The general response when I tell someone I’m a writer is: “I have a great idea for a book (or screenplay) and I’m going to write it when I have time.”
This is what I know for certain: YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TIME! Most people assure me they have their book or screenplay completely mapped out in their head and they just need to get it to paper…right. I usually just smile. It seems rude to tell someone how hard it is to get your thoughts down in black and white — like telling someone eating movie popcorn (and clearly enjoying it) how many calories it has in it. I have been on many walks with my trusty assistant, Thor, when I’ve dragged him home from his ball-playing, hole-digging time on the beach because my head is bursting with an idea. I get home to my computer only to find that my mind has gone blank and my fingers have become paralysed. My inbox stares at me begging for attention with many unanswered (and mostly unimportant) emails, and that speck of dirt on the floor across the room just has to go. My assistant that I’ve entrusted with characters and plots is now curled up asleep on the couch and is of no help whatsoever.
Writing is hard work. Like most things in life, to be successful you need to be disciplined; and, practice of and passion for what you do always makes you better. Writing is also fun — you can create a world all your own or you can opine away without interruption!
If you are one of the few who have completed a book or a screenplay you have my deep admiration. If you’ve gotten a book published or a screenplay produced you are in a very select group of people that have not just accomplished the difficult, but have achieved the near impossible.
Everyone has a story, but can anyone write a book? I recently posed this question to San Francisco author Christina Westover who has published not one, but two books. Here’s my unabridged interview with Christina’s advice on getting started:
First and foremost, I think of a character. I think about what makes him or her different than everyone else? What do they dream about? What is important to them? Once I have a character, I create a concept for the story. I know this sounds weird, but I don’t know how to write short stories, so when I write, I just know, I have to show enough of the character’s life in order to give the reader a feeling of emotional satisfaction. What drives the book, is the desire to touch another human being on the deepest most fathomless levels. I hope I have accomplished that.
I’m not the most disciplined writer, so I would have to say no. For me, writing occurs naturally and constantly–but in my head. I hear a constant dialogue of characters in my head talking to each other. Actually sitting down to write out my thoughts is exhausting to me, and I put it off for as long as possible. Usually, I spend a year thinking of the story, writing notes, and when I sit down to write it chapter by chapter, I usually complete writing it within one to three months if working consistently. It requires not socializing AT ALL. Writing every free moment of every day until it is done.
My ideas are drawn from everyday life. My characters are unusual, because they’re a mirror of how unusual I am. As an example,after having a complete nervous breakdown in 2001, I was diagnosed as having Bipolar II Disorder and Chronic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Poisoning Sylvie is about a woman who suffers from toxophobia, which is a form of PTSD. She’s tired of feeling different from others, and uses a dual identity to live as though she had never been diagnosed with anything.
I usually have notes, almost like journal entries which I keep. I write a loose outline, just a sentence or two per chapter–but this does not mean I’ll stick to the outline. An outline just gives me a basic idea of where I would like the story to go. As I am actually writing it, the characters experience things I didn’t know were going to happen. I become an observer like everyone else. Books almost seem to write themselves when you love the characters.
I find it difficult if not impossible to verbalize what it is I am thinking before it is written down, so I would say I finish a draft, then ask for feedback.
I know the emotions I want the reader to feel at the end. I don’t know which form those emotions will take, or which characters will be present in the end, but I know the books I remember most are books which leave my heart feeling full.
Yes. It is healing in a powerful way. I think we are all so hard on ourselves, and we need to start helping one another to learn a healthier, kinder inner dialogue–the sort of dialogue which fortifies a person’s soul. Emotionally healthy individuals make an emotionally healthy society, and that has profound effects on the WORLD. I write to be an emotionally healthier person, and I try to write stories which urge people to believe in themselves and their dreams. I really believe art has the ability to heal others. Plus, when you can direct thoughts into a character, they are no longer personal, and are easier to analyze and understand.
It depends upon the book. I once wrote a historical novel (which I have not tried publishing) which took ten years to complete. I spent two years researching the 1920′s and 1930′s, and eight years writing. I wrote that between ages 15-25. Since my late twenties my average novel takes about a year and a half to complete.
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Great story. I admire Christina’s heart and writing style. Looking forward to reading her latest book.
Thank you, Carla, for having me on your blog: ) Thank you, Vera, for always being encouraging! Nothing in this world is better than knowing people believe in you!
A lot more doubt, mumble; much more trouble, delegate; when in charge, ponder.
Do not let your ego get too near to your posture, to ensure in case your position gets shot down, your ego doesn’t go with it.