So, Why Story?

Posted on by
1

I’ve wanted to write a post about this topic for a long time. This is the short version; I might expand later. Basically, I want to answer a simple question… Why am I so fascinated by stories, and fiction in particular?

The first part of the question is easy to answer. Humans are hard-wired to enjoy story. We crave the narrative form, even in nonfiction. It hooks us, holds our attention, and feels more personal than a basic repetition of facts. (I could go into more detail about this, but I’ll leave that for a later post.)

The second part of the question is harder. When it comes to stories, why do I prefer fiction? I think it comes down to two reasons: possibility and meaning. To a certain extent, stories about factual events are limited. They’re constrained by what actually happened, by the limits of the “real world.” I enjoy broader possibilities when it comes to story—infinite outcomes, unusual characters, different worlds.

Then there’s the issue of meaning. When it comes to factual events, there’s an element of randomness that can’t be avoided. Sometimes, things in life just happen. Fans of narrative nonfiction appreciate this; they feel that the “realness” of chance improves the story, making it authentic and unpredictable.

Personally, I prefer the orchestrated meaning of fiction: where the author chooses each outcome, as part of a larger narrative. A fictional story is an act of creation—intentional, constructed. Good fiction is a work of art; each detail is included for a reason. Generally, I read nonfiction to find out what happens. I read fiction to experience the author’s vision, to discover new thoughts and ideas to appreciate.

To sum up, I like real-life stories about interesting people… Olympic athletes, musicians, and so on. But I love stories about characters who do incredible things that no one in this world ever could. These stories are exciting, and expand my mind—but they also make me think, and give me courage, because the characters’ struggles still remind me of my own. Which means the conclusions they reach about their lives can also become meaningful to me.

I guess what I’m saying is, an epic story can make life more epic. I crave that feeling, but I also need it to keep living. I think Samwise Gamgee in The Two Towers said it best…

“Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why.”

This is My Story

Posted on by
1

Hello, Internet! I’m returning to this blog after a two-year hiatus. I stopped posting for many reasons—some of them too personal to share here—but one of the biggest was a lack of direction, as far as blogging is concerned. To be honest, I’m still struggling with the question of what I want this blog to be. I’m an aspiring writer, and this is my professional website. But I don’t want to lecture fellow writers about the writing process… I’m still learning, and other writers give better advice about it than I can. I also don’t want to post too much about my daily experiences. My life is pretty boring, generally. I drink tea and I edit manuscripts. Not exactly post-worthy stuff.

But I do want to talk about stories. Stories are what excite me, what inspire me. I became a writer because of my love for fiction, and narrative in general. I’ve loved stories since I was a kid, and they define me—who I have been, who I am now, and who I want to become someday.

So I want to talk about why I love stories, and how I came to love them. I want to talk about my experiences with story—as a girl, as a geek, and as a writer. In the process, I hope to take a few trips down memory lane, and by exploring my own journey with story, become more enlightened about my views on it.

Most of all, I hope it will be interesting—both to myself, and any readers out there who might be curious.

Well, here’s hoping!

Do You Hear the People Sing?

Posted on by
1

Warning: This is a blog post about Les Misérables. I can’t seem to write about Les Mis without rivers of praise gushing forth from my keyboard, so… Well, all I can say is that I tried to reign myself in.

Les Misérables Program

My program from the production!

Two weeks ago, I had the chance to see the restaged version of Les Misérables. It is, without reservation, my favorite musical. It’s one of my favorite novels as well—if not the favorite, which is a risky thing to say as an English Lit major. (Pick my favorite book, you say? That’s impossible! There are far too many books in the world, too many stories to love.)

Still, despite all the competition, Les Misérables stands out to me. I first fell in love with it during my junior year of high school. The novel is sweeping, sentimental, and unabashedly spiritual in scope. The characters are so iconic they seem like something out of legend or myth, rather than part of a book penned only two hundred years ago. The redemptive quest of Jean Valjean, the convict who spends nineteen years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread, is the kind of epic narrative that is impossible to forget.

