I actually wasn't going to blog today - my brain is too exhausted from this first week back to school (looooong week).
But, I was inspired tonight by an email I just received from one of my good friends. She very recently caught the writing "bug" and wanted to tell me about it. She's been writing fan fiction (I've read it - it's very good!), and has gotten amazing feedback from people. Her email to me tonight was basically telling me about the "high" of writing she's experienced - the long nights she stays up crafting her story, the feeling she gets when someone (many someones!) compliments her work.
So, I wanted to devote this entry to my friend, and to all those "new" writers whose excitement is infectious. It's not that she couldn't write before - she absolutely could. But now, she's caught the bug. She's a goner, like the rest of us. And it wouldn't surprise me one bit if she never stopped writing.
Because there's really no cure for that "bug," once you catch it - once you experience the rush of emotions when you get lost in that world you've created. Or when the Muse keeps you up late at night, typing a million miles a minute. Or when people you don't know (who, are therefore unbiased), take time out of their day to write and tell you how amazing your story is - how it transports them and takes them to another place.
And - it takes a fellow writer to understand completely this feeling, this bug. So, Friend, welcome to the club. You're in good company. ;-)
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
The Dreaded Synopsis
To wrap up this little series on courting agents/publishers, I thought I'd tackle something I find particularly challenging (as do most writers, probably). The dreaded synopsis.
Many agents ask to see a synopsis (overview of your entire novel). Some require it to be brief (2 or 3 pages), while others don't mind a longer version (5-8 pages). The reason a synopsis is so difficult to write is because you're whittling down a 400-page book (or thereabouts) to a couple of pages -- while still trying to make the book sound interesting. An enormous task.
As with the query letter, I suggest writing the synopsis EARLY. Start writing it, in fact, as soon as you start writing your novel. This will make the process much easier.
Also making it easier are these two GREAT online articles I've recently found. I couldn't say it any better than this, so I'll let them do the talking:
How I Write a Fiction Synopsis
Synopsis Writing This list of articles is particularly fascinating. What a great idea! Here's Chuck Sambuchino's clever way of looking at a synopsis:
I always tell people that if they're confused as to how a novel synopsis should look, simply go to Wikipedia. Search any movie made in the last five years and the first thing on the page is the long "Plot" section, which is essentially a front-to-back synopsis. A lot of them are too long; a lot of them are poorly written; but some are good - and you will get a sense of how they work.
Many agents ask to see a synopsis (overview of your entire novel). Some require it to be brief (2 or 3 pages), while others don't mind a longer version (5-8 pages). The reason a synopsis is so difficult to write is because you're whittling down a 400-page book (or thereabouts) to a couple of pages -- while still trying to make the book sound interesting. An enormous task.
As with the query letter, I suggest writing the synopsis EARLY. Start writing it, in fact, as soon as you start writing your novel. This will make the process much easier.
Also making it easier are these two GREAT online articles I've recently found. I couldn't say it any better than this, so I'll let them do the talking:
How I Write a Fiction Synopsis
Synopsis Writing This list of articles is particularly fascinating. What a great idea! Here's Chuck Sambuchino's clever way of looking at a synopsis:
I always tell people that if they're confused as to how a novel synopsis should look, simply go to Wikipedia. Search any movie made in the last five years and the first thing on the page is the long "Plot" section, which is essentially a front-to-back synopsis. A lot of them are too long; a lot of them are poorly written; but some are good - and you will get a sense of how they work.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Query Letters = First Impressions!!
If you've ever tried to get published, or if you've ever been to a writer's conference or taken a writing class, you probably already know something about a query letter (i.e., the letter that makes you or breaks you - just about every agent/publisher wants one, sometimes in lieu of the actual work you're trying to submit).
Today, I want to emphasize its importance and pass along some basic "don'ts" I've learned over the years. I'm not an official expert, but I've been to writer's conferences, read many books on the subject, and have had a couple of minor successes, myself (an article, a poem).
I actually assign a query letter in my Creative Writing class. I show the students an example of a good query letter, talk about its importance, and ask them to write one of their own. I think it's good practice for them. Because even if they don't want to get published now, they might change their minds in 10 years, and will already have one under their belts.
