What We Know

"For myself, I always write about Dublin, because if I can get to the heart of Dublin I can get to the heart of all the cities of the world. In the particular is contained the universal."

~James Joyce

In my opinion, in the end, we all write what we know.  We may start with one idea, have a whole story planned, an intended direction, but the life we've experienced, that is what ultimately comes out in the end

I don't know how many times I've gone into a story with ideas about it, only for it to veer off in it's own direction, into something that rings true to the person I am inside, what I know.  (And just so you know, I'm a fan of letting the subconscious do some good steering of the story).

Am I the only one who finds that what they think they know about their story doesn't end up being the case after all?

Anyways back to the quote.  I think writing is all about writing what we know and letting the universal come out.  I've found myself quite often trying to write about someone who worked an occupation that I'd studied, only to find that it didn't come naturally.  When I thought about another occupation that I'd had when I was younger, and allowed that for my character not only did it fit better, but it allowed a certain flow to the story that wasn't there before--not only because I knew it from a more tactile and personal sense but because there was something about it that my subconscious seemed to pick up and tie to my story.

I guess what I'm wondering, for those of you out there who delve into areas that you haven't lived, how do you create that intimate portrayal in your writing without having real life experience?  I know the imagination plays a big part, and I don't have much problem when it comes to fantasy elements, or creating characters, but when it comes to tying in aspects of the story that are real and others may know better (and in my opinion, should be tied into the/a theme of the story)--how do you do it?

First post/ Introduction

Really, posting to this blog is throwing my words into internet oblivion, but hopefully I will make me some online writing friends in the near future! I don't have my real name here, as you may have noticed, but I figure that will enable me to be more free in what I write.  So, my oodles of future blogging buddies will just have to deal with my anonymity.  Besides, who doesn't like a little mystery? (And just so you know, I may or may not dress as a middle class woman from the 17th century as I write.)

I've got a lot of insecurities when it comes to my writing, but then again, what writer doesn't?  I didn't start writing until, maybe, three years ago--seriously--when I started my first story about a teen girl who 'wins' a trip on a cruise ship (except it isn't a vacation cruise after all, Dunh Dunh Dunh...ah, yet another story to finish) and so I feel, even more so insecure about my writing.  I mean, when I was a child, I didn't want to grow up and be writer.  I wanted to be a nurse.  I didn't know, then, that a nurse would have to see lotsa blood.  Add to my late jump into creative writing, the fact that I married young, and had kiddos soon; My schooling has yet to be finished as well.


So my writing consists of a whole lot of google-search self teaching.  The fact that I have a novel almost complete (of which I cranked out all 56,048 words in about 3 weeks!) makes me feel pretty secure in my efforts.  I'm not just climbing that sand mountain, constantly tearing myself down when I read my suckiness.  I've learned that to succeed, you have to allow yourself to fail.  And with writing, if you fail and crap up an entire story (not that I feel that has entirely happened yet, but close), you can always edit.  So I have come to allow myself to just enjoy the process, in all it's first draft, beginning writer, crappy glory, then I can fine tune until it's beautiful.

But, I have to say that I already find beauty in my rough draft.  My characters so have a life of their own, I can't help but lay awake at night wondering (using my current story as an example) are they going to get together in the end?  Augh! It's worse than reading the first novel in a series and having to wait for the other two or so to come out.  Because it's all on me.  If I don't complete, it isn't going to happen.

Did I mention I don't sleep much anymore?

Anyways, for this blog's future, I hope to post my poetry, creative writing exercises, blab about the stories I am working on and maybe, just maybe post little tid-bits from them.  We'll see.

For now I am going to focus on at least one exercise a week, just to record my process (and hopefully progress?!) as a writer as I work toward writing that novel that, you know, like everyone is going to fall in love with and steal the names of the characters to name their kids after.  Just kidding.  But seriously, I love my story and can't wait to find even just one person in the world who would enjoy it.  That would be so rewarding.

Until then, here's to perfecting the craft!!  (Imagine an alcohol-free beverage toast.)