What Really Happened

Yesterday we talked about getting out of your own way and letting the writing happen. This next chapter, What Really Happened, expands on that and is really interesting from a psychological standpoint. Palumbo goes back to the theme of mining your own experiences, but insists that we must be willing to let go of our own endings and create what works for the story. Just because it really happened doesn't make it a good story.

It's all about the story.

My husband was watching a Mad Men Marathon on AMC last night. I'd never watched Mad Men before, but he fell asleep and I got drawn into it. What really caught my interest was the conversation breaks with Matt Weiner, creator of the series. I loved that chance to peek into his mind and his thought process as he created each episode. His focus was always on what worked for the characters and the story.


During one of the breaks, AMC played a commercial that featured the cast of Mad Men as themselves, discussing the show. Jon Hamm said, "Story Matters Here." That reminded me of a comment I'd read earlier in the year by one of the creators of GLEE. When asked if he could get a certain star onto the show, he responded that it depended on whether she fit the story, that story came first. With such strong emphasis on story, it's no surprise that these two shows have over 34 Emmy nominations between them.


It's all about the story.


So back to Palumbo and how we use our life experiences in developing story. He offers something to consider:

As the impulse to use this incident for a story arises, something happens. Your imagination and craft - even your desire to use the incident - renders it no longer merely a memory from your past, but a story to be shaped. Events are changed, truncated, altered in sequence... In other words, what started as a poigant moment from your childhood has become a scene in your novel or screenplay and therefore fodder for the sometime ruthless demands of aesthetic and craft.(p. 51)

So why is this important?

Apparently writers are often loath to change details of something they experienced. Palumbo uses the example of one writer whose stories kept getting rejected because editors hated the ending. The writer couldn't conceive of changing it because, as she said, "That's what really happened."

This chapter is intriguing on a psychological level because Palumbo explores our reticence to change our experiences. Do we feel that we're betraying ourselves (or the people whose stories we are telling), if we use our(their) stories but change them?

I can't say I recall ever feeling this way. I'm probably more likely to write a scene the way I wish it had happened. Reading this chapter makes me wonder if I'm not falling into that same trap though. Don't I need to think like the creators of GLEE and Mad Men and write what makes a great story, not what I want to happen in it? If, as Palumbo states in the previous chapter, all writing is autobiographical, I need to consider if I'm trying to remake incidents in my life to fit my preferred outcome.

Food for thought.

For example, I've read many authors who say writing conflict is their most difficult task because they are peaceful people and they hate to have bad things happen to characters they like. Yet we know that without conflict, story fails.


What do you think? Do you put story first? Or is your subconscious making demands at the expense of your story?

Get out of your own way

"There is only one type of story in the world - your story." ~ Ray Bradbury

Dennis Palumbo opens the second section* discussing the above quote by Ray Bradbury. I'd love to know what people think of it.

Palumbo uses it to illustrate a particular point - that despite all the how-to books, all the conferences, workshops, classes, tapes, etc., when all is said and done, YOU have to write YOUR story.He uses a really interesting story of a young man in one of his classes who had obvious talent, but whose writing was falling flat. He asked the man to retell the scene as if he were the protagonist instead of his fictional character. Palumbo says the story came alive - it was gripping, funny, scary - it reflected the man in a way his previous writing had not. He had been trying to write too much like he thought he had to.

Palumbo's point - which refers back to Bradbury's quote - is that all writing is autobiographical. What you choose to write about, what perspective you write from, what you include, what you leave out, your world view, your experiences and feelings - all is reflected in your writing. Palumbo suggests that to make your writing unique and powerful, you need to embrace that, not fight it.

Mine your life to enrich your writing.

The title of the chapter is Simple, but Not Easy because he says the concept is simple but it's not an easy one for us to accept or explore, hence the growth industry of "how-to-write" media.

He promises it's worth it to get out of the way of your own writing and let yourself emerge through your writing. "Getting out of your won way means being with who you are, moment to moment, whether you like it or not. And then being with your liking or not liking it, and writing from that place." (p. 48)

Sounds like a good challenge. Anyone have any experiences or thoughts about writing like that?


*Part of an ongoing series discussing Dennis Palumbo's Writing From the Inside Out (Transforming Your Psychological Blocks to Release the Writer Within).

Writing Begets Writing aka Write is a Verb

A few years ago, I saw a book on the shelf in Barnes and Noble that really spoke to me. I didn't need to buy it; the title was enough.

Write is a Verb: Sit Down, Start Writing, No Excuses by Bill O'Hanlon.

I went home and typed the title in huge font on cardstock to place above my computer.

I was thinking today that "Write is a Verb" serves as an excellent reminder of priorities. It's so easy to get caught up in blogging, tweeting, talking books in any number of digital ways with countless cyber-friends, but in the end, it all comes down to you writing the best book you can write.

Dennis Palumbo addresses the same refrain in the chapter Writing Begets Writing. He calls it the one and only Cosmic Truth in a writer's life. Writing Begets Writing.

