Jennifer R. Hubbard's Blog, page 58
June 6, 2013
Capturing what would otherwise fade away
I'm not a visual artist, but I had the urge to paint something today. Specifically, the rose petals I saw lying on the sidewalk. Brilliant pink, tapering to creamy white, they made me want to capture them in some permanent way.
Which got me thinking about the creative urge. The world gives me rose petals, and I want to give rose petals back. I see a rose petal and want to paint a rose petal. What is that? Is it a generous impulse ("give rose petals back") or a selfish one? (Am I trying to own the world, to make it mine?)
I've just finished reading Sylvia Plath's journals, and the last section consists of detailed descriptions of her neighbors in England: their illnesses and flirtations, their children, their problems, their wallpaper, their clothing, and what they served for tea. It's clear she used these as exercises, practice in writing description, practice in observing. In one entry, she chides herself for not paying closer attention to what someone was wearing so that she could record it in her journal.
But because she became famous, these anecdotes are now part of history: the little annoyances and frictions between neighbors. There's a scene where Plath is picking daffodils from her property to sell at the market, to try to bring in some extra income, and she has a conversation with a neighbor in which she believes the neighbor is angling for free flowers. That scene struck me as so human. It plays out countless times between neighbors, co-workers, family members--just replace "daffodils" with any of a thousand other favors.
Probably nobody is safe around a writer: we are always taking notes.
Which got me thinking about the creative urge. The world gives me rose petals, and I want to give rose petals back. I see a rose petal and want to paint a rose petal. What is that? Is it a generous impulse ("give rose petals back") or a selfish one? (Am I trying to own the world, to make it mine?)
I've just finished reading Sylvia Plath's journals, and the last section consists of detailed descriptions of her neighbors in England: their illnesses and flirtations, their children, their problems, their wallpaper, their clothing, and what they served for tea. It's clear she used these as exercises, practice in writing description, practice in observing. In one entry, she chides herself for not paying closer attention to what someone was wearing so that she could record it in her journal.
But because she became famous, these anecdotes are now part of history: the little annoyances and frictions between neighbors. There's a scene where Plath is picking daffodils from her property to sell at the market, to try to bring in some extra income, and she has a conversation with a neighbor in which she believes the neighbor is angling for free flowers. That scene struck me as so human. It plays out countless times between neighbors, co-workers, family members--just replace "daffodils" with any of a thousand other favors.
Probably nobody is safe around a writer: we are always taking notes.
June 4, 2013
First job
I guest posted for Shaun David Hutchinson, who solicited true-life "FML" stories in preparation for his upcoming YA novel, FML.* I shared fond (ahem) memories of my first job. It wasn't the uniforms, the time clock, or the aching feet that bothered me most ...
Hop on over and reminisce. If you drop in there and mention your worst job ever, you'll be entered in a drawing for both of my books (which was extremely generous of Shaun to offer).
*If you're wondering what FML stands for: the F stands for an impolite word (the same one the F in WTF represents), and ML stands for "my life." I loosely translate the expression as, "I'm having a Murphy's Law kind of day/week/month."
Hop on over and reminisce. If you drop in there and mention your worst job ever, you'll be entered in a drawing for both of my books (which was extremely generous of Shaun to offer).
*If you're wondering what FML stands for: the F stands for an impolite word (the same one the F in WTF represents), and ML stands for "my life." I loosely translate the expression as, "I'm having a Murphy's Law kind of day/week/month."
June 3, 2013
Crossed off the list
This past weekend, at an art museum, I saw an exhibit that was one huge wall (two stories, I believe) completely covered with to-do lists on which the items had been crossed out. I think the title of the piece was "Accomplished." You can see a little bit of it (about ten lists) in the graphic on this page:
http://woodmereartmuseum.org/exhibition/72nd-annual-juried-exhibitions/
I'm a list-maker myself, but I feel as if I never get to the end. The image of all those lists, all those cross-outs, struck me as possibly happy and possibly sad. I don't think I could be as productive as I am without lists; on the other hand, there are times when I would love to clear the decks and not have so much of my time spoken for, planned, prearranged.
What do you make of the crossed-out lists?
http://woodmereartmuseum.org/exhibition/72nd-annual-juried-exhibitions/
I'm a list-maker myself, but I feel as if I never get to the end. The image of all those lists, all those cross-outs, struck me as possibly happy and possibly sad. I don't think I could be as productive as I am without lists; on the other hand, there are times when I would love to clear the decks and not have so much of my time spoken for, planned, prearranged.
