Showing posts with label revising. Show all posts
Showing posts with label revising. Show all posts
September 2, 2014
Dancing on the Head of a Pen: book review
The enticing title, Dancing on the Head of a Pen: The Practice of a Writing Life by Robert Benson, drew me to request a review copy from Blogging for Books – a site that provides review copies of a variety of books in exchange for an honest assessment. Fortunately, that's what I aim to provide, whether I'm discussing a new edition of the Bible or reviewing a traditionally published poetry book or a book about the writing life in general, as happens here.
Published by Waterbrook Press, this particular book also appealed to me because the author knows how to write! That might seem to be an obvious prerequisite, but I’ve discovered a new world of newbie writers who blog about writing and sometimes pass along assumptions, rather than reliable information. Conversely, Robert Benson has written many books and knows the in’s and out’s of writing and publishing. So, believe him when he says: “Most of the time, writing a book more closely resembles digging a ditch than participating in some transcendent creative experience.”
How we go about “digging” depends on what we dig. As Benson says, “Any of us – writer, designer, potter, painter, sculptor, architect, and on and on – wisely studies the habits practiced by the artists who inspire us in the first place. Those habits can guide us as we try to learn to do the work ourselves.”
For each of us, the work and surrounding habits will differ, not only from one another but also our own earlier selves as we experiment, pick up ideas, and find workable ways to write and continually improve our work. Most of us, though, will do well to heed Benson’s call to be quiet.
As he explains, “Solitude is likely necessary to be in touch with the things deep inside you. Silence may be required for you to hear what those things are saying to you. Do not be afraid to be quiet. Never be afraid to be alone./ Wandering around in wide-open spaces, especially spaces offered by a blank page, may be the key to making some art of those things found in the silence and the solitude.”
By now, you may be wondering if this book provides a devotional guide or tips on writing or suggestions for establishing your own routine or more than the sum of those parts, and to all, the answer is: Yes!
Once we’ve heard ourselves think enough to know what we’re to write next, we have to decide what type of writer we want to be. Like Benson, “I want to write. I may even need to write. But I want to be read as well.”
Knowing this about ourselves helps us to know whether we want to write for publication. If so, we need to have some type of reader in mind and some idea of whether anyone else might be interested in our chosen topic.
The author says, “When I begin to write a book, I ask myself some questions. Who do I think might read the writing I am about to do? Who do I expect to be interested in the stories I am trying to tell? Who do I hope will discover and enjoy and be moved by them?” And always, “Write for those you love.”
As Benson also says, “A writer has three jobs. Write the work. Make the work as good as possible. Find the work a home and a crowd of folks to love it.”
More than this, however, Robert Benson tells us, “I spend most of my time, metaphorically speaking, as a kind of explorer, out wandering around in the philosophical dark, lost in the spiritual words, searching for a deep something I often cannot even name, following trails leading to dead ends and darkness as often as not.” But then, “The spiritual life is not so much about answers as it is about better questions. Writing can be the same.”
©2014, Mary Harwell Sayler, reviewer, authored 26 books in all genres, primarily for Christian and educational markets, before writing the Christian Writer’s Guide e-book on Kindle.
Dancing on the Head of a Pen, hardcover
…
March 19, 2010
Rejection! Rejection! What’s A Writer To Do?
Here’s the problem: Talented poets and writers often have an unrealistic view (okay, a fantasy) about the freelance writing life. They rightly know they express themselves well on paper so are apt to be shocked, angry, or hurt when an editor sends back their poems or manuscript. Some give up. Some self-publish, and some keep on and on until they find a good fit for their work in the traditional publishing markets.
To get a better idea of what it takes to be a freelance writer, focus on someone you know who works on commission sales. For example, my dad was in real estate, but everyone did not buy the houses he showed. Another family member sold life and health insurance, but everyone did not buy.
Sometimes the timing isn’t right. Sometimes buyers have unrealistic views of the value of a product or service. Sometimes nothing seems to fit, which is how freelancing can also be. Maybe the editor has too much on her mind. Maybe the publisher needs to cut back his product line. Maybe they have recently published something much too similar to your topic or idea.
No matter how you look at it though, the word “rejection” carries some heavy-duty connotations of being unaccepted and, therefore, unacceptable. In this respect, the word is a misnomer because your work may be just fine -- even wonderfully well-written. Your work may be very acceptable to your intended readers, too, but just not to the particular publisher you happened to pick. And, therein lies the probability of rejection.
At least in the beginning, poets and writers seem prone to reject editorial suggestions and writers guidelines provided by most publishing houses. Some think that only their work alone is “special,” so the “rules” do not apply to them or their brilliant idea. Other poets or writers seem to reject the genuine needs, interests, or values of their readers.
This type of mistake (okay, self-centeredness) happens to most of us at first because we’re new to freelancing and still trying to hear our own voice. Maybe we don’t have a clear picture of the publishing industry or don’t realize editors are real people with fairly basic editorial needs. We might not get how crucial it is to identify with our readers, especially if we expect them to identify back and connect with our poems or manuscripts.
