Thanks for these, Becky. "Right now, all that is important is that it matters to you." And right now once more. The secret for me is to enjoy writing, to find pleasure in the act, the action of my eyes and my mind and the words. Sometimes i feel guilty because it seems like such a tribulation to so many, but I have always enjoyed writing, those little decisions you write of that are more like detecting intuitional or sub-emotional currents for me. Joy. Pleasure. Not boxing, writing is the sweet science. For yourself first and maybe middle and maybe last. I'm 77 and just got my first novel published, fifty years after my first story. The only hard part are the minutes of sitting there and poking around and waiting for the current to get going. I just locomote that quiet little high of making the sentence, the paragraph, the chapter, those countless timeless decisions till the end.
When I go to see a really beautiful piece of theater, or dance performance, or a powerful concert, or eat a super delicious meal... my mind starts flowing in this different way and I get a huge download of new ideas. I really love when this happens, although sometimes I feel a little bit sorry that I am turning inwards instead of staying fully present enjoying the dope art :').
Your post reminded me of this, when you talk about waiting for the 'click'. That we are doing this creative work every moment of our lives and we don't realize it. I really do feel that way.
I am also reading Patti Smith's Just Kids right now (well I'm actually listening to the audiobook which is amazing as she narrates it herself), and it is reminding me that we are just artists in general. All these famous writers and musicians from NYC in the 60s/70s were also putting on bizzare alternative theater pieces, modeling, setting up expos.... I think that this is easy to forget, but being involved or at least witnessing all forms of art, I think, help to keep us inspired and energized.
I hit a rough period in my life, a decade in which I couldn't write because life itself was too hard, and I had stopped calling myself a writer. Then something happened, a click, and the writing energy returned, and now I'm trying to figure out what happened in the literary world while I was sleeping like Rip Van Winkle.
You're right, Becky, writing is a faith-based practice - which, as an atheist, seems a strange thing for me to agree whole-heartedly with. But otherwise, how do you negotiate the tyranny of the blank page - but with faith that one word will follow and another until the page is filled & the imagination fired.
Perhaps, writing is my religon.
I admired how you free-associated from idea to idea in this essay - you made it seem effortless, though I know it often isn't.
Thanks for the insight - and incite.
Now I need to go back to having a moment on Twitter because a contemporary (but far more accomplished) writer called Tobsha Learner, who, along with Anais Nin, I cite as inspiration for my writing on sexuality, has just followed me. Out of the blue. I followed her in about 2017. Was it random, or something I wrote? I can only hope it was the latter! :D
Becky, your words flew in when I needed them most. Thank you for the permission and the hope. I just sent out my draft novel (the one that began as a short story idea) to test readers today.
I'd say the usual "This feels like it was written just for me," but that's not enough. The last two sections of this post are exactly what I didn't know I needed to hear until I read them. They're exactly what I've just done by starting a Substack, but also what I wasn't seeing in another part of my life. If I've been waiting for a sign (and I'll be honest; I have), this was it. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
writing poetry for me is like breathing hard- it requires attention and a bit of out-of-the-norm feelings. The best way that works for me is to write a poem- put it aside for several months- yes months and when I pick it up again several things happen : I recognize it but it needs work and now I see what it needs or I pick it up in wonderment and say, "I couldn't have written this-0 it's good" with a few changes or: This is horrible- the emotions and feelings are good but not the way I've written it and I scrap it and begin again! Three different outcomes... But writing prose- like my memoir, which had to get to my editor by the end of this month is different: I never think it is good except for small parts, I never know how much Judaism I need to explain because I'm writing for a general audience and not a Jewish one and oddly enough, the parts that are the ugliest (rape and sexual harassment) were not difficult at all. I had put this off for so many years that it no longer hurts as it did. But prose in general is harder than poetry for me!!
First of all, thank you, Becky for the much-needed boost. This past month, I thought I'd come to a stand-still. But when that happens, I read like crazy. That is always my way of hanging in there. Received an invite to review a recently published book in translation from the Danish. Well, I'd read the book before knowing the way would open for the particular review. (Now I have the project ready to go.) So it's just another case of lucky serendipity. It happens frequently with me. But please note, during my dry time I didn't actually stop, I simply shifted with more commitment toward the reading. Then from the gentle little pocket of success I felt spurred on to form a new poetry collection and have just submitted that tonight, with but one hour to spare before the deadline at Driftwood. If that doesn't yield, I'll reshape it and send it out elsewhere. Anyway, thanks for listening to this midnight garble!
This was exactly what I needed to hear on this Monday as I slog my way through revision #3 of a novel I have been working on for a number of years, feeling lost, but determined to go on because the book won't let me quit it. Thank you for all these little motivational gems.
Thanks, Becky, you're always helpful, especially on deadline days. I hope you take time for yourself on vacation, you're always so giving to the rest of us.
Thanks for these, Becky. "Right now, all that is important is that it matters to you." And right now once more. The secret for me is to enjoy writing, to find pleasure in the act, the action of my eyes and my mind and the words. Sometimes i feel guilty because it seems like such a tribulation to so many, but I have always enjoyed writing, those little decisions you write of that are more like detecting intuitional or sub-emotional currents for me. Joy. Pleasure. Not boxing, writing is the sweet science. For yourself first and maybe middle and maybe last. I'm 77 and just got my first novel published, fifty years after my first story. The only hard part are the minutes of sitting there and poking around and waiting for the current to get going. I just locomote that quiet little high of making the sentence, the paragraph, the chapter, those countless timeless decisions till the end.