What do you make of the crossed-out lists?
May 30, 2013
Measuring growth
"So in actual written artifacts from my past, I sound way less smart than I tend to recall having been."
--Mary Karr, Cherry
At least our writing keeps getting better. ;-)
--Mary Karr, Cherry
At least our writing keeps getting better. ;-)
May 28, 2013
Social networking considered
Over at YA Outside the Lines, I posted about planning ahead with social networks. A sample: "By the time I started Twitter, I was able to foresee many of the decisions I would have to make ... I had developed a set of questions that helps me frame a personal online policy for any new network. ..."
I would say I'm also more cautious now about joining new networks. The thought of having to create any more profiles or set any more passwords is daunting. My favorite online hangouts are still blogs, Twitter, and the blue boards. I also like my Goodreads presence, because from the start I planned the very specific way in which I wanted to use it. When it comes to social media, I now know what I like, and I have some idea of how many sites I can really keep up with (hint: it's a lower number than the number of sites I actually joined). Have you found yourself setting policies for yourself, whether formally or informally?
I would say I'm also more cautious now about joining new networks. The thought of having to create any more profiles or set any more passwords is daunting. My favorite online hangouts are still blogs, Twitter, and the blue boards. I also like my Goodreads presence, because from the start I planned the very specific way in which I wanted to use it. When it comes to social media, I now know what I like, and I have some idea of how many sites I can really keep up with (hint: it's a lower number than the number of sites I actually joined). Have you found yourself setting policies for yourself, whether formally or informally?
May 26, 2013
Valuable writing tip
I wanted to post something about inflexibility. At least, that is what my notes indicate. I have a notebook next to my keyboard in which I jot ideas for stories, blog posts, etc. And in the place where I remember writing down an idea for my next blog post, I find this: "inflexibility." Okay. What about inflexibility? What profound thoughts did I have to share on that topic? I cannot remember. Which just goes to show that sometimes one word is enough as a memory-jogging note, and sometimes it is not.
Below "inflexibility" I have this word: "ghazal." I remember exactly why I wrote down "ghazal." Alas, it has nothing to do with a blog post. It was because someone online mentioned ghazals and I want to look them up sometime and see how they are written, because I think it might be a fun exercise for myself to try writing one. (This is how writers par-tay.) In that case, one word was sufficient as a note. But you, my blog readers, are probably thinking, as well you might: That's all very nice for you, going off to write your fun ghazal sometime, but what does it do for me? What does it tell me about inflexibility? Nothing! And I'm sad to say: If that is what you are thinking, you are right.
Writers are advised to have notebooks with them at all times to catch the ideas they will want to remember later. Here is my writing tip for the day: Make sure your notes in that notebook are both legible and of sufficient length to capture whatever it was you wanted to remember. ;-)
Below "inflexibility" I have this word: "ghazal." I remember exactly why I wrote down "ghazal." Alas, it has nothing to do with a blog post. It was because someone online mentioned ghazals and I want to look them up sometime and see how they are written, because I think it might be a fun exercise for myself to try writing one. (This is how writers par-tay.) In that case, one word was sufficient as a note. But you, my blog readers, are probably thinking, as well you might: That's all very nice for you, going off to write your fun ghazal sometime, but what does it do for me? What does it tell me about inflexibility? Nothing! And I'm sad to say: If that is what you are thinking, you are right.
Writers are advised to have notebooks with them at all times to catch the ideas they will want to remember later. Here is my writing tip for the day: Make sure your notes in that notebook are both legible and of sufficient length to capture whatever it was you wanted to remember. ;-)
May 24, 2013
The stars of our own dramas
There are a couple of tropes that have long bothered me--not necessarily in each instance of their use, but I wish those uses were less frequent. One is the character whose unrequited love persists for decades; the character forgoes all other chances at happiness and clings to the love that can never be. Now, this story line can be done well, and it has been ... but in real life more often than not, people get over it. Even if they carry a small torch somewhere in the backs of their minds for a lost love, they still find new relationships and happiness. As my friend Kelly Fineman has pointed out, Jane Austen knew this--her Rakes who Didn't Get the Girl did not pine away for the heroines forever. Mostly, they married others and had lives of their own. I find the unrequited love especially annoying when it's a minor character who seems to exist solely for the purpose of having a futile crush on the main character (and sometimes, to cheer on the main character's successful union with the main love interest).