When we stop rejecting honest input from our readers and/ or our editor/ publishers and attune ourselves to them -- not as we write but as we revise -- we will still get “rejection” letters. That’s a fact for most of us, but the difference now is that we know our work is worthy, and so are we. If we see our potential readers and editors as worthy too, they will be more likely to accept our poems and writings as something also worthy of their time.
~~
(c) 2010, Mary Harwell Sayler
~~
To get a better idea of what it takes to be a freelance writer, focus on someone you know who works on commission sales. For example, my dad was in real estate, but everyone did not buy the houses he showed. Another family member sold life and health insurance, but everyone did not buy.
Sometimes the timing isn’t right. Sometimes buyers have unrealistic views of the value of a product or service. Sometimes nothing seems to fit, which is how freelancing can also be. Maybe the editor has too much on her mind. Maybe the publisher needs to cut back his product line. Maybe they have recently published something much too similar to your topic or idea.
No matter how you look at it though, the word “rejection” carries some heavy-duty connotations of being unaccepted and, therefore, unacceptable. In this respect, the word is a misnomer because your work may be just fine -- even wonderfully well-written. Your work may be very acceptable to your intended readers, too, but just not to the particular publisher you happened to pick. And, therein lies the probability of rejection.
At least in the beginning, poets and writers seem prone to reject editorial suggestions and writers guidelines provided by most publishing houses. Some think that only their work alone is “special,” so the “rules” do not apply to them or their brilliant idea. Other poets or writers seem to reject the genuine needs, interests, or values of their readers.
This type of mistake (okay, self-centeredness) happens to most of us at first because we’re new to freelancing and still trying to hear our own voice. Maybe we don’t have a clear picture of the publishing industry or don’t realize editors are real people with fairly basic editorial needs. We might not get how crucial it is to identify with our readers, especially if we expect them to identify back and connect with our poems or manuscripts.
When we stop rejecting honest input from our readers and/ or our editor/ publishers and attune ourselves to them -- not as we write but as we revise -- we will still get “rejection” letters. That’s a fact for most of us, but the difference now is that we know our work is worthy, and so are we. If we see our potential readers and editors as worthy too, they will be more likely to accept our poems and writings as something also worthy of their time.
~~
(c) 2010, Mary Harwell Sayler
~~
February 2, 2010
How To Read Like A Writer
Writing well often depends on reading well, which means studying a poem or manuscript that you really like to see what works and why. To do this, try asking questions of the text. For instance: Why did the poet or writer use that particular form, structure, setting, viewpoint, character, or ____ (fill in the blank)? What effect did this decision have on the poem or manuscript?
Analyze each of those techniques to give yourself more information about what works well and what does not. Ask, for instance, if the style is formal, loose, or chatty. Does the poem or manuscript have a rhythmic flow when you read the piece aloud? What words jump out? Do they add emphasis or reinforce a sound effect or encourage readers to think more about the topic?
Also notice sensory details. Analyze whether the poet or writer relied more on the sense of sound, sight, smell, taste, touch, or feeling. A well-written poem or manuscript might tap into all of the senses.
Notice the viewpoint or perspective, too. Does anything seem fresh or memorable? If so, what? Be specific. Also ask what would happen if a first person poem or story (I, me, mine, we) were written in second person (you) or third person (he, she, his, hers, them, they.)
Asking questions of a poem or manuscript may seem awkward at first, but your interrogation skills will improve with practice. To ease the task, start with a book, story, article, or poem that you think is poorly written, then focus on the flaws. Identify each as clearly as you can. For instance, you might think a children’s picture book text or a short story for adults has too many characters doing too many things in too short a space. Or maybe a nonfiction article rambles too much to clarify the points. Or maybe you just don’t believe the characters in a novel.
As you precisely identify any flaws, you will begin to read like a writer. More importantly, the process will help you to be less apt to make the same mistakes yourself. If, however, you suspect your work of a similar problem, just ask questions of the poem or manuscript. See what’s not working and why. Then correct those mistakes as you revise.
Analyze each of those techniques to give yourself more information about what works well and what does not. Ask, for instance, if the style is formal, loose, or chatty. Does the poem or manuscript have a rhythmic flow when you read the piece aloud? What words jump out? Do they add emphasis or reinforce a sound effect or encourage readers to think more about the topic?
Also notice sensory details. Analyze whether the poet or writer relied more on the sense of sound, sight, smell, taste, touch, or feeling. A well-written poem or manuscript might tap into all of the senses.
Notice the viewpoint or perspective, too. Does anything seem fresh or memorable? If so, what? Be specific. Also ask what would happen if a first person poem or story (I, me, mine, we) were written in second person (you) or third person (he, she, his, hers, them, they.)
Asking questions of a poem or manuscript may seem awkward at first, but your interrogation skills will improve with practice. To ease the task, start with a book, story, article, or poem that you think is poorly written, then focus on the flaws. Identify each as clearly as you can. For instance, you might think a children’s picture book text or a short story for adults has too many characters doing too many things in too short a space. Or maybe a nonfiction article rambles too much to clarify the points. Or maybe you just don’t believe the characters in a novel.
As you precisely identify any flaws, you will begin to read like a writer. More importantly, the process will help you to be less apt to make the same mistakes yourself. If, however, you suspect your work of a similar problem, just ask questions of the poem or manuscript. See what’s not working and why. Then correct those mistakes as you revise.
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