Happy Thursday, everybody!
Okay, today's post has been brewing for a while.
Where does life become fiction, and fiction become life?
I've been asked more times than I can count if I base some of my fiction on my own life. The answer is, 'yes, of course.' Do I draw from real experiences and put them in stories? Again, a resounding 'YES.'
But find me a single writer who doesn't.
I am not suggesting for a moment that any of my novels or stories are my own life-story. If they were, they'd be categorised as autobiography and not fiction. I am not a carbon copy of any character I've ever created, and yet there are elements of me in most if not all of them. How could there not be? They are my creations, products of my own mind and imagination.
But I do take inspiration from things I've experienced. So then, if something actually happened and it ends up in a story, is it still fiction? If I twist a few things and change a few things, does that mean it crosses the line between reality and fiction? What about if I take something real, or an element of something real, and then take it to an extremes and make that into a story?
Is it still fiction if it happened, but not exactly in the way I tell it? Or if I remove myself and put a character in my place and swap around a few details? And is it still real life if I'm rewriting the ending?
Where is the line - if there even is one?
Isn't the point of good fiction the absolute belief that it COULD happen? Even in a completely fantastical story, it should be convincing enough, real enough, for a reader to suspend their disbelief and feel that what they are reading could actually happen. So is it possible to write really good fiction without drawing, however loosely, on some elements of one's own life and experience?
So maybe the line is there. Maybe it's just more blurred than it seems.
Thursday, 3 February 2011
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Writing as Therapy
Hi,
So I'm back again after quite a long absence. Christmas and New Year have been a bit of a hectic, up-and-down time for me. Hope you all had good ones! So I have not been writing as much as I should (bad Jess!)
But here I am, and ready to get back to the writing. I've handed in all my assignments at uni for semester one, and semester two starts in just over a week. So considering writing is what I do for my course as well as my passion, it's really time to get back to it.
Anyway, the topic of today's blog is something that I have been mulling over in my head for a while. Writing as therapy. That is, using writing as an outlet, a release for difficult and painful things, and ultimately a tool for validation and perhaps even healing.
As I wrote a couple of entries back, writing to me was an escape back when I was frequently in a lot of pain. My imaginary worlds made more sense than my reality. I could write myself into being somebody I wasn't, into a life that was not my own - but that took me out of my own when I needed that. Of course, years have passed and things have changed, but the way that writing acts like a kind of therapy still very much rings true.
Take a few days ago, the incident that triggered the idea for this post. I've been struggling with some stuff recently - mostly not really heavy stuff or beyond my ability to cope, but lots of little things all mounting up. So a few days ago I just got my notebook out and what followed was a five-page RANT that I didn't even think about. It just came out. Okay, not exactly the height of great literature, but what was on those pages eventually fashioned itself into a poem of sorts. It will probably never see the light of day, except perhaps to explain where my mental state was at to my loved ones. But the point is, it helped.
It's always a topic of debate, using one's own experiences in writing. For example, if I take a bad experience and twist it around and change things and turn it into fiction.... is it really fiction? (But the line between where life becomes fiction and vice-versa is another post I've got brewing, so I won't go into that now.)
But whichever way you look at it the fact remains that writing, for me at least, is an incredibly theraputic thing to do. Whether I'm ecstatically happy or horribly sad, angry or lonely or whatever, it's a way of processing everything and putting it into an order that makes sense.
The way it works is twofold, I think.
Firstly, seeing everything written down on paper is validating. It makes it real. It makes something concrete and understandable out of the tangled-up mess that's in my head in that moment. And if it's on paper, it's not inside of me. Writing something down or channeling it into writing something in whatever form is like a kind of forcing out of all the negative stuff, removing it from inside where it can do harm, to a physical space - on paper - where it cannot.
Secondly, getting something good or something creative out of all the crap. It means that it wasn't all bad. It means that even the worst things can be made into something worthwhile, because then they are there as raw material to draw on when it's needed.
