Goldberg's Obsessions

This reading also shared a common theme with the others that were assigned this week. That theme was the element or lack of self involvement or in one's writing. A main point that Goldberg makes is that no matter how much one tires of writing about their family or friends and tries to repress it, their experiences and behaviors always seem to sneak back into a writer's subconscious inspiration. Goldberg also argues that the energy expended trying to repress natural inspiration caused by family and friends has a negative effect on the quality of writing one is able to produce. In essence, Goldberg encourages readers to just write whatever comes to them, to just write what comes natural, or "go with the flow" as the colloquialism says. I completely agree with Goldberg's points. There is nothing more true about writing than the fact that it must be honest and true. Writing must encompass an author being honest with his or her readers as well as themselves. For if an author's own brand of honesty is not entrenched within every letter they write, then any attempt at writing is rendered futile. If this were to be the case, one wouldn't be writing stories, novels or poetry. In that case, one would not be writing anything more than mere words.

After reading the excerpt of "The Right to Write" by Julia Cameron, I have mixed opinions. By itself, it is by any measure a useful tool to any budding writer. Its advice is simple yet thought provoking. Its main argument is to not let yourself get between you and writing. The key to writing is not putting labels on times when or when not to write, just write as it comes to you. However, as someone who has spent a somewhat extended period of time writing, I am not a fan of the writing exercises themselves. Maybe its just me, but I just feel like exercises such as the ones Ms. Cameron features in her book are, well, "gimmicky." Personally, I am not a believer in such exercises. I see them as little more than a waste of time and a good way to waste ink during a bout of writer's block. In the end, I find Ms. Cameron's advice and testimonial regarding writing far more pointed and relevant than her suggested exercises. If those are the exercises that help form a writer, then maybe you can just call me a couch potato.

My random thoughts for this week:

As I read the excerpt from "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott, I often found myself laughing quietly. There was something about her frankness and descriptions of the basics of creative writing that kept my attention. It was like my brain was a mangy stray salivating in an alley behind a butcher shop and Ms. Lamott was the meat cutter, occasionally throwing me the scraps that she couldn't sell to the paying public. I thought her explanation that a writer should start with their childhood when thinking of what to write about was dead on. I'm a big believer that the best writers are able to create the magic that they do because of their vast library of experiences. Two perfect examples that come to mind are Ernest Hemingway and Stephen King. Hemingway was essentially "The Most Interesting Man in the World" from the Dos Equis commercials. He boated off of Cuba, took siestas in Spain, relaxed in Idaho, galivanted with socialites in New York, and drank like a fish through it all. On the other hand, there's Stephen King. According to legend, King witnessed his childhood friend be obliterated by a train and wandered home in shock without any memory of the incident. It has been speculated that this experience has given him the ability, or "The Dark Half," that has allowed him to be the best there is at scaring the crap out of people for the last 40 years. Getting back to Ms. Lamott, I applaud her perfect honesty and ability to relate her advice through her wit and charm. Overall, "Bird by Bird" possessed what are the two most important qualities of good writing in my opinion: effectiveness and entertainment.

First Blog

"A poet is the preacer of the invisible"
-Wallace Stevens
1876-1955