Monday, November 29, 2010

So You Want to Write a Novel





If only I wrote this, but I didn't. But I could have. And at this time of the semester when I have heard everything (& I mean everything) about how easy writing is, how anyone can do it, why grammar doesn't matter (there are editors, silly girl!), why reading is dying, why there's no craft involved in writing, no work involved, no revision, no discipline (it's creative after all) ... how I want to be allowed to say, as this poor teacher in the video says, "I wish I could kill you and get away with it."

But I can't say it.

So, for all of you who are teaching writing, this is for you. And for all of you who are writing, this is for you.

And for those of you who are my students who do get it (and I know who you are, and I think you do too...) thank you. It's because of you that I can stand the rest of it. If you know why the phrase "fiction novel" is hilarious, thank you. If you know why this dear young writer is delusional, thank you. If you understand why phoning agents is hilarious, why "I've been living my life, not wasting my time reading" is hilarious, why "but my idea is a guaranteed bestseller", why the emphasis on "my work is copyrighted" is hilarious, and why "but I'm the talent" is hilarious, thank you, thank you, thank you. Come back to my class anytime. We'll work it.

And to whomever put this video together, thank you for saying everything that my overworked, end of the semester internal censor must stop cold at my teeth.

I'll see you on Oprah. :-) (that's hilarious too...)

6 comments:

Karly said...

My favorite writing class moment ever: An unnamed classmate detailed the process from write to publish in this manner- Use a device that takes his voice and turns it to type, print it out, published it, get it turned into a movie.

Love the post!

Lisa Romeo said...

Thank you, thank you, for the comic relief! I just posted a link to this post from my blog. Loved it.

Unknown said...

Oh Gosh I Love This So Much!

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

Read your blogpost and remembered to order The Writing Warrior! Will have an agonising wait as it's not on Kindle yet :(

Judy(South Africa)

Amber Polo said...

Someone told me that self-published writers don't read. Any truth to that in your classes?

Laraine Herring said...

Amber, I don't know if there's any data about self-published vs traditionally published writers. All I can tell ya is people aren't reading. I have about 100 students each semester -- maybe 1/10 of them are avid readers -- maybe.