The most important thing to know about a query letter is that it is, primarily, a BUSINESS letter. Not that it can't contain creativity or originality or a "hook." But, ultimately, it should be professional, concise, and free of grammar errors and typos. Because, let's face it, this letter is the first (and perhaps last!) impression the agents/publishers have of you. Since you don't (usually) pitch your book in person, they won't see how spiffy your outfit is, or hear how sonorous your voice is, or see the sparkle in your eye as you talk about your characters. No, they'll just see words sitting on a page. So let those words BE your best impression. You're a writer, after all. Show the agent that you can write.
I actually begin writing my query letter while I write the first few chapters of my novel. By that point, the main plot is well-set in my mind, and I hopefully know the main "hook." So, I set about, crafting a query letter that I will return to and tweak over and over again as I'm writing the novel. Then, by the time the novel is finished, edited, and polished, I have my query letter.
Here are some small-but-imperative tips I learned at numerous conferences over the years: DON'T use fancy font or colored paper (light beige or gray are acceptable). DON'T tell the agent that you're the next John Grisham, or that your mother loved your story (the agent wants to find that out on his/her own). DON'T let your letter exceed one page (the agent doesn't have time for anything more). DON'T use gimmicks (this doesn't mean you shouldn't start with an intriguing "hook" for a first sentence - but if it's too showy or manipulative, it can turn an agent off). DON'T be arrogant in your tone (but also don't be too meek - you want to ride that line between confidence and humility). DON'T address the agent as "To Whom It May Concern" or "Dear Sir/Ma'am" (it shows you haven't done your research and didn't take the time to look up the person's name).
So, before you eagerly send out that query letter, be SURE it's ready. Be sure it's concise, effective, and polished. And yes, the cliche is true: you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. So, take advantage of the chance you do have, and get it right the first time.
Today, I want to emphasize its importance and pass along some basic "don'ts" I've learned over the years. I'm not an official expert, but I've been to writer's conferences, read many books on the subject, and have had a couple of minor successes, myself (an article, a poem).
I actually assign a query letter in my Creative Writing class. I show the students an example of a good query letter, talk about its importance, and ask them to write one of their own. I think it's good practice for them. Because even if they don't want to get published now, they might change their minds in 10 years, and will already have one under their belts.
The most important thing to know about a query letter is that it is, primarily, a BUSINESS letter. Not that it can't contain creativity or originality or a "hook." But, ultimately, it should be professional, concise, and free of grammar errors and typos. Because, let's face it, this letter is the first (and perhaps last!) impression the agents/publishers have of you. Since you don't (usually) pitch your book in person, they won't see how spiffy your outfit is, or hear how sonorous your voice is, or see the sparkle in your eye as you talk about your characters. No, they'll just see words sitting on a page. So let those words BE your best impression. You're a writer, after all. Show the agent that you can write.
I actually begin writing my query letter while I write the first few chapters of my novel. By that point, the main plot is well-set in my mind, and I hopefully know the main "hook." So, I set about, crafting a query letter that I will return to and tweak over and over again as I'm writing the novel. Then, by the time the novel is finished, edited, and polished, I have my query letter.
Here are some small-but-imperative tips I learned at numerous conferences over the years: DON'T use fancy font or colored paper (light beige or gray are acceptable). DON'T tell the agent that you're the next John Grisham, or that your mother loved your story (the agent wants to find that out on his/her own). DON'T let your letter exceed one page (the agent doesn't have time for anything more). DON'T use gimmicks (this doesn't mean you shouldn't start with an intriguing "hook" for a first sentence - but if it's too showy or manipulative, it can turn an agent off). DON'T be arrogant in your tone (but also don't be too meek - you want to ride that line between confidence and humility). DON'T address the agent as "To Whom It May Concern" or "Dear Sir/Ma'am" (it shows you haven't done your research and didn't take the time to look up the person's name).
So, before you eagerly send out that query letter, be SURE it's ready. Be sure it's concise, effective, and polished. And yes, the cliche is true: you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. So, take advantage of the chance you do have, and get it right the first time.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Why Write?
Though I haven't before devoted an entire entry to the "why write?" question, I've mentioned my own personal reasons here and there throughout the blog. So, instead of repeating myself, I thought I'd let the professionals give their own answers:
Why Write??
"If I don't write to empty my mind, I go mad." ~Lord Byron
"How do I know what I think, until I see what I say." ~W.H. Auden
"Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don't feel I should be doing something else." ~Gloria Steinem
"Why do writers write? Because it isn't there." ~Thomas Berger
"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." ~Rudyard Kipling
"There are three reasons for becoming a writer. The first is that you need the money; the second, that you have something to say that you think the world should know; and the third is that you can't think what to do with the long winter evenings. ~Quentin Crisp
"Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say." ~Sharon O'Brien
"When I'm writing, I know I'm doing the thing I was born to do." ~Anne Sexton
Why Write??
