Writing Life

(Apologies ahead of time for the paragraph formatting near the end of this; my blog got wonky.)

Onward!

I had a great exchange this week with a New Zealand fan on the role of life experience (like how young is too young to have anything worthwhile to say) and writing.  We had such a great discussion that I asked if I could simply post this to my blog.  My fan agreed, so what follows is a (slightly) edited version.

Her email:

. . . I was reading your blog today; particularly the entry ‘Writers Write What They Know… Sometimes’.
I was reading an interview with the author Irvine Welsh also, and in it he said this;

“I got into trouble with the University of Chicago [teaching creative writing] because with the younger ones I said look, don’t bother with this course, leave, get a job doing bar work or waitressing. Get a convertible and an eight-ball and drive down to Mexico and meet some hookers and get something to write about. They could all write really well but they had nothing to write about… The younger kids would be better off doing another degree.”

In your blog entry, you say “And here’s my answer: I don’t have to have had a heart attack in order to know how to treat it. Something doesn’t have to been real for me–I don’t need to have that heart attack or that unrequited crush–to write about it in a way that moves people or feels like a what if.”

I was wondering what your standpoint would be on what Mr Welsh said. Do you think that to successfully write creatively, you have to be older; have the worldly experience?

My opinion on the matter has always been that you don’t necessarily have to have had experienced something personally to be able to put emotions into words, and make them feel real to someone else. It would seem , from your blog entry, that you have the same opinion. But do you think that age plays a part in this? Do you think that writers under a certain age, or with a certain amount of experience, should wait until they have something personal to draw from?

Now, aren’t these interesting questions?  Aren’t they ones you’ve asked yourself?

Here’s my response (and remember, these are only my opinions):

. . .  in a nutshell, I think that Welsh is saying something with which I (partially) agree: you don’t become a writer taking creative writing courses. In fact, I think that folks who take creative writing in college have learned only one thing: how to get an A (and craft beautifully soporific sentences no one wants to read).  Remember, writers are entertainers; you’re not writing to please a teacher. As a writer, the only grade you should be interested in is the paycheck that comes from an editor who says, “Yes, I want to publish this.”

Now, I do think that worldly experience is helpful; I agree with Welsh on this. That’s only common sense. The more you know, the more you have to draw on for stories and setting details, and the more ideas you have. But that would be like saying that the 20 years that you’ve lived (or however old you are) count for nothing.  Did Shakespeare start out Shakespeare right away? Of course not. There’s a reason that no one puts on “Troilus and Cressida;” it’s a crappy play. There’s a reason that people love “The Tempest,” his last completed work–because he’d been writing for a while and only gotten better.

Same is true of every writer. The more a writer writes, the better she will be. I am often envious of writers who started when they were in their 20s. They’ve had time to get better and better at the craft. Sure, a lot of their early stuff is crap, but so was–and is–mine, and I didn’t start writing until I was in my mid-40s. Age is not a magical inoculant that allows you to suddenly write well. Sure, I’ve accumulated a lot of worldly experience, but until I can write about it coherently and entertain you in the process, who cares? Everyone starts somewhere.

So, do I think that creative writing, as a degree, is ridiculous? You bet. Do I think that you can never start too early to learn how to be a great writer and entertainer? Ah-yup. That just because you’re 20 years old, this counts for nothing and you have nothing to say? Absurd. Yes, your writing may be clunky and uninteresting to me–go read some early Stephen King, like SALEM’S LOT and compare that to, say, DUMA KEY, or try to plow through “Troilus and Cressida” while resisting the urge to put pins in your eyes–and you get the picture.

I will also cop to the fact that I’ve never taken a creative writing course for the reasons outlined above.  I suppose that some people who read my work might nod and say, Well, yeah, that shows.  That is not to say, however, that I don’t think people shouldn’t learn some craft and, for the record, I think that the second half of King’s On Writing is very clear that if you don’t have a well-stocked toolbox–the basics of grammar, punctuation, structure, etc.–writing will be a tough go.  No joke: I actually met a college kid who said he wanted to be a writer . . . but hates reading.  I was, like . . . wah?  In the end, he must’ve come to the same conclusion because he switched to art.

Anyway . . . really, what does a creative writing degree get you?  Really?  Be honest, now.

Yeah.  That’s what I think, too.

That’s not to say that I’ve not attended workshops–I have–but I’ve also been very selective. (Funny thing was that, years back, when I was thinking of another workshop with a very well-published writer I really respect–and sort of fear, too, because I knew she’d tell me when I stink–she said she wasn’t sure what I’d get out of it and really would be much better off simply writing.).  I’m only interested in hearing and receiving critiques from pros who write for a living and are well-published.  Why would I waste time with someone who’s published, say, a single book, or perhaps two? Or a handful of short stories?  Right. I wouldn’t, and I’m not sure they’d have much to teach me.  But someone whose income comes solely from writing; a person who does this day in and day out and has done it for years . . . that’s someone I’ll pay attention to.

My fan’s reply:

. . . What you said, and the way you said it, helped me form a better/deeper perspective on the matter, and put it into context.
I have one final question, if it’s not too much to ask.
Do you think that if a young aspiring writer has read a copious amount over their lifetime (both fiction and non-fiction), that could at least in a small part compensate for lack of wordly experience in relation to writing? I know that reading about something and experiencing it yourself are two different things, but in the context of writing, do you think that it is possible to compensate with prior READING experience?
I only ask this one out of personal experience. I’m 18 years old, and whenever I write about something I have had no experience with personally, I tend to draw a lot from previous things I have read; words, phrases, and feelings in conjunction with certain events or circumstances. I suppose that empathy plays a part in the equation as well, as to figuring out how a certain person/character would feel in certain situations.

To which I said:

. . . Here’s what I think: I really don’t know. I can tell you that all writers are readers. You can’t write without reading other peoples’ work, if only to get ideas for your own or see how other people  describe what you’re after. So, of course, you’ll assimilate what you read. Whether or not that truly makes up for life experience, who knows? And, honestly, who cares? If you want to write…write.  In fact, if you follow these rules, I guarantee you’ll be published: http://adr3nalin3.blogspot.com/2012/01/so-you-wanna-be-contender.html. It may not happen quickly, but, eventually, your work will see the light of day.