The Philosophy of Aristotle

There have been many accomplishments in the past 4 weeks or so since my last post.  I finished the semester of school, achieving not only an A in my Creative Writing class, but finishing with a 4.0 for the semester bringing my cumulative GPA to a 3.82.  I'm very happy with it, but I am also happy with the advice I was able to receive from my writing professor on how to go about getting an agent, getting published, and even blogging.

There are many things that I have learned this past semester, including that while I may have confidence issues with myself, to have them with my writing as I have in the past, is a detriment to my publication status.  Since I've realized this, I've been working to put my insecurities aside and write, create, and more than anything submit my writing to contests and magazines. 

Shortly before the semester ended, I submitted four short stories to a writing contest.  It's a beginning.  I still have many more steps to take.  However, I've been working on writing my novels as well, and I am excited to do so.  I sometimes think I give myself extra stress because writing just shouldn't be so much fun!

I've also finally procured a copy of the philosophy of Aristotle regarding: metaphysics, logic, physics, psychology, ethics, politics, and poetics.  I am excited to reread Aristotle's Poetics and to indulge myself in his other works. 

I am also looking forward to rereading Joseph Campbell's The Hero With A Thousand Faces and Stephen King On Writing.  Besides the fiction books I am intent on reading this summer, I have a nice round list of texts to apply myself to.

Spring cleaning has been my major priority for the last week or so, but once it is complete, I get to devote myself to my daughter, to my writing, and to my books.  I am looking forward to a wonderfully vibrant summer this year.

First, find out what your hero wants. Then just follow him.  ~Ray Bradbury

When Your Story Calls

When your story calls, do it a favor: listen and answer.  Listening is half the battle, but once you get listening down, you realize the work is far from over.  You must answer.

I have gotten very adept at listening to the stories that float, or blaze, into my mind.  However, most times I let them wander aimlessly, waiting in the foyer to be called upon.  Most times I get to them much later than their appointment called for.

Tonight, however, I am pleased that I answered and quickly.  I didn't wait for my mind to cool, I sat down and blazed up the fires in my mind and wrote an entire story I came up with only yesterday.  For once, I had no deadline, no assignment, no set goal to accomplish any type of specific writing for this week outside the realm of school (if you saw my schedule, you'd understand why).  However, I felt the desire to write, and I answered it without excuse or procrastination.

And now my portfolio is one story heavier.  From beginning to end, it is only 955 words, but that's 955 words of an entire story, and 955 words more in my repertoire than there was this morning.  I am happy.

This is writing, for me.  This is the fun and the excitement.

The business side, meanwhile, is rapidly approaching.  I asked my husband to assist me in working out some kinks in that area, and he's doing some research for me as well in regards to agents, contests, et cetera.  This way, I can take care of the writing and editing, and when I'm done, I will have all this deliciously terrifying publishing information to begin submitting to.

I have a feeling that this summer will be different from all the rest.  And I believe it's about time.  I have my Creative Writing teacher to thank for that as well.  When he talked about the anticlimactic feeling of being published, it made me feel a lot better, ironically enough.  It seemed to be the exact thing that I needed to hear to give myself ground in the publishing arena.

So stay tuned for some future posts this year about submissions and the journey of going through all of those.  I'm sure many will be enlightening, frightening, and more than likely, worth a few laughs at my upcoming experiences.

Current Book: To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

I think one of the great things that fiction can do is give us the second chance that life denies us. ~Paul Theroux

Save the Drama. . .

And, of course, now that the fiction unit of Creative Writing is complete, we are moving onto drama, or composing short plays.  This unit has always intimidated me because I feel I am the most dreadful at dialogue.  However, I feel a lot more creativity flowing within me and I think I can accomplish some assignments that I'm happy with this time around.

The first assignment gave me what I thought was a great idea for a one-act play.  Unfortunately, when I started writing it, it seemed to remain stuck in a one-note merry-go-round that I can't get to let go.  It takes place in an elevator that is stuck, ironically enough.  Perhaps I need to just continue and make that part of the point.  I was trying to propose the idea of being unable to escape the inevitable conflict, but maybe it should be about being unable to escape the inevitable irreparable conflict. 

It could be interesting.

I think my biggest mistake lately though, is possibly pulling too much from life.  It becomes difficult when you take an actual conversation and put it onto physical paper that will eventually meet someone's eyes other than your own.  Of course, no one would realize it was a real conversation if I didn't make them aware of it, but the naked vulnerability I feel already in writing it may suggest that a new idea would probably be a better fit for the assignment.

This, though, illustrates how much my life affects my writing.  When stressful life events are accruing in the background, it seems to create all sorts of difficulties including writer's block or the repeating turntable playing everything over and over in your mind until it is all you can think about. 

In some ways this works because I know the emotions are easy to reach and so much can be accomplished.  But in some ways this takes away from the control of being able to write outside of those lines. 

Knowing this helps me to step back and then approach any project when I've made a clear decision as to where I'm headed, but it's something I believe every writer deals with. 

Indeed, Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote "The Yellow Wallpaper" after she had a mental breakdown shortly after giving birth to her son.  This breakdown resulted in her leaving her husband and child and moving to Los Angeles, CA where shortly after she penned the story.  Though the story is an allegory representing feminism and freeing women from the stereotyped inferiority of the time, I can tell much of her personal story is evident within those pages.  This is probably why the images are so powerful and terrifying. 

In effect, I think using my reality to direct my writing is not necessarily a bad thing.  However, I need to work on directing when and where to apply such usefulness.


If you dream it, you can do it. ~Walt Disney