"If I don't write to empty my mind, I go mad." ~Lord Byron
"How do I know what I think, until I see what I say." ~W.H. Auden
"Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don't feel I should be doing something else." ~Gloria Steinem
"Why do writers write? Because it isn't there." ~Thomas Berger
"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." ~Rudyard Kipling
"There are three reasons for becoming a writer. The first is that you need the money; the second, that you have something to say that you think the world should know; and the third is that you can't think what to do with the long winter evenings. ~Quentin Crisp
"Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say." ~Sharon O'Brien
"When I'm writing, I know I'm doing the thing I was born to do." ~Anne Sexton
Friday, January 8, 2010
TO Get Published - Here is My Answer
Yesterday, I posed the question, "Why do you (or don't you) want to get published?" I thought I'd try and answer it for myself today...
There are many reasons I'd love to see my novels in print. I think the biggest reason is actually to SEE it in print. I've talked before about how much I love the tactile experience of holding a book, the olfactory experience of smelling that "new book smell." Well, the thought of having my own words, my own thoughts/ideas/characters grace the inside pages of a new book makes me giggly. It just does. To see the cover of a book with my title, yes, even my name, would be one of the most thrilling experiences I could think of. If that makes me a nerd, then so be it. :-)
Another reason I'd love to get published is - okay, I admit it - for validation. No, getting published doesn't make me a better writer. It doesn't magically take words I wrote maybe 2 years ago and transform them into "legitimate, acceptable" words. But what it does do is to, hopefully, show those people in my life who doubt me, who are completely disinterested, who even shake their heads and tell me with their silence that I'll never reach my goal - that I can do it. If that makes me sound petty or ridiculous, then so be it.
Finally, I'll give Alex's answer - I love the idea of other people reading words I wrote. I like the notion that someone, somewhere, maybe in Maryland or New York or California, will browse a bookstore, pause at seeing my cover (if they can find it amongst the other thousands of unknown authors), pick up my book and flip through it, and decide, for some reason, to spend their hard-earned dollars to purchase it. Even more, I like the idea of that person going home after a difficult work day, maybe even with personal burdens, and ESCAPING their lives, momentarily, through reading my book. Because that's partly the reason that I read. I would love for someone to experience what I experience through books - escapism, sheer joy over the written word, even a reflection of oneself through a character or situation. The thought that I, somehow, was a part of that process for someone else is an amazing concept.
By the way, notice I didn't mention money? That's because the likelihood of someone like me (an unknown) becoming a Maeve Benchy or Debbie Macomber is slim to none. Which means that - if I ever do get published - the advance will be small, and I'll probably struggle to publish a second one. That's just reality. But the bigger reason I didn't mention money on that list is that I don't write for money. I write for ME. I'm selfish, that way. I write because something in me wants to put words on the page. I get enormous satisfaction from brainstorming characters, plotting their life paths, making decisions for them. And, with each book, I (hopefully) get to grow as a writer, stretch my muscles, challenge myself.
I'll even take it this far: if someone had a crystal ball and told me, without question, that my novels would never be published, I'd be a little saddened (okay, more than a little). But it wouldn't stop me from writing. Publication would be a lovely by-product, but it is not the main goal. It is not why I write. God willing, I will write until I'm an old woman. Whether published or not.
There are many reasons I'd love to see my novels in print. I think the biggest reason is actually to SEE it in print. I've talked before about how much I love the tactile experience of holding a book, the olfactory experience of smelling that "new book smell." Well, the thought of having my own words, my own thoughts/ideas/characters grace the inside pages of a new book makes me giggly. It just does. To see the cover of a book with my title, yes, even my name, would be one of the most thrilling experiences I could think of. If that makes me a nerd, then so be it. :-)
Another reason I'd love to get published is - okay, I admit it - for validation. No, getting published doesn't make me a better writer. It doesn't magically take words I wrote maybe 2 years ago and transform them into "legitimate, acceptable" words. But what it does do is to, hopefully, show those people in my life who doubt me, who are completely disinterested, who even shake their heads and tell me with their silence that I'll never reach my goal - that I can do it. If that makes me sound petty or ridiculous, then so be it.
