Does life imitate art or does art imitate life? How about a little of both?
I’ve come to believe that just like any character in a novel in Act 1 of the 3 Act Structure, people are called to action to show what they’re made of. And for writers I sometimes think that’s the real purpose of writing – to show what we’re made of more than the end result of being published. Oh sure, the dream of being published is the carrot that propels us on the journey, and like any fictional character, we are provided opportunities through Act 2 to show who we are, with plenty of conflict, setbacks, and triumphs along the way. And just when you think you’re almost there, another obstacle is thrown at you in Act 3, spinning you in circles until you find a solution and plow through to “The End,” which we all hope is getting published.
I’d always dreamed of writing fiction, but this was something I told myself I’d do if I were ever incapacitated and couldn’t work on the job any longer. For one thing, when I was younger, I couldn’t imagine what I could possibly write about. So I satisfied that writing urge by becoming a technical writer. And it worked—for awhile. Then when I turned 40, I realized I could no longer deny my feelings that I wanted to know my biological father. I found and met my father, and suddenly I had a story to tell. And I could no longer deny my feelings that I wanted to write fiction. That was my Act 1–that was my “inciting incident” or “call to action.”
Then there’s Act 2 or the Middle of the story where a series of complications and obstacles lead to a mini crisis. This happens as you rack up rejections or get close to publishing, but not close enough. Maybe you secure an agent—you may even attain the interest of an editor or two of a major publishing house only to have your hopes dashed as the deal falls through. And how many times have you wanted to give up at each of these points?
But then you hear that voice speaking to you as clearly as Scarlett O’Hara swearing to “never be hungry again” and you hear Scarlett’s father saying, “Do you mean to tell me, Katie Scarlett O’Hara, that Tara–that land doesn’t mean anything to you? Why, land’s the only thing in the world worth working for, worth fighting for, worth dying for, because it’s the only thing that last.” Scarlett’s response? “Oh, Pa. You talk like an Irishman.” Well, your inner voice talks just like a writer, and just as important as land really was to Scarlett, you realize how important becoming a published author is to you. And how do you know that? Because you hear your internal voice telling you how you’re made of stronger stuff than that–you must show the world who you are and what you’re capable of–and that you must never give up.
When I first started writing, some teacher or some craft book author asked what I wanted to be known for as a writer. I remembered reading descriptions of a favorite author and somebody had written how she “captured intense emotion” in her stories, and I knew that I wanted somebody to say that about my writing. But now I know how draining it is to put that emotion in a story. That’s when it’s tempting to just give up. Why continue down this painful path—the rejections, the effort to work so long and so hard on a full-length novel, and the emotional pain from the story itself?
Like many new writers, I leaned heavily on my own story as a plot device—I since learned how to write more fictional stories. But no matter how fictional they are, they all come from this place in my heart that matters. And my heart begins to believe these stories are true and that they really happened to me. And so I find it excruciating to relive that emotion as I go back to revise and revisit the more emotional scenes of the story. My technical writing edits never did that to me emotionally.
This might be another good time to give up, but then I see that my life as a writer is like any fictional character. I’m being molded, challenged, changed, guided through life and the writing is the vehicle I’m taking on this journey. On my writing journey – so far – I’ve been agented, offered a contract by an e-publisher, and self-pubbed my novel, Real Women Wear Red. I’ve also had six major moves in seven years—five intrastate, one intrastate, four job-related—calling me to action. But I’m still pounding the keyboard, searching for a traditional print publisher, and every new experience builds on the experience before and pushes me further along on the journey.
Kathy Holmes
http://www.kathyholmes.net
WOW! How much energy that must take. That made me tired just reading about the struggle there.
With your determined attitude you’re bound to reach your goal and reap your rewards!!