I hope you'll enter my giveaway and get a chance to receive Barbara Abercrombie's new book A Year of Writing Dangerously. All you have to do is leave a comment -- some writing advice -- at the original post. or here. I'll pick my favorite tidbit and announce the winner tomorrow! Readers, this is a really wonderful book -- filled with quotes and guidance for every day of the year. There's not a cliche in it and so much inspiration that if you're stuck in your writing you'd find something to help you ignite that creativity. Here's an example:
20. Naked in the Hallway
I have a friend who has a large photograph of herself hanging in her downstairs hallway, and she's stark naked in it. There's also one of her husband. And these are not young people. The photographs were taken by a student from a nearby art college who wanted to photograph older people nude and who told my friend not to hold her stomach in, to just be herself. These are the bravest photographs I've ever seen, and beautiful too. Sure they reveal, well, everything, but --- because of the lighting, the art involved --- there's mystery to them.
I love to think of these photographs whenever I get all snarled up with the idea of exposing too much in my writing. As Tennessee Williams once said, "All good art is indiscretion."
I'm very relaxed about privacy because there is none left....John Perry Barlow, a former lyricist with the Grateful Dead....says the only way to have privacy [is to] expose it all and you have nothing to hide.---LEONARD KLEINROCK
ooooh, this looks so good! And of course Barbara is legendary at UCLA. OK, so here's my piece of advice, which is very "fresh" since I just hung up with a potential agent: Leave your ego at the door! You have to be open to critical feedback, and it will, in the end, only make your writing stronger.
ReplyDeleteI love what Tennessee Williams had to say. I have no advice about writing but I would love to have the guts to have my nude portrait taken. Last weekend I went topless on the beach. It was a completely deserted beach and I kept my bra on but I took off my top! That must count for something:)
ReplyDeleteI agree with the notion of writing something every day. At first I demanded it be separate from my blog, separate from correspondence, then realized both of those are writing, intentionally trying to find the words and be understood. And my process includes having to let what I write be awful: leaden, trite, dull, then go back and learn from it while I learn from writers whose phrases soar.
ReplyDeleteYou know, besides telling the truth, much a long the lines of what you wrote so beautifully here is to have no fear. That's why I couldn't write. I was so very scared of being judged and exposing too much of myself.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I have thoughts that I want to write but they are raw and expose some feelings and ideas that may "make people not like me." I get ashamed because I am a 48 year old woman who is still afraid that people won't like me.
ReplyDeleteAs far as being naked in a picture in the hallway...I have difficulty looking at myself just out of the shower, naked and dripping so I am sure that I wouldn't be able to have a picture on the wall of me even in my "best body" times. I applaud the folks that can be who they are and "let it all hang out" without worrying what anyone thinks.
Cheers,
Terry