Finally, I'll give Alex's answer - I love the idea of other people reading words I wrote. I like the notion that someone, somewhere, maybe in Maryland or New York or California, will browse a bookstore, pause at seeing my cover (if they can find it amongst the other thousands of unknown authors), pick up my book and flip through it, and decide, for some reason, to spend their hard-earned dollars to purchase it. Even more, I like the idea of that person going home after a difficult work day, maybe even with personal burdens, and ESCAPING their lives, momentarily, through reading my book. Because that's partly the reason that I read. I would love for someone to experience what I experience through books - escapism, sheer joy over the written word, even a reflection of oneself through a character or situation. The thought that I, somehow, was a part of that process for someone else is an amazing concept.
By the way, notice I didn't mention money? That's because the likelihood of someone like me (an unknown) becoming a Maeve Benchy or Debbie Macomber is slim to none. Which means that - if I ever do get published - the advance will be small, and I'll probably struggle to publish a second one. That's just reality. But the bigger reason I didn't mention money on that list is that I don't write for money. I write for ME. I'm selfish, that way. I write because something in me wants to put words on the page. I get enormous satisfaction from brainstorming characters, plotting their life paths, making decisions for them. And, with each book, I (hopefully) get to grow as a writer, stretch my muscles, challenge myself.
I'll even take it this far: if someone had a crystal ball and told me, without question, that my novels would never be published, I'd be a little saddened (okay, more than a little). But it wouldn't stop me from writing. Publication would be a lovely by-product, but it is not the main goal. It is not why I write. God willing, I will write until I'm an old woman. Whether published or not.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
To Publish or Not to Publish...
In my Creative Writing class, I spend a small fraction of the semester talking about publication - the dos/don'ts, the ins/outs, the rewards/pitfalls. But the first thing I do is to ask the students a question: Why do you want to get published?
Sure, not everyone wants to get published. I acknowledge that and absolutely respect it. Publication is a personal choice. But, I guess I would offer the same question to those people, as well: Why do you NOT want to get published?
A former student of mine - let's call him Alex - approached me after class one day and said, respectfully but firmly, "I don't want to get published." This lead to a fascinating conversation. He was of the opinion that his writing (which was GOOD) would be instantly commercialized the moment it was transferred into print. That the purity of his art would be suddenly deemed impure, that he would be "selling out." I nodded, listened, and told him I completely understood. I respected his choice.
What's interesting is that 3 months later, at the end of the semester, Alex approached me after class and said, "You know, I've changed my mind. I do want to try and get published." I asked him why. He said, "Well, I've decided that what I write is personal, but important. I've decided that it deserves to be seen, to be put 'out there.' But most of all, I really want other people to read it."
Either way, to publish or not to publish, I think it's important that every writer searches himself/herself and asks that question every now and then. Because sometimes, over the course of time and our "life journey," we just might change our minds. ;-)
Sure, not everyone wants to get published. I acknowledge that and absolutely respect it. Publication is a personal choice. But, I guess I would offer the same question to those people, as well: Why do you NOT want to get published?
A former student of mine - let's call him Alex - approached me after class one day and said, respectfully but firmly, "I don't want to get published." This lead to a fascinating conversation. He was of the opinion that his writing (which was GOOD) would be instantly commercialized the moment it was transferred into print. That the purity of his art would be suddenly deemed impure, that he would be "selling out." I nodded, listened, and told him I completely understood. I respected his choice.
What's interesting is that 3 months later, at the end of the semester, Alex approached me after class and said, "You know, I've changed my mind. I do want to try and get published." I asked him why. He said, "Well, I've decided that what I write is personal, but important. I've decided that it deserves to be seen, to be put 'out there.' But most of all, I really want other people to read it."
Either way, to publish or not to publish, I think it's important that every writer searches himself/herself and asks that question every now and then. Because sometimes, over the course of time and our "life journey," we just might change our minds. ;-)
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Movie Time!
I stumbled across this movie trailer yesterday - cast is great and the premise looks, well, familiar for almost any writer. LOL
Multiple Sarcasms
Synopsis (from Apple.com): It’s New York, 1979. Gabriel Richmond is a talented architect with a seemingly rich life as he has a caring wife, loving daughter and life long friends. Yet, he spends most days in the movie theater, hiding out from work, escaping into a fictional world where he can more readily relate to the made up characters. When fiction shines a mirror on his own life, an inspired Gabriel begins writing a play not-so-loosely based on his reality, examining all of the relationships that make his life what it is.
