Taking the scenic route

If you like author interviews (as I do), then you'll enjoy this Mark Doten interview (via Bookslut) with Binnie Kirshenbaum, talking about her latest book, The Scenic Route.

The next to last question is an interesting one, about the pigeonholing of authors (particularly female authors). Kirshenbaum's honest response, particularly related to the difficulty that authors have in getting their books into the hands of people that would most appreciate reading them, highlights an issue that most writers face--all but the handful of matinee, best-selling types--the ones that non-writers assume are the norm, which then perpetuates the false romanticism about writing.

BTW, Kirshenbaum is also the chair of Columbia's Creative Writing program.

Start honing your craft

Writing is a craft where, the more you do it, the better it gets, or at least that’s what we’re told by people like Stephen King and others. I tend to agree.

While I wouldn’t put myself in league with the likes of King, J.K. Rowling, or even a best-selling non-fiction writer, like Christopher Hitchens, my writing style has improved immensely, even since I wrote When Towns Had Teams. I consider myself a much stronger writer and am much more sure of my voice and where I want to go, than I’ve ever been.

Since November 4, 2004, I’ve put up over 500 posts, primarily at Words Matter (467) and here, where I post much less frequently and limit my posting primarily to the craft and business of writing. As King said in On Writing, in order to get published you have to be a good writer. Unless you are absolutely horrible, you should improve enough by writing regularly to reach the publication stage.

What’s been most interesting to me over the past year has been going back to work full-time, which was a concern for me, at first, as I thought it would result in fewer writing opportunities and the potential loss of writing momentum. On the contrary, the enjoyment of my new job, along with its many challenges, has injected my writing with a new enthusiasm, urgency and I am more productive and prolific now than I was when I was calling myself a full-time writer. In reality, I’m writing more now, for work and pleasure, than I was then.

As I travel about for work, I often meet people and have the opportunity to share with them my passion for words and writing. On several occasions, I’ve had one of these folks remark about how they’d like to write a book and are planning to when they have more time. My experience tells me that you’ll never have more time than you do right now. With that being the case, seize the moment and begin working on your craft, building towards writing that book that many people seem to think they have within them.

Writing is a mindset. If you are looking for the perfect situation, it probably isn’t going to happen. If you can carve a mere one or two hours out of your day and can spend some additional time on weekends to hone your craft, you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to do. Whether you’re looking to begin freelancing articles, become a specialist in crafting op eds, or you are determined to write the "Great American Novel,"start today and build towards your goal, one word and one sentence at a time. In order to do this requires some compromises. You may have to give up a favorite television program, or forego time at the gym. Maybe you’ll have to set the alarm to get up an hour earlier, or work later into the evening. Each writer is different. Find a routine that works for you and stick to it. You’ll be able to look back and point to your decision as your own personal writer’s signpost on the road to success.

Better yet, start a blog. It’s simple and easy—just make sure you are ready to commit to posting more than once or twice per month. While this blog in not regularly updated, Words Matter is and I challenge you to build your own volume of writing, just like I have. You don’t get to 500 posts by procrastination. Rather, you get there by making a pact with yourself to find something you’re passionate about and determine to write 500 or 600 words on that subject on a regular basis. If you can do that, you are well on your way to writing success.

A quote with some resonance

Ran across this quote at Pete Lit, a blog with a literary bent.

"Writers should live and know the world — a job, heartbreak, divorce, poverty, jail — and the lack of experience in very literate young writers...is the most serious flaw in their work. That and secondhand imaginations. "

--Barry Hannah, in Oxford American

Just so you know, I "stumbled" over to Pete Lit doing a Google search for Joel Phelps, a great writer in his own right, or should I more correctly say, "songwriter"?

If you need something perfect for a snowy January day, order Phelps' most recent release (or anything else, for that matter). Until it arrives, check this out over at WFMU.

Writers that inspire

The blogging has been sparse, particularly at this site. I’ve tried to keep the focus of this blog on writing and the associations that pertain to its craft. As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve gone back into the fulltime workforce, which is actually proving to be a positive thing—obviously having a regular paycheck is a good thing—but I also find my creativity seems to have taken an upturn. Not only am I actively pursuing new ideas for writing, I’ve also gotten out my guitar and have been playing the past couple of evenings—when you open up the creativity spout, look out!

One of my favorite non-fiction writers, particularly for his insights on writing and living an authentic life, is Po Bronson. For me, he has a very “real” grasp on writing and removes the sentimentality and romance from something that is as much about hard work as it is about epiphanies and creative bolts hitting you from on high.

I’ve read several of his books, including the excellent, What Should I Do With My Life?, which helped me put my need to write in the proper focus and helped me to have the courage and will to begin freelancing and eventually, write a book of my own. I continue to find Bronson’s insights and reality-checks helpful as I move forward with my writing and begin working on a new idea for a book that I hope to have out at some point in 2007.

I’m somewhat disappointed by having to shelve, or at least put on the back burner, my non-fiction anthology that I had hopes of releasing this fall. While the decision to pull the plug, or at least delay the release was tough—I had to contact several very good writers, telling them I had decided not to publish my anthology, after actively promoting it to Maine’s non-fiction writing community—I realize now, about six weeks after making my decision that it was the right one.

I find that I’m excited again about the prospect of a new idea for a book and actually, the possibility might be there, in the context of my new vision for a book, to actually include some of the better submissions I received for the anthology, if the writers are willing to give me another shot.

Writing has been both frustrating and rewarding, often at the same time. However, I remain committed to my craft—refining it, developing new skills and perfecting the ones I have—all with an eye towards seeing what new ways I can define progress and even success in what I love to do.