D a l l a s R o b b i n s

Fiction Deficient

Learning how to write fiction is a tricky business and that one really only learns by actually doing it, stumbling over words and sentences until something rises up out of the muck that might resemble a story, let alone a good story.  Still trying to figure that out, but never giving up.

For me I can sit down and write something non-fictiony without much struggle, whether a review, essay, or a brief historical exploration. But coming up with a plot and characters is something that still eludes me.  So, for better or worse, I'm returning back to taking a class or two at the local university to kickstart my fiction deficiency, starting in a couple weeks.

In the meantime I came across a great little article on tips from Faulker's writing life.  Most are things we've all heard before, but others I haven't really considered, like "don't worry about style."  I like that idea and as one less thing to worry about it works for me.

Seven Tips From Faulkner on How to Write Fiction.

"The Apostate"

Once in a while you read a work of investigative journalism that blows your mind.  This one did.   You might have already heard about or read this article, but if you haven't, then do yourself a favor. It reminds me why blogging, etc, can not hold a torch to the long-haul work of a journalist discovering a world that needs to be revealed.  Amazing work that deserves the attention of everyone who dares calls themself a journalist.

What A Writer Always Wanted but Didn't Know It

If you write, like me, I just wanted to share something cool from Small Beer Press, that little indie publisher that has some of the coolest stuff around, not least of all Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet.

Starting last year and continuing again for 2011, they have created A Working Writer's Daily Planner.  It's filled with writing advice, prompts, contest deadlines, publishers info, and much more.  It won't help you write more or better, but it might get you a little better organized so you can write more, and maybe, even just maybe, better.

"The perfect supplement to any writer’s life, this new edition of A Working Writer’s Daily Planner is even better than before, packed with more of the information writers need to organize their work schedules, track upcoming deadlines, and learn about grant opportunities, contests, and workshop programs. For 2011 we turned to those who know best what writers want—writers themselves—and asked them what resources they’d find most useful. The result is a unique and indispensable tool that makes it easy for writers to keep track of the practical, business end of writing, leaving more time for them to actually spend writing."

As for me, my one and only New Year's resolution is to write a helluva lot more.  NaNoWriMo got me started a little, but this coming year will put everything to shame I've done up till now.  Or at least that's my plan, and since you now all know (all 3 of you), then I've got some accountability to someone, somewhere.

NaNoWriMo 2010

 
Well the madness is about to begin once again.  Just a few days ago I remembered National Novel Writing Month was coming up on November 1st.  I've participated in the past, with paltry results, but I thought I'd give it another shot.  The thing I like about NaNoWriMo is the development of discipline that can occur with a group of people supporting you through the process.   And discipline is what I need.  I already have a story in mind, one I came up with a few weeks ago, and have written some character and plot notes, but haven't begin the actual story yet.  So, here's to the madness.

Random Thoughts on MFA Writing Programs, Ponzi Scemes, and Workmanlike Novels

I have occasionally pondered on the possibility of getting an MFA in creative writing.  The idea has never really appealed to me, especially weighing the cost/benefit.  Would it make me a better writer?  Likely, but not certain. Does it guarantee a writing career?  No, not particularly.  Would it put me in a awful state of debt?  Without a doubt. 

I have come across several comments on the pros and cons of MFA writing programs.  I respect a good number of the writers who teach at such programs (Ethan Canin, Marilynne Robinson, Kelly Link, and Tony Early among a few), but they are only a handful.  I suppose if I wanted to teach at a university and write on the side, a MFA would be a good choice.  But being a working full-time writer probably requires a different path.

I like Garrison Keillor's advice,

"Skip the MFA in creative writing…. If you want to write, sit down for a few weeks with the most gripping book you’ve ever read and analyze it to a fine hair—how it’s organized, the structure, the time sequence, the characterizations—and then set out and write something similar. Don’t turn up your nose at genre fiction—which MFA programs tend to do. Learn how to write a workmanlike novel. And if it doesn’t get accepted for publication, no problem—go on and write another one."

Beyond Philip Roth's The Humbling

When Philip Roth's latest novel The Humbling was released, it took a few weeks before the critical reviews catched up with it.  And some reviews I've read (here, here, and here) provoked strong reactions, with some worthwhile critical insights.  I read the book and enjoyed, but a masterpiece it is not.

That's when I came across Leon Wieseltier's review, which is not exactly a review in the traditional sense, but uses The Humbling as an example of what has been lost in fiction of late.  The first three paragraphs of his review are simply stunning in my opinion, and anyone who cares about literature should take the time to read and think about them.  He begins first with a quote: