It is impossible to ruin a rough draft. -Tricia McDonald
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The conference at Khardomah is done and so I'm back to reality and dirty laundry and a house to clean and meals to make. But lingering still are the conversations, the ideas, the great writing I heard, and the sense that I am not alone in the struggles and joys of writing. Granted, I also came to the realization that there are as many different writing styles as there are writers--but still, we share many common frustrations.
After starting the morning in a total funk this past Saturday, I talked to several writers and ended out realizing that the problem was me. I was putting all kinds of stress on myself to make this first draft "good". Okay so in reality I was trying to make it perfect--and rough drafts just aren't. That would be like an oxymoron or something. Perfect first draft. Yeah, right!
But yet, there I was, all depressed because what I had written wasn't "good enough." I had to cast aside those gremlins and be reminded again and again that I couldn't ruin a first draft. No matter what I did--write too much, write not enough, write flat characters--I couldn't ruin a first draft.
So today--having dragged myself out of bed with the threat that "If you don't get up now, you won't have any time to write"--I typed out that quote and hung it on my monitor before I started writing. I will look at it ever time I open my computer to write.
Now that you have returned through the rabbit hole--what have you found to be the most helpful part of the Khardomah conference? And how many days until Glen Lake?
5 comments:
Today's mood: tired (as usual). Music: Sarah McLachlan (as usual).
I went to Khardomah with no agenda and no plans, but with a book and 2 magazines. Didn't read anything. Dug into my 12+ year old epic, got re-energized revising the outline, until I got to the usual plot-block. Just skipping over it is not productive-- it always comes back to bite me a few chapters later. However, after getting home I did manage to rethink my approach and come up with a plan that might finally push a narrative sewer tape through the structural plot blockage. (Don't quote me on that, I obviously have not fully polished that thought yet.)
--Mark Wolfgang
PS, thanks for hosting this forum, Sarah. I added a link to our PW site News page, and I'll link it in future emails, too.
Ooo, I'm a Sarah McLachlan fan too! And I think it's interesting--given the debriefing on Saturday--that even though you didn't have plans, when you sat down and started writing, it got you re-energized. I used to think I could only write when I was inspired (read "depressed" or "mad at the spousal unit"), but now I found I can be inspired between 6:45 and 7:30 every day. Because that is when I sit down to write.
Great having you in my group again and I hope you continue this story because I'm interested in hearing where it goes.
It was great having you as a group leader, too. I sat there Friday thinking "thank GOD I'm not in charge here...." Don't know why, but it just did not appeal to me.
My most creative and productive years were back when I was totally frustrated and depressed over my job. I think over the weekend someone mentioned complacency being a hindrance to writing. It's true. Of course my productiveness back then was guided toward publishing a blockbuster and quitting my day job. Didn't happen, ain't gonna happen. 13 years later, I guess I just have to buckle down and do what needs to be done.
Mark
I had planned to go to Khardoma, but it just didn't work out: wife had to work, one car in shop, son home from college, etc. I could have used the feedback.
My motivation is at an all time low. I sit and look at a blank screen and nothing happens. Losing my column last spring left me questioning my ability. Perhaps, things have changed too much from what I learned about the outdoors when I was younger. Today's hunters want instant gratification and a heavy game bag--they don't seem to care about sunrises or sunsets, see the majesty in a flock of Canada geese, or the wonder of how a small stream works.
I have a love affair with native prairie--I would have loved to have seen it when the country was young. Imagine traveling the midwest in a conastoga wagon where the sky and grass stretched to an endless horizon. Few trees grew on the prairie. I'm toying with some type of historical novel--I have no clue where to start or if anyone would be interested.
We missed you at Khardomah. I know the feeling of staring at a blank screen. In my case, it's because I'm afraid what I will write won't be good enough and I'll somehow screw up the story. Not that it matters because it is a first draft. But it is hard to get it out of my head. Granted, I'm not writing for a living, but still, what if you just sat down and wrote up some of those outdoor experiences? I know we have magazines here in the library that deal with the outdoors--especially for kids. Ranger Rick, National Wildlife, Boy's Life, Outdoor Life. Those are just some that we have in our library. Maybe even Michigan History would be an option if you are looking at Michigan back in the lumbering days. I've headed to Barnes & Noble and browsed through the magazines to see what's out there. Even travel magazines would be a good option if you like to write about nature and wildlife and scenery. Are there any camping or hiking magazines?
And most of all, just write. Write what moves you--then later worry about publishing. Oh gee, I guess I'd better take my own advice-eh?
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