Ellen Mulholland––writer, dreamer
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Write what you live

9/8/2014

2 Comments

 
Picture
This isn't new advice. You've heard it before, but did you listen?

I didn't.


The first story I wrote in college was about a sculptor who created a bust of her blind brother so he could feel his face like she did.


I'm not a sculptor. I don't have a blind brother. My professor guessed as much. He said the story lacked luster; it was missing authenticity. 


He was right.


It's not that I can't write a story with a blind character, but the heart of the story needs to be mine. 


My first YA, "This Girl Climbs Trees", was described by Publisher's Weekly as a "semi-autobiographical narrative with literary leanings". Well, maybe. When I think about my college prof's comments. Yes. The nuggets aren't really my life, but the essence, the themes are. Growing up, I questioned everything - life, death, boys, myself. 
(PW also said it wouldn't hold readers' attentions. My readers say they are wrong.)

My second novel, "Birds on a Wire", follows three teen boys and their struggles with their own identities. One comes out, one loses his temper, the other struggles with love and friendship. Not quite tales from my adolescence, but the underlying themes - yes. In high school, I worked hard balancing friendships and boys; I sought to understand the value of my family v. my friends.
I am writing what I live. Don't expect the plots are me; do expect the central messages are.

My third YA, "Clothed in Flames" (currently in the loving hands of editor Jane MacKay), drops us into the crowded mind of a girl who hears voices and thinks a fictional character can help her find the dad she's never met. (Not my story - not even close. Well, okay, all writers hear voices, yes?) However, the message about love, family, believing in yourself - that's me. That's what I live. 


So, yes, Professor Boyle, you were correct. Yes, Neil Gaiman, you, too, are spot on! We must write what we live. Where we live is in our hearts.


What's important to you? Make a list. Write one of those stories. The plot is the vehicle that carries your message. Write what you live.

Share your thoughts here.
Write on!

2 Comments
Patricia Lynne link
9/12/2014 02:50:44 am

I think the saying "Write what you live" is like "Write what you know". It's something that can be taken with a grain of salt. Vampires aren't real, but lots of authors (including myself) draw on what we know to create undead characters that feel real (or at least we hope they feel real!) We draw from our very real lives to create fictional lives.

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Ellen Mulholland link
9/13/2014 01:29:53 am

True, Patricia. If I were to take the sculptor story today, there's no doubt I could do something more with it, but I'd need to focus on the message. Back then, it was all about the characters and plot. I believe, as writers, our task is to share life lessons, expose truths and lies, give readers something to think about.

And I do believe you can do that with vampires, in the future and past, or with ordinary humans.

Thanks for sharing! Always love when you stop by.

Ellen

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  • Home
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