Awful Arrogant Authors

Talking with and listening to other writers is one of the most valuable and enjoyable things I do on my writing journey.  I’ve already learnt so much from them, even from passing comments or throwaway remarks.

For some reason beyond my logical comprehension, I had an expectation that authors – especially published ones - would be egotistical, superior literary gods who have perfect prose flowing out of their fingertips at the slightest provocation and look down on anyone who isn’t as miraculously gifted.

Having now met a growing number of writers, I haven’t actually met even one awful, arrogant author…yet.  Because we’re not in direct competition, we’re generally nice to and encouraging of each other.  Even if two writers were writing about the same topic, the books they produce will be markedly different, as no one has the exact same voice or viewpoint as anyone else.  Everyone’s work is unique.  Writing is nothing like an exam where there are right answers and we can compare our marks and grades.  Good work sometimes doesn’t get published and bad work sometimes does!

The amazing authors I met at Arvon (not awful or arrogant in the slightest!)

It was when reading an interview with Harlan Coben earlier this year that I discovered that, like me, he swings from thinking his work is great to the next day thinking it sucks.  At Arvon, Lucy Christopher shared how stuck she’d sometimes got while writing “The Killing Woods” and had to walk around the Forest of Dean, as well as get a friend to write some music for her, to release the story.  Also, at Arvon, Meg Rosoff told us that she often gets caught between finishing one book and starting on a new one, with no ideas coming and no obvious way forward, sometimes for weeks (although she more than capably gets there in the end) :-)

Sharing our writerly struggles is unbelievably important.  Writing is a very isolated task – the majority of it done at home, on your own.  I often go whole (school hour) days without talking to anyone.  It’s far too easy to end up thinking that you’re the only person who ever faces certain difficulties or having certain struggles.

Other things we share can be more positive, like recommendations of useful books, courses or conferences.  I was encouraged to find out at Arvon (yes, “at Arvon” will be a repetitive phrase in my blog, definitely for weeks to come, possibly months, perhaps even years!) that my writing process is a lot like Melvin Burgess’s.  When we’re working on the first draft of a book, we both have key scenes in our heads which we write and then start to link them together.  I admire people who can write in a linear way, but that doesn’t appear to be my style and it was great to find out that I’m not completely odd in my preferred method!

Writers can also help you to tap into and understand unconscious thoughts more fully.  At Arvon, Meg Rosoff shared a dressage analogy about resonance - the art of the horse and rider working together in complete unity – and how that is also true in writing, when you suddenly connect with an idea and it starts going full flow, in perfect tune with the story.  It was useful, but one of my course mates, Dale, reiterated it the next day as a surfing analogy, which I understood a lot better having surfed before (but never having done dressage!).

To surf, there’s a lot of preparation, including checking the tide times (finding the right time), but if you’re ever gonna do it you actually have to get into the water.  There can be so many obstacles even when you get there – the wind taking the tops off waves so they’re not that good; it’s too cold to be enjoyable; there are too many people in way to get a good run.  But when you catch THE wave, then the triumph and exhilaration of the ride make it well worth the wait! 

It can be hard to find the right time to write and even when you do, the right words might not come, a character might be difficult or a plot twist not authentic and credible enough.  But on those days when it all starts to flow, wow!  The rest of the world falls away and literary magic happens on the page.  Those days make all the hard slog and the times when you write one word after another on the page just coz you have to worth it.  They are the practice waves that mean you’re there and you’re ready when the big one comes!  I’ve found this image really encouraging and a great motivator to get on and write every day, regardless of how well it goes.

The writing has been going splendiferously well recently though :-)  More on that next time…

Amazing Arvon - The Difference A Week Can Make

Two weeks ago I went on a “Writing For Young Adults” Arvon Foundation course.  It's still pretty much impossible to talk about the incredible week I had there without sounding totally OTT and pathetically sycophantic. I'm good at OTT, so I don't mind that accusation, but I detest sycophancy.  But, credit where it's due, so I'll risk it!

This is just an overview or taster really - there’s so much to share from it that I’ll be unpacking it for you in blog posts for weeks to come :-)

If I'm completely honest with you then it didn't always feel like the most amazing week of my life at the time. Events like that quickly and massively wear me out, resulting in lots of triggers being pressed.  There were times when I was overwhelmed by inadequacy and felt like a complete fraud.
 
But it WAS amazing and there were three key factors that made it so. The first was simply the fact that I was staying in a beautiful country house, in an idyllic setting, with fantastic food that I didn't have to make and nothing to do for the week but concentrate on writing!

Gorgeous Lumb Bank (thanks to Dorthe Andersen)

The beautiful view from my bedroom window!

The second factor was the amazing tutors. When I'd first discovered the course I was gobsmacked that such big successful authors as Melvin Burgess, Lucy Christopher and Meg Rosoff were doing it.  More detail on them in future posts, but they were fantastic!   They gave so much of themselves – their insights, experience, knowledge, encouragement, energy and time.  They went far above and beyond what I'd expected of them. They weren't just teaching a course, they were totally WITH us. I was super impressed.

The workshops were where the most condensed learning took place and over the week we looked primarily at voice, plot, setting and using objects to help you connect with a scene or situation.  I learnt so much in each of these that they’re gonna need their own blog post (or two!) too - there are plenty of funny stories and insights to share from them :-)

The downside of learning about good writing is that it made me more and more aware of how much my writing could be improved.  Add to that overwhelming feelings of inadequacy caused by hearing others read out amazing pieces of work and you’ll understand why it was such an emotional, challenging and cathartic time as well as amazing (although none of those things are mutually exclusive).  All these struggles are being fast forgotten though, and I’m just increasingly aware of the huge value of what I've learnt and the impact it's already having on my writing.

The final great factor was meeting 15 other wannabe YA writers. Everyone was really friendly and interesting - I never minded who I sat next to in workshops, meals or social times. No cliques formed.  Naturally there were people I got on particularly well with and I'll definitely be keeping in touch with them, not least to encourage and cheer them on in their writing journeys!  It's very exciting to think that one day - hopefully in the not too distant future - I'll see a new YA book advertised that's written by one of my Arvon friends.

Everything I learnt and experienced in that week at Arvon will have positive repercussions in my writing for years to come.  I can’t recommend their courses highly enough – although I do now have the problem that any future courses I might attend couldn’t possibly be as amazing as this one!  If you’re serious about writing – or any other dream - then investing money in a good quality course is priceless.  If you find one you want to do then sell your TV, sell your car, sell your kidney, but make sure you find a way to do it :-)