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Written by Elizabeth Genco
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Monday, 25 April 2005 |
How does one become a writer? By aggressively learning and practicing points of craft. Elizabeth introduces her new column and wants to know what sorts of craft you've been up to.
You may not know it yet, but I write all the time.
You probably don't know this yet. That's because I'm still fairly new to the fiction writing game. "Finding my levels," as my partner would say. And that's fine. You will, promise.
That fact begs a certain question: how does one go from zero fiction to fiction writer?
When it comes to fiction writing, I've hardly taken the straight and narrow path. I've hit many detours, false starts, and potholes along the way (though I adamantly maintain that having made up my mind on the story writing score, my determination will never waver, no matter what the obstacle).
Through the ups, downs, and many stretches of empty highway, I've always had one order of business, first and foremost: figuring out what the hell I'm doing. You know -- teaching myself how to write.
Call me kooky (okay, so I've always been a little woo-woo -- that's another story), but I'm guessing that you don't think about the notion of teaching yourself how to write very often. This is where I come in, every other week for the next nine months or so. Don't worry, it'll be good for you. Promise.
There are as many different ways to learn one's writing craft as there are writers. Some folks have been born with the writing impulse (not me). Others have spent a lot of time engaged in formal training, such as bachelor's and master's degree programs (also not me). Hopefully, all of us write (let's be honest -- that one is often open to question).
Me? I teach myself craft by reading a ton. By watching what goes on around me. By listening carefully to others who have been there, done that (some of whom are quite knowledgeable and well-known, thank you very much). By immersing myself in story, every chance that I get. And, of course, by writing.
(Oddly enough, the writing came last, which I take as evidence of "everything in its own time, sometimes". Note: I don't recommend this. Get out your fricking pen and your fricking notebook, and do what you have to do to make the magic happen. And by magic, I mean, pushing said pen around until you make something that resembles words. Full sentences are not required -- yet.)
How are you teaching yourself the craft? Is it an active process, or are you on autopilot?
Recently, I took a look back at my three years or so of pursuing my dream of making up stories and writing them down. Much to my surprise (seriously -- that's why I'm bringing this up), I've formed some very strong opinions on the subject. All of that reading, absorbing, listening, and, of course, writing has resulted in quite the assortment of conclusions. I know that I like, I know what I don't like. I know what I want to do, I know what I definitely do not want to do under any circumstances (and yet sometimes do anyway, of course).
Over the course of the next nine months, I'd like to share some of these things with you. These are the things that I believe writers should consider often. They are the points of craft that I actively try to incorporate into my work. You don't have to agree with all that I have to say, of course. Hopefully you'll form your own opinions about craft, if you haven't already. And maybe you'll start to put those into practice.
And thank God for that, man, because that's what this is all about, at the end of the day.
Note: this will not be a column about pitching, promotion, selling your books at conventions, or helping retailers sell your books. Very important issues, these, but, they are secondary to the craft of writing. By "secondary", I don't mean "lesser than"; rather, I mean, "comes before or after that part where one writes the stories down." (Argue semantics with me here if you must, but I think you know what I'm getting at.) Besides, there are plenty of folks who have tackled these subjects loads better than I ever could.
It has taken a little while, but I've figured out a few things. I'm confident that they will serve me well. Indeed, regardless of where my fiction ultimately ends up, they already have.
I'll give you the lessons that I've learned. What are yours?
Having self-published an award-winning zine, PLATFORM, Elizabeth Genco now spends most of her free time writing and pondering fiction. Among her many works-in-progress is a six-issue comics series with Leland Purvis. |
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