I went to Catholic school for ten years, nearly half of
my life. When I transitioned into a public high school, and even into college,
I had trouble shaking off the traditions and the “Catholic guilt,” even though
my beliefs did a 180. Old habits die hard, ya know. Just the same, how I think
about writing still kind of relies on what I’ve been told or what I’d experienced
while in a liberal arts program, which I’ve been graduated from for almost a
year now.
I could start a whole big list of the myths brought to
you by creative writing programs (I was only in one briefly when I first
started school, but still, I’ve taken classes since), but these courses can be “forgiven”
if considered a fundamental education for “beginning” writers, or a chance for
writers to do something a little more fun and creative in their college career.
And I could list off a bunch of “remedies” that could help get writers beyond
the typical creative writing course standards (such as: telling over showing is
not always what’s best...whoa).
But, I won’t because my advice isn’t any
better than anything else others might be handing out, and hey—I don’t even have an
MFA to back it up (insert a wink here). All I’ve got to offer are my own
considerations about different approaches to craft anyway, but one big thing I’ve
learned is that it really all comes down to the person who’s writing and what
works for them or not. (Yeah, some things may not be effective for some
audiences, publications, or genres, but hey, there are always other readers. I
mean, do you realize that monster erotica is, like, extremely popular?)
Because today I’ve been drinking and because I’m facing a
possible promotion at work, my main spiel deals with my years of feeling as if the line of work I ended up
with after graduation simply isn’t good enough for a writer. After I graduated,
everyone expected me to enter an MFA program and become a teacher, and that totally didn’t end up
happening. Not even close. And so, because I needed a job, I got one in retail. That turned into
a full-time gig, then I got a promotion as coordinator of my department, and
now I’m up for management.
You know how you go into a store over and over and the thing you buy is always in the same spot in the same aisle, but then one day it’s moved and you get pretty pissed because you can’t find that item easily? Yeah, that’s what I do. And ya know, I really like it. 1, the job keeps me busy both mentally and physically so time goes by super quick and I’m not left with excess time to think about how my life might suck; 2, the tasks are puzzle-like and require problem solving skills since I am constantly having to figure out how to make shit work so it isn't mindless; 3, I never have to take work home with me, and so while I may be exhausted from working at 6am every day, I have my afternoons all to myself; and 4, I work with many awesome people who are real people and who I can learn from.
You know how you go into a store over and over and the thing you buy is always in the same spot in the same aisle, but then one day it’s moved and you get pretty pissed because you can’t find that item easily? Yeah, that’s what I do. And ya know, I really like it. 1, the job keeps me busy both mentally and physically so time goes by super quick and I’m not left with excess time to think about how my life might suck; 2, the tasks are puzzle-like and require problem solving skills since I am constantly having to figure out how to make shit work so it isn't mindless; 3, I never have to take work home with me, and so while I may be exhausted from working at 6am every day, I have my afternoons all to myself; and 4, I work with many awesome people who are real people and who I can learn from.
In the beginning, I felt pretty depressed about it all,
though, because others made me feel as if I wasn’t living up to my potential. I
have a college degree, why the hell wasn’t I using it? Because, honestly: I don’t
need to use it to have a fulfilling life. I’ve had many wonderful experiences
in college that have indeed helped me become who I am today, and they have
shaped my identity as a writer, but it is not the degree or the career thereafter
that defines who you are as a writer/artist/person in general.
You are what you do in all aspects of your life. If you work just to make a living and then come home to write beautiful books, who’s to say you are no better than the creative writing teachers, etc? If anything, working jobs outside the field of writing can give you an advantage: you are experiencing different things that can enrich your writing and influence your creativity by giving you insights that you may not get from having a career that mirrors what you do artistically. Anyway, in the end, being a better writer doesn’t mean you’ve got the academic or professional credentials to back up your talent; it means you’ve worked pretty damn hard at your writing, and you can get that from anywhere at any point in your life.
________________________
Follow the Literary Underground @litinc
Siren Bee @ButterDancer
And check back Monday, May 5 for a brand new post.
You are what you do in all aspects of your life. If you work just to make a living and then come home to write beautiful books, who’s to say you are no better than the creative writing teachers, etc? If anything, working jobs outside the field of writing can give you an advantage: you are experiencing different things that can enrich your writing and influence your creativity by giving you insights that you may not get from having a career that mirrors what you do artistically. Anyway, in the end, being a better writer doesn’t mean you’ve got the academic or professional credentials to back up your talent; it means you’ve worked pretty damn hard at your writing, and you can get that from anywhere at any point in your life.
________________________
Follow the Literary Underground @litinc
Siren Bee @ButterDancer
And check back Monday, May 5 for a brand new post.
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