It reminds me of a T-shirt I bought ages ago, which says: "CAREFUL, OR YOU'LL END UP IN MY NOVEL." *giggle*
If this movie is half as good as I think it'll be, I can't wait to show it to my Creative Writing class someday...
Multiple Sarcasms
Synopsis (from Apple.com): It’s New York, 1979. Gabriel Richmond is a talented architect with a seemingly rich life as he has a caring wife, loving daughter and life long friends. Yet, he spends most days in the movie theater, hiding out from work, escaping into a fictional world where he can more readily relate to the made up characters. When fiction shines a mirror on his own life, an inspired Gabriel begins writing a play not-so-loosely based on his reality, examining all of the relationships that make his life what it is.
It reminds me of a T-shirt I bought ages ago, which says: "CAREFUL, OR YOU'LL END UP IN MY NOVEL." *giggle*
If this movie is half as good as I think it'll be, I can't wait to show it to my Creative Writing class someday...
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Forgive Me...
I'm about to do something mean. Here it is, only days after the Christmas rush. People are paying off credit cards, pinching pennies, being frugal. So, here's the mean part. I'm about to make things more difficult for you writers by posting a link. You can't look at this site and not be tempted to spend, spend, spend. Trust me on this.
Shakespeare's Den
Is that a cool site, or what?!?!
Here's the thing. It's difficult to find gifts that are specifically tailored for writers. But the other day, I came across the above site -- a writer's dream, in terms of gifts. Pens, novelty items, journals, umbrellas, pillows, bookmarks, mugs, you name it. All ranging from serious to whimsical, all devoted to writers and writing (not just Shakespeare).
So, my apologies for making your lives (and my own!) more challenging. But, really - don't you deserve a little gift for yourself? Just a reward for perservering through the trials and tribulations of being a writer? My own reward will probably involve this (<---60% off!). Or this. Or maybe even this.
Decisions, decisions...
Shakespeare's Den
Is that a cool site, or what?!?!
Here's the thing. It's difficult to find gifts that are specifically tailored for writers. But the other day, I came across the above site -- a writer's dream, in terms of gifts. Pens, novelty items, journals, umbrellas, pillows, bookmarks, mugs, you name it. All ranging from serious to whimsical, all devoted to writers and writing (not just Shakespeare).
So, my apologies for making your lives (and my own!) more challenging. But, really - don't you deserve a little gift for yourself? Just a reward for perservering through the trials and tribulations of being a writer? My own reward will probably involve this (<---60% off!). Or this. Or maybe even this.
Decisions, decisions...
Monday, January 4, 2010
First Loves
Do you remember your first love? I'm talking books here, not people. I recall mine vividly. I had enjoyed books before this one, but not LOVED them. My first love was Emily of New Moon, by L. M. Montgomery (author of the Anne of Green Gables series).
Emily was a WRITER. She made notes in journals and observed nature and life and people. At about age 10, I immediately connected to that, without yet knowing I wanted to BE a writer someday. I also loved the descriptions. I remember reading the same sentence more than once, examining the individual words, picturing the imagery in my mind. From what I recall, Emily was serious-minded. Not silly and playful like many characters in children's books, but melancholy and thoughtful. Much like me, as a child.
Powerful stuff, children's books. In fact, I'm tempted to go back and read the New Moon series now, revisit those beloved books and see what they hold for me as an adult. *edit - Done. Just ordered the paperbacks. :-)
Questions: What book was your first love? What do you remember about it, and looking back as an adult, why do you think it affected you the way it did?
Emily was a WRITER. She made notes in journals and observed nature and life and people. At about age 10, I immediately connected to that, without yet knowing I wanted to BE a writer someday. I also loved the descriptions. I remember reading the same sentence more than once, examining the individual words, picturing the imagery in my mind. From what I recall, Emily was serious-minded. Not silly and playful like many characters in children's books, but melancholy and thoughtful. Much like me, as a child.
Powerful stuff, children's books. In fact, I'm tempted to go back and read the New Moon series now, revisit those beloved books and see what they hold for me as an adult. *edit - Done. Just ordered the paperbacks. :-)
Questions: What book was your first love? What do you remember about it, and looking back as an adult, why do you think it affected you the way it did?
Saturday, January 2, 2010
I Am Jo March
I want to do something splendid...something heroic or wonderful that won’t be forgotten after I’m dead...I think I shall write books. ~Louisa May Alcott (Little Women).
