by Joe Bunting |
If you want to be a writer, stop worrying about writing well. Instead, write now.
Earlier this week, I was blocked. I tweeted my friend Andrea Cumbo, “I have low creative confidence right now. I’ve forgotten how to write fiction.” There was guilt associated with that statement. I thought, You’ve forgotten how to write fiction, and yet you write a blog about writing? What a hypocrite.
So guilt tripped into action, I sat down and wrote a few sentences.
They were bad. Really bad. I almost threw up in my mouth they were so bad.
But still, I wrote a little more and when I felt I had been through enough torture, I stopped, satisfied I had written something at least. I didn’t write well, but I wrote.
by Joe Bunting |
PRACTICE
Write a scene where two characters of different backgrounds (think Romeo and Juliet) fall in love at first sight.
Write for fifteen minutes. When you’re finished, share your practice in the comments section. And if you share, be sure to leave feedback for a few other writers.
by Joe Bunting |
I’m editing a book by an author who lives outside the US. Most of the novel takes place in locations I’ve never seen except in pictures. Sometimes there are words I don’t understand The book has a strangeness I find captivating. Since working on it, I started to wonder if I could write something outside of my own cultural tradition.
Why? Except for his histories, Shakespeare wrote plays that took place in exotic locations like Florence and Scotland. Nearly all of Hemingway’s novels took place outside of the US, usually in Europe or the Caribbean.
We like stories that feel a little foreign.
by Joe Bunting |
One of the great gifts a writer can give to the world is to tell someone else’s story.
I learned this when I started ghostwriting: no credit, no glory, just the knowledge that without me, the story wouldn’t be told. It’s surprisingly satisfying.
If you’re still trying to write stories about yourself, I want to challenge you to try your hand at writing someone else’s story. Here are three reasons why…
by Joe Bunting |
For the last two-and-a-half months, I’ve been getting more and more into the work of L.L. Barkat, the poet and author of four books, including Rumors of Water: Thoughts on Creativity & Writing and her book of poetry, InsideOut. Rumors of Water is a book writing in the style of Annie Dillard, which instantly makes me start salivating.
L.L. Barkat is a staff writer for The Curator, a culture magazine based in NYC, and also authors several blogs. My personal favorite of hers is Seedlings in Stone. You probably should subscribe.
I’m so excited to talk to her about creativity, poetry, and how to balance all those projects and dreams we all have. I hope you enjoy the interview!
