Kickstart students on writing

Joining us for a Q&A this month are Kickstart students Debbe Borders, Howard Schneider, Jamie Caulley, Kerry McPherson, and Mark Robben, sharing their experiences writing. Want to read their work? You can find it in previous issues of this Kickstart newsletter, in the student showcase.

What do you enjoy most about writing?

“I enjoy that I have a voice that is mine alone and how it feels when I write something of which I am proud.” —Debbe

“For me, the enjoyment derives primarily from the fun of stretching my imagination to invent interesting fictional stories. I prefer to write short ones, such as micro stories and flash stories. With this style, I can pursue a greater range of topics than would be possible with long-form writing. Ultra-short stories also require me to maximize the impact of every word and sentence. That is a big challenge in itself, and challenges are certainly good for us all.” —Howard

“I like the opportunity to be introspective and creative—to tell my story in a way I want, exaggerating drama or minimizing as I feel fits.” —Jamie

“When writing, I can’t always control the stories that come out. But I can control how they come out. I think that’s the thing I enjoy most about writing. It’s a way for me to feel comfortable telling a story. I am horrible at telling stories verbally. Writing is the only way that I can relax and take the time to tell a story without anxiously jumbling things up and worrying about boring my listener. If they're bored, they can simply stop reading and I’ll never know.” —Kerry

“Because I’m shallow, I like telling a story, whether true or not, that will make people laugh. Increasingly, I find it more rewarding if I can bring in elements that make people think or where I can comment on the happenings in the world.” —Mark

What aspect(s) of writing do you find the most difficult?

“When I have just finished final edits on a piece that I really enjoyed, I find it difficult, sometimes even fret about, what to write about next.” —Debbe

“The most difficult part of inventing a compelling story is to formulate a satisfying ending. I believe that how the story finishes gives it that special impact that determines whether it is a ‘good’ piece or not. I try to tie up my stories with some kind of a twist, a surprise, an ‘aha’ moment, a bit of humor, something that gives the reader an emotional jolt to end on.” —Howard

“I find the discipline to be the most difficult. After years of writing, I still have not found and stayed with a routine. I find editing hard. I like starting and finishing, but the editing—the middle and arguably the most important part—is the hardest.” —Jamie

“Since I write short stories, I find the most difficult part about writing to be coming up with ideas. I envy people who have long pieces to work with because they already know what they’re going to be working on when they sit down to write. I don’t always have that luxury so I am constantly looking to prompts for ideas.” —Kerry

“I find just forcing myself to sit down and write regularly to be a struggle. I either have to have an idea I’ve been bouncing around in my head for days and have worked out and am dying to get it down, or a deadline where I have to bring something to read in a couple hours. Neither of these approaches I’d recommend to others.” —Mark

What have you learned about your writing process that has been helpful?

“I have learned that when I write about something about which I am passionate, the writing comes easiest. The closer I get to writing my truth, the easier it gets and the more I like the result.” —Debbe

“Two things come to mind immediately: (1) Doing the final editing by reading the work out loud. This reveals more about the rhythm of the prose more than just reading it silently does. (2) The necessity of including only the words that are absolutely necessary to tell the story. Eliminating those excess words is an important part of editing, and, at least for me, editing is the critical part of writing.” —Howard

“I’ve learned that I don’t have to know where something is going to go when I start it. I can write about an idea that has already been done and that is okay. This version is mine.” —Jamie

“I’ve learned that I work well under pressure and that a deadline is the best way to get me to focus and write a story.” —Kerry

“When I have an idea figured out, it comes easy and is usually okay. What I’ve found though, is when I bring something that has been a battle to get out and to a certain word count so it looks like I did something, I get just as much positive response. Showing, I guess, that imposing a writing schedule can be successful.” —Mark

Submission strategies from Nancy

In her recent blog post, author and writing coach Nancy Woods describes nine approaches to submitting your work for publication. Which approach do you use? The numbers game? The thin thread? The soft-boiled egg? After reading the post you might want to change your strategy: Woods gives a convincing rationale for each one.

Writing prompt: Memoir symbol

One way to organize your memoir is around a symbol, a visual representation of your life. Finish this sentence: “If I could choose only one symbol to stand for my life, it would be a ____ because ____.”

David Biespiel promotes three-step writing process

By Kathy Eaton

David Biespiel, president of Portland’s Attic Institute of Arts and Letters, spoke at the March Willamette Writers meeting in Portland, Oregon, about “crossing the threshold”—the journey every writer takes navigating a sequence of ups and downs of writing. Biespiel shared his three-step process:

*Start with an experience or opportunity.

*Identify the obstacles or disturbances.

*Find a metaphor to resolve the disturbances.

To illustrate his point, Biespiel read from James Wright’s poem “A Blessing” and also “My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer,” an essay by Christian Wiman about having faith in the face of death. Biespiel noted that his great-grandfather emigrated to America from Russia in 1910 (opportunity), settled in northern Iowa, and waited 10 years for the arrival of his family, which was delayed by WWI and the Russian Revolution (obstacles). Biespiel believes his great-grandfather must have talked to himself a lot while he was alone, imagining what life would be like when his family eventually joined him (resolution).

Writers often experience failure during the process, but according to Biespiel, failure is often where resolution comes from. “Everyone crosses the threshold,” he said. Rather than force a solution to an obstacle, he suggested remaining open to a resolution that comes to you. “Out of failure comes creativity,” he said.

“It’s a great privilege to be a writer,” Biespiel said, citing an example of a writer in Stalin-ruled Russia who was arrested, convicted, and exiled in the 1930s over an unpublished poem. “Writing is always a subversive activity.”

Writers are always searching for ways to connect with readers, and the last threshold one crosses is getting people—an agent or publisher, a stranger, or your mother—to read your work. Biespiel concluded his presentation by saying, “praise is at the heart of writing.”

At 52 years old, Biespiel is a poet, literary critic, columnist, and contributing writer at The Rumpus, Partisan, American Poetry Review, Politico, New Republic, Slate, Poetry, and The New York Times. He has also published ten books of poetry and prose, including A Long High Whistle: Selected Columns on Poetry (Antilever, 2015).

The next Willamette Writers meeting, on April 5, will feature renowned playwright Kira Obolensky, who will speak on the topic of audience. Obolensky will discuss her work with the theater and share her observations on how letting the audience into her imagination as she writes has dramatically changed her work.