I have been both conservative in my writing and stuck. The realization suddenly struck that, maybe, these two go hand in hand.
When I say conservative, I mean that I am afraid to step out and write what I don’t know. If I am not familiar with the setting, certain plot points, characters line of work, or whatever else I would need to research in order to write, then I am afraid to write it. This fear is that someone will call me on a mistake I have made because my research was not thorough enough or I somehow made an error in factual information.
So, I have been playing it safe and I have been stuck. This stuckness, I believe, is because playing it safe is no fun. I have a strong feeling that my stories are a bit flat because I am not stepping outside of my own reality. I feel at times I would be more comfortable writing a memoir because no one can argue that it isn’t my story. However, I don’t want to write a memoir, I want to write fiction. Good fiction. Interesting and engaging fiction.
Now that I realize why I am stuck, I must discern how I am going to find the courage to unstick myself and write the unknown.
Am I alone, or does anyone else deal with this same fear? What are your other fears?
6 comments:
I think you've hit upon a key bit of insight for yourself, Tamara. If we don't take those risks with our writing, we will get stuck, and we will lose momentum. I fully believe that. The only way to remedy this is to JUST DO IT!!!!
i think should not think any more just go ahead ..that u r thinking.. that would be easy for u ..for more information regarding Pittsburgh memoir writing, Pittsburgh storytelling, Pittsburgh corporate communication u can visit http://www.jayspeyerer.com/
I'm always worried I'll get a setting wrong, or a job duty wrong, or something else wrong! I'm not an expert on this stuff, but I remind myself that people aren't reading my books for a street by street description of a town!
Have a great weekend!
Thanks, WC! I do think it was a key insight. Yay, maybe I can now unstick and move on. ;-)
Jill, it does help to think of it that way. I just have read too many reviews where they rip apart the author not having the facts correct. I think I may need a thicker skin! LOL
When I come across something that I don't really know about in my writing, I write around it and then go back and do some simple research to clear up whatever vagueness there was concerning a setting, job, or sometimes a historical period.
You can do it. Don't let it stop or stick you. Just write around it then go back and check your facts and do some simple research. You can even go on twitter and ask a simple question about a job or a place. People will help.
Thanks, Corina. I can already feel areas of my story branching out into the unknown a bit. I feel so much less constricted just realizing why I was stuck. Guts up! ;-)
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