"Regardless of the issues a writer struggles with - creative blocks, procrastination, fear of failure, etc. - the very act of writing tends to stoke the energy, continue the flow, direct the current of further writing." (p. 35)

If you're stuck on a plot point - write anyway. If you are unsure of what action a character should choose - write it out. If you are totally blocked, write about that. The point is - write - no matter what.

Palumbo goes into wonderful detail about how writing even that first bad sentence sets off a whole set of internal responses that put you on the write track. I'm not going to go into that because I have to get back to writing. :) But I do recommend you give the book a glance if you're having trouble.

But just in case you're having a bad writing day, I'll leave you with this advice from the book. Palumbo quotes Harold Clurman who was asked if he lamented the number of bad plays on Broadway.
"No, bad work is the manure from which good work emerges."

So if you're having a bad day, think of it as manure for future brilliance.




And if you'd like to share, what has your experience been? Does writing beget writing for you?



Happy writing!


Part of an ongoing series discussing Dennis Palumbo's Writing From the Inside Out (Transforming Your Psychological Blocks to Release the Writer Within).

Thursday Musings

I was going to post this
and take the day off from blogging to concentrate on my story, but two things got in the way.

1) As excited as I was working on my story late last night, I am NOT a morning person, so this morning I hate the very thought of opening that document. It's going to take several more cups of coffee and maybe even something sweet to get me ready; and

2) Yesterday while I was cleaning out a bookcase, I came across a folio of tapes from the RWA 2003 conference. Dennis Palumbo was the PAN Keynote Speaker. Guess I'll have to see if I have any device around that will still play those cassette tapes. There's also a Do's and Don'ts tape. It might be fun to see how many of those Don'ts have changed since 2003.

Blueberries, Peaches and Pie...oh

(You didn't think I'd say Oh MY did you?)
I was tempted to but that would be sort of a cliche and yesterday I read an excellent guest blog post by Jody Hedlund called Creative but not Cliched over at Not Enough Words. I recommend checking it out.

So today I thought I'd take a bit of a break from the writing blogs to talk about pie. Specifically the best blueberry pie I've ever had.

A few weeks ago, the DH and I traveled to Boston for a family reunion. We rarely get to go out just the two of us so the night before the reunion we had a lovely dinner at Longfellow's Wayside Inn. The inn has an interesting and almost symbiotic history with Longfellow that makes for interesting reading, but it was the food that I want to write about.

First, I had the most amazing salad - mixed greens with toasted pecans, dried cranberries, blue cheese crumbles, and a cranberry vinaigrette. I'm not a huge salad fan but this was amazing. Looked pretty much like this -->



I had a lobster pie for dinner and then came dessert. I'd seen an apple crumb pie on the menu and was determined to make room for it, but then the waitress mentioned their cold blueberry pie. Since it was my first day of summer vacation, there seemed something symbolic in that so I said sure, I'd try that instead of the apple.

WOW! You'd only agree with the WOW!!!!! if you absolutely love blueberries because this was the blueberriest pie I've ever had. It was a chilled pie and I haven't really figured out how it was made *kicks self for not asking* because the blueberries weren't cooked but there was some light glaze that held the whole thing together. The blueberries were the plumpest, crispest blueberries I've ever had (and I grew up picking blueberries by the bushel).
I've been trying to duplicate the pie and although I've never gotten it exactly right, I have created some pretty yummy pies. My favorites have been mixing blueberries and peaches. I simmer a cup of blueberries in water, some sugar and a little cornstarch, and when the mix thickens, I pour it over a pile of cut up but uncooked peaches and whole blueberries. Fold the fruit into the cornstarch mix, pour into a pre-baked pie shell and chill for a few hours. Delicious and since there's very little sugar, not even that unhealthy.

Here's a picture of the one I made last night. Unfortunately I didn't think to photograph it until after my daughter had attacked it.



And since being creature of habit keeps me writing - today's writing chapter is about letting go of your darlings - those words or stories that you just hate to let go of. Hmmm, if I don't talk about the chapter, can I hold on to my favorites just a little longer?

Seriously, do you have a problem with letting go of certain jokes, characters, old stories? Or do you have a favorite summer recipe to share?

"It's Alive"

Part of an ongoing series discussing Dennis Palumbo's Writing From the Inside Out (Transforming Your Psychological Blocks to Release the Writer Within).


"It's Alive"

To be honest, I don't have much to say about this chapter. One idea stands out - that writing is a living thing. "A dialogic process in which you and your writing create together that which is being written." p. 30

He goes on to talk about the moment you know your work is truly alive - when it's time in the story for a character to do or say something and the character rebels. "The character has taken on a life real enough to conflict with your carefully determined plans for him." (p. 31)

What's interesting to me about this is that I've heard both sides of this. Authors love to talk about their characters taking over, but I've also heard craft gurus claim that it's nonsense; that if you plot our your story carefully there's no room for that.

So what do you think? Do you let your characters take over, or do you have it all planned out in advance and refuse to change?