Two days ago, I watched a PBS documentary on Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women. Fascinating. I enjoyed how real a portrait the filmmakers painted - her dark periods, the financial woes, the doubts and insecurities, even the health problems later on. She was a real person, flesh and blood, and this documentary captured that extremely well.
Admittedly, Ms. Alcott "was" Jo March. She was fiesty, had an insatiable passion and hunger for writing, and didn't mind living along the edges of societal expectations. She had a mind of her own and was unafraid to show it.
I enjoy watching the film of Little Women (Winona Ryder version) each Christmas. And each time, I find myself nodding. I'm a "Jo," too. Growing up, I felt like a bit of an oddball, preferring reading/writing to attending parties or buying the latest fashions, like my friends, like my sister. Like Jo, I hold a passion for writing that I can't quench - except by writing. That image of Jo, sitting at her writing desk, pen poised, hat perched on her head, is an image I identify with (well, replacing the pen with a keyboard and removing the hat altogether).
But, probably the most important way I relate to Jo, and therefore, Ms. Alcott, is that it took me awhile to find my voice as a writer, to be comfortable in my own "writer's skin," to be brave enough to write what was "true." Jo began by writing wild, melodramatic stories of murder and "gore." Fantastical plots and thin characters. But then, when she looked inside herself, she grew as a writer. She learned that, no matter what the subject matter, as long as you're being true, writing from a place you can genuinely feel, the writing will resonate.
I started out in 6th grade writing (terrible) little mysteries. Then, at age 20, I attempted my first novel. I call it my "experiment." It's some period piece I'm embarrassed to recall, with cardboard characters and ridiculous plots. But sometime shortly after that, I began to write from experience. I got an idea for a second novel, a modern-day story about a complex, platonic friendship between the opposite sexes - the nuances, the dangers, the heartaches of such a relationship. I was writing partly from what I knew, what I had experienced, myself. And the writing came alive. A small part of me was put on that page, and I knew I was "writing true." That's been my goal ever since. Not so much to write autobiographies, to borrow from my own life so directly. But to find at least a tiny part of myself within each plot, within the main characters. It's my way of connecting to what's being put on the page.
So, in this post, I wanted to pay tribute to Jo March and her creator. And to all the other Jo March's out there who aren't afraid to be exactly who they are.
Two days ago, I watched a PBS documentary on Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women. Fascinating. I enjoyed how real a portrait the filmmakers painted - her dark periods, the financial woes, the doubts and insecurities, even the health problems later on. She was a real person, flesh and blood, and this documentary captured that extremely well.
Admittedly, Ms. Alcott "was" Jo March. She was fiesty, had an insatiable passion and hunger for writing, and didn't mind living along the edges of societal expectations. She had a mind of her own and was unafraid to show it.
I enjoy watching the film of Little Women (Winona Ryder version) each Christmas. And each time, I find myself nodding. I'm a "Jo," too. Growing up, I felt like a bit of an oddball, preferring reading/writing to attending parties or buying the latest fashions, like my friends, like my sister. Like Jo, I hold a passion for writing that I can't quench - except by writing. That image of Jo, sitting at her writing desk, pen poised, hat perched on her head, is an image I identify with (well, replacing the pen with a keyboard and removing the hat altogether).
But, probably the most important way I relate to Jo, and therefore, Ms. Alcott, is that it took me awhile to find my voice as a writer, to be comfortable in my own "writer's skin," to be brave enough to write what was "true." Jo began by writing wild, melodramatic stories of murder and "gore." Fantastical plots and thin characters. But then, when she looked inside herself, she grew as a writer. She learned that, no matter what the subject matter, as long as you're being true, writing from a place you can genuinely feel, the writing will resonate.
I started out in 6th grade writing (terrible) little mysteries. Then, at age 20, I attempted my first novel. I call it my "experiment." It's some period piece I'm embarrassed to recall, with cardboard characters and ridiculous plots. But sometime shortly after that, I began to write from experience. I got an idea for a second novel, a modern-day story about a complex, platonic friendship between the opposite sexes - the nuances, the dangers, the heartaches of such a relationship. I was writing partly from what I knew, what I had experienced, myself. And the writing came alive. A small part of me was put on that page, and I knew I was "writing true." That's been my goal ever since. Not so much to write autobiographies, to borrow from my own life so directly. But to find at least a tiny part of myself within each plot, within the main characters. It's my way of connecting to what's being put on the page.
So, in this post, I wanted to pay tribute to Jo March and her creator. And to all the other Jo March's out there who aren't afraid to be exactly who they are.
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