English September 16, 2010
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“Sometimes the effort of putting pen to paper is so great that I literally feel a pain in my head.”
- This quote interested me because I know for myself getting the jump start to write a paper isn’t at times always easy. It takes a lot of time and work and I could attest to the pain the writer feels. The pain the writer feels attests to the fact that all writers experience writers block. Along with the at times quite comical physical pain that comes with writers block.
“The paradox of writing is that you’re trying to use words to express what words can’t express.”
- This quote was my favorite quote for this sub heading because I feel as thought that’s what writing is. I mean words convey feelings and emotions that I feel can’t always can’t be expressed in words. It’s an almost kind of weird of paradox which I find so close to my world. Because I don’t always know how to speak to people but when I get fired up about something on paper. It’s as though I become a word revolutionary. So for me this quote is almost about a small aspect of my relationship to writing.
“The mere consciousness of an engagement will worry a whole day.”
- I could agree with this quote almost 100 percent. As a writer I know that as a writer when I write. It’s hard to write to my greatest comprehension when I have something on my mind. This is another aspect to fiction writing. That fiction writing takes full concentration and it requires time and effort. Also it doesn’t come easily. It takes zoning out what one needs to take off the mind. And this quote ironically talks about that.
“Some writers can plop at the kitchen table without clearing the breakfast dishes; others need total seclusion, a beach, a cat, a string quartet.”
- This sentence sparked my interest because I couldn’t help but think of myself as that person. I mean as a developing writer sometimes you feel as though how did Jane Austin compose such beautiful pieces of literature. While on the other hand there you are trying to write a piece of literature and your wondering. Why cant you be the next Jane Austin. It’s as though you wonder how much you could accomplish but you know that you could do it at your own pace. At times this could be discouraging.
“The critic is an absolutely essential part of the writing process. The trick is to shut him or her up until there is something to criticize.”
- This sentence teaches me that when writing fiction. Its not always as easy as what it seems but the trick is to learn the art of knowing that you could do it. About making yourself control the critic in your head and remembering that he has the power over himself. This is not always easy at times but in a way I get this feeling that is a stepping stone as a growing writer in developing your literary legs and walking. I mean maybe ignoring those critics in your head is about being like the baby that says I can do it and walk on your own to feet as a writer.
“To be an artist means never to avert your eyes.”
- I really liked this quote because I feel as though this an under lying idea of what makes studying English so unique. English is unique because it’s the capture of this beauty that is so rare now a day’s. I mean the artist has a paint brush and a photographer has a camera. But the writer has something even more greater than that to create beauty. He has the ability to look with his eyes at the beauty and pen those words. He has the power to look into the world and bring out its beauty through the words of a pen or pencil and some paper. Its power and it’s a skill that as an English student continues to fascinate me about English. It’s this want to look and attain beauty.
Keep Going
“Writing is mind-farming. You have to plow, plant, weed, and hope for growing weather.”
- I thought this quote was quite interesting because it’s so true. Like you nurture your idea and you see it. But it’s really based on how much time and effort you put into it. Along with the conditions you place into it. I’ve never really thought of my ideas in relationship to agriculture. But this is probably why this quite is so interesting because it compares such an idea in a way I’ve never thought of it as. Ideas do require effort. However in a way I also wondering since farming conditions aren’t always right does that mean that even if you work hard and yet there’s not fit circumstances that your idea wont prosper. Its really a doubled edged question. But than again maybe that’s the beauty of English.
“You have writer’s block”
- Those are probably the words no writer wants to hear which is why I find that those words popped out to me. Because it sucks to have writing block but it isn’t uncommon. Writers block isn’t at times easy to deal with and I cant describe how many times I hate it. But than again that’s what being a writer is about. This is what fiction I get the feeling is about its about overcoming our writers block and just writing.
A word about theme
“It takes a reassuring, “just do it” approach to getting starting.”
- This quote kind of made me laugh and stood out to me because it reminded me of my 5th grade teacher who use to say. “You’ll never know unless you just do it.” I don’t know if she had taken her words from this book. But if she did than I think she would be happy that her words still stand today with me. Reading this also caused me to hear a song I heard in the movie 500 days of summer called you make my dreams come true. To start coming out in my head. I assumed this song appeared in my head because we never know if we could make our dreams come true as writers unless we use the just do it approach and makes our dreams come true. But than again it could also be that writing is about making dreams come true.
“What your story has to say will gradually reveal itself.”
- I picked this quote because I never thought as my writing in this way. I mean I always thought the story reveals itself through its ending but in this case it doesn’t. It reveals itself in the early stages as you unravel it. I think this a quite good demonstration that as a story is created the ideas aren’t always found at the ending but instead at times in the beginning as well. I mean I know this sounds clique to say. But a story is never real said until its writer as revealed it so.
Shitty First Drafts":
1. Anne Lamott is a famous author. Is the writing process easy for her? List 3 ideas she has to help her battle with the process.
1. Anne Lamott is a famous author. Is the writing process easy for her? List 3 ideas she has to help her battle with the process.
The writing process isn’t easy for her.
- One thing she does is write a shitty first draft.
- The second thing she does is to quite the voices in her head
- The third she does is reviewing her drafts and except her criticism of herself.
What are your personal expectations for your first draft of writing?
You know this is going to sound bad but when it comes to my first drafts. I tend to get hostile with myself because I tend to see my first drafts as my fall back sheet. I view it with such high expectations. In hopes that maybe my first draft could be my last and that maybe some how what I couldn’t say would be expressed in my first draft.
Who are your biggest critics that you need to silence?
My biggest critics for me are the three ideas in my head. Its like I have this one side of me. Who says that sounds like crap you could write better. Than I have another critic that says you do realize that you sound clique. The third critic laughs at me constantly .It’s like this third critic is the combination of the two except he knows its easy for me to fail and he waits for it.
Questions from "Why I Write"
1. According to Didion, how is grammar important within fiction writing?
1. According to Didion, how is grammar important within fiction writing?
According to Didion the usage of grammar is important in fiction writing because it holds infinite power. By just shifting the words you create a new story of your own and that’s the power of words.
How did Didion get her ideas for the opening of her novel Play It as It Lays?
Didion got her ideas from two pictures. The first picture was of white space. The second picture was of young women in Vegas basically enjoying herself in Vegas.
On page 21, reread the paragraph beginning "The picture that did..." What does Didion use in order to create the "norteamericana woman" for her novel A Book of Common Prayer?
To create the norteamericana women for her novel .The author used the picture of being in a panama airport at 6. And being in a waiting room and seeing women at an airport who was about 40 and had a wedding ring on. The author than took this women and put her in another airport and placed into another scenario quite different than the one where she had scene such a women.
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