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And, How Are You Overcoming It?
Last week, I looked at strengths. This time, I want to take a gander at
weaknesses. We all have them. I know what my major weakness is, one of many,
but this one is the most important: I spread myself too thinly.
What do I mean?
I do this in many ways:
1.
I divide
my time between many activities instead of concentrating on what's most
important.
2.
I can't
settle on any given genre, spreading my ideas into many different types of
writing so that I find it difficult to label myself as a practitioner in any
one field.
3.
I
support too many different campaigns, giving my voice and action to a multitude
of worthy causes.
4.
I read
many differing titles, failing to concentrate on a specific topic or genre.
Okay, I hear many of you choosing one or more of these instances and
arguing that these are not necessarily bad things. And, I agree. Variety is
essential to anyone who creates. A wide-ranging interest is vital to the
development of knowledge and intellect. Compassion is a response given by a
caring heart and restricting it may seem selfish. Ideas can either be adapted
and crammed, made to fit a specific genre of writing, or they can be given the
freedom to express themselves in whatever form seems most appropriate for the
story.
Let's deal first with those things that are outside the narrower field of
writing, those things that fall within the normal life choices of us all,
regardless of what we do for a living.
The causes are always a personal matter. I feel as if I get involved with
many, but, in reality, I tend to concentrate on 4 main areas. (a)The
environment and those things that impact on the future of the planet. (b)
Poverty and it's destructive effect on those under its heel. (c) Religion and
its negative input to society in general. (d) Education for all, especially
women. Of course, these interests tend to spread and merge with others and
bleed off into associated topics. And, yes, I do find myself sometimes pulled
into a fight for farm animals, wild animals, even pets. It would be possible
for me to spend my entire waking life fighting for causes in one way or
another. But I feel I wouldn't be doing the best possible with the few talents
I possess, so I have to consciously curtail and restrict those activities. They
do, nevertheless, consume large amounts of my time and energy. Will I stop? Of
course not. It's who I am and I'm willing to put up with that for the sake of
those things I care about. Could I do more? Of course. Will I? Probably not,
simply because I have a limited amount of time and energy at my disposal and
there are other aspects of life I wish to become involved with.
Reading is another personal choice. The experts and pundits would have us
believe that we, as writers, must read all we can of the contemporary genre(s)
in which we write. I have some sympathy with the point of view. But I'm
interested in many different things and my reading time is as limited as all
other aspects of modern life. Let's have a 72 hour day and the need for no
sleep and I might get close to reading some of what I'd like to sample. But the
reality is that we are, again, limited by time and energy and therefore must
select those books that we feel are most likely to entertain, inform, educate
and inspire us. I currently have a 'to read' list over 130 titles in length,
all sitting on my shelves. I had made a decision to read them all before I
bought, borrowed or accepted as gifts, any new books. But, in writing this
piece, I find myself subject to a small epiphany. I shall go through that list
and extract all those titles that I was going to read in reality because they
'ought to be read'. They can go back on the shelves, to be read at leisure once
I no longer have the urge to write. So, they can accompany me in my coffin and
I'll read them by the light of slow putrefaction. I'll read those that I
actually want to read and the rest can wait. I'm curious to see how that will
reduce the list. See, this exercise has already produced positive results, for
me at least.
Finally, my inability to settle on a specific genre. Will I tailor my
future writing to, say, thrillers, or perhaps that most popular genre, romance?
Maybe I'll concentrate on science fiction, or its brother, fantasy. Should I dive
into the dark world of horror? Maybe I could dig up some crime. A bit of
mystery? History calls from afar. A bit of sex in the form or erotica might
spice things up a little.
But, actually, I'm not the sort of writer who can even begin a story with
an idea of genre. When an idea takes me, I start to write and the genre emerges
from the tale as I tell it. I am, at heart, a story teller. I love character
and those threads of event that characters cause during interaction. I cannot
envisage sitting down and writing out a plot. Oh, believe me, I've tried. Plot
is a device, an artificial construct on which a story may be built. It's
suitable for many types of stories. But not for the stories I develop. I write
organically, I write by the seat of my pants. A plot would simply get in the
way and, in any case, I'd deviate from it as soon as the first character
decided he or she didn't want to go in that direction. So, I guess I'm stuck
with being a multi-genre writer. I accept that means I'll never be known in any
given field; I'm unlikely to be considered a commercial prospect by any
publisher. I understand that my chances of making a million with my writing are
significantly reduced (as if that chance ever really existed anyway. Even if it
did, it was never a motivator for me). But I write because I must and I write
because I love it and I write because I have things to say. If I don't do that in
my own way, with my own voice, what's the point?
So, those are my confessions, which, they say, are good for the soul.
This has been a useful exercise for me. It might help you; it depends on the
sort of writer you are and what motivates you, I suppose. Why not share your
thoughts in the comments? I love to know what others think.
6 comments:
Stuart,
I can relate to you weakness because I do the very same thing. While I differ in the area of genre, I focus on suspense in all it's varieties for writing. That's pretty broad genre.
Reading will eat up any free time if I let it.
Ah, reading: the one thing every writer should do voraciously, yet so few modern or wannabees seem to want to do. I can't understand a writer who doesn't read, can you?
Nope. I did a blog asking if we raised a generation or two of nonreaders. Modern kids have too many distractions to sit still and enjoy a book.
I don't think you're much different from most of us. I find I get involved in all kinds of projects because I'm not ready to delve into writing. I sometimes have to push myself to keep on track.
Perhaps reading is now seen as either too 'demanding' or simply not very cool. I'm sure that this will change with time, but it is a sad reflection of the times in which we live.
Ah, now there's the difference, Donna: I become frustrated with myself for allowing the distractions, when what I really want to do is just write! Once I sit down to create, there's no stopping me, except that, due to my poor health, I run out of steam too quickly. Still, with luck, retirement will bring me more time and energy so I'll be able to write a lot more.
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