At the risk of cutting my nose off to spite my face, as the old saying goes, I have to say I've felt uninspired to write a blog entry about anything in Francine Prose's Reading Like a Writer, which is required reading in my Professional Writing seminar. Frannie may be a brilliant writer herself (I've never read anything of hers other than this book), but she ain't doing a great job of inspiring me or giving me much insight about writing. Her book is replete with examples from great literature about how to write character, dialogue, voice, etc., but her "mockingbird" just doesn't sing for me. I think the point of her book is that if we take cues from reading the "masters," our own writing will benefit. I would just like to suggest that it doesn't take an entire book to point that out. But maybe I'm just being cynical and difficult.
That said, I believe what "inspires" one person may do nothing for someone else, and this must be what is going in my relationship with Francine. I personally prefer Anne Lamott's book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Not only is it full of good anecdotes about the "writing life," but it also is a great read: humorous, humble, and honest. I like her ideas about starting "small" and how to turn writing frustrations into writing epiphanies. The metaphor captured in the title of her book is a reference to the fact that writing is a process that, to extend the metaphor even further, can really leave one's feathers in a ruffle. She tells one anecdote from her childhood about her 10-year-old brother who'd had a month to write a report on birds. On the day before it was due, he was panicked because he had not written a single word and writing the report seemed like an impossible task. Lamott writes, "my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, 'Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.' " That is a small example of how Lamott does such an incredible job of making what she has to say about writing feel as though she is talking to each of her readers on a personal level, as though she is sitting there next me saying, "Bird by bird, Christi. Just take it bird by bird." That sentiment is also a fine way to approach life as well, I think.
I very highly encourage checking out this interview with Lamott at this link below. You'll get a sense of her self-deprecating humor, struggles, and insight into what it means to be a writer. Click here to link http://bigthink.com/ideas/19807 to the interview with Lamott, or see my September 2 entry for embedded video.
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Christi,
ReplyDeleteI definitely understand feeling uninspired by Prose's approach to writing, especially because you are someone who already reads so closely and deliberately. The primary reason I enjoyed Reading Like a Writer is because I often forget to read closely; Prose's book sort of inspired me to be more vigilant and actually pay attention to the details of a text instead of speeding through it. I'm the type of person who easily sees the forest but totally glosses over the individual trees, and I think that's who Prose's book is aimed at -- big picture people who are prone to neglecting the details. I have a feeling that you are not the only detail-oriented person who thinks that Prose is stating the obvious.
That being said, I do actually agree that her writing is long-winded, but I enjoyed reading the examples that she provided from other works. It's funny -- her writing I did still speed through, but I forced myself to slow down while reading the textual examples and got a lot out of them.
Thanks for providing the video interview with Lamott -- looking forward to watching it!
LAE
(P.S. Sorry for the random deleted comment above -- I copied and pasted from a Word document and the format looked a little crazy.)
Christi,
ReplyDeleteLike Leeann, I understand how you are uninspired by Prose's Reading Like A Writer. Leeann is right on when she says that you are someone who already reads so closely and deliberately. I wish I had that skill - or habit. I love to read and have always enjoyed a variety of genres and styles. Until now, I haven't had the pleasure of dissecting a work into pieces. I am more of a "big picture" reader, too. I know what I like. But, for me, Francine Prose's Reading Like a Writer gives an excellent framework (with concrete textual examples) on how to reach objectives in writing. As an English minor in college, I had very few writing "lessons," if they even exist. Prose's book really breaks down some important observations of storytelling in a way that is clear and concise for those of us who may need just that.
And thanks for the Lamott video. What a down-to-Earth woman with great insight, too!
GJS