Review: Josh Weil's "In the Hills"

Just start this short story from The Sun (April 2013, page 17 ff), and you'll be hooked. Weil explores the nature of heartbreak in, I dare say, a delightful way. 

Structurally it's quite brilliant, blending story, poetry, memoir, and play. He uses almost all the "persons" - first, second, third, and all their plurals! And through all this structure-play comes an intimate and authentic story of a man and how his life was shaped by the breakup with his wife. 

It was a joy to read, and I'll be looking for more works by Josh Weil.

Hearing Voices?

Zen writer and practitioner Cheri Huber advises us to ignore the constant talking in our heads. Since most of the chatter seems to be negative, and so much of it is repetitive, her suggestion makes sense. Here is  what she says in her blog:

http://cherispracticeblog.blogspot.com/

Two Hats

Can't wear both at the same time. The first is the creative process hat. The second is the editor hat. Both are part of the process, but I must remember to wear them at different times. 

Suzann Kale

"Collision" on PBS Masterpiece Theatre

Not only did I have to watch all 5 episodes in one sitting, but I also dreamt about COLLISION  for a few nights after! Plus, it altered the way I'm writing my novel. And I might add, it changed my life. Written by Anthony Horowitz and Michael A. Walker, Collision is a 5-episode mini-series, available on Netflix. From the beginning I was hooked --- but little did I know that by the end I would be totally blown away. And I'm not going to tell the ending, because that would be a spoiler. But I will say that the show intrigues and entertains on many levels. And it's about fate. And how the universe might or might not work. 

Suzann Kale

Surrendering to the Characters

And another reason I was having writer's block: I wanted the novel to go a certain way, and the characters simply wouldn't comply.

I know that sounds cliche and goopy. But ...

My problem is that I hate for my characters to have problems. Like my pets, I want my novel's characters to have wonderful lives free of opposition, embarrassment, and negativity.

So, oops. No plot.

And in fact, as I ponder my book in quiet moments, I see clearly that not only do my two main characters have huge problems, but they want me to write about these issues in detail because they want these problems resolved. 

Also I found out that Sylvie, my main character, did not want to do first person. So I'm back to regular third person with her. Why? Because I can get a lot more information in. In this particular story, I found that Sylvie telling her own story was too limited.

I also was plagued with the small town in which my two characters live. They don't really like living there. So...why are they still there? In order to answer that question I had to realize the enormous issues each one faced, that brought them to that town and kept them there. 

Very general, I know. But it feels good now. Going to the computer to write no longer feels like an extended torture session. Now it feels rich and deep. Nevermind that the story isn't going the way I had originally planned. It's going to go the way the characters go, because that's the only way it's going to get written.

Suzann Kale

Writer's Block Isn't Always What It Seems

Even going through a recent dry period, where daily writing turned out such horrible drivel that it put me in a tailspin - something else was going on. After a few months of absolutely dreadful writing, I realized that I needed to either take a break, or give up on it completely. Yes, first drafts are supposed to need repair, but this was to the extreme.

So I took a break, and just went to work and organized drawers and did laundry. But here's what happened: During that break time, stuff kept coming to me. Good stuff. I had to carry a notebook and pen with me at all times, including in the car, near the shower, in bed with me at night and to the supermarket. Because the stuff that was coming to me was rich and authentic. Whether or not it ended up in the novel, I had to capture it.

This notebook has filled up and amazingly, I'm now ready to go back to the writing. I don't have to force it now because I loosened my grip on the process.

Upon re-reading what I wrote before this break, I see that it was flippant.It wasn't grounded.

After taking this break, the whole novel has changed. The plot, characters, and setting are the same - but the voice has matured. And the narrative has deepened. The pacing of the book has evened out.

I have something to go on. I kind of know what I'm going to do now.

Yes, most of the time writer's block needs to be dealt with by simply not allowing it to exist. But sometimes, you have to know when to break the rules. And letting myself leave the keyboard for a few months, writing down dreams and fragments as they occurred, has healed this novel.

Suzann Kale

I Love My Apps

Especially Goodreads and of course Blogger. Also my weather app.