Its fall, and I am a basic girl, so I go to get a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks. As soon as I walk in I see three of my favorite authors in what looks like a heated discussion about writing process in the upstairs loft. Being nosy I quickly run up to them and ask to join the conversation explaining that I am currently learning about the writing process in my college composition class and would love to hear their views and maybe even add some of my own opinions. They reluctantly agree and I immediately pull up a seat to the table. So this is how I got to be in a round-table conversation with Carolyn Chute, Anne Lamott, and Ray Bradbury.
Key for this dialogue. C=Carolyn Chute, A=Anne Lamott, R=Ray Bradbury, M=Me.
M:So what have I missed so far?
(Anne rolled her eyes and took a long sip off her coffee before she started up again tellin gus about her favorite quote)
A:"Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way". "What I got from this quote by EL Doctorow is that you don't have to see where you're going, you don't have to see the destination or everything you will pass along the way, you just have to see about three feet in front of you".
(Ray seems eager to join the conversation again)
R "I began to make lists of titles, to put down long lines of nouns...that caused my better stuff to surface, I began to run through those lists, pick a noun, and then sit there to write a long poem on it, somewhere along about the middle of the page or perhaps the second the poem would form into a story, then the character would finish the tale for me."
(Caroline shakes her head gently in disagreement)
C:"usually it takes me three days to get into writer mode, three days of quiet non-life mode, lots of coffee and no interruptions.'
R:"If you speak softly and write any old word that wants to jump out of your nerves onto a page...your thing at the top of the stairs in your own private night may come down"
M; So Ray, let me get this straight, you are saying that I should write down words that come to me and hopefully one of those words will come to me later and inspire me and an essay will form itself?
A: "Start by getting something- anything down on paper"
(Ray seems to like that Anne is backing her up he continues on Annes statement with his own idea)
R:"The fast you blurt, the more swiftly you write".
M:"But I Have so much going on in my life its hard to find a moment to just sit down and get it all down"
(they all sit and think of the best response for this lame excuse ive made up)
A:"I don't think you have time to waste not writing because you are afraid you wont be good enough at it".
C:"Writing is like meditation..... you are tapping into your subconscious, to be fully conscious and alert with life banging and popping and cuckooing all around you, you are not going to find your way to subconscious which is a place of complete submission."
M:" Okay thanks guys, you've been a great help! I cant be scared, I got to take it slow and remember its not easy for anyone even you guys.
(they seem relieved im leaving so I pick up my pumpkin spice latte and walk out of starbucks with my head held high, I am a changed writer for ever.)
Key for this dialogue. C=Carolyn Chute, A=Anne Lamott, R=Ray Bradbury, M=Me.
M:So what have I missed so far?
(Anne rolled her eyes and took a long sip off her coffee before she started up again tellin gus about her favorite quote)
A:"Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way". "What I got from this quote by EL Doctorow is that you don't have to see where you're going, you don't have to see the destination or everything you will pass along the way, you just have to see about three feet in front of you".
(Ray seems eager to join the conversation again)
R "I began to make lists of titles, to put down long lines of nouns...that caused my better stuff to surface, I began to run through those lists, pick a noun, and then sit there to write a long poem on it, somewhere along about the middle of the page or perhaps the second the poem would form into a story, then the character would finish the tale for me."
(Caroline shakes her head gently in disagreement)
C:"usually it takes me three days to get into writer mode, three days of quiet non-life mode, lots of coffee and no interruptions.'
R:"If you speak softly and write any old word that wants to jump out of your nerves onto a page...your thing at the top of the stairs in your own private night may come down"
M; So Ray, let me get this straight, you are saying that I should write down words that come to me and hopefully one of those words will come to me later and inspire me and an essay will form itself?
A: "Start by getting something- anything down on paper"
(Ray seems to like that Anne is backing her up he continues on Annes statement with his own idea)
R:"The fast you blurt, the more swiftly you write".
M:"But I Have so much going on in my life its hard to find a moment to just sit down and get it all down"
(they all sit and think of the best response for this lame excuse ive made up)
A:"I don't think you have time to waste not writing because you are afraid you wont be good enough at it".
C:"Writing is like meditation..... you are tapping into your subconscious, to be fully conscious and alert with life banging and popping and cuckooing all around you, you are not going to find your way to subconscious which is a place of complete submission."
M:" Okay thanks guys, you've been a great help! I cant be scared, I got to take it slow and remember its not easy for anyone even you guys.
(they seem relieved im leaving so I pick up my pumpkin spice latte and walk out of starbucks with my head held high, I am a changed writer for ever.)