I absolutely get that you must show "loneliness of the monster, and the cunning of the innocent". But what if you were a child at the time the story took place? What if everything was outside your control and you were quite innocent? ASKING FOR A FRIEND
You have to take a giant step back, and let your narrator be a character who tells the story with the benefit of age and context. You can still let whatever happened to the child character happen, but having some narratorial distance -- letting the adult narrator tell the story -- will help.
As someone who will be approaching this juncture sooner rather than later, I appreciate every bit of this, Elissa. Such valuable nuggets. Hope book tour is proving to be rewarding.
So good! "A cardinal rule that Dorothy Allison once shared with me at a writer’s workshop (I am paraphrasing here): There can be no victimhood on the part of the writer. You have to write yourself as fucked up and shameful as your characters might be."
Elissa, your memoir is arriving today and I can't wait to dig in!
A different kind of show... I finished the first literary essay I've completed in some time. A Breakthrough. I wrote a few drafts, shared with my editor, revised, finished four more edits, happily declared my victory and then my friend and former professor asked to see it. All of a sudden I feel myself dreading seeking approval. Sharing this dread with my editor who earlier had a pointed conversation with me about the importance of not seeking others' approval but instead trusting myself, she said, "Don't send it until I read it first." That high I had all afternoon? Gone.
This is such powerful advice. Thank you. It’s indeed such a tricky line to walk, especially because once you get feedback from people in your writing, it can change not only what you’ve written (if you choose to), but also how you view the person now, making it harder, at least in my experience, to go back to your mindset during the era you’re writing about. Now I’m looking forward to reading Permission even more!
I anguished over this before I published and could write a novella about the unexpected reactions, twists and turns of people who were in my memoir. It might even be a better story than the story. 😳
I absolutely get that you must show "loneliness of the monster, and the cunning of the innocent". But what if you were a child at the time the story took place? What if everything was outside your control and you were quite innocent? ASKING FOR A FRIEND
You have to take a giant step back, and let your narrator be a character who tells the story with the benefit of age and context. You can still let whatever happened to the child character happen, but having some narratorial distance -- letting the adult narrator tell the story -- will help.
As someone who will be approaching this juncture sooner rather than later, I appreciate every bit of this, Elissa. Such valuable nuggets. Hope book tour is proving to be rewarding.
So good! "A cardinal rule that Dorothy Allison once shared with me at a writer’s workshop (I am paraphrasing here): There can be no victimhood on the part of the writer. You have to write yourself as fucked up and shameful as your characters might be."
Elissa, your memoir is arriving today and I can't wait to dig in!
Thanks, Elissa.
❤️
Thank you! And my copy of PERMISSION arrived, I am salivating to get started 😅🙏🏼
pre-ordered on Bookshop yesterday after reading the excerpt there - grateful and eager to read the rest
OMG, Such valuable insights!
Essential advice! Bookmarking this one.
Thank YOU! I really needed to hear this as I'm working my book. Absolutely getting your new book!
A different kind of show... I finished the first literary essay I've completed in some time. A Breakthrough. I wrote a few drafts, shared with my editor, revised, finished four more edits, happily declared my victory and then my friend and former professor asked to see it. All of a sudden I feel myself dreading seeking approval. Sharing this dread with my editor who earlier had a pointed conversation with me about the importance of not seeking others' approval but instead trusting myself, she said, "Don't send it until I read it first." That high I had all afternoon? Gone.
This is such powerful advice. Thank you. It’s indeed such a tricky line to walk, especially because once you get feedback from people in your writing, it can change not only what you’ve written (if you choose to), but also how you view the person now, making it harder, at least in my experience, to go back to your mindset during the era you’re writing about. Now I’m looking forward to reading Permission even more!
I anguished over this before I published and could write a novella about the unexpected reactions, twists and turns of people who were in my memoir. It might even be a better story than the story. 😳
I needed this. Thank you!
You have to write yourself as fucked up and shameful as your characters might be-resonate.
permission just arrived
Great points
Thank you