Does anyone else use writing in this way?
Thanks for reading. If you enjoy my blog, please subscribe and link to it on your page! Thank you!
Jess.
So I'm back again after quite a long absence. Christmas and New Year have been a bit of a hectic, up-and-down time for me. Hope you all had good ones! So I have not been writing as much as I should (bad Jess!)
But here I am, and ready to get back to the writing. I've handed in all my assignments at uni for semester one, and semester two starts in just over a week. So considering writing is what I do for my course as well as my passion, it's really time to get back to it.
Anyway, the topic of today's blog is something that I have been mulling over in my head for a while. Writing as therapy. That is, using writing as an outlet, a release for difficult and painful things, and ultimately a tool for validation and perhaps even healing.
As I wrote a couple of entries back, writing to me was an escape back when I was frequently in a lot of pain. My imaginary worlds made more sense than my reality. I could write myself into being somebody I wasn't, into a life that was not my own - but that took me out of my own when I needed that. Of course, years have passed and things have changed, but the way that writing acts like a kind of therapy still very much rings true.
Take a few days ago, the incident that triggered the idea for this post. I've been struggling with some stuff recently - mostly not really heavy stuff or beyond my ability to cope, but lots of little things all mounting up. So a few days ago I just got my notebook out and what followed was a five-page RANT that I didn't even think about. It just came out. Okay, not exactly the height of great literature, but what was on those pages eventually fashioned itself into a poem of sorts. It will probably never see the light of day, except perhaps to explain where my mental state was at to my loved ones. But the point is, it helped.
It's always a topic of debate, using one's own experiences in writing. For example, if I take a bad experience and twist it around and change things and turn it into fiction.... is it really fiction? (But the line between where life becomes fiction and vice-versa is another post I've got brewing, so I won't go into that now.)
But whichever way you look at it the fact remains that writing, for me at least, is an incredibly theraputic thing to do. Whether I'm ecstatically happy or horribly sad, angry or lonely or whatever, it's a way of processing everything and putting it into an order that makes sense.
The way it works is twofold, I think.
Firstly, seeing everything written down on paper is validating. It makes it real. It makes something concrete and understandable out of the tangled-up mess that's in my head in that moment. And if it's on paper, it's not inside of me. Writing something down or channeling it into writing something in whatever form is like a kind of forcing out of all the negative stuff, removing it from inside where it can do harm, to a physical space - on paper - where it cannot.
Secondly, getting something good or something creative out of all the crap. It means that it wasn't all bad. It means that even the worst things can be made into something worthwhile, because then they are there as raw material to draw on when it's needed.
Does anyone else use writing in this way?
Thanks for reading. If you enjoy my blog, please subscribe and link to it on your page! Thank you!
Jess.
Monday, 6 December 2010
Thoughts From Reverb10
Over on my personal online journal, I'm taking part in a challenge called Reverb10. Essentially, it is a 31-day challenge, involving a prompt each day designed to reflect on the past year and think ahead to the next. It's been interesting and fun so far - it's certainly making me think.
Anyway, I found December 2nd's prompt particularly interesting, and it seems relevant to this blog, so I thought I'd share some of my thoughts here. (Copied from my personal journal and edited.)
"December 2: Writing
What do you do each day that doesn't contribute to your writing - and can you eliminate it?"
I've been thinking a lot recently about how to be more productive with my writing, and the reasons behind it when I go through phases of not feeling as focussed or creative as I would like to be.
So what is it that gets in the way? I've thought about it extensively and I think it mostly comes down to just a few things.
I guess the first and most obvious thing is simply that life often gets in the way. Other responsibilities, other commitments often have to come first. Time is always a factor.
I absolutely loved NaNoWriMo for exactly this reason. It forced me to focus and meant that I really had to schedule writing time into every day in order to meet the challenge. Knowing that thousands of other writers out there were doing the same things, and being able to communicate with some of them about it, was very helpful as well.
