Sep 17 2008
I Know It’s Hard
This is sort of a fourth unspoken, hidden, related reason why I write. Going back to my post about why I write, this post sort of spins off of that. There’s a fourth reason, one that sometimes I tend to forget about. I don’t think of it as something important directly to my writing. But it really is.
The fourth reason–helping others with their writing, reading other people’s work.
I hear stories all the time about college–beer, girls, guys, bongs, lava lights, dorm rooms, community showers, football games, blah, blah, blah. I admit it. I never really had anything like that. I lived with my parents the whole time I attended Oakton Community College and then the University of Illinois at Chicago. I didn’t have much experience in having a roommate. The good news is I didn’t have any experience in doing weed or getting drunk off my tail.
What I did get out of my college years were some of the best classes I, personally, could take. Pertaining to my degree, most of my classes revolved around creative writing. Workshops. We were laid back. We were a group. Not a class. That part of my degree always remained close to my heart. Being able to read other people’s work and having them read mine turned the class into something more personal than a requirement for a degree.
I had to bust my butt, though. It required an extensive portfolio of writing by the end of the semester. Rewrites, new material, even a thesis about my writing. So it wasn’t necessarily a slacker’s class. For those of you who think that, shame on you. But when you practice what you love, that’s the real beauty. Other classes, you’re not technically practicing. You start practicing your skills when you’re out in the field. You learn about them in class. But a creative writing class? You’re already practicing your craft even before you become a writer or an editor or a journalist or a literary agent or whatever other English degree job happens to be out there (which let me tell you, not that many).
This being said, my point of this whole post–I know it’s hard, people. Believe me. Any other writer will tell you the same. Ask Jordan Dane or even J.K. Rowling. Ask Stephen King. It’s a hard but gratifying road to be on. Other aspiring authors looking to break into the industry (you know who you are) Mary Lindsey, Sarah Jensen, Elana Johnson, Michelle McLean, Jacob Israel, Marva Dasef, Scott Tracey–ask them , too. They’ll say it’s a hard road. But it’s worth it.
That’s why I’m going to say, straight out, if you’re an aspiring writer out there, anywhere–I don’t care if you’re even from Mars–and you have a project you’re working on–shoot me a message or a post. I have a Facebook, so look me up. Send me a chapter and I’ll be glad to read it critically. Talk to me about your work. I promise I won’t bite.
I always forget about that specific desire–wanting to read other’s work–because I forget that that desire, that ability, actually does sharpen my own work as well. Except I’m not actually writing. Usually, you sharpen your gift by actually doing it. This is by far the only part of writing that fine-tunes your craft without actually practicing it! That’s valuable. And I don’t intend on wasting it. You don’t waste it either.
Anyway, arms open, mind open, ears open, eyes open–send me your stuff. I’ll make sure I’ve got contact info here. I’d be glad to see some stuff out there. Thanks for reading.
