I skipped the fireworks this weekend, which is to say that I chose to not walk out of my house to stare up at the sky exploding, but instead listened to the roar and rumble of various amateur and professional pyrotechnic enthusiasts while reading and critiquing student work.
I just found a twenty-year-old essay I did for a class, read it and thought--hey this is pretty good! I did not recall that the instructor had written "Great essay! " and then the names of several outlets I she thought I should send it to. All I remembered was that I thought I sent it out to one publication, Newsweek's My Turn, did not get a reply...then years later I found it in my email outbox, ie, I never sent it at all!
In this case, however, I really couldn't send it out or ultimately publish it. It was too revealing about not just me but also my husband. It was about our financial life and inability/unwillingness to control our spending during the child-raising years. I included actual credit card balances. I never showed it to my husband and can't imagine he would have said sure, put it out there! Too bad--it's a really good essay and even I can see that now. I can also see that I am an absolute champ at getting in my own way.
The Atlas paragraph through the windshield is the whole essay in four sentences. That's the thing about watching a four-year-old — you don't know you're watching a version of them that's about to disappear. You just think you're watching fireworks.
Thank you for the wobbly permission. I needed it more than I realized.
Thanks to your recommendation, I'm now reading Monster of a Land. It leaves me shaking my head at how good the writing is. I have to reread entire paragraphs because (1) they're so good and (2) they give me ideas about the project you and I discussed. Fireworks of another kind.
I marveled at how much I felt like I knew the narrator and I don't at all. No one sounds like her. I laughed out loud at the pizza guy scene. And yes, it might be a good book for you considering the aboutness we just talked about for your book. I've already marked up something to use in my scene class. I don't know if the whole book will be as good as that first essay, but I'm so impressed.
So good to know! Thank you. To be honest, I forgot I suggested it for you on Friday. We can talk about it when we meet. Which I'm weirdly thrilled about.
Adding another book to my list today! Thank you for the recommendation and the insight into the mind of self-doubting writers like me 🙃
I hope you like the book. And self-doubt is good for the writing. Unless it's paralyzing.
I just found a twenty-year-old essay I did for a class, read it and thought--hey this is pretty good! I did not recall that the instructor had written "Great essay! " and then the names of several outlets I she thought I should send it to. All I remembered was that I thought I sent it out to one publication, Newsweek's My Turn, did not get a reply...then years later I found it in my email outbox, ie, I never sent it at all!
In this case, however, I really couldn't send it out or ultimately publish it. It was too revealing about not just me but also my husband. It was about our financial life and inability/unwillingness to control our spending during the child-raising years. I included actual credit card balances. I never showed it to my husband and can't imagine he would have said sure, put it out there! Too bad--it's a really good essay and even I can see that now. I can also see that I am an absolute champ at getting in my own way.
Looking so forward to your "wobbly novel." :)
Thank you for saying this.
Accepted the rewriting part. On to embracing wobbliness now. Thanks, Cindy.
I like this phrase... wobbly writing. Ima use it to ward of the shit talker. it's not bad writing, it's just still finding it's footing. thank you ~
Loose bullet points -> word vomit -> edit
Always works for me 👌
The Atlas paragraph through the windshield is the whole essay in four sentences. That's the thing about watching a four-year-old — you don't know you're watching a version of them that's about to disappear. You just think you're watching fireworks.
Thank you for the wobbly permission. I needed it more than I realized.
Thanks to your recommendation, I'm now reading Monster of a Land. It leaves me shaking my head at how good the writing is. I have to reread entire paragraphs because (1) they're so good and (2) they give me ideas about the project you and I discussed. Fireworks of another kind.
I marveled at how much I felt like I knew the narrator and I don't at all. No one sounds like her. I laughed out loud at the pizza guy scene. And yes, it might be a good book for you considering the aboutness we just talked about for your book. I've already marked up something to use in my scene class. I don't know if the whole book will be as good as that first essay, but I'm so impressed.
I'm about to start C5. Consistently good.
So good to know! Thank you. To be honest, I forgot I suggested it for you on Friday. We can talk about it when we meet. Which I'm weirdly thrilled about.
I have spent much of today reviewing writing I long thought was finished - not! Yes, writing IS rewriting, and the rewriting never ends.
Well said.