Right now, I'm trying to continue with the momentum I built up during NaNo by immediately jumping into editing the novel I wrote in November as well as starting new projects.
And then, of course, there's the dreaded writer's block. That feeling of staring at a blank screen, willing the words to come to you, but your mind just staying stubbornly empty. Not much is more frustrating than this! I've learned to just step away from the computer, do something else for fifteen minutes, and then try again. Often, this works. Sometimes it doesn't. Some days, I guess, are just not meant to be greatly productive ones.
And then, of course, there's good old self-doubt. I have low self-confidence and self-belief anyway, and I do sometimes find the voice I like to call Brain Demon telling me that I am useless at writing. And then I start thinking, well, what's the point? I've found that one possible way to fight this is to read back something I've written that I am proud of, to remind myself that, yes, I can do it!
They say the first step to success is to imagine it. So close your eyes for a moment, and visualise your name in print, writing the final line of that novel, whatever it is you're trying to achieve. It will make you want to continue, believe me.
And, finally, one of the things that keeps me motivated is talking about writing with people who are likely to be supportive. Of course, talking to other writers is always fantastic and something I can't recommend enough! But any support from those around you is more valuable than I can easily say. One of the things that really kept me motivated during NaNo was the people who celebrated every significant word count milestone with me, and kept saying that they couldn't wait to read the finished product.
So, my fellow writers, I'd be interested to know your thoughts. What prevents you from writing as much as you'd like, and what motivates you to keep going?
Anyway, I found December 2nd's prompt particularly interesting, and it seems relevant to this blog, so I thought I'd share some of my thoughts here. (Copied from my personal journal and edited.)
"December 2: Writing
What do you do each day that doesn't contribute to your writing - and can you eliminate it?"
I've been thinking a lot recently about how to be more productive with my writing, and the reasons behind it when I go through phases of not feeling as focussed or creative as I would like to be.
So what is it that gets in the way? I've thought about it extensively and I think it mostly comes down to just a few things.
I guess the first and most obvious thing is simply that life often gets in the way. Other responsibilities, other commitments often have to come first. Time is always a factor.
I absolutely loved NaNoWriMo for exactly this reason. It forced me to focus and meant that I really had to schedule writing time into every day in order to meet the challenge. Knowing that thousands of other writers out there were doing the same things, and being able to communicate with some of them about it, was very helpful as well.
Right now, I'm trying to continue with the momentum I built up during NaNo by immediately jumping into editing the novel I wrote in November as well as starting new projects.
And then, of course, there's the dreaded writer's block. That feeling of staring at a blank screen, willing the words to come to you, but your mind just staying stubbornly empty. Not much is more frustrating than this! I've learned to just step away from the computer, do something else for fifteen minutes, and then try again. Often, this works. Sometimes it doesn't. Some days, I guess, are just not meant to be greatly productive ones.
And then, of course, there's good old self-doubt. I have low self-confidence and self-belief anyway, and I do sometimes find the voice I like to call Brain Demon telling me that I am useless at writing. And then I start thinking, well, what's the point? I've found that one possible way to fight this is to read back something I've written that I am proud of, to remind myself that, yes, I can do it!
They say the first step to success is to imagine it. So close your eyes for a moment, and visualise your name in print, writing the final line of that novel, whatever it is you're trying to achieve. It will make you want to continue, believe me.
And, finally, one of the things that keeps me motivated is talking about writing with people who are likely to be supportive. Of course, talking to other writers is always fantastic and something I can't recommend enough! But any support from those around you is more valuable than I can easily say. One of the things that really kept me motivated during NaNo was the people who celebrated every significant word count milestone with me, and kept saying that they couldn't wait to read the finished product.
So, my fellow writers, I'd be interested to know your thoughts. What prevents you from writing as much as you'd like, and what motivates you to keep going?
Friday, 3 December 2010
How It All Began
People often ask me when or how I knew I wanted to be a writer. They also often ask why I decided to become one.