Victor Hugo is a role model for me, both as a writer and as a human being. His writing practically bleeds compassion, which I admire even more than his keen grasp of human psychology or his eloquent turn of phrase. During my senior year of high school, I chose the following quote of his to inscribe under my photo in the yearbook: “To love another person is to see the face of God.”

Needless to say, his work has a great deal of personal resonance for me. So as I sat in the theater two weeks ago, watching a gorgeous dramatization of one of my favorite stories, I remembered how much I loved it, and why. I also realized something new, something that surprised me. In many ways, Les Misérables is the standard against which I measure myself as a writer.

I will never write a novel as classic and beloved as Les Mis, of course. I’m no Victor Hugo, no literary genius or visionary. But I will say that when I set out to create a story, I am most satisfied when I attempt to include the following elements:

-A large cast of characters, each one as layered and sympathetic as possible

-A setting in which time and place connect closely with the plot

-A plot concerned with large-scale events and themes (Hugo writes about love, politics, poverty, war, and the salvation of the soul, just to name a few!)

-A story in which profound tragedy occurs, including but not limited to death

And…

-A story in which every event, character, and place could symbolize something deeper than the literal narrative—a story, in other words, which deals with archetypes and our cultural/mythological heritage as human beings

More than any other work of literature, Les Misérables taught me to value these qualities in storytelling. Honestly, any novel that aims for less tends to seem a little insignificant by comparison. I mean, if your characters aren’t dying bravely for a lost cause on top of a barricade of broken furniture, well then, what’s all the fuss about?

In all seriousness, though, Les Misérables taught me to think on a larger-than-life scale when I write. After all, what’s the point if I don’t push myself to convey the most important and interesting ideas I can? When I look at the list in this post, I realize just how far my own stories fall short of this goal. Not every novel can be a literary epic, and truthfully, not every novel should be. But Victor Hugo’s masterpiece motivates me to always aim higher. As the saying goes, even if we miss the moon, we may very well land among the stars.

On that note, I would like to conclude by embedding the trailer for the movie version of the Les Misérables musical, which comes out in December. Not because it relates to my post in any meaningful way, but just because I’m near-delirious with excitement (and this trailer gives me chills, every time!):

In Which the Wayward Writer Resumes Her Blog

Posted on by
1

Some of my reading lately!

Has it really been seven months since I last posted? That’s hard to believe. I spent the previous week debating what sort of thing I ought to write here, after such a long (and mostly unplanned) absence. I even began a terribly serious essay about birthday goals and the inevitable passage of time and all sorts of philosophical contemplations. Then I remembered that I’m only capable of so many serious sentiments per day before I realize how boring I sound, and decided to scrap it.

So here is the gist of that entry, minus the lengthy musing…

Two weeks ago, I turned twenty-six. The number still seems a bit surreal, since I feel the same as I did when I was in college. All in all, though, I’m reasonably satisfied with what I’ve accomplished in the past few years.

But I also realized how much more I want to do, especially when it comes to writing. So I drew up a few goals for myself. I now have a reading schedule, which means I’ll be reading more books—and that’s a relief, because aspiring writers need to read the same way we need oxygen. Published books help us to remember that yes, it is possible to write a whole bunch of sentences that eventually come together to make a beautiful story, and yes, it is important to have fun with your work and create something you love. Other writers have managed to do it, and so can we! (If that sounds obvious, and also a bit pathetic, that’s only because it is.)

I’ve also resolved to be more diligent about blogging. So from now on, I hope to post here on a bi-weekly basis. It will be nice to write something without having to watch how many adverbs I use. (Although my inner editor has become so particular that I’ll probably end up deleting most of them anyway!)

As for what happened in my absence, I’m afraid don’t have much to report on the writing front. It was a long and busy spring, during which I finished another revision of my current novel, followed by a difficult summer. I received a manuscript request from my dream agency, followed by a rejection with surprisingly positive feedback—which I took as a good sign. Later, I received the most brutal critique of my first ten pages that I’ve had to date, from a very different source. So like many writers, I’ve had a mixed bag of feedback so far. I don’t know what will happen next, but in the meantime, I’ve been brainstorming new projects and tweaking old ones.