The other pattern I dislike is the one where only the main couple in a story gets to have a love life, and all the minor characters are window dressing with no romances of their own. One reason I liked the TV show The Office was that the secondary characters, like Phyllis and Erin and Angela and Oscar, got to have their own love lives. (Although it bothered me that Toby ended up falling into the other trope, with an endless unrequited crush on Pam.) The rounded secondary characters in that show delighted me, and I've always wanted to recommend it to writers for that reason (and now the show is ending. But hey, it lives on in syndication.)
In reality, we're all the stars of our own dramas, and not likely to sacrifice our love and all our hopes and dreams to the interests of some other "main character." In our own minds, we're the main characters. Every side character in a story is the main character of his own life, and his actions should happen accordingly. If he helps or hinders the story's main character, it should be because his own interests happen to intersect (or conflict) with the main character's interests.
The other pattern I dislike is the one where only the main couple in a story gets to have a love life, and all the minor characters are window dressing with no romances of their own. One reason I liked the TV show The Office was that the secondary characters, like Phyllis and Erin and Angela and Oscar, got to have their own love lives. (Although it bothered me that Toby ended up falling into the other trope, with an endless unrequited crush on Pam.) The rounded secondary characters in that show delighted me, and I've always wanted to recommend it to writers for that reason (and now the show is ending. But hey, it lives on in syndication.)
In reality, we're all the stars of our own dramas, and not likely to sacrifice our love and all our hopes and dreams to the interests of some other "main character." In our own minds, we're the main characters. Every side character in a story is the main character of his own life, and his actions should happen accordingly. If he helps or hinders the story's main character, it should be because his own interests happen to intersect (or conflict) with the main character's interests.
May 22, 2013
Motivation
I've always loved the "Author Insight" feature at the Wastepaper Prose blog. This week's question is "How do you make yourself write when you aren't in the mood?" The answers ranged from people who take a break and don't force it, to those who push on through, reasoning that this is a job and sometimes you just have days like that.
I've approached it both ways. Part of developing a writing process is knowing when to push through a "block" and when to step back and take a rest. Sometimes reluctance to write is a sign of burnout, but other times it's a sign that we're nearing a scene we need to write that will be emotionally or technically challenging, and sometimes it's a bit of laziness that dissipates once we start writing. Sometimes the subconscious needs more time to work on the story, and other times sitting down at the keyboard is the act that unlocks a new plotline.
I show up almost every day at the keyboard. I usually get at least a few words, often many more. Sometimes I can hear the wheels in my head creaking while the muse strains to come up with something, anything. It's kind of comforting to know that not all writers race to the keyboard and type as if they're taking dictation. I've been reading Sylvia Plath's journals, and she records day after day of struggling, doubting, wondering if she really has what it takes, feeling unmotivated. In other words, sounding like practically every writer I know.
I've approached it both ways. Part of developing a writing process is knowing when to push through a "block" and when to step back and take a rest. Sometimes reluctance to write is a sign of burnout, but other times it's a sign that we're nearing a scene we need to write that will be emotionally or technically challenging, and sometimes it's a bit of laziness that dissipates once we start writing. Sometimes the subconscious needs more time to work on the story, and other times sitting down at the keyboard is the act that unlocks a new plotline.
I show up almost every day at the keyboard. I usually get at least a few words, often many more. Sometimes I can hear the wheels in my head creaking while the muse strains to come up with something, anything. It's kind of comforting to know that not all writers race to the keyboard and type as if they're taking dictation. I've been reading Sylvia Plath's journals, and she records day after day of struggling, doubting, wondering if she really has what it takes, feeling unmotivated. In other words, sounding like practically every writer I know.
May 20, 2013
I'm still reading a lot, and writing, and thinking.For th...
I'm still reading a lot, and writing, and thinking.
For those in the Lehigh Valley area, or willing to travel there, I'll be on a panel this weekend to talk about writing for young adults:
Saturday, May 25, 11 AM - 1 PM: Panel on Young Adult Books. Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group. PALMER LIBRARY, 3 Weller Place, Palmer Township, PA. Appearing with Alissa Grosso, Nicole Zoltack, and John Evans.
For those in the Lehigh Valley area, or willing to travel there, I'll be on a panel this weekend to talk about writing for young adults:
Saturday, May 25, 11 AM - 1 PM: Panel on Young Adult Books. Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group. PALMER LIBRARY, 3 Weller Place, Palmer Township, PA. Appearing with Alissa Grosso, Nicole Zoltack, and John Evans.