The more I think about it, the more I realise the inaccuracies in questions like these. You see, I didn't just decide one day that I wanted to be a writer.
Rather, I am a writer. It's as innate part of who I am.
I have always been a writer. I was one of those kids who always used to get told off for gazing out of the window and daydreaming at school. I made stories up to entertain myself since before I can even really remember.
I guess I was about seven or eight when I started actually writing them down, though I kept them hidden and never let anybody read them. Looking back, I don't know why I was embarrassed. I suppose I made the stories up for myself, first.
I never really stopped completely, though I went through phases of writing more than at other times. I think I was twelve when it became something I did regularly, and I haven't really stopped since.
I got through some of the most vicious days of bullying by comforting myself with stories – stories where I cast myself in the heroine's role and always had the last laugh in the end. Aged fourteen, I wrote a painfully truthful story about bullying, self-harm and suicidal thoughts. I remember my English teacher (who was fantastic) reading it, looking me in the eyes, and saying something like, 'this is real, isn't it?'
In class, I would always be scribbling bits of stories or lines of poetry or song lyrics on pages torn from my books when nobody was looking. My pencil case was filled with slips of paper with half-formed ideas on them. I quickly learned to write things down as soon as they came into my head. Inspiration, I learned, does not wait conveniently until 'after class is over.'
People used to laugh at me for it, of course. Even my friends would groan and roll their eyes if I mentioned that I was writing something new. So I simply stopped talking about it. But I kept doing it, because I needed to. Because I am a writer, and the words wouldn't stop forming themselves in my head and needing to be written down. I still have some of the things I wrote in those days - plays, mostly, and lots of song lyrics - though I imagine they will never leave the safety of a tucked-away folder on my computer.
So that's how it began. I caught the writing bug so early that I cannot even remember it happening, and it never left me.
Nowadays, I try to look on all life experience as material to draw on when I need it. When I start writing, I lose myself in it. I can forget to eat, forget to sleep, lose hours, forget everything. I need to do this. Because this is who I am.
The more I think about it, the more I realise the inaccuracies in questions like these. You see, I didn't just decide one day that I wanted to be a writer.
Rather, I am a writer. It's as innate part of who I am.
I have always been a writer. I was one of those kids who always used to get told off for gazing out of the window and daydreaming at school. I made stories up to entertain myself since before I can even really remember.
I guess I was about seven or eight when I started actually writing them down, though I kept them hidden and never let anybody read them. Looking back, I don't know why I was embarrassed. I suppose I made the stories up for myself, first.
I never really stopped completely, though I went through phases of writing more than at other times. I think I was twelve when it became something I did regularly, and I haven't really stopped since.
I got through some of the most vicious days of bullying by comforting myself with stories – stories where I cast myself in the heroine's role and always had the last laugh in the end. Aged fourteen, I wrote a painfully truthful story about bullying, self-harm and suicidal thoughts. I remember my English teacher (who was fantastic) reading it, looking me in the eyes, and saying something like, 'this is real, isn't it?'
In class, I would always be scribbling bits of stories or lines of poetry or song lyrics on pages torn from my books when nobody was looking. My pencil case was filled with slips of paper with half-formed ideas on them. I quickly learned to write things down as soon as they came into my head. Inspiration, I learned, does not wait conveniently until 'after class is over.'
People used to laugh at me for it, of course. Even my friends would groan and roll their eyes if I mentioned that I was writing something new. So I simply stopped talking about it. But I kept doing it, because I needed to. Because I am a writer, and the words wouldn't stop forming themselves in my head and needing to be written down. I still have some of the things I wrote in those days - plays, mostly, and lots of song lyrics - though I imagine they will never leave the safety of a tucked-away folder on my computer.
So that's how it began. I caught the writing bug so early that I cannot even remember it happening, and it never left me.
