How I Write Fiction
A reader asked me to produce a post about how I write fiction. They wanted to know how I came up with ideas and then how I translated those ideas from my head onto the paper or in my case screen. It is a good question and one that I have written about before. It is called:
I Don’t Always Believe In Happy Endings
In an effort to avoid being repetitive I am going to try to cover some things that I didn’t speak about in the initial post. I have been described as being very intense and passionate person. I am not sure that I can provide an accurate assessment as to whether I am any more passionate or intense than the next person.
What I do know is that I have had a bunch of life experience. I have been in love and I have been heartbroken. I have friends that I love, who I would die for. It goes without saying that I feel even more so about my family. In my life I have celebrated great success and deeply mourned my losses.
Heartbreak is not just about loving a person. Sometimes you can be heartbroken about missed opportunities, or at least suffer from severe regret. There is not much that I regret. I have gotten pretty good at just shrugging my shoulders at life, but there are those few things.
I write based upon my gut, it is just instinct. I compose at the computer and the words just kind of show up on screen. I suspect that my best writing comes from my being able to get in touch with certain feelings. Sometimes I can find the old wounds and rip the scab right off of them. Sometimes I can relive those moments of pain and frustration and transfer it to the keyboard.
Sometimes I am surprised to find a tear or two hit the keyboard. It doesn’t happen too often, but sometimes.
Really what I am saying here is not all that insightful. My best writing comes from what I know or at least what I think I know. It is a subjective thing. Some people love my writing and others hate it.
I don’t know if that is a satisfactory answer, but it will have to do for now. It is late and I am ready for bed.
Lailah tov from LA.
Sheyna February 4, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Personally, I love the “where do you get your ideas?” question.
🙂
I took a theatre arts class in college and the professor was part of the Sanford Meisner school: acting is living truthfully under imaginary circumstances. I think that carries over into fiction much the same way, and it sounds like maybe some of that is the way you write, as well(?).
I also think there’s an art to writing well. It’s not just about tapping into strong emotions and letting the words flow. There’s an art to which words to use, which order, phrasing and beat and images brought to life. Exceptional writers, I think, are those who can tell ordinary things in an extraordinary way.
Even if it seems instinctual, gut-based, or just the ability to get in touch with your feelings.
I, for one, enjoy it. 🙂