Dandelion Break Lovely writing analogies from an author

[Claire G]

I just listened to the Writers' Routine podcast (while ironing yet again). In this episode, the interviewed author (B.P. Walter, writer of psychological thrillers) kept dropping wonderful little nuggets while talking about his process...

He discussed how he has lots of ideas and stores them away in his laptop in the way Roald Dahl's BFG stores dreams in jars.

He compared getting so lost in the world of his story that time becomes meaningless to stepping through the wardrobe and into the magic of Narnia.

He described the nuance of writing three-dimensional characters who are not all 'good' nor all 'bad' in terms of a quote from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: "The world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters."

Do you have any great analogies to share (they don't have to be related to children's books)?

 

[RK Wallis]

I've always loved John Clesse's description of the writing process: you set up your enclosure (your process: the popcorn, the earphones, the silent room or the music, whatever helps you get into the zone) and slowly the tortoise (your muse) will poke out its head.

 

[Claire G]

I've always loved John Clesse's description of the writing process: you set up your enclosure (your process: the popcorn, the earphones, the silent room or the music, whatever helps you get into the zone) and slowly the tortoise (your muse) will poke out its head.

Love it!

 

[CarolMS]

Can I share something I wrote on my website a while back about how I feel about writing?

"Like jazz, stories are meant to be heard, to strike resonant chords in our hearts or rumble down deep in our gut. Soul music. Melodies and words about what matters. When we tell our stories and they are listened to, and when we listen to other people’s stories, we build community, come closer. We grow in understanding of ourselves and others, and hopefully become more curious, suspend old ideas and assumptions...and become more compassionate.

Writing gives voice to our stories, and reading, I think, is a kind of listening. Through the sharing of stories we can open doors or peer through windows and see things never seen before: a crack opened, a new twist, a revelation. As a captivating memoir’s, short story’s or novel’s characters are transformed, so, too, are its readers."

(My website [marttakarol.com] by the way, is sorely neglected and hugely in need of updating, or rather remodelng, to reflect my current thinking and novel's status, in so many ways different from when I set the site up a full ten years ago.)

 

[Claire G]

Can I share something I wrote on my website a while back about how I feel about writing?

"Like jazz, stories are meant to be heard, to strike resonant chords in our hearts or rumble down deep in our gut. Soul music. Melodies and words about what matters. When we tell our stories and they are listened to, and when we listen to other people’s stories, we build community, come closer. We grow in understanding of ourselves and others, and hopefully become more curious, suspend old ideas and assumptions...and become more compassionate.

Writing gives voice to our stories, and reading, I think, is a kind of listening. Through the sharing of stories we can open doors or peer through windows and see things never seen before: a crack opened, a new twist, a revelation. As a captivating memoir’s, short story’s or novel’s characters are transformed, so, too, are its readers."

(My website [marttakarol.com] by the way, is sorely neglected and hugely in need of updating, or rather remodelng, to reflect my current thinking and novel's status, in so many ways different from when I set the site up a full ten years ago.)

Wonderful!

 

[CarolMS]

Just for the fun of it, I'm sharing some author quotes from among a bunch I've been collecting over the past ten years or so. They've been collecting dust in my file--meant to use in blog or social media posts, maybe, but that not (yet) having happened--so it's nice to bring a few out. Enjoy!

"Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade just as painting does, or music. If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself." --Truman Capote

"Music was my first love, and it's still the source for me even though I haven't touched a piano or guitar in years. It continues to teach me about phrasing, pitch, shifts in rhythm, shifts in tonal register—all of the qualities I value in writing."—Paul Lisicky, author of The Narrow Door

(This one is only about music, but I think it fits writing as well.)
"You've got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail."–Charlie Parker, Jazz Saxophonist

"Writing has been a sturdy ladder out of a deep pit." --Alice Walker

"Writers remember everything...especially the hurts. Strip a writer to the buff, point to the scars, and he'll tell you the story of each small one. From the big ones you get novels." --Stephen King

"When your story is ready for rewrite, cut it to the bone. Get rid of every ounce of excess fat. This is going to hurt; revising a story down to the bare essentials is always a little like murdering children, but it must be done."—Stephen King

"Writing is easy. All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your head." --Gene Fowler

 

[RK Wallis]

Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade just as painting does, or music. If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself." --Truman Capote

They're awesome. I really love this one.

 

[CarolMS]

They're awesome. I really love this one.

Me, too!

 

[Claire G]

They're awesome. I really love this one.

Agreed. This one resonated with me too:
"Writing has been a sturdy ladder out of a deep pit." --Alice Walker