Totally Unsolicited (mostly, anyway) Advice About Writing
from Cathy Belben
Occasionally I get asked for writing advice. I don't think advice really helped anyone become a better writer (at least not as much as writing, writing, writing does), but here are some tips anyway:
1. What do you enjoy writing the most, and why?
I like all types of writing, and I mainly wrote fiction for many years, because it
allowed me to live outside myself. In a fictional world, I can be and do anything
I want. I can be a great-grandmother or a teenage boy or a firefighter, and in those roles, I can
lead an imaginary life that is safe and rewarding. I can also experiment with
different perspectives and voices. When I sit down to write, I "become" the character.
I don't go into a trance, exactly (that would be a little too weird for me), but
it's almost like I'm temporarily not myself. Kind of like being possessed, but
without all the head-spinning.
The last few years, I've concentrated more on non-fiction, in particular "participatory journalism" in which I seek out unusual activities, participate in them, and then write about my experience. I've also dabbled in television writing and I frequently write articles for librarians.
2. How do you get your ideas?
Most of the time, I come up with an idea for a
character--a smart aleck who hates school or a girl in conflict with her mother,
for example--and then I build the story around that character's voice and
imagine what kind of experiences a person with that voice and characteristics
might have. Then I choose an experience and develop it.
Sometimes I find "what if" scenarios useful in
starting or developing a story. "What if my character fell into a pond and
got leeches stuck to his armpits?" "What if a girl's boyfriend from 8th
grade later became a world-famous rock start?" "What if a high school
football star was convinced to turn out for the dance team and started a
school-wide rebellion?"
For non-fiction, I keep my ears and eyes peeled for strange places or activities or people I can visit and write about. I like finding weird stuff to do and then telling people about it. Of course, I also like writing about ordinary experiences in an entertaining way.
3. When do you write, and what do you do during your writing time?
This is a scary question. When I write at home this is
what happens: I settle myself in my writing office and stare at the
computer screen for about, oh, ten minutes. Then I go to the kitchen for a soda
or a couple of cookies. Then I try to write again, but the phone rings (or the
dog whines to be let in or out, whatever), and so I have to take another break
to attend to those problems. Then I stare at my computer screen, fiddle with the
books on my desk, organize my paperclip drawer, etc., until I've wasted a bunch
of time.
A PRODUCTIVE writing session looks like this:
1. I leave home with my computer. Usually I go to my
favorite cafe in Bellingham (I can't tell you which one). This helps me avoid
the aforementioned distractions.
2. I have a SPECIFIC PLAN for what I am going to
accomplish during that writing session--a certain scene I need to write, a set
of pages to revise, whatever.
3. I drink as much coffee as the cafe (and my body)
will allow.
4. I write for a set amount of time and don't let
myself leave the cafe until I'm done.
5. I do "research"--I people-watch, surf the
internet for ideas, read stories related to my characters, interview people I
know to get information that I don't know, etc.
4. How do you get published?
I don't know. I haven't had much published, but the key
seems to be patience, persistence, and a willingness to be relentless in your
pursuit of perfection: this means you must always look at your writing and
be willing to make changes and let go. Besides that, getting published
means putting a lot of time into researching agents and editors who might read
your work and be interested in it, and then learning exactly what they want to
see. It requires writing a lot of letters, sending out a lot of samples of
your work, and following up.Another key to publishing is to build up a literary
resume--start small, publishing in local magazines, newspapers, and even
independent 'zines, and then moving on to other, larger stuff.
5. What advice do you have for aspiring
writers?
Read absolutely everything. Read good literature
and crappy stuff, just so you can learn the difference.
REVISE, REVISE, REVISE. You cannot fall in love with
what you write and refuse to let go of anything. You must be confident about
your abilities, but clear-sighted about things that need changing.
Write all the time. View every school assignment,
every letter, every journal entry as an opportunity to improve your skills and
develop your voice. Keep a notebook in which you jot down ideas and drafts.
Discover what you love and write about it--whether it's music or skateboarding
or fly-fishing or making astronaut figurines out of mini-marshmallows. When you write about what you love, that writing will be filled
with your voice and your passion.
Be a learner. Listen to what other people have
to say. Absorb the world around you. Take classes and hone all of your creative
gifts.