how to write a novel by cary tennis

"The business of the novelist is not to relate great events, but to make small ones interesting."

Arthur Schopenhauer

Hi, fellow writers,

How's the new year going so far?  Feeling productive and inspired?  In case you're in a rut, here's an interesting piece on the process of writing a novel by Cary Tennis from salon.com.

My writing group and I have been talking a lot lately about divulging very personal details in our stories, and I really like this quote from Neil Gaiman:

The moment that you feel that, just possibly, you're walking down the street naked, exposing too much of your heart and your mind and what exists on the inside, showing too much of yourself. That's the moment you may be starting to get it right.

After we pour our hearts and souls and every ounce of love and sweat and tears we've got into our work, we have to separate ourselves from it and see it as a separate thing of beauty (hopefully), like a child.  It came from us, but it has to be able to live on its own.  

Or as Quentin Bell said:

A book is so much a part of oneself that in delivering it to the public one feels as if one were pushing one’s own child out into the traffic.

And lastly, The Semplica-Girls Diary by George Saunders.  Have you read it?  He's been hailed as the writer of our times, the best short story writer, a writer for writers, etc.  

I especially liked this part:

Stood looking up at house, sad. Thought: Why sad? Don’t be sad. If sad, will make everyone sad. Went in happy, not mentioning bumper, squirrel/mouse smudge, maggots, then gave Eva extra ice cream, due to I had spoken harshly to her.

Have to do better! Be kinder. Start now. Soon they will be grown and how sad, if only memory of you is testy, stressed guy in bad car.

So, while some may say the published/written word is dead, and our modern era is all about TV and online videos, I like to think of Janet Steen, who says, "There is a corny, stubborn part of me that believes writers are still the ones to show us the way, to help us muddle through our deeply messed-up culture and maybe even be better people."

As Lori R Taylor says:

Let the power of words light the candles of our souls setting the world on fire, inspiring greatness; for all things good can one day be great, if only you believe.

Saunders finishes a story about Dubai as follows:

“Don’t be afraid to be confused. Try to remain permanently confused. Anything is possible. Stay open, forever, so open it hurts, and then open up some more, until the day you die, world without end, amen.”