I do have happier things to report, mostly involving the SCBWI Summer 2012 Conference in L.A., where I got the chance to hang out with my incredible critique partner Kourtney Heintz. But I’ll save those thoughts for another entry. In the meantime, I’m glad to be back, and I’m hopeful that the next twelve months will be productive and positive ones.

SCBWI Conference Report: The Power of Self-Definition

Posted on by
1

Hello, everyone! I have a guest post today over at Kourtney Heintz’s blog, with my thoughts on one of the keynote speeches at the SCBWI 2012 Winter Conference in New York City. Those who follow me on Twitter know I was lucky enough to attend this conference two weeks ago. It was an amazing experience, so I also wanted to post my general impressions of the trip on this blog.

Swag from the conference!

I have to admit, I don’t always think of myself as an aspiring author. I’ve been writing stories since I was in elementary school, but my goal to become a professional writer is a recent one. So when I signed up for the conference, I was nervous. I even reserved a spot in the Writers’ Roundtable, where the first two pages of my manuscript would be critiqued by professional editors—as well as my fellow writers. Which meant strangers would be reading my work. Talented strangers with OPINIONS, most of which I assumed would be negative. I spent the night before my flight to New York having a nervous breakdown—and rewriting the first two paragraphs of my story from scratch.

Well, you can probably guess how this story ends. The conference was wonderful. Having my manuscript critiqued (and marked up by senior editors from Random House and G.P. Putnam’s Sons!) was a privilege and a great help. The attendees at my table complimented my work, which was a pleasant surprise. But more importantly, I had a great time. I met writers from around the country, brilliant people who understood the joy of storytelling and the frustration of revising and the pain of rejection. I read several promising manuscripts, and heard advice from some of the greatest professionals in the children’s book industry… Professionals who had a hand in publishing Harry Potter and Goosebumps and The Babysitter’s Club. Professionals who, in other words, were directly responsible for a good portion of my childhood.

I also went to see Seminar, a witty and provocative play about writing. It starred Alan Rickman as a sharp-tongued teacher of the craft. (Hilarious, and appropriate after a day of critiques! Also, ALAN RICKMAN. Enough said.) On the last day of the conference, Cassandra Clare signed my copy of Clockwork Prince. She asked what kind of stories I wrote, and I was able to thank her for writing a Victorian fantasy series.

Fan art for Leanna!

I gave this fan art to Leanna on Sunday. The characters are from her gorgeous YA novel Darker Still. She even posted it on her blog!

Best of all, I spent Sunday afternoon with my favorite author, Leanna Renee Hieber. I tend to gush about Leanna, because I am hopelessly in love with her books. (I recommend them to everyone I know. Since you are visiting my blog, that now includes you!) She is also extremely kind and generous. She showed me around the East Village, which I had never visited, and we discussed our latest projects. To talk about writing with my favorite author not only as a fan, but as a fellow creator, was the most thrilling experience in my career to date.

So what I learned from my first SCBWI conference was this: If you want to be an author, treat yourself like one. Go to conferences, and network like any other professional. Introduce yourself, and be brave. Open yourself up to criticism. Talk about writing. Put your money where your dream is. Get a website. Make some business cards. Join a writing organization like SCBWI and make friends. I know these things aren’t easy to do, especially for introverted people like me. So why do I recommend them so heartily?

Simple. Because I did them, and wonderful things happened. Things I only dreamed were possible, things I never really dared to imagine.

So did I get discovered by an agent or editor at my first SCBWI conference? No, I didn’t, but I’m not disappointed in the least. Instead, I learned something important, something I should have known from the start: I am a writer. I already am the person I want so badly to become. Knowing that, I will do whatever it takes to realize my dream, no matter how long the wait. I hope you won’t hesitate to do the same, whenever opportunity crosses your path.

Now, back to another round of revisions!