May 17, 2013
Guilt and social media
In response to my last post about phases of being quieter online, two people (one on Blogger, one on LiveJournal) commented about feeling guilty when they withdraw from social media. The second time someone mentioned guilt, I decided I want to say more on this subject.
Why should anyone feel guilty for stepping back? I wondered. After all, blogs and Twitter feeds and Facebook pages are all optional; most of us are not paid to do them and make no promises about when we'll post. Nobody's going to die over whether we post or not. (OK, if you see a tornado coming and tweet about it, you might save someone's life. But that's an exception!)
But entering the online world is entering a community. Most of us interact with a core group regularly, as well as with whomever else clicks on by. We have a horror of being thought of as the writer who became "too good" for her old blog buddies once she signed a book contract. We hate the idea of losing touch with friends once we tie the knot or have a baby. We don't want to disappear when we change jobs.
We like our friends and don't want to lose touch with them.
There's also the fact that sometimes when people disappear, it's because they've had a crisis, and we know people may worry. I can think of one writer I used to see on LiveJournal. Our relationship was at the "acquaintance" level, and many people migrated from LJ to other platforms, so it wasn't until I heard of her untimely death (from another social-media site) that I remembered her and realized I hadn't heard anything about her in a long while. It made me wonder about all the other people I used to see online but don't anymore. I assumed most of them just got tired of blogging or moved over to Facebook, and I know some of them went back to school or got new jobs or simply got so swamped by book promotion that they stepped back from the blogosphere--but now I wonder. Are they okay? I may never know.
So in one sense, I understand the desire to explain our absences from social media. And I think it's a nice idea to say, "I'm going offline for a while" if that's what we're doing. But I don't think we owe anyone an explanation. I don't think we have to justify our absences. Although I've been disappointed when my favorite bloggers stopped posting, I don't believe they owed me anything. They put up a bunch of free content that I enjoyed; we had some fun interactions; how can I complain about that?
Most of all, I don't think social media should have to be a chore. I do think it's important for writers to have at least one place online where readers can find them if they want, one place that provides a bio and author photo and a list of their books. But that can be a single page and doesn't have to be updated too often. Beyond that, it's all icing on the cake. It's about having fun and connecting with people, and if we're not getting that fun and connection here, or if we simply need to focus attention elsewhere, it's natural to step away. The Social Media Police will not come after us. :-)
Why should anyone feel guilty for stepping back? I wondered. After all, blogs and Twitter feeds and Facebook pages are all optional; most of us are not paid to do them and make no promises about when we'll post. Nobody's going to die over whether we post or not. (OK, if you see a tornado coming and tweet about it, you might save someone's life. But that's an exception!)
But entering the online world is entering a community. Most of us interact with a core group regularly, as well as with whomever else clicks on by. We have a horror of being thought of as the writer who became "too good" for her old blog buddies once she signed a book contract. We hate the idea of losing touch with friends once we tie the knot or have a baby. We don't want to disappear when we change jobs.
We like our friends and don't want to lose touch with them.
There's also the fact that sometimes when people disappear, it's because they've had a crisis, and we know people may worry. I can think of one writer I used to see on LiveJournal. Our relationship was at the "acquaintance" level, and many people migrated from LJ to other platforms, so it wasn't until I heard of her untimely death (from another social-media site) that I remembered her and realized I hadn't heard anything about her in a long while. It made me wonder about all the other people I used to see online but don't anymore. I assumed most of them just got tired of blogging or moved over to Facebook, and I know some of them went back to school or got new jobs or simply got so swamped by book promotion that they stepped back from the blogosphere--but now I wonder. Are they okay? I may never know.
So in one sense, I understand the desire to explain our absences from social media. And I think it's a nice idea to say, "I'm going offline for a while" if that's what we're doing. But I don't think we owe anyone an explanation. I don't think we have to justify our absences. Although I've been disappointed when my favorite bloggers stopped posting, I don't believe they owed me anything. They put up a bunch of free content that I enjoyed; we had some fun interactions; how can I complain about that?
Most of all, I don't think social media should have to be a chore. I do think it's important for writers to have at least one place online where readers can find them if they want, one place that provides a bio and author photo and a list of their books. But that can be a single page and doesn't have to be updated too often. Beyond that, it's all icing on the cake. It's about having fun and connecting with people, and if we're not getting that fun and connection here, or if we simply need to focus attention elsewhere, it's natural to step away. The Social Media Police will not come after us. :-)
