
Don't let anyone discourage you from writing. Ever. Especially teachers.
Don't wait years to rediscover your love for writing. Write always.
And the most recent - that great book that you got the idea for in 2006, wrote, queried and then shelved instead of working on the rewrites? An extremely similar idea will become a hit movie in 2010. Don't delay - do the rewrites and send it back out.
Great post! I would add this: Keep everything. Even if your more mature self cringes at the clumsiness and lack of craft, there will be some things in your first stories and novel attempts that will surprise you. It may be a character you'd forgotten about, based on a real person ywho had drifted out of your memory. Or it may be a subject you were passionately interested in that you now see in a new light.
You won't stop evolving as a writer until you drop in the traces. Embrace your earlier selves.
Great advice. Can we find a worm hole or time machine and send that to our younger selves? I want to.
BLD:
You might not believe it, but you really do learn from that first slog-through-it-novel.
Melanie:
I sometimes need that particular lashing with that particular wet noodle.
JT:
Be proud, indeed!!!!
To all those who were extremely discouraging about my writing- I wish I'd responded with pity and not with defensive anger
Dear younger me...
Don't let anyone squash your dream no matter who they are or how much you love them. Eventually you'll take that dream back and all those years in between will have been wasted pursuing the things they thought you should do. Someone else's dreams will never make you happy.
Happpy Mother's Day, Erica!
I'd tell the younger me to not lose track of my friends. I tended to move and lose touch with people, and now I regret that so much. I literally dream of old friends, but now I feel too shy to reconnect.
I'd tell me to get up at 5 and write. You can sleep anytime. What's so great about sleeping?
Nadine:
We each have to hold onto our inner writing flame. Good advice.
dirtywhitecnady:
I save a lot . . . I find files on my computer all the time and open them and all of a sudden, "Oh YEAH . . .. I remember that idea now."
Ashley Ladd:
Funny you say that, worm holes have been something I've been reading about this week, LOL!
Ee Leen:
You know, it's hard because writing is SO personal it feels like an attack on self.
Aimless:
:-)
Robin:
You should track one down and try! :-) Because of my website/books, I've heard from a lot of lost friends, and it's always something that makes me smile!
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