Writing doesn't completely represent a new way of life for me. It's more of a dream revisited. My writing is nearly as old as any of my memories. I've always composed stories go to along with life - or to take me outside it.
Then graduate school happened. While pursuing a Ph.D. in American history all my energies were channeled into that endeavor, and writing and reading non-history fare pretty much fell off the map for me.
But I finished the Ph.D. and got a fantastic job. Having done all that I decided to reclaim favorite pursuits. I spent my childhood summers working on a ranch twenty minutes from Ashland, Wisconsin. I found a horse, was puffed up with pride, and then the horse jumped on my foot and shattered it.
I was on crutches for the rest of the summer. No walking, no adventures. I had a lot of time to think.
A latent desire pushed out from inside me and begged to be addressed. I needed to write again, to write in the way that I'd always written. It was like coming back to myself. So I sat down (well, I was already sitting down - broken foot, remember?) and began to write. And now I'm writing novels. Or trying.
If you're interested in giving feedback on my writing, I'd love to have it. If you're a literary agent and want to make my dreams come true, all the better.
What I post here are drafts, works in progress, warts and all. But I want to have a venue to talk about what is a really painful process, but a necessary part of who I am.
Thanks for listening (though I realize I may still be writing to myself alone). Oh well. Good exercise in solipsism.
You are so good at writing these little posts that it would be really interesting to read about your own experiences. Most writers are best when they include a part of themselves in their stories. So, it would be interesting to read stories that happened to you. (You do not necessarily have to say that it is you in the stories.) You could put your experiences in a plot and maybe add some exageration and fantasy. With a part of you in your writing, you could be a best-seller faster than speed of light. This is just the thought that came to me as I was reading your blog, and I hope this comment helps. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteGreat advice, Valerie. Thanks so much for your kindness and encouragement!
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