How many times have you seen, heard, or read, “What is the most prevalent thing that you feel hinders your writing”?
The Boss tells me I say silly things to those who are asking or saying something to just make small talk. This was one of those times; I can’t find where it was but I am giving credit to The Literary Lab, in my mind; I think. They were asking for a suggestion or thought from the readers. My comment was “I need to more often write neeckkkeed”. In reality, at first, I thought I was being cute and usually I look for some kind of shocked response, but then I realized that I really felt that way. No, I don’t mean without my blue jeans. Peel away the layers of apprehension and shyness. Write what happens in the real world. I don’t always talk like what is spoken in the real world, but can I write it? I think I am suppose to, but truthfully, I don’t do that very often, if ever. I think that in order to get to the core of a topic, you have to dig through that muck and mash.
My next reaction was, “surely I am not the only one that has ever thought this”; it seems I was correct. Our local writer club, East Texas Writers’ Guild met one Monday soon after this and the agenda was to watch YouTube videos of interviews with different writers. We experienced computer problems and ended up just having an open discussion night. The next day I went to the YouTube site and searched out the interviews on my own. I remembered the interview with Anita Shreve , the author of “The Pilot’s Wife” along with many others. In one segment she is telling about writing a scene that was a little too risqué for her personal comfort. Her response to herself was, “I can’t write this way. My Daddy is going to read this.” After considering an alternative direction for a short while, she determined that the scene was important to the story so she overrode her anxiety about the scene, peeled away the “layers” and wrote the real world into the story.
Like an overweight doctor that tells me to lose weight, I sit here and preach about this as if I have “torn down that wall” and mastered this technique, when in real life, I have not. My three girls are going to read just about everything I write and so are my sisters, my nieces and nephews and maybe even a few of you, so am I going to write very Neeckkeed? Probably not. For my purposes, I don’t think I need to. I will let “Momma Lou” do all the really colorful language, but maybe I should shed a few layers and still be in line with what is called for.
Watch all parts if you have the time
oh, i'm gonna watch this, glenn. you gotta know i'm going to be all for this. despite the sweaters, jeans and extra socks, i see real value here. in fact, i think it's the only thing worthwhile, isn't it? (not sure. debating this silently with myself right now.)
ReplyDeletei'll watch a bit later when the little ones aren't around to view all that nudity:)
xo
erin
When I think of writing something 'nekkid', I do think about who is reading it. I keep thinking I'll find a blog where I can anonymously spill my guts and get my story out there without any backlash from my family, who, really, just needs to get a grip...lol
ReplyDeleteHi there Diddy! Sooooo glad you clarified what you meant by neecckkeedd! Love my Daddy! :) Rachelle
ReplyDeleteThis is so true!!!
ReplyDeleteGlenn, I know it seems contradictory, but there are varying degrees of necked writing, and I think it is far more in the mind of the writer than the eyes of the beholder. But there does require a raw honesty; I don't think it has to make anyone but the writer blush,,,
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way. I find I sometimes filter my writing because of who may read it.
ReplyDeleteYou drew me in with that title. I think I need a Momma Lou to spill the beans for me as well. Oh how close to the edge dare I go without falling over. I've been in a long state of writer's block because I don't want to put into writing what I really want to put into writing.
ReplyDeleteI need to peel away the layers. I do have some barrier up in my writing. Thanks Glenn for making me dig a little deeper in my thinking today. I think that my writing has to go to a new place soon. I'm not feeling as connected anymore.
ReplyDeleteThe video was very good. Thanks Glenn!
Bland pap writing prevails when you are concerned about your audience. But hidden deep inside somewhere is the that evil voice wanting to get out. I suspect we have all considered starting a new blog somewhere with a secret identity where you can let loose. But then we would probably screw it up because we would want people to read it and would accidentally refer to it in our bland pap blog.
ReplyDeleteDaddy...feel free to write necked,don't hold back on our account, just put a disclaimer at the beginning for your youngun's :)
ReplyDeleteGlenn, this has been the biggest issue in my writing lately as I work on the new memoir (the dog book). In writing the first section, about my dog Rufus, I had to write about my step-father--and how he attempted to molest me when I was a teenager. No one has ever heard that story--not my brother or my kids. I know it will be hurtful for them when the book comes out, but I learned from James Brown, author of The Los Angeles Diaries and This River (the two best memoirs I've ever read) that we have to be "true to our own story." Though it makes me uncomfortable to tell the tale, I hope in the long run--as I always hope--that someone is helped or inspired or encouraged by what I wrote.
ReplyDelete'digging through the muck and mash'..great turn of phrase..isn't there a saying 'first thought. best thought'...Jae :)
ReplyDeletei love this glenn. such a difficult thing to do, yet so necessary if we are to let our writer's barking dogs out of their basement.
ReplyDeletexx