Nowadays, I try to look on all life experience as material to draw on when I need it. When I start writing, I lose myself in it. I can forget to eat, forget to sleep, lose hours, forget everything. I need to do this. Because this is who I am.
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Introduction
Hello! Welcome to my blog, The Writer's Hideaway. Thank you so much for reading. Please subscribe, then you will be sure to see any new entries I post. Feel free to comment on anything I write here. I will do my best to reply to all comments.
Who am I?
I am Jess, a 20-year-old student in my second year at the University of Winchester, and an aspiring writer. I'm a social creature who loves meeting new people and learning about them and chatting about all sorts of topics. None-writing interests include music, reading, theatre, events organising and travel.
Writing
I write in a wide range of forms. I'm currently especially into writing creative non-fiction and poetry. I do write fiction, but it tends to be either very short flash-fiction, or of novel length. I struggle with the standard 1500-4000 word short story, though I'm working on developing my skills in this area.
I have two novels. The first is a long-standing project that has developed slowly over five years, a contemporary gothic fantasy, In the Shadows. The main storyline follows a forbidden love-affair between vampyre Errol Richmond, and young human girl Raven Lockleare, while moving around in time with flashbacks from Errol's life - a life spanning some 150 years.
The second (working title Trust Me,subject to likely to change) was written during NaNoWriMo 2010 and is currently in the editing stages. I think it's about as different from In the Shadows as two books from the same author can be. At the moment the genre is labelled 'mainstream fiction.' It's a three-part narrative centering around two women, Lilly and Kate, fighting for justice against the same man, who has hurt each of them very badly. Full synopsis and excerpt can be found here.
I feel now like I want to launch into an essay about why I write and how it started, but that will be a post all of its own soon.
This Blog
The idea for this blog came to me while reading an article in Writing Magazine about blogging and how it can be a good way to network and for an unknown writer to get noticed. So, I thought I would give it a go.
My basic idea is to use this to talk about writing, what I am working on, how it is going, the triumphs and the difficult days, etc. I will share bits of my work occasionally. It might also include book reviews and talk about what I am currently reading.
Finally...
If you have a blog or website to do with books or writing, I am very happy to link to you if you link to me in return.
Please ask my permission before sharing any of the content I write here.
I own the copyright of everything written here unless otherwise stated.
Twitter: @amaranth_dreams
NaNoWriMo: miss_amaranth
Who am I?
I am Jess, a 20-year-old student in my second year at the University of Winchester, and an aspiring writer. I'm a social creature who loves meeting new people and learning about them and chatting about all sorts of topics. None-writing interests include music, reading, theatre, events organising and travel.
Writing
I write in a wide range of forms. I'm currently especially into writing creative non-fiction and poetry. I do write fiction, but it tends to be either very short flash-fiction, or of novel length. I struggle with the standard 1500-4000 word short story, though I'm working on developing my skills in this area.
I have two novels. The first is a long-standing project that has developed slowly over five years, a contemporary gothic fantasy, In the Shadows. The main storyline follows a forbidden love-affair between vampyre Errol Richmond, and young human girl Raven Lockleare, while moving around in time with flashbacks from Errol's life - a life spanning some 150 years.
The second (working title Trust Me,
I feel now like I want to launch into an essay about why I write and how it started, but that will be a post all of its own soon.
This Blog
The idea for this blog came to me while reading an article in Writing Magazine about blogging and how it can be a good way to network and for an unknown writer to get noticed. So, I thought I would give it a go.
My basic idea is to use this to talk about writing, what I am working on, how it is going, the triumphs and the difficult days, etc. I will share bits of my work occasionally. It might also include book reviews and talk about what I am currently reading.
Finally...
If you have a blog or website to do with books or writing, I am very happy to link to you if you link to me in return.
Please ask my permission before sharing any of the content I write here.
I own the copyright of everything written here unless otherwise stated.
Twitter: @amaranth_dreams
NaNoWriMo: miss_amaranth
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