Quotes from lectures
Nance Van Winkle: “A novel needs a big engine.”
“Don’t waste creative energy on something that is not giving back.” (referring to the process by which one decides to abandon a novel attempt
“You gotta have the joy!”
Xu Xi says every novel must have a polemic, but a must also tell a story. Must be a balance so the polemic does not overwhelm the story.
Phyllis Barber, quoting Adam Sexton (I think) in a lecture on pov/narration: “Once you’ve found the voice, you’re half-way there.”
On other fronts:
I spent the night 12/28 with Annie, Michael and Sam, perhaps the most congenial family I know outside of the McJiltons. Annie Lighthart is a poet, also back from leave after having a baby, also in her fourth semester. Slept like a rock all three nights so far.
Am currently skipping a lecture (which is actually recommended – if I went to all of them I would burn right on out). Have met a few people, very talented people here. Student readings last night – 12 people writing in such distinct voices, all quite accomplished. I’m glad they let me in.
Enjoyed workshop. Abby Frucht, one of the leaders, freaked me out – in the sense of showing me where the next hurdle is. She talked about being conscious about the choices you make in writing, at some point in the revision process. I am so unconscious, and I have this idea that stories should come as an oeuvre, full-formed, adult and alive and all I have to do is be the channel. Abby is talking about one heck of a lot of hard work.
I made conscious decisions about the shape of my story Amber Vitae, for the first time, and it may be my best story to date.
Am terrible lonesome for my family. I want to get everything I can out of the residency, to make their sacrifice count for something. I mean, if I am asking them to go through all this trouble I ought at least to get something out of it. Larry uploaded some pictures of his and the kids’ activities yesterday. Awwww…. What a great guy I married.
4 comments:
I enjoy reading the quotes from the writing program, especially the thoughts about the engine to drive the novel. That's very helpful.
I'm so glad it was helpful to you!
I am definitely guilty of wasting energy on things that don't give back, but how does one abandon their words?
Am coming into my blog remotely so am anonymous, but it's really me -- Anne.
Well, so far this residency three women writers whose opinions I respect and work I admire have talked about the necessity of not putting energy into something that is not giving back. It's kind of like not throwing good money after bad. I plan to save the stuff I cut out, in case I can salvage any of it. But at some level I think too that it's about trusting the process, trusting that I will have the ability to come up with something better, richer, that the well will not be dry if I get rid of this writing that did take me a lot of time but is not going anywhere.
I was raised by thrifty people -- can't stand to throw food away -- and don't, until it's clearly inedible. I think something of that nature may be going on with my writing as well.
A
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