Congratulations on the novel!
Congratulations on that first novel! And, in advance, for the next one...
Thank you, Donna!
thanks, Bruce!
Does this happen to anyone else?:
When I go to see a really beautiful piece of theater, or dance performance, or a powerful concert, or eat a super delicious meal... my mind starts flowing in this different way and I get a huge download of new ideas. I really love when this happens, although sometimes I feel a little bit sorry that I am turning inwards instead of staying fully present enjoying the dope art :').
Your post reminded me of this, when you talk about waiting for the 'click'. That we are doing this creative work every moment of our lives and we don't realize it. I really do feel that way.
I am also reading Patti Smith's Just Kids right now (well I'm actually listening to the audiobook which is amazing as she narrates it herself), and it is reminding me that we are just artists in general. All these famous writers and musicians from NYC in the 60s/70s were also putting on bizzare alternative theater pieces, modeling, setting up expos.... I think that this is easy to forget, but being involved or at least witnessing all forms of art, I think, help to keep us inspired and energized.
Thanks for the motivation :)
I hit a rough period in my life, a decade in which I couldn't write because life itself was too hard, and I had stopped calling myself a writer. Then something happened, a click, and the writing energy returned, and now I'm trying to figure out what happened in the literary world while I was sleeping like Rip Van Winkle.
Wow--this DID motivate me this Monday. Writing is a faith-based practice with our faith in the *future*. I love that--thank you.
You're right, Becky, writing is a faith-based practice - which, as an atheist, seems a strange thing for me to agree whole-heartedly with. But otherwise, how do you negotiate the tyranny of the blank page - but with faith that one word will follow and another until the page is filled & the imagination fired.
Perhaps, writing is my religon.
I admired how you free-associated from idea to idea in this essay - you made it seem effortless, though I know it often isn't.
Thanks for the insight - and incite.
Now I need to go back to having a moment on Twitter because a contemporary (but far more accomplished) writer called Tobsha Learner, who, along with Anais Nin, I cite as inspiration for my writing on sexuality, has just followed me. Out of the blue. I followed her in about 2017. Was it random, or something I wrote? I can only hope it was the latter! :D
I hope you enjoy your final days in France ...
Becky, your words flew in when I needed them most. Thank you for the permission and the hope. I just sent out my draft novel (the one that began as a short story idea) to test readers today.
I'd say the usual "This feels like it was written just for me," but that's not enough. The last two sections of this post are exactly what I didn't know I needed to hear until I read them. They're exactly what I've just done by starting a Substack, but also what I wasn't seeing in another part of my life. If I've been waiting for a sign (and I'll be honest; I have), this was it. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
writing poetry for me is like breathing hard- it requires attention and a bit of out-of-the-norm feelings. The best way that works for me is to write a poem- put it aside for several months- yes months and when I pick it up again several things happen : I recognize it but it needs work and now I see what it needs or I pick it up in wonderment and say, "I couldn't have written this-0 it's good" with a few changes or: This is horrible- the emotions and feelings are good but not the way I've written it and I scrap it and begin again! Three different outcomes... But writing prose- like my memoir, which had to get to my editor by the end of this month is different: I never think it is good except for small parts, I never know how much Judaism I need to explain because I'm writing for a general audience and not a Jewish one and oddly enough, the parts that are the ugliest (rape and sexual harassment) were not difficult at all. I had put this off for so many years that it no longer hurts as it did. But prose in general is harder than poetry for me!!
This is spot on. We don't know so many things as writers but as it turns out, knowing doesn't matter. Writing does. So just do it. It's fun!
Your mom told you to write it down. A friend told me "you always need a project", the only project I could stick with was writing.
This was wonderful even though I'm reading it on Tuesday. Great motivation
First of all, thank you, Becky for the much-needed boost. This past month, I thought I'd come to a stand-still. But when that happens, I read like crazy. That is always my way of hanging in there. Received an invite to review a recently published book in translation from the Danish. Well, I'd read the book before knowing the way would open for the particular review. (Now I have the project ready to go.) So it's just another case of lucky serendipity. It happens frequently with me. But please note, during my dry time I didn't actually stop, I simply shifted with more commitment toward the reading. Then from the gentle little pocket of success I felt spurred on to form a new poetry collection and have just submitted that tonight, with but one hour to spare before the deadline at Driftwood. If that doesn't yield, I'll reshape it and send it out elsewhere. Anyway, thanks for listening to this midnight garble!
This was exactly what I needed to hear on this Monday as I slog my way through revision #3 of a novel I have been working on for a number of years, feeling lost, but determined to go on because the book won't let me quit it. Thank you for all these little motivational gems.
Thanks, Becky, you're always helpful, especially on deadline days. I hope you take time for yourself on vacation, you're always so giving to the rest of us.
Thank you for your generous and lyrical words.
Hmm. I’m kind of stuck on the ex-husband